Tucson, AZ-Where's My Lindy's on 4th? 02.25.2025

 Tucson Arizona has been a favorite place to go back to. Over the years we've found a couple of things that we have to do. We stop by the "Hut" bar to get a picture of the Easter Island statue out front, Goodwill on 4th Avenue, check out the "Hippy Gypsy" and grab a burger at Lindy's. Well, Lindy's has moved down the street (avenue) into a larger space. They now have more indoor seating and a nice outdoor dining space. It's sort of all grown up now. The old place was pretty simple, a hole in the wall. I can appreciate the upgrades.

I'm at Lindy's for the burger. I fell in love with their burger a long time ago. I can even recall how long ago it was. I'd like to say it was in the mid 0's. Again, a funky shop that offered crazy burgers at a decent price. Not only did they have fries but tater tots too! Did the move change things? The only difference was the location and the idea of sitting and waiting for your waiter to visit. That took a bit. We were alone on the patio for some time before our server stopped by. I ordered the Shroomin' Cow. Sauteed mushrooms, grilled onions, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and a pickle. It came out fairly quick. A bit of a surprise but not a bad surprise anyway. I'm not going to say it was loaded with flavor but it wasn't flat. The combination of flavors worked well together.

Rate It: 4 of 5 I'm going low on this one. Again, a tasty burger but I was expecting just a bit more flavor from the patty. The price is up, just like most places.

 

Barrio Brewing Tucson, AZ 02.24.2025

 We're back in Tucson, AZ! Tucson is one of those ever changing cities. It's been some time since I last visited Tucson and there are definitely more choices for dining in the area. What's even better, there's a brewery that serves some good grub. A friend of ours now lives in the Tucson area and suggested we meet at Barrio Brewery for dinner and a beer. He said that he's heard good things about the burgers. Whoa! If that isn't a challenge, I'm not sure what it is. Barrio is a cool scene. It's situated across a parking lot next to a railroad track. When a train goes by, beer is a $1 off! Well, I'm here for the burger. Let's get started. I got the Cheese Burger. Pretty straight forward. No frills. Cheddar was the choice. I'm going to cut to the chase, it was okay. Overall decent flavor. I was a little concerned that the bun may have been on the edge of being stale. Tasty fries.

Rate It: 4 of 5, maybe. Like I said, I think the bun could have been fresher and just a bit more flavor. Never be afraid to season your patty.

Barrio Brewing 

 

Kon Tiki, Tucson AZ-Taste of Paradise

Kon Tiki is a throwback to a time when folks in the U.S. were fascinated with all things Polynesian. The menu reflects it. The food is named to make you think of the Big Island. (The Big Kahun, Monkeys On A Stick) They serve Tacos and burgers as well.

Keeping with tradition, I asked the people I was with my standard question, "Should I get the burger?" The Tiki Burger w/Cheese.
Seasoned nicely with a fresh and slightly sweet bun, which I like. It could have been more on the rare side for my liking.

Did I mention that I think burgers should be priced at around $7.50? Well, this came close. A half pounder w/fries for $8.25!

This review was not at all influenced by the Mai Tai that I had.

The bar & restaurant really have great "tiki" decor and playing some Les Baxter or anything close would have created the ideal scene. Instead the music being broadcast was current pop. Keep in mind, it was the lunch hour. Maybe the night time is different.



My Take:
Burger & bun were very good. Fries, delicious. Love the Tiki lounge theme. Very well done. Price made me happy. Different music, burger not as well done
4 of 5.

Zen at the Zin Burger Tucson

Although I would rather go for the local more home grown burger joint it's always interesting to see what the chain places offer. Zin Burger in Tucson originally made me feel like I found just that. I didn't realize that they are part of a group of restaurants. No matter, we don't have them in Milwaukee so, it was burger time!
There were four people in our party. Each ordered a different item. I will cover those before I finish.
I got the Plain & Simple Burger. Medium so I could have some flavor. The burger does not come with fries. Zin does have a great selection of fries. Zucchini, Hand cut potatoes or Sweet potatoes. When my burger arrived I was delighted. Tasty bun and cooked almost perfect to my tastes. Flavor was pretty decent. A bit salty. I had the Hand cut fries and shared a delicious Cookies and Cream malt with my wife.

Just a side bar, while in Phoenix only two days before, I had a burger that tasted like they sprayed it with smoke flavor. Not cool.

The staff was friendly and fairly helpful.

My sister-in-law ordered a B.L.T. salad. Salads are offered in two dollar amounts, $5 & $8. She decided to select the more expensive. The salad was just Iceberg Lettuce with some bacon and tomatoes etc. Nothing too fancy.

The wife had a Turkey burger. I snagged a piece, very nice. Juicy alternative. My brother-in-law got the Ahi Tuna sandwich. $$ but tasty. I didn't try it. :)

By the time we were done, we all thought it was decent faire. A little on the pricey side for lunch but, good quality and ambience. We would do it again.

4 of 5 Stars.

Back in Tucson, AZ

My brother-in-law gave me an article out of a local rag in Green Valley/Tucson that covered some of the regional burger joints. We've been to Lindy's on 4th Ave. Great burgers, yummy tater tots. One of the places mentioned in the articles was The Monkey Burger on 6th Avenue. I really didn't plan on having a burger for lunch but, what the heck. Located across from the transit terminal in a sort of hidden part of town you will find the Monkey Burger. It's in the middle of the block. Next door is a barber and a couple other shops. Anyway, back to the burger talk... we got the Great American. $8.50 got us involved with a tasty and juicy burger. Nothing too fancy, lettuce and tomatoes. Great little dish of sauce for dippin'. Fries were seasoned with something yummy. My brother in law enjoyed a Veghead, Portabella sandwich. Fresh made chips were included with his.

I would go back. The one thing that could have made it a bit more fun or interesting, more people. I think that 6th Ave on a Saturday afternoon might not be the most active part of tucson. 4th Ave was hoping with U of A fans. The trolley was running, very cool.

3.5 of 5 (or 7.5 of 10)

You won't regret it.

Later,

Dasburgereater