Great food and ambiance. Servers know their stuff. Plan ahead, as it is popular. Look up evening shows. There is something for everyone.

I had the most delightful brunch at The Cup! I ordered the Huevos Rancheros and it was phenomenal! It was full of flavor and there was not a crumb to be found left on my plate. My friend Julia had the prime rib sandwich, which she enjoyed but said it was a bit too "bready". The roll that it is served on did seem to overpower the meat. What to love about The Cup? Super cool environment. Great service. Diverse choices on their menu. Fish 'n' chips or Sonoran Dog or a warm brie sandwich? Hmm... I like having these options all on one menu. read more

I have frequented this place many times over the years and have always had great experiences. But I have a question. On my last visit there, I took a closer look the names of some of the dinner items. Cup Cafe, why, oh why must you name your vegan burger the "Queer Steer"? I usually brush things like this off, but I happen to be a lesbian and a vegan, and to say that I found this highly offensive would be an understatement. If I were straight and I ate meat I would likely have no problem seeing how the Angus Beef burger is called "The Real Thing". Really? Where are we and in what decade? I will absolutely not go back here. read more

Our first Monday morning breakfast date was last week at the Cup Cafe. It was great! Superb service, delicious food. Great coffee. We will be back. The skillet baked eggs are very special with lots of cream and cheese. They also have vegan options. You cannot go wrong at this place. read more

This is my favorite place to go downtown. The ghost orchid drink is the most amazing drink out there. The food is spot on too and I have never had an issue with service. They are polite and attentive. read more

cast iron baked eggs. No kidding! Great atmosphere, nice bartender, lovely place! I wish I lived in Tucson! read more

Cup Cafe - Cast iron baked eggs!! - New American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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If you're into history and/or architecture then I would suggest you head on over to the Hotel Congress. If you want a decent meal then you should definitely give the Cup Cafe a try. My "posse" and I decided on appetizers and dessert. I had the Sonoran Crab Cakes(see picture), with a glass of Aveleda Vinho Verde wine from Portugal. The crab cakes are pan seared blue crab with anaheim, red, and jalapeno peppers, bread crumbs and sonoran spice. Served over wilted spinach with a black bean puree and topped with a roasted corn relish. It's a light dish, but very good, especially with a glass of vino. For dessert I ordered a slice of Boston Creme Pie, again opting for something not filling, and it too was good. Great food, and atmosphere. read more

Cup Cafe - Sonoran crab cakes - New American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Food was good, I got the chickpea lettuce wraps with marinated vegetables. The marinated vegetables were really good. Would definitely recommend them. They had a few other vegetarian options on the menu too. My friend got eggs which were served in the cast iron they were cooked in. She really enjoyed it and they looked delicious. Server was a little odd but attentive. I would recommend getting a reservation if you can. When my friend and I got there, we were told 30 min wait but our table was ready in 5 minutes. We asked if we could sit outside, it was very pleasant, but we were told it would be a 30 min wait even though we saw a few empty tables outside. It seemed like the hostess' reflex response to every question was 30 mins. We decided to take our table inside, just had a bad feeling she would purposely make us wait. read more

I was really looking forward to learning all about the history and local culture of Tucson when we were planning on making our trip out there. My friend of many years has called Tucson his home for around a half of a decade now and I just never made my way out there to visit him until a few weeks ago. Our flight arrived around 8:00 AM after staying up the entire night before. As we awaited our pick up, we knew one thing needed to happen- breakfast. So a few "hello's," "how are you's," and "how have you been's" were given before I very clearly said: "Man, we need some breakfast!" Now I figured a quick trip to the closest Waffle House was going to be what happened- but my friend knows us pretty well. Or at least enough to know that we like to get a feel for what is local or unique about a place. I like me some Waffle House, but you can get Waffle House pretty much anywhere (except Chicago oddly enough). So he rather quickly decided upon Cup Cafe conveniently located inside the fabled Congress Hotel. Breakfast, local flavor, history and vibe all rapped up in one package! Gunpowder and Eggs was what all three of us gravitated towards. It was good- exactly what we needed, and I figure a pretty popular dish especially for those who wake up with a bit of a hangover. Savory and flavorful, and not skimping out on the spice along with that welcome byproduct of cooking potatoes and eggs together- grease! To top things off, they have a pretty cool floor in this place- made of pennies- that will grab your attention. The outdoor space is a good one too as long as it isn't too hot out. Plus you can't beat eating a meal in a place that does hold quite a bit of history (Dillinger was caught right up stairs from here). read more

I like this place. I used to come here a lot like 20 years ago and the service was terrible and the food not-so-great. But in the past three visits, in the past year, the food and service have both been quite good. I've only been for breakfast/brunch. Prices are reasonable. Free parking in the hotel lot... ...except, be careful on that. One time, I came to The Cup for breakfast with friends, left and walked across the street to check out some shopping for about 15 minutes. When I got back to my car in the Hotel Congress, a manager knocked on my car window as I was about to drive off to berate me for parking there if I wasn't going there. I apologized profusely and explained I HAD been there and just went across the street for a few minutes. He was nice about it. I guess I was in the bad? Not sure. Maybe they should offer parking validation where you can stay there for 30 minutes after dining? Or maybe I'm an a-hole who took advantage of limited free downtown parking. Trust me that I'll never park there again for anyplace other than The Cup or the hotel. Anyway, I wish I remembered our server's name from our last brunch there, a few weeks ago - he was perfection. Food was excellent. I was low-carbing and they let me modify my meal easily with no upcharge. Really fresh ingredients and inventive but not overly obnoxious plays on classic breakfasts. So go there! But don't go anywhere else afterward while your car is still in their parking lot! :p read more

1. The Cup overhauled their menu: The results? 5 stars! 2. Fish and Chips would make me a regular customer. But then... 3. Each time i have returned, the fish portion is reduced. Yet is disguised to "look" big in a pathetically huge cloak of bread-y batter. I order fish, not bread. I understand that the oceans are dying.. but this fish is probably farmed and fed steroids and such... give a portion of protein bigger than my thumb and I'll give you two thumbs up again. I have been vocal of this issue and the servers have been great. But the kitchen staff and/or management serves comedy on a plate and no longer serves fish bigger than fish bait. read more

One of my favorite spots to relax and eat some breakfast. Inside is small but feels bigger because of the wall of windows leading to the patio seating. I always try eating outside, it's a little more quiet & it's Arizona it's always nice. I've been here about 6 times in the last 2 years I've lived here and everytime the food is great! The Cast Iron Baked Eggs is my favorite + I add avocado! My boyfriend loves their French toast! Definitely a place to try! read more

Cup Cafe - Cast Iron Egg Bake - New American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Most tragic casualty of the pandemic: Silverside Hash. In all seriousness, I am a UA Alum with family still in Tucson and come to the Cup for brunch Every. Single. Visit. to get this hash, and now it's gone. I can't tell you how many photos I have in my camera roll of this delicious dish over the years. Crying right now. We need a change.org or GoFundMe set up for this immediately. RIP. read more

This is my favorite breakfast place. I wouldn't recommend the huevos rancheros though. They are terrible

I eat at Taco Bell sometimes, so I probably shouldn't even try to review this place. It's beautiful. It's expensive. It's very good food. You know how that goes. One thing it really wasn't was pretentious. The only clothing I had with me was essentially beachwear, so that's what I wore, and I didn't feel uncomfortable. That was at dinner. There are some really interesting menu items going on here. Like the Chili. It's not chili; it's more like fajitas. Ok, how about the Heartbreaker? That's on the menu. It is a brie and garlic plate. There's also some marmalade. It's good, unusual, and expensive. Probably worth it. The Real Thing was a truly amazing hamburger. Yes, for $14 a hamburger should be amazing. It was. The building is beautiful and put to good use. History happened there. I'm reading Wikipedia and it seems John Dillinger was not captured here, as I thought, but escaped a fire ... or was it just some members of his gang? Ah, to tell you the truth I don't really know who John Dillinger even was. So sure, go have an eclectic night out. BYE read more

The Cubano de Havana and the calamari were both very good. Great patio atmosphere and very convient stop before the Dehd concert in the plaza. Will visit every time I'm in Tucson! read more

The Baked Egg Breakfast Skillet is so good that I was tempted to lick the skillet when I was finished. It has to be a cardiologist's nightmare (or maybe it just provodes them job security.) Very fun place to meet friends for breakfast, but I recommend reservations as I have never been there when it wasn't packed. It is usually quite noisy and quarters are tight, but the food is amazing. One of the many highlights of downtown Tucson. read more

Went here with my boyfriend and his dad who was in town for the day. We decided to order the potato encrusted salmon in the mushroom risotto, and the prime rib sandwich, both of which were out of this world. The potato encrusted salmon was cooked to perfection- nice and crispy potatoes on the outside, and delicious salmon on the inside that was neither too tough or too gooey. There were so many flavors going on in this dish- but they all worked so well. The prime rib sandwich was extremely messy to eat, but sooooo tasty. It comes with their house veggie relish that gives the sandwich a spunky flavor. Yum! I'm totally coming back to try some more of their unique and perfectly crafted food! read more

We've gone here many times for dinner and have always enjoyed it. I don't think I've ever gotten the same entree and I've always found whatever I've ordered to be really good. Recently we went for breakfast for the first time and Cup Cafe instantly became my favorite place for breakfast in Tucson. I got the Huevos Rancheros with poached eggs and they were absolutely amazing. The potatoes that came on the side were really good as well. Sitting inside and outside are both great. Even during the summer we've enjoyed the patio once the sun has started to go down. And if you are there in the evening (or maybe a fancy weekend brunch) try the Ghost Orchird. It's amazing, and often it even comes with an Orchid. read more

I had brunch there and from my first experience I will be back again! The service was excellent. I had brought in my girlfriend and her husband in from out of town to eat there and they ran late. The staff not once, despite being super busy, made us feel bad at all by saying anything and I greatly appreciate that. However the water was served warm and without ice...so I guess we got what was coming. Then there was the food. I think next time I will try the mixed berry crepes. They looked so amazing! I had the Cast Iron Eggs. They were good. I think they needed a little something extra but I can't put my finger on it. My husband had the Creole Breakfast. I wasn't so impressed with that. They skimped on the gravy. The prices are excellent for the hardy amounts of breakfast you get. It is a small place, but I didn't feel to cramped. A nice downtown atmosphere and I will be back! read more

Great food, service and location. There is usually a wait on the weekends, so I would say it's not the best place to go if you're starving and/or in a a hurry. But that being said its busy for a reason. Best Bloody Mary in town. read more

Cute little place in downtown Tucson! The cast iron egg skillet is probably one of the most unique and delicious brunch dishes I've ever tried! All the flavor a compliment each other so well. It's a MUST get. Also, tried the chilaquilles was great as well but the iron egg skillet was way better !! To top off the meal we had 2 homemade limeades, very refreshing. read more

Cup Cafe - Egg skillet so good ! - New American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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I think I'd love this place on the atmosphere alone but hey! The food is good too! The b/f and I went there for a late lunch last Wednesday. We'd taken the day off and I'm attempting to introduce him to downtown eateries. The Cup Cafe is on the ground floor of Hotel Congress, so you get to get an eyeful of historic looking building before walking in. The server also mentioned that the floor was from 1927 (it was around that time period, now I can't remember the exact year!) and was made up of pennies. Very nice. We'd missed the lunch rush and I can attest to the fact that if you go there during lunch on a weekday, it WILL be packed. We both ordered club sandwiches with fries and our food came out pretty darn quick. The club sandwich is my personal favorite. Layers of turkey and ham and lettuce and tomato and avocado and bread...YUM. It's 3 layers deep! The sandwich is cut into 4 triangles and arranged around the fries. I dare you to eat all four...because I never can. The fries were cooked perfectly and the thought of them are making my mouth water a week later. I tried desperately hard to save room for dessert, but unfortunately it just wasn't happening that day. The myriad of desserts are displayed on rotating trays behind glass and I'd be hard pressed to pick just one. There is outdoor seating, which is perfect now that it's warming up again. I highly recommend this place for lunch or even for happy hour! The atmosphere just can't be beat. read more

This is the best place to eat in town. I even came here for lunch and dinner one the same day one time. The depot salad is amazing. It has the perfect dressing and adequate amount of steak. I don't think there's a better salad in town. The cocktails are delicious as well. Try the white orchid. It's made with absolut citron, lavender liquor, soda, (I can't remember all of the ingredients) but it looks beautiful and is garnished with an orchid! It's the best cocktail I've ever had. They have amazing food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I know they are renovating the place right now (only closed for three days) but I highly recommend this place to anyone and everyone! It's delicious and the service is outstanding. read more

Excellent cafe with a great menu wonderful service. I highly recommend Cup Cafe!

I love the cup! It is tasty for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night, they have great cocktails and delicious desserts! They have a good happy hour, and a decent deal for Meet Me at Maynard's athletes on Mondays. It's good for couples or friends, and I bring all my out of town guests here! I just have had hit or miss service (particularly at the bar inside the restaurant) and the drinks are a little highly-priced... but that won't stop me from being a repeat customer. read more

I love this place! They have great bloody Mary's! It's a great place to go for brunch. It's very small so expect a wait! It's definitely a cute little cafe with some outdoor seating options as well. I've gotten the cauliflower curry tacos. They were good but not my favorite. I've also had the Niçoise salad which is delicious! It has olives, green beans, soft boiled egg, blue potatoes and pan seared tuna with this homemade lemon dressing. read more

I find the Cup to be very hit and miss. On the plus side I've always had great service, and most of the staff even has personalities. The Sunday morning Bloody Mary bar is far and away the best feature that they have going. You get a sheet of paper, choose your spirit, single or double, four ingredients from a list of of at least 14 options, and level of spice. The best Bloody Mary experience I've had in Tucson. The actual food at the Cup is so-so. There are a few outstanding breakfast items, like the Braveheart and the eggs in the cast iron skillet, but the rest of the items are good, not great. Lunch is disappointing, I have yet to have anything that I really would make me want to come back. All in all for a a weekend breakfast spot it's a winner due to great ambience and not a lot of strong choices downtown at the moment. read more

Tucson has its fair share of breakfast places, so I never felt all that compelled to head downtown for brunch/breakfast when I live far closer to the Midtown diner joints that's I've grown accustomed to. Man, do I ever feel like an idiot now. I haven't been downtown a whole lot over the last two years, and yet oddly found myself there twice during this last weekend. The whole place has changed so rapidly -- it's well lit by night, filled with the right amount of hustle without too much bustle, and the sheer number of intriguing restaurant choices approaches now an all time high. Today, we chose to head on back down for an early-ish breakfast (which for us is anything aiming before 10am). After about a 45 minute wait which included a trip to the nearby bar once it opened, we were promptly seated after a small snafu -- our name wasn't called and the phone number we gave wasn't written down properly. By this point, I was down one Breakfast Margarita and my girlfriend and additional dining companion had each imbibed a Bloody Mary, both of which they greatly enjoyed. My own drink was a careful blend (I always appreciate bartenders that take the time to taste the drinks they're serving before sending out their finalized products) of tangy, sweet, and salty. Once we were seated, the service was quick and courteous. Waters were brought out without our needing to ask for them, along with additional beers once we placed our food order. I never felt rushed, but our food came out in due order -- between the three of us, we ordered a lox plate (the salmon was almost a touch too soft for my taste, but it was otherwise exactly what we were looking for), a Gunpowder dish (also a really good mix of onions and pepper with eggs and chorizo), and the Silverside Hash. I had the latter, and it was superb -- the corned beef was perfect and the hollaindaise was both rich and balanced with an infusion of mustard. I've had poached eggs come out in all manner of doneness at various breakfast joints, but here they were ideally done -- yolky and just the right amount of firmness to the whites. I'm not about ready to abandon my typical weekend breakfast spots, but I definitely would jump at the chance to take visitors or make special brunch accommodations to head to the Cup Cafe. After glancing over the dinner menu, I'm equally excited to return for evening meals as well. read more

My favorite restaurant in Tucson!! Herb is the best waiter. Ever.(: The food is ALWAYS great!! read more

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First time was a charm, second time wish I was armed, third time there was no harm. The only consistent thing I have noticed after dining here 3 times is the fact that their food takes A REALLY LONG TIME. My first experience was great except for the time it took to get my food. I sat by myself and ordered the lamb chops with a glass of wine. The flavor and quality of my meal were really impressive as was the wine. I was on my 2nd glass by the time my meal arrived. The second time I went, I brought a couple of friends and it was just a disaster. We started off with a couple of drinks in the lobby with a great bartender (Keith, I think) as we waited to be seated in the restaurant. Once there, everything went downhill. I think the waiter and chefs were in exceptionally bad moods. The service was awful and all of our dishes were heavy on the salt. The night ended with the great manager, Aaron Defeo, handing me a $50 gift certificate because my last glass of wine ended up on my white cardigan when the unapologetic waiter knocked my hand as I was taking a swig. Ironically enough, the third time I came, we had the same waiter. I even had 5 other people with me, and although the food took a long time, him and the busboys were exceptionally attentive. The food was good, and I will always enjoy the atmosphere. Overall, not bad just don't plan to dine here if you have plans after dinner. read more

Amazingly well executed breakfast. Cup Cafe is a charming space located in the Historic Hotel Congress. There is a cute little patio that is dog friendly outside, and the space inside is bright and reminds me of an eclectic cottage meets retro timehop. My husband and I walked here after a night playing out on 4th. I came here with very high expectations and was not disappointed. My husband chose the Braveheart breakfast, which was beautifully plated. The eggs looked perfectly poached, the sauce was light and fluffy and not broken, and he said the beef was amazingly tasty. This dish came with a side of "Hotel Potatoes" which were very well cooked. He ate about half his dish but it's rich - I imagine that he'd finish it off had his stomach not felt a little queasy. I created my own omelette. Spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, and a little bacon and goat cheese. The eggs were perfectly cooked, light and fluffy and the flavor of the combination was delicious. The goat cheese they use is a light herbed one and they cooked it inside the omelette rather than put it on the outside like I have had in prior places. The omelette was huge - I was only able to eat about a third of it. It came with your choice of toast (wheat for me) and that was great. It was lovely that they didnt' pre-butter the toast. I hate when it gets super soggy because of that and I would prefer to add the calories myself if I want them. The thing that rounded out my plate was the "Hotel Potatoes" and I thought they were very well executed. It seemed like they used the yellow flesh red-skinned potatoes and cooked them with both peppers and onions. All of the flavors sang through. I also chose to have their chai tea latte and it was delicious. A little more on the sweet side than the spiced side but still tasty. Props to the person that made it because the milk was perfectly foamed - it was not over steamed. :) The total for our bill was $30 which is ridiculous for the quality of food that you get. You can spend $30 at IHOP and be sad with your sad potatoes, or come here and be happy with some spectacular food! read more

Everyone has their bad experiences. Even though I don't have many check ins here, I've eaten here plenty of times to know that this is my GO TO BRUNCH place. I can never go wrong with this restaurant. I understand the wait times could be a little crazy but the hostesses HAVE to estimate larger than the expected time JUST in case. I feel that's a big thing people get angry with. It's hard to understand the open tables and long wait but it isn't easy to tell if they're understaffed. Either way, the awards on their walls are well deserved. The skillet eggs are soooooo delicious and the perfect dish for newbies. Gunpowder and braveheart are my second and third faves. The pancakes are the best! I truly saw the light after eating their cinnamon pancakes, I even made them at home (tried to anyways..). There's still so much for me to try but I just love sticking with my favorites. Very awesome bloody marys! Probably go on my top 3 of favorite bloody marys in Tucson! I believe they use cholula hot sauce in it instead of Tabasco? The coffee is so delicious here too! Great drinks, great food. They're simply irresistible. read more

Food was pretty good. Service was meh+. Wait time was unreasonable and misrepresented. Good iced tea. I had an omelet and my breakfast buddy had a classic breakfast. Neither of us was stuffed, but neither of us left hungry. I'd probably give it one more try, but if I leave this underwhelmed again I'll just go across the street and hit the farmer's market. read more

Hipster funk filled feel with relaxed atmosphere to boot. Late Oct-Feb sit outside and drink in the newly up and coming renovations of downtown Tucson. Nothing goes better with a good meal than some great people watching. Can be on the pricey side so indulge when you can afford it. Check out whats on the nightlife menu after dinner, ya might wanna stay a while for Club Congress. PS- Check out the floor inside the restaurant. Do you know how many pennies there are? read more

This little cafe was hopping when we arrived, but worth the short wait. The employees were friendly and professional from the moment we left our names with the hostess to the paying of the bill. The food was delicious and plentiful. Various gluten free options were available. The atmosphere was fun and creative - appropriate for a meal with just the adults or the whole family. Ask for Nathan - he was outstanding! read more

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I ate breakfast here on a Saturday and had a good experience. Only had to wait five minutes or so for an outdoor table. We had huevos rancheros and a flapjack/egg/bacon combo plate. The price was not bad, from $8-$10 per person. But there were cheaper menu options as well. The portions were ample but not huge like they are at some breakfast joints. This is a plus for me because I often end up overindulging when I go out to breakfast, or leaving a lot on the plate and then feeling guilty either way. Other yelpers said the cafe has a relaxed, hipster vibe and I have to agree. Our hostess and server were both friendly but laid back. I would definitely go back for breakfast. read more

If you like Wes Anderson movies, you're going to love this place. Surprisingly really great food with an eclectic array of characters. A haunted gem in the heart of Tucson. read more

Cup Cafe - Lettuce wraps - New American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Great place on the Streetcar line to have a meal. We sat outside and had a fabulous breakfast. Try the huevos rancheros, pancakes, omlets and more. All was delicious and the service was very good. We sat on the patio. ...lots of people there who had pets with them. The place was hopping, but we didn't have to wait very long for a table. read more

Always good, always consistent open every day, dog friendly patio, most amazing pie! breakfast lunch and dinner. we can even make reservations and even a food truck now on the weekends nights. did I mention I have a bar? Be prepared to wait for a weekend breakfast. Go early and often read more