Welcome Diner
| Address: | 902 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA |
| Phone: | +1 520-622-5100 |
| Site: | welcomediner.net |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 9AM–12AM 9AM–12AM 9AM–12AM 9AM–12AM 9AM–2AM 9AM–2AM 9AM–12AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 6
MI
Mike Cruz
Let me tell you about the Welcome Diner: if this place hasnt won an award as Tucsons Best New Restaurant, we are living in the dimension of the Walking Dead. Service was great (our wait person, Triana, not only had the niftiest name in Tucson, she had the knowledge, know how and smile to make her the niftiest person in all of Pima County!) I had the Jackfruit Po boy with brussels sprouts. I honestly dont know which was better, the sprouts or the sandwich. The sprouts were definitely charred first to bring out that flavor, then sauteed in olive oil. If that doesnt demonstrate confidence in the back of the house, I dont know what does frankly. The Po Boy couldnt have been better even if I had eaten one in NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana.) The bread was pillowy soft, the shredded beef was very tender, possibly braised for 4 hours or longer. The flavors were richly vibrant....I couldnt get enough! The desert was a beautiful lemon curd pie with a blackberry compote and I believe a pistachio garnish to tamp down that sweetness. Gotta tell you, Im not a fan of lemon curd but I could have eaten that desert literally forever and ever and ever...well you get the picture. The restaurant is immaculate, I mean, it looks like you could eat breakfast off the floor. Big, wide, open spaces! I remember when the Hub opened with its fanfare and hip feel to it. Welcome Diner has similar fanfare and is probably twice as hip!! Do no not pass up an opportunity to enjoy the food, the welcoming staff and the streamlined immaculate decor!
TH
TheBenjaminValentine
Welcome Diner is a fun little place right on the way out of Downtown, and very near the campus. Their passion for food is obvious, they take their menu and ingredients very seriously, challenging themselves to make new and delicious flavours which rotate regularly. Their options seem somewhat limited on their one-page menu, but if you take a moment to read it over, youll see vegan options (which, and Im amazed to even consider saying this, are all delicious), gluten-free, and interesting sides. The more cost-conscious diner might find the place a bit spendy (most menu items are served a la carte) but for its quality and location, the prices are more than reasonable. They have a full liquor menu, with creative drinks and twists on classics, and are open until 2 A.M., which makes it a great place to end your trip on a night out, but they are also open for breakfast at 9 A.M. The atmosphere may put some off, as it is unapologetically hipster, with the staff and managers all dressed in their street clothes, and most sporting beards. It can make telling the crew from the customers slightly challenging, but it also affords a very casual and homestyle attitude to the restaurant. All in all, the Welcome Diner is a great addition to the Tucson scene, which gives an unpretentious venue to experience cutting-edge cuisine and locally-sourced produce. I heartily recommend it to the diner who appreciates a fun experience and doesnt worry about formality, but who craves great modern food made by people who love what they do.
MO
Monique MQ
This place immediately reminded me The Grill that used to be on Congress, downtown. Anyway, I loved that they kept the old Chaffins exterior and made subtle changes to the interior. To begin, the exterior is nicely landscaped and they even have an L-shaped wood bench, under the palm tree near the front door. Upon walking in you see sky blue booths and bar stools, unique candles and an alcoholic bar (see pics for details). The walls are white with a few simple framed pictures including the 2 hilariously odd ones outside of the restrooms. You can see the kitchen that its situated behind the bar seating. The service: Our service was great. There were 2 people that waited on a row of booths & from my observations there was never anyone waiting. The food: Their menu is unique in that it offers breakfast and lunch, non-alcoholic, alcoholic (beer, wine and liquor/cocktails). I describe the food as slightly Cajun inspired. My dad & I ordered a Welcome Breakfast (2 eggs, hashbrowns & a delucious homemade biscuit). I added two thick pieces of bacon and my dad added andouille. Andouille is a cajun inspired smoked sausage with a slight kick to it but nothing too overpowering. Needless to say, our meals were great. Water was serviced in a mason jar & was ice cold. Parking: It is located just East of downtown of Broadway, off of Euclid. It has am ample free parking lot with spots in the shade.
CR
Crystal Higdon
Let me start with the positive: the food! Although pricey, the food was delicious, authentic, and good portions. I was very pleased with the taste of everything and even my kids enjoyed their meals. The negative: waits time and service. We went at lunch on a Sunday, so I expected to wait, not a huge deal. Once we finally got seated, it was several minutes before the waiter came over to offer us water. We waited several more minutes for him to come back to take our order. He was not friendly or attentive. We then waited way to long for our food to come out. By the time we were seated the lunch crowd was starting to die down so we were not sure why it took another 30-40 minutes for our food to arrive. ( after waiting 35 minutes to be seated) During the time we were waiting on our food, our water barely checked on us or offered water refills. Finally after 25 minutes or so he randomly brought us a bowl of granola as an apology for how long it was taking for our food. The entire wait time was just... awkward. The saving grace was the food was tasty! I dont know if I would go back again though for the price and service.
JA
Jason Pedersen
This was my first visit to Welcome Diner after Chaffins left. The new owners certainly cleaned the place up, but the atmosphere is somewhat lacking in all departments. The booths and color scheme is nice, but there is a severe lack of decor and personality. The staff were nice, but could have been more attentive, coffee refills came at the end of the meal and we werent asked how things were till fairly long after getting our food. As far as the food goes, it was quite bland. Eggs Benedict should be rather flavorful, and even with bacon was missing the point by a wide margin. Everything was well prepared and cooked to order, but could have used some more seasoning overall. This could be a great place, and indeed is primed to be with some improvements in taste and ambiance. I feel like in the land of "hip and new" you have to really push yourself to shine among all the other "hip and new" brunch joints and Welcome Diner just misses the point.
ST
Steven Cloutier
Was actually intending to go to a different place for brunch on a Sunday but the 4th Ave Street Fair made me change my mind to this place. At about 10am on a Sunday there was about a 25 minute wait (accurate) but they offer Presta coffee for waiting customers, awesome! My wife and I were seated at the counter and served by the bartender, Jeff, who was incredibly friendly and positive, great service. I had the french omelette, which is served with a couple of pieces of amazing Time Market bread and my wife had the El Birote sandwich/torta thing. Both were excellent, reasonably priced and filling. Overall, we had great service, great food, and for the quality of the food, a fair price. I would certainly recommend if youre not in a rush!
