Cover Stories
C’mon, Trust Us!
Whatever you decide, get out and vote!
What’s Cooking, Tucson?
Welcome to the 2018 Best of Tucson
Hotel Congress Celebrates 100 Years with the Copper Jubilee
Many believe the historic hotel was established in 1919, but with more research on the history, it was found that the building had a soft opening in Nov. 1918. On Sunday, Nov. 18 Hotel Congress will celebrate 100 years of business with the Copper Jubilee. The Copper Jubilee will take place from 2 to 6 p.m.…
Laughing Stock: Guest Columnist Molly McCloy talks to Maria Bamford
Maria Bamford fan Molly McCloy is a four-time Moth winner and PCC teacher of creative nonfiction. Bamford headlines the Tucson Improv Movement’s Tucson Comedy Arts Festival with a performance at 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 10, at the Rialto Theater. Visit rialto.com for Bamford tickets, alone or with a $25 TCAF festival pass. Visit tucsonimprov.com for…
Arizona Farm & Food Festival
The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA) and Casino Del Sol are partnering for the Arizona Farm & Food Festival on Saturday, Nov. 10. The festival will include live cooking demonstrations, food samplings, a farmer’s market, children’s activities, cultural entertainment and opportunities to meet with local chefs. The festival will showcase more than 35…
Laughing Stock: What else is at TCAF?
Next week in Laughing Stock, favorite Tucson storyteller Molly McCoy interviews Maria Bamford, star of the Netflix series Lady Dynamite. Bamford headlines this year’s Tucson Comedy Arts Festival, hosted by the Tucson Improv Movement. The fest runs from Wednesday through Saturday, Nov. 7 through 10 at TIM Comedy Theatre, 414 E. 9th Street, between Revel and…
Desert Foods Festival Celebrates Local Ingredients
On Saturday, Nov. 3 UA Cooperative Extension’s Garden Kitchen will host the sixth annual Desert Foods Festival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Garden Kitchen. The celebration is free with demonstrations and tasting of foods native to the Southwest. Learn how to create healthy meals using ingredients such as cholla buds, tepary beans,…
Four Great Things to Do in Tucson Today: Thursday, Nov. 1
No Boundaries. The Wilde Meyer Gallery’s November art show isn’t constrained to one single theme—in fact, with a title like “no boundaries,” it’s not constrained in any way at all. This eclectic show is all about letting artists’ imaginations run wild, whether they’re depicting Tucson landscapes, abstract wildlife or patched-together people. Rudie van Brussel, Peggy…
Liver Life Walk to Take Place at Brandi Fenton Memorial Park
Help bring awareness to liver disease and provide financial support for educational programs and patient services to the millions of Americans battling one of the 100 known liver diseases, on Saturday’s Liver Life Walk. Every walker is provided with sample emails, a personal fundraising page and staff to provide guidance and fundraising (online or through…
Footsteps into America: A migrant’s journey of struggle, hope and the unknown
The motel is plain vanilla. Motorists streak past it on Interstate 10 without notice or memory. But inside the gates of the complex, over several days in October, 112 migrants, many from Guatemala, turned the motel into a temporary neighborhood. Children chased their friends underneath the stairs. Parents leaned against walls and chatted with neighbors…
Equality Tour Aims to Include Arizona in Historic Change
The Equality Tour is coming to Tucson. The event is organized by Equal Means Equal, a charitable organization of the Heroica Foundation. The Equality Tour will feature speakers and comedic and musical performances all in support of passing the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The Equal Rights Amendment is a proposed amendment to the U.S Constitution…
Empowerment Scholarship Account Money Misspent
Here’s another one of those great stories in the Arizona Republic I don’t think we’ll be seeing in the Star. Add it to the Republic’s terrific investigative reporting on corruption and profiteering in charter schools, and southern Arizona is missing out on some important education news. That is a damn shame. Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (aka…
Halloween Funnies
Courtesy of Cagle Cartoons.
Three(-ish) Great Things to Do in Tucson Today: Wednesday Oct. 31
Halloween Night at Hotel Congress. If you missed the big party at Congress on Friday and thought you were all out of luck, think again because HoCo is partying once more for Halloween night. The event will include all you know and love about a great night out at Congress plus costumes! So make sure…
The Arizona Supreme Court Joins Republicans’ Zero Tolerance Policy for Citizen Initiatives
It would be foolish of me to say with 100 percent certainty that the Arizona Supreme Court ruling against the “Invest in Education” initiative was politically motivated. I’m only 95 percent certain they wanted to knock the initiative off the ballot for political reasons — with a 5 percent margin of error. The Supreme Court decision against…
Claytoon of the Day: Hack Of The Penguins
Find more Claytoonz here.
Four Great Things to Do in Tucson Today: Tuesday Oct. 30
Automata: Miniature Mechanized Narratives. Do you know what an automaton is? It’s a little scene that comes to life, traditionally with clockwork mechanisms, but, today, often with a crank that the viewer is invited to wind up to bring the scene to life him or herself. At this exhibit, you’ll see more than 40 of…
Adoptable Pet: Tadmore Needs A Home
What more can you say about a handsome guy like Tadmore? This big boy is still just a pup at 1-year-old and he’s got the personality to prove it! He’s lovable and kinda goofy, but he’s also super-smart. Best of all, he’s brimming with energy and loves to play. His forever family will want to…
Know Your Product – Spafford
What started out as four Phoenix guys playing songs together quickly turned into one of the biggest jam bands touring today. Their special style of “electrofunk therapy” has found listeners at festivals all across the nation. Now on the road with their third album, Spafford is touring on into Tucson, while playing rock, funk, pop, reggae,…
Halloween Funnies
Courtesy of Cagle Cartoons.
Claytoon of the Day: Vanifesto
Find more Claytoonz here.
Three Great Things to Do Today: Monday, Oct. 29
Halloween (1978): A classic 1978 horror film, John Carpenter’s Halloween will be showing Monday night at 9:30 p.m. at The Loft Cinema. It’s both an original and cheaper than seeing the newest Halloween movie, a sequel to the first one. Sounds like a win-win! You’ll be sure to double check your back seat after you…
Ha-Ha Halloweener! The Manly Manlesque presents Cocktoberfest
The Surly Wench pub is hosting the 5th Annual Manly Manlesque Halloweener Cocktoberfest, Friday Oct. 26 starting at 10 p.m., doors open at 9 p.m.! The Manly Manlesque show puts the “burly” in burlesque. The guys are ready to to jump on stage and give you plenty of tricks and treats! Truly an experience of…
Keep it Green this Halloween
You know what is not so sweet about all that 600 million pounds of Halloween candy?? All of the wrappers, which are NOT recyclable. Besides the fact that candy wrappers are generally too small, their mixed composition of paper, aluminum and plastic also make them difficult to recycle. “These materials contaminate the stream and potentially…
Pathway to Purchase: City Program Assists Home Ownership
After relaunching in 2018, The Pathway to Purchase (P2P) program is providing down-payment and closing-cost assistance to prospective homebuyers. The program is run by the Industrial Development Authorities of the City of Tucson and Pima County. Since relaunching, nearly $25 million in loans have been received. Those funds have provided an average of more than…
Claytoon of the Day: MAGA Bomber
Find more Claytoonz here.
Local Teachers Apply For $5,000 Grant
Since the beginning of October, the CenturyLink Clarke M. Williams Foundation has invited local pre-kindergarden through 12th grade teachers to apply for a Teachers and Technology program. The program offers grants up to $5,000 to fund STEM projects in classrooms including subjects like science, technology, engineering and math. The grant program started in 2008 and…
Three and Out: Arizona Hosts Justin Herbert and the Oregon Ducks on Homecoming Saturday
The course of the University of Arizona’s football season hinges on the outcome of Saturday’s contest with a juggernaut from the Pacific Northwest. The Wildcats (3-5, 2-3) return to Arizona Stadium this Saturday, with the Oregon Ducks coming to Tucson for the first time since their stunning loss to the Wildcats in 2014. That loss,…
Best Annual Festival
Fourth Avenue If you like the idea of browsing hundreds of local and mom-and-pop businesses all in one place while having your pick from all kinds of fast and greasy food vendors, the Fourth Avenue Street Fair might just be your jam. And if that doesn’t sound enticing enough, did I mention you can also…
Best Place To Get Rid of Lice
5300 E. Erickson Drive This is one we learned the hard way, after having to deal with combing unhappy kids. Unless you have the patience of saint and the skills of a hairdresser, don’t even bother trying to get rid of those unwelcome pests by yourself. Instead, turn to the local branch of Lice Clinics…
Best Dog Park
900 S. Randolph Way We all know Reid Park is a delight for humans and zoo animals, but in case you’ve been sleeping on this sweet little canine corner, now’s the perfect chance to check it out. It’s well-lit, with three double-entry gates, separate sections for large and small dogs, dog-friendly water fountains and a…
Best Campground
What’s the best place to camp in a town where the temperatures push 100 degrees for six months out of the year? Well, if waking up in a plastic sauna at 7 a.m. is your idea of communing with nature, you have lots of choices. But if you prefer waking up cuddly-cozy in your sleeping…
Best Art Museum
140 N. Main Ave. The Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block, fresh from a gorgeous makeover, has had a spectacular year, with another Arizona Biennial, a retrospective of work by the late James G. Davis, a sumptuous collection of photography by Arthur Lazar and ongoing shows celebrating everything from Latin folk art to pieces…
Best Place to get a Massage
Multiple Addresses When was the last time you DIDN’T need a massage? If you’ve ever experienced that feeling, it was probably right after you got a massage, and probably at Rubs. Every massage they give is specialized to the massage recipient’s needs, so you can finally address those problem areas that have been ailing you…
Best Panaderia
120 S. Avenida del Convento 5266 S. 12th Ave. Did you ever notice that “pan,” the Spanish word for “bread,” is the root of the word “panic,” because the dictionary definition of “panic” is: a wild and overwhelming fear of being without bread? You’ll never need to panic with La Estrella around. From bread rolls…
Best Elote
4100 S. Palo Verde Road Would it even be a swap meet if there wasn’t any elote? But our local swap meet doesn’t just deliver some substandard version of one of the foods most integral to the human experience, it delivers the best in town. It’s enough to get you thinking: Maybe we should start…
Best Eastside Restaurant
1060 S. Kolb Road 700 E. Tanque Verde Road If you’re in the mood for a lowbrow hole in the wall, you’re gonna want to hit up Poco & Mom’s original Kolb Road location. If you’re looking for something a little more fancy, you should head over to Tanque Verde. But either way, you can…
Best Middle Eastern
1138 N. Belvedere Ave. Zayna is the type of place you take your meat-loving friends, your vegetarian and vegan friends, your picky friends and people you want to become your friends. With dishes including sandwiches, salads and full plates, along with extras including an array of appetizers and imported alcohols, you can’t go wrong. The…
Best Casual Dining
266 Congress St. The HUB has a pretty wide reaching menu, and that might make you suspicious. Can we really trust one restaurant to do fried catfish, enchiladas and bahn mi well? Well, apparently we can if it’s the HUB. Start your meal with their Glory Curds, end with a scoop of the bourbon almond…
Best Wings
5004 E. Broadway Blvd. 8838 E. Broadway Blvd. If we’re talking best wings, let’s not mince words: Wings Over Broadway won because of their wings. With choices like lemon pepper, honey gold, buffalo, honey BBQ, cajun, habanero, garlic and more, you can come back multiple times and still have more to try. And if you…
Best DJ
Few on-air DJs have reached the level of local clout that Hot 98.3!’s DJ Apprentice has, spinning cuts during the 5 p.m. rush hour and weekday evenings from 6-11 p.m., in addition to performing at various clubs in the city. Apprentice started his DJ’ing career at the age of 12, when he first witnessed live…
Quick Bites
All of the best foodie events in Tucson this week.
Best Reggae
More than three decades as a band and still going strong, that’s commitment to a style. Either that, or the guys in Neon Prophet are just having that much fun performing. Chances are it’s both. Whether it’s roots or dancehall, Neon Prophets offer a diverse and creative style of reggae that is all inclusive and…
Best Thrift Store
2001 E. Speedway Blvd. Buffalo Exchange is the best thrift store, because unlike those other thrift stores where you have to scour the racks looking for something that’s cute and not too worn out, at Buffalo Exchange that part is already done. So you get to dig through racks of the cutest shirts, skirts, purses,…
Best Dance Company
2850 W. Ina Road Tucson Dance Academy strikes the perfect middle ground between way too casual and way too Dance Mom-y. It’s a professional dance academy, and many of their teachers are certified to teach by Dance Masters of America, Inc. But everyone, starting at age 3 and up through adult, is welcome to come…
Best Florist
6468 N. Oracle Road They’ve got sympathy flowers! Anniversary flowers! Business flowers! They’ve even got silk flowers! Inglis also has local specialties like a UA bouquet, fruit and snack baskets and little miniature gardens or green and blooming plants, if you want to send the type of gift that keeps on giving. With order options…
Best Place to Buy Weird Cute Gifts
422. N. Fourth Ave. Bursting with unique gifts from Vegan Taxidermy to succulents in teacups to Monster Booty hats and embroidered clothing, Pop Cycle is sure to make you the coolest person at your gift swap. According to them, “the focus is on stuff made from other stuff.” Pop Cycle supports local artists and carries…
Best Local TV News Anchor
After 34 years at KGUN-TV and 50 years in broadcasting, Guy Atchley retired earlier this year. The award-winning weeknight anchor’s presence is much missed in our living rooms, but we’re hoping he’ll find more time for one of his favorite hobbies, photography. And if you’re lucky, you can still find his motivational tapes at Bookmans,…
Best Photographer
Jade Beall inspires us with her honest portrayal of women, mothers and genuine people of all ages and backgrounds. While we’re inundated with photoshopped magazine covers at every grocery-store register, telling us women are supposed to be cookie-cutter copies of someone’s definition of pretty, Beall reminds us what true beauty is. Beauty is strength, fortitude,…
Best Carnicería
4211 E. 22nd St. What do you want out of a carniceria? A variety of meats (raw or grilled outside the front door), ingredients to complete your cooking at home and maybe some I-can’t-wait-until-I-cook-this-to-eat snacks. El Herradero walks the borders between carniceria, grocery store and casual restaurant fearlessly. Your stomach will thank you for stopping…
Best Upscale Restaurant
110 E. Pennington St. Cafe Poca Cosa serves Mexican cuisine with a unique twist. This place is upscale but not snooty, with fresh ingredients hand selected the very morning of your visit. The server comes to your table to let you know what delights you have to choose from because their menu changes twice daily.…
Best Central Restaurant
2616 N. Campbell Ave. Blue Willow is far more than a restaurant, but even if it wasn’t, the great food and drink options would be enough. But pairing their crepes, salmon or quiche with their relaxing patio truly is a dining experience to be remembered. Plus, who doesn’t like a place with a dedicated “Breakfast…
Best Contemporary/Fusion Restaurant
2870 E. Skyline Drive Wild Garlic Grill managed to make its move up to the Foothills without losing any of the old-school charm it had managed to rustle up in its First Avenue cradle. The menu remains insanely overloaded with options, but we don’t even know why they bother with that old thing, because the…
Best Delicatessen
6472 N. Oracle Road 7955 E. Broadway Blvd. Say you’re making some gumbo. Do you need andouille sausage or Cajun sausage? Well, you’re in luck, because Dickman’s carries both, so you might as well get yourself a pound of each to spice up your dinner. Or maybe you’d like to throw in some venison, some…
Best Empanadas
120 S. Avenida del Convento 5266 S. 12th Ave. One of the best parts about empanadas, besides how delicious they are, is how thrilling they are: What’s inside? Is it apple? Pineapple? Cherry? Mango? When you buy a bunch at once (which is the only correct way to buy empanadas), they tend to get all…
New Accommodations
The developers of downtown’s AC Marriott have unveiled plans for a new $88 million hotel project on Broadway and Fifth Avenue.
Best Beer Selection
72N. Oracle Road 403 N. Sixth Ave. Tap & Bottle has literally hundreds of beers to choose from—it should perhaps go without saying—in the bottle or on tap. And if you’re afraid of making the wrong choice, you can try a sampler. Their bartenders are also very beer-savvy and can help you choose something to…
Best Hip-Hop Act
The 28-year-old Tucson-born rapper has been pumping out high-level hits since his debut mixtape, Language Arts 101, hit the streets. Marley B signed with West Coast hip-hop dignitary Murs and his Label 316 record company in 2013, touring in support of the artist in 2014. You can catch Marley B and his mates Gldn Artist…
Best Bowling Alley
4015 E. Speedway Blvd. Is there another game that’s as fun to win as it is to lose other than bowling? We don’t think so. (We usually lose at bowling, and we still have fun!) And Lucky Strike has been indulging our losing streak for generations. Also a pro-loser tip we learned from our children:…
Best Visual Artist
From pop culture icons to desert architecture, Martin’s black-and-white iconography is perfect for decorating the Tucson landscape. If you’ve been downtown, chances are you’ve seen his murals. Sugar skulls, cacti, monsters and coloring books; if it’s in the Old Pueblo, Martin’s turned it into a icon worthy of a frame (or at least a brick…
Best Park
900 S. Randolph Way Reid Park has it all! Rocky streams to jump over, a duck pond with a trolley, a public pool, a zoo(!!), jungle gyms for the kiddos and ramadas to hold all your family gatherings. You can also find regular festivals and the occasional rally to spice up your park outing on…
Best Blog
With daily coverage of some of the finest restaurants in Tucson, the Tucson Foodie is a beloved resource for both Tucsonans and their visitors. With features exploring the humanity of those in the food biz and articles like “15 Iconic Tucson Neighborhood & Dive Bars,” they’ve struck the ideal balance for any publication of substantive…
Best Dance Studio
5811 E. Speedway Blvd. We’ve seen BreakOut Studios through several incarnations, from Fourth Avenue, to Stone, to the north side, to its new location on East Speedway. But what never changes is the great teachers and classes. Whether you’re learning ballet, getting down with some hip hop moves or making our hearts race with some…
Best Plant Nursery
8005 E. Speedway Blvd. It’s well-known that almost all nurseries are magical places—full of different kind of plants, vibrant colors and a world of possibilities for how you might up the ante in your own garden. But there’s something about this one—maybe the enormous greenhouses full of fruit trees, maybe it’s the helpful workers, or…
Best Salsa
Multiple locations In a town filled with amazing Mexican food, it’s hard to pin down the best salsa, but Guadalajara takes the cake with a secret ingredient: freshness. You can’t get much fresher than table-side salsa, and who doesn’t like salsa and a show? Not only is the salsa fresh and made table-side but it…
Best Vegetarian/Vegan
2990 N. Campbell Ave. A fun game we like to suggest is to take a friend or family member who scoffs at veganism and meat alternatives for a meal at Lovin’ Spoonfuls, without telling them that everything from their bacon to their sour cream is completely vegan. If they notice a difference, it won’t be…
Best Northwest Restaurant
7037 N. Oracle Road When he opened Wildflower 20 years ago, Sam Fox had no idea that he was launching a restaurant empire that would spread from coast to coast. Wildflower has endured all these years by serving up great entrees, salads, desserts and more. Runners up: 2. The Parish 3. Saffron
Best Seafood
2564 E. Grant Road We were surprised to hear Kingfisher was celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, because we can’t remember a time in our lives without Kingfisher. The menu changes on a seasonal basis so there’s always something new to try, especially when they cook up their summer roadtrip menu that lets you explore…
Best Diner
7002 E. Broadway Blvd. 2970 N. Campbell Ave. 3930 W. Ina Road It’s a testament to Baja Cafe that, as a relative newcomer to our burg, they’ve already claimed a top spot in our Best of competition. How did they do it? By serving up all the classics alongside inventive twists, all made from scratch.…
Best Smoothies/ Juice Bar
2739 E. Speedway Blvd. 6222 E. Speedway Blvd. It’s the sheer amount of choices at Xoom Juice that puts it at the top of the smoothie game in Tucson. Choose from smoothies, juices, coffee, bowls, infusions and whatever xeedlings are. If you’re looking to have a productive day, stop in a get some protein power,…
Best Drag Queen
There is so much to love about Tempest DuJour. She hosts Retro Game Show Night at Congress, she’s silly, she’s gorgeous, her makeup is better than yours and she’s always happy to support Tucson’s LGBTQ+ community. Take any opportunity you get to see this “Delicate Flower of the Desert.” Runners up: 2. Tatiana (Diva) Blanco…
Best Gay Bar
616 N. Fourth Ave. Drag queens, karaoke, male go-go dancers in thongs—oh my! My, my, my, indeed. If you’re looking to have some fun, be entertained, do some entertaining, dance your ass off and let your hair down, IBT’s has never let us down yet. With their indoor and outdoor dance floors, weekly drag shows…
Best Wine Bar
2905 E. Skyline Drive Feelin’ a little fancy? Settle in at La Encantada’s Living Room with some fondue and peruse their extensive wine list. Don’t worry: They have selections so your beer and liquor lovin’ friends won’t go thirsty. Runners Up: 2. Ermanos Craft Beer & Wine Bar 3. Arizona Wine Collective
Best Sex Toy Shop
3658 E. Speedway Blvd. Sex life getting a little, shall we say… parched? Well, worry no more, you pretty little, sex-positive deviants, Fascinations has just the thing to quench that thirst. Whether you’re coupled, throupled, playing the field or solo, Fascinations has what you need for all your lube, butt-plug, vibrator, BDSM, dress-up and furry-fetish…
Best Open Mic
536 N. Fourth Ave. First of all, we need to admit we’re biased (or maybe we should say we’re experts) because one of our writers has been playing the Sky Bar open mic for five years or more. And while there’s a rotating cast of talent, there’s always musicians who just blow us away (and…
Best Day Spa
8600 E. Rockcliff Road One of our writers—we’ll just let you guess who—worked as a temp server one spring at Canyon Ranch. The resort’s permanent servers kept telling her to try the spa, which was open to employees. It was amazing! The lap of luxury—hot tubs, wet and dry saunas, yummy smells and soothing music.…
Best Barber Shop
2926 E. Broadway Blvd. “Where you don’t need a million to look a million.” And how. HiEndTight has won Best of Tucson multiple times before and takes the award again this year for their cheap but stylish cuts. They also offer a wide variety of other grooming services, such as hot towel shaves, razor fades…
Best Local Sportscaster
Paul Cicala is a Tucson-born sportscaster who’s made a name for himself on Tucson’s NBC affiliate, KVOA. The Sunnyside High School and University of Southern California alum has been nominated for multiple Emmy Awards during his time in Tucson and in El Paso. Cicala also worked as as sports anchor and reporter in Las Vegas…
Best Smoke Shop
Multiple Addresses Moon Smoke Shop has everything for your smoking needs: exotic tobacco, rolling papers, pipes, vapes and a crazy collection of glass that’s sure to be a conversation piece next time you’re getting medicated with your friends. Just don’t mention that you might be using any of this to consume an illegal product and…
Best Tortillas
5330 S. 12th Ave. It’s been almost 40 years since Jose and Alejandrina Cazares founded this family bakery, which means it’s been almost 40 years of fantastic, flat bliss for Tucsonans everywhere. Visit their shop or call them to place wholesale or retail orders of mini corn tortillas, larger corn tortillas and products, flour and…
Best Korean Food
5532 E. Speedway Blvd. Anyone who’s read Best of before shouldn’t be too surprised to find Takamatsu holding the top spot, and with a slogan like “Asian food at its finest,” it seems like the people behind this east-side eatery know what’s what when it comes to fantastic food. Come for the all-you-can-eat sushi, stay…
Best Central Restaurant
2616 N. Campbell Ave. Blue Willow is far more than a restaurant, but even if it wasn’t, the great food and drink options would be enough. But pairing their crepes, salmon or quiche with their relaxing patio truly is a dining experience to be remembered. Plus, who doesn’t like a place with a dedicated “Breakfast…
Best New Restaurant
2543 E. Grant Road Think trendy youngsters in plaid shirts. Think foodie hipsters with tattoos. Think modern-retro lights with filament light bulbs. Think good music, great food and creative cocktails, and you’ve got Culinary Dropout on Grant Road. This is one of multiple Dropouts located around Arizona, and now with one location each in Nevada…
Best Desserts
4553 E. Broadway Blvd. Don’t let that URL (nadinesweddingcakes.blogspot.com) fool you—Nadine’s does a lot more than wedding cakes (though their wedding and engagement cakes are super beautiful). They’ve been serving up cupcakes, cookies, breakfast pastries, pies, brownies and fudge to Tucsonans for just nearly four decades. Also, all of their products are completely kosher! Is…
Best Tacos
58 W. Congress St. Street Taco really has the best of both worlds: The speed of buying a taco from your favorite side-of-the-road taco guy, and that fancy-schmancy variety that has put Tucson on the international culinary map . They’ve got asada, pollo asado, al pastor, carnitas, shredded beef, fish and even veggie tacos, so…
Best Burlesque
424 N. Fourth Ave. Every first Friday, this pub offers you a different spectacle. And it is indeed a spectacle. With a name like Surly Wench, what more needs to be said? Runners Up: 2. Black Cherry Burlesque 3. Don’t Blink Burlesque
Best Comedy Night
2900 E. Broadway Blvd. With open mic nights, big-name headliners and some of the most charming recurring events you can think of, Laffs is the comedy staple in Tucson—and has been for quite some time! It’s as simple as this: When you think of live comedy in Tucson, you think of Laffs Comedy Caffé. Runners…
Best Sports Bar
2033 E. Speedway Blvd. 2910 N. Swan Road 2S. Craycroft Road The unofficial Tucson headquarters for the Washington Redskins just so happens to be one of the best places in town to watch just about any sports game—period. Maybe it’s the fact that the place seems to fill up at the drop of a hat…
Best Computer Repair
3731 E. Speedway Blvd. What are you looking for in a computer repair store? The ability for them to service your computer at any time, no appointment needed? Experienced technicians who will come to your house to solve computer conundrums? Remote desktop support? Cloud backup? How about all of the above? Yeah. It’s ex-SWS-ite service.…
Best Gallery
6300 N. Swan Road Way back in the 1950s, famed Tucson artist Ted DeGrazia headed for the hills—in this case, the mostly undeveloped Catalina Foothills. With adobe bricks and natural materials such as saguaro ribs, he built a chapel, a house and a little gallery where he began showing his work. In subsequent years, DeGrazia’s…
Best Golf Course
6200 N. Club House Lane Up in the Foothills lies the best golf course in Tucson. Maybe it’s the great views, maybe it’s the pools, maybe it’s the extensive racquet courts or restaurants, but something about Ventana Canyon Golf and Racquet Club keeps it close to Tucson’s heart. Having some great golf greens doesn’t hurt,…
Best Trail if You’re in the Mood to Clamber Like a Mountain Goat
Tanque Verde Falls is only about a 1.8-mile hike, but what makes it moderate is that there are some steep climbing parts now and then. What makes it totally awesome is that, if you play your cards right and go between March and October when the water from monsoons is still around, there’s a beautiful…
Best Theater Company
7010 E. Broadway Blvd. Did you know there are Broadway plays held nearly every day, right here in Tucson? Well, just head over to the intersection of Broadway and Kolb, and prepare to take absolutely nothing seriously. Tucson’s goofiest group of professional thespians have spent four decades entertaining Tucsonans (and visitors) to slapstick remakes of…
Best Place to Buy a Piñata
Multiple Addresses If you’re trying to have a great time with a piñata at a birthday party, what better way than to first stop by the wonderland that is Food City? With their ceilings adorned by various styles and colors of piñatas, there’s really nowhere else you need to go. Just try to resist the…
Best Burrito
Multiple Locations Tucson is a town full of burritos, so the title of best burrito in the city is not one to be taken lightly. With huge California burritos filled with juicy carne asada, vegetarian burritos that don’t skip out on either flavor or substance and all of the chicken, beef, bean and fish options…
Best Chef
135 S. Sixth Ave. With more than three decades under his belt since he opened his downtown restaurant at the Tucson Museum of Art back in the day, Janos Wilder is our biggest celebrity chef and the godfather of the farm-to-table movement—he was growing his own herbs and veggies way before it was cool. His…
Best Northwest Restaurant
7037 N. Oracle Road When he opened Wildflower 20 years ago, Sam Fox had no idea that he was launching a restaurant empire that would spread from coast to coast. Wildflower has endured all these years by serving up great entrees, salads, desserts and more. Runners up: 2. The Parish 3. Saffron
Best Bar Menu
311 Congress St. If you’re looking for drinks and dinner but your wallet is feeling a bit thin (and you incidentally enjoy being in a historic downtown hotel with one of the best patios around), you’ll be stuffed and satiated with one of Congress’ bar menu options. Cheap, fast and yummy, take your pick from…
Best Specialty Food Store
2805 E. Skyline Drive So you need to go fancy grocery shopping? There’s no better spot in town than AJ’s Fine Foods. AJ’s produce is fresh, it stocks delicacies that wouldn’t be caught dead in a Kroger grocery store and gives a whole new meaning to “grocery store sushi.” Runners up: 2. Roma Imports 3.…
Best Cafe Hangout
2516 N. Campbell Ave. 210 E. Broadway Blvd. Cartel has great coffee drinks and a few choice teas served up in an atmosphere that’s conducive to spreading out your workload and staying a while. With electrical outlets at almost every table and WiFi that doesn’t quit, Cartel is a great place to work or meet…
Best Liquor Store
26N. Campbell Ave. Sure, you can buy your booze from some big box liquor store—but that just means you’re feeding the corporate machine, so why not help out the little guy? It helps when your local liquor store sports an insanely large collection of just about everything you could ever want to drink. Track down…
Best Locally Brewed Beer
800 E. 16th St. Available all over town! This is the kind of beer that brings people together. People who don’t like beer are even apt to appreciate the refreshing crispness and light flavor of a Barrio Blonde. Seasoned beer lovers would be hard pressed to find anything bad to say about such a well-balanced…
Best Rock
Pretty much anywhere they play, Greyhound Soul packs the house. This is the kind of rock band that gets people dancing with an eyes-closed, soul-healing, rabble-rousing fervor. This local band is as Tucson as it gets—raw, real and rowdy. Whether live or jammin’ out to one of their albums at home, Greyhound Soul is the…
Best Animal Supply Store
4743 N. Highway Drive. 2701 S. Sixth Ave. Arizona Feeds Country Stores were traditionally known for their Arizona Feeds brand horse food. Today, they still sell that. Plus, everything you need for your horse. Plus, everything you need for your other animals. Their website even says that if they don’t have what you’re looking for,…
Best Outdoor Art Installation
A project so beloved and prevalent it has essentially become part of Tucson’s cultural DNA. Ben’s Bells started here, but the message quickly spread across the state and even the nation. Now, people are finding reminders to “be kind” in states like Idaho and Connecticut. These more recent artworks, expertly crafted of glittering shards, now…
Best Local Clothing Designer
402 N. Fourth Ave. Israel Zavala’s street wear clothing brand Underestimated City, also known as RepTuc, dons logos and style synonymous with Tucson. Zavala started with T-shirts and home-made stencils. Now you can find shirts and hats with his now-familiar logos, with the name of Tucson in an ornate font reminiscent of ’90s skateboarding scene,…
Best Local Twitter Feed
The crew over at Tucson Foodie are something of local celebrities here in Tucson, with a Twitter following of over 14,000. The blog’s feed gives short and sweet snippets of stories that can be found in full on their website. Content ranges from new restaurant announcements to chef profiles to foodie event coverage. Any self-proclaimed…
Best Bookstore
6230 E. Speedway Blvd. 3733 W. Ina Road 3330 E. Speedway Blvd. There’s something about wandering through the bright red shelves of Bookmans Entertainment Exchange that feels like an adventure in itself: There are books that haven’t been seen in bookstores with new merchandise in years. There are books with covers that aren’t based on…
Best Place to take a Phoenician
Tucsonans go to Mount Lemmon to escape the heat in the summer and play in the snow in the winter. While Tucsonans go up to enjoy the forest and get relief from the heat, their Phoenician visitors go to Mount Lemmon to breath fresh air. In Phoenix, they usually can’t go outside from May until…
Best Birria
1813 S. Fourth Ave. Mi Nidito has some of the best Mexican food around Tucson, period. Their birra is a juicy oyride, best served in a chimichanga. Enjoy the anticipation of that first heavenly bite while you’re waiting in line behind everyone else in the mood for some truly spectacular Mexican food. Runners up: 2.…
Best Signature Dish
311 N. Court Ave. It’s hard to think of El Charro without thinking of their world-famous carne seca. The kitchen leaves the meat hanging in racks above the downtown restaurant, so when you bite into it, you’re actually tasting beef that’s been flavored by the Tucson sun as well as an array of secret spices.…
Best Brunch
6450 E. Grant Road 3073 N. Campbell Ave. Prep & Pastry has a solid selection of brunch foods, ranging from a “simple breakfast” (two eggs, potatoes, toast and jam) to a cast-iron duck confit or prickly pear lemon pie French toast. And there are vegan options as well! The best part is that they keep…
Best Pool Hall
31E. Speedway Blvd. This no-frills watering hole classifies as a Tucson institution to its many regulars, and a popular meeting spot for just about everyone in the area. Sure, the burgers are great, and the beer is mighty cold, but the pool room ain’t too shabby, either. Set in the back of the place, the…
Best Place to Get a Slice
534 N. Fourth Ave. Does one ever “need” a greasy and delicious slice of pizza more than in the middle of a night of bar hopping? If you’re strolling down Fourth Ave. and in desperate need a bite, Brooklyn is the place to go. You can get a slice and a soda for less than…
Best Bang for Your Buck
5470 E. Speedway Blvd. The size of a burrito Poncho’s is alone enough to consider the price a great deal. But pairing this with the incredible flavors and the awesome salsas should be more than enough to put this little Mexican food shop on your radar.
Best Strip Club
2130 N. Oracle Road Let’s be real, you’re not there for the drinks and the loud music, though that helps set the scene for what has long been rated Tucson’s premier spot for the erotic sides of the entertainment industry. We hear there’s also a kitchen there, too, but we’ve always been too distracted to…
Best Dive Bar
3N. Fourth Ave. I know what your thinking: Che’s is a dive bar?! That’s the same thing we thought until someone pointed out when you only go to “dive bars,” Che’s just seems too classy for that title. What dive bar has such great service (bartenders that are quick as lightning and know their alcohol),…
Best Cover Band
With the name alone, you know these guys are gonna be clever, creative and oh so ’80s. Having performed at nearly every festival, bar and bear-down-get-together in town, 80’s and Gentlemen is just as much of a piece of Tucson as neon was a piece of the ’80s. Runners Up: 2. Gigi and the GLOW…
Best Car Wash
Multiple Addresses You want proof Mister Car Wash deserves to be honored as Tucson’s best? Well yes, they do have great customer service. Sure, your car will leave there clean. But those things should really be a given. But let me ask you, what other car wash has a headquarters next to a couple of…
Best live Storytelling
Cans Deli, 340 N. Fourth Ave. Live storytelling is a long-held tradition that’s seen a pop-culture comeback over the last decade. Tucson has a few great, regular storytelling events, but there’s something about honoring and holding space for women brave enough to take the stage and talk about their challenges, traumas and triumphs that just…
Best Hike
5700 N. Sabino Canyon Road A small fee of $5 per car will give you access to the hundreds of miles of hiking trails within the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. There are, of course, the famous Sabino Canyon and Seven Falls hikes as well as connector hikes to other longer trails within the area. Sabino…
Best Place to Get Pierced
315 N. Fourth Ave. 1024 E. Sixth Street 2807 E. Speedway Blvd. Want a simple stud piercing for your nose? Sure. How about a double vertical industrial piercing for your ear? No problem. Maybe you want one a set of piercings all up your back (or front) that you can loop ribbon through to make…
Best Art Classes
Multiple Locations Pima.edu What’s that, you say? The local community college isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of art classes? Honestly, it probably should be. With affordable classes in everything from color and composition and beginning photography to lost wax sculpture casting and blacksmithing, they’ve got a huge selection. Not…
Best Gym for Your Family
4001 N. Country Club Road Located up against the Rillito River at the end of Country Club Road, the Tucson Racquet Club is a Tucson institution. Not only does it have all the workout equipment you need, but it has a friendly staff, plenty of tennis, racquetball and pickleball courts, a great bar and restaurant…
Best Michelada
2680 N. First Ave. 5118 S. 12th Ave. Is there any point in ever drinking a Bloody Mary after you’ve tasted a good Michelada? BK’s version is tomato and clam juice mixed with the beer you select, celery, their signature spicy sauce, and a glass garnished with lime and chile spices. It is a Mexican…
Best Downtown Restaurant
110 E. Pennington St. The best thing about Cafe Poca Cosa is you never know what you’re going to get going in. Chef/owner/visionary Suzana Davila changes her menu twice daily, filling diners with upscale and delicious Mexican food. Lean into the mystery dining experience by ordering the Plato Poca Cosa, which features a portion of…
Best Greek
500 N. Fourth Ave. Time and again, Athens on 4th has come up on lists of the best Greek food in Tucson. Above all else, it’s the quality of the food that captures the minds and tastebuds of the city. Pairing their awesome, authentic plates with their wide variety of Greek wines is about as…
Best Tea
Best Tea Seven Cups 2516 E. Sixth St. If you’re the type of person who thinks tea bags are morally unacceptable, this traditional Chinese tea house with more than 80 high-quality loose-leaf teas (available hot or iced!) options is the place for you. In fact, it’s the place for you even if you aren’t one…
Best Caterer
Multiple Locations Whether you’re getting married, throwing a party or just in charge of getting the food for a meeting at work, El Molinito has got your back with their huge selection of catering options. Their suggested combination plates include a fajita dinner, the El Molinito Special and even a vegetarian special. You can also…
Best Raspados
4126 S. 12th Ave. Raspados are like snow cones with style. Oasis Fruit Cones has fresh fruit, delicious ice cream and pretty much every iteration of a raspado your little heart could dream up. Pick a flavor (they’re all divine), add some chamoy or ice cream, and relax into the single most delicious cure for…
Reel Indie
All the best movies playing at Tucson’s indie theaters this week.
Best Place to Get a Glass of Wine
2905 E. Skyline Drive You’ll pop your cork when you experience the rustic charms of La Encantada’s Living Room. You can pair a wide variety of wines with all manner of salads, sandwiches and other fresh plates. And even your dog is welcome on the patio, with a menu full of tasty treats designed just…
Best Happy Hour
2033 E. Speedway Blvd. 291 N. Swan Road 2S. Craycroft Road Whether it’s their signature cocktails or the inventive use of beer combinations for the “special hops,” you’re going to have a good time during Trident’s happy hour, and chances are you’ll have some money while you’re at it. The great bar food, including dishes…
Best Playground
900 S. Randolph Way Reid Park’s slides, swings and jungle gyms would be enough to make this a Grade-A playground, but we think what really makes it stand out is the element of danger: Not many playgrounds are right next door to Siberian tigers, grizzly bears and other ferocious animals. And if the wonders of…
Best Sleepover
3233 E. Speedway Blvd. No, this is not the first time you’ve seen us throwing some love at the Loft Cinema’s Sci-Fi Sleepover, which happens every summer, but being the best thing about summer in Tucson, we can’t pass up a chance to mention it. Catch a 12-hour marathon of some your fave sci-fi flicks,…
Best Tattoo Artist
3230 N. Dodge Blvd. Lisa Cardenas, the founder and owner of Haunted Hands, left a career in illustration and animation to become a tattoo artist in 2008. Her biggest priority when designing tattoos is to make sure they’re complementing the body they live on—and it shows. From dragon-covered chests and cactus-covered arms to lizard-covered legs…
Best Day Trip
What better way to escape the Tucson heat than to go somewhere conducive to outdoor recreation without dying of heatstroke? And you can enjoy a forest! (No those aren’t saguaros; they’re called trees—T-R-E-E-S—trees.) And in the winter, you can play in the snow. Yes, that’s what that cold, white stuff is—snow. Go ahead, ball it…
Best Used Video Games Store
6230 E. Speedway Blvd. 3733 W. Ina Road 3330 E. Speedway Blvd. You know how we know that Bookmans is the best used video game store? Because we take our kids there every time they need to get a present for a gamer’s birthday party. They always find the game they want, and we get…
Best Veterinarian
3736 E. Speedway Blvd. When one of our Tucson Weekly writers started taking her cutest-craziest-coolest-ever kitty to Speedway Veterinary Hospital, kitty was scared—very scared. The veterinarian skillfully scooped kitty from the dark corner of his carrier. And before starting the exam, the veterinarian pet kitty so skillfully, it melted away all the terror. Speedway Veterinary…
Best Guacamole
Multiple locations Guacamole is probably one of the closest things that we human beings have to magic. So delicious, so refreshing and somehow pretty good for you. (That’s assuming you’re eating a reasonable quantity of guacamole, which is not our habit.) So while it might seem like having a batch of guacamole whipped up right…
Best Dining with a View
5501 N. Hacienda Del Sol Road When your business is located right at the base of the Catalina Foothills mountains, it’s difficult to find an unpleasant view. With that being said, the good people at the Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch on the east side have made sure to capture the finest expanse of the…
Best Place to Eat Lunch Downtown
326 N. Fourth Ave. When we get hungry on Fourth Ave., we go to Bison Witches. Sometimes, we order a half a sandwich (’cause they’re huge). And sometimes we order two different sandwiches to share with a friend (because there are so many good choices it’s hard to choose just one). And sometimes we order…
Best Sandwich (the actual sandwich)
Whether you ate them after school, work, the gym or just because they’re absolutely delicious, the eegee’s grinder sandwich (or one of its variations) holds a fond spot in the memory banks of many Tucsonans. This isn’t the first time this sandwich has won the top spot in this category, and given that people just…
Best Fresh-Baked Bread
18 S. Eastbourne Ave. If you’re looking for a seriously aesthetic carbo-loading experience, Barrio Bread is your place. Seriously, just take a look at their Desert Durum, their European Rye, their Pan de Kino or, actually, pretty much any of their breads. Known for their chewy interiors and incredible crusts, these breads are made using…
Best Donuts
101 E. Fort Lowell Road Amy’s is amazing. Instead of taking up space with our own descriptions of their donuts (which we’ve enjoyed in the Tucson Weekly offices maybe a little too often), we’ll just list some of their exquisite, insane offerings: Almond Banana Caramel, Amy’s Almond Joy, Chips Ahoy, Fluffernutter, Cotton Candy, Crème Brulee,…
Best Bartender
Whether she’s on the roller-derby rink or slinging drinks, the Tap Room’s Barb Trujillo has legions of fans, as her repeat wins as Tucson’s Best Bartender demonstrates. The girl can kick ass—just ask around the kickboxing gym where she’s been known to work out—so make sure you’re polite when you order a drink and leave…
Best Nightclub
311 E. Congress St. For nearly a quarter-century, Club Congress has been the epicenter of downtown cool—and under the stewardship of entertainment director (and semi-retired rock star) David Slutes, it remains just as vital and fun as ever, especially with the new permanent outdoor stage. You’ll find musical performances by up-and-coming artists and local bands,…
Best Toy Store
2905 E. Skyline Drive Between losing local fave Yikes and the big ol’ chain store on East Broadway, it’s been a rough year for toy shops. But fortunately, Mildred & Dildred isn’t going anywhere. Mildred and Dildred—if indeed those are their real names—have curated a wonderful collection of adorable stuffed animals, art supplies, puzzles, books…
Best Musical Instrument Store
45 S. Sixth Ave. 5646 E. Speedway Blvd. There’s a reason voters choose Chicago Music Store for Best of Tucson over and over again: versatility. If you need something musical done, look no further. Chicago Music Store offers instrument rentals, music lessons and repairs for your, your band’s, or your whole orchestra’s instruments. Runners up:…
Best Backpacking Trail
5700 N. Sabino Canyon Road With a rec center at the trailhead, plenty of trail options and fantastic views throughout, Sabino Canyon can feel more like a recreational theme park than a mere hiking trail. Descending into the canyon’s lush walls remains a mainstay for the Tucson outdoorsman. And finding one of the trail’s hidden…
Best Video Store
2905 E. Speedway Blvd. In an age of Netflix and googling “Watch movie online free,” of viewing movies on our cell phones and wondering how much longer we should hold on to our DVD collections, video stores are almost completely obsolete. But, in the middle of the Old Pueblo stands one video store to rule…
Best Actor
Themanhattandolls.com Heather Stricker travels all over the country—and the world—performing for the military and special events with the Manhattan Dolls, a group of swing-style female vocal trios who sound like the Andrews sisters. But even with all that traveling, Heather loves Tucson enough to call it home. And you know what? Tucson loves her right…
Best Hotel
2200 E. Elm St. For nearly nine decades, the Arizona Inn has epitomized elegance in Southern Arizona. Whether you’re taking a staycation, in the mood for an upscale meal, looking for a great late-night bite in the bar or enjoying tea in the library, this family-owned resort is the place to be. If you have…
Best African Food
2731 E. Broadway Blvd. 119 E. Speedway Blvd. Zemam’s has long been serving Tucson with its to-die-for spicy Yemisir Kay Wat and its yummy Yemisir Wat stew. Newbie to African cuisine? No biggie (I mean besides the fact that you’ve been living an empty shell of a life)—Zemam’s makes it easy for you. Order the veggie…
Best Sushi
Multiple locations Sometimes you get quality in a restaurant, and sometimes you get quantity. At Sushi Garden, you get both. Their lunch menu includes chicken, beef and seafood entrees, as well as soups, salads, appetizers and desserts—just in case you bring someone to lunch who doesn’t like sushi. For the big sushi lovers out there,…
Best Children’s Entertainer
200 S. Sixth Ave. If you were stocking the world’s greatest playhouse, what would you include? Tunnels to crawl through? A police motorcycle? Super-cool vacuum system so you could shoot soft balls all around the room? A train or two? Lots of arts and crafts? A safe space for the rugrats? A playground? A cool…
Best French Fries
Multiple locations Oh eegee’s, always in the back of our hearts and minds. Tucson may not have chosen the most exquisite french fries, but damn if they didn’t choose tastiest. Right alongside the Sonoran hot dog, a side of fries from eegee’s is part of our City of Gastronomy’s cultural heritage. Runners up: 2. Zinburger…
Best Barbecue
2745 N. Campbell Ave. 7080 E. 22nd St. BrushFire BBQ warns you right up front: CAUTION Habit Forming! Also, any restaurant offering menu items with the word “messy” clearly isn’t messing around—and the “Messy Fries” may be one of the most appetizing French fry concoctions in town. Don’t stop there, though, because this barbecue hotspot…
Best Neighborhood Bar
2033 E. Speedway Blvd. 2910 N. Swan Road 2S. Craycroft Road It’s no surprise that former Navy SEAL Nelson Miller picked Trident—the SEAL symbol—as the name of his watering hole. And it seems somewhat fortuitous, since he now has three of them in town where you can find a dozens of beer on tap alongside…
Best Cocktail Menu
536 N. Fourth Ave. If you thought Sky Bar was just great because of its awesome patio, cheap and yummy coffee drinks, regular live music and DJs, open mic, hottie bartenders and proximity to slices of pizza, you must not have checked out their amazing cocktail selection. Why go somewhere else and drink a Bloody…
Best Folk
What’s more folk than multiple generations of a family coming together to make timeless music? Their three voices harmonize on top of cello and guitar to make “traditional and newly defined contemporary folk” with just enough spice to let you know they indeed represent the Southwest. Whether it’s folk from over a century ago or…
Best Late-Night Karaoke
513 N. Fourth Ave. What could be better than belting out your favorite tunes, while having a few of your favorite booze-dispensing bartenders deciding your fate on-stage? Well, that’s exactly what Thursday nights at Fourth Ave.’s renowned Mr. Heads have to offer, with their classic “Cut-Throat Karaoke,” which allows bartenders to hit a gong located…
Best Fun for the Whole Family
2021 N. Kinney Road The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum will dazzle at just about age. The kids can go on safari, dig for fossils, crawl through a packrat playhouse or pet a stingray. And if they really dig it, they can become real desert rats by joining the Coati Club to learn all about the many…
Best Variety of Film
3233 E. Speedway Blvd. If the latest Hollywood blockbuster is not for you, the Loft Cinema offers plenty of alternatives, from high-brow art films to low-brow weirdness on Mondo Monday. This is the place where you’ll see cult classics, meet filmmakers and take part in discussions of science, arts and politics. Parents and children alike…
Best Tattoo Parlor
315 N. Fourth Ave. 1024 E. Sixth St. 2807 E. Speedway Blvd. With a crew of versatile tattoo artists, more than 20 years in business and a new third location, Sacred Art Tattoo has earned space on the skin of many Tucsonans. Whether you’re looking for bold colors, fine lines, geometric patterns or photorealistic portraits,…
Best Resale Clothing
2001 E. Speedway Blvd. There’s something undeniably fun about visiting thrift stores, but there’s also something undeniably frustrating about digging through racks upon racks of clothing before you find anything that’s even close to in style or in good shape. Not at Buffalo Exchange. Tucson Weekly staffers have been known to walk into the store…
Best Comic Store
6230 E. Speedway Blvd. 3733 W. Ina Road 3330 E. Speedway Blvd. Remember the days when you used to pore through the back issues of comic books all mixed together in your local comic book store? Er, what we meant to say was, kids like comic books. You have kids, right? Well, as long as…
Best Marijuana Dispensary
78 W. River Road 2075 E. Benson Hwy Earth’s Healing has all the usual medicinals: flower, vape cartridges, brownies, candies, gummies, pre-rolls and so much more. The friendly staff can provide helpful recommendations, depending on what ails you. With a new location at Stone and River joining the original Benson Highway dispensary, it’s easier than…
Best Place to Eat Gluten Free
5845 N. Oracle Road Gourmet Girls Gluten Free Bakery/Bistro is so good it’ll make you wish you had a gluten allergy. Well, we’ll let you in on a little secret: Anyone can eat gluten free. So get yourself to Gourmet Girls and feel good about your choices while you gobble down some gluten-free pizza, pancakes,…
Best Restaurant to Dazzle Out of Town Visitors
110 E. Pennington St. Cafe Poca Cosa chef and owner Suzana Davila has brought the flavors and fun of her native Guaymas, Sonora to this Tucson staple. What’s on the menu? We couldn’t tell ya. It changes twice a day, and is written on a portable chalkboard in Spanish, which servers walk from table to…
Best Chinese
4704 W. Sunrise Drive 6433 N. Oracle Road 6166 E. Speedway Blvd. Dine in! Take it out! Have it delivered! Get it catered! Golden Dragon can meet, and exceed, all of your Chinese food needs. Whether you’re craving Szechuan beef and sweet and sour shrimp, or just some egg drop soup and some chow mein,…
Best Place to Get a Salad
2829 E. Speedway Blvd. Choice Greens’ “design your own salad” option, with literally dozens of plant options alone, proves there is plenty of greenery to be found in the Sonoran Desert. On top of the variety and quality of their salads, Choice Greens also offers awesome bowls, sandwiches and paninis. And you can never beat…
Best Burger
6390 E. Grant Road 1865 E. River Road Whether you’re looking for a plain-and-simple burger or want to load it up with bacon and eggs, Zinburger is ready to deliver it however you like it, with juicy beef between two perfect buns. Top it off with one of their decadent shakes and we’re not saying…
Best Hot Dog
5201 S. 12th Ave. 2480 N. Oracle Road 5802 E. 22nd St. In January, El Güero Canelo was awarded one of the James Beard Foundation’s 2018 America’s Classics Awards, alerting the whole wide world to the delicious wonder of this longtime Tucson favorite. Actually, El Güero Canelo has been Tucson’s favorite hot dog provider since,…
Halloween Treat
Halloween as an adult is a night for meant for dressing up in a costume and forgetting about yourself for an evening of booze-and-sugary debauchery.
City Week
Get out and enjoy all the events Tucson has to offer this Hallo-week.
Best Comedian
Jennifer Finley had the lightest heart in the room. Her comedy was punchy and fun, chock-a-block with one line laugh triggers about anything silly, crass, quirky, real. Only J-Fin would notice, let alone joke about the things that caught her fancy. She cared more about being a comedian than she did about cancer, carrying her…
Best Story Time
3330 E. Speedway Blvd. 6230 E. Speedway Blvd. 3733 W. Ina Road Bookmans is not just a great place to teach your kids about the underground economy. It’s also a great place to hear a story—and afterwards, put the kids to work on an arts-and-crafts project inspired by the tale they just heard. And once…
Best Clothing
2001 E. Speedway Blvd. It makes sense such a fabulously quirky establishment started out in the Old Pueblo. Now stretching across most of the nation, Buffalo Exchange still holds onto a uniqueness only found in Tucson. Buy some must-have relics, or sell your old clothes for someone else to enjoy. For those who have their…
Best Outdoor Recreation/Sporting Goods Store
5251 E. Speedway Blvd. Once again, we can take pride in the knowledge that Tucson’s best shops were founded right here in the city. Summit Hut is more than a camping store; within their outdoorsy walls is a wide variety of supplies for running, climbing and traveling—and knowledgeable, helpful salespeople who will help you sort…
Best Local Weather Person
After nearly 20 years on the air, and 12 years as KGUN’s chief meteorologist, Erin Christiansen left KGUN 9 in August. But the Emmy Award-winning forecaster will remain always in our hearts for her bad-ass weather predictions, her signature catchphrase (“Erin said it would”) and for receiving a certified broadcast meteorologist designation—something only a few…
Best Movie Theater
4811 E. Grant Road Streaming lets us enjoy an endless number of movies within months of theatrical release on our big-screen TVs, so we need a darn good reason to go the movie theater these days. Roadhouse Cinemas provides one with those luxurious reclining seats, delicious food and even a full bar. Be careful, though:…
Best Summer Staycation
3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd. To truly enjoy the desert with luxury, it doesn’t get much better than this: multiple pools, golf courses, aromatherapy, spas and some of the best damn views you can find in Tucson. If that doesn’t convince you, Starr Pass is also home to many interesting events and activities to make…
Best Tamales
7159 E. Tanque Verde Road 7286 N. Oracle Road The first thing one sees upon entering the Tucson Tamale Company website is the phrase “unwrap happiness”—and isn’t that the case? Tamales are the ultimate comfort food. Tucson Tamale Company has a variety to satisfy any craving (Green Corn! Hot and Spicy! Vegan Delight! Chipotle Beef!…
Best Vietnamese
Multiple Locations Miss Saigon, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the spring rolls and shrimp tempura and broiled beef pho. I shall but love thee better after death… but will surely live a long time since I’m eating your wholesome rice noodle soup: pho, hu tieu and…
Best Local Fantasyland
2544 E. Allen Road We were talking to a mom the other day who told us that our kindergarteners had cooked up quite an elaborate scheme to sneak out in the middle of the night and travel to the Valley of the Moon. The plan involved bringing flashlights and enough applesauce so they wouldn’t go…
Best Drive Thru
Multiple Locations Sure, a drive-thru is convenient when you’re single, but it’s a necessity once you’re a parent. Otherwise, you’re wrestling with getting the rugrat(s) in and out of a car seat(s), which is just way too much hassle. (C’mon, you’ve been there.) Fortunately, if there’s one thing adults and kids can agree on, it’s…
Best Veggie Burger
6390 E. Grant Road 1865 E. River Road The Clint’s Almost Famous Veggie Burger at Zinburger is too modest. It’s pretty famous. It’s got all the right ingredients for a good veggie burger: lettuce, tomato, mayo, mozzarella and (of course) avocado. But with a little bit of love from Clint, and a splash of the…
Best Venue for Live Music
318 E. Congress St. Rock and roll? More like rock and rule! The Rialto Theatre remains Tucson’s favorite spot for live music for good reason. Just take a look at the marquee: In the last few months, we’ve seen the likes of Foster the People, Future Islands, Calexico, Los Lobos, Beach House, JD Souther, and…
XOXO
All of the live music happening around town this Hallo-week
Best Jazz
1801 N. Stone Ave. For more than three decades, the Tucson Jazz Society has colored Southern Arizona with every kind of bop there is: bebop, hard bop, post-bop. And every Sunday afternoon, you can catch all that and more at Brother John’s. Runners up: 2. Pete Swan Trio 3. Haboob
Best Jukebox
1811 E. Congress St. The Congress Tap Room jukebox is just dope. An authentic, late-’60s Wurlitzer complete with Hotel Congress and Tiger’s Tap Room labels and band titles like Grand Funk, Funkadelic and Devo (whip it good, y’all). You know, we could’ve really care less that the jukebox hasn’t worked in three years (at least).…
Best Public Pool/Splashpad
3482 E. River Road When you aren’t feeling like getting into the pool or watching the kids from your lounge chair, Brandi Fenton’s splashpad is the perfect solution. There’s relatively little chance that they’ll drown, but they can still get wet and cool off. And we’re not saying it’s OK to take your eyes off…
Best Jewelry
Multiple Locations Every year, we save up our pennies for our jewelry-shopping extravaganza when the Gem Show gets rolling in late January. A penny here, a penny there, and before you know it, we be blingin’ for real. OK, maybe we spend more than pennies, but seriously, you can’t get better deals or find wider…
Best Bike Shop
2001 N. Seventh Ave. BICAS—Bicycle Inter-Community Art And Salvage—is no ordinary bike shop. Yes, you can buy bikes. Yes, they can help you with repairs. But unlike other bike shops, at BICAS you can get your hands dirty. BICAS employees will show you how to fix your own bike or even how to build a…
Best Bike Riding
The Loop finally became an actual loop in January of this year, when Pima County finished the connection between Glenn Street and Tanque Verde Road, so now you can take a leisurely 53.9-mile ride and end up right back where you started. Counting the additional shared use paths and bike lanes that are considered part…
Best Games Store
6230 E. Speedway Blvd. 3733 W. Ina Road 3330 E. Speedway Blvd. Looking for a classic game of Scattergories or Monopoly? No problem. Bookmans probably has it, or will have it next time. But looking for a chess set from the 1980s where the pieces move themselves? Or a board game version of the TV…
Best Charity Event
The weekend before Thanksgiving every year, more than 9,000 cyclists, young and old, newbie and professionals, take to the sunny Tucson streets to embrace our kickass weather and inclusive vibe. You can chose varying distances, from a quarter-mile to 102 miles. Take in sights of Tucson’s four mountain ranges with snack and water stations along…
Best Foothills Restaurant
2905 E. Skyline Drive Tacos and tequila are always a recipe for a good time, so it’s no wonder that Blanco stole Arizona’s heart. Blanco menu isn’t exactly made up of traditional Mexican recipes stolen from your abuela’s kitchen, but its still definitely worth your time. If you’ve got the warm queso in one hand…
Best Place to Eat Under the Stars
201 N. Court Ave. It’s hard to say if the food or the ambiance is a better reason to eat at La Cocina. Whether you’re in the mood for nachos, thai seaweed or pot roast, they’ve got it and they do it well. String lights illuminate the dining area’s many olive trees and local musicians…
Best French
2870 E. Skyline Drive Wild Garlic Grill chef Steven Schultz learned the tricks of the trade in France, but he’s managed to marry those techniques with the flavors of the Southwest to create something glorious. You’ll find fresh cuts of meats and seafoods crossed with tapenades and confit. And, as you’d expect, a healthy dose…
Best Coffee
2458 N. Campbell Ave. There’s a reason why Raging Sage is always full of regulars. Yes, their outdoor patio is lovely and the location is convenient, but it’s the exquisite coffee that keeps people coming back for more, more and more. Roasting their coffee on site, Raging Sage is the place to get a yummy,…
Best Place to Get a Sandwich
Multiple Locations There’s one big problem with Baggins: You’re going to be tempted to get the sandwich you get the first time you visit every time you visit. If you start your Baggins life with an Unforgettable, you’re going to want it every time you go. Decided to go Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese? Your mouth…
Best Brewery
800 E. 16th St. Ah, to be crowned king of the Tucson brewery scene is no minor feat. Barrio Brewing beat out some stiff competition. And they did it with a combination of a great atmosphere, a huge food selection (how does beer fill you up and make you so hungry at the same time)…
Francophone Fun
Boisterous Quebecois trad band rolls into town with French songs, banjos and stomping feet
Best Punk
Do you love hard-hitting punk music sung by a bunch of badass feminists? Well, if so, then Taco Sauce is right up your alley, with a surf-punk and doo-wop vibe harkening back to the Long Beach Sound of the ’70s and ’80s, despite hailing from the Old Pueblo. The band has taken the scene by…
Editor’s Note
Thank you, readers, for all your love for this remarkable slice of civilization we’ve carved into the often inhospitable Sonoran Desert.
Best Restaurant With a Kids’ Menu
7010 E. Broadway Blvd. There’s nothing like the deep-fried, deep-seated love Americans have for a good meal at a diner. It’s fun for the whole family (even the healthy eaters of the family, who can order off the “Things Elvis Won’t Eat” menu). Their classic car shows will keep everyone entertained, even your favorite “Little…
Best Home Furnishings
Multiple locations Sam Levitz puts the show in furniture showroom. Carrying a wide variety of wares from Tempur-Pedic, Simmons, Lane Sealy and more, Levitz is bound to have something your style. And if you’re particularly passionate about a piece of furniture, Levitz also sells full collections to take the vibe of your place to the…
Best TV Newscast
Did you know that the call letters in KGUN came about because the station’s former owner was really into old Westerns and guns? What’s more local than that? Whether you’re looking for the latest in entertainment, sports, the economy, lifestyle, the UA or just when the hell the weather is going to cool down, KGUN…
Best Radio Host
If you have got a long day of work ahead of you, there’s no better way to gear up than to laugh a little on your way to work. Johnjay and Rich in the Morning will have you laughing as you play along with their many trivia and music-themed games. Co-hosts Kyle and Suzette keep…
Best Author
Oh, Ofelia. One of those Tucsonans who has her very own Wikipedia page. The UA linguistics professor has dedicated much of her career to preserving the Tohono O’odham language and promoting literacy in her Native American community. But in her spare time, she does the sorts of things we all do: publishes books of poetry,…
Best Place to Get Your Pet Groomed
60 N. Harrison Road If you have any doubts about Posh Paws grooming greatness, We dare you to go look at the photos on their website. We dare you to tell me that princess poodle on her red velvet che’s lounge does not look absolutely stunning! We dare you! Get your dog or cat an…
Best Margarita
Multiple Locations Is it the variety that brought Guadalajara Grill out on top in this category? They’ve got the Diablo Azul, a skinny margarita and even a jalapeno margarita. They’ve even got Margatinis, for the martini-minded. But it might just be their classic house margarita that did the trick: real limes, quality triple sec, sweet…
Best Southside Restaurant
1813 S. Fourth Ave. Amid all the great contenders for Best Southside Restaurant, Mi Nidito continues to reign at the top. And for good reason: For nearly seven decades, this little nest has been serving up the finest in Sonoran-style Mexican food. If it’s good enough for Bill Clinton, Julio Iglesias and Lute Olson, it’s…
Best Japanese
6091 N. Oracle Road It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the home of Tucson’s teppanyaki revolution holds the top spot among fans of Japanese cuisine. While there is plenty to enjoy in watching a skilled chef play with your food before the first bite, Mr. An’s isn’t just a show: There’s some damn good…
Best Breakfast Plates
444 E. University Blvd. Time Market has been a West University institution for a long, long time—with a great menu that includes some of the best breakfast plates in town. The combination of smaller options, like morning bread (think bread pudding and French toast, together), and larger, more hearty meals like the famous “toad in…
Best Pizzeria
534 N. Fourth Ave. Lookin’ for a nice, thin slice of Sicilian-style cheese pizza? Brooklyn is there for you. What about a deep dish? Sure, as it’s available. Whether you want just a slice or a whole pizza, some classic pepperoni and sausage or some more exotic eggplant, ricotta and potato, this is the type…
Smoked Out
AG Mark Brnovich pulls a quick about-face after marijuana opinion surfaces
Know Your Product
There must be something in that hostile northern air that makes Minneapolis churn out so many great rappers, and the duo in Four Fists is no exception.
Best R&B
Connie Brannock’s Little House of Funk has lit up the bars and breweries of Tucson for several years, rotating between Downtown’s Public Brew House and Monterey Court on Miracle Mile. Little House of Funk is sure to bring out the dancing fool in you, regardless of whether you’re tanked on fine alcohol or stone-cold sober.…
A Cut Above
Halloween finally gets the sequel the original masterpiece deserves
Best Place to Buy a Car
Multiple locations Jim Click is such a local legend that when La Salsa was looking for a celebrity endorsement, they turned to him. That’s because he’s been selling cars in this town for so long, he’s become a household name. You may not always like his politics, but he gives generously to local charities. And…
Best Kids’ Clothing Store
3981 E. Grant Road 7333 E. Broadway Blvd. 4155 W. Ina Road The kids are gonna outgrow whatever they’re wearing in about a year that’s going to fly-by—and trust us on this, you’re really not going to remember what they were wearing most of the time. So why not buy gently used clothes? Twice as…
Best Vintage Shopping
424 E. Sixth Street Remember when you watched The Notebook and thought to yourself, maybe I could find true love if only I had one of those cute outfits that Rachel McAdams’ character wears? Well, check out the digs at How Sweet It Was and you might be able to test that theory. How Sweet…
Best Public Garden
2150 N. Alvernon Way If you like beautiful things, then you’ll like the Tucson Botanical Gardens, we promise. With areas like “Aloe Alley,” “The Pollinator Garden” and “The Children’s Discovery Garden,” you could wander through the gardens for hours marveling at each unique tree, plant and creature. With community classes, a charming gift shop, plants…
Best Morning Show Actually Broadcast From Tucson
KLPX, 96.1 FM From 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. every weekday morning, on-air hosts Frank Brinsley and Kristine Levine and producer Brad Pfirrman, aka Beef Vegan, keep you laughing with irreverent commentary, subversive observations and even a little speculation about the possibility of extraterrestrial life. You’ll catch up on wacky news headlines, hear from surprise…
Best Auto Repair
Multiple Locations You don’t want to get your car worked on, but when you inevitably have to, you might as well head to the place that has been earning Tucson’s loyalty for over half a century. From a single store back in 1960 to more than a dozen outlets today, Jack Furrier grew because customers…
Best Gym
Multiple Addresses With four locations in Tucson (22nd and Kolb, Ajo and 16th, Grant and Swan, and the Tucson Mall), Chuze already has points for covering a wide swath of the city. Throw in the full-size theater, the kids club, fitness classes, team training and a membership rate starting at just 10 bucks a month,…
Best Breakfast
7002 E. Broadway Blvd. 2970 N. Campbell Ave. 3930 W. Ina Road They sure know how the put the “cake” in pancake here: Order the signature snickerdoodle, with its dusting of sugar and cinnamon and the specialty vanilla bean sauce, and you are risking a pancreatic blowout. But it’s a risk worth taking. Whether you’re…
Best Musical Act
If you caught a show Calexico’s latest tour, you heard a lot of new music from their new album, The Thread That Keeps Us. That’s because vocalist and guitarist Joey Burns and drummer John Convertino are not musicians who are content to rest on their laurels. Sure, they’ll play some of the older songs for…
Best Thai
2511 E. Speedway Blvd. Being in Bangkok Cafe just feels good. When you walk in, you get the feeling you’re going to get exactly the fresh, delicious Thai food you came for—and you always do. Try their crab puff appetizer with sweet chili sauce or their spicy Kan Ped red curry. And, while you can…
Best Brussel Sprouts
101 E. Pennington St. Yeah, you read that right. We’re telling you to go to this pizza place and get a big bowl of vegetables. Reilly’s menu says the brussel sprouts are made with “house hot sauce, sherry vin., pecan brittle crumbs,” but it seems pretty likely that there is also some magic in these…
Best Food Truck
Best Food Truck Geronimo’s Revenge You can usually find Geronimo’s Revenge parked outside of Che’s Lounge on Fourth Avenue, with a line of people anxiously waiting for their gourmet Mexican food. Unlike what its name might lead you to believe, the food that comes out of this food truck is not going to leave you…
The Great Divide
Republican Ana Henderson, who is seeking a House of Representatives seat in a competitive Tucson district, says climate change scientists will “continue to disagree.” “Our climate is always changing,” she said at a recent Legislative District 9 Clean Elections debate. “We have had a history of cooling and warming periods. We are currently in a…
Danehy
If you were to take the derivative of America at this moment, things look very bad. Our trajectory is awful and our acceleration is even worse.
Conversation with Kingsolver
Former Tucsonan Barbara Kingsolver is coming to town for a book reading and signing of Unsheltered, her first novel in six years.
Police Dispatch
A man strolling the University of Arizona campus wearing no pants (or underpants) didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with that.
Best Farmers’ Market
4502 N. First Ave. As the weather cools off, there’s nothing better than a morning spent at the Rillito Park Heirloom Farmers’ Market. Not only can you stock up on fresh, seasonal produce, but strolling among the tents, you can find goat cheese, soap, plants, baked goods and more to fill your life with local…
Best Place for a Children’s Party
7980 E. 22nd St. 2700 N. Stone Ave. It’s hard to think of anything a group of little kids like more than careening across a skating rink as best their motor skills will allow. But the birthday parties at Skate Country are extra fun. They include admission for 10 skaters, unlimited soda, an interview of…
Best Eyeglasses/Optical Retailer
Multiple Locations Alvernon Optical has been providing Tucsonans with eye exams, lenses, frames and contacts since 1961, so they’ve had some time to really get good at what they do. We mean really, they’ve got prescription (and non-prescription) sunglasses, safety glasses, and even dive masks and swim goggles. What?! Plus, since their opticians don’t sell…
Best Place To Go If You Want Your Wardrobe and Home Décor To Say: “I Love Tucson, but It’s Way Too Hot”
408 N. Fourth Ave. At Tiny Town, you can get awesome, Tucson-centric art on everything from wall prints to T-shirts to hats to stickers to mugs and beyond. Few things are more stressful than trying to decide between a beer koozie that says “‘F*** you’–the Desert” and a sticker to put on your laptop that…
Best Radio Station for Music
Community Radio KXCI is free of commercial pressures, which means you’ll find the widest range of music anywhere on the dial. From Jim Blackwood’s Morning Brew to Hannah Levin’s Home Stretch to all the volunteer DJs that are passionate about what they play, KXCI truly is Real People, Real Radio. Why not toss this nonprofit…
Best Alternative Health Center
204 E. Fort Lowell Road This community acupuncture clinic, also known as the Backyard Healthcare Project, aims to provide affordable and accessible healthcare options for anyone and everyone who needs them. That means everyone is welcome and will be made to feel safe. All that while the average price for a single acupuncture treatment in…
Best Place to Donate Your Time and/or Money
635 W. Roger Road We suspect what Tucsonans love so much about volunteering for the Humane Society is the huge variety of options: You can walk dogs, do dog and cat enrichment, be a foster parent, help with offsite adoptions, work at the thrift store, offer office support and more. But it could just be…
Best Steakhouse
6541 E. Tanque Verde Road The best part of visiting Pinnacle Peak—besides the awesome grub—is the chance to spend time at Trail Dust Town, which means you can entertain the kids with Old West adventures, including a daring train ride, a magic show, an old-school carousel, a candy store and even a shootout! Not every…
Best Westside Restaurant
1765 E. River Road 130 S. Avenida del Convento The short and sweet version of this is as follows: If you haven’t eaten at Seis Kitchen, you’re seriously missing out, because this place serves up damn good Mexican food. While most people just consider “Mexican food” to be one generic slice of the culinary world,…
Best Italian
434 N. Fourth Ave. Started in the 1930s by Caruso himself, this Italian joint has stayed in the same family for four generations. This is probably why the restaurant feels cozy, the food tastes so homemade, and choices are so great. Whether you’re looking for an authentic pasta plate, Mediterranean seafood, or a take-out pizza,…
Best Chicken and Waffles
429 N. Fourth Ave. Small eateries seem to come and go along Fourth Avenue between University Boulevard and the underpass, but this joint has made quite an impression on our stomachs. More than a simple chicken joint, Drunken Chicken has set a high bar when it comes to yardbird. Since opening the doors last summer,…
Best Ice Cream
Multiple Locations A few years ago, The Screamery was just a small-time ice cream operation with one location farther east than most of us are willing to drive. But their ice cream is frozen magic, and that magic is now available all over town. Get a bite of their Sweet Cream Honeycomb (maybe in the…
Best Place to Develop a New Beer Crush
222 E Congress St. 2S Plumer Ave. It’s easy to find oneself in a beer rut, drinking the same old thing in the same old routines. It’s time to get into something new. Iron Johns finds ways to experiment with flavors in fun ways, so there’s always something novel and delicious to try. Their beer…
Hidden In Plain Pint
Tucson’s beer empire continues to expand with the year long success of BlackRock Brewers
Best Mariachi Band
3500 S. 12th Ave. Since the early ’90s, Pueblo High School’s mariachi band has been rocking Tucson. Originally only a dozen students, Mariachi Aztlán de Pueblo High School has grown into a successful establishment of more than 100. This means room for guitar, violin, brass, harp and more. And they’re all high schoolers! Runners up:…
The Skinny
The battle over Obamacare: Republicans want to replace with “something better,” while Democrats want to improve the existing law.
Best Yoga Studio
2631 N. Campbell Ave. 245 E. Congress St. 7858 E. Wrightstown Road What’s in a name? That which we call a yoga studio by any other name would be as serene… unless it’s called Yoga Oasis. And this yoga studio truly is an oasis. Pregnant and need to get in your prenatal power hour? Working…
Best Way to Entertain Kids During the Summer
200 S. Sixth Ave. When school is out and that blazing sun keeps you from taking the kids outdoors, the air-conditioned comfort of the Tucson Children’s Museum beckons. Not only does the museum offer great arts and science summer camp programs, but it’s a terrific getaway on one of those days that you’re feeling the…
Best Hair Salon
Multiple Locations The cool thing about Gadabout, besides there being seven locations throughout town (convenient!), is that they promote their team of technicians on a level system, so you can pay more for the best of the best, or pay a little less if you’d rather go quick and simple. Their employees seem to love…
Best Radio Station for News
KUAZ is Tucson’s little piece of the NPR universe, and it belongs in the ears (and heart) of every Tucsonan. From the local reporting to the syndicated shows, KUAZ does news radio right. Stuck in traffic? That’s OK, it’s Science Friday. Need something to wake your brain up as you get ready for work? KUAZ’s…
Best Farmers Market Vendor
4510 N. Cascabel Road Usually posted up at the far end of the Rillito Park Farmers Market’s line of tents, Sleeping Frog Farms has an array of fresh fruits and veggies as well as knowledgeable staff to tell you all about their produce and what to cook with it. Located in Cascabel, the farm sticks…
Best Dulceria
120 S. Avenida del Convento 5266 S. 12th Ave. Elotes! Galletas! Cochitos! La Estrella has been serving them up to the sweet tooths of the Sonora for more than three decades, and they’re regulars in the top spot for best dulceria in town. Plus, they’re super affordable. So what are you waiting for? Every day…
Best Menudo
1813 S. Fourth Ave. Menudo has a long line of devoted followers from two different traditions: Those who remember the soup coming out of their Nana’s kitchen on Sunday afternoons, and those who know it was a miracle hangover cure. Whatever path lead you to menudo devotion, you’re going to want to try Mi Nidito’s…
Best Westside Restaurant
1765 E. River Road 130 S. Avenida del Convento The short and sweet version of this is as follows: If you haven’t eaten at Seis Kitchen, you’re seriously missing out, because this place serves up damn good Mexican food. While most people just consider “Mexican food” to be one generic slice of the culinary world,…
Best Indian
7607 N. Oracle Road We’re just going to say it: Saffron has the best lunch buffet in the game. The issue with some lunch buffets in town is lack of variety. Only one vegetarian option? Nothing spicy? Those aren’t problems at Saffron. Stop in for lunch any day between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. if…
Best Eggs Benedict
7002 E. Broadway Blvd. 2970 N. Campbell Ave. 3930 W. Ina Road You don’t have to settle for the standard eggs benedict at Baja Cafe, although they do a great job with that. You can get them a dozen different ways, with your poached eggs atop a masa patty, beneath tomatillo sauce, stacked on adobado…
Best Torta
Multiple Addresses Some say that a torta is just like a sandwich. Those people have not been to El Guero Canelo. These delicious tortas come in three options—chicken, beef or ham—and then are topped with lettuce, tomato, avocado and mayo, among other extras that you can ask for. The restaurant also boasts a full salsa…
Best Place to Sing Karaoke
3115 E. Prince Road With karaoke every night except Tuesday or Thursday at Shooter’s Steakhouse & Saloon, you finally have the chance to go practice before karaoke with the friends. Here’s what you do: Tell your crew you’re washing your hair on Friday and want to do karaoke night on Saturday. Then, on Thursday night,…
Best Country Western Bar
6622 E. Tanque Verde Road Why the Maverick? How about because it’s been the city’s premiere country night club for the past half century? Or because its brought some of the top artists not only in country, but in the country, to perform? With live music, dancing (they even cheap have dance lessons for beginners!)…
Best Country Act
Drew Cooper’s music is the type of country that you’ll love even if you’re the type who insists that you hate country even though the only musician who comes to mind is Garth Brooks. This Tucson-based singer plays our big events like the Oro Valley music festival and local hot spots like 191 Toole. Or…
