Cheap Eats in Tucson

Barrio Bread

• ★ 4.9
• Bakery
• $
• Midtown Speedway

Order Pan integral white Sonora wheat loaf

Barrio Bread on South Eastbourne in Tucson is Don Guerra's James Beard Outstanding Baker 2022 bakery, milling heritage white Sonora wheat loaves.

El Guero Canelo

• ★ 4.8
• Mexican
• $
• South Tucson

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.

Exo Roast Co.

• ★ 4.8
• Café
• $
• Fourth Avenue

Drink Chiltepin pepper cold brew

Exo Roast Co. on North 6th in Tucson is the Fourth Avenue cafe-roastery serving the heritage chiltepin cold brew, sourdough muffins and beans.

Presta Coffee Roasters

• ★ 4.7
• Café
• $
• Mercado District

Drink Espresso and pour-over filter coffee

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.

Tacos Apson

• ★ 4.7
• Street food
• $
• South Tucson

Try Carne asada tacos and quesadillas

Tacos Apson on South 12th Avenue in South Tucson is the canonical Sonoran carne asada taqueria, mesquite-grilled and on house-made tortillas since 2006.

BK Tacos

• ★ 4.6
• Mexican
• $
• South Tucson

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.

La Estrella Bakery

• ★ 4.6
• Bakery
• $
• Mercado District

Order Concha

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

5 Points Market

• ★ 4.6
• Café
• $
• South Tucson

Drink Pour-over filter coffee

5 Points Market and Restaurant on South Stone in Tucson is the bohemian cafe-meets-bistro at the Five Points intersection, with scratch baking.

Yellow Brick Coffee

• ★ 4.6
• Café
• $
• Campbell Avenue Corridor

Drink Single-origin pour-over filter coffee

Yellow Brick Coffee on North Country Club in Tucson is a single-origin specialty coffee roaster and cafe, with pour-overs, espresso and a quiet morning bar.

La Estrella Bakery 12th Avenue

• ★ 4.5
• Bakery
• $
• South Tucson

Order Empanada de pina

La Estrella Bakery on South 12th Avenue in South Tucson is the Jalisco panaderia's South Tucson outpost, with conchas, empanadas and tres leches by the case.

Beyond Bread Campbell

• ★ 4.5
• Bakery
• $
• Campbell Avenue Corridor

Order Annapurna sandwich

Beyond Bread on North Campbell in Tucson is the family-owned European-oven bakery and sandwich counter since 2000, with house artisan bread.

Beyond Bread Speedway

• ★ 4.5
• Bakery
• $
• Midtown Speedway

Order Tucson sub sandwich

Beyond Bread Speedway in Tucson is the eastside outpost of the family bakery, with the European-oven loaves, scratch sandwiches and a counter at lunch.

Cup Cafe

• ★ 4.5
• Café
• $
• Downtown Tucson

Drink House cortado and bistro espresso

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.

El Guero Canelo Oracle

• ★ 4.5
• Street food
• $
• Downtown Tucson

Try Sonoran hot dog

El Guero Canelo Oracle Road in Tucson is the north-side outpost of the James Beard 2018 dogo flagship, with bacon-wrapped Sonoran hot dogs daily.

Mi Nidito

• ★ 4.5
• Mexican
• $
• South Tucson

Try Combo plate with chile relleno, enchilada, taco

Mi Nidito on South 4th Avenue in Tucson runs the combo plate Bill Clinton ordered in 1999, hearty Sonoran Mexican plates since 1952 family-style.

Beyond Bread Sandwich

• ★ 4.5
• Jewish deli
• $
• Campbell Avenue Corridor

Try Annapurna or Tucson sub

Beyond Bread on North Campbell in Tucson runs the city's gold-standard scratch deli sandwich on European-oven house bread, an Annapurna staple.

Baja Cafe on Campbell

• ★ 4.4
• New American
• $
• Campbell Avenue Corridor

Baja Cafe on North Campbell in Tucson runs all-day breakfast, brunch and lunch with Southwestern-flair classics like the snickerdoodle pancake and huevos.

Prep and Pastry

• ★ 4.4
• Bakery
• $
• Campbell Avenue Corridor

Order Croissant French toast

Prep and Pastry on North Campbell in Tucson is the scratch-baking brunch counter with croissant French toast, biscuits and a busy weekend morning queue.

Cafe a la C'Art

• ★ 4.4
• Café
• $
• El Presidio

Drink Cortado and house cappuccino

Cafe a la C'Art on North Main in Tucson runs brunch and lunch inside the historic 1865 Stevens House at the Tucson Museum of Art, with a shaded garden patio.

Eegee's

• ★ 4.4
• American diner
• $
• Midtown Speedway

Try Frozen-fruit eegee and Italian sub combo

Eegee's on East Broadway in Tucson is the local frozen-fruit drink and submarine sandwich chain since 1971, the canonical cheap summer relief in Tucson.

Bisbee Breakfast Club

• ★ 4.3
• American Diner
• $
• Midtown Speedway

Bisbee Breakfast Club on East Broadway in Tucson is the Phoenix-Tucson all-day breakfast chain, born in Bisbee, with skillets and Benedicts daily.

Pat's Drive In

• ★ 4.3
• American Diner
• $
• Mercado District

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.

Time Market Bakery

• ★ 4.3
• Bakery
• $
• Main Gate

Order House sourdough

Time Market's bakery on East University in Tucson supplies the deli, pizza counter and the cafe's morning baked goods, milling house bread and biscuits daily.

Bisbee Breakfast Club Bakery

• ★ 4.3
• Bakery
• $
• Midtown Speedway

Order Apple pie

Bisbee Breakfast Club on East Broadway in Tucson bakes scratch pies in-house, including the apple pie that the Bisbee, AZ location made famous.

Time Market

• ★ 4.3
• Café
• $
• Main Gate

Drink House espresso and bottle deli sandwich

Time Market on East University in Tucson is the deli-cafe-grocer that has served Sam Hughes since 1920, with wood-fired pizza, espresso and house-baked bread.

Rollies Mexican Patio

• ★ 4.3
• Street food
• $
• South Tucson

Try Mexican plates and chivichanga

Rollies on South 12th Avenue in South Tucson is the chivichanga (rolled chimichanga) and Sonoran taco patio, family-run since 2018, with mesquite carne asada.

El Minuto Cafe

• ★ 4.3
• Mexican
• $
• Barrio Viejo

Try Cheese crisp and topopo salad

El Minuto Cafe on South Main in Tucson's Barrio Viejo runs Mexican-American lunch and dinner the family has served since 1936, with oversized cheese crisps.

Raging Sage

• ★ 4.2
• Café
• $
• Campbell Avenue Corridor

Drink House-roasted espresso and pastry

Raging Sage on North Campbell in Tucson is the Sliker family coffeehouse since 1998, with in-house roasted beans, scratch pastries and a dog-friendly patio.

Cartel Coffee Lab

• ★ 4.2
• Café
• $
• Downtown Tucson

Drink House espresso and pour-over

Cartel Coffee Lab on East Broadway in Tucson is the Tempe-Tucson roaster's downtown cafe, with pour-over, single-origin espresso and house pastry.

BK Tacos First Avenue

• ★ 4.1
• Street food
• $
• Campbell Avenue Corridor

Try Sonoran hot dog

BK Tacos First Avenue in Tucson is the north-side outpost of the Sonoran hot dog chain, with the same bacon-wrapped dogos and carne asada and micheladas.

Caffe Luce

• ★ 4.0
• Café
• $
• Main Gate

Drink Italian espresso and house cappuccino

Caffe Luce on East University in Tucson is the U of A Main Gate coffeehouse with Italian-leaning espresso, baked goods and student-friendly counter seating.

El Guero Canelo 22nd Street

• ★ 4.0
• Street food
• $
• Midtown Speedway

Try Sonoran hot dog

El Guero Canelo 22nd Street in Tucson is the eastside outpost of the James Beard 2018 dogo flagship, with bacon-wrapped Sonoran hot dogs and patio seating.