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My husband picked up the order. I tried the EL RUSTICO BIRRIA pizza which was decent. The crust was not impressive. Crust was soggy. The RAVIOLI SONORENSE was sold out so I tried a pasta dish with sausage. The sausage tasted like it had been previously frozen. The pasta was on the bland side of things. As a pasta lover it's hard to recommend this place.
We went to celebrate Thanksgiving week with my son since we were heading out of town, and I had made a reservation in advance. When we arrived, I kindly requested the booth by the entrance, but the attendant said it was reserved. We finished our entire meal and noticed it remained empty the whole time, which was disappointing. We ordered the calamarrones and the Rústico Pizza. Both dishes were delicious, but the pizza was extremely thin (much thinner than what we've had before). It feels like they might be cutting back on ingredients. The restaurant itself has beautiful lighting and a great overall atmosphere. Prices are definitely on the higher side though. $28 for a six-slice pizza!
Everything about this restaurant was nice , cozy . Service was friendly the chef came out to see if everything was good . The server was very attentive as well. It's a definitely a place to come n try out thumbs up . Sure next time we come we will bring our friends to experience the delicious food .
I was here about three years ago when wood pallets sitting on the floor were literally part of the decor. My experience at that time was one of the worst I could remember. The food was bad. Fast forward and I thought it only fair to give them another chance. How has this restaurant improved? Well, the decor is much more appealing with black tablecloths having replaced the redneck jamboree vibe. I ordered three of the same items that I ordered three years ago: polenta, margherita pizza, and their take on the cannoli. I can say that all were better. The pizza was the most improved with a better tasting dough, but the polenta and cannoli were only marginally so. The polenta had no nuanced flavors. It was cooked polenta drizzled with seasoned olive oil and topped with some corn kernels and a few pepper pieces. Polenta can be spectacular but this was mushy boredom on a plate. Their take on the cannoli, called a taconnoli, was overly tangy with the pistachio and orange zest doing it no favors. I have to say that this item didn't look visually appealing, either. I didn't know what to expect on this return visit but I hoped for the best. Unfortunately, the meal was incredibly average. I don't plan to return but, if I did, I'd limit myself to the pizza. Look, folks still say this restaurant is great. I seem to be an outlier even after three years so keep that in mind as you consider dining here. I'm not writing this to discourage anyone. Find out for yourself. One big plus: the staff was very nice and professional.
We got lucky enough to snag a same-day reservation for my birthday today. It is a cozy spot with not a ton of seating, and upon walking in, we felt a bit overheated (likely due to the ovens). However, our service was excellent and the options were unique and delicious! We had the Mesclun salad, the bread and spread with the poblano queso sauce (one of my favorites), the birria pizza (honestly, a marvel in and of itself, and done sooooo well) and the pasta bolognese. It was so flavorful and I honestly loved the fusion of Sonoran Mexican and Italian. We washed it all down with a red and white sangria (both of which were awesome). We will absolutely be back!
Zio Peppe is consistent with great food and crafted cocktails. The bread appetizer is a must. I enjoyed the halibut, which was delicious, while my husband loved the sausage pasta. For dessert, I highly the Jamaica Cheese Cake .
We are visiting AZ for our cousin's wedding and found this place through Yelp. And I highly recommend this place. Definitely make a reservation as it was packed on a Friday. Highly recommend their Birria pizza and the calamari chicharrones. My husband liked the elote, but I liked the calamari more and their salad. The combination of the fruits really went well with the dressing. And the service was amazing. Our waitress was very attentive and provided us with great service. We will definitely come back again when we are in Tucson!
Dined here for lunch, and like my previous review mentions, we were the only customers...again! The service was very attentive but not overbearing. I thought the tablecloth dining was a little overkill for lunch. We shared the Mesclun salad which was light and refreshing on this hot day. For my entree I got the salmon which was pretty good. The salmon was cooked perfectly, but for the price point I expected better from the tamale cake and sauce. The presentation was beautiful. We ordered the chocotaconnoli and then the server came back and said they were all out of the cannoli desserts. Womp womp.
Wow! 5/5 indeed! We finally tried Zio Peppe after many years in Tucson to use our Tucson Foodie Insider subscription. The food is phenomenal. The Calimarrones appetizer is excellent. The delicious calamari with chicharrones, blood orange, and a salsa macha sauce. The perfect combination of crispy and flavor. The pasta dishes are also made to order and fantastic as well. The garlic butter shrimp pasta and new chile bolognese were both unique and you can taste the freshness of the pasta. The balance of flavors used in each dish is noticeable. I like the mild spicyness from the chile bolognese and tangy flavor from the garlic shrimp pasta.
Came here for NYE dinner without a reservation and the restaurant was able to accommodate us at the bar. They do their take of Sonoran and Italian fusion and it brings some great flavors. We ordered the elote arancini for an appetizer and it was delicious. It wasn't too crunchy and it wasn't too chewy either. Just the right amount of crunch. The tangy and the sweet was the right amount. Definitely recommend this appetizer. We ordered the birria pizza which had deliciously seasoned birria on a thin crust with cheese and a cup of consommé and lime wedges. Definitely squeeze a drop of the line on the area of the pizza you dip into the consommé as it really brings out the flavor. We did not get any dessert but I'm sure it's amazing. Also, they make their own drinks and let they age in little wooden barrels on the bar. I'll have to try them next time as the old fashions looked delicious. Our waitress/bartender, Sophia, did an excellent job and answered some questions we had too. Very friendly and courteous too! The restaurant isn't huge so I recommend making a reservation. Also the parking is a little tight, so have patience when backing out.
What in the world?! What a great combination of cuisines!!! Italian and Mexican! And Chef makes it all work beautifully! We got there right as they opened and we had all the attention! We sat at the bar and ordered cocktails and an app! We started with the chicharron and calamari! It had this pepper paste delicious goodness spread at the bottom that works perfectly with the chicharron and calamari! ! Their wines were a little limited on the day we visited but nonetheless we had a good couple of glasses of both red and white wines! Onto our mains, hubs had the Birria stuffed ravioli and I had the salad. What flavors! By the time we left a few more people had arrived. Nice quiet place to have really good food and awesome conversation with your significant other.
Another amazing dinner! Brought a group of friends here tonight and most hadn't eaten there before and they did not disappoint. Bread and spreads were hot and fresh, pepperoni, birria, and figgy stardust pizzas were delicious, as well as the desserts, and the flourless chocolate cake were all spot on!
My mother and I came for lunch and it was our first time at Zio Peppe and I must say it was a cute little intimate spot with a rustic look. Our server Julie was super sweet and always had a smile. She also shook up the best tasting espresso martini I've had here in Tucson! We had our own tasting and ordered a handful of shareable dishes. The deviled eggs were soft boiled, so a little different than the norm but very flavorful, although I used lemon juice to tone down the fishy anchovy aioli. the other appetizer that stood out was the tamale polenta fungi which was different than I imagined with its creamy cheesy texture, corn kernels for that mass flavor, marinated mushrooms and I believe the roasted chilies was the green swirl that topped the dish, yummy! Caesar salad was so good, we demolished it! The different breads were excellent but dipping the bread in the scampi sauce was a good way to clean the plate lol. We took the jicama cheesecake home cuz we were stuffed! Compliments to the chefs! I'll be returning for dinner next time
2 months ago
The service and ambience was really nice. Seems like a upscale place and is on the pricy side but a lot of people seem to dress more casual here. Very chill vibes overall. The calamari was very good, along with the birria pizza which has a unique taste. The cheesecake however had a weird sand texture when you ate it which wasn't the crust part at all. Not sure if it was just a weird batch, the flavor was good but that's my only complaint. read more
The food was very tasty. We came here because Zio Peppe was at a vegan restaurant event- and had one of the best dishes there! So I was disappointed that the didn't have anything overtly vegan or labeled on the menu. The server was wonderful at suggesting a pasta dish that could be veganized. However, although they left off the cheese, and added a couple veggies, there was an up charge for the veggies. I would come back here again with non-vegan guests. But I wouldn't bring another vegan. The drinks were delicious and beautiful. Also our server was wonderful. read more
8 months ago
My husband picked up the order. I tried the EL RUSTICO BIRRIA pizza which was decent. The crust was not impressive. Crust was soggy. The RAVIOLI SONORENSE was sold out so I tried a pasta dish with sausage. The sausage tasted like it had been previously frozen. The pasta was on the bland side of things. As a pasta lover it's hard to recommend this place. read more
We went to celebrate Thanksgiving week with my son since we were heading out of town, and I had made a reservation in advance. When we arrived, I kindly requested the booth by the entrance, but the attendant said it was reserved. We finished our entire meal and noticed it remained empty the whole time, which was disappointing. We ordered the calamarrones and the Rústico Pizza. Both dishes were delicious, but the pizza was extremely thin (much thinner than what we've had before). It feels like they might be cutting back on ingredients. The restaurant itself has beautiful lighting and a great overall atmosphere. Prices are definitely on the higher side though. $28 for a six-slice pizza! read more
9 months ago
Everything about this restaurant was nice , cozy . Service was friendly the chef came out to see if everything was good . The server was very attentive as well. It's a definitely a place to come n try out thumbs up . Sure next time we come we will bring our friends to experience the delicious food . read more
I was here about three years ago when wood pallets sitting on the floor were literally part of the decor. My experience at that time was one of the worst I could remember. The food was bad. Fast forward and I thought it only fair to give them another chance. How has this restaurant improved? Well, the decor is much more appealing with black tablecloths having replaced the redneck jamboree vibe. I ordered three of the same items that I ordered three years ago: polenta, margherita pizza, and their take on the cannoli. I can say that all were better. The pizza was the most improved with a better tasting dough, but the polenta and cannoli were only marginally so. The polenta had no nuanced flavors. It was cooked polenta drizzled with seasoned olive oil and topped with some corn kernels and a few pepper pieces. Polenta can be spectacular but this was mushy boredom on a plate. Their take on the cannoli, called a taconnoli, was overly tangy with the pistachio and orange zest doing it no favors. I have to say that this item didn't look visually appealing, either. I didn't know what to expect on this return visit but I hoped for the best. Unfortunately, the meal was incredibly average. I don't plan to return but, if I did, I'd limit myself to the pizza. Look, folks still say this restaurant is great. I seem to be an outlier even after three years so keep that in mind as you consider dining here. I'm not writing this to discourage anyone. Find out for yourself. One big plus: the staff was very nice and professional. read more
We got lucky enough to snag a same-day reservation for my birthday today. It is a cozy spot with not a ton of seating, and upon walking in, we felt a bit overheated (likely due to the ovens). However, our service was excellent and the options were unique and delicious! We had the Mesclun salad, the bread and spread with the poblano queso sauce (one of my favorites), the birria pizza (honestly, a marvel in and of itself, and done sooooo well) and the pasta bolognese. It was so flavorful and I honestly loved the fusion of Sonoran Mexican and Italian. We washed it all down with a red and white sangria (both of which were awesome). We will absolutely be back! read more
10 months ago
Zio Peppe is consistent with great food and crafted cocktails. The bread appetizer is a must. I enjoyed the halibut, which was delicious, while my husband loved the sausage pasta. For dessert, I highly the Jamaica Cheese Cake . read more
We are visiting AZ for our cousin's wedding and found this place through Yelp. And I highly recommend this place. Definitely make a reservation as it was packed on a Friday. Highly recommend their Birria pizza and the calamari chicharrones. My husband liked the elote, but I liked the calamari more and their salad. The combination of the fruits really went well with the dressing. And the service was amazing. Our waitress was very attentive and provided us with great service. We will definitely come back again when we are in Tucson! read more
1 year ago
Dined here for lunch, and like my previous review mentions, we were the only customers...again! The service was very attentive but not overbearing. I thought the tablecloth dining was a little overkill for lunch. We shared the Mesclun salad which was light and refreshing on this hot day. For my entree I got the salmon which was pretty good. The salmon was cooked perfectly, but for the price point I expected better from the tamale cake and sauce. The presentation was beautiful. We ordered the chocotaconnoli and then the server came back and said they were all out of the cannoli desserts. Womp womp. read more
Wow! 5/5 indeed! We finally tried Zio Peppe after many years in Tucson to use our Tucson Foodie Insider subscription. The food is phenomenal. The Calimarrones appetizer is excellent. The delicious calamari with chicharrones, blood orange, and a salsa macha sauce. The perfect combination of crispy and flavor. The pasta dishes are also made to order and fantastic as well. The garlic butter shrimp pasta and new chile bolognese were both unique and you can taste the freshness of the pasta. The balance of flavors used in each dish is noticeable. I like the mild spicyness from the chile bolognese and tangy flavor from the garlic shrimp pasta. read more
Came here for NYE dinner without a reservation and the restaurant was able to accommodate us at the bar. They do their take of Sonoran and Italian fusion and it brings some great flavors. We ordered the elote arancini for an appetizer and it was delicious. It wasn't too crunchy and it wasn't too chewy either. Just the right amount of crunch. The tangy and the sweet was the right amount. Definitely recommend this appetizer. We ordered the birria pizza which had deliciously seasoned birria on a thin crust with cheese and a cup of consommé and lime wedges. Definitely squeeze a drop of the line on the area of the pizza you dip into the consommé as it really brings out the flavor. We did not get any dessert but I'm sure it's amazing. Also, they make their own drinks and let they age in little wooden barrels on the bar. I'll have to try them next time as the old fashions looked delicious. Our waitress/bartender, Sophia, did an excellent job and answered some questions we had too. Very friendly and courteous too! The restaurant isn't huge so I recommend making a reservation. Also the parking is a little tight, so have patience when backing out. read more
What in the world?! What a great combination of cuisines!!! Italian and Mexican! And Chef makes it all work beautifully! We got there right as they opened and we had all the attention! We sat at the bar and ordered cocktails and an app! We started with the chicharron and calamari! It had this pepper paste delicious goodness spread at the bottom that works perfectly with the chicharron and calamari! ! Their wines were a little limited on the day we visited but nonetheless we had a good couple of glasses of both red and white wines! Onto our mains, hubs had the Birria stuffed ravioli and I had the salad. What flavors! By the time we left a few more people had arrived. Nice quiet place to have really good food and awesome conversation with your significant other. read more
Another amazing dinner! Brought a group of friends here tonight and most hadn't eaten there before and they did not disappoint. Bread and spreads were hot and fresh, pepperoni, birria, and figgy stardust pizzas were delicious, as well as the desserts, and the flourless chocolate cake were all spot on! read more
9 months ago
My mother and I came for lunch and it was our first time at Zio Peppe and I must say it was a cute little intimate spot with a rustic look. Our server Julie was super sweet and always had a smile. She also shook up the best tasting espresso martini I've had here in Tucson! We had our own tasting and ordered a handful of shareable dishes. The deviled eggs were soft boiled, so a little different than the norm but very flavorful, although I used lemon juice to tone down the fishy anchovy aioli. the other appetizer that stood out was the tamale polenta fungi which was different than I imagined with its creamy cheesy texture, corn kernels for that mass flavor, marinated mushrooms and I believe the roasted chilies was the green swirl that topped the dish, yummy! Caesar salad was so good, we demolished it! The different breads were excellent but dipping the bread in the scampi sauce was a good way to clean the plate lol. We took the jicama cheesecake home cuz we were stuffed! Compliments to the chefs! I'll be returning for dinner next time read more
7 months ago
We went here when they first opened with another owner/chef. Same menu items but the ingredients are now noticeably different and lacking sadly. The beef short rib was dry and not as flavorful. The margarita pizza's cheese was not as melted or flavorful. Not sure where they are buying their groceries but it's noticeable. They added more tabletops but not more waitresses so service was slow. We tried sitting outside for ambiance but felt forgotten out there. read more
I am so fortunate and grateful to my friends for celebrating my birthday with lunches at my favorite places. Last week a friend who shares my birthday week and I had a joint celebration at Zio Peppe, absolutely one of my favs. We began with lemon swizzle cocktails. They are tart and sweet, the glass rimmed in green sugar, and so good. Our starter was the tamale polenta, with smoked cheddar, roasted chiles, red pepper relish, and kernels of corn; definitely my polenta of choice. For our main course we both wanted the Caesar salad, and because it was our main, we added shrimp. The shrimp were expertly cooked: tender with that perfect slight resistance when biting into them. I have reviewed Zio's Caesar before, with the perfectly tangy dressing, lots of parm, and the giant garlicky buttery croutons that taste like the best garlic bread you've ever eaten. That was last week. This week, I was treated by a dear friend and we just had to repeat the lemon cocktail I had the week before. We enjoyed it as much as I had previously. We split a Caesar salad, because that's another must-have. We settled on two entrees to share: the Green Chile Garganelli Bolognese and the Ravioli Sonorense. The bolognese is described as New Mexico green chile garganelli, braised beef short rib, bolognese sauce, salsa verde, Pecorino Romano. The short rib was luscious and fork tender, and the sauce for it and the ravioli were so tasty that we had to order bread to mop up the sauce and not waste a bit of that deliciousness. The menu describes the ravioli as Chile Ricotta Stuffed Egg Pasta, Marinara, Poblano Chile Con Queso, Beef Chorizo, Pecorino. I describe it as amazing. The bread deserves its own commentary. It was served hot and chewy from the oven, perfect for dipping. We were stuffed, and our personable and helpful waiter (who I suspect is one of the owners) was packing up our leftovers. But my friend said we have to have a birthday dessert. We decided to share the flourless chocolate cake. Funny how you can be so full and yet make room for a fudgy extravaganza, described as decadent chocolate bourbon cake, chocolate mirror glaze, espresso buttercream. It was so good! There were no cake leftovers. And, lucky me, I have two more b-day lunches to look forward to. I feel like the middle schoolers I taught for so long, celebrating a birthday month, not just a day. read more
1 year ago
If you are expecting an Italian restaurant- you will be confused. To note this is fusion of Italian + Southwest . The Elote Arancini (appetizer) was a little too over flavored if that is a thing... I felt there were too many flavors competing and it tasted more on the sour- salty side. The bread and spread is essentially bread and olive oil. Nothing fancy except the bread.. omg so delicious. We got the green chile garganelli bolognese and the ravioli sonorese. The ravioli was our favorite. Service was super attentive. The restaurant is a mix of cozy and trendy at the same time... intimate date or dinner with girlfriends. Good selection and reasonably priced cocktails and wine. Will definitely return. read more
Came here with a friend , not one item in the menu was vegan ... ehhh knocking 1 star for that guys ...but my friend said her Caesar salad and giant croutons were delish as well as her fig pizza . Unfortunately without 1 vegan entree in the menu I can't make this a regular spot but I'd recommend making a reservation . Indoor and outdoor seating available . read more
4 months ago
We had such a nice time here! Didn't realize we arrived at closing until after we ordered (got the days confused, we felt so bad!). But the staff waved our apologies, and were super sweet and friendly. Made us feel welcome despite the time! The food was incredible. Highly recommend if you're interested in something unique and delicious. read more
This place is busy on the weekend, so a reservation is a good idea if you don't want to wait for a table. The ambiance is nice for a family gathering and perfect for a date. Zio Peppe attempts to create fusion dishes of classic Italian and Sonoran. Elote Arancini [2/5] Though this is a popular appetizer, it is not to my taste . The seasoning is bland and the dish is not warm. The sauce is sour with a hint of spiciness which I thought makes up the lack of flavors. Calamarrones [4/5] A unique calamari dish combined with chicharrones. Underneath the calamari and chicharrones is a spicy base made of chili. The only components missing are acid and heat. The dish came out barely warm and it could be elevated with lemon/lime. I love the sprinkle of candied orange pieces! Rotini Alla Tequila [3.8/5] Love the high quality sausages! The bowl came out warm and has adequate amount of sauce, pasta and cheese. If I return, I would definitely try the Birria Pizza. Service was amazing! read more
1 year ago
Don't delay, run don't walk. Beyond yummy food. Get the salmon, you'll love it! Great service, yummy drinks too. :) read more
2 years ago
As you will read from many reviews, this place has some unique and interesting menu items. Really cool place with a relaxing ambiance. We started with the bread and spread, which was amazing. Definitely get that! My wife had the El Rustico Birria Pizza that comes with a Consommé dip. That was also really good! I had a new menu item, they were trying out - Bucatini Arrabbiata and Meatballs. I thought the meatballs and pasta were very dry, and given the price for it, that was a little disappointing. We finished up with the tres leches tiramisu which was good. They have so many unique menu items that we will definitely be back to try more. read more
10 months ago
The food here is good. Their pizza is delicious and the flourless chocolate cake is melt in your mouth yummy. I think the prices here are a bit too expensive for what it was. The interior is quite somber with the black tablecloths, dark interior, etc so perhaps a better spot for date night or evening dining. Service was good too! read more
5 months ago
11 months ago
This is one of the finest Italian restaurants in Tucson, in my opinion. I have been here several time's. I have never been disappointed with a meal. The ambiance is elegant. There is limited outdoor seating. I however enjoy inside because of the Italian feel. Our seating host Esteban was fabulous. He is a great conversationalist and is very welcoming and inviting. Server was exceptional, unfortunately I didn' get her name her name. Started with the bread and spread which is a great starter. Main course, I had the wolf and shrimp linguini which was exceptional. I normally get the Rotini Ala Tequila which is always delicious. I will continue to go here again and again. read more
7 months ago
We came back here for dinner this Monday night and it was the opposite as last time. Service was extremely slow and they forgot about us at one point. We ordered the salmon again and the salmon was fishy and the tamale cake tasted bitter. I wasn't sure if some ingredient in it had gone bad. I wasn't a fan of the birria pizza. The beef tasted bland and the whole pizza was really greasy. He got the Tart n' Flannel cocktail which he thought was ok but I thought was too bitter. I loved the Sangria Rossa. One of the best sangrias I've ever had. read more
7 months ago
3 years ago
I went to a Tucson Foodie R&D Dinner here and it was fabulous. If you are not a Tucson Foodie Insider you should look into it, that is the only way to get into the R&D Dinners. We had 5 courses of amazing food and wine. The chefs here are amazing and love Tucson culture and community. Check out the tasting menu a few of these will be making an appearance on their future menu. I have to say that the cheesecake which is not a dessert I would ever order was amazing and I ate it all, it was tart without being overly sweet, beautiful!!! read more
8 months ago
Came here for a date night with my boyfriend and was finally able to try out Zio Peppe! For the appetizer, we got the Elote Arancini which was so crispy, creamy and delicious! This was one of my favorites and I loved the corn bits and the tangy sauce that was drizzled on top! We had to order the Birria pizza and it did not disappoint! I think it was a wood fire pizza which made it crispy and slightly chewy! It doesn't look much, but every bit had a piece of meat and it was sooo good. We also ordered a pasta (I don't remember what it was called) but had a tomato sauce base with fennel sausage. We got it in a focaccia bowl just to make it fun. My boyfriend and I weren't impressed by the pasta, it was fine but wasn't amazing. The focaccia bread bowl though? It was fluffy, soft and soaked up the sauce really well! We kind of regret ordering the pasta and wished we ordered another pizza instead! read more
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