Last weekend I got acquainted with an old friend. And by "old", I mean from the '80's. And by "friend", I mean a diner. Sure. I'm older than Little Anthony's Diner. But I'm not writing a review about myself. Since moving to Phoenix, it's been a while since I set foot back into the '50's. There is a certain charm that only a diner can offer. That charm was also captured by a now mostly defunct diner chain. Yet, Little Anthony's keeps chugging along. An often overlooked piece of that charm, is parked out front. Besides hosting regular car shows, there are always a few classic cars parked near the diner entrance. Love Caddy's and Vette's? They are always on hand. While in Tucson this past weekend, my mom and I dropped in for dinner. She was excited to see the restaurant, because it had been several years since she had eaten at Little Anthony's. The menu includes classic Americana diner fare with a few twists. The twist, being an obvious Chubby Checker reference... Actually, the twist is, they offer several versions of their burger and chicken sandwiches. There are a lot of options to choose from. I chose a tuna melt with "frings" and a root beer shake and my mom enjoyed her chicken sandwich. While the food was pretty good, it wasn't amazing. The atmosphere was lots of fun because of the nostalgia. And honestly, who wouldn't want to find thirteen of their best friends to split a "Wipe Out". Look it up. read more

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I love little Anthony's but I had the worst customer service, Lynn wasn't a very nice person and did not make us feel welcomed at all. I don't see myself coming here as much as I did. Not friendly at all. read more

Of all the diners I've been to in Tucson, this has the most bubble-gum-pop-50's-style feeling that I come to a diner for. The waitresses wear black and pink skirts and chew bubblegum. The booths are bright red vinyl. There's a standard juke box and a small arcade room. They serve standard diner fare, although they break up breakfast, lunch, and dinner, even though most diners serve each all day. My favorite menu item is the mozzarella sticks (deep fried cheese I think is what they call it). Yes, I did take a picture of my order. Most of the food is not as greasy as at Broadway Cafe but tastes just as bad as 5&Diner. They close at 9pm most nights which is very early for a diner and very inconvenient. They're located directly behind the Gaslight Theatre and even have an indoor walkway separating the two, so you don't have to walk in daylight (or nightlight if it's night) to get from the theatre to the diner. Service is slow but not forgetful. Food comes out quickly but drinks are slow to be refilled. read more

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Bubble-gum pop 50's diner complete with girls in poodle skirts and jukebox classics such as Elvis. There are even classic car shows a few times a year in the parking lot. On your birthday, the servers will sing to you, kiss you on the cheeks, and give you a Polaroid which captured the moment. So sit in the red vinyl booths, grab some crayons and get to drawing on the "table cloth" while waiting for some of that greasy goodness we all crave once in a while. Or sit at the Ice Cream Bar with real ice cream shakes, malts, and sundaes. FYI- It is co-joined with the Gaslight Theatre and Grandma Tony's Pizza. read more

Great food, great staff and atmosphere. Would recommend everything on their menu. The gluten-free pizza, very good choose, so many great options, everything cooked to taste! Delicious! read more

This family diner reminiscent of the 50's (allegedly ;-) ). Overall they offer a nice experience, a very extensive menu, clean restaurant, friendly and courtesy staff, a few choices of beers, great pie if you want apple. I could go on and on. It's great for family and kids. Kids get to draw on the tables which are covered in paper. The food is regular diner food, good price, decent quality, decent value. It's kind of hit and miss in getting exactly what you order if you make any changes, deletions, or substitutions. On the bright side, they are glad to substitute extensively without up-charging. One manager I have come across is sorely lacking in service with a smile; her interaction with the staff are oddly unprofessional, unfriendly, and down-right cranky-feeling, but I have seen worse. The other manager I've experienced is more than helpful and happy and very professional. I will actually walk out if the cranky lady is there; it's not my style to feel like I'm just being tolerated when I dine out. I go there often. I like their Recession Buster lunch special. Again, they are more than happy to make the substitutions I prefer and usually get it close enough to right. read more

Little Anthony's Diner - It's an experience. - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

You walk right into 50's nostalgia. Cars, photo opps, decor, and the staff dresses up. All of this make automatic fun for kids & families. Each table gets a sheet of paper & crayons to draw on during your visit. Children also get cute little diner hats they can color & wear. Wonderful to keep the kids busy. The menu is huge. I normally stick to classic burgers or sandwiches. The beef burgers are big. I can't eat more than half of one myself. The turkey burgers are thinner. I prefer the thinner patties. The fries and onion rings are good. Normally, I end up with the fries because the ranch is so good. I also love the pizza. Don't forget about the ice cream! Milkshakes, Malts, Sundays, banana splits and more. I enjoyed all the milkshakes/ malts I have tried. The sundaes they place all the syrup on the bottom. I wish they would do some on the bottom with a bit on top. For instance I ordered a vanilla sundae with caramel topping. All of caramel was on the bottom. So the first half of my Sunday was just vanilla. The bubblegum with gummy bears, cool whip, sprinkles and a cherry. Came out nicely due to no syrup. Overall the diner is cute, nostalgic and fun. Mini arcade included. My main complaint they don't sale coke products. When I think 50's diner, I think a nice cold coke with my burger. They have coke decor so it's a let down. read more

Little Anthony's Diner - Some of the decor they have inside. - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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This place a great atmosphere to enjoy a delicious burger at. I was told to try this place but when I pulled up, I remembered that we have been there before. The burgers and fries are delicious . The chicken wings MMMM DELICIOUS my wife said. read more

Little Anthony's Diner - The hot wings with ranch - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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I want to start by saying that my favorite part about this place is the SERVICE. I have never in my life experienced such friendly and helpful people. Not a single one of the servers failed to give me a smile, it was just incredible. Our server was one of the best I've ever had, and I'm punching myself now for not writing down her name. On to the food, I posted a picture of my bacon/olive pizza. I'm sure the other food is great, but if you've never been here you just have to try a pie! Their pizza is excellent. If you want a fun night for your family on a dime, definitely check out Little Anthony's. I'll be definitely requesting to come back here next time I'm in Tucson. read more

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Good food, great classic rock atmosphere and fast and friendly staff. It's a little hidden and not ADA friendly at first glance. My wife really wanted to try this place so she struggled up the stairs. Later as we were leaving we spotted a ramp but it seemed to lead to the kitchen. If worse comes to worse they do have outside seating. All in all we enjoyed our meal. My only critique would be of my lemon meringue shake. More lemon less graham cracker crust or vanilla wafers. Otherwise, well done. read more

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Came here for Brunch with my Mom today as part of our weekly "lunch date" :) While we both really enjoy the food & our server we both agreed that it looked like the booths hadn't been replaced or even properly repaired since they first opened! About every other booth had either duct tape on them or were very "springy" Needless to say this restaurant is in desperate need of a face lift! read more

Consistentlygood Fair Priced. This is how I would characterize what you can expect at Little Anthony's Diner. We have been customers for years now and always has our experience been good. We enjoy the burgers, the pizza, the fisherman's plate, and the ice cream. We have never had any experience that wasn't stellar. The staff is always friendly. They greet you with a smile and are genuinely happy you are there. You can't go wrong with Little Anthony's Diner. read more

This is getting one-star for cleanliness practices (or the lack thereof). Although charming and a place we truly LOVED to go, the last time we visited we sat at the counter as there were no tables available for 45+ minutes. That is typical - this is a very popular place. While seated behind the counter and awaiting our order we were able to observe the milkshake area and the staff busy preparing all the concoctions for which little Anthony's is famous. Unfortunately for us, the observance was so revolting that I almost did not want to eat my lunch when it arrived. The staff uses the same dirty, nasty towel to wipe counters and surfaces as they do to clean the milkshake appliance. I watched in horror as the towel went through different people and onto different clean-ups" and right back to the stem of the milkshake machine where they inserted yet another container full of ice cream and milk The dirty stem entered the container and began mixing the shake.. It was truly revolting. My one thought is that if THIS is acceptable for viewing by the public - what on earth is happening in the kitchen which is out of sight? The staff wore gloves which they never changed as they touched garbage canisters and the surfaces and of course - the milkshake machine. We will not be back to eat. I hope this review evokes change to the current lackadaisical cleaning/sanitizing practices because it is a really fun place to go. read more

Not happy with the host and how they didn't care to help me and my family. Lady host told me 40 min wait when I walked and so I said ok not a problem and she put my name down and said if anything change she would text me SO 40 mins later I walked in and same lady tells me oh it's going to be ANOTHER 30 mins. I said WHAT you told me 40 mins. She didn't care to help me and my family ! I will never be back and I sure will tell all my friends and family this diner didn't care to accommodate my family !! Very disappointed!!!! read more

While the chrome has lost a little polish in the last 20 years, Little Anthony's remains a Tucson icon for affordable, delicious, Americana with a blast from the past ambiance that can't be beat. The best buys are the kid's all you can eat pancakes on weekends and the World's Smallest Sundae. There's a different special every day and the staff is always friendly and the food is consistent year in and year out. This is the ideal place to bring the kids because there are crayons and paper on every table. The staff is very kid friendly and understand when to ask your kiddo what they want and when to ask mom or dad if it's ok. They're really supportive of spills and fussy kiddos. There are often hula hoop contests and other interactive opportunities. Never ever leave without dessert, they do it right and that small sundae is less than a whole scoop in the tiniest of dishes, so it's totally guilt free and there's always room for it :) Finally, if anything is ever wrong, just let them know. More than just about anywhere else, these guys will go out of their way to make it right. read more

Little Anthony's Diner - It's all festive for the holidays :) - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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I know this is a Tucson favorite but we wouldn't go back. The food is average diner food. The service was good. It's loud and family oriented. read more

A very nice place but a little pricey. Used to frequent there with family before COVID. Glad to here they are offering take-out but I still don't think I'm ready for dine-in to start again. Socially distanced outdoor dining was appreciated. Specials are okay but they have hands down some of the best ice-cream desert selection in Tucson, and their malts are fantastic. read more

What a treasure, Little Anthony's checks all the boxes. Great atmosphere, entertainment and food. Couple this with ample delicious food served to order quickly and correctly. I ordered the CC Rider burger medium rare and that's how it came with a plate load of tater tots that were delightfully light and tasty. We went on a day with a car show in the lot as a added bonus. Although it's a 45 minute drive for me I'll definitely be back. read more

Little Anthony's Diner - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Super. lightning-fast service, generous portions, great kitsch decor and a lovely experience overall. I was given the option of a half-sized malt and that was perfect for my "eyes bigger than stomach" syndrome. Take out containers and flatwear cheerfully provided. Come hungry. read more

This place is fire I would definitely com back no cap especially because the service is on point there the workers are all nice. I love the atmosphere it makes me feel like I'm in a movie scene the set up they got here is cool i love this place if you ever come to Tucson which low key I don't think this place has many tourists and your hungry come here fashoo. read more

I've been here many times. It's one of mine and my family's favorite places to eat. I've had poor service here and there, but a majority of the time, the service is great. Love the vibe and the food. They play trivia games while you dine. Some weekends they have car shows right in their parking lot! read more

This is a them Diner there aren't any rules here but makes yo want to think about a diner in the 50's Unfortunately for them I know what a Diner looks like in the 50's. I lived it. But the Idea is there. no one I knew had Petroleum signs on the wall . But I do remember seeing a large calendar from the Great Northern Railroad. The Menu is in a theme of oldies but goodies. I ordered the "Wild Thing" it comes with fries but I had other choices and got Onion Rings at no extra charge. But there are others that you can order. The Menu is six pages long and include Fountain Service. I think that this Diner is the best as a locally owned and operated. This organization is more than a diner but it's up to you to find out. They do have an auto show once a mont. this has even going o for more than 30 years. read more

Cute,nostalgic resturant with fun decor both outdoors and in. 50s style dining and lots of menu items to choose from. They have burgers,sandwiches,salads, dinner items and specials of the day. They have lots of ice cream options too. They make a really great chocolate malt. The staff was all very friendly and enjoyed the "oldies" music too. It is a bit of an awkward set up since it's attached to the gaslight theater and it's shares a restroom with them but it's a family friendly and fun resturant. read more

Sept. 2013: After hearing Grandma Tony's Pizza won best pizza in Tucson, I had to go give it a try. I ordered a pineapple and olive cheese pizza and I gotta say, it was delicious and prepared to perfection. I still love Renee's the best was this was awfully tasty. A little bonus: I showed my server Little Anthony's website on Facebook, and she docked the cost of the drinks. What a deal! I really like this place and was happy to hear Elvis's banana and peanut butter sandwich is a regular on the menu. Yum. read more

What a cool place to stop by and eat if your in the area or driving through! We got the yellow brick road burger. Macaroni and cheese, nacho cheese, and bacon. It tastes amazing!!! We also got the beauty school drop out shake! Its definitely a shareable dessert! Was also very good! Our server Lynn was amazing as well! Very friendly and helped us out in deciding what to eat on the menu!! read more

A friend and I visited this joint because we just wanted to have a good, chill time without the pressures of modern food trends. Little Anthony's was so great. The staff was fast and friendly and the food, although basic, was basic in a good way. We shared a big plate of chili cheese fries and the chili was delicious. Would recommend! read more

The restaurant is a very cool retro theme dinner from the 50s. The food was good but the service was a miss. We requested a table and were told it would be 5 to 10 minutes. After 5 min i Spoke with the hostess and said thiers 10 empty tables why are we waiting to be seated ? She said oh I thought you wanted a booth. Our waitress was on point with everything she could control. But we waited an hour for a Ruben with onion rings and a chicken sandwich with fries. The kitchen was super backed up and every time I looked up there was at least 10 employees just standing around doing nothing. The food was good but it didn't blow me a away. It seems like a fun place to hang out and fun for family's but if you sit in the restaurant do not come while there's a show on in the theater because apparently they get priority. Over all was a fun experience for a Sunday. I would recommend they cross train thier team members to fill in where needed to provide a better customer experience. the ice cream and shakes look realy good. read more

We always have a great time here. The staff is attentive. We enjoy the American style food here. The blue plate specials are generous (I don't think they call them that). My mom loves the chocolate malts! read more

Coming here for the ice cream.... this place is amazing. My grandparents like to come here whenever they come to visit because they like the milkshakes. The reason why this is not a five star review is because the rest of the food does not equal the ice cream. The rest is typical and basic. Nothing really new, exciting, and executed on a standard of ok. Majority of the servers are nice though wait times can get a little long. The main reasons why I ever eat here is one - my grandparents like it. Two - it serves the food at the Gaslight theater. I like to get munchies while I'm there even though they give you free popcorn. read more

it's been years but i remember not to go back. hot meal was served cold. save yourself grief. do not go. read more

First of all, I love Little Anthony's. It's fun and the food is good. There are a few things I wish they'd address: 1) Overcrowding. The tables are intricately spaced in a Tetris-like arrangement. Getting through the restaurant is hard. Pulling out your chair is hard. Not bumping into other people is hard. Even the table settings are overcrowded. If you're a group of 4, they'll sit you at a table clearly meant for 2. A party of 8, you'll be at a table for 6 and you'll be cramped elbow to elbow. 2) Kids meals. This place has such potential as a kid friendly restaurant. However the kid meals are priced higher ($6) most likely because they are huge portions. No matter the restaurant, whatever you order your kid, they'll only eat 4 bites. I'd love either a smaller portion/smaller price or an a la carte option. Just give my kid a hot dog for $2, no side, and a water. 3) I love their pizza and cheese crisps. I'm dreaming for the day they make a personal size. Pretty please? read more

Fun going to a 50's diner again. Their food is great and so is the entertainment. Great burgers and pizza, shakes and sundaes. This is a great place to go before the gaslight theater show or just for a fun meal. read more

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Walking into this diner was like walking into the '50's. We thought it promised to be a fun evening. But the service was slow and food when served was cold. Our table had a hamburger and onion rings, grilled cheese with fruit and the egg salad sandwich with tater tots. The burger was dry, onion rings cool, grilled cheese was okay, the egg salad was dry and had the consistency of scrambled eggs with the tater tots cold. The manager came to the table and tried to make it right, but we saw him going to other tables to apologize for everything. Must have been an 'off' night for the kitchen staff. read more

Great food and great atmosphere! I truly love coming to this place. It's a fabulous place for special occasions or a simple evening out with a group of friends. All the servers and staff are great. Today I had Vance as my server and he was great. He made several recommendations and even tempted me to try something's that I haven't tried before. Vance is great I'm so pleased that I got to sit in his section. read more

Little Anthony's Diner - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Always loved this place. Pizza shakes and everything about it. Dinner food on menu is diner food but the atmosphere is fun and a great place for the family. Just went back and honestly had one of the best burgers i have ever had. It came with fries and it was on $10. I have paid double that at a gourmet burger places and this was every bit as good. read more

When you first arrive you see the classic cars of yesteryear and nostalgia takes over. Walk in the front door and the old time diner surrounds you while you are pleasantly greeted by the hostess. The breakfast menu is simple and to the point. You will be full when you leave and just as eager to return! The music playing in the background adds the the ambiance of this timeless era. read more

Little Anthony's Diner - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Had a real blast for dinner here tonight! Our waitress was the bee's knees, so on top of things all night... Wish I got her name! She was a mature woman, not hard to miss since it seemed like the rest of the staff were frosted squares. My Daddy-o and I both ordered the Hunk-a-Hunk Burnin' Love Burgers... and made them doubles. Gigantic mistake with the double patties, all puns intended! Only because one patty was so very vast! No Mickey D's floppy patties here. The burgers came out hot and tasty; meat seasoned well, fresh veggies, soft buns. Fries were cooked well too. Daddy-o ordered the king's "All Shook Up" shake. It was boss! Only real food con was the Chili... Chili is so easy to make, why use canned? And if it's not canned, all apologies but it was kind of disgraceful. (Total chili snob in me just spoke). So if you are lookin' for a made in the shade night out I would say Little Anthony is a hip hang to try! Great place for the ankle biters too! read more

Little Anthony's Diner - Leftover Hunk-a-Hunk/double minus the onion ring. So big we shared one! - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Not even joking. The cutest place to eat and really great prices. Kid friendly, the servers are extremely nice and personable, Darius helped us, loved him, just everything about this place was awesome and amazing read more

I see some people posting a lot of negative stuff... I don't get the comment about someone sleeping with the boss to keep her job. Not relevant and shows bad manners. Anyways... I'm always happy with their food; delicious pizza and desserts. Great atmosphere, fun trivia and great waiters and waitresses. My son forgot his water bottle tonight and the waiter came out running to catch us! That hasn't happened in Tucson to us in the 12 years we've lived here. I feel like it's very family-oriented. If you have something that bothers you at the restaurant they will listen if they can fix it. On the flip side, my parents who visited last time didn't like the noise because it was so busy. It does get busy on the weekends. read more

Little Anthony's Diner - Best food and great atmosphere! - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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To start let me tell you, we love Little Anthony's. We live in another town west of Tucson yet we make it in at least once a month. Tuesday we were celebrating my dad's birthday and he wanted to go have ice cream. We were there around late lunch time, 2-3ish. It was packed w/ a waiting line, since we were just there for ice cream we sat at the counter. There were all kinds of mask issues. The main one in the dining room was masks on servers worn only covering the mouth. At the register and behind the counter some of the servers would pull their masks down around their chins, management too. There was only one person wearing a mask in the kitchen. They do provide sanitizer for all, there are bottles on every table, up and down the counter, and at the doors. My issue starts w/ a server named Taylor. She was asked to help make a Big Bopper shake for one of her tables. The person working the counter/ice cream had never made one before and w/ it so busy it was not the time for a lesson. From the moment Taylor was asked she copped attitude about it, huffing and slamming things around. These shakes really do seem to take way too long to make, even if it was slow. There are signs in the prep area, clean as you go this area must be clean at all times. Yes, it was very busy. When Taylor finished she left everything a mess and didn't close or put away any of the ingredients. Exit Taylor, end of that issue. The following is my huge issue... The ingredients are still sitting out on the counter open. One of the servers reaches out as she is walking by a storage container of sugar wafer touches everything on the top layer(at least), grabs a wafer and breaks it in half. She drops the other half back in and walks away. When I saw her do this I immediately said, that's disgusting. The server must not have heard and just kept on going. I asked one of the others behind the counter if they had seen. They said yes but there was nothing they could do about it. I saw this server working tables inside and outside so on top of the regular things they were touching they had to repeatedly handle the door pulls. I also saw her as she walked behind the counter and she did not sanitize her hands. I went up to talk to a manager. Turns out she was a manager. Her name is Lynn. I told her what I saw her do. That it was disgusting that she would place her dirty hands on food to be served. Especially now(again), with Covid numbers rising(again) and the new variant(again). She is directly endangering the customers, a lot who seem older and families. At first she acted like she didn't know what I was talking about. I was 2 feet away with a clear line of sight. She said she was sorry, but seemed surprised and somewhat offended that I found her behavior disgusting. She turned and went into the back. All the ingredients are still sitting out on the counter...five to ten minutes later she comes out, refusing to look at me, and closes the container of sugar wafers and takes it with her to the back. You would think that they seem to share the parking lot w/ a Pima County Health Department office they would be more careful. There were also a couple of off the clock employees holding court at the kitchen end of the counter, despite how busy it was. In the interest of getting it all out, this place has the worst handicap bathrooms. read more