On a street lined with historic Mexican eateries, Crossroads Restaurant Drive In is the oldest of them all. It's been serving customers at the corner of South Fourth Avenue and East 36th Street since 1936.
From the beginning, long before fast-food joints were ubiquitous, Crossroads was a drive-in. There were a handful of tables inside, but the action was outdoors for decades.
It was a wild scene, said owner Roberto "Bobby" Gonzalez Jr., 35, who literally grew up at the restaurant. He was 6 years old when his father and uncle bought Crossroads in 1979. His uncle, Tony, became the sole owner in 1982.
"The parents would drink their pitchers in the car, while the kids ran around in the lot as mariachi music blared. It was their playground," Bobby Gonzalez said.
Kids don't run wild in the lot anymore, and the restaurant now seats around 120. But some customers still drive up and honk for a Sonoran-style meal and maybe a Dos Equis draft (you just can't leave the parking lot with alcohol in an open container).
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"They can come in their pajamas or whatever," said Bobby's wife, Aracely Gonzalez, 29. "Lots of times we recognize their cars as they are driving up."
Aracely, who manages a staff of 18 workers, does a little bit of everything at the restaurant "except dishwashing," she says.
"We have such loyal customers," she said. "Some have been coming here since they were little kids and now they have kids of their own."
Crossroads, like so many other restaurants, has seen a downturn in business of late. The staff is working fewer hours, but employees have taken the reductions in stride, Gonzalez said.
"They understand that customers who maybe used to come twice a week now come only once a week," she said. "But February is always a good month because of the gem show and the rodeo and Valentine's Day. February is like Christmas for us."
Bobby Gonzalez said there was never much doubt that he would follow his father into the restaurant business.
"I started out right here when I was 6, washing cups," he said the other night, pointing to a sink behind the bar. "The business came natural to me. It wasn't like I had to go to school and learn how to run a restaurant. After a while it becomes like breathing. It's in my blood."
Earlier in the day, the pregnant Aracely Gonzalez (they're expecting a daughter in May) shared a story that shows how much the restaurant means to some of its customers.
"This one lady came here with her husband for 40 years, since they were teenagers," she said. "When he died, she came here by herself right after the funeral and cried and cried. She talked about how much he loved this place."
The 72-year-old restaurant, painted a bright jumble of burnt oranges and deep purples, was quiet as Gonzalez talked.
Her son Cesar, one of the couple's three sons, interrupted the conversation to ask for the office keys. She handed them over and off he went, jangling, looking like he had a stack of paperwork waiting for him.
He's 5 years old.
Crossroads Restaurant Drive In
2602 S. Fourth Ave., 624-0395.
• Owner: Roberto Gonzalez Jr. bought the eatery about four years ago his uncle, Tony.
• Year opened: 1936 .
• Known for: An extensive seafood menu, red chile and fajitas.
• Most expensive menu item: Crossroads Mariscada (fish chicharrones, breaded octopus, two fantasia shrimp, two garlic shrimp and two breaded shrimp): $14.50. The restaurant also serves lobster at market price.
• Least expensive: Several items are under $5.
• Cost of a margarita: $4.25 and $8.
• Entertainment: Mariachi Alma Tucsonense performs on Fridays starting at 7 p.m.
