October 2017. Five of us went to Cielos Restaurant and Bar to see if their burger might deserve a slot on our List of Top 10 Best Burgers In Tucson.

Open To The Public
Cielos is the newly re-invented restaurant and bar at the historic Lodge on the Desert. The new executive chef is David Solorzano. Ms. Karen & I recently enjoyed an excellent lunch there. Few locals know that, while Cielos serves its hotel guests, it is also open to the public for lunch, brunch, and dinner.

Neighbor Roy & I, who did the heavy lifting on the first list a few years ago, took two bites and came to the same conclusion. Cielos offers a good burger but is not in our top five.

Ms. Rosemary’s comments pretty much summed up the general consensus.

“I ordered a hamburger (grass fed medium rare) with cheese. I asked for the condiments & sauces on the side so I could really savor the flavor of the meat. The burger was cooked perfectly and the meat flavor was excellent. The amami sauce was similar to cocktail sauce and I enjoyed it’s spice but only added it to ‘bites’ of my burger. Ditto for the aoli. The lettuce & tomato were ripe & fresh. The bun was OK but nothing special.

I’d give the burger a 3.8 out of 5 saguaros.”

Now, we know that Grass fed burger is a different animal, well different meat anyway. Some prefer it over grain fed. It is kinder to the cows and possibly the environment before their demise. Perhaps there should be a separate review for just Grass Fed Burgers in Tucson. We suggest you try the burger at Cielos and let us know what you think.

Cielos Classic Local Burger ($15) comes with Espelette Fries. These fries are crisp, well seasoned and very tasty. Rosemary ordered a lite beer and commented on how delightfully cold it was when served. Ms. Karen & I shared a bottle of Scarpetta, a dry white wine … very good.

On our Top 10 List, Cielos is now # 8.