usually you expect tourist attractions' food to be overpriced and mid, but the cheeseburger ($16.50) was pretty good. the fries were crispy and generous. the patty was a little hard but everything else was decent read more

Ironwood Terraces - cheeseburger - New American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Went to the Desert Museum needed lunch. Originally wanted to try the restaurant, but it was closed with no hours posted. This is a cafeteria style setup, but better. I ordered the street tacos. You tell the server the tortilla style (i.e. flour/corn), what protein (pork), cheese, type of salsa (tomatillo) , pickled onions, and a side of black beans and rice. Very tasty. I had to ask for the type of proteins as it is not displayed anywhere, strange. I walked to the register and there was no cashier. Had to wait for a bit. Turns out she was talking with another employee near the trash can. It was not a work related discussion. read more

Ironwood Terraces - Pork street tacos - New American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

For being a cafe in a museum it does everything it should do. The food is made quick, tastes great, and the people making it were friendly. There was ample seating both indoor and outdoor with shaded options. Another unorthodox Christmas dinner for me, but a great experience nonetheless. read more

A captive crowd, a captive meal, With soggy tacos, zero zeal. It felt like lunch in middle school-- Overpriced and far from cool. The bathroom grungy, the vibe was dead, Apathy served with fries and bread. You'd think with guests from far and wide, They'd show some care--or at least some pride. It's clear no one gives a damn. I should've just packed a can of spam. read more

After spending all morning at the AZ Desert Museum, we shared some lunch at Ironwood Terraces located in the park. My wife and I shared a grilled cheese sandwich and fries basket. The food was alright. The service was slow, but they were very busy. Not a whole lot of ambiance with the place filled with people and lots of noisy children. read more

We had so much fun at the museum that we needed to grab some lunch. There was this really great sandwich with pulled pork, refried beans, avocado, cheese and seasoning. It was so good I've been craving it ever since. Yum. The only downside was the avocado was under ripe. It was crunchy which wasn't appetizing. The fries were perfect as well, they hit the spot. read more

Ironwood Terraces - a sandwich and french fries in a styrofoam container - New American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Is good, it's fine. If you want more of a "fast food" type fair when you are here at the Sonoran Desert Museum, prices are pretty reasonable for a park and the quality of the food is good. I had the street tacos and the nachos grande. They certainly pile on the food. Others in my group were satisfied with their food. I would plan your walk in the desert to go counter-clockwise so that you end up near the restaurant around lunchtime. I also would get there before the lunch rush as the line can go out the door. As a patron of this museum, I would give them a definite recommendation to eat there. There is something to satisfy every member of your family. 5* = A top favorite. Mind-blowing good. I will definitely return and I will go out of my way to go here. Worth every dime of my money. 4* = Outstanding. Tucson-top-tier. Some elements not quite as good as it gets, but it still is worthy of my regular business. 3* = Good experience. I might do repeat business if it is convenient, the only option, the only one in its category, or on a whim, but would not be among the first thing to come to mind. Would definitely recommend you trying it to get your own take on it. 2* = Not so good. Would not recommend at all. Waste of money. 1* = How are they still in business? Stay away at all costs! read more

All good service: food and cafeteria ambiance.. we did SW. bowls on green s bed. Good low carb choice s. Very tasty.. staff were fri read more

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Had lunch here yesterday... it's 100% perfectly acceptable fast casual food in a cafeteria-esque format. The staff was friendly, truly seemed to care about what they were doing. The kids will love it read more

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The Totopo bowl was absolutely terrible. Zero flavor, canned beans, plain white cold rice (not cilantro lime as advertised). Paid $35 for 2 bowels we didn't eat and went straight to the trash. Please stop selling this bowl. read more

This multi-station food court was pretty good....for a museum/zoo. Yes, the burgers are frozen discs, no big deal. Fries are okay too. Probably your best options are from their Mexican menu (focused on tamales and tacos). They do have a kids menu ( for both the Burgers and Mexican food stations ) Tip - if you buy a large drink in a souvenir cup you get free refills all day. NOTE - There is also a sit down restaurant in this same dining area. However this food court might be a good alternative. read more

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Greasy fast food at premium pricing. It's the only place to eat as their other restaurant nobody seems to know the operating hours or if it's open - super odd. I'm talking staff btw. Here at this place, you'll find fast food options including lots of fried foods with very long lines, not the cleanest of kitchens and premium prices. $14 for a sandwich or quesadilla. No thanks. As I had no other options, I ate here and regretted it to be quite frank. Plan ahead and dine before or after if you are wise. read more

Conveniently located at the museum as the fast casual option, this spot has nice indoor and outdoor seating. However the food itself is bland and definitely lacking in any green or fresh options. To add, it's pricey for this lack of quality because no outside food or drink is allowed in the museum. read more

Although this location is not going to give you the best lunch in Tucson, it is still a quick and cool (air-conditioned!) lunch option that should be considered when visiting the museum. Reading reviews made me unsure about this eatery because if the noise level and strange order system/communication issues. The order and pick up process was very clear to me, however, and the noise level did not cause any difficulty with hearing others around me. For food options, I would recommend he Baja bowl or the hamburger. Avoid the black bean burger... it was charred on the outside and lacked flavor. The fries also lacked flavor, but the texture was satisfying. The food has lots of room for improvement, but it's still a cool place to refuel before finishing up your time at the museum. read more

Our first sit down, get a snack and enjoy the air conditioning rest stop on our Desert Museum adventure today! The Ironwood Terraces is lovely and a little tucked away in the corner of the museum so it's not usually over crowded. It's a cafeteria style restaurant with lots of options from burgers and fries to salads and grilled fish. Don't bother trying to find any obvious lines- just figure out what you want and go to that counter. Today our party was just looking for drinks and ice cream. We decided to invest in the Desert Museum plastic cup - they are $3 -$4 depending on which design you pic (there are two different cups to choose from and they hold about 20-24 ounces each.) The best part is you get free refills "for the life of the cup!" Several Desert Museum employees mentioned the program to us, so we had to check it out. Sure enough, every time we stopped at a restaurant, cafe or even the coffee bar while inside the Desert Museum, we were able to get a free refill (fountain drink or iced tea,) with our new magic cups. As we left, we were encouraged to bring our cups again next time too! What a deal! I guess they really really want to encourage hydration here! The Terraces dining area is great - it was hot so we sat inside today. The views of the surrounding museum desert gardens are still beautiful and the overhead ceiling fans circulating the A/C on a 90 degree day in Tucson like today, felt marvelous to this Seattle girl! 3 stars for grill/cafeteria dining, 4 stars for friendly and excellent customer service and 5 stars all the way for ambience, whimsy (metal insect art... look up in the dining room,) and absolutely breathtaking Sonoran Desert beauty! read more

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Everyone knows that zoos and museums aren't supposed to have good food. It has something to do with the fact that you have no other options. Food wise, you are generally as stuck as the animals. The Desert Museum releases you from your zoo food prison. We celebrated our time in the wild with burgers, tacos, and loaded fries. All were awesome, and all let us know what zoo food could taste like if a zoo wanted to make good food. Reid Park Zoo, the gauntet has been thrown. read more

For what it is the food is good. They cook to order and the chicken sandwiches and burgers are always good. They have several healthy options too! read more

Ironwood Terraces - Great outdoor seating. - New American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Watch your bank account for duplicate charges! I bought a coffee there 3/23, they charged me that money. Then, in the month of April, I wasn't even in Tucson, and they charged me the same amount again on my card. Contacted bank manager and emailed the desert sonoran museum. Its disappointing. read more

We should have walked away. Bad mistake. Asked the cook if I could get a burger rare. He slapped a fresh patty down on the grill, evidently unhappy he couldn't give me one of the ones sitting there already cooked. He passive aggressively moved it to a cooler part of the grill, rather than searing the outside and leaving the inside rare. I practically had to arm wrestle him to get him to take it off the grill. He snorted, "I can't give it to you like that!" and went to talk to his manager in the back, who probably said, "Give it to her if that's the way she wants it.". And then it was tasteless. Should have gone to the Ocatillo Grill, which is a sit down restaurant. We were too tired, hungry and thirsty to think it through. read more

This restaurant is one of the eating options at the Desert Museum. Their outdoor patio is one of my favorite places to eat in Tucson. After a few fun but hot and dusty hours of looking at snakes and mountain lions, foxes, dragon flies and those majorly poser bighorn sheep ( they are proud of their handsome appearance with good reason!) it is amazing and wonderful to set youself up with a big cool drink, a wonderful gorgeous green chili cheese burger or a tamale plate with nopales and desert guava salad at the Ironwood Terraces. When you enter, there is a big somewhat confusing space, more so if it's crowded. There aren't any designated lines, so you basically have to get up to the front and tell the cook what you want. Anything from the grill is awesome. The onion rings and cheeseburgers are delicious. I haven't tried the other foods, but I hear the wraps are decent too. It's a bit of a wait, but that's because your grill cook is cooking to order, and its going to taste fresh and grilly and good. the place is a bit overpriced, but it's a captive audience. There are even kid's meals that come with activities and coloring stuff on the bag. I don't expect a museum cafe to ever be cheap. But then again, I usually don't expect the food to be very good either, and this one IS! There is an inside eating area that is cavernous and loud, but for some reason most people don't notice the enormous doors that lead to the patios. For me this is a good thing. Once outside you'll find a huge covered patio space with numerous terraces, amazing views and quiet. It's so lovely I could live out there. With the roofed terraces, walls that divide the space into several roomy spaces ( one with fascinating photos of the museum when it first began) and different levels, it feels like a very pleasant patio at somone's fancy foothills home.. After you've enjoyed the space and your food, it's a quick walk to the hummingbird aviary, that you can enjoy thoroughly and peacefully because your belly is full and happy. read more

The cafeteria at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum was recently taken over by a new service contractor, and I regret to say that the results are extremely disappointing. The new menu offers many fewer options most notably in salads: no more Dorado Fish or Desert Cobb. One of my dining companions was dismayed to find slimy, rotting leaves in her mixed salad greens. The sandwiches, burgers, and pizzas are of much lower quality. The serving sizes are much smaller than before, and the prices are higher. The free-to-members coffee and iced tea are now only served in the Phoebe's Cafe near the museum entrance. Re-fillable souvenir cups no longer come with bottomless free re-fills. I cannot in good conscience recommend this experience to anyone. Much better to bring a lunch from home and use the well-appointed picnic area next door. read more

Good food & great service. Loved the avocado Reuben and the Cuban carnitas sandwich. We were pleasantly surprised as we knew the museums excellent reputation but hadn't heard about the restaurant. Shelly was our waitress & her great attitude really made for a great experience. Lovely ambiance! read more