*Visiting the Owls Club is an experience... for one it's in a former funeral home. Equally…read moreimportant, stellar drink menu. * Expect a intimate and macabre-ish vibe indoors- pews for seats, long corridors and party vibes outdoors with live music at times *Excellently curated drink menu and even more impressive bartenders who not only makes these drinks from memory but also are able to keep the orders and drinks flowing * Order at the bar and seat yourself indoors or outdoors... it gets busy and so you will need to speak up to get the attention of the very busy bartenders... also speaking up doesn't mean being rude to others also patiently waiting for their drinks *Gets super busy as the night progresses * Tip well and return... too many cool cocktails to not try

Such a cool place! Probably just us but we had a little difficulty in finding The Owls Club but…read moreonce we did, it felt transformative to some degree. Old pews as "booth" seating and several rooms throughout the establishment. It's dark, it gives off old vibes but not in a creepy, musty way despite the place being a former mortuary. But the cocktails, oh the cocktails. These are the kind of cocktails I dream of. And the bartender completely looked like he belonged to a bygone era - cool cat vibes for sure. And he is an expert as mixology.

Ursa reminded me of what cooking the desert can be. Nopal, cactus, squash, rabbit - ingredients…read moredeeply rooted in place and culture. Their pay-what-you-can experience is unlike anything I've encountered, reflecting a genuine commitment to their community. Warm hospitality, conviction in every dish, and storytelling in its most sincere form make Ursa a restaurant well worth experiencing. Huge thanks to June, Emma, DJ, Eric, Mika, and of course Chef Aaron.

My review is from the perspective of my pay-what-you-wish experience. Also as someone who's…read moreinterested in nature and trying new edible plants. I enjoy some challenging textures and flavors for the sake of experiences. What I tried over 2.5 hours: -Nixtamalized Barrel cactus fruit aged in ash with chiltepin jam and chiltepin leaves preserved in vinegar. I liked it- sweet and smokey. The barrel fruit was a tad fibrous. -Refried tepary beans with wolfberry and a green powder of globe mellow salsa verde. The powder was tart and yummy. The tepary beans tasted fairly simple. The dried cactus was nice- reminded me of kale chips. The tortillas of my friend's omni menu were very soft and pliable. -Yakitori: Barrel cactus fruit with candied Tohono O'odham Ha:l Squash,mesquite tare and marinated cholla buds reduction from last year's cholla, topped with jojoba seeds. This was a fave. -Maitake with corn rib and desert botanical bonchons. I thought the name might have referred to Banchan, the small Korean side plates of kimchi etc since there was kimchi in one of the bites on the plate but it was spelled Bonchon, "my hometown" in Korean. The heirloom corn vegemite bite was umami as expected. The snail shaped amaranth leaves white kimchi bite was tart, bold and delicious. The corn rib bite was topped with pickled yucca bud pieces on top- I loved getting to try that and loved the flavor and texture of it. A sunflower head "brisket" bite was really interesting and I enjoyed the brisket flavoring that was achieved here. The texture felt fitting for it too and it seemed clever. Likely a challenging bite for some with the flower flavors and texture in the end. The amaranth dumpling bite was filled with something else made from amaranth I didn't catch. The last bite of this plate was the Maitake mushroom with palo verde- delish. -Raw Nopal with preserved amaranth pico de gallo with agave pulque -blackened agave frozen granita with pico de gallo and pressed coriander ironwood emulsion. Vinegary and refreshing- Big hit. -Kaiseki: cactus bud, three sisters stew, cowpea and ironwood blossom. We were also given a complimentary Non- Alcoholic beverage with it: a chilled palo verde Pu-erh fermented tea. It had a light fizzy feel. LOVED the drink and it balanced the saltiness of the stew. The broth that the waiter added to the stew at the table was overly salted but the stew was good and was more filling than the other dishes so far. I liked the meaty texture of the ironwood flower. This course came with a tostada topped with refried tepary beans and prickly pear tunas and with young cactus in salt bush emulsion. -Wolfberry sorbet- served beautifully. Very sweet and single note.The waiter said the wolfberries on top were pickled and I wish I tasted pickled flavor because it would have provided balance. I tried my companions roasted Huuñ Ga'i sherbet with kombucha soaked corn and preserved amaranth flowers and enjoyed it more than the wolfberry sorbet. -Wildflowers-Cactus sorbet with frosted amaranth leaves and cactus marmalade. I would have enjoyed it more if it didn't come right after the overly sweet wolfberry sorbet. It was more balanced but I really was sweetened-out. It had some medicinal notes but was interesting. I liked the cactus marmalade pieces. I like the leaves that were super crispy but some were heavily frosted with sugar. I LOVED my companion's Wildflowers dessert. It was a warm miso cake with mesquite, brittlebush curd and cactus marmalade.The mesquite really came through here wonderfully. -Pimachata: Candied squash and aerated squash. Was craving something savory now but luckily this one was less sweet and more balanced. My companion seemed to enjoy her goat cheese ice cream. With the check, came two sticks with mesquite gummies.I love mesquite but this again was a tad too sweet now. The least positive part for me was the service. I was surprised that a place with a focus of introducing people to food of the desert they might not know about would not have the servers engage when someone seems very interested, like me. No written menu/ description was given during the meal and I tried my best to write down notes as the waiter was listing the descriptions extremely quickly in a rehearsed way without engaging with us and without slowing down much when asked. I asked for an extra note card and he gave me a blank receipt. The most confusing part was that they ended up bringing us a printed menu with the dishes listed when we finished the full meal. We were so flabbergasted as to why he wouldn't mention it was coming when I was writing notes or even better provided it at the start. It felt that the servers were very focused on doing a rehearsed part instead of engaging meaningfully. I was very happy with my pay-what- you-wish experience and I experienced all of this like art viewing. So cool getting to try so many local desert plants!

Good music, great drinks, and a cute atmosphere with inside and outside dance floors!read more

Was there for the music . The cocktail were good but not any special. But still had a good time…read more Service was a little scattered,like who taking care of that side of the bar.

Came for queer fem karaoke night! So much fun. Packed. Well organized event…read more The event space is cool. Dark. Red. Patio area. The one downfall was only having one bar tender. She worked so so hard and the drinks were great but she could have used the help. The lines were long. All the drinks were good. Beers on tap. LGBTQ welcoming!

Super-cute little bar that has special events and live music from time-to-time. Friendly employees,…read morea lovely little outdoor area and a small upstairs area. It's tiny so just know that before visiting. It's conveniently located downtown so it's a great place to dash into for a drink, and if there's good music playing there's never been a cover that I've experienced so you can just sit there and enjoy. There are drink specials and sometimes event-themed drinks to go along with whatever is happening that evening.

She wanted a crafty drink to pregame before a concert at the Fox so we popped in here around 7p…read moreSaturday. There was only one other couple and they left about 15 min later leaving us as their lone patrons until 7:45p - just like I scripted ;) We got their Select Old Fashioned ($15) and it was terrific - smooth and not too sweet (Maple syrup is the source). The ambiance of this narrow wood/brick venue is dark, warm, cozy. And with super high ceilings, doesn't feel tight - or perhaps that was facilitated by the absence of patrons? The minor negatives: The two staff were unengaging and there aren't a lot of appetizers or cocktails to choose from, but as a whisky bar, that may be deliberate.

This is such a cool spot to have a cocktail. Super intimate, a million whiskey and bourbon options,…read morewith a vibe that's unmatched!

We decided to try this spot during a visit to Tucson since we were craving something sweet after…read morelunch. The server was friendly and the ice cream wasn't bad but it wasn't something that blew me away. Also we had initially wanted an affogato but the espresso machine was down. This review is solely based on the ice cream though I do think the interior looked fun/elegant to dine in and try food. I would be interested in giving this spot a try for the food and drinks.

Dining here was a great experience for a first time in downtown Tuscon…read more The food, cocktails, atmosphere, and service were fantastic. The Prime Rib fries were piled high and tasted great. The Buffalo wings were cooked just like I like them...extra crispy. I asked for the Buffalo sauce to be on the side. The wings aren't seasoned so the flavor is all in the sauce. Seated by the window made a fun time people watching as we enjoyed the downtown view. This place is more spacious than I anticipated. The bar area is sectioned off from the main dining area so there is plenty of seating. My waiter Robert was really awesome. Took great care of me and my sister's dining needs. He suggested dessert but we were too full to try any. So he suggested to sample some of their ice cream before leaving I went over to the ice cream shop which is right at the entry/exit door. I waited but no one came over to sample. After a few mins of waiting, I left and will have to try the ice cream next time.

I came here yesterday for their final wine tasting of the summer. They will restart them after the…read moresummer ends. It was a free wine tasting provided by A. Torano (who has a tasting room in town) and free charcuterie items provided by Maynard's. Both were great. I love that they have a cured beef option. This is rare. Most charcuterie boards only have pork. I also ordered about aperol spritz and really like it.

Wow! I was blown away. New American is my favorite cuisine and Cup Cafe does not disappoint…read more I ordered the salmon caprese which was INCREDIBLE. Our waiter Keith gave a great recommendation. He said it was his favorite and I can see why. The salmon and asparagus were perfectly cooked. The Parmesan risotto was slight under and crunchy but the flavor was so good I didn't mind. My other two friends ordered the fish n chips and the tofu curry dish on the menu. I was pleasantly surprised that both of their dishes were good also. I took home a slice of the Bailey's chocolate mousse which was amazing. I got it last week and it was slightly different but still very good and I think I liked it even more this week. There were two things that were out so I will have to try them another time. I was still happy with what I got and would definitely come back!

My favorite meal during our most recent trip to Tucson! And very dog friendly!!!…read more Big dog approved: We came with our large dog, and were able to sit with him on the patio. We came during May, when it starts to get warm, but he did well since there is a good amount of shade out on their patio and they provided a nice big water bowl for our special boy. The staff also were kind enough to move one of our chairs out of the way so our dog had lots of room to lay down. Staff were all very kind and never seemed annoyed with the dog (you can always tell at a restaurant if they are, and they were very happy to accommodate him). Very dog friendly!! The food: We gotta talk about their French onion soup. It was pretty dang delicious! The broth itself is quite nice, a nice cheese portion, and the baguette was divine. I also had their French Connection sandwich (with a side of fries), and it had a great combo of ooey, gooey cheese, firm and flavorful ham, and served on a really delicious loaf. Really solid fries, too. We didn't end up getting any drinks but saw several people ordering yummy looking bites. If (but likely when) we come back to Tucson, I'm making a point to return to Cup Cafe!