73 new restaurants and food trucks that opened in Tucson in 2023

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We've said it before and we'll say it again. We love Tucson's food scene, both the longtime favorites and the newcomers who have joined the ranks.

In 2023, at least six dozen restaurants and food trucks opened around town, offering everything from pizza and ramyeon to churros and mocktails.

Among the new additions, Tucson welcomed a taste of Afghanistan, dim sum, Moroccan sandwiches, Ukrainian dumplings, Bolivian street food, long-awaited barbecue in the old Bashful Bandit building and a retro nightclub along Fourth Avenue. We can't wait to see what 2024 brings.

Adis

Adis Refresqueria started as an Instagram page, where owner Adilene Castro would cater events with her aguas frescas and custom candy mixes. Now, the refresqueria has evolved into a vendor at American Eat Co. selling antojitos like churros and paletas in addition to her classic menu.

Location: American Eat Co., 1439 S. Fourth Ave.

For more information, read our story or check out their Instagram.

Agave House

The long-awaited Agave House opened in Main Gate Square in June. The group behind the restaurant also owns Gentle Ben’s and Bacio, both of which are also in Main Gate Square. The sit-down Mexican restaurant serves shrimp ceviche, bone-in pork chop, enchiladas and tacos with fillings like birria, carne asada and sweet potato.

Agave House also boasts more than 100 agave spirits infused in both cocktails and cuisine.

Location: 943 E. University Blvd.

For more information, check out their website.

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.

Location: 2310 N. Country Club Road

For more information, check out their website.

Bailey's Artisan Pizza Company

This truck is a family operation, owned by Alex Vidal and his 15-year-old daughter Bailey. Find Neapolitan-style pizza, like the customer favorite Mamma Mia pie, with crushed tomatoes, mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, ricotta and black olives. There's also a Hawaiian pie that might catch your eye — ham and pineapple, of course, but also cherries and banana slices.

For more information, check out their Instagram or read our story.

Barbizza's

Home to Tucson's east side, Barbizza's serves Memphis-style barbecue alongside pizza. Find hot link sandwiches, pulled pork, ribs and specialty pizzas like spinach and bacon Alfredo.

Location: 6310 E. Tanque Verde Road

For more information, check out their website.

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. 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

For more information, check out their website or read our story.

Better Bevs

This drink shop combines techniques of boba tea shops with Mexican flavors and aguas frescas: chamoy mango shave ice, piña colada snow, cucumber lemonade with spicy chile popping boba. Find creative snows, shaved ice, slushes, milk tea and boba here.

Location: 210 N. Fourth Ave.

For more information, check out their Instagram page.

Blue Front

The newest addition to Patricia Schwabe’s roster of chic downtown eateries is Blue Front, an upscale American restaurant inspired by her visits to the United States from Mexico as a child. The restaurant temporarily closed in May due to a fire.

Location: 110 E. Congress St.

For more information, check out their website or read our story.

Blush

This vintage-inspired restaurant and nightclub was in the Instagram limelight when it opened with its hot-pink neon signs and cocktails. The restaurant is inspired by the 1950s — paintings of women in historical clothing hang on the wall, Elvis Presley croons through the speakers and ice cream soda has a place on the magazine-style menu of American favorites.

Down the hall is Blush After Dark, a nightclub where large prints of old Hollywood starlets hang next to vintage Playboy magazines and cocktails are named after ‘90s pop culture references. When day turns to night, the music transforms from 1950s serenades to the tunes of the early ‘90s.

Location: 340 N. Fourth Ave.

For more information, check out their website or read our story.

Boba Cucue

Part of Phoenix's Boba Cutea, Boba Cucue opened its doors in Marana serving teas, dragonfruit smoothies, ube floats and a soda that looks like a galaxy. 

Location: 8225 N. Courtney Page Way

For more information, check out their website.

Bobazona

This boba spot made its way from Phoenix to Tucson this year. 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

For more information, check out their website.

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.

For more information, check out their Instagram page.

Caffeine Cauldron

Tucson Games and Gadgets is in three Tucson-area malls and has a speakeasy-style bar tucked into one of them. This year, owner Mark Kadow opened something new: a cafe dubbed Geeky Grinds. The name has since changed to Caffeine Cauldron, and it's made to be a coffee haven for pop culture, book and game geeks.

Caffeine Cauldron, at Tucson Mall, offers coffee and roasts from Yellow Brick Coffee and Geek Grind Coffee. Expect weekly events for karaoke, trivia and book clubs.

Location: Tucson Mall, 4500 N. Oracle Road

For more information, check out their Facebook page or read our story.

Charro Chico

Barrio Charro closed its doors this summer, but Si Charro — the family-owned group behind popular restaurants El Charro and The Monica — opened Charro Chico in its place. The new fast-casual eatery serves a menu of tacos, burritos, enchiladas and bowls that can be customized with carnitas, pollo asada, short rib beef, birria or vegan calabacitas.

Location: 3699 N. Campbell Ave.

For more information, check out their website.

Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers

Sometimes that’s all you can ask for — cold beer and cheeseburgers. This Phoenix-born chain opened its first Tucson-area location in September with burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs and wings.

Location: 7315 N. Oracle Road

For more information, check out their website.

Comida Park

Comida Park isn’t a restaurant in and of itself; the food park became home to a spread of food trucks, both old and new. 

Location: Tanque Verde Swap Meet, 4100 S. Palo Verde Road

For more information, check out their website.

Coop

Local food truck Cowpig opened its first brick-and-mortar this year. Instead of the burgers you can find at the truck, they're peddling strictly fried chicken in a vendor spot at American Eat Co. Find sandwiches, loaded fries and the best chicken tendies in town.

Location: American Eat Co., 1439 S. Fourth Ave.

For more information, read our story or check out their Instagram.

Corbett’s

Possibly the best part about Corbett’s is the atmosphere — the pickleball courts, the live music playing throughout the massive patio clad with murals and an outdoor bar. Partners behind the eatery hope downtown-area Corbett’s will become a destination on a street that’s often overshadowed by Fourth Avenue and Congress Street.

The menu includes burgers (which you can “Gronk” up with an additional patty), salads, sandwiches and specialties like prime rib and tacos. Corbett’s is also open for brunch.

Location: 340 N. Sixth Ave.

For more information, check out their website or read our story.

Cuppa Gogo

Cuppa Gogo made its debut at food truck park The Pit nearly two years ago. Now, they're serving coffee with a sweet twist in a brick-and-mortar along Speedway. Indulge in flavors like tres leches, horchata and cinnamon toast crunch, topped with their signature swirly whipped cream.

Location: 4877 E. Speedway

For more information, check out their website or read our story.

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.

For more information, check out their Instagram page.

Dandelion Cafe

El Presidio Museum got a new cafe this year, courtesy of the family behind JoJo's, Noodies and Ceres. The counter offers pastries baked that morning, espresso drinks, hot breakfast burritos and cold sandwiches to-go. There’s no kitchen on-site, so items can sell out by the end of the day.

Location: Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Museum, 200 N. Court Ave.

For more information, check out their Instagram.

Dirty T Tamarindo

There’s a good chance you’ve spotted Dirty T Tamarindo’s spicy candies at markets, shops or even gas stations around town. Owner Alana Solis opened a brick-and-mortar in August, complete with a grand opening celebration featuring mariachis, mural painting and vendors.

Solis uses her tia’s chamoy recipe to coat popular candies like Watermelon Rings and Gushers. While you can still find them at pop-ups and stores all over town, the brick-and-mortar will also sell snacks like paletas and Tosti-locos.

Location: 1211 W. St Marys Road

For more information, check out their website or read our story.

Doshirok 

Junghwan Kim opened his food truck Doshirok, which means "lunchbox" in Korean, in spring. He spent around four years in the Army before heading to culinary school, eventually moving to Tucson almost specifically to open Doshirok, which specializes in dishes like beef bulgogi and spicy pork.

For more information, check out their Instagram or read our story.

Doughbird

This rotisserie chicken and pizza restaurant is part of Fox Restaurant Concepts, a major player in the industry that got its start in Tucson. Though the first Doughbird locations were in the Phoenix metro, they’ve come home to a midtown location.

Location: 2960 N. Campbell Ave.

For more information, check out their website.

El Antojo Poblano

The beloved west-side food truck has finally expanded into a brick-and-mortar. El Antojo Poblano specializes in Pueblo-style Mexican food, such as the cemita sandwich and the corn dumpling dish molotes ceibeños.

Location: 1108 W. St. Mary’s Road

For more information, check out their website.

El Jefe Cat Cafe

El Jefe Cat Lounge opened on Halloween in 2019 — it’s where you can sit with 30 adoptable cats, feed them treats and watch them swat at birds on a TV. But this summer, the lounge expanded with a cafe next door. Now, you can get a drink or treat from the cafe and bring it over to the lounge to play with the kitties. One of the specialties is El Jefe Cafecito — a shot of espresso, Mexican Coke and brown sugar cinnamon syrup topped with whipped cream and cinnamon.

Location: 3025 N. Campbell Ave.

For more information, check out their website or read our story.

Fatboy Sandos

The popular food truck, specializing in aesthetic Japanese-style sandwiches, now has a brick-and-mortar venue inside of American Eat Co.

Location: American Eat Co., 1439 S. Fourth Ave.

For more information, check out their Instagram or read our story.

Flower Child

Another Sam Fox concept, Flower Child is the kind of restaurant that you can find at a fancy mall in Denver, in Washington, D.C. walking distance from the White House, and now in Tucson. They serve avocado toast, salads and grain bowls.

Location: 2960 N. Campbell Ave.

For more information, check out their website.

Gear Shifters AZ

Gear Shifters is dubbed a “place for Tucson motorcyclists to meet and hang out.” And it’s a cafe! According to KGUN9, Gear Shifters is also a spot for bikers to buy and sell used gear like jackets, pants and even bikes. Find specialty drinks like pumpkin spice and strawberry mocha.

Location: 1045 N. Catalina Ave.

For more information, check out their Facebook page.

Iron John's Brewing Company

What began in 2020 as a collaboration between a brewery and a burger joint is now a full-fledged restaurant. Iron John's Brewing Company opened in the former Monkey Burger space this year, serving three handhelds from the old Monkey Burger menu. But burgers are no longer the frontrunner of the menu: pizza is. My favorite is the Honey Blue Agave, with a honey agave mix, pepperoni, ricotta and rosemary. 

Location: 5350 E. Broadway

For more information, check out their website or read our story.

Jaime’s Pizza Kitchen

Gabriel Moreno grew up in the back office of his grandfather Jaime’s now-closed bar and grill on Fourth Avenue. He helped open The Italian Peasant in Tubac in 2010 and worked at Pizza Luna in Tucson until it closed in 2022. He started Jaime’s Pizza Kitchen in a ghost kitchen and has since moved into a brick-and-mortar on Congress Street. Stop in for a pie or a slice (they even have focaccia pizza).

Location: 312 E. Congress St.

For more information, check out their website or read our story. 

JoJo's Restaurant

The eatery formerly known as LaCo, and La Cocina before that, has changed its name to JoJo's Restaurant, debuting a new menu alongside the name change. The same family is involved in the restaurant, though matriarch Jo Schneider is taking a step back and the kids are stepping up. “We always want to remember and pay tribute to the heart that she brings into the space,” JoJo's said on Instagram.

The menu features handhelds like a birria dip and mushroom chorizo baguette, in addition to entrees like ribeye, cod and rigatoni.

Location: 76 W. Washington St.

For more information, check out their website.

Juniper

In August, Iron John's Brewing Company closed its downtown location and reopened as Juniper the following month. Juniper is a gin-focused bar specializing in gin-centered cocktails made from a selection of gin from around the world. Iron John's beers are also on the menu.

Location: 222 E. Congress St.

For more information, check out their website.

Just Churros

When National Churro Day rolled around on June 6, Just Churros opened its very-anticipated brick-and-mortar. Known for its yellow food cart at events around town, the brick-and-mortar serves the churros we all know and love. Also on the tiny menu: churros a la mode, churro s’mores and a churro ice cream sandwich.

Though Just Churros dates back about a decade, the true lineage dates back to 1981 when owner Ricky Pintor’s tata started selling churros in Douglas. Pintor is a third-generation churrero — his grandfather’s recipe goes back generations.

Location: 4280 N. Oracle Road

For more information, check out their website or read our story.

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

For more information, read our story.

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.

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Location: 1800 E. Fort Lowell Road

For more information, check out their Instagram page or read our story.

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.

For more information, check out their Instagram page.

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.

For more information, check out their Instagram.

La Merguez

Named after a Moroccan lamb sausage, this late-night sandwich cart made its debut in 2023. Their menu is centered around Moroccan-style sandwiches filled with merguez sausage, chicken, halloumi or a vegan option with grilled veggies. Their sandwiches' Khboz (bread) has been custom-baked by local baker Holy Focaccia. For dessert, they have a pastry called Briwat, made out of puff pastry; delicate, slightly sweet cheese and honey.

For more information, check out their Instagram or read our story.

Las Originales Carnitas El Michoacano

In August, food truck Carnitas El Michoacano moved into a brick-and-mortar. The menu has tacos with birria, cabeza and carnitas, plus quesadillas, quesabirria and the classic soup, bichi. People love the quesabirria and according to Yelp, they handmake their corn tortillas!

Location: 5256 S. Nogales Hwy.

For more information, check out their Facebook page.

Lucky Panda

If there’s one thing I know for certain: Tucson gets excited when dim sum comes to town. Lucky Panda is Tucson’s newest dim sum spot — and it’s one of the only. It comes from Danyan “Dawn” Lew, the owner of midtown favorite Guilin Chinese Restaurant, who has dreamt of opening a dim sum eatery in Tucson.

Lucky Panda has a walk-up counter and an a la carte ordering style for its Cantonese-inspired dim sum dishes like tender chicken feet, BBQ pork buns and shu mai, among Americanized Chinese items.

Location: 4016 N. First Ave.

For more information, read our story.

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.

For more information, check out their website or read our story.

Minibar

Spaghetti Club was the MSA Annex’s sensation of the summer — but as new vendors Savior and Warm Shape moved into their space after Spaghetti Club’s off-season lease ended, Minibar arrived. The stylish, small bar is run by the same folks behind Spaghetti Club, and, like its predecessor, have delighted with fun pop-ups and other special events.

Location: MSA Annex, 267 S. Avenida del Convento

For more information, check out their Instagram.

Miss Dessert

Find Hong Kong-style desserts here, like boba and snows topped with flavored jellies, sticky rice, fruit and ice cream. Miss Dessert is a small chain born in Phoenix.

Location: 1800 E. Fort Lowell Road

For more information, read our story or check out their website.

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.

For more information, check out their Instagram page or read our story.

Monsoon Chocolate Cafe + Market

I’m not a big lover of chocolate ice cream, but Monsoon Chocolate Cafe changed my mind. Their single-origin chocolate ice cream is the best I’ve ever had.

Monsoon Chocolate, known for their beautiful bonbons, opened the midtown cafe and market over the summer, where you’ll find their gorgeous chocolates, ice cream and luscious desserts, plus drinks like frozen hot chocolate and cocoa nib horchata. Their original location on 22nd Street is now their factory and gift shop.

Location: 3630 E. Fort Lowell Road

For more information, check out their website.

Mr. Patron

While 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.

Location: 5754 E. 22nd St.

For more information, check out their Instagram.

Newton Pho

This Vietnamese restaurant is bringing a comprehensive menu to Marana. The interior is decorated to an Isaac Newton theme. 

Location: 5730 W. Cortaro Farms Road

For more information, check out their website.

Ol' Pot Hole

This food truck made its debut at the Tanque Verde Swap Meet's Comida Park in February and has since made appearances at several other locations around town including AZ Beer House. Ol' Pot Hole serves American comfort food like burgers, melts and fries.

For more information, check out their Instagram.

Oralia Kitchen

This industrial-chic cafe and kitchen offers espresso drinks, pastries and brunch favorites close to downtown. Order breakfast classics alongside burros with several filling options. When walking by during a recent Cyclovia, patrons were enjoying lunch on the patio. It smelled incredible.

Location: 501 N. Sixth Ave.

For more information, check out their website.

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.

For more information, check out their Instagram page.

Pasta La Vista

This midtown pasta shop advertises itself as to-go, but they do have a dining room. Their menu rotates around a few mediums: pasta, pizza and subs. Each is customizable, and you can also order sides like salads and Italian desserts.

Location: 2425 N. Tucson Blvd.

For more information, check out their website.

Pin + Flour

The Eddy Hotel is a new Hilton hotel in the Foothills, and Pin + Flour is its restaurant. Their brunch menu features its cocktails and wine options in as much space as its food options (which include classics like pancakes, French toast, omelettes and benedicts). Its dinner menu is classic American with a few Sonoran touches.

Location: The Eddy Hotel, 4626 N. Campbell Ave.

For more information, check out their Instagram.

Pupuseria Rosita

This pupuseria made its food truck debut at the Tanque Verde Swap Meet's Comida Park in February, serving pupusas made with a Salvadorian recipe that spans three generations.

For more information, check out their Instagram.

Purple Tree Organic Acai

Tucson mourned André Newman when he died in 2020. The popular acai food truck he began has returned with new owners, who were close friends of his. Their organic acai bowls can be found across town in this mobile operation.

For more information, check out their Instagram or read our story.

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

For more information, check out their website.

Revive Fresh Bowls and Creamery

This restaurant is centered on the bowl: health-conscious, you can find both savory bowls made with salads and grains, and sweet bowls made with acai, pitaya, mango, coconut or passionfruit sorbet bases. They also make ice cream in-house!

Location: 6890 E. Sunrise Dr.

For more information, check out their website.

Screwbean Brewing 

Screwbean uses brewing as a double entendre — on this Pie Allen patio, you can find freshly-made coffee and in-house brewed beer on tap in stylish adobe quarters.

Location: 103 N. Park Ave.

For more information, check out their Instagram.

Stacks Book Club

Books and coffee probably go together just as well as peanut butter and jelly. Stacks Book Club is a new bookstore in Oro Valley where you’ll find hundreds of books, plus gift items made by local makers. You can get coffee and pastries alongside your book hunt.

Stacks brews Yellow Brick Coffee and serves hot and iced tea from Maya Tea Company. Beer and wine are also on the menu, in addition to grab-and-go food from Flora’s Market Run and pastries from Cal’s Bakeshop, Prep & Pastry and Breadsmith. Stacks might also be the only place in town that offers coffee flights.

Location: 1880 E. Tangerine Road Suite 140

For more information, check out their website or read our story.

Sumaj Bolivian Street Food

Bolivia is so proud of its cuisine that McDonald's couldn’t take root in Alexandra Gutierrez’s hometown. She celebrates that cuisine with her baked and fried empanadas, made with her family recipe.

For more information, read our story or check out their Instagram.

Super Mercado Y Carnicería El Semental

When they say super mercado, they mean it. El Semental is part carnicería, part panadería, part dulcería, part taqueria ... all in one. Find birria, menudo, fresh bread, tamales and more.

Location: 6020 N. Oracle Road

For more information, check out their website.

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.

For more information, check out their Instagram.

Tandem American Eatery

According to Tucson Foodie, Tandem American Eatery comes to us from Patrick and Ayana Malarchik, who met at Union Public House before moving to Sierra Vista. The newly-opened eatery serves burgers and sandwiches like lobster rolls and a veggie sandwich with sweet potato, plus “Tandem Toast,” which is artisan bread topped with additions like smoked shrimp, roasted tomato or short rib.

Location: 8864 E. Tanque Verde Road

For more information, check out their website.

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

For more information, check out their website.

The Pasta Shop

The concept is similar to midtown's Noodies: choose your shape of pasta and match with a selection of their in-house sauces.

Location: 3951 W. Ina Road

For more information, check out their website.

TiTi Boba Corner

One of Tucson’s newest boba spots is TiTi Boba Corner, where they say “happiness is a cup of tea with a good friend.” You’ll find a drink menu with their popular ube-taro-brown-sugar concoction, plus slushes and fruit teas. They also have a handful of food options: popcorn chicken, shrimp and fried octopus balls.

Location: 4016 N. First Ave.

For more information, check out their Instagram.

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.

For more information, check out their Instagram or read our story.

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.

For more information, check out their website or read the Arizona Daily Star’s story.

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.

For more information, check out their Instagram. 

Ukies

Food truck Ukies brings modern Ukrainian cuisine to Tucson — dumplings called varenyky, holubtsi cabbage rolls, European hand pies known as zrazy and soups borscht and zurek. The food truck has become home to Tucson thanks to owner Kat Vandiveer, according to KGUN9, who has been making Ukrainian food since she was 9.

For more information, check out their website.

Wings y Mas

Get wings in more than a dozen different flavors at Wings y Mas. Nachos, bacon-and-cheese-covered tots and Tosti-locos are also on the menu. Come Wednesday and get 12 wings for $12.

Location: 1145 W. Prince Road

For more information, check out their Instagram.

Yum Yum Pocha

Miyou Wallace learned how to cook from her mom, who wanted to open a restaurant of her own one day. Her mom had a big family at home and little time to start a business. But alongside her husband John, Wallace did it. She started food truck.

Yum Yum Pocha serves several different flavors of Korean ramyeon, plus stir-fry noodles and rice bowls.

For more information, check out their Instagram or read our story.

Zyka Twist

Indian Twist now has a location on Fourth Avenue. Find all your favorites on this curated menu, including their kormas. 

Location: 621 N. Fourth Ave.

For more information, check out their Facebook or read our story.

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