Back in 2020, Allen Salway walked into Lemongrass for the first time.
The small, hidden gem on 344 N. 4th Avenue served up homemade curry and other Nepalese cuisine, gaining a dedicated following throughout its years of business.
After constantly seeing the tables inside filled with friendly faces, Salway decided to give it a try.
That fateful day changed everything.
Salway quickly fell in love with Lemongrass, frequenting the restaurant at least once a week to get his fix. He even became friends with the owner, Dr. Tank Ojha.
Things were going great until a for-sale sign popped up in their window in 2025.
Salway’s world was flipped upside down; his favorite restaurant was soon going to be just a distant memory. The for-sale sign at Lemongrass taunted him every time he walked by, urging him to do something about it.
So that’s exactly what he did.
With perseverance, hard work and community support, Salway has officially taken over Lemongrass, starting a food truck that is not only a love letter to Dr. Tank’s food but a way to share his Native American roots with the world.
“My favorite restaurant was closing down and I knew I could raise the funds to take over the business, I just didn't know if I had the strength,” Salway said. “Turns out, I do.”
Salway, who is Navajo and Tohono O’odham, was raised on the Navajo reservation in New Mexico, growing up on a huge farm with no running water or electricity. His humble beginnings showed him firsthand how food had the power to bring people together.
He learned how to bake from the women in his family, seeing how good, homemade food could affect the way people feel. One bite of his coveted cardamom olive oil cake could change a bad day into a good one, putting a smile on his friends’ faces when he would bring it to their birthday parties.
The joyful, happy feelings his olive oil cake made his friends feel was the same way Lemongrass’s food made him feel. Dr. Tank’s cozy, comforting flavors were always there for Salway, even when he was laid off from his nonprofit job.
That’s why his heart sank when he saw the for-sale sign in Lemongrass’s window.
Dr. Tank and his wife were ready to retire and seek refuge from Tucson’s hot weather, so they made the decision to sell their Fourth Avenue location. Salway was hoping someone would take over the restaurant, but month after month, the sign remained in the window.
That’s when Salway started thinking, what if HE took over Lemongrass?
He inquired about inheriting Lemongrass and its spot on Fourth Avenue, but the leasing company had already begun working with somebody else. So, Salway pivoted.
He began looking for other spaces along Fourth Avenue and seeking advice from longtime restaurant owners. It was suggested he start out with a food truck, giving him a more cost-effective way to get the name out there as well as experiment with the menu.
It was settled: Lemongrass was going mobile.
For the last two months of 2025, Salway could be found in the Lemongrass kitchen, working intensely beside Dr. Tank. He was learning the ins and outs of Dr. Tank’s cooking skills, documenting all his recipes and secrets.
His final test was serving the curry to some of Lemongrass’s dedicated customers, seeing if they could taste the difference between Salway’s and Dr. Tank’s cooking.
“There were loyal customers that came in, and Dr. Tank asked, how does it taste?” Salway said. “They were like, ‘It tastes just like yours!’ That's how I knew I passed his test.”
With Dr. Tank’s blessing, it was time to move on to the next step: getting a trailer.
Salway sought out various options to get funding, but doors kept closing in his face. That’s when he reached out to the community for help.
As an activist, Salway had done a lot for the Native American community in the Southwest, gaining a following on social media and a reputation for being someone people could count on.
When he began asking for community donations to help bring Lemongrass back to life, the community was more than happy to help their friend out. After months and months of hard work and $60,000 in donations, his dream became a reality.
“I think it resonated people because they want to see more native businesses. They want to see native people thrive, and they saw that what I was doing wasn't just for a quick buck,” Salway said.
Lemongrass Tucson gives away free meals to families outside the Children’s Museum, 200 South Sixth Avenue, Tucson, Ariz., Aug. 29, 2026.
With support from the San Xavier Co-op Farm at 8100 S. Oidak Wog, the Lemongrass trailer made its first pop-up appearance there earlier this year, resembling a field of vibrant dandelions due to its bright yellow color.
On the menu, you can expect to see Lemongrass’s beloved chicken curry and vegetable curry bowls.
As a homage to his own roots, the menu also has a variety of frybread options. Salway suggests getting a side of classic frybread to dunk in your curry, combining the Himalayan and Native American flavors for a delicious outcome.
He also makes iced matcha lattes, a Sonoran Palmer tea that is made up of lemonade, Navajo tea, rosemary and prickly pear, and of course, his coveted orange cardamom olive oil cake that is topped with cookie butter frosting and crushed pistachios.
In the past month, Lemongrass has taken Tucson by storm, popping up at local events at the Tucson Museum of Art as well as in front of Tap & Bottle. He even donates 10% of his net profits with Community Care Tucson, making sure he is putting back some good into the community that helped him achieve his dreams.
But Salway isn’t stopping there; he wants Lemongrass to pop-up all over the southwest, giving everyone the opportunity to try his unique flavors as well as give Native Americans a space where they can come together.
Lemongrass is more than just a food trailer: it represents community, it represents strength and it represents that no matter who you are or where you come from, you have the power to make your dream a reality.
“There's a big Native community here in Arizona, there's like over 20 tribes, but I feel like there's a lack of space for Native people on our own lands,” Salway said. “Everywhere I go, I sometimes feel like I'm an intruder. I don't want to feel like that. That’s the goal with Lemongrass. I want people to know that they can go to this place and it'll always feel the same, the food will always be good and you know that your dollar is going back into the community.”
To find out where Lemongrass is popping up for the week, visit their Instagram page.
