Welcome Diner

I've been wanting to update a few of my old reviews, so I thought I would start off with one of my favorite restaurants in all of Tucson, Welcome Diner!This place was and is still 5+ stars. I have never had a bad meal here - seriously! Whether it's breakfast, dinner, something in between or after, the food and drinks are quality and consistent. I continue to love their fried green tomato sandwich. I recently had their jackfruit "carnitas" torta which literally blew me away (Life Pro Trip: Save any leftover jackfruit and put it in a breakfast burrito. You can thank me later!). Their mac n cheese is bomb. The nopales fries (made with masa) are to die for. My favorite though? Breakfast. I'm pretty sure I come here once or twice a month for breakfast. It's a real treat! The coffee is delicious too. I love coming in and being greeted by friendly, familiar aces. My partner and I come in so often for breakfast that the morning-staff basically already know our orders (if you're reading this, we're the "french omelette w/ smoked salmon, sub hash browns for salad" couple!). If it isn't already obvious, I love this place. And the staff. With all my heart. Please never stop doing what you're doing!!

When I they opened I went a lot, and I was happy every time. I have to admit from changing the hours, to the food and service just not keeping up it has fallen off of my list of go to's.1. They do not take the care in the food that they use too.2. There is less food for the money.3. The variety of the food is not exciting.4. They need to put some pep in their step.

Comfort grub in a retro diner exceeded my "expect-taste-in's!"Everything I like in discovering a new restaurant:First, Welcome Diner's (WD) web page says it is a farm to table eatery. Supporting small famers - a good thing!Second, WD lists their purveyors. Like it lots! I want to know the source of ingredients, which these purveyors are high quality. I wish all restaurants would post their sources on their web site.Third, the ambience! The space! Vibe! Conviviality! It is an inviting "mod-metro" cool place!Fourth, good responsive service!Fifth, the food on the plate looks tasty. And it tasted delish!I was craving the breaded deep fried chick breast served on a fresh biscuit with bacon, cheddar and chorizo country gravy - so so good! Low carbs, keto, paleo - leave your diet at home and enjoy the comfort grub and fill the tub! Very yummy! My wife and our friend had BLT's - looked perfect!Exceeded my "expect-taste-in's!"

I used to come here when it was Chaffin's Diner and I was so pleased to not only see they honored the old layout but revamped it in a 50s inspired decor which made my heart sing! The powdered blue bar stools and benches were paired with chrome and blonde wood. I also loved that the menus' stay on the tables and it removes an air of pretentiousness this place could have. If for no other reason, you should come here for the decor alone. So many revamped places get gentrified and the charm and history bleached out to a horrifying blandness. Ugh. Anyway! Onto the food. I started with an Old Fashion which was $5 on happy hour. I always find this the best and quickest way to test a bartender's skills. I was not disappointed! It was actually one of the best I've had in Tucson. It was perfectly balanced and not too strong on the whiskey flavor or orange. My friend and I split the Cauliflower Poppers and Three Sisters Burrito. Both vegan! I was slightly annoyed that they came out at the same time, seeing how the poppers were an appetizer. I soon forgot my annoyance as I tasted the poppers first. Seriously, how is this vegan!? The batter was light, very crispy and the buffalo sauce a perfect blend of spices and vinegar. It was listed as vegan but I didn't know the ranch was too AND made in house. It was very good too. The Three Sisters Burrito was phenomenal. I was blown away again. It comes with tempura battered squash. It was again very flavorful, perfectly cook and it was a miracle I didn't eat the whole thing in one bite! Oh happy tears!! They truly understood vegan does not mean bland and I'm so thankful for that. They have other vegan options too! I cannot wait to come back. One last note, THANK YOU so much for labeling V for vegan AND VEG for vegetarian. It gets frustrating trying to find vegan food with its lumped in with with vegetarian offerings.

I am a huge fan of Welcome Diner in Phoenix and when I knew I was driving through Tucson I had to stop at their location to give them a try.I love the look and feel of Tucson's Welcome Diner, it was a Friday night around 8pm, so we did have a 15 minute wait, but honestly it went by fast.After we were seated and handed the menus the server disappeared, about 10 minutes someone came around to get our drink order, then after the drinks came it was another 15 minutes wait before our server showed up and took our order and apologized for the delay and explained there was a big group in the back, so he took our orders and away he went again. It was a good 35 to 40 minutes before our orders were brought out to us, again the huge party had to get their food, our server did bring us a side of fries for the wait and said he was sorry. Normally I wouldn't complain but I was getting hangry but any ways. Almost an hour to the time we arrived before we got our food. After checking out the menu I went with Short Rib Chilaquiles. It was tender short rib with corn tortilla chips tossed in an apple poblano salsa with horseradish crema, pico de gallo & cotija cheeses and poached eggs. Hot damn this was a great tasting dish! The apple poblano salsa is mind blowing, I am going to have to recreate that. It was the perfect amount of salsa to chips to short rib. So good, almost forgot about the long wait that just happened (aka no longer hangry).Welcome Diner does bang out some great dishes, and next time I will remember things just move a little slow.

The food here is INCREDIBLE! I love the vibe, the healthy options, and the quality of the meals! I've come here the last two times that I've visited my family in Tucson. I absolutely LOVE everything about this place! It's located kind of on the edge of downtown off of Broadway. Its vibe is very cute and aesthetic. I love that it has such a retro diner feel to it and yet is also very modern and contemporary feeling inside as well. The service here has been quick and friendly each time I've come here so far and we never have to wait long at all to be seated. The waiters are all prompt and willing to give advice on dish selections. I also loved that there's a lot of plant-based options here, since some of my family members are vegan. I personally love getting their fried chicken and macaroni and cheese! The macaroni here is by far one of my favorites that I have ever tasted. It is SO rich, creamy, thick, and DELICIOUS! I'd go back to Tucson just for their macaroni if I could. In fact, my mouth is watering right now just thinking about it!They also have some great mimosa and wine options to accompany your meal with. A perfect way to top off a beautifully presented meal that was fresh and delicious! I love everything about this place - the cute retro-styled tables, the clean and modern interior, the healthy, fresh cuisine, and the friendly service. It's one of my top spots for the Tucson area that I'll be frequenting every time I'm around! I highly recommend!

Wonderful experience. This food has soul. The nopales with tomato chutney and mac and cheese were outstanding, as was the lemon chess pie with blackberry sauce. Everything was home made, down to the ginger beer, and the ingredients well sourced. Apparently the chef was inspired by a recent trip to NOLA and incorporated some favorites into the menu, which makes it eclectic in a good way.The bumblebee chicken on a biscuit was moist and had a bit of sweetness from the honey and some zing from pickles. I wish there was just a bit more honey + mustard evenly distributed across the biscuit - it was just a bit dry. Salads, burgers and other sides (fries, brussels) were tasty, though the one I kept reaching for was the mac and cheese. One dish I wish I had sampled was the Three Sisters Burrito. Maybe next time --I'll definitely be back.

If you've ever wondered what it would be like if a group of hipsters took over an old school diner, here is your answer. A group of us were watching a show at centennial hall so we came here for dinner beforehand. We were able to get a table right away. The service was friendly and quick. My wife got the googie cocktail and loved it. The decor is really fun and they even have a large room on the back for groups. For some reason they have a picture of a naked man near the bathrooms. There's probably a story to explain it all. I hope... We ordered the jambalaya, burger, short ribs and fried chicken biscuit drizzled with honey. The food was good, but at the higher price point I was hoping to be wowed a little bit more. My highlight was the lemon chess pie. Which was had a bright lemon tartness, but a sweet, flaky crust.

I went here with a large group with dinner Friday night and the place was pretty empty. I heard its usually busy during the school year though. I love the decor but I was not impressed with most of the food. The music and service was good. The chicken & biscuit sandwich was really good. The chicken was very juicy and flavorful. The short rib chilaquiles was just ok, I didn't love the flavor. The three sisters burrito was just ok. I got a bite full of beans when I tried it so wasn't my fav. My sis said each bite was different though. The grilled cheese tasted like it was soaked in butter. The chocolate chip cookie was a good flavor but too dry. The tom collins w/ Old Tom gin was good.

What a wonderful little find this was. A friend told us about it and we were so glad. The menu is full of fun twists on the average fare. We had an incredibly knowledgeable and quick server. She let us know everything is fresh and often made in House. Everyone was friendly. The vibe was fun, and the music was too... yet a bit too loud for conversation over the booth. My partner had a honey hibiscus lemonade that was very good. She ordered a Romaine grilled peach salad. It had ricotta and veggie on top. It was outstanding. I had grilled veggie in a Mexican sauce topped with eggs (how you want them). The flavors were simply scrumptious. It comes with hash browns or a side salad and corn tortillas. The tortillas are definitely homemade and my salad had a fresh lite dressing. We added a side of oven Roasted Brussels sprouts... Caramelized to perfection!When it came to desert, we were too full. So my partner ordered a peach brioche to take home. It did not disappoint. It was light with just a touch of sweet and had a thick layer of whipped cream frosting topped with grilled peaches. All I can say is: this may be our new breakfast spot. It certainly hit the right spot for us today.