Welcome Diner, a local favorite, offers colorful cuisine, vintage-meets-modern style and an inviting staff, which is no wonder why the diner is quickly becoming a Tucson hot-spot.

The Tucson diner is the second location for the Welcome Diner, with the original based in Phoenix. 

“The Diner features the California birthed Googie architecture of Mr. Ronald Bergquist.  It expresses a modernism and optimism straight outta 1964, the year the diner was built,” according to the diner’s website.

Welcome Diner is located in the former Chaffin’s building, which underwent remodeling in 2016 when it was bought and has been in operation since.  

“The restaurant has a really cool appeal and aesthetic; it’s a perfect mix of retro and modern,” said Joseph Felix, a Welcome Diner regular. “The building has a classic feel but updated and modern to the times.”

It is also located in a prime Tucson location, near the Broadway Boulevard underpass that connects the road to downtown. 

RELATED: New Canadian board game café coming to University Boulevard

“As a college student, I’m always near campus or downtown,” Felix said. “The restaurant is in a really good location where my friends, and I like to come and eat or even study at. It is in a great area of town for students but also people who are wanting something to eat while downtown.”

When it comes to dining, the menu features a wide variety of cuisine from classic breakfast diner food, such as biscuits and gravy, short-rib chilaquiles and a vegan Tikki burger that includes a spiced potato patty. The menu is sure to appeal to a wide array of tastes. If comfort food is your thing, you’ve come to the right place.

One featured item on its menu, the “No Way Jose” burger, is a favorite to customer Angel Soto.

“I think they have one of the best burgers in Tucson. They have different types of burgers that they serve and they all are really good, but the best has to be the ‘No Way Jose’ burger,” Soto said. “But you really can’t go wrong with anything you order from their menu if burgers aren’t what you like.”

The restaurant prides themselves on obtaining high-quality and fresh ingredients from local sources, with their catalog of purveyors listed publicly on their website. 

RELATED:  Local Fourth Avenue businesses cope with downtown changes

“It’s pretty cool to know that the restaurant really cares about what they are serving, by starting with making sure they are getting only the best local ingredients,” Soto said. “Not only with the food but also the drinks they create as well are made with so much detail.”

The diner also serves a wide range of beverages, sure to satisfy whatever you’re in the mood for. Some drinks served range from corn lemonade, kombucha, Jarrito’s grapefruit juice and hibiscus honey iced tea.

If you’re looking for something that packs more of a punch, be sure to check out the diner’s specialty spirits menu. The diner also offers daily drink specials throughout the week.

“Anytime we come to eat here, we always get a mixed drink or beer to go with our food,” Soto said. “The micheladas I’ve had here have been really tasty especially.” 

Welcome Diner is currently open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Follow Desiree on Twitter