El Charro Cafe ★ 4.6
El Charro Cafe on Court Avenue in Tucson is the United States' oldest family-run Mexican restaurant (1922), and the claimed birthplace of the chimichanga.
Signature: Chimichanga, Carne seca
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Tucson actually eats.
Where to eat well, no fuss
Mi Nidito ★ 4.5
Mi Nidito on South 4th Avenue in Tucson runs the same family kitchen since 1952; the President's Platter recalls Bill Clinton's 1999 dinner stop.
Signature: President's Platter, Chile relleno
BOCA Tacos y Tequila ★ 4.7
BOCA Tacos y Tequila on North 4th Avenue is chef Maria Mazon's modern Mexican room, a Top Chef finalist, with 26 tacos and 40-plus tequilas in Tucson.
Signature: Carne asada taco, Salsa flight
Cup Cafe ★ 4.4
Cup Cafe inside Hotel Congress on East Congress in Tucson is the downtown all-day diner-bistro since 1990, set in the historic 1919 hotel lobby.
Signature: Eggs Benedict, Lamb burger
Reilly Craft Pizza and Drink ★ 4.5
Reilly Craft Pizza and Drink on East Pennington in Tucson runs wood-fired pies, house pasta and an underground cocktail club in a historic mortuary.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, House pasta
5 Points Market and Restaurant ★ 4.5
5 Points Market and Restaurant on South Stone in Tucson runs scratch-made brunch, lunch and dinner from a historic brick warehouse since 2014.
Signature: Brunch hash, Farm-egg sandwich
El Minuto Cafe ★ 4.3
El Minuto Cafe on South Main in Tucson's Barrio Viejo has run the Mexican-American menu since 1936, famous for oversized cheese crisps and topopo salads.
Signature: Cheese crisp, Topopo salad
La Indita ★ 4.3
La Indita on North Stone in Tucson serves Maria Garcia's Tarascan menu, a family staple since 1983, blending Mexican and Native American kitchen traditions.
Signature: Indian taco, Chicken mole
El Charro Cafe Ventana ★ 4.3
El Charro Cafe Ventana on East Broadway in Tucson is the eastside outpost of the 1922 downtown original, serving the same carne seca and chimichanga.
Signature: Carne seca, Topopo salad
El Guero Canelo ★ 4.8
El Guero Canelo on South 12th Avenue in Tucson is the James Beard 2018 Sonoran hot dog flagship from Daniel Contreras, the founding Tucson dogo.
Signature: Sonoran hot dog, Caramelo quesadilla
BK Tacos ★ 4.6
BK Tacos on South 12th Avenue in South Tucson is Benny Galaz's Sonoran hot dog chain founded as a cart in the 1990s, with bacon-wrapped dogos and caramelo.
Signature: Sonoran hot dog, Caramelo
Blue Willow ★ 4.3
Blue Willow on North Campbell in Tucson has been a family-owned all-day American restaurant since 1978, with a Sunday brunch buffet and a quiet garden patio.
Signature: Sunday brunch buffet, House quiche
Baja Cafe on Campbell ★ 4.4
Baja Cafe on North Campbell in Tucson runs all-day breakfast, brunch and lunch with Southwestern-flair classics like the snickerdoodle pancake and huevos.
Signature: Snickerdoodle pancake, Huevos rancheros
Prep and Pastry ★ 4.4
Prep and Pastry on North Campbell in Tucson is the scratch-baking brunch counter with croissant French toast, biscuits and a busy weekend queue.
Signature: Croissant French toast, House biscuits
Bisbee Breakfast Club ★ 4.3
Bisbee Breakfast Club on East Broadway in Tucson is the Phoenix-Tucson all-day breakfast chain, born in Bisbee, with skillets and Benedicts daily.
Signature: Skillet breakfast, Bisbee Benedict
Cafe a la C'Art ★ 4.4
Cafe a la C'Art on North Main in Tucson runs all-day brunch inside the 1865 Stevens House at the Tucson Museum of Art, with a shaded garden.
Signature: Weekend brunch, Garden salads
Time Market ★ 4.4
Time Market on East University in Tucson is the wood-fired pizza counter, deli, coffee bar and grocer that has served Sam Hughes since 1920.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Italian deli sandwich
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
La Cocina ★ 4.2
La Cocina on Court Avenue in Tucson runs Southwestern lunch and dinner inside the Old Town Artisans courtyard, with shaded patio and nightly live music.
Signature: Green chile stew, Prickly pear margarita