Tucson has lived up to its UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation, taking six spots on Yelp’s Top 100 US Restaurants 2025 list.
Among those tapped:
No. 34: Baja Cafe - With locations at 7002 E. Broadway and 2970 N. Campbell Ave., Baja Cafe is known for its large selection of eggs Benedict dishes and long list of pancake offerings. Get your flapjacks with Oreos, pineapple or pecans on top, just to name a few.
No. 38: Buendia Breakfast & Lunch Cafe - Open since 2021, in the old home of, among other concepts, Wild Garlic Grill, at 2530 N. First Ave., Buendia has become a hipster darling for folks craving healthy helpings of stuffed poblano peppers and apple-maple pancakes.
No. 41: La Frida Mexican Grill & Seafood - An instant hit with Tucsonans, La Frida has been serving innovative Mexican dishes and creative cocktails on Tucson's east side (7230 E. 22nd Street) since December, 2023. The restaurant offers a brightly colored alternative to more traditional Mexican restaurants in Tucson, such as La Parrilla Suiza or Guadalajara Grill.
No. 56: Tito & Pep: It's no surprise Tito & Pep made this year's list. It was once, after all, a semifinalist for a coveted James Beard Award. Hit this Midtown favorite for its mesquite-grilled pork chop, Sea of Cortez shrimp or grilled octopus. The restaurant sits central at 4122 E. Speedway.
No. 65: Penelope - What started as a pandemic-era pizza concept downtown has evolved into one of the best pizza spots in the country, according to the website 50 Top Pizza. Now nestled on the east side, at 800 N. Kolb Road, the dinner joint has a regular stream of customers clamoring for its Sgt. Pepper (garlic oil, smoked Mozzarella, roasted Anaheim chiles, house sausage, hot honey drizz, Parmesan, Hatch green chile salt), and more traditional classic Margherita pie.
No. 69: The Parish - Even with the recent loss of its longtime co-owner and Tucson character Travis Peters, The Parish continues to bring the party with its Southern gastropub cuisine, and Louisiana lean. The restaurant is currently prepping for its annual Mardi Gras festival and alligator roast on March 4.
Only one Phoenix restaurant, De Babel, a Middle Eastern eatery in Scottsdale, was tapped for the list, although it ranked much higher at No. 3.
Yelp explained in the story how restaurants were chosen for the list:
"To determine Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in 2025, Yelp’s data science team starts by using the data generated from our community submissions. We considered both the rating and the volume of the reviews, while accounting for the overall restaurant activity in each business’s area. From the candidate restaurants, we narrowed the list down with the expertise of our community managers and Trend Expert to curate a list as quirky, interesting, and unique as the Yelp community itself."
