Alloro D.O.C. — Restaurant in Tucson

Update 4/29/2023. We dined at Alloro again last night at the invitation of the Food and Beverage Manager. I had a pleasant conversation with Darin about our previous dining experience. He proceeded to invite us to return to try again. I'll say now that this is why I am loyal to the Hilton brand -- because they take ownership of mistakes and try to make things right when they sometimes go wrong. This is a perfect example of the Hilton commitment to superior and responsive service.

Anyway, we had the chicken wings (again) for an appetizer, as well as the salmon and short rib pasta for the main course. Everything was excellent. From the taste and temperature of the food to the attentive service, the Alloro gang did an excellent job. Working in a restaurant is not an easy gig and I appreciate their efforts and commitment to continual improvement.

They should rename this restaurant the "Charles Dickens" -- because depending on the day, the time, and maybe the direction of the wind blowing outside -- you could enjoy an excellent meal (the best of times) or you could enjoy an awful meal (the worst of times). We recently spent two nights at the Hilton Tucson East and we sampled Alloro DOC a few times to sample different menu items. So, here is our Charles Dickens experience.

The Best of Times. The serving staff in the front of the house is excellent. They are attentive, they care, and they did a great job. The restaurant is nicely designed and is generally a pleasant place to hang out in.

The best menu item of our visit, by far, was the Mahi Mahi Piccata. The fish was cooked perfectly, the risotto was very flavorful, and the piccata sauce was perfect. It is a delectable dish that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys fish and piccata.

Other menu items that we found quite good included the chicken wings and the caprese salad.

Also, the medium-rare prime rib special with the horseradish sauce, as well as the sausage and pepper pizza, were respectable.

Menu items that were pretty average include the chicken quesadilla. The amount of chicken and cheese was good, but the overall flavor was oddly bland.

The Worst of Times. We've been to this restaurant before and noticed the variable quality of the food. Well, it happened yet again. An order of the shrimp tacos came out that was, shall we say, loaded with cheese, lacking in shrimp, and .... cold. I say it again, the tacos were cold.

The kitchen then proceeded to dump the tacos in the microwave and they came out a few minutes later. However, now the over-cheesed tacos are mushy and unmanageable. Back they go. On the third try, which we were told were freshly made, they were yet again cold and yet again mostly cheese. The few, small shrimp present were either mushy or half-frozen. Fail!

So, kitchen staff and management, take notice. You have a food consistency problem. This is a correctable issue, but one that has not been addressed for at least a couple of years now. Fix this, and you will have an excellent establishment that people will want to visit and enjoy...

This is the best deal in Tucson, and Tucson's best kept secret. Alloro D.O.C. at the top of the stairs of Tucson Hilton East. Friday night they have a Prime Rib special for $25.00. You get a sumptuous prime rib with au ju and choice of baked, or garlic mashed potatoes. The food, and service is always quick and delicious. Our host, server and som, and busser, was the restaurant supervisor. Monette carried the work load single handedly, and didn't miss a beat. She was very personable with a great attitude. They seem to be understaffed right now obviously, but you wouldn't have known that other than she was there to do everything for us, might I add very quickly and efficiently. Last time we were here we had delicious homemade cannoli's. Where can you get a quality steak in Tucson for 25.00 dollars? Friday night at the Alloro D.O.C. Hilton East is the only place in town with a steak at this great price. Not to mention the place is comfy, relaxing, and has a lovely esthetic and ambience, that puts one at ease. You will walk out of here feeling full and content. One more note, Fantastic 10 dollar glasses of wine are offered as well. Try the Washington vintage, H3 for a full bodied, rich, fruity cab that is drinkable with steak, or even sometime, as a stand alone. You may purchase your own at Safeway for under $20.00. Delicious! Alloro D.O.C. is a must do on your Friday night, after a tough week, or just a regular date night!...

Located inside of Hilton Tucson East. We were staying here and decided to try the food for dinner. Very nice environment. It was pretty quiet all in all until the drinkers showed up. Then one of the bartenders and some patrons started yelling to each other about sports. The other bartender had a scowl on her face the entire time. Our waitress was awful. Couldn't hardly get her to come by. She was always in the back of the restaurant or leaving. After dinner we even saw her outside. The food was pretty good. Mine was anyway. I ordered the pappardelle and short rib. The pasta noodles were very good. Not gummy, sticky, or overcooked. The cream sauce with the gorgonzola made a great combination! The meat was so tender. I did have to add a little salt, but it was very good. My husband ordered spaghetti with meatballs and a side salad. The champagne dressing was different, very light, but good. The spaghetti and meatballs were absolute trash! The meatballs were totally mushy and gross, as if they had been boiling and steaming then frozen and thawed out several times. The spaghetti and sauce definitely was not quality either. The noodles were very overcooked and mushy. I would not recommend ordering that. I would come back to try some of the other things on their menu. Hopefully the service would be better. Also expect to pay about $20 or more per person, not including...