Eating Around Tucson

Great Food Courtesy of John Teague
If you have a favorite place to eat that is not on this list please email your recommendation to John at  volgems@icx.net

The Ajo Cafe
on Ajo and Country Club by TEP and the sister cafe Bread and Butter on NW corner E. 22nd St. and S. Columbus
Breakfast-Lunch: Picture Mel’s diner and Flo is there taking your order at the counter or booth. Home made pie and cinn. rolls!!

Blue Willow
2616 N. Campbell Ave.
Tucson, AZ
520-327-7577
Breakfast – If you want to take time for a nice, leisurely breakfast, this is THE place! Food is great, prices are reasonable. It is in a house converted to a restaurant.

Bobo’s Restaurant
2938 E. Grant Road 520-326-6163 http://www.bobostucson.com/
We at there ‘more than once’ in 2014! Everything is GREAT! I have to be gluten free but try the pancakes! They are the size of a plate! The omelets are WONDERFUL! Check out the deserts!

Caruso’s
on N. 4th Ave at 6th.
Great Italian: Do not miss the spumoni… fabu. Gavi’s on Broadway at Pantano out East usually a wait at both.. go early.

Chuy’s Baja Broiler
7101 East 22nd Street (520) 722-5117
Good food, GREAT chip and salsa bar, but if you go, you MUST the pitcher of Margaritas! Don’t order a pitcher just for yourself IF you are driving! ‘Nuff said!

Daisy Mae’s Steak House
2735 W. Anklam Rd.
520-792-8888
This is just down the street from the condo we rent while in Tucson. Great steaks!

El Beto Mexican Food
32 N Campbell Ave 520-628-7462
3680 East Grant Road (520) 318-4787
2100 West Grant Road (520) 624-7751
If you’re looking for something that will keep you going through MOST of a day visiting shows without having to stop to eat lunch, try the burritos at any El Beto! There are many breakfast burritos available and VERY reasonably priced. Last year the one on Speedway was closed for remodeling. I hope it has reopened as it is so convenient to several of the shows. Look for a El Beto!

El Charro Cafe, Bar Toma! & Gift Shop
311 N. Court Ave.
520-622-1922
This place has been in business since 1922 in Tucson! That says it all! The restaurant is located in the original family home in the El Presidio Historic District.

El Minuto Cafe
354 S. Main Ave.
520-882-4145
This is my wife’s favorite for Mexican food!

Gandi’s
On Fort Lowell at Stone..
Indian: good spicy food and nan wonderful nan

Guadalajara Grill West
1220 E Prince Road-520-323-1022
(also 2nd location: East, 750 N Kolb Road, 520-296-1122
We went to the one on Prince the very last night we were in Tucson 2013. Large parking lot that was FULL! It took us 15 minutes or more to find a parking place … then about 30-45 minutes to get a table … BUT it was more than worth the wait! HUGE portions of GREAT food at reasonable prices! You WILL enjoy it!

Jun Dynasty
Jun Dynasty has crazy-different Szechuan chow. Some of their chiles literally numb the mouth. Grant at County Club. NW corner.

Kampai Sushi
6462 N Oracle Rd, Tucson, AZ 85704
Also Sushi Cho on SW corner Broadway and Campbell/Kino look for Carl’s Junior.
Great Sushi:

Le Rendez-Vous
on Fort Lowell at Alvernon
Real French food…. heaven.

Lil Abner’s Steakhouse
8501 N Silverbell Rd.
520-744-2800
This is a MUST for Tucson show visitors. I remember going there a lot of years ago when this place was truly “in the middle of nowhere”! If you go this year, you’ll she how that has changed. It use to be a drive out into the desert! Any of the show weekends will have tons of show folks there! The steaks rival Silver Saddle but everything is served with a salad, beans, and bread! LOVE the atmosphere there!

Little Anthony’s Diner
7010 E Broadway Blvd, 520-296-0456 http://littleanthonysdiner.com/

Mariscos Chihuahua
Have you tried the Culichi fish or shrimp at Mariscos Chihuahua? Great stuff. Grande Ave three blocks north of Pat’s Dive In.

Maynard’s Kitchen
Maynard’s Kitchen in the downtown train station has been good. Looks like they still have foie gras. Outback Wyatt and Doc are fix’n to murder Stilwell.

Mi Nidito Cafe
1813 S. 4th Ave.
520-622-5081
I have not visited this one but it comes HIGHLY recommended by locals. We tired to get in a couple of times and the wait was between 1 and 2 hours!

Pat’s Drive In
1202 West Niagara Street
520-624-0891
I should not list this first, but I AM! I first read about Pat’s in Arizona Highways magazine. It is a tradition in Arizona! It is on a side street off N. Grande Ave, between Speedway and St. Marys. It is near the condo that we rent each year. I had driven within half a block of it for years and did not know it existed! If you like the old drive in restaurants, this IS the place for you! If you like greasy fries by the pound, this is for you! If you like GREAT chili hotdogs, this IS the place for you, please note that they have three degrees of heat for their chili!

Poco and Mom’s
1060 S. Kolb Road just north of 22nd Street.
520-325-7044
They specialize in Hatch Chile dishes.

Robert’s Restaurant (closed Sunday)
3301 East Grant Road, (520) 795-1436 http://www.robertstucson.com/
We also visited Robert’s a couple of times! Robert’s is just down the street from Bobo’s but on the opposite side of Grant! You cannot go wrong with either choice!

Silver Saddle Steak House
310 E. Benson Highway
6th Ave. & I-10
520-622-6253
This place is near downtown and has some of the best steak that I’ve had in Tucson. If you’re going for dinner, it is best to get there early or be prepared to wait 30 minutes to an hour. It IS worth the wait! I do not think that they take reservations. We ate at Silver Saddle at least twice in 2013 … and probably will top that this year!

Sky Bar
536 N. 4th Ave.
520 622-4300
Just North of 6th St. on the east side of the street Next to ‘ Brooklyn Pizza Company

Vivace
Vivace has been reliable for years for higher end Italian, in their old location and the new. Campbell just north of Skyline, east side.