Stopped on a Sunday afternoon and was surprised how dead it was. The place is quite large and obviously motor head themed. They have some really cool displays and I love the idea of actual mechanics working on actual hot rods in the garages below. Being a Sunday, no one was down there working but still an awesome idea. The food was average. I had a French dip which was good but not memorable. The menu says it is served with a creamy horseradish sauce however I detected absolutely no horseradish flavor. For my side I did the sweet potato puffs and I was shocked how tiny they were and that the portion was so small. Flavor was just whatever. My guy had a Philly cheesesteak and again, good but not memorable. His side was the mac & cheese. The cheese sauce was really good - tasted of green chiles - but the mac was swimming in it, really not enough macaroni. We had the funnel cake fries for dessert. Flavor was just ok. Dusted with powdered sugar and served with sides of honey, chocolate sauce and more powdered sugar. I'm not sure funnel cake works as fries. They were a little crispy and tough, not fluffy and crispy like a funnel cake. Unfortunately Hot Rods doesn't have a cocktail menu and when I asked if they had any fun drinks, I was told the bartender can make anything I want. I think if they had a cocktail menu with a few fun offerings sitting on the tables, more people would be interested in having something from the bar. Our server was sweet and did a great job. It was her first day and I have high compliments for her. The girl up front who greeted us was pleasant enough but she really didn't know much about the cars or racing memorabilia on display. When asked about the roped off upstairs lounge, she told us it was owned by a local pinball company and they use it for their pinball events. I'm not sure if Hot Rods gets busy but it looks like it could be a great community hangout for folks out that way. read more

Came to watch Cats Elite 8, caught last 30 mins HHr to 6P, $1 off Wells & dozen drafts incl their house brew Hot Rods Amber by Mudshark, Lake Havasu Brewing. Nice hoppy dark malt full flavor with light balance that doesn't linger, very drinkable with our shared pizza $15 with 4 toppings. Dough is made daily and a softer bottom and light crisp when hot, plenty of nicely spiced sausage and chicken on half pepperoni mushroom in other. Really enjoyed it for a local spot. Server Kristi was attentive and friendly. Could kill the country music for the gamecast, she tried after another table also asked haha. 8 TVs on bar side, 9 on the other, not very busy for a Sat night, just 3 other tables. Family side sepated by garage doors had 3 tables. There's a roomy covered Pit Stop patio with pool table, no TVs but heated. Closes early 8PM so make your plans but may cut off those later games. read more

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Give it a try! When first opened it was horrible, I have been there three times recently with decent service, cold beer, and solid food. Mac N Cheese Burger is open faced and quite good. I ordered it with sweet potato bites and with extra cheese sauce. This was a good meal, served decent enough with a nice cold beer. To the owners: Open this awesome place up! Use the pool tables sitting there, let's make a league night! Schedule some car shows. I am willing to help organize. It would be nice to have a neighborhood bar and grill. Your place could do so much better! read more

We've been coming here off and on (mostly off) since the place opened. It's a nice place to hang out if you don't like large crowds (thus the 2 stars) but for a nice affordable dinner I would suggest going elsewhere. We went by a year or so at peak dining hours on a weekday evening to find the doors closed. We recently returned after a couple years thinking maybe things improved. They did not. And whatever you do, don't order the mac&cheese burger. It was gross. $25 for a burger or sandwich? Our dog at home got most of that. They got a really nice custom car and restoration facility where you can view the current trucks and cars they are restoring, but as far as the food and service, nah. Since we first started going here prices have more than doubled, but Biden/ Harris and democrats have destroyed about everything they touched so we weren't surprised Go here for an oil change, not lunch or dinner. read more

Went for first time while my car was being serviced at OOROO (next door). Kristi greeted us and was our server. She couldn't have been nicer and friendlier. We were there right at opening so not crowded and the bevs and food came quickly. Love the auto themed menu and the food was delicious. Will definitely go back. read more

My husband and I took a drive a couple weeks ago and ended up at Hotrods in Vail. He likes car so the vibe was going to be perfect. I love that you look into a garage and the racing theme. It was a Sunday afternoon right at opening and they were pretty empty. Our waitress was sweet, but service was a little slow considering it was empty. I got the Potato Skins and while they were a little crispy they were thick and had a good amount of potatoes. read more

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This place deserves to be back on the map! I was skeptical looking a reviews but our food was so good and service was excellent! Our waiter was very friendly and gave great advice on the menu. We got the rattle snake tails and burgers and the pulled chicken sandwich, they were all great! Plus the place is just cool. Super cool pinball machines all over and the upstairs bar had a great view of the storm rolling through. We didn't get drinks but the 2 bars were so pretty and I bet they make a mean drink. We will be back for a date night read more

Amazing food! We had the boneless wings in the Thai chili sauce, jalapeño poppers and two French dips with a side of Mac and cheese. Everything was so delicious! Our server, Shawn, was so kind too! I definitely recommend! read more

Hotrods Old Vail - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Here's the breakdown: 1. Food is delicious and menu has variety 2. Service is fantastic! Everyone is so helpful and kind. 3. The environment is fun and car themed. We love the windows into their workshop. 4. Only con is they got rid of the lava cake!!!! please bring it back I will happily change my review to 5 stars for that cake read more

This place is so fun!! The Potato skins were delicious and the service was amazing. We will definitely be back. read more

Hotrods Old Vail - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Love this place. Food is delicious, Great atmosphere.and bartender Kristi is awesome. Please support this local restaurant which is much needed in Vail. . read more

Great place to surprise the gear heads in your life! Fun place to look around, play arcade games and eat! The food was great! Big portions of food. The fried pickles were delicious and must have been double fried because the crust was thick! Everyone was happy with their dinner choices! Bar service was a bit slow for table delivery, the servers were super friendly though. It was a wide open space for table and booths, it was nice not to be jammed up next to the next table. read more

What a great concept! Food and service are both fantastic. A good place to go to with visitors. Restaurant is fun and very clean. Staff is friendly and cheerful. This place has a "good vibe" read more

So unique being able to see the mechanic shop while dining. Friendly staff, food was delicious and timely. A hidden gem, definitely does not deserve the poor reviews. read more

Absolutely love this food spot! We were driving thru Tucson and stopped here for lunch. Food portions are large and great for the price. We asked to sit near the window to look in on the mechanics working on cars. Very unique idea and they have live music advertised at night. The whole restaurant area is wonderfully decorated. Fun atmosphere and our server was beyond amazing. She was friendly and attentive while we ate. Food was delicious too. Recommend for locals and anyone passing through town. read more

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Food was bland. Were came on on a Friday night and it was pretty dead. I would have expected the food to be a bit better. I have the Philly. No flavor. My husband had the burger,also no flavor. read more

We waited 1 hour to get our food and it was practically empty inside. They had only 1 server lady working. We didn't expect to be there for 1.5 hours. I would not recommend if you're on a time based road trip passing by. I'm a bus mechanic so I wanted to check it out. The scenery was nice. I gave it a 3 stars because the server was a nice sweet lady and the food wasn't bad. read more

The service was great . Food was even better . Cool concept. Great place to take your f read more

Hotrods Old Vail - Fired shrimp and Avocado Salad - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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food looks pretty good service was great I loved the chicken strips, never been there though

The place is very clean, the service was outstanding and most of the food was Delish! The only downside was the Cole slaw....the only taste that it had was very mild vinegar..... The burgers were done to perfection and that rarely happens. The fries were crisp and tasty. The service was friendly and professional and the guy that served us was tacos for the eyes, and that's always a good thing. Give this place a try and I know it will be on your "favorites " list. read more

Hotrods Old Vail - The one pound burger - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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The food was most delicious, , well prepared and was served by a very good server, a unique experience, I highly recommend recommend them

The atmosphere of this place is really nice. Really cool rustic look. The food was below average, more of a bar than a food place. I came to eat here right after they opened where there was 2 people in the whole place. My family and I of 3 still waited 45 minutes to get our food. Men's bathrooms were also absolutely disgusting. read more

Hotrods Old Vail - a dirty toilet - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Went to Hotrods on Saturday despite mixed reviews and experiences over the years. Happy to say it was AWESOME! Wings are smoked and then fried in Bacon Fat! I had the Mac N Cheese burger between 2 hunks of deep fried mac n cheese instead of a bun then covered in cheese....let that sink in. Wife had pulled pork sandwich which was great and friends had the Portabello Burger and French Dip. All were excellent! Service a bit slow but worth it! Atmosphere really interesting as they are restoring cars on site. Have a bar and pool tables on patio read more

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I've been to Hotrods one time and probably won't be back. The concept is really so cool for car folks! But when we went during a weekday lunch. We were the only. people. there. I think there was a waitress and a cook. We ordered waited like 45 minutes for our food, had to ask for drink refills. Honestly it was so weird. Nothing like I expected. The staff was friendly (reason for 2 starts) but just wasn't really any reason to return. read more

I don't understand the low rating, but it may be an issue of a change in menu, management or both. Came in with my kid for lunch thinking he would enjoy the car theme. He did. There are full cars and motorcycles, but lots of other random car parts around on the walls and in cases. Then there is the big window facing the car workshop, with several half-finished cars around. As a novelty restaurant, I was expecting mediocre food. We had been in Colorado the previous week, spending a lunch one day at a restaurant that is built into an airplane. My kid loved it, the service was great, and the prices were okay. But the food was not particularly good though it could have been worse. But the food here is actually pretty good. My wife had a salad which she said was very good. My kid had the chicken tenders, which were legit tenders and not those terrible frozen ones that you would expect (kids meals are $8, which includes a drink). I had the green chile mac n cheese burger, which is actually fried mac n cheese as a bun with a grilled half poblano pepper and American cheese on a burger. It was all very good food and mine was very interesting. So I would definitely recommend this if you are on I-10 and looking fot a place to stop with the kids. They have a full bar, patio, and a 21+ top level that looked nice but was closed off when we were there. I also think it is worth a drive from the local area. It is only about 15 minutes from our house, but is worth a longer drive. read more

This place is amazing all around- Cool decor, great food and service. This was our first visit and we were skeptical based on reviews, but were very pleased. Husband got the 1 lb Big AZ burger with fries and I got the Mac n cheese green chili burger with onion rings. They were cooked exactly as we requested and tasted great. Plenty big to just share with our 2.5 year old. Rachel was a great server and answered all my questions. We learned they have karaoke upstairs on Friday nights and live music on Sat night. Upstairs is a really cool 21+ full bar area with lots of games such as pool, bags, shuffleboard and jenga. They also have a large patio downstairs with a pool table and jenga. We will definitely be back and can't wait to try their happy hour! read more

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Their onion crisps are especially delicious, as are the jalepeño poppers and Mac and cheese bites! They have burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and some pastas. The food is quality all around. Staff is friendly. read more

Hotrods Old Vail - Great decor, bar area - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Food was awesome. BLT. Bacon was so good. The bread was really nice. Everyone else enjoyed their dishes. Service was great. She was very nice. The concept of the restaurant is cool but a little run down. Only one guy work in the shop so not much to see. Pretty messy shop. read more

We went into HotRods around 5:00pm our server J.J. Was on point! We never had to ask for ice tea refills, and he delivered our meals (with special instructions) exactly as ordered. I gave HotRods 5 stars because I love the concept, The food was hot & delicious, and the server knew the menu. We will return! read more

So we had been apprehensive about trying Hotrods because of its rating. Being a big car guy I thought I had to check it out at least once. The service and food were both great, my girls enjoyed it and so did I. The meat was fresh as was the produce. Jeremy? Was our server and he did an amazing job. We will eat there again! read more

Hotrods Old Vail - Patty melt on Rye - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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A vanity project where the restaurant plays second fiddle to the auto repair facility. Food is overpriced and tasteless with underwhelming portion sizes. Service was slow and we had to wait for a cook to show up for work. Overall a less than ideal experience. read more

We first visited Hotrods when they opened back in the summer of 2012... several times. But we stopped going after consistently being subjected to terrible service, and over-priced diner food. Don't get me wrong, the food was good back then - but the portions were small, and the pricing did not fit the area or what you were getting. The look, and uniqueness of Hotrods has always been awesome - then and now. Fast forward a year - we went for dinner... thought we would try it again to see if anything changed and were very impressed that they had. First, the service was a LOT better - very attentive, kept the drinks filled, checked in on us a number of times. The do runners now apparently to bring the food out quickly - so the turn around from ordering to our food being placed on the table was very good. The waitstaff is still the super young crowd that they had a year ago, but they seem a bit more experienced a year later if they are even the same servers. The food, although not terrible back in 2012, was fantastic. Pricing is pretty much the same but you are getting way more bang for your buck. We ordered the Shrimp Poppers which we have always like there... they are still delicious and have to be made by hand... I have never had anything like them anywhere else. We both ordered burgers and they were delicious and HUGE. Mine came with Onion Rings (good Onion Rings too!) and the Hubby's came with fries (the fries are damn tasty). I saw some food delivered to some of the other tables... one lady ordered a Calzone and it looked super good and BIG. Some other guy ordered the salad, looked like a Cobb Salad that was in a giant bowl. The floor management and hostess staff were incredibly welcoming and friendly. I will definitely go back now that they appear to be taking the restaurant business more seriously. Two thumbs up from us. read more

Hot rods has great food, if you are willing to wait forever to get your food. The draw of the restaurant is getting to see what all is going on in the repair shop below, but in my option the novelty is not worth the wait. They are also only open very select hours on certain days so check them before you go. read more

Hotrods has a magnificent open space site that beckons you to come visit. I don't know what they have planned for all that empty acreage but I bet it has something to do with racing. This is truly a unique concept. I wonder how a bakery restaurant would do? hmm. I read my fellow Yelpers' reviews so I was cautiously optimistic but I came away very pleasantly surprised. First off, if you love cars you must come eat here at least once. It's worth it to watch the guys fix and restore old cars and racers. Lots of racing memorabilia to enjoy as well. Anyway, with all the TVs showing sporting events and the restoration work you can watch through the spacious windows, you won't be bored. Our wait period wasn't long for ordering and receiving our food. Our server was very attentive and friendly. I ordered their garden burger with fries and I have to say it was very, very good. One of the best I've had in town, for sure. It cost $10 which I think is a bit high. I'd say this place is a tad more expensive that others that serve the same kind of food. All in all it was an entertaining dining experience that I would highly recommend. read more

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We come here quite often and we have never had bad service. Everyone is friendly and very attentive. It's got a full bar, which I enjoy. My favorite meal is the Mac n cheese burger with a side Caesar salad. The BLT is pretty awesome also. We love the snake bites appetizer too. read more

Hotrods Old Vail - Wonderful full bar - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

My wife and I have eaten at HotRods several times since they opened and we've been satisfied every time. HotRods Old Vail is "diner meets sports bar meets your favorite uncil's dream garage". The food is good and the floor show is a ring side seat to some excellent automotive restoration and customization. read more

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Very good food and service when we went there . Would recommend to others . Haven't made it back recently .

8pm is way too early to close. That is hard to have gatherings that start at 6! They should be open to at least 10 pm! Expensive and short hours... food is just okay for the price too. read more

Sorry I didn't take a picture of the Patty Melt with fries. We came in as a group for a going away party about the same time as several other tables came in also my side of us. There as 20 of us. Food took a little while to come out, but the service was good and every one commented that their food was good. Patty melt was delicious with 1000 Island dressing. Fries can be ordered extra crispy, mine were regular but crunchy on the outside just the way I like them. Group ordered entree salads, veggie burgers and a variety of other burgers. No negative comments. Not sure why their rating is so low, but, the put on a good feed for lunch for us. read more

This is an update of sorts for Hotrods. I used to never like this place even though we ended up here somehow. My mom said that they had a new menu and that I should give them a try. I told her that I never liked their food or their service there. But just to make my mom happy we went ahead and gave it a shot. I was thoroughly impressed by how good my burger was (I know it was just a burger). I thought it would be safe just to go with a burger and boy was I right. I got the mushroom Swiss burger and it was really really good. It basically had a giant Portabella mushroom on top of the burger patty which was very well seasoned. The only thing I would've changed on it was the amount of cheese could've been a little bit more. My mom got a salad which I can't recall the name of it, but it was pretty dang big and she loved it. The service from the waitstaff and what I assume was the manager were friendly and very attentive to all of our needs. Talk about a big turnaround for this place. I don't know if they can keep it up but for now I recommend this place! read more

Hotrods Old Vail - Mushroom Swiss burger - American Near Me - Tucson, Arizona