Yelp is always shining a light on local restaurants and three Tucson spots made its updated list of “Top 100 Places to Eat in the Southwest.” Even better, one of our local treasures took the number one spot for culinary excellence.
Tumerico, owned and operated by Wendy Garcia, who was also nominated as a James Beard semi-finalist this year, is ranked at number one. While crafting the list, Yelp identified businesses in the “restaurants” category, then ranked those spots using a number of factors including the total volume and ratings of reviews.
For more information, visit tumerico.com or lachaiteria.com.
Coming in at number 18 out of 100 is Urban Fresh, which was included in Yelp’s list of “Top 100 Vegan Restaurants” in 2022. The restaurant is located at 73 E. Pennington St. and serves meals that are both affordable and tasty. The crew’s goal is all about providing something that’s really good for the community and something that makes people feel good.
For more information, visit urbanfreshaz.com.
Yelp’s list looked at businesses in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada so it’s a pretty big deal to see local restaurants snag spots in the top 30.

For instance, Barista Del Barrio ranked number 28 and the coffee shop/restaurant totally deserves it. The spot at 1002 N. Grande Ave. has a menu that’s a mix of the classics and the inventive, equally balancing nostalgia and new twists.
Keep up with Barista del Barrio on Facebook.
More than 25 other restaurants in Arizona made the list, too. Much like the weather in the summer, Arizona is cookin’ when it comes to our culinary scene as a whole.
To check out the full list, visit yelp.com.
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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.















