Breakfast and coffeehouses
Brawley's Restaurant — 6367 E. Broadway. This neighborhood place dishes up a delicious, affordable breakfast (lunch, too) and some of the best coffee in town. Tucson casual. 722-5571. ¢ E
Crying Onion — 3684 W. Orange Grove Road. Whether you want an order of toast or a breakfast of champions, this eatery gets you going. Breakfast and lunch only. No credit cards. Tucson casual. 531-1330. $ NW
The Egg Connection — 3114 E. Fort Lowell Road. Lots of food and choices — including home fries or grits — that are good, cheap and fast. Breakfast and lunch only. Tucson casual. 881-1009. $ C
Wags Family Restaurant — 4026 E. Grant Road. "Iowa style" diner serves up everything from griddle cakes to pork tenderloin sandwiches. Breakfast and lunch only. Tucson casual. 323-2345. $ C
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Special settings
The Gold Room at the Westward Look Resort — 245 E. Ina Road. The menu offers classic and nouvelle choices, along with eye-catching city views. High casual. Smoking allowed on patio. 917-2930. $$$$ NW
Bistro Zin — 1865 E. River Road. This chic restaurant with deep-red walls and banquettes resembles a Big Apple brasserie with good wines by the bottle, glass or in flights. Reservations recommended. High casual. 299-7799. $$$ FH
Flying V Bar & Grill — 7000 N. Resort Drive, at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. The patio looks out on the pristine 18th hole of the golf course. Pricey but worth it. High casual. Smoking on the patio. 299-2020. $$$ FH
Ventana Room — 7000 N. Resort Drive in Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. This is the definition of "fine dining" — near faultless food, stunning wine list, warm, hospitable service. Dressy. 299-2020. $$$$ FH
The Grill at Hacienda del Sol Resort — 5601 N. Hacienda del Sol Road. Top service and fine cuisine. Sunday brunch. High casual. Smoking at the bar and on the patio. 529-3500. $$$$ FH
Anthony's in the Catalinas — 6440 N. Campbell Ave. Voted Tucson's favorite restaurant with a view, Anthony's offers Continental dining, an award-winning wine list and attentive service. Reservations recommended. Dressy. Smoking in the lounge or on the patio. 299-1771. $$$$ FH
Arizona Inn — 2200 E. Elm St. This Tucson landmark offers understated elegance and upscale, satisfying food. Dressy. 325-1541. $$$$ C
Soleil — 3001 E. Skyline Drive. The fish is swimmingly fresh, and the desserts are a don't-miss. Tucson casual to high casual. 299-3345. $$$$ FH
American and grills
Metropolitan Grill — 7892 N. Oracle Road. Stylish restaurant/bar with an exhibition kitchen serves a variety of dishes. Reservations recommended. Tucson casual. 531-1212. $$ NW
City Grill — 6464 E. Tanque Verde Road. The young, hip professionals hang here. Reservations recommended. Tucson casual. Smoking at the bar. 733-1111. $$$ FH
Elbow Room — 1145 W. Prince Road. This old favorite has deep-fried, no-frills food at remarkably low prices. Tucson casual. Smoking section. 690-1011. ¢ C
Agave Restaurant — In the Desert Diamond Casino, 1100 W. Pima Mine Road, at Interstate 19. Close, but still far away from the clang-clang-clanging of slot machines, Agave serves up soups, burgers and dinners. Tucson casual. 393-2720. $$ SW
Old Pueblo Grille — Two locations: 60 N. Alvernon Way, 326-6000; 7401 N. La Cholla Blvd., 297-1999. Part of the Metro Restaurants chain, both locations serve Southwest-style cuisine. Tucson casual. Smoking in the lounge. $$ C, NW
Tucson Racquet & Fitness Club — 4001 N. Country Club Road. Eat in or take out — even if you're not a member. There are salads, build-your-own-entree plates and healthful side orders. Tucson casual. 795-6960. $ C
Risky Business — 10515 N. Oracle Road, 531-0202; 6866 E. Sunrise Drive, 577-0021; 8848 E. Tanque Verde Road, 749-8555; 250 S. Craycroft Road, 584-1610. Family-friendly restaurants with burgers, salads and sandwiches. Tucson casual. $ NW, FH, C
Make mine meat
Bubb's Grubb — 16010 N. Oracle Road. Meat lovers will find what they're looking for. Tucson casual. 825-6510. $-$$ NW
Chad's Steak House and Saloon — 3001 N. Swan Road. Hand-cut beef selections range from ground sirloin to porterhouse at this Western-themed restaurant. Reservations recommended. Tucson casual. 881-1802. $$ C
Li'l Abner's Steak House — 8500 N. Silverbell Road. This former stagecoach stop serves steak grilled over mesquite wood. No reservations. Tucson casual. Smoking on the patio. 744-2800. $$ NW
Burgers and more
Buddy's Grill — 4821 E. Grant Road, at North Swan Road. Hamburgers so good, Star readers voted them Tucson's best. Tucson casual to high casual. 795-2226. $$-$$$ C
Bob Dobbs Bar & Grill — 2501 E. Sixth St. The burgers are BIG; and the homemade chips, a down-home treat. Tucson casual. 325-3767. $ C
Cody's Beef 'n' Beans — 2708 E. Fort Lowell Road. The burgers are thick, dripping with juices and charbroiled the way you request. Tucson casual. 322-9475. $-$$ C
Trident Grill — 2033 E. Speedway. Hamburgers, 24 beers on tap, friendly folks, cozy booths and a long bar make this a fine hangout. Tucson casual. 795-5755. $-$$ C
Italian
Trattoria Giuseppe — 6761 E. Tanque Verde Road. Reasonably priced, high-quality entrees. Tucson casual. 298-2233. $$ FH
Caffé Torino — 10325 N. La Cañada Drive, Oro Valley. Northern Italian fare just like Mama used to make. Tucson casual. 219-2994. $$ NW
Verona Italian Restaurant — 120 S. Houghton Road. Simple, yet quietly elegant. Come hungry: They serve generous portions of homemade Italian delights. Tucson casual to high casual. 722-2722. $$ SE
Cibaria Cucina Italiana — 12985 N. Oracle Road. The talented Michael Veres is chef and co-owner. Check out the heavenly gnocchi arrabiata. Tucson casual to high casual. 825-2900. $$-$$$ NW
Pizza
Brooklyn Pizza Company — 534 N. Fourth Ave. Best-selling pizza is the tried-and-true pepperoni, but the staff recommends the cheese pizza with tomato and basil sauce. Tucson casual. 622-2902. $ C
Rosati's Authentic Chicago Pizza — 8814 E. Tanque Verde Road. Northeast Side pizza parlor bakes an exceptional pie, with several crust options, including double-dough pizza. Tucson casual. 760-4777. $ FH
Asian and Pacific Rim
P.F. Chang's China Bistro — 1805 E. River Road. This sleek restaurant serves out-of-the-ordinary Cantonese, Shanghai, Szechuan and Mongolian cuisine. Tucson casual. 615-8788. $$ FH
Shabu Shabu Tanaka — 5655 E. River Road. This Japanese restaurant lets you cook the meals yourself — in a flavorful broth, with plenty of fresh ingredients. Tucson casual. 232-1393. $-$$ FH
Sakura — 6534 E. Tanque Verde Road. If you want dinner and a show, here's your place. The cooks whip up Japanese meals and do fancy knife work at your table. Tucson casual. 298-7777 $$-$$$ FH
Veggie-friendly
Govinda's — 711 E. Blacklidge Drive. No meat anywhere at Govinda's, a restaurant that is proof positive that a vegetarian state can be heavenly. The buffet is heavy with culinary options. Our recommendation: Eat anything with the homemade cheese in it. Tucson casual. 792-0630. $ C
Guilin Chinese Restaurant — 3250 E. Speedway. An abundance of vegetarian dishes to choose from, and many will please. A favorite is the full-flavored vegetarian sizzling rice soup. Tucson casual. 320-7768. $ C
India Oven — 2727 N. Campbell Ave. Indian restaurants are a vegetarian's friend, and that's especially true here. Of course, you want the naan — we like the tandoori bread with garlic. But we love the saag paneer, a creamy dish made with the fresh cheese, paneer, spinach, garlic (lots of it) and a touch of red chile. 326-8635. Tucson casual. $$ C
La Indita — 622 N. 4th Ave. The food here draws from Mexican, Tarascan Indian and Tohono O'odham cuisines. The beans are vegan; the vegetarian selections, abundant. The chile rellenos boast a delicate, egg-battered coating that doesn't overpower the natural flavor of the fresh, roasted chiles. Tucson casual. 792-0523. $-$$ C
Lovin' Spoonfuls — 2990 N. Campbell Ave. This vegan restaurant (no meat, no dairy) really blossoms with the dinner entrees, in which vegan meat, pasta and vegetables rule. The Coney Island Dog is pure comfort food. Tucson casual. 325-7766. $ C
Mina's Thai Restaurant — 5575 E. River Road. So many wondrous choices. A few we love: the tom yum vegetable soup, with tofu, mushrooms and lemon grass. Or the hot and spicy combo, with tofu, green beans, bamboo shoots and a give-me-a-fan hot and spicy sauce. Tucson casual. 299-0453. $-$$ FH
Red Sky Café —2910 N. Swan Road, Suite 100. Steve Schultz dishes up oversize servings that expertly combine French, California and Southwest cuisines. The Sunday brunch offers a range of vegetarian salads and pastas. High casual. Reservations recommended. 326-5454. $$-$$$ C
Soleil — 3001 E. Skyline Drive. You can request a vegetarian menu for dinner entrees. The desserts are a don't-miss. Tucson casual to high casual. 299-3345. $$$$ FH
Tohono Chul Tea Room — 366 N. Paseo del Norte. There are a few veggie choices here, but if they offered only one, let it be the open-faced sandwich of sweet tomato, fresh basil and creamy fontina on grilled French bread. Breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. Tucson casual. 797-1222. $ NW
Zemam's — 2731 E. Broadway. We could love this just because we get to eat with our hands. That more than half of the menu is vegetarian makes us love it more. Try the spinach dish. Or the yemsir wet, a stunning, spicy, red lentil dish. Tucson casual. 323-9928. $ C
Border crossings
Crossroads — 2602 S. Fourth Ave. From camarones to carne, this South Tucson landmark serves authentic Mexican fare. Reservations on weekends. Tucson casual. Smoking section. 624-0395. $ S
El Cubanito — 1150 E. Sixth St. Bright, small storefront spot serves Cuban specialties. No alcohol. Tucson casual. 623-8020. $ C
BK Carne Asada & Hotdogs — 5118 S. 12th Ave. Roadside taqueria offers tacos, quesadillas and Sonoran-style hot dogs and fixings such as frijoles, pickled onions and salsa fresca. Closed Mondays. Tucson casual. Smoking. 295-0105. $ S
Guadalajara Grill — 1730 E. Prince Road. Salsa is made tableside here — and just to your liking. You'll understand what bliss is. Tucson casual. Smoking outside. 323-1022. $$ C
Maya Quetzal — 429 N. Fourth Ave. Central American specialties, with proceeds benefiting Guatemalan refugees. Reservations suggested for large groups. Tucson casual. 622-8207. $ C
Mi Nidito — 1813 S. Fourth Ave. Then-President Bill Clinton gobbled down a big lunch here in 1999. No wonder: It's authentic and good at "my little nest." Expect to wait. Tucson casual. 622-5081. $ S
Where is it?
C – Central E – East
D – Downtown FH – Foothills
GV – Green Valley NW–Northwest
S – South SW–Southwest
SE–Southeast
What does it cost?
Price-range estimates are for dinner for two. Drinks, tax and tip are not included.
¢ – About $10 $ – $10-$20
$$ – $20-$30 $$$ – $30-$40
$$$$ – above $40
WHAT TO WEAR
Dressy: Fancy. Dress to impress.
High casual: Polish up. Polo shirt and khakis are OK.
Tucson casual: Just about anything goes. Shirt and shoes, of course.
The fine print
A rotating list based on staff reviews. Don't see your favorite place? Let us know at caliente@azstarnet.com. Restaurants are smoke-free unless otherwise indicated.
