Eat in Mercado District, Tucson

Pat's Drive In ★ 4.3

Pat's Drive In on West Niagara in Tucson is the walk-up burger and chili dog stand running since 1961, a beloved west-side Tucson institution still.

Signature: Chili dog, Cheeseburger

Presta Coffee Roasters ★ 4.6

Presta on Avenida del Convento at Mercado San Agustin in Tucson is the Nordic-style coffee bar with single-origin espresso and a quiet courtyard.

Signature drink: Espresso and pour-over filter coffee

La Estrella Bakery ★ 4.6

La Estrella Bakery at Mercado San Agustin in Tucson is the Jalisco-style Mexican panaderia (since 1986), with conchas, empanadas and tres leches.

Worth the queue: Concha

Presta Coffee Roasters ★ 4.6

Presta on Avenida del Convento at Mercado San Agustin in Tucson is the Nordic-style specialty coffee roaster, with espresso, pour-over and the original cafe.

Sources from: Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia

How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Pour over, Whole bean retail

Dragoon Brewing Taproom ★ 4.5

Dragoon on West Grant Road in Tucson is the industrial-park brewery and taproom (since 2012), with the house Dragoon IPA and craft pints on a long bar.

Signature drink: Dragoon IPA and house lager

Food: Snacks and rotating food trucks

Dragoon Brewing Company ★ 4.6

Dragoon Brewing on West Grant in Tucson is the industrial-park brewery (since 2012) known for the Dragoon IPA, German lagers and a long taproom bar.

Mercado San Agustin ★ 4.6

Mercado San Agustin on Avenida del Convento in Tucson is the city's first public market, housing La Estrella Bakery, Presta Coffee, taquerias and a courtyard.

Santa Cruz River Farmers Market ★ 4.5

Santa Cruz River Farmers Market at Mercado San Agustin in Tucson runs Thursday afternoons with local farmers, Native Seeds heirloom produce and food trucks.

MSA Annex ★ 4.4

MSA Annex on Avenida del Convento in Tucson is the shipping-container retail and food courtyard across from Mercado San Agustin, with local coffee and lunch.

★ 4.7

Mission Garden runs guided heritage walks of the 4,100-year cultivation site, with Tohono O'odham crops, white Sonora wheat plots and seasonal cooking demos.

All Souls Procession ★ 4.7

All Souls Procession in November is Tucson's Day of the Dead community walk, with pan de muerto, food trucks at the Mercado finale and the burning of the urn.

Mission Garden Heritage Cooking ★ 4.6

Mission Garden in Tucson runs heritage cooking demos on Tohono O'odham crops, white Sonora wheat, cholla buds and tepary beans, at the 4,100-year cultivation site.

Pat's Drive In ★ 4.3

Pat's Drive In on West Niagara in Tucson is the walk-up burger and chili dog stand running since 1961, the canonical Tucson cheap-eat West Side lunch.

Try: Chili dog with cheese and onions

La Estrella Bakery ★ 4.5

La Estrella Bakery at Mercado San Agustin in Tucson sells the city's canonical pan dulce since 1986: conchas, empanadas and a strong cafe de olla under $5.

Try: Concha and cafe de olla

Pat's Drive In ★ 4.3

Why locals love it: 1961 walk-up chili dog stand on West Niagara, no signage and no website, but the canonical Tucson chili dog still draws lines daily.

Tip: Cash is faster than card. Order the chili dog with onions and the fries with a vanilla shake.