The Tucson Food Guide: The best restaurants of 2025

We asked our readers to tell us their favorite Tucson restaurants. Here’s what they said.

Tucson has some of the best dining in the entire Southwest. From Sonoran classics to tacos to fine dining, this city has something to offer everyone, whether they’re a big spender or living thrifty. Tucson is home to passionate chefs, lots of mom-and-pop food trucks, and plenty of places to grab breakfast, brunch, snacks, lunch, a delicious dinner, and even some amazing locally-made beer.

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We asked our Tucson readers to step up and let us know the best places to eat, according to local tastes and word of mouth. Over 500 local foodies voted this year, and we’d like to offer those folks a warm and sincere thank you for taking the time to shout out your favorite restaurants in Tucson.

Here are Tucson’s three best restaurants of 2025, overall, as chosen by our readers. These three restaurants offer amazing bold flavors, beautifully plated dishes, warm hospitality, and enough menu choices to keep everyone in your family or friend group happy.

3. Tito & Pep

4122 E. Speedway Blvd.

Photo: Visit Tucson

Both Tito & Pep’s menu and overall vibe can be described as bistro style meets Mexican influence. When you walk in, you’ll notice the space inside is bathed with natural light and color, and the aroma of charred veggies and perfectly grilled meat and seafood fills the air. Some may say that Tito & Pep balances rustic Sonoran flavor with international flair, but we just call it great food. All we know is that we love this buzzy little bistro. It’s full of surprises — and voters clearly love that, too.

Chef and owner John Martinez brings a thoughtful approach to every dish, drawing on local ingredients and a background that includes time in top New York kitchens. The result of his expertise and passion is a menu that’s approachable, unfussy, and downright delicious.

First timers to Tito & Pep should try some of our local voters’ favorite dishes. First, we’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about the charcoal-grilled octopus. This sea creature is smoky and tender, served with fingerling potatoes, aioli, and chile oil. It’s a standout dish that’s won acclaim well beyond Tucson.

Non-meat lovers might consider sampling the grilled avocado salad. While grilled avocado sounds odd, it seriously works. The creamy, warm avocado sits on a bed of greens, cotija, and citrus vinaigrette.

If you’re really hungry, try the green chile chicken thighs or the mesquite-grilled half chicken. Both dishes are approachable and affordable, especially given the portion sizes and quality. The thighs are crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, with just the right amount of kick. And the half chicken is marinated, fire-kissed, and filling. Both pair perfectly with a prickly pear margarita.

If you have a sweet tooth, go ahead and sink it into the lime custard tart with graham cracker crust and brûléed top. If that’s not your cup of tea, the classic flan with caramelized sugar and sea salt is another fan favorite worth every calorie.

Tito & Pep is fresh, fun, and totally Tucson. It honors tradition while never feeling predictable. It’s casual enough for a quick bite but inventive enough to make every dinner feel like an event. And there’s something about that grilled octopus that makes people (ok, me) very emotional (in a good way).

Fun fact: The restaurant’s name is a nod to Chef Martinez’s grandparents, Tito and Pep — a personal touch that’s echoed in the warmth of the entire experience.

Looking for a great drink? Check out Tucson’s best margartitas of 2025

2. Vivace Restaurant

6440 N. Campbell Ave.

(Facebook Photo/Vivace Restaurant)

Vivace is the answer to the question: “What restaurant do you choose in Tucson when you want to wow someone?” This place is perfect for an anniversary, a proposal, a heavenly date, or a big dinner with your potential new employer. The views sell Vivace before you even see a menu. Perched in the Catalina Foothills with sweeping views of the mountains and desert, this fine-dining staple has been stealing hearts for decades.

Chef Daniel Scordato, a local Tucson legend, opened Vivace in the early 2000s after already earning a devoted following in the city. He brought with him a fierce attention to detail and a love for crafting traditional Italian menus that feel classic, not cliché. In fact, Chef Scordato’s grandfather opened one of Tucson’s first Italian restaurants back in the 1920s. Culinary excellence clearly runs in the family.

We can talk all day about the restaurant’s views and roots, but what’s really special about Vivace is the food. Their filet with gorgonzola butter is life-changing. It’s tender, buttery, and wonderfully indulgent. It will make you wish you had stretchy pants on. The crab-stuffed cannelloni is another house specialty worth a shout-out. Delicate pasta rolls are filled with crab and ricotta, and baked in béchamel and tomato sauces. It’s your nona’s comfort food, elevated.

If you’re looking for something a bit lighter to dine on, the pork Milanese may do the trick. It’s crispy, thin, and golden, served with a bright arugula salad and lemon vinaigrette to keep things balanced. Or you could say, “To heck with it. I worked out all week,” and get down with the risotto of the day. Whatever it is, just say yes. Whether it’s mushroom, saffron, or shrimp and asparagus, Vivace’s risottos are always on point.

Pair it all with a bottle of barolo or chianti or barbaresco (the wine list is thoughtfully curated and centers around Italian favorites), sit back, and enjoy the kind of service that makes you feel like family — but fancy family.

I know our readers picked Vivace because it’s reliable in the best possible way. The food is always outstanding. The service is always knowledgeable and professional. The ambiance is effortlessly sophisticated without being stuffy. Whether you’re celebrating an anniversary (it’s one of the most romantic restaurants in town) or just treating yourself on a Tuesday, Vivace delivers grace and flavor every single time.

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1. La Frida

7230 E 22nd St

Courtesy of La Frida

La Frida is bold, beautiful, and unapologetically creative. It requires your full attention. La Frida takes your expectations of Mexican cuisine, turns them upside down, wraps them in a warm, homemade tortilla, and serves them with a drizzle of hibiscus reduction.

Inspired by the icon herself, Frida Kahlo, the restaurant is fearless, passionate, deeply rooted in heritage, and alive with color. Inside its doors, you’re wrapped in a world of artistry, both on the walls and on the plate. Owner and chef Lucía Reyes designed the restaurant’s interior herself, down to the Frida-themed murals and handpicked dishware. Her mission was to “honor our ancestors, elevate our recipes, and do it with joy.” Mission very much accomplished.

La Frida offers a sensory experience unlike any other. But does that mean it’s fussy? Absolutely not. Feel free to show up in your favorite jeans and baseball cap, let loose with your friends, and enjoy a perfectly splendid, no-frills night out surrounded by art, amazing seafood, Mexican-style fare, and chill vibes.

While the atmosphere sells itself, the best part of any #1-rated restaurant in any given city is the food. At La Frida, start with the tamarindo shrimp tacos. They’re a sweet-and-spicy, heat and harmony flavor bomb served with jicama slaw for crunch. Also worth a try is their birria ramen — yes, it’s a thing, and it’s incredible. The rich birria broth flavors the slow-cooked beef, ramen noodles, and soft-boiled egg. It’s all the comforting fusion goodness you didn’t know you needed.

If you’re looking for a more traditional dish, we recommend Frida’s mole negro or the elote en taza. Each is a blend of traditional Mexican cooking and modern flair. While the mole negro tastes like it was served out of abuela’s kitchen, the elote is reminiscent of something you’d get from one of the best street carts in Mexico.

And don’t sleep on the cocktail menu (why would you?). Their La Muerte Bonita mezcal cocktail is smoky, citrusy, and garnished with dried orange and edible flowers. Perfect for a girls’ night out!

La Frida is modern but soulful, upscale but unpretentious. The service is warm, and the ambiance is enchanting. It’s the place where you take a first date, your parents, your soccer club, your gal pals, and especially your out-of-town friends (Tucson visitors: take note).

READ MORE: Where to find the best birria in Tucson