Top Rated Restaurants & Cafes in Tucson

Serving wood-baked Napoli pizzas in an upscale, minimalist space is Falora. The creation of owner and Chef Ari Shapiro, this bright pizzeria also serves wine and beer with these low on gluten pies. Choose from their amazing Caesar, Kale or Butter Pecan salads as an excellent culinary warm-up. Then move on to their unique artisan pizzas, some of which include classic Margherita, Carni, Giardino and Cura, Falora's also encourages patrons to bring in their favorite vinyl record to spin on their stereo. As a return gesture, you can enjoy a free bottle of Chianti.

It's easy to miss this minute East African restaurant in a converted cottage on Broadway, but once you've tasted the exotic offerings, you'll want to mark it on your map. The menu is almost as limited as the number of tables (be prepared for a wait), but the sampler platters give you a good grasp of the gastronomic style of the region. Wats, Ethiopian-style stewed dishes, is the focus here. Choose from Doro (chicken), Yebeg (lamb), Zighi (beef), Yemisir (lentil) or several other exotically seasoned dishes, eaten in hand using the spongy Injera bread. No alcoholic beverages are served but, because of the size of the restaurant, you're allowed to bring your own wine or beer.

Chicago transplant and former rock musician, Rocco DiGrazia, brings a bite of the Windy City to Tucson at Rocco's Little Chicago. The choices include double-crusted pies and thin-crust, square cut options. With names like the Heart Attack—piles of meat and tons of cheese, and Fungus Humongous—mega-mushrooms, it's obvious this isn't health-conscious dining, but it's a delicious indulgence. A few sandwiches—also of mammoth proportions, are also offered and beer and wine are served. Quite likely, Rocco himself, will prepare your pizza.

At Bob's it seems like everyone knows everyone else here, which is to say that the place is always filled with locals. Bob's is kind of a dive, however with TVs on the walls, it does have somewhat of a sports bar vibe. During happy hour, the college crowd comes in for cheap drinks and filling appetizers. Bob's serves a decent amount of domestic swill like Budweiser and Coors, but oftentimes you will also find a craft beer or two. Moreover, when the weather is right, the two patios available for outside dining are perfect.

This is where the Rocky Horror Picture Show freaks liquor up on Saturday nights, among other theatergoers at the neighboring Loft Cinema. During the day, it is usually a local yokel joint. It's spacious, with typically southwestern wooden paneling, a jukebox, a few old video arcade games, torn leather booths and a few tables in the center of the room. A variety of burgers and sandwiches are available: bacon cheeseburgers, jalapeno burgers, mushroom swiss burgers, barbecue beef sandwiches and chicken melts.

Each pizza at this eatery on busy Speedway Boulevard is hand-spun, and you can watch the procedure from the counter. The crust is extraordinarily thick, but can be made thinner upon request. Limited seating is available near the counter and outside near the curb, but the main business here is takeout. Specialty pizzas come in four different sizes, ranging from 10-inches to 16-inches. A variety of salads is available, as are calzones and sub sandwiches. Pasta entrees like Linguini and Lasagna are a recent addition to the menu. Note the amazing choice of toppings you get on your pizza or in your calzone.