The Hub Restaurant & Ice Creamery downtown is reopening its dining room on Thursday, Oct. 1, just in time for the second annual Sonoran Restaurant Week that shines a spotlight on Tucson restaurants.

The opening comes nearly seven months after the restaurant at 266 E. Congress St. initially closed in response to COVID-19. Back in mid-March, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey ordered all restaurants to close their dining rooms and offer takeout only, but The Hub decided to close altogether.

It reopened briefly in June, not long after Ducey green-lighted restaurants to open their doors in mid-May with limited capacity. When the COVID-19 cases spiked weeks into the reopening, The Hub closed down again.

The owners in recent months have redesigned the dining room and expanded its patio dining to accommodate coronavirus social-distancing restrictions, restaurant officials said.

The Hub specializes in elevated comfort food including lobster and herb mac and cheese, prime rib dip sandwiches, housemade pastrami and burgers including a Sonoran burger featuring Oaxaca cheese and salsa verde.

The restaurant, which offers a popular weekend brunch, also is popular for its 24 flavors of ice cream including bourbon almond brittle, pistachio baklava, white peach bellini and coconut ash.

The Hub is open daily at 11 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursday, and 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Brunch is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

The Hub is among nearly 30 Tucson restaurants participating in Sonoran Restaurant Week, which runs from Friday, Oct. 2, through Oct. 11. Participating restaurants are offering prix fixe menus for $25 to $35 a person. For menus and prices, visit sonoranrestaurantweek.com.

Participating restaurants include:

  • Bellissimo Ristorante Italiano at Casino del Sol, 5655 W. Valencia Road
  • Blanco Tacos + Tequila, 2905 E. Skyline Drive, in La Encantada
  • Blue Willow Restaurant, 2616 N. Campbell Ave.
  • Boca Tacos y Tequila, 533 N. Fourth Ave.
  • Commoner & Co., 6960 E. Sunrise Drive
  • Culinary Dropout, 2543 E. Grant Road
  • Cup Cafe, 311 E. Congress St., in Hotel Congress
  • Dominick’s Real Italian, 8330 N. Thornydale Road
  • The Dutch Eatery & Refuge, 943 E. University Blvd.
  • Feast, 3719 E. Speedway
  • The Grill at Hacienda del Sol, 5501 N. Hacienda del Sol Road
  • Hub Restaurant & Ice Creamery, 266 E. Congress St.
  • Mama Louisa’s Italian American Cuisine, 2401 S. Craycroft Road
  • Maynards Market & Kitchen, 400 N. Toole Ave.
  • Proof Artisanal Pizza & Pasta, 4340 N. Campbell Ave.
  • Penca, 50 E. Broadway
  • PY Steakhouse, 5655 W. Valencia Road, at Casino del Sol
  • Reforma Modern Mexican, Mezcal + Tequila, 4340 N. Campbell Ave.
  • Rollie’s Mexican Patio, 4573 S. 12th Ave.
  • Saguaro Corners, 3750 S. Old Spanish Trail
  • Ten55 Brewing Company, 110 E. Congress St.
  • Tito & Pep Midtown’s Neighborhood Bistro, 4122 E. Speedway
  • Wildflower American Cuisine, 7037 N. Oracle Road
  • Zinburger, 6390 E. Grant Road and 1865 E. River Road

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Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com or 573-4642. On Twitter @Starburch