Miguel’s

Great food, atmosphere and ambience. You can sit at the bar and enjoy your entrée while you’re watching the U of A game. The staff is friendly and are very accommodating. They have a great selection of tequilas on shelf and their prices are very reasonable. The trece leches cake is to die for. I could eat it all day long.

Unilocal indicates this restaurant is closed but I called and it is not. However they are going to close soon for a week to renovate and open with a new name, owners, and menu. It will be called El Gringo.

The quiet ambiance and more relaxed crowd is what I like best about this place. Drinks are good. I love when they have their tequila festival in the Fall. Tucson’s best kept secret

Our favorite go to restaurant, Excellent food great service.

Warning! Miguel’s has taken a major turn for the worse in the last two months. My wife and I have been going to Miguel’s a few times a year for about 8 years now, including special days like Valentines and New Years. The quality of the food, presentation, and drinks has always been excellent. In fact, Miguel’s was our «go to» place when visitors were in town. Great view of the Tucson city lights and not a bad thing on the menu. Unfortunately, on this last visit (with guests), while the menu hadn’t changed, the food has.
Miguel’s has always served complimentary chips and salsa and the new chips they are using were too thin (couldn’t scoop the salsa without breaking the chips), not as flavorful as the chips they used to serve, and the chips themselves were too large to easily eat. When the drinks came, my wife reported her Cosmo was watery and tasted like it had been made with grapefruit juice rather than cranberry. My Manhattan was also not up to the standard I had come to expect.
Upon receiving our meals it was immediately evident that the presentation has suffered. Rather than the «4 star» presentation we had always seen, the plates looked like something your mother might set in front of you. Protein, starch, and vegetables each occupying their own little space on the plate. Everything just plopped down on the plate without a thought to what it looked like.
My wife ordered one of her menu favorites, the pan seared cabrilla. What arrived was a small piece of breaded fish which she was not even sure was cabrilla (sea bass). The rice was gummy and the julienne vegetables did not have the flavor or quality we had come to expect from Miguel’s.
My chicken with mole verde used to come as bone-​in pieces that were juicy and tender, but now consists of breast fillets with a very uniform manufactured look and texture. The rice and vegetables with the chicken mirrored the issues on my wife’s plate.
There was such a startling change from our last visit only two months earlier that we asked the waitress if there was a new chef. She reported that the chef was the same, but the manager (not sure if he was new or not) had ordered the changes, which the kitchen was not happy about. I can certainly understand why!
So instead of treating ourselves and our guests to the excellent meal we had anticipated, we spent most of the time apologizing for having chosen Miguel’s as our dining spot! We will likely return in a month of two to see if things have changed back to what was the «old» Miguel’s, but if it hasn’t, Miguel’s will be off our list for good.

Randy the bartender was a pleasure; our drinks were awesome and overall great experience! :)

No communication between the bar staff, the girl @ the front desk, & the restaurant staff. 4.45pm, I wanted 2 order a steak, I was seated @ the bar 1^st saying @ 5 I can have a seat @ the restaurant. She took my food & drink order @ the bar, after 10 – 15 min I was seated @ the restaurant, then after 5 min I was asked to go back to the bar and have my steak @ the bar! They dont seem 2 know what they r doing, food was ok tho, service was not.

I wouldnt have tried this place, being attached to a motel, if it hadnt been for the groupon. The ambiance is lovely and I like the big booths! The service is good and the food presented nicely. The calimari starter was good and I had the enchiladas and my husband the pork– we were not disappointed!

I was given a $ 15 certificate and since I’d been wanting to try this place I thought I’d check it out. My coworker and I both ordered (to-​go) the azteca salad. She got chicken ($ 3) and I got shrimp ($ 6). The salad was very small and for 6 bux extra I got. THREE shrimp!!! Really? Had I eaten it in the restaurant I would have said something but since I technically didn’t pay for it I’m taking it as a learning experience to never order it when I am. The salad was however very good and they give plenty of dressing. Service does seem hard to come by. There was no hostess and the bartender seemed to be taking care of everything.

We went for happy hour and was told by the hotel staff it was great food. We started with the «shrimp» roll. Nasty. It was a preformed rubber textured white hotdog type thing covered with an egg roll wrapper. Tasted like what I imagine a bay pier would taste like. We were told you either love’em or hate’em. Followed up with nachos. These were somewhat better. Would I have dinner there? Probably not. Much better places than this. We sat at the bar so service was great and bartender very attentive…

We ate here because I had a Groupon, and we were interested in trying Miguel’s. I hadn’t heard much about Miguel’s, yet after eating here, I agree with Meighan that the restaurant could get five stars for the food, but the service was so totally and completely lacking– that I can’t bring myself to give it more than three stars. And I feel three stars is being generous… I’ve honestly had nicer and friendlier service at McDonalds.
My husband and I arrived at the restaurant at about 8 PM Friday night for dinner. The restaurant was only half full, and yet, we were treated like it was 10 PM and we were the last table they were going to seat before closing. It took 10 minutes of standing at the hostess podium to get a table. The hostess was a little hot head, and I didn’t appreciate her negative attitude. After waiting for over 10 minutes, when she finally seated us, she took us to a table in the middle of the restaurant. We asked for a booth, and were told, «There are no booths that are ready.» There was clearly a booth available, it just hadn’t been reset. When I gestured and said, «What about that one?» She replied with a sarcastic shrug, «Well, it’s going to be a few minutes…» As I watched her pull settings from a different table to move them, I questioned myself about even staying to eat here. After her mini-​tantrum of having to set the booth, she set the menus down on the table, and walked away. She didn’t even smile, or say anything. OKAY?! I shouldn’t have to feel like a leper for asking for a booth, and not wanting to sit in the middle of the half-​empty restaurant? This wasn’t starting well…
The waiter and the bus boy weren’t much better than the hostess. We had to ask the other hostess for chips and salsa. The bus boy brought them, and set them on the table without even making a comment. We had to ask for water, then more water– every time we needed water. I even had to ask for the wine list! What? Why didn’t the hostess give us the wine list when we were seated? Any plates that needed to be cleared during out meal had to be put to the front of the table to get the waiter to pick them up. The restaurant itself is charming, and the décor is fresh, with a Carribean/​Mexican style feel. Yet, any possible charm and style was completely lost on me because I kept trying to figure out what we did to ‘deserve’ such horrible service.
By the way, if anyone even remotely cares about the front of the house staff and how they are treating their customers, I hope they read this review. A front of the house staff with such total lack of disregard towards customers overshadows any greatness in the quality of the food, and comes across as a complete turnoff. The food was definitely two thumbs up, with a great presentation and very flavorful. I had the chicken mole, which is not a traditional mole, but more like a pesto mole. It was cooked perfectly, and served on a bed of flavorful white rice and veggies. My husband had the Sea bass, which was also cooked perfectly and served on a bed of white rice with the same veggies as the chicken. My husband’s comment about the food was, «This is one of the best meals we’ve had in Tucson in a long time.» We also enjoyed the piano player– a very nice touch.
It’s too bad for Miguel’s… They could have a great restaurant, but the lack of service and negative (almost surly) attitudes of the staff were a complete turnoff. Not sure I have a desire (or the stomach) to go back. Based on the way the staff treats their customers, I’m probably not the only one who feels this way. Miguel, if you care at all– HIRE A COMPETENT MANAGER, and get your staff in-​line, because whoever is in the kitchen knows how to cook.

Turns out we were in a bit of a rush when we came here last night, but the staff helped out in that regard. Would’ve liked to enjoy the experience a little bit more.
The atmosphere here is a perplexing thing. The dining room layout has the feel of a New York City steakhouse. You know the kind where Ol’ Blue Eyes can look out over the floor? Except the décor is distinctly South West.
Prices were very fair, especially considering the expense that seems to have gone into the decorating. The menu was very nice and covered a wide selection of proteins from fish to pork to beef and chicken. Also had vegetarian offerings.
We ordered the seared sea-​bass and the citrus marinated grilled chicken breast with a mole verde sauce. Both were VERY good. Definitely a nice change on Mexican style food from the usual refried beans and flour tortilla limitations.
We also ordered the ceviche which was nice and light, a little salty for our taste, but I think we’re more sensitive to that than most people.
All in all, we were able to stick to our Paleo leanings and enjoy a fabulous meal. Also, the service was great. A young man named Obed (I think) was our server and he was very attentive.
I’d recommend this place to anyone. Its cheaper than any trip to TGI Fridays or Applebee’s you’ll ever take and its 20x better.
OH! Almost forgot, they have a guy that plays piano and its totally awesome. Didn’t catch his name, but he was great!

Definitely not your typical looking Mexican restaurant when you go inside.
Awful service. We had to ask the waitress what was wrong with our bill. One of us ordered 3 crown on the rocks and on the bill there was 3 different charges with different prices. The description was even better — «crown Rocks rocks», «crown rocks,» and «crown.» I didn’t know there was 3 different types of crown on the rocks.
Ok Food was not bad. Guacamole was good with homemade chips!

Miguel’s was just OK. The food is pretty good, but after trying the other restaurants in the area, there was nothing here that really wowed me. The prices are somewhat reasonable too.

Every time I think to myself that I need to go to Miguel’s because it’s been awhile & I love their patio, I need to read this review. The service is poor & has been each time I’ve been here.
The drinks were great!
I think the food is just ok & overpriced.

Great original dishes for a reasonable price. The Sonoran martini was amazing!

The only reason I didn’t give the restaurant five stars was the service. It was slightly lacking on the bar patio. If I could do a half star, I would!
The food, on the other hand, is absolutely amazing and the chef was kind enough to adapt to my dietary needs (gave me some fantastic grilled veggies in lieu of rice). Menu can be completely Paleo, if that’s your dietary preference. Decadent deliciousness! We can’t wait to go back again and often! Beautiful views of the Tucson skyline and Quail Creek golf course accompany a impeccable dining experience!

Overpriced!!!
I went to Miguel’s on a date a few nights ago. We ordered total of 3 «well» cocktails, 1 appetizer, 2 entrées. Bill was $ 85. Service was slow and not very knowledgeable about menu. When I spend a lot of money at a restaurant, I expect the server to at least introduce himself. Instead, it was like ordering at Deny’s… «Are you ready to order?»
Pork chop was dry and tough. The other dishes, not memorable.
Nice view, and great decorations, lot’s of articles about chef’s creativity, but that just wasn’t my experience. I would much rather spend $ 100 at Maynards or much less at Old Pueblo Grill.

Such a great find!
Don’t go here thinking «Mexican» food… Unless you’re a Tucson Native that heads down to Puerto Penasco, San Carlos, or Rosarito Beach and know what coastal Mexican food is like. There isn’t any taco, enchilada, tamale combination with frijoles and rice here. Just great food, great patio, and excellent service.
The appetizers: You have to have the calamari. Best calamari I’ve ever eaten. Spicy, Crispy, and unique, there is definitely a «New Latin American Cuisine» flavor to this delicious dish. I talk people who don’t like calamari into trying this dish and they can’t wait to go back for more.
Tortilla Soup: Muy bueno. Some of the best in town, and there are some great tortilla soups in town.
Entrees: Pollo A La Brasa with a mole verde (even those who don’t like chocolate mole will dig it), Pan Seared Cabrilla, and the Miguel’s Duet (a version of surf and turf with tiger shrimp and fillet mignon) are my favorites. I’m waiting to try the whole red snapper with someone adventurous. (again, not traditional mexican food, so expect black beans and oaxacan rice, not refried frijoles and spanish rice)
Eat on the patio almost all year round, decent wine selection, good margaritas, and great service, especially weeknights. Do small meals with calamari and soup, or go all out. Miguel’s is one of my top ten favorite restaurants in Tucson.

It was the first time we were ever out of town without the kids so we were looking for a dining place for grown-​ups. I came upon Miguel’s while browsing through a visitor’s guide. The description of «New Latin American cuisine» immediately had me intrigued.
For dinner I ordered the Cochinita Pibil in a banana leaf boat served with cream rice, black beans, vegetables and a grilled tomato and the other plate was a Chile relleno filled with chicken topped with mole, served with black beans and cream rice. Both were DELICIOUS! I highly recommend this restaurant for a romantic dinner or a night on the town.