Fourth Avenue is the only place in Tucson where you can see a breakdancer get a hot dog after screaming at a frat guy and a half-naked hippie. Not only are the people diverse, but the bars, restaurants, shops and cafes are as well.
Delectables
This restaurant is mentioned solely because it makes the best salad in the entire existence of humanity. It’s called the Tucson’s Best Chef Salad, and it comes with artichoke hearts, hard-boiled egg, avocado, feta, carrots, cabbage, Greek olives, cucumber, tomato and the best thing of all: Waldorph chicken salad. It’s so good; it actually makes you want to go on a diet. Plus, Delectables has an amazing cheese plate full of all the goodies, including Brie. That one’s kind of pricey, $12, but it’s huge and full of fresh cheese. Go there for lunch on a weekend, or just anytime you want something better than 3 Cheeses and a Noodle. 533 N. Fourth Ave.
Epic CafǸ
This coffee shop might remind you of the parking lot of a Phish concert at first, but don’t fret, you’ll get used to it. After a few days’ time, Epic CafǸ will no longer be the mecca for hippies and freaks of all dimensions you previously thought it was, but just a regular coffee shop. After time, you’ll come to ignore the screaming bums and the foul-smelling Downtown kids and gain a certain respect for hummus and vegan brownies. When this happens, you will finally be able to stomach the best and worst of North Fourth Avenue, and perhaps finally be a member of the downtown Tucsonan community, like it or not. 745 N. Fourth Ave.
Plush
Yeah, yeah, yeah, this place is a bar. You’re only 18 and you still think drinking is for people who don’t care about school. Well, let me share a little college wisdom: drinking is for anyone and everyone. You know what else is for anyone and everyone? Half-decent bands that play for pretty cheap while you consume more and more sacred alcohol, standing in the midst of fancy dǸcor (might I dare say, some pretty snazzy drapes) as well. What else can you want from a bar, your math homework? Anyway, try to find a fake ID card so you don’t have to wait three years to get in. 340 E. Sixth St.
La Indita
This humble little shop may just be the best Mexican restaurant in town. Not because you don’t have to wait two hours like at Mi Nidito, but because it’s the only place you can get potato taco shells along with your barbacoa beef. This restaurant specializes in Mexican-Indian cuisine, which is in many ways the real cuisine of the country. Aside from the authentic dishes, La Indita also boasts a casual atmosphere and an extremely fast kitchen, convenient if you’re in a hurry to get home and finish your homework. This is the perfect restaurant for students who want to try something a little different but still want that bean burrito safety net just in case. 622 N. Fourth Ave.
Bison Witches
Besides Maloney’s and O’Malleys, this restaurant is probably the only college hangout on the Avenue. Almost everyone who goes there has probably graduated or is going to graduate from the UA (or will drop out, who knows). It’s a place to go if you want to meet some sexy ladies in sexy sororities, or just get a good sandwich. Beware; this place is definitely not Atkins-friendly. Its bread is freaking huge. And if you want to order a salad, you’d be better off visiting the trash can behind the nearby co-op and rummaging for some scraps. But besides that, Bison Witches has the best clam chowder in Tucson, and maybe the galaxy. 326 N. Fourth Ave.
– compiled by Andi Berlin
