400 N Toole Ave Suite A
Tucson, AZ 85701
*Disclaimer: We were not paid for this review. All opinions are our own and based on our personal experience. Your experience may be different.
Maynards is a cute little historic restaurant in downtown Tucson. A casual market cafe and a more sophisticated restaurant are located side by side inside the historic train station in the center of downtown Tucson. Maynards is one of the better places for breakfast downtown, particularly if you seeking a place with a nice upscale vibe. Update: This restaurant no longer serves brunch. I really wish they would bring it back as the food was wonderful and I really enjoyed dining on the patio in the morning before it got too hot. Those Cast Iron Eggs were awesome: please bring them back! Also, they opened a new Bottle Shop (serving wine and happy hour specials) in 2024.
Everything on the menu at Maynards is made from scratch daily using local ingredients.
Maynards is separated into 2 sections: a more casual market area and a fancier restaurant dining area. The market is located in the historic train station and has a casual vibe. The market serves quick breakfast eats, all sorts of fresh pastries daily, and a full espresso menu. Daily from 4-8pm, they offer a pretty nice happy hour deal with all sorts of drink and appetizer specials. It is definitely the better choice if you are looking for something quicker, as well as a more laid-back vibe.
The kitchen offers a full brunch menu, as well dinner. The entrees are a bit more lavish than those offered in the market. If you are looking for a more elegant sit down experience, then visit the Kitchen.
The dinner menu is a bit overpriced for Tucson in my opinion, and thus, brunch is a much better value. Brunch includes an assortment of your standard breakfast selections like Omelets, Benedicts, and Pancakes, along with a limited selection of lunch options.
The Baked Eggs entree (Two eggs broiled in cast iron, fresh cream, spinach, mushrooms, sautéed leeks, madeira wine, gruyère) really was delicious, as were the breakfast potatoes and homemade English Muffin served alongside.The portion was a bit small, although still worth it for the high quality ingredients.
If you feel like treating yourself to something sweet, try the Beignets, made to order donuts with Nutella ganache and bourbon caramel. Local coffee, mimosas, a Bellini and Mojito bar are also available.
Update: The new dinner only menu includes a small selection of starters and entrees. Recent highlights include: Seared Diver Scallops, Pan Roasted Half Chicken, and Blue Crab Spaghetti. Unfortunately, there are pretty much no vegetarian choices.
Our waitress was a bit snarky with a general attitude of being too good to work there. Also, the staff was pushing the alcohol drinks too much. This is a bit ridiculous & irresponsible in a dry climate like Tucson where they should be encouraging guests to drink more water! Update: On our next visit, we received better service. I am hoping our first visit was just a one off.
The interior of Maynards Kitchen is modern and sophisticated with dark elegant tones. Maynards offers one of the better ambiances in town for date night. For the cooler seasons, there is a nice little outdoor patio. The casual vibe of the patio seating area makes it a perfect place for late night Happy Hour apps and drinks or a leisurely cup of coffee and pastry on the weekends.
Maynards is one of the better brunch options in Tucson, as well as one of the better overall dining choices downtown. If you are seeking high quality food which you can enjoy al fresco, this local cafe is a great choice.
