Mouthwatering New American in Tucson

Nook

★★★★☆ 4.2 (715) • $$

"I hadn't been here in at least a few years, and it still hits just the same! The cinnamon roll pancakes are still NUTS and everything else is quality. A great downtown spot."

Starz American Bar and Grill

★★★★☆ 3.9 (52) • $$

"We decided to try this place as it was close to where our friends live. It was not busy at all. We were there just after 11, so we missed breakfast. Huge selection of items. We all had something different. Our friends ordered the French Dip and the meatloaf. They said their meals were good. French Dip had so much meat and the meatloaf was a huge portion. We ordered the Hit Ham and Cheese. Again, stuffed full of ham. I ordered the Cheeseburger. Again, I could barely fit this in my mouth. Brandy was our server and she was great. Very friendly and very attentive. They have tons of specials, Fish Fry on Fridays and live music on Fri & Sat, plus Happy Hour, Trivia, Free Texas Hold 'Em. Those are the ones I remember. We loved this place and we will most definitely be back!!!!!"

The Monica

★★★★☆ 3.9 (433) • $$

"Always a hit, we were happy to find two open seats at the bar at 11a on a Saturday. Service was friendly and accommodating and the food was phenomenal. The characters sitting at the bar always make for an entertaining experience as well"

BATA

★★★★☆ 3.8 (197)

"Tapas on Toole. Beautiful setup they have. The basement bar is especially attractive and welcoming. Bartender loves his job and has an inventive menu. I had a Sazerac. It was excellent. I'd come back just for the bar. Upstairs is large with an open kitchen. You can smell the mesquite. Inherently servers tell you how much to order in a tapas restaurant, and they are usually wrong. Nothing is shareable the way they say. So....we kind of left hungry. Our three top had 8 orders. All were delicious. Our bill was north of $200. I'll be back for the bar...and the tapas."

The Prospector Grill

★★★★★ 4.7 (13)

"What a treasure just around the corner! Great little cafe at Mountain Brook Golf course. I am rarely shocked by how good something is, as I am often disappointed in food. From the warm tortilla chips & Smokey salsa to Mama's green chili pork burrito I was blown away. I understand Mama is in the kitchen and guards these recipes. She is a gem - what a cook! Don't miss the homemade kettle potato chips, their smoked chicken tacos or the BLT. I can't wait to explore the rest of this menu.. but I can't stop thinking about that burrito..OMG."

Cielos

★★★★☆ 3.7 (177) • $$

"The Mother's Day brunch was a culinary delight. Compliments to the chiefs and staff for making our stay at Lodge on the Desert a memorable stay. We enjoyed your more simple breakfast buffet each morning and a wonderful dinner last Saturday night. I savored your jumbo divers scallops and the Afro Cuban band made the ambiance special.Above all however was the pleasant surprise of your extensive gourmet food offerings for your most spectacular Sunday brunch buffet for Mom's Day. The entire room set up had such a selection that was all well thought out with such a wide array of choices that one could not possibly taste all. The prime rib was delectable and your chocolate tart with berries were my absolute favorite.Thank you so very much for all the love and skill you all put into making Cielo's a truly memorable 5 star gem in Tucson."

Cafe Mix

★★★★☆ 4.2 (452) • $$

"I found Cafe Mix when lunch plans a friend suggested sounded bad (outdoor only when it was 119°), so said friend told me to suggest some other place in the area. I scoured the general area looking for restaurants. Cafe Mix fit both of our dietary requirements (hers vegetarian, mine omnivorous), and we both like Mediterranean food. So we met here. I arrived early, and I was hungry, so I ordered the dolmades. They were really good. Service was super fast.When my friend arrived, I got a gyro without onions. Everything was fantastic. Their hummus is good. I really liked the gyro meat.I can't say I'll be back because it was so far from where I live, and I have a Greek restaurant by me, but I do recommend coming here if you are in this area."

Sawmill Run Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3 (298) • $$

"It seems like they've recently revamped their menu to include more upscale options. My sister had the burger and thought it was just okay, which aligns with many other reviews. I'd recommend skipping the burger and trying their more unique offerings instead. The Salmon BLT (served warm) was honestly one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. The Henny wings were also incredible--probably the best wings I've tasted.I wasn't a fan of the Wild Mushroom with Pumpkin Coconut Purée, but my boyfriend enjoyed it.I wish I had noticed the Fall drink specials earlier. Instead, I tried the Mt. Lemmon Mule, which was just okay, and I didn't really enjoy the Loma Linda Rita."

Cayton's Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (133) • $$

"Dinner last night was incredible. Drove up to Dove Mountain for the weekend the hotel suggested we have dinner here. Madison was our server and she was one of the best ever! We ordered quite a few things we sat outside on the balcony and the view was beautiful with the sunset at the mountains. Everything we ordered was extremely well cooked well seasoned and tasted great! They went out of their way to make sure that our cocktails were correct we made up a few cocktails and they came out perfect. But the food was over the top everything was on point every side every entrée I had no complain about not one single thing we ordered I would highly recommend this place if you're up in the Dove Mountain area and definitely ask for Madison!"

Corner Kitchen

★★★★★ 4.6 (48) • $

"Lovely place when the weather is good, outdoor seating is nice and the shaded semi-indoor area has cool and modern vibes. I asked for whatever the best menu item was at the front counter and the crab cakes did not disappoint - they were also sold out by 1230 on a Friday. Pastries and coffee to go were also great. Solid choice with unique daily specials, wish I could've tried something from Thursday's Creole inspired menu too!"

Royal Sun Restaurant & Bar

★★★★☆ 4 (80) • $$

"Unfortunately the restaurant is not near any attractions/businesses so it was never busy during the 2 meals i had there. I guess the majority of customers are from the nearby hotel which is a shame. People are missing out.Good food at good prices and very friendly and efficient service.Life is not fair knowing I've had worse food & service at more popular locations at higher prices, there is no God.Besides the regular menu items, they also make the efforts to have daily specials.They're keeping it real"

Original ChopShop

★★★★☆ 3.6 (74)

"I've visited this ChopShop a couple times. It's located in the Village Square at Dana Park. Parking is plentiful. This shop is bright, clean, and has a huge dining room towards the back as well as big patio. The staff here is always warm and welcoming. ChopShop is my go-to when I want a healthy fast casual option. ChopShop offers sandwiches, salads, bowls, juices, and more... I've tried a couple of different bowls from different location, and almost always end up with the green curry tofu. It comes with green onion, sesame seed, cilantro, sugar snap pea. Some days I get it with the Forbidden Rice and some days I get it with brown rice. It's delicious either way. The green curry sauce is flavorful and I can't get enough! It's so good.The juices and fruit bowls are fresh and tasty. I either get the cool down with watermelon, pineapple, apple, lime, and ginger or the slim squeeze with pear, strawberry, orange, apple, kiwi, and lemon. So refreshing! My husband got an acai bowl on our last visit and loved it. We'll be back soon!"

Needle Rock Kitchen and Tap

★★★★☆ 3.8 (94) • $$

"Had dinner here on a Sunday evening. When entering, tell the gate security you have a reservation for Needle Rock.Great atmosphere (I mean it is a country club) - they had their patio doors wide open with plenty of spaced out tables and a plethora of space heaters. We were told a few things were unavailable on the menu, which was quite understandable since we were there at the end of the day (for future reference, will try the shishito peppers and millionaire burger).We had the short rib queso fondue, gluten free Picasso pizza, wood-grilled salmon, and a bottle of wine. There was a generous serving of the fondue alongside tortilla chips + pork cracklings, the latter of which was an interesting but yummy dipping choice. The pizza was tasty, plenty of toppings, and the gluten-free crust was truly divine!! The salmon was good, a tad dry and felt like needed more seasoning, but the bed of lentils it sat on were nicely seasoned.I missed the name of our waitress, but she was so friendly and patient with us - our glasses were never empty. Unfortunately, we had late reservations so the sun had already set and we could not see the beautiful scenery. Hope to be back with an earlier reservation."

Palma Kitchen + Tap

★★★★☆ 4.1 (199) • $$

"Restaurant is located inside Encaterra Country Club but open to public. Beautiful space as you would expect at a Country Club. Pretty bougie crowd, not a lot of diversity down here!!!! Note picture of dress code card you are handed when you drive through club gate. My lunch partner was asked at door to put on a provided button up shirt, presumably because it didn't meet the dress code. There were many ladies coming in off the golf course with sleeveless shirts on exactly like my lunch partner, so I think it was her Harley tattoos that offended, not her shirt. Beware.Food was really good!!! I had the Cobb Salad with an added piece of salmon that was grilled perfectly. Traditional Cobb with all the fixings. They were out of their French Dip sandwich, ran out of iced tea half way through our meal, and forgot our coffee with this wonderful little flourless chocolate tart. First two issues are mgmt's problem, so won't ding or server. Other than forgetting our coffee's, rest of service was very well done. Loved the food, just wish the dress code thingy wasn't so arbitrary, but they were nice about it ... and it is a semi-private club so they get to do what they want. $30-50 per person with appetizers, entree, and dessert. Parking free in the club lot"

Double P Roadhouse

★★★★☆ 3.6 (23) • $$

"Another Bisbee gem off the beaten track for most visitors. Great appetizers and even better burgers. Laid back roadhouse atmosphere with friendly and attentive staff. Can't wait to come back and try the steaks. This will be on my regular visitation rounds when in Bisbee."

Bistro 44

★★★★☆ 3.5 (148) • $$

"So our visit to the Bistro was very 50-50. The ambience was nice and the servers were very kind. My French onion soup was delicious but my fish tacos were very bad. It had zero seasoning, not even salt. The fish was fresh I could tell it was fresh fish - but it tasted awful and so bland. The veggies were the same- zero flavor. The other thing that was a disappointment was the bathrooms did not have a changing table so I had to change my son in the car. You would think going into 2025 all restaurants would have at least one Koala Kare changing station. I would only want to come back for the French onion soup since it is hard to find good French onion soup."

Jerry Bob's Family Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 2.7 (44) • $

"Met friend who frequents this location . Service very good friendly not crowded thur 11am . I thought prices seemed high for basic breakfast ? Maybe I'm out of the loop ? Times have changed used to have good specials ?"

Hacienda Del Lago Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.5 (96) • $$

"Went for dinner on a Saturday night. Hostess was very nice and sat us right away. Samantha our server quickly took our order and was also very nice. Food came out in a timely manner. Wife had the prime rib and I had the steak. Both had good flavor. Samantha checked on us frequently. Will we go back?? Yes we will it was a nice restaurant with a nice view."

Bagel Talk

★★★☆☆ 3 (5)

"I can't believe this location wasn't on yelp yet! This place is gold! It's a popular favorite amongst many of the college kids on campus. The set up can be tricky for those who are unfamiliar with the process but you go in and grab one of the slips (whichever one has what you want on it-some slips are for plain bagels, some slips are for breakfast bagels, lunch bagels, signature bagels, you get the idea) then you put your name on that and toss it in a little cubby! The workers behind the glass then grab your slip and make your food and call your name when it's Time to go to the register and pay. My personal favorite from here are the French toast and Tucson bagel! These loaded bagels are about 5$ each. They also sell coffee,orange juice, water, fruit, and sometimes cookies or muffins!"

Growler's Taphouse

★★★★☆ 3.7 (238) • $$

"Been here a few times when I'm in town to visit my dad cause he loves meeting his friends here. Got their food one time and it was good but usually just go for drinks. Got their margarita with salt on the rocks this time and it was good. Always awesome service! They have a cozy patio with plenty of seating for groups and dog friendly!"

Kokopelli's Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 2.7 (64) • $$

"New dinner menu is delicious and staff is very friendly. The ambience is similar to a sports bar so casual and easy going"

Native Grill & Wings

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (188) • $$

"We've taken the kids here several times and have had great service and good food. They have nightly specials and the Saturday pizza is always a hit. We enjoy the wings as well!"

Slate Bistro and Bar

★★★★☆ 3.7 (90) • $$

"Great food and service every time.Atmosphere is comfortable and the Trilogy retirement community is full of nice people that dine there.We've been many times and will continue to go."

The Boxyard

★★★★☆ 4.1 (173) • $

"Outdoor food court with several diverse options for a nice dinner...and a bar! Here's what they've got:-A Vietnamese place specializing in Bahn Mi. It also has a couple of other popular dishes like cream cheese wontons and Pad Thai-Indian food. I order this the least, but I adore their scrumptious samosas-A by-the-slice pizzeria that takes like 20 minutes because they literally roll out your dough and bake it fresh when you order (it is better than at least two other late-night slices in the area)-Some of the best Mexican food you'll find in AZ, complete with its signature bacon-wrapped burritos (You should split this with a friend, they are HEARTY)-There's also a bar. Draft and can selection is great, so stick with beer/cider/seltzer There's even a coffee bar if you make it here early enough!-Sometimes, there are DJs on Saturday nights or when weather permits, during brunch. Only improvements I could ask for are some more clearly defined hours for establishments, as it's rare to see all 4 open at the same time. I also wish the cocktails didn't suck, but if you came to 4th ave to drink you have a million other bars anyway. This is *the* spot for when your party can't decide on what to eat."

Blue Willow Restaurant & Gift Shop

★★★★☆ 4 (841) • $$

"Absolutely delicious and the ambiance matches the food perfectly.I dragged my mom here the other day when P&P was closed, and I was reminded of why this place is so well love here in Tucson. My chai was spiced and like a warm hug.My chicken was perfectly fried and everything on the plate made sense and was delicious.And I will have dreams about their chocolate cake Not a single complaint. Our meal was amazing."

The Gardens At Bear Canyon

★★★★☆ 4.2 (52) • $$

"Came to see a friend's band play. Cool spot and concept, but it's not executed super well. The layout of the space could be better. I didn't know they had servers until I asked the bar tender after sitting around for a few minutes. The service was OK and the beer selection was pretty good. I was handed unopened cans of beer which I believe is incorrect."

Arizona Pita

★★★★☆ 4.4 (265) • $$

"The food was fresh and was pretty good. I got the chicken shawarma salad and it was huge (for over 10$ it should at least be that, mind you!) with a very nice portion of meat and salad and veggies. It was very filling.I didn't look at the menu (gasp!) before arriving and was a bit caught off guard once I was inside looking at the menu while being so very very hungry (the girl at the front counter seemed indifferent to my questions). I had just made a long drive from the other side of town to this side of town and really wanted beef shawarma but they only had chicken shawarma.The ambiance is good, clean place, efficient but nicely decorated. I think the staff could've been friendlier but that's minor at this point."

Hi Fi Kitchen Cocktails

★★☆☆☆ 2.4 (301) • $$

"Going downhill at night. Glass on the floor, rowdy crowds. Decent music and drink prices, but you can find elsewhere."

The Ladle

★★★★☆ 3.7 (7)

"The ladle is the house restsurant of s newly restored hotel literally accross the street from the barmacy..as poor as that facility is,the ladle redeems culinary experiences in that mining town.The chicken wings bbq pork chops and breakfasts more than satisfy and is worth a stop when in town..while there check out the art work made by local painter and film director Deborah Kay found abundantly in the hotel lobby"

Gila Hanks Cafe

★★★★☆ 4 (5) • $

"Gila Hank's Cafe is now operated by directly by Eastern Arizona College. The menu has been expanded, and the facility has been updated. The food is top notch and inexpensive. They have added fresh in-house baked goods which can stand up to any bakery. The friendly staff keep the place clean and inviting. The only drawback is that sometimes it fills up: the word is out that this is the place to eat in town."

Wrangler's Bar and Grill

★★★☆☆ 2.5 (88) • $$

"Salad Bar is fresh and has a huge variety! (a lot like old school sizzlers this place) except they have a cook who gets down on some ribs! They fall apart delicious flavor. Green Chili bread with butter on a board and they run out it's in high demand. If you want a good meal with lots of choices this is your place! We absolutely love how they take care of us and also love all the take home food It's a sure thing. A good meal. Clean nice atmosphere has a cute little bar in it. It's lively always packed. They serve a Blue Moon that is unmatched! We travel the USA but Wranglers will serve you up the freshest crisp most enjoyable Blue Moon! Man I look forward to it! And they do run out! Go to place for those days you just want a good beer and good food. Sit back and relax enjoy ambiance - The Boyd's"

Club Congress

★★★★☆ 3.8 (186) • $$

"Club Congress @clubcongress is a small, dark, intimate club space for musicians to perform for a standing crowd. It has thick, red velvet curtains draped against black pillow walls with blue lighting and cut out art, setting a great frame for the artists performing on stage. It is part of Hotel Congress @hotelcongress Behind the crowd, one can enter the bar area which leads to the exit onto Church Street on the left, or it leads to the Hotel Congress lobby, restrooms, and another bar area to the right. There is also a small café that stays open till 9 PM near the lobby area, so we grabbed a few lattes between the opener and the main show.We were excited to see Bar Italia @baritaliaa perform tonight. My daughter recommended them as it is one of her favorites. The room was packed with men and women of all ages from senior citizens to many U of A college students. They seem to have some sound issues in the sound booth, and the band kept performing throughout while trying to correct this. It was a good show and worth the wait. I'm glad I brought my @loopearplugs . I saw other folks my age with earplugs on as well lol. It is what it is. I felt sorry for those who didn't and were plugging their ears because the feedback and sound issues were a bit much.Merch is sold to the left of the stage behind the counter and caged area. We picked up a few T-shirts and albums because the prices were very affordable compared to other shows I've been to. I can't wait to play my new album, The Twits. Happy 50th birthday to me"

Sunnyside Breakfast Lounge

★★★★☆ 4 (706) • $$

"It's been a few years since I've been here, because I had moved but recently came back to the area. Sunnyside was one of my favourite places for breakfast/brunch. Unfortunately, when I cam back to this location, the service we received was quite awful. There may have only been on server on a weekday morning, but initially there were only three tables occupied at the time we were making our order. The server misinterpreted our order and only brought us a single side item instead of the meal with the side we asked for. Without checking on us, the server then just gave us the bill. We noticed the bill only had one item, so we waited for him to come back and pointed out that we actually ordered a meal. The server was not apologetic and instead insinuated it was our fault for misleading him. When the meal finally came up, he did not bring us any extra plates to help us share, which we did specify we were going to do when we ordered both the first and second time we placed the order. Our server also never bothered to come back and offer us an extra plate while we were eating and clearly having trouble over one plate. We were so put off but the poor service that we did not want to trouble our server more by asking for additional plates. It seemed like every request we made was met with a literal sigh. The food and coffee were admittedly very good, so props to kitchen for that, but the service that day was appalling. We still tried to be friendly, but our server still could not give us the time of day."

Snakes & Lattes Tucson

★★★★☆ 4.1 (77) • $$

"This place has been on my TikTok bucket list for the past year! I am so glad I was finally able to make it here! My 16 year old son came with me. The waitress asked if we were familiar to which I quickly said no. She took her time answering any questions and explaining how it all works. Easy ordering right on your phone. The food came out in good time. The restaurant was very clean.The game area is meticulous! A man came and introduced himself as being the "Game librarian" and if we had questions to let him know! The games are alphabetical as well as by theme if you will. Its $5 per person to play unless you bring your own games.I have created my own tiktok on the place and spoke to all my friends about it--planning on doing a group of us one evening in the near future. This place is so neat!"

Terraza Garden Patio & Lounge

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (82) • $$

"I have dined here numerous times and nine times out of ten the food is fantastic! Like eat every single bite, lick your plate, and think about getting more food, type of good. However, there was a time when my husband ordered some sort of dip sandwich and found some bones in it. We informed the server and he asked if it was in the au jus --it was clearly too big to fit in the au jus bowl so that was odd. My husband told him no it was in the sandwich and the server apologized and that was it. Kind of awkward. Service is good, although usually a bit harried, especially at lunch. They seem to be understaffed during that time of the day.Dinner seems better, but there was one awkward time where two servers got into a heated tiff in front of my husband and me about who was supposed to take care of our table. Very uncomfortable and unprofessional. Other than that single experience service has been good. They often have live music and the setting is a nice indoor/outdoor type of feel. Most recently I dined here on a Monday holiday and again they seemed understaffed. I was taken care of by Mason the bartender. He was literally running. I had iced tea--sooooo delicious that I had three glasses and wanted another--and the Caesar salad with salmon added. The salmon smelled a bit funky upon arrival but it tasted perfect. The tomatoes in the salad--yummmm! Like a juicy tomato but with the delicious sun dried taste! They have lots of delicious options, with something for everyone. I can't wait to come back!"