420 Taco’s name refers to their method of preparation: they smoke the meats that go into their tacos and tortas.
The taco truck is one of the core vendors at The Backyard, a new food truck park that made its debut on March 31 at 890 W. Grant Road. The Backyard has a rotating roster of 20 trucks, though a core few will be posted up 20 days of each month and 7-8 are featured at a time. The park is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Backyard is a new food truck park at 890 W. Grant Road.
Another vendor in the regular group is Botanas Munchie’s World. Its enormous menu consists of — you guessed it — botanas and munchies, ranging from salchipapas to Tostilocos. Sushi Kito also has a huge menu because they’re prepared to make everything from their Mexican sushi restaurant at 5650 S. 12th Ave. Ricuras de Venezuela is one of the only spots in town where you can get Venezuelan-style arepas. Espressoul Cafe incorporates Persian-inspired flavors like saffron and rose alongside fan favorites like Nutella in their specialty coffee menu.
Other vendors that will rotate in and out of The Backyard’s lineup include Balay, a brand-new Filipino pop-up, and Fatboy Sandos, known for their Japanese-inspired sandwiches.
The Backyard is a food truck park featuring 7-8 trucks at a time from a rotating roster of over 20.
The Backyard opened less than three months after the city shut down Tucson’s first food truck park, The Pit, for code violations. Owner Duane Velasquez said he got approval from city inspectors by following the “gem show” guidelines The Pit has been operating under since January — basic safety operations used for special events.
Crucial accommodations for accessibility present at The Backyard include an ADA-compliant portapotty bathroom, hand-washing stations and no loose electrical cords. Shade, however, is hard to come by on the site: your best bet will be under the umbrellas attached to tables, at vendor stations themselves, or to simply arrive once the sun is going down.
Duane chose this location because of its proximity to a site that will be developed into a casino. His next location? A four-acre lot at Kolb and Valencia roads.
New restaurants and bars that have opened in the Tucson area in 2023
Jewel Cafe
Updated
The Jewel Cafe and Juice Bar, 431 N. Fourth Ave., is working to open this year after months of renovations.
The Jewel Cafe & Juice Bar officially opened Jan. 30 serving up a farm-to-table concept with a menu consisting of omelets, pastries, sandwiches, burritos and pressed juices.
Where: 431 N. Fourth Ave.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday through Saturday
Website: The Jewel Cafe on Facebook
Jonathan Russell, left, and Julia Russell, owners of The Jewel Cafe and Juice Bar.
Miss Dessert
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The Yo Yo Yoji at Miss Dessert comes with sticky rice pellets with vanilla or green tea ice cream.
Miss Dessert is a small chain from Phoenix that has made its debut in Tucson. Find Hong Kong-style desserts, like snow with sticky rice, and lots of drinks.
Where: 1800 E Fort Lowell Rd #140
Website: Miss Dessert
Pasta La Vista
UpdatedPasta La Vista advertises itself as to-go, but they do have a dining room. Their menu rotates around pasta, pizza and subs — all of which are customizable.
Where: 2425 N. Tucson Blvd
Website: Pasta La Vista
Just Churros
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After nearly a year, Just Churros opened its brick-and-mortar location on National Churro Day.
Just Churros makes Spanish-style churros using beloved Mexican toppings like cinnamon sugar, chocolate and cajeta.
Where: 4280 N. Oracle Road
Website: Just Churros
Agave House
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Richard Fifer, co-owner of the Agave House, center, talks with John Oliver, far left, and Jody Ipsen, during a soft opening of the restaurant for friends and family on Monday.
Agave House is a sit-down Mexican restaurant with "a modern flair.”
Where: 943 E. University Blvd
Website: Agave House
Tucson's newest Mexican restaurant is all about agaveBetter Bevs
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The Xtreme Slush from Better Bevs is a sour blue raspberry slush with sour candies atop.
Better Bevs combines techniques of boba tea shops with Mexican flavors and aguas frescas, as seen in their chamoy mango shave ice and cucumber lemonade with spicy chile popping boba.
Where: 210 N. Fourth Ave.
Website: Instagram
Sumaj
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Sumaj commissioned Bolivian artists to design their food truck art and their logo, depicting a Bolivian-style empanada.
Sumaj is a mother-daughter-run food truck that serves up Bolivian street food.
Where: 403 N. Sixth Ave.
Website: Sumaj
Sumaj is a new food truck slinging Bolivian street food near downtown Tucson. It's the only place that makes Bolivian food in Tucson, and they make it all from scratch.
Chick-in Waffle
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Albert Lopez, right, helps a customer with her order during the grand opening of Chick-in Waffle on May 19. This is the Missouri chain restaurant’s first Arizona location and first location outside its birthplace in Kansas City.
Chick-in Waffle is the first chicken and waffles restaurant in Tucson since May’s Counter Chicken & Waffles on East Speedway closed in 2018. Several Tucson restaurants, including The Drunken Chicken on North Fourth Ave., serve chicken and waffles, but none of them focuses on it exclusively.
Where: 5524 E. Grant Road
Phone: 816-800-4041
Website: Chick-in Waffle
For Star subscribers: A Kansas City, Missouri, restaurant has opened its first location outside its homebase in Tucson, with two locations coming soon to Phoenix.
Brillé Mead Company
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David Woods of the Brillé Mead Company pours a mix of water and honey from Marana into a fermentation tank inside Dillinger Brewing Co. in Tucson. This batch – a prickly pear mead – will be ready in about three weeks.
Mead is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented honey and in Ethiopia, a version of mead called te’j is a familiar household drink, consumed out of long-necked vessels called bereles. Brillé Mead Company's David Woods is bringing te’j to Tucson.
Where: 3895 N Oracle Rd
Phone: (520) 207-2312
Website: Brillé Mead Company
Brillé Mead Company is a new place to find mead in Tucson. The mead is inspired by Ethiopian te'j, from owner David Woods' home country.
Doughbird
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Doughbird Pizza, 2960 N. Campbell Ave. is opening Wednesday, May 31.
Rotisserie chicken and pizza is the premise of Sam Fox's six-year-old concept Doughbird, which opened its first Tucson location on May 31.
Where: 2960 N. Campbell Ave.
Website: Doughbird
For Star subscribers: Doughbird, a rotisserie chicken and pizza restaurant, is opening next door to another new Fox eatery, Flower Child.
Mr. Patron
UpdatedWhile there are lots of Mexican sushi food trucks in Tucson, Mr. Patron is the first sit-down restaurant slinging the deep-fried rolls. It even has a patio.
Where: 5754 E. 22nd St.
Phone: (520) 372 2346
Website: Mr. Patron
11 new restaurants have recently opened in Tucson. Find a second location of Indian Twist, a new pupuseria in a food truck park and a Japanese-style sandwich spot at American Eat Co.
Hideout Steakhouse & BBQ
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The Hideout Steakhouse and BBQ is expected to open in February at Tucson Spectrum on Irvington Road near I-19.
This small chain, started in Myton, Utah, has one restaurant in Casa Grande and opened its third location in Tucson on April 3. They offer steak cooked on a hot stone right at your table along with other steakhouse classics.
Where: 5475 S. Calle Santa Cruz
Phone: (520) 702-2227
Website: Hideout Steakhouse
For Star subscribers: The Hideout Steakhouse and BBQ will open next year on Tucson's south side, creating about 50 new jobs.
Gyro Shack
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Idaho-based Gyro Shack, serves up Greek staples in a "fast-causal" setting.
Where: 5775 E. Broadway Blvd
Phone: (208) 853-5840
Website: Gyro Shack
The new Greek-inspired joint will host its soft opening on April 14 across from Park Place Mall.
The Backyard Food Truck Park
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420 Taco Truck is one of the five core food trucks at The Backyard food truck park and will be available 20 days out of the month.
The Backyard has a rotating roster of 20 trucks, though a core few will be posted up 20 days of each month and 7-8 are featured at a time. The park is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: 890 W. Grant Road
Phone: (520) 668-0074
Website: The Backyard
The Backyard, located on Grant Road, is Tucson's newest food truck hub. With a roster of 7-8 food trucks at a time, you'll find Mexican sushi to Persian-inspired coffee.
Zyka Twist
Updated
The garlic naan at Zyka Twist is $4.25.
Where: 621 N 4th Ave
Phone: (602) 544-6766
Website: Zyka Twist
Tucson's Indian Twist just opened a second location, this time on 4th Ave. Zyka Twist serves a curated selection of items you love from Indian Twist's midtown location.
Flower Child
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Flower Child, on the corner of North Campbell Avenue and Glenn Street, is located where the former Old Chicago Pizza once stood.
Flower Child features a menu of salads and bowls, many of them vegetarian and vegan.
Where: 2960 N Campbell Ave. #110
Phone: (520) 276-4550
Website: Flower Child
Kava Den
UpdatedKava Den is a new extension of the Kava Bar, which offers Kava drinks and products.
Where: 67 E. Pennington St.
Phone: 520-323-1832
Website: Kava Den
Uptown Burger
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Justin Fitzsimons prepares a French dip burger at Uptown Burger, 6370 N. Campbell Ave.
Uptown Burger is a counter-service, fast-food restaurant that serves a half-dozen eclectic burgers, salads, fries and gelato.
Where: 6370 N. Campbell Ave. suite 160
Phone: (520) 638-6182
Website: Uptown Burger
For Star subscribers: The scion of Tucson's famous Italian restaurant family has dove into his passion for burgers.
Yellow Brick Coffee
Updated
You can purchase Yellow Brick Coffee at their brick-and-mortar store, 3220 S. Dodge Blvd. It was founded in 2012.
Yellow Brick Coffee is at a new location offering hand- and batch-brewed coffees, espresso-based beverages and pastries made in-house.
Where: 800 N. Country Club Road
Phone: (520) 226-4068
Website: Yellow Brick Coffee
For Star subscribers: A Tucson-based coffee roaster is opening its flagship location at the iconic Benedictine Monastery in midtown.
Comida Park
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A new food truck park opened in February at the Tanque Verde Swap Meet.
Where: 4100 S. Palo Verde Road
Phone: (866) 440-2810
Website: Comida Park
Blue Front
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Tucson restaurateur Patricia Schwabe drew from childhood memories of eating classic American fare during visits from Mexico for her new restaurant, Blue Front Fine American Food, 110 E. Congress St.
Blue Front, home to American comfort foods, opened in January.
Where: 110 E. Congress St.
Phone: (520) 849-7964
Website: Blue Front
Dave’s Hot Chicken
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The chicken on the menu of Dave's Hot Chicken comes in seven degrees of hot, from "No Spice" to "Reaper."
Where: 5615 E. Broadway Blvd.
Phone: (520) 613-2420
Website: Dave’s Hot Chicken
Portillo's
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A row of dogs gets loaded up on the line at Portillo’s, 3761 E. Broadway Blvd., in Tucson.
This popular chain that specializes in Chicago-style hot dogs opened in February where Claim Jumper once stood at the El Con Center.
Where: 3761 E Broadway Blvd
Phone: 520-246-2300
Website: Portillo's
Main Event
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Pictured is the Triple Lava Burger at Main Event, which comes with three patties topped with American cheese ... and then smothered in creamy cheese and caramelized onions.
Main Event is a family-friendly bowling, arcade and entertainment venue that opened its first Tucson location in March.
Where: 4700 S Landing Way
Phone: (520) 503-3301
Website: Main Event
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