TallBoys, now open, is one of the newest restaurants on Tucson’s Fourth Avenue. The family-owned diner sits in the space formerly occupied by Pancho Villa’s Grill and serves up cuisine made with with fresh, local ingredients from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. every day.
The name of the eatery comes from its fully-stocked bar featuring a huge selection of 24-ounce beers. There are over 50 different types of tallboys available ranging from $3 to $7, including locally-brewed craft beers as well as classic favorites.
RELATED: Amy’s Donuts makes a sweet arrival in Tucson
The staff is currently in the process of creating daily bar specials, but TallBoys’ current summer drink bargain includes the michelada, a tallboy and a shot of liquor for just $7. Additionally, their unique specialty cocktails range from $5 to $8. Bartender Deborah Handley said the five unusual cocktails are made from scratch with fresh ingredients such as cucumber syrup, blue fig house jam and pickled strawberries.
“All of the drinks are really great,” Handley said. “But the coolest drink is the non-alcoholic Brazilian Ice Water.”
You can even add cannabidiol oil into the Brazilian Ice Water for an additional $3. Handley expressed that she has never heard of another bar selling a drink with CBD oil in it.
One menu is used all day and offers a variety of breakfast and lunch dishes ranging from $5 to $12.
Owner Ben Schneider said he wanted a place for people of all walks of life to enjoy reasonably priced breakfast and booze.
Schneider is no stranger to the restaurant business in Tucson. His mother, Jo, owns La Cocina and Bentley’s House of Coffee and Tea.
Schneider said he had been looking at locations around town to open up his own restaurant and saw a great opportunity when Pancho Villa’s Grill went out of business and the space went up for sale.
“Food is a big deal here,” Schneider said. “Both the bar and food menus are original concepts.”
The B-Fast Poke Bowl is one of the most popular items on the menu and is priced at $12. Handley said her favorite dish is the BAT-LEG burger, which stands for the ingredients: bacon, avocado, tomato, lettuce, egg and goat cheese.
She believes that UA students will be excited to have a new spot on Fourth Avenue, one that’s within walking distance from the campus and close to many of the student housing residences.
RELATED: Hidden gems: Six awesome restaurants you might not know exist
“The vibe is really positive, everyone is super nice and the food and drinks are delicious and priced reasonably,” Handley said.
Line cook Joseph Eiley said almost everything in the kitchen is made from scratch and has a local flare to it. His favorite entree is the breakfast sandwich with a side salad.
“It is made with fresh biscuits from La Cocina, with a choice of bacon or sausage, fig jam, cheese, over-easy egg and an avocado,” Eiley said.
The side salad is made with mixed greens with an orange vinaigrette drizzled on top. The TallBoys cook said the menu incorporates a lot of fresh ingredients in all of it food, including the salsa, pico de gallo and jams.
“You get higher-quality food for such a good price,” Eiley said. “UA students need to come here.”
With the diner’s eclectic menu, incredible beer selection and convenient location, that endorsement is likely to be received with enthusiasm. TallBoys is located at 600 N. Fourth Ave.
Follow Katelyn Caldwell on Twitter.
