Tucson: Foodie Destination

UNESCO rated Tucson the first U.S. “City of Gastronomy” for its creative culinary offerings. Foodies come to Tucson for amazing Mexican fare at places like Café Poca Cosa and El Charro Café. After all, Tucson bills itself as the “Mexican Food Capital of the United States,” boasting the invention of the chimichanga and the proliferation of Sonoran-style cuisine featuring cheese, peppers, corn tortillas, pinto beans, and beef or chicken.

Try upscale Southwestern cuisine at Acacia and the Grill at Hacienda del Sol. Combine dining and shipping at La Encantada in the Foothills or Casas Adobes Plaza in the Northwest. Sushi, Thai, Italian, Ethiopian, Indian, Guatemalan, Middle Eastern – it’s all here along University Boulevard and 4th Avenue. If you’re undecided, try one of the city’s food tours to sample multiple restaurants and learn a little of the city’s history.

• El Charro Café claims the right to the first ever chimichanga, developed in the 1920s.
• Café Poca Cosa “is to taste what Disney’s Fantasia is to sight and sound,” wrote a food writer for Tucson Weekly, adding that menu is “unique, entertaining, and highly innovative” nouvelle Mexican.
• The Tucson Tamale Company on Broadway looks unassuming from the curb, but it’s been featured in Travel & Leisure, on NPR, and in Food Channel features.
• El Guero Canelo Restaurante Mexicano will blow your mind with its famous Sonoran hot dog wrapped in bacon and topped with tomatoes, pinto beans, onions, yellow mustard, jalapeno sauce, and mayo in a bolillo roll.
• Elvira’s serves up five different chicken moles, as well as Mexican steaks, enchiladas, chiles rellenos, and flan that is simply to-die-for, which is complemented by live musical performances on the weekend.
• You won’t want to miss Mi Nidito, host to countless celebrities and presidents.

Other respected Tucson foodie hotspots include:

• Agustin Kitchen – for French/American cuisine crafted by Ryan Clark, one of Tucson’s most acclaimed chefs. Expect a plate that is as beautiful as it is delicious and a long list of artful libations.
• Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse & Saloon – A 50-year staple serving up steaks hearty enough for a real cowboy. If you’re not in the mood for the standard thoroughfare, there’s always mesquite-smoked trout and all-you-can-eat pork ribs served up family-style in the cozy, Western-themed dining room.
• Downtown Kitchen & Cocktails – Legendary chef Janos Wilder has had many ventures around Tucson, but this endeavor serves up an eclectic menu that includes quail stuffed with pork carnitas wrapped in bacon; Ma Po Tofu with crayfish, leeks, and Sichuanese chili bean paste; and beer batter fish tacos with remoulade.
• Maynard’s – This Fodor’s favorite is “an anchor in the downtown district,” they say, with French-inspired cuisine that includes oysters, steak tartare, coq au vin, and burgers with pommes frites. You won’t be disappointed, even if you simply order the homemade ice cream and stay a moment to watch the trains pass.