Wildflower

Great food and great service!
Food is always good, the noise level is a bit high when it gets busy though.

We had an amazing meal at Wildflower. Our waiter, Adam, was incredibly good. Attentive without being overly so. Brushetta, BBQ tacos, and pork tenderloin were all perfectly cooked and flavorful. Fun atmosphere. A little pricy but absolutely worth it.

Update 7−18−15
Still love this place but they don’t do the rotating cheese boards anymore. They came up with a standard which is great. I wish they’d bring back the rotating cheese it was more fun to be surprised.

Best food in the area. Gluten free options for my wife. I get the T-​bone steak it’s delicious. Service is always on the spot very nice people. I eat here as often as I can. The menu is always changing based upon the season. Worth the drive. For dessert I order The doughnuts. Amazing

This is my new go to place in Tucson! Everything from the décor to the food was perfection. To top it off, the wait staff were absolutely wonderful and felt like they would easily go above and beyond if need be.
I had the harvest salad and will definitely try the other items that looked delicious! Can’t wait to go back here again

O… M…G…Wildflower, where have you been all my life?! I’m full on legitimately angry that nobody I know INSISTED I go try this place earlier than five years living in the area.
Where the bleepblop do I start?! Gorgeous décor inside? Check! Fabulously decorated inviting outdoor patio? Check! Super attentive and friendly hostesses who had our reserved table ready when we got there? Check!
We had a guest with Celiac’s so gluten free isn’t just a trend for her, it’s imperative and not only did the hostess remember and confirmed it when we were sat, but our waiter was already aware and confirmed it with us without any prompting. So impressed. It’s a rare thing these days to be blown away (in a positive direction) by service, and they made us feel at home. Considering it’s a beautiful restaurant on the more upscale side, there was zero pretentious attitude and nobody gave one side-​eye to a party with two children.
Husband and I split the soup of the day which was corn chowder with shrimp. My god I wanted to order a gallon of it and crawl into a cave like Gollum hoarding it to myself and muttering about «my precious». I love a restaurant that goes the extra mile straight down to their soups. Hooray for attention to detail!
I ordered the sesame shrimp pasta which was DEVINE. The seasoning and flavor was beyond spot on… it was perfect. Literally could not have been better in any way. And so much shrimp in it! Same could be said for the short rib ravioli Husband ordered. PERFECT.
And of course an indicator of a great restaurant is not just being physically unable to say no to dessert, but then ordering THREE different desserts. Warm apple crisp, cinnamon doughnuts and a delicious seasonal chocolate creation?! PERFECT. All perfect.
PERFECT! I love you Wildflower. Let’s run away together and I’ll promise never to eat anything but corn chowder for the rest my my life.
And a thank you to Fox Concepts for bringing a level of excellence to the local restaurant scene. Our go-​to favorites — Zinburger, Blanco, and now Wildflower — are all not only gorgeous places to eat, but 100% delicious and always have killer service. We are lucky to have you in the area!

Have to try their calamari! I’ve been going for last six months. It’s a hidden gem. :)

I have been to Wildflower several times before my most recent dining experience there. The food has always been delicious, however I found the service to be lacking during my last dinner there.
I made a reservation for 8:30 on a Friday night. When I called to make the reservation, I informed the hostess that we would be dining at Wildflower to celebrate an anniversary. Upon arrival at the restaurant, our hostess confirmed that my partner and I were celebrating our anniversary. Then, after a few moments of confusion regarding where to seat us, we chose to sit on the heated patio. The heat lamps and atmosphere were great.
We probably waited 15 minutes before our server arrived. He was disengaged and gave the impression that he didn’t want to be there. He never mentioned our anniversary, nor did he offer a free dessert in celebration of the event. Typically I would not be put-​off by this, however it made it seem odd that the hostess had even asked about it in the first place.
Our chef’s board starter was wonderful, as was the fresh bread. My partner’s cup of clam chowder was luke warm, although tasty. We both enjoyed our main entrées (seared salmon and roasted chicken), although I thought the flavor of the wasabi potatoes served with the salmon was a bit off.
At a restaurant such as Wildflower, I hope to pay for the food as well as the experience. Unfortunately, my poor dining experience will deter me from returning to this otherwise great restaurant.

Gluten Free Review
GF Dishes, GF Bread
Spent an hour looking for a really good restaurant while in Tucson, there just wasn’t that many options I was finding on Unilocal then my friend told me about Wildflower. I found it on Unilocal and called them instantly and checked for a table, they told me they were fully committed for the evening, I was like nooooooo.
Then I checked on OpenTable and bam found a table and showed up within the hour and got right in, there was a short 10 minute wait as told by our hostess Selena Gomez, and at the bar we received a Moscow Mule and let me tell you so damn fresh and good and they use Gosling ginger beer which is the best one.
The inside is pretty plain looking, but the open kitchen and bar, and a patio with patio heaters is a clean run environment and smooth looking place. For appetizers we got Grilled Artichoke and also a Cheese Plate, these two dishes were mouth orgasm’s and I really could eat that artichoke every day.
Then got a pitcher of Sangria which was very tasty and then our main dishes arrived, the lady got Paella which is so hard to find and very hard to make, she loved it and it was all the way gluten-​free and was super flavorful. My dish was the short-​rib that had a creamy sweet flavor to it and paired nicely with the mash. We were so full already but our main courses were out of this world, both were gluten-​free as well as our apps, my rec is get the artichoke, and short rib with a moscow mule you will be so happy. Your welcome.

+ easy to find
+ easy to make reservation online @ OpenTable (had a short wait for our table)
+/​-​lots of dinning inside and out (wish we got a booth inside but we got a small table instead… a first with a missing chair so we were reseated)
+/​-​great service — very friendly and knowledgeable (unfortunately the kitchen got backed up so it was 35 min between appetizers and entrée)
The food:
— grilled artichokes (I’d skip this next time. The flavor was good but it’s not much food for $ 12.)
+ tucson kale (great flavors with the roasted corn, grapefruit and pistachios!)
+ spinach pappardelle (omg delicious! I could’ve eaten this as an entrée)
+/​-​lemongrass scallops (not much lemongrass flavors on the scallops but the black rice saved the dish)
— braised beef short ribs (came out cold and the grits were tough)
I would love to come back!

Went here on Valentine’s Day. Waited 30+ minutes beyond our reservation time. Yes, it’s a busy day. No, you can’t screw that up so badly and act like it isn’t a big deal.
Food and wine were excellent. Service was good. Those are the only reasons it’s 3 stars instead of 1.
The atmosphere SUCKED. I think they pulled apart all the tables for the holiday so that they could squeeze in more couples… it would have been nicer if we hadn’t been right next to the front door and basically in the laps of the couple next to us.
I’d like to give them a try on a non-​restaurant-​heavy holiday, but my experience was negative enough that it’ll be a while before I go back in.

Wildflower has absolutely fantastic ambiance. Especially at night, and that patio is just GORGEOUS with the strung Italian lights and well dressed tables. You get real napkins! And their bread and parmesan olive oil is a great touch. The food is always very fresh, unpretentious, and everything is plated beautifully. I highly recommend their grilled Ahi tuna salad. Although you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.
I’ve been here with friends but this is the perfect place if you’re looking for the whole package on a date night. Still trying to get my husband to come here with me; one of these nights!

I had a very bad experience. The table next to ours had a very loud group. So loud, we couldn’t carry on a conversation.
I asked our waiter if he would ask them to be a bit quieter, which he did. It made no difference. We asked for the maitre d’hôte. He came and we asked him to please tell the next table to be quieter. He refused.
We left, and definitely won’t be returning.
It was most unpleasant and should have been dealt with. I was tempted to call Mr Fox personally as I have never had such a bad experience at any of his restaurants.

I dined here with my husband a couple of months ago and I thought the food was pretty good though maybe not as amazing as I remember from my college graduation dinner 16 years ago. I do love the vibe of this place though. It is the original Fox restaurant but doesnt have the same forced kitsch of his other creations. We ended up eating at the bar since they were a bit full but still got great service.

Seriously guys, get the Pan Seared Chicken and thank me later.
I’ve had my eye on Wildflower for a while, and never quite managed to make it there. Too lazy, didn’t want to do the formal dining out thing, or not enough time. I knew it was going to be quality food though so I wanted to wait until I was in the mood to sit down and really enjoy a meal, you know?
My husband and I went on a Friday night, which they were pretty busy but not astonishingly so. I believe they had a lot of reservations as the hostess immediately looked at us and said «We don’t have anything available inside is the patio going to be okay for you?» We would have waited for an inside table, but essentially from the way it was presented to us that was not going to be an option. No biggie, but I can really see that putting someone off.
Our server was great. Very knowledgeable and very professional. I asked if she had a strong recommendation for either the cheese board vs. the calamari and she didn’t hesitate before recommending the calamari. It is delicious — perfectly fried, not chewy, and the traditional accompaniments of a red marinara or a tartar sauce type dipping sauce was definitely not needed. I think the portion is perfect as well — I noticed some reviews stating that it is not a very big portion but in this age of enormous appetizers and then an enormous meal I didn’t feel deprived.
I ordered the Pan Seared Chicken and my husband ordered the Filet, med rare. My dish was awesomeeeeee. The chicken was perfectly cooked and moist, with the most deliciously tart/​lemony sauce underneath. The green beans that accompany it were blanched and nicely prepared. Tender and crisp with excellent seasoning. The «smashed» potatoes were tasty — a little rich but very good. They definitely were mashed potatoes and not what I consider a «smashed» potato — I expect lumps in a smashed potato! I know my meal knocked it out of the park as my husband (who loves red meat and only gets to order it when we are out as I do not eat it) kept stealing bites of my chicken.
He liked his meal, though his steak was definitely cooked medium rather than the requested medium rare. He did not want to as for a re-​fired entrée as it wasn’t a huge deal to him.
We ended with the apple crisp — I loved the little hints of manchego cheese in it; he was kind of so-​so about it.
I think it was interesting that I noted my husband and I were some of the youngest patrons there — the average age looked to be about 75 or so. I don’t know if we just went on a weird night or what but it was something we both noticed right off the bat.
I will definitely be back for you, little Pan Seared Chicken!

I kept my comments to myself, as I came here with a group for lunch who thought it was absolutely amazing. Let’s just say this place to me is one of those places who puts a lot of money into the restaurant and ambiance. Definitely, this restaurant comes off as a higher price, higher class sort of restaurant. The food? Um. I’ve had better.
These types of restaurants I’m always sort of wary when stepping in. You know, the type of restaurant where if you look out of place, you’ll be stared at? This is what this restaurant reminded me of. So let’s see, what did I order?
I ordered the BBQ Chicken Tacos. And what I received were just about 3 tacos, a bowl of beans, and a lot of disappointment. It just didn’t fulfill me, as far as the amount and the price. It didn’t justify it. The taste was alright, but I could’ve definitely have found better tacos around Tucson. Maybe there were better dishes that I didn’t order, but hey as I said this restaurant wasn’t really my typical scene.
Overall, the service was not too bad. The food was disappointing, but the service made this place a 3 star for me instead of any higher. I wish Unilocal had .5’s, because it would have gotten a 2.5, but I round.

It has been awhile since I’ve eaten here and I can tell short reviews, even if dead on, aren’t appreciated much. Well, if THE PEOPLE want more, they shall have it! :)
Tonight I came in wanting meat, a juicy medium rare pattie that would satiate my hunger and also make me feel better after a tough day (don’t ask). I know Mondays are either slow or closed, so I was glad the restaurant was open.
Things got off to a pretty good start as the hostess was cheery and got me a nice table. The waiter came right away for a drink order, and I said water was fine, but would be nice if there were a few lemon wedges.
The rest of the evening didn’t go well with this waiter with most of the issues being inattentiveness. The lemon arrived after several minutes (remember it’s a sloooooow night and actually they had plenty of staff because a different waiter asked if I had been helped while I was waiting for the lemon), and I immediately jumped at the chance to order, said I wanted MEAT, and ordered the mesquite cheeseburger. The right question came next, «how would you like that done?» Medium rare was my response since the taste of the meat really comes through and I don’t care for raw, nor worry about bacteria in a well run place like Wildflower. Also ordered the fruit side option and passed on the free table bread.
The burger, served by an assistant, came soon enough and looked great. The key word is LOOKED; that is from the outside. After I cut in two I saw is was pink and was expecting a really juicy, fast meal due to my hunger. But the first bite was not very tasty, meatwise. Plenty of flavor from the cheese, mushrooms and aioli sauce, but like nothing from the cow.
Now the second wait, only this was a bit ridiculous. Not only did the waiter not come back to ask me how the meal was, after starting into the fruit side (which was delicious and filled with lots of high quality fruit like blueberries and raspberries), I pushed the plate away and when they finally came around they actually asked me if I wanted a box to go!
I said no, that the problem was the meat was overcooked and didn’t taste like much. They took it back to the kitchen and then the manager, Ricky Anderson got involved. He agreed it was not medium rare and personally made sure the next pattie was done correctly. It was delicious and was gone in less than 2 minutes — seriously. I was HUNGRY!!!
Ricky was kind enough to offer a free dessert (pass) and then coffee. That piqued my interest and I went for a decaf americano. The first sip was quite bitter, and I suspect the beans are old. Doesn’t matter for this review because I don’t come here for it.
So the manager came through, I had a great burger and side of fruit and the waiter got what they deserved. Down one star for missing some of the details.

First time eating happy hour food here. Have eaten lunch and dinner at Wildflower many times. Four of us sat inside. Noise wasn’t too loud with the dining room less than half full. Quieter outside, but too stuffy and hot this time of year for outdoor dining in the afternoon, even if their misting system was running full blast.
I wanted to try something different, so I had asparagus bruschetta, bbq chicken tacos, and crispy shrimp with veggies. The latter was the best item I ate. I should have had a bowl of soup instead of the other two dishes. Shrimp was batter fried to perfection. I typically don’t order or eat fried anything, so I’m glad I branched out.
Service was good. Price was reasonable. Parking was easy. Gelato shop was steps away for cool dessert on a scorching late afternoon.

I have been here 3x now and each time has been absolutely fantastic!
I love the covered «outdoor» patio area… you get the ambiance of an outdoor seating w/​o the bugs or intense AZ sun.
The service here has always been on par as well! From the hostess to the waitstaff and food runners!
From the samplings I have had here, everything is just fantastic from the cocktails, to the apps, to the main entrees!
They make excellent sangria here, and I would recommend the carafe to get the best bang for your buck. It is more than enough sangria for two people.
My fav app are the pan fried edamame dumplings… I have actually made this a meal once, they were so good! The dipping sauce they come with is outta this world!
My fav entrée is the short rib ravioli. The short rib is perfectly prepared and the flavors are fantastic.
My fav dessert are the «Bars of Sin»…this is divine death by chocolate and should not be missed!
Anytime I visit Tucson, I definitely make a it a point to come and grab a late lunch bite (they are not super busy during the late afternoon in the early week in my experience) here and treat myself to a glorious food outing!

I enjoyed the ambiance at Wildflower. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, dim candlelit lighting in the evening, and pleasant music playing making for a perfect date spot. My boyfriend and I were looking forward to having a drink after a long day, when I soon realized I had forgotten my ID at home. Willing to chance it, we ordered a couple drinks and the server did not card us. Score!
A few minutes later he came back and asked for it, apologizing for not having asked before. «I don’t have it», I quickly admitted. No wine for me. I’m not bitter about it as he was only doing his job, but would have preferred he done it from the get-​go so that we wouldn’t have gotten our hopes up. For the record, I’m 8.5 years past the legal drinking age.
The server must have felt bad about the situation because he soon brought out a free plate of crisp calamari for us, claiming it had been made by mistake. We appreciated the gesture and devoured the calamari. It came with mizuna greens, yuzu emulsion, and toasted sesame seed, a refreshing take on a calamari app.
For dinner I ordered the kale caesar, excited to try the classic salad with kale instead of traditional romaine. To my dismay, the salad came out with ¼ kale and ¾ lettuce. Why on earth would they label that a KALE salad?! I was pretty disappointed. My boyfriend had the short rib ravioli from the «fresh pasta» menu. His overall feeling of it was «meh». The portion was small and the pasta itself didn’t taste very fresh.
Maybe we would have enjoyed the food more paired with a glass of wine, but hey at least we saved a few dollars.