It’s a garden party and your four-legged canines are invited, too.
Café Botanica, located inside the Tucson Botanical Gardens is offering a new menu for you and your dog from 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. until Sunday, September 30.
The menu was crafted and inspired by the culinary traditions of the Sonoran desert and the high-desert of northern New Mexico.
In order to dine at Café Botanica, you must pay the Tucson Botanical Gardens’ admission or be a current member.
If your dog’s itching to get out of the house and try their special menu, you can bring your pooch in for $3 a day and $10 for any additional dog.
Daily admission is $15 for adults, $8 for children, and anyone under three years old is free. Members can also get in for free.
Dog Days of Summer Menu
- Sweet Corn Bread Strata – mix of challa and corn bread, with custard, maple syrup, and fresh fruit ($13)
- Famous Gallery Granola – seasonal fruits and organic vanilla yogurt ($11.50)
- Huevos Rancheros – corn sopes topped with tepary beans, poached eggs, house-made ancho chile sauce, queso frescho, and escabeche ($13)
- Botanica Benedict – house-made buiscit with smoke pork tenderloin, tomatoes, poached eggs, and tomatillo crema ($15)
- Composed Greens – seasonal fruits, seeds, and vegetables ($14)
- Bowl of Soup – rotating selection served a house-made roll ($8)
- Apricot Glazed Chicken – with a bed of carrot crema and a seasonal green salad ($15)
- Corn Pudding – with rajas, tomatillo crema, and a seasonal green salad ($14)
- Hummus Board – with pita chips and their Sonoran take on a traditional Greek salad ($15)
- Café Botanica Hamburger – with fried sweet potatoes ($15)
Doggie Menu
- Hand-made Dog Biscuit – made with sweet potato, coconut, house-rendered lard, and fresh parsley ($2.50)
- The Double Check Hamburger – classic hamburger with an option to add a raw or cooked free-range egg ($7) ($2 extra for an egg)
- Chicken and Rice – Jasmine rice with chicken and its liver, gizzzard, and kidneys ($7) ($2 extra for an egg)
You can also make the memories permanent with a dog portrait for $10 a pose, or $15 for two poses, at 7:30 – 9:30 a.m. from Thursday, June 28 – Thursday, August 23.
Café Botanica is located inside Tucson Botanical Gardens at 2150 N. Alvernon Way. For more Dog Days of Summer information, visit tucsonbotanical.org.
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Article written by:

Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.














