The Monica — Restaurant in Tucson

This was my third visit — and my third disappointment. I was disappointed with the food the first and this last time, and with the service all three times. I will not be returning.

The place itself is beautiful, especially the outdoor area, which is very thoughtfully designed. However, the food leaves much to be desired. I ended up eating refried beans with unwashed arugula and a piece of bread. I asked for an avocado add-on and was given three small, inedible pieces because they were completely unripe. I mentioned this to the waitress, who simply said, "they're all like that" — meaning none of the avocados were ripe — and she offered no further solution.

When I asked how we could resolve it, she offered some kind of avocado spread, which in no way justified the extra $2.50 charge (before tax and tip). On top of that, I had to constantly remind her about my order because she kept forgetting about me.

The service is poor — either the staff is not properly trained, or they simply do not care much about the customer. For the prices they charge, one would expect a bit more attention to detail. Instead, you end up doing almost everything yourself: paying through your phone, often fetching things yourself, and generally feeling unattended.

When the silverware was finally brought out (after being forgotten), the server just dropped it on the table and walked away, leaving everyone to grab their own. It felt more like being on an informal outing with friends rather than dining at a restaurant.

Adding to the disappointment, a DJ suddenly appeared and started playing music so loudly that it became impossible to have a conversation. The atmosphere quickly became unpleasant, as if they had completely forgotten the type of crowd they had at that time. As soon as the DJ started, a table of older guests near us finished their meals and left — and we soon followed. There were children present as well, making the loud music feel completely inappropriate for a Sunday brunch. That kind of entertainment might be better suited for Friday or Saturday evenings, not a calm family brunch.

To be fair, I will mention the positives: the poached eggs are consistently perfect, and when my friend had a terrible dish (he left half of it untouched), they refunded his money and personally called to apologize. That shows at least some effort to improve. I spent a total of 30.86 in breakfast, a capuccino, the extra avocado I never ate, tip and tax.

Even so, with all these issues combined, I will not...

I have a hard time reviewing this restaurant because I have some conflicting feelings. First of all these three points: 1 - the staff has been very friendly and welcoming every time I’ve visited (3x in 3 days) 2 - the food has been tasty 3 - they have a really nice outdoor space in the shade with plenty of space to hang out

HOWEVER, what bothers me are the little things that seem to pile up when looked at as a whole. 1 - very pricey for a place without table service as you order at the counter and take a number. You have to fill your own drinks in paper cups and refill them as well in the middle of your meal (leaving your food to the elements like flies and birds as you do so if you). 2 - pretty small portions given the price. I paid almost $35 for my breakfast of Tamales Benedict plus carnitas, a side of toast, and an iced tea. You can see the size of the Benedict in my photo, it presents as more of a small salad than a breakfast plate and you’re paying extra for a protein. 3 - My side of toast down the street came with whipped butter and fresh jam. Here, it came with almost frozen butter balls that I had to ask for after the toast showed up and diner style discount jelly that comes in those little plastic cups with the foil lids that I had to go find by the drink counter. 4 - over the course of 3 days, 5 nearly empty hot sauce jars (Mexico Lindo) of various flavors were never refilled or replaced despite being nearly empty (photo attached).

As stated, it’s these little things and lack of attention to the details that makes me question the value of what I spent on the meal given $5 less spent at another restaurant a block north gave me an experience with table service, and a close attention to the qualities that make a dining experience memorable for good reasons.

EDIT 6 months later: 20 minutes to get a latte in the afternoon when there were maybe 7 customers in the entire restaurant. Also saw a customer get a cold soup and send it back. Every 1 and 2 star review is accurate for what I’ve seen and experienced. I just...

Went here for Mother's Day with the family. Nice location for outdoor dining. The food was very good and served promptly. Ordering is a little unusual. They have a large menu, but no wait staff taking orders (you are seated and handed menus, then leave the table to get in line and order). This was a little weird, but not a problem. The two problems were: (1) the person the register and (2) the person who delivered our food.

First, there were a selection of pastries displayed next to the register with descriptions of the items written on the glass case. Written on the glass it also indicated that you pick a 5 item sampler. There were so many options and no label next to the item, so you had to guess which item was which. I ordered 4 items, but one item I wanted to order was unclear, so I attempted to point to it and describe it. The person at the register was clearly annoyed at this and said, "the names are on the glass..." It would have taken little effort to look at what I was pointing at, but she refused to do that. I made a guess. Second, my daughter ordered the Monica Cristo (their version of a Monte Cristo). The menu lists that it comes with a fries or a salad. The person at the register failed to ask this and my daughter failed to specify.

My daughter's order came with fries and she wanted the salad. When the order was delivered, my daughter my mentioned that she wanted the salad not the fries. The individual who delivered the food scolded my daughter saying it comes with fries unless you order it with a salad. The menu says it's 'either or' not "fries unless you substitute for salad." The attitude from the server was angry and aggressive, but we eventually got her to bring the salad. An, "I'm sorry about that let me get you a salad" would have taken less time and effort and would have left us happy.

Had either individual displayed reasonable empathy this might have been a 5 star visit and we would likely come back. As it is, this was a three star experience and we will...