Le Buzz Plaza Coffee Co — Restaurant in Tucson

Update July 17, 2024: I lowered my rating from an overall 5 to an overall 4, for two reasons. Well, three, actually.

The first is that the servers, while polite, are just that. They are not cordial. They don’t give you the idea that they are glad you came in to help pay their salaries. Typically, since this seems to afflict all of the employees I saw or interacted with there, this is something that results from some kind of management issue. But, who knows. I guess my view is that if you are in a public service job and you can’t bother to be cordial and welcoming, stay home. Second, while the food was excellent, as always, my eggs were cold/barely lukewarm, while the potatoes were so hot that they stayed hot for several minutes. Third, there is no table service here … you stand in line, give an order and they give you a number and someone brings your order to your table. I’m fine with that. But, then, I get this automatic “10% or 15% of 20%” tip thing at the cash register, and then I’m expected to get my own water, and I have to ask for salt and pepper, instead of someone asking me, when they deliver the food, if I want that.

Mind you, I like the place, and I go back when I can (mainly because of their bacon!), but the employees could use some training in how to interact with their customers. Nice calm place, with great food, and especially great sourdough bread … they MAY sell you a loaf if they have enough, but they reserve it for their exquisite sandwiches.

I also enjoyed the carrot and beet freshly squeezed juice. Normally I don’t go out of my way to locate places with this kind of ‘hippie’ drink, but in this case, if you’re thirsty and driving by, Le Buzz would be an excellent place to stop by for some carrot and beet juice.

We had an “American in Paris” sandwich (eggs, bacon, spinach, cheese … and it came with tomato marmalade. My wife thought it very good, and since we are ‘old’ we could only eat 1/2 and took the other half home for dinner.

I had a different sandwich, the name of which I have forgotten … but basically, when I was eating it, I thought of it as a ‘Cobb Salad Sandwich’ because it featured, in addition to bacon, a hard boiled egg (kind of flattened so it would fit in a sandwich). Fantastic.

We declined the invitation for their pastries — which are great — because we were full.

I like the atmosphere, but I gave it a 3, because it’s basically just a bakery with tables. Nice, people sitting and reading, but just a place to eat. Nothing wrong with that, just not...

This is my mom and daughter’s favorite brunch place so we’ve been here quite a few times. First, the good! Their food is pretty tasty on the whole. Nothing spectacular, but consistent and pretty good value for money. I will say the soups are hit and miss. I had the Zuppa Toscana the other day and it was very watery and slightly tasteless. But the sandwich I had was really good! I also appreciate how they always get the order right the first time. The staff are all very friendly and helpful when necessary.

The not so good… it’s generally pretty crowded in there. In the main dining area, the seating is so close that you often feel like you’re dining with strangers. Which is great if you don’t mind that type of thing but I personally hate it. I know there’s not much they can do about this but it’s definitely a factor when I think of somewhere to go and have a bite with friends. The biggest turnoff for me is the tipping prompt when paying with a credit card. It’s true, they bring the food to you when you order and sit down, but after that you’re on your own. I don’t think I should be guilted into tipping for the pleasure of clearing my own table 😏

All in all it’s a cute little place with good food and nice, friendly service! Just be prepared to be squished in next to a stranger if you go at...

So, I went here early Sunday morning here. I didn't know that it was there honestly. Le Buzz is back away from Swan, at the backside of a business complex, so it's not visible from the street at all.

As you walk into Buzz, the order counter is to your left. There is a long attractive display of pastries and baked goods. I chose an everything bagel toasted and coffee Americano. One thing Buzz might consider would be putting some basic nutritional info on the food display - at least caloric info.

I chose to sit inside around the corner from where you pay (there is a room with tables as well as a counter, where we chose to sit). I was there at 7am, and it began to get busy after I arrived. The noise level wasn't bad tho. Buzz also has several outdoor areas (front and back) should you chose to dine there.

The food was very good. I was amazed by how uniformly golden brown my bagel had been toasted. Just remarkable!

I would recommend Le Buzz. It looked like a trendy crowd, the food was fresh and both looked and tasted good. I only downgraded on the service, which seemed a bit long. But I'm not complaining, the staff was warm and...