Learn Spanish your way with a TakeLessons expert

Taking Spanish lessons in Tucson? You're in luck, because this southwest city has no shortage of places to get inspired. Visit the following places to immerse yourself in Hispanic history, taste authentic Mexican dishes, and meet native speakers.

Barrio Anita

90 percent of the historic Hispanic neighborhood that is Barrio Anita was built in the first two decades of the 20th century, and today's residents still honor that heritage with a tiny, long-running street market that sells freshly made Mexican favorites. The Anita Street Market is famous for its fresh flour tortillas, and as you wait in line for your turn to taste their perfection, don't forget to admire the adobe walls and flat roofs that line the streets.

Burritos, tacos, pints of homemade salsa and other authentic treats are also available here. Surrounded by Spanish architecture and the scent of authentic Mexican cuisine, it's hard not to be inspired for your Spanish lessons in Tucson. If you're interested in experiencing more of the community's history, walk a few blocks to David G. Herrera and Ramon Quiroz Park, which features a tile mural of the neighborhood's families and former leaders.

La Mesa Tortillas & Tamales

La Mesa Tortillas & Tamales is a Tucson treasure has three locations, and each one features an extensive menu of authentic, affordable Mexican food. Test your budding Spanish skills with the owner and his family, who brought their top-secret tortilla recipe with them when they immigrated to Tucson. Their handmade tortillas are good enough to get a menu all to themselves, with unique sizes, textures and ingredients to fit specific dishes. For example, their thin mesa corn tortilla is recommended for casseroles or enchiladas and their medium flour tortillas for quesadillas and burritos. You can even snack on jalapeno tortillas or pre-fried tortilla strips.

Of course, the menu also features hot tamales, quesadillas, tacos, nachos and other freshly made Mexican staples. They even offer extensive instructions for storing and heating your tortillas, and for reheating your tamales to achieve the best possible taste. Ask for the Spanish-language version to make sure it's a real learning experience.

El Charro Café

The same family has owned El Charro Café since 1922, making it the country's oldest Mexican restaurant with continuous ownership. Founder Monica Flin was a Tucson trailblazer, and not just because she was a Mexican woman who owned her own business; she was also the chef, hostess and server, and she invented the chimichanga right in the original restaurant's kitchen.

Monica's recipes came directly from the Sonoran Desert region of northern Mexico, but she integrated a variety of local ingredients and cooking traditions for a truly innovative, Tucson-style menu. Today, this fusion restaurant stays true to her original vision, and it consistently receives nationwide press coverage and top industry honors as a result.

#####¡Platique! The ¡Platique!(http://www.meetup.com/Platique/) Meetup group speaks exclusively in Spanish (or en español, as organizer Lou Lampe insists you say). The goal is total immersion, but the atmosphere is casual; there are no lessons or lectures, just conversations. Supplement your Spanish lessons in Tucson by joining the conversations at weekly meetings (reuniones). Some attendees are Spanish teachers and others are native speakers, but you'll also find peers who need to brush up on their skills.

Other Ideas

Tucson is teeming with authentic Mexican cuisine, so if you've exhausted these inspirational options, try the rotating menus at Café Poca Cosa and Tucson Tamale Company, both of which use exclusively local ingredients. Guadalajara Original Grill is a larger, more festive option with live music every night, colorful Mexican murals covering every wall, and authentically dressed servers who make your salsa table-side.

Whatever your goals for Spanish lessons in Tucson are, getting out and experiencing the city’s culture should be at the top of your to-do list!