The best part of Tucson isn’t the cotton candy-like sunsets or the adorable wildlife: it’s the new and inventive restaurants that pop up every season.
From falafel and plates of enchiladas to waffle-wrapped hot dogs, Tucson’s food scene continues to expand and bring new flavors to the city.
As we transition into colder weather, these 17 new restaurants will continue to bring the heat, adding to our already huge list of delicious local food.
Whether you want coffee, vegan ice cream or quesabirria tacos, below are all the details on new spots in town.
Aspasia
Nothing hits the spot like a gyro does. Luckily, that’s Aspasia’s specialty.
Aspasia serves up authentic Mediterranean food in midtown, featuring favorites like falafel, chicken shawarma and lamb kebabs. With an extensive menu that includes vegan options, Aspasia brings a little taste of Syria to Tucson.
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Location: 2310 N. Country Club Road
Visit their website or Instagram page for more information.
Pitmaster Jesse Aguirre slices a beef brisket for a catering order at the new Bashful Bandit Barbecue.
Bashful Bandit BBQ
The popular biker hangout Bashful Bandit has been closed for the last two years after it was purchased in 2021. The 76-year-old building has since been transformed into a barbecue spot, which celebrated its soft opening on Dec. 21. The grand opening will be held Dec. 27. Find Texas-style barbecue items inspired by Arizona flavors, like green chile pulled pork and chicken basted in a housemade molé barbecue sauce.
Location: 3686 E. Speedway
Visit their Instagram page for more information.
Bobazona
This beloved boba spot made its way from Phoenix to Tucson this year. Originally opened in 2020 in Goodyear, this family-owned spot specializes in Instagram-worthy boba drinks and gelato. Cinnamon Toast Crunch smoothies, taro milk teas and banana dolce gelato are just a few of the sweet treats on the menu.
Location: 8140 S. Houghton Road
Visit their website or Instagram page for more information.
Brucedog
This hot dog stand has been around since 1989 and they have finally opened a brick-and-mortar. At Brucedog, you can try hot dogs, Polish sausages and bratwursts topped with bacon bits and chili.
Location: 5975 W. Western Way Cir.
Visit their Instagram page for more information.
Daddyburger
With a name like Daddyburger, you know you’re in for an interesting experience. Daddyburger opened in The Boxyard this year, bringing burgers and gelato to the popular Fourth Avenue bar and food court. The menu features their signature Daddyburger, which includes angus beef, American cheese, caramelized onions and what they dub daddysauce. You can also enjoy their gelato while sitting under Boxyard’s string lights.
Location: 238 N. Fourth Ave.
Visit their website or Instagram page for more information.
Enayat Sherzada, chef at Kabul Corner, prepares meat for the day’s menu.
Kabul Corner
Try a little taste of Afghanistan at Kabul Corner. Kabul Corner opened in September and is the only Afghan restaurant in the city. The menu consists of popular Afghan dishes such as Qabuli Palaw and chicken kabobs. According to owner Ritiek Rafi, the chicken kabobs are marinated to perfection and practically melt in your mouth.
Aside from the restaurant, Kabul Corner is also a market where you can pick up different sweets and spices from Afghanistan.
Location: 1800 E. Fort Lowell Road
Visit their Instagram page or read our story for more information.
Donut Wheel closed its Kolb location in 2022. The new location, now called K Donut Wheel at 2775 S. Wilmot Road, opened this month.
K Donut Wheel
When news about the east-side Donut Wheel’s closure spread, Tucsonans were heartbroken. For 20 years, the community knew they could count on Donut Wheel to be a delicious start to their day.
After a year of being closed, it’s back and better than ever. Now called K Donut Wheel, the popular doughnut shop opened at a new location and features a new menu. Now you can pair your tasty doughnuts with boba tea or espresso, making your mornings so much sweeter.
Location: 2775 S. Wilmot Road
Read our story for more information.
La Frida
La Frida made its first impression on Instagram, posting pictures of crazy drinks and huge plates of Mexican food. The east-side restaurant seems to already be a fan favorite, with its mural of the one and only Frida Kahlo.
Ribs with habanero sauce, quesabirria tacos, enchiladas, salmon and cauliflower tacos are just a few of the meals you can get at La Frida.
Location: 7230 E. 22nd St.
Visit their Instagram page for more information.
Lahaina’s Waffledogs has two savory options: a pizza waffle or the namesake Waffledog with a hot dog inside, pictured here.
Lahaina’s Waffledogs
Waffledogs: that sounds like two of my favorite things.
The owners behind Lahaina’s Shave Ice have opened a new venture, taking on a whole new world of waffledogs. This food truck’s menu consists of waffles on a stick, with renditions that include pizza, hot dogs and desserts. With sweet and savory flavors, you can get the best of both worlds here.
Maru Plus opened its doors on Nov. 1, serving various trendy onigiri, noodles and sushi dishes.
Maru Plus
For more than a decade, Japanese restaurant Yoshimatsu was a staple on Campbell Avenue. Sadly, the restaurant closed its doors, but owner Yoshimi Tashima started a new chapter.
Maru Plus is now in the old Yoshimatsu space, serving as an expansion of its sister restaurant, Maru Japanese Noodle Shop. Tashima saw a shift in the restaurant business, noticing people still wanted good food but faster service. That observation served as an inspiration for Maru Plus, which serves ramen and udon at a blink of an eye.
Location: 2741 N. Campbell Ave.
Visit their website, Instagram page or read our story for more information.
The American Nightmare at Mockups Tucson includes vegan vanilla soft serve, apple pie filling and Biscoff cookie crumbs.
Mockups Tucson
Best friends Warren Sammons and Michael Gonzales (nicknamed Gonzo) met when they both joined the same punk band in high school. Years later, they decided to team up again and open Mockups: a food truck dedicated to serving vegan ice cream and mocktails.
The big silver truck with a skull logo pays homage to their punk-rock roots while serving up some delicious sweet treats. Homemade cola, Cinnamon Toast Crunch ice cream and apple pie ice cream are just a few of the flavors you can enjoy at Mockups.
Visit their Instagram page for their schedule or read our story for more information.
Parkie Sandwich
It doesn’t get much cooler than running a sandwich shop out of a school bus. This new food truck (or should I say food bus?!) serves up sandwiches that everyone can enjoy. On their menu you can find a vegan sandwich, an Italian pork belly sandwich and a new take on a classic BLT. They also have various sides and a sweet of the week.
Visit their Instagram page for more information on their schedule.
Redbird Scratch Kitchen + Bar opened up this year at 6444 N. Oracle Road.
Redbird Scratch Kitchen + Bar
Owned by three best friends, Redbird Scratch Kitchen + Bar aims to provide bar food classics with an elevated twist. This menu has it all: tacos, fries, salads, burgers, wings, cocktails, mocktails and much more. Since it’s a scratch kitchen, everything is made in-house without pre-bought sauces or frozen food.
Location: 6444 N. Oracle Road
Visit their website or Instagram page for more information.
Talega Coffee Co.
This new coffee spot is located in the lobby of the Owl’s club, a mortuary-turned-bar. Talega sources the most ethical beans with the least environmental impact. Along with the usual coffee drinks, Talega features two specialty lattes: la rosa and maiz.
Locations: 236 S. Scott Ave.
Visit their Instagram page for more information.
Tesoro Latin Kitchen & Cantina
Grab lunch or dinner at this new restaurant. Tesoro Latin Kitchen & Cantina combines Latin music and décor with several Latin American dishes such as enchiladas and tacos. Tesoro has three full-service bars, patio seating and live music. On Fridays and Saturdays, Tesoro stays open extra late so you can dance the night away.
Location: 4420 N. Oracle Road
Tucson tattoo artist David Meek, left, and his Art and Sol Tattoo Gallery partner/wife Johnna Meek chat with friends as they prepare to pour their first beer after purchasing Dillinger Brewing’s taproom in the historic Coronado Hotel building, 402 E. Ninth St., on Nov. 1. The couple has renamed the bar TraXide Taproom.
TraXide Taproom
Housed in the old Dillinger Brewing space, TraXide Taproom is continuing the brewing legacy. The owners behind Art and Sol Tattoo Gallery took over the taproom, paying homage to the trains that run along downtown and the streetcars in the area. They still have various Dillinger beers on tap along with some specialty cocktails for those who don’t enjoy beer. It looks like they always have fun events and specials throughout the week so make sure to check their Instagram for more information.
Location: 402 E. Ninth St.
Read the Arizona Daily Star’s story for more information.
Customers check out the new True Food Kitchen on Nov. 10.
True Food Kitchen
In 2008, Dr. Andrew Weil and Tucson native Sam Fox teamed up to create True Food Kitchen, a restaurant based off Weil’s anti-inflammatory food pyramid. Weil is the longtime director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona.
The popular chain has finally opened a location in Tucson, serving food that tastes good and is good for you. Burgers, pizza, salad and salmon are just a few of the dishes on their extensive menu.
Location: 2905 E. Skyline Dr.
Turkish Kebab House
Turkish Kebab House is bringing Mediterranean cuisine to the University of Arizona area. Their dishes come from 100% authentic Turkish recipes and they say they only use the best quality ingredients. Chicken kebabs, lamb kebabs and curry chicken are a few highlights from the menu.
Location: 810 E. University Blvd.
Visit their Instagram page for more information.
Coming soon
- Special Eats Sweets: Special Eats popped out on the scene with gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches last year. Now they are dipping their toes into the dessert game. Special Eats is aiming to open their new dessert truck and brick-and-mortar, Special Eats Sweets, in January.
- The Broadway Beer and Wine Bar: This new beer and wine bar is slated to open in 2024 on the historic Sunshine Mile.
- Chela’s Latin Cuisine: Chela’s will open in downtown Tucson next year. This new restaurant is the sister concept to El Sur Mexican Restaurant.
- Mantis Gourmet Chinese Food: This beloved Chinese spot will reopen in a new location next year.
If you’re bored of cooking the usual barbecue foods like hamburgers and hot dogs, here are four other foods you should try.
Jamie Donnelly is the food writer for #ThisIsTucson. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com
