Free Entry, New Breakfast Menu, Dog Friendly Patio at Cafe Botanica

If you’re looking to beat the heat, the Tucson Botanical Gardens is now open at 6:30am on Saturdays and Sundays, with early birds getting in for free until 7:30am.

This is the perfect opportunity to try the cafe’s new summer menu, which includes fresh breakfast dishes.

Breakfast options include:

• Banana Walnut French Toast Strata – Served with maple syrup and seasonal fresh fruits
• Botánica Benedict – Herbed biscuit, mesquite smoked pork tenderloin, two garden eggs, ripe tomato and lime hollandaise
• House-made Currant and Cardamom Scones – Served with butter and Cherie’s Red Lime Marmalade

You can even bring man’s best friend (of the canine variety). Dogs are welcome in the Gardens, and the Cafe Botánica bakers have made special biscuits for your pups to enjoy (if they’re still hungry after someone sneaks them a few bites under the table, anyway).

If you aren’t an early riser, the cafe also features BYOB between 8am and 2pm. No, it’s not a day drinking special. It stands for Build Your Own Burger, served with either a fresh side salad, a cup of soup or sweet potato chips.

Vegetarians and vegans can also enjoy a Botánica Summer Burger with a grilled portabella option.

• The “Bun” – Traditional handmade herbed hamburger bun
• The “Meat” – Herbed double chuck ground beef, aged cheddar-stuffed ground beef or marinated grilled portabella
• The “Fixins” – Greens, tomato, red onion, and grilled scallions, poblanos, and jalepeños
• Sauces – Chipotle mayonnaise, sage mayonnaise, cilantro pesto, mustard, ketchup, nopalito salsa

If you prefer to wait for sundown to venture out during Tucson’s summer, Cafe Botánica offers a special three-course menu every Thursday from 5-9pm.

For only $20 per person, “Twilight Thursdays” will feature a new menu each week and complimentary admission to the Gardens with a confirmed reservation. Desserts and summer beverages are available at regular cost, or guests can bring their own wine to enjoy.

For more information, visit tucsonbotanical.org.