The Arizona Daily Star’s Breakfast Madness battle is over. Twenty-four hour Triple T Truck Stop diner, Omar’s Hi-Way Chef Restaurant, took first place according to Star readers.
The competition, which began with 32 restaurants in late July, also included hot spots Prep & Pastry, the Cup Cafe, Baja Cafe, Ghini’s, Blue Willow, Mother Hubbard’s, and many more.
In the end it all came down to Cindy Lou’s Cafe and Omar’s. According to the Star, Omar’s put in the extra effort to nab the gold:
The restaurant, located off of exit 268 (Craycroft Road) on Interstate 10, called on its army of loyal customers, its friends, employees and even people just passing through town, to help clinch the win.
Decorative fliers were placed at every booth and table. Waitresses walked around the bustling front coffee shop and back dining room with iPads, asking for support. Customers were often greeted with reminders at the end of their meals to go all in for Omar’s.
“We had waitresses that were still pushing for votes at 9 p.m. on Sunday night,” said manager and restaurant namesake Omar Ramirez. “It was a lot of hard work.”
Unfortunately for Cindy Lou’s, an electrical fire forced an early, indefinite closure. Whether they could have competed against Omar’s all-or-nothing strategy, however, we’ll never know.
If you haven’t been to Omar’s, it really is worth a visit. As one of the best examples of a classic diner in Tucson (yes, Pulp Fiction-worthy), Tucson native Omar Ramirez was named Chef of the Year by the Southern Arizona Chef’s Association in 1998. The restaurant has been featured on the Food Network‘s Top 5 episode, 18 Wheel Meals as the Number 2 truck stop in the country. Although, it might be debatable how beneficial it is to associate “Number 2” with a truck stop diner.
For more information check out the Star’s Breakfast Madness competition. For more information about Omar’s Hi Way Chef Restaurant, check them out online at http://www.omarshiwaychef.com/.
