Tucson’s Tumerico vegetarian/vegan Mexican restaurant is the No. 1 place to eat in America, according to Yelp’s just released 2024 Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S.
Three other Tucson restaurants including Tumerico’s Menlo Park sister restaurant La Chaiteria made the list.
The No. 1 finish was a jump for Tumerico chef-owner Wendy Garcia’s 10-year-old restaurant, which last year was No. 8 on the list. Garcia’s La Chaiteria, at 1002 W. Congress St., came in at No. 68.
Also on that list: Buendia Breakfast & Lunch Cafe, at 2530 N. First Ave., was No. 39 while Baja Cafe, with locations at 2970 N. Campbell Ave. and 7002 E. Broadway, landed at No. 50.
The 2-year-old Buendia Breakfast & Lunch Café, owned by Jael and Julio García, was No. 39 on Yelp’s 2024 Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S.
It is the latest national nod for Tumerico, which last May was voted No. 1 on Yelp’s 2023 Top 100 Places to Eat in the Southwest list. Garcia, a 2023 James Beard Award semifinalist, has been in the national spotlight since she was featured on Guy Fieri’s popular “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” in 2018.
“I’m super excited that we get to have Tucson on the map again this year,” Garcia said. “I really feel proud of my employees and the restaurant and representing Tucson.”
The national list was compiled from Yelp users nominating their favorite dining spots, which were then ranked by the total number of submissions. Yelp reviews and ratings also were part of the formula along with geographic representation, according to Ellie Wooten, a Yelp account manager based in Austin, Texas.
This is the first time Baja Café, which was spotlighted on “Man vs. Food” in 2019 and the Canadian show “You Gotta Eat Here” in 2016, has made the Top 100 list while it’s the second time for the 2-year-old family-owned Buendia, which came in at No. 26 on the 2023 list.
“I think it’s awesome anytime we get the opportunity to get our name out there,” Baja Cafe owner Kimberly Scanlan said. “What an honor. We are surrounded by amazing, amazing people here. It’s humbling every single day.”
Line cook Patric Borboa preps multiple orders for eggs at Baja Café.
Other Arizona restaurants on the Top 100 Places to Eat list are De Babel in Scottsdale, No. 14; Worth Takeaway in Mesa, No. 36; No. 52 Cocina Madrigal in Phoenix, which was No. 1 in 2022; and Kingman’s Sirens Cafe & Custom Catering, No. 85.
Watch now: Globe-Miami is known to have some of the best Mexican food in Arizona. Meet the family that owns six restaurants there, and 13 across the state. Video by Ellice Lueders / This Is Tucson
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