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Saguaro Corners
Location: 3750 S. Old Spanish Trail
I’m not saying that a great location means food will be bad. But when views are as scenic as they are at Saguaro Corners, you don’t need the food to be good to survive. Its lush desert setting, on the far-east side, and a porch with 270 degrees of floor-to-ceiling windows are such a draw that I was originally hesitant. Why invest in a great menu when the space alone makes the place special? But for reasons unknown, they did.
The menu might read as a hodgepodge of comfort food — deep-fried cheese curds and tacos? Cowboy potstickers next to pan-seared salmon fit for a fine dining restaurant? The through line is a commitment to freshness, and doing what you have well. The vegetable sides rotate with whatever is in season — in winter, when I last visited, it was asparagus. I don’t think you can order incorrectly here.
Tito & Pep
Location: 4122 E. Speedway
Tito & Pep, a James-Beard-Award-nominated spot, is a love letter to midtown Tucson and the Sonoran flavors that make this place home.
The Parish
Location: 6453 N. Oracle Road
You’ll love The Parish for the same reasons you love New Orleans, the city that inspires the restaurant: atmosphere, food and drink. Laissez les bon temps rouler!
The Owls Club
Location: 236 S. Scott Ave.
While I mostly kept bars off this list, I guarantee you, on any given night, there is a Bumble date happening at The Owls Club. Likely multiple. Their seasonal cocktail list and spacious patio (with fire pits) makes it a showy, yet low-stakes, place to see if the chemistry is there.
Honorable mentions: Renee’s, Bata, The Coronet.
