Tucson's only Puerto Rican restaurant blends old and new
Batey Puerto Rican Gastronomy, Tucson's only Puerto Rican restaurant, blends chef Carlos Garcia's family recipes with modern technique and local ingredients.
Nearly two years after opening the only Puerto Rican restaurant in Tucson, chef Carlos Garcia is still blending his grandmother's recipes with modern technique at Batey Puerto Rican Gastronomy.
"Batey," a word from the language of Puerto Rico's Indigenous Taíno people, refers both to a ceremonial court and to the celebrations, ceremonies and games held there.
But to Garcia, batey means "come on and celebrate with us," reflecting his enthusiasm for sharing food from his heritage with the rest of the Tucson community.
The concept for Batey began after Garcia lost his job as an executive chef at a hotel in 2020, as the pandemic accelerated job insecurity across the hospitality industry.
Garcia decided to invest his 401(k) into a food truck, which he named Boriken, serving the Puerto Rican cuisine of his childhood.
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Boriken brought his focus back to his native cuisine. But it wasn't until he opened Batey's brick-and-mortar location at 4230 N. Oracle Road in October 2024 that Garcia began really experimenting with different concepts, including molecular gastronomy.
“Plates I cannot do in the food truck, I do in the restaurant,” Garcia said. “The cooking here brings very authentic food but with a modern approach.”
At Batey, waiters aren't wearing tuxedos, and there isn't an ostentatious chandelier in sight, upending what one might expect from a "modern" eating experience. Instead, umbrellas hang from the ceiling and the staff is as welcoming as a favorite neighborhood diner.
Batey doesn't welcome diners with the usual tortilla chips and salsa found at many Mexican restaurants. Instead, diners are offered savory pork rinds to enjoy as they peruse the menu.
The menu offers an interpretation of the food Garcia grew up with in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Meals traditionally prepared to feed as many mouths as possible are presented with a modern touch, while still holding true to the recipes handed down by his mother and grandmother.
Puerto Rican cuisine blends Spanish, African, Taíno and surrounding influences, which Garcia infuses with Sonoran ingredients available in Tucson. The result includes dishes like mofongo relleno de camarones, a mountain of mashed plantains and garlic bathed in salsa criolla with relleno chiles and topped with shrimp.
While some dishes may seem familiar at first, every one carries flavors distinct to Puerto Rico.
The flan and empanada both trace back to Spanish lineage and are found in many parts of the Western world. Batey's flan uses the same caramel sauce but is made richer with cream cheese, and the empanada sampler pairs crab, beef and pizza filling with a traditional piqué hot sauce.
Every ingredient gets close attention in the kitchen, especially the plantains. Garcia said that in some weeks, he returns up to half of his bulk bags for not meeting his standards. Anything not prepared in-house is bought strictly from local and Puerto Rican distributors.
“It's about showing my heritage on the plate, and to do that (the ingredients) have to meet my standard,” Garcia said.
For more exclusive events, Batey Puerto Rican Gastronomy partners with Tucson Foodie to present a multi-course dinner and rum pairing.
The last weekend of every month, Garcia reopens the restaurant from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., offering live DJ sets, finger food, beer buckets and more for Noche Latina, or Latin Night.
And while not open daily, the Boriken food truck will be serving fresh sorullitos de maíz, deep-fried cornmeal fritters, at Tucson Meet Yourself Oct. 16-18.
However intimidating it may be to explore unfamiliar flavors, Garcia invites everyone to come celebrate a cuisine steeped in complex history and innovation.
“We enjoy that we get out of our comfort zone and create a different atmosphere,” Garcia said.
Ian Davis is a Pima Community College student and Tucson Spotlight intern. Contact him at imdavis52023@gmail.com.
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