Dante’s Fire

I’m a little late in posting this review, but I just found the pics I took when I visited there back in February 2016. I hate to go against their flow of great reviews, but here’s a candid recount of my experience with them.
I drive by this restaurant almost every day, and have always been intrigued by the art work outside, and of course, the name. Their menu features food which sounds exciting to try, but the food falls far short of how good it sounds.
I ordered a Bloody Mary, and after initially tasting it, I commented that it had no spice or heat to it all. The server graciously offered to take it back to the bar to have more tabasco added. I tasted it again, and there was absolutely no change from the first time I tried it.
We ordered the sliders for an appetizer. I was surprised at how stringy the meat was, and even more at the cheap, dollar store white hamburger buns — they charge a lot of money for such low quality food.
My boyfriend ordered the ½ pound burger (the Stolen Burger), and there’s no way it was ½ pound, not even before it was cooked, and definitely not worth the price they charged for it — $ 14
I ordered the flat iron steak, and here’s what decided the one star rating: I asked for rare, but the meat was RAW. RARE does NOT mean RAW. I did not eat it and would have left, except my boyfriend was starving and had to finish his meal.
The pictures that I posted are very hard to make out, and that’s because it was very dark inside.

Food is great and servers are really helpful and friendly. I want to give it more stars but everytime i went the wait was extremely long. Although one of those nights was moderately busy but the other wasn’t (Both times went was during a weekday). But i guess it’s to be expected because they make everything from scratch.

I have been going to Dante’s FIre for about a year and a half, the food is always excellent as has the service. Kim is amazing and is absolutely one of the most fun people I have come across. She goes out of her way to make sure that all of your questions about the incredible menu options are explained and makes really spot on suggestions. I just went back with two of my friends that had never gone there — they are new converts to Dante’s. One of them swore she hated jalapeño poppers (which we had ordered) this is the only place now that she will even eat them — she was so impressed by how delicious they are. The Asiago cheese foam on ANYTHING is to die for… so incredibly amazing!

I wanted to like the this place by the food was average. We needed up having two appetizers and skipped dinner decoded to go somewhere else. The drink I ordered was great! Georgia peach. I ordered another drink and they forgot the pear juice. They offered to add if but it would need a lot more then pear to make it taste good. I would not go back. So many other places that have better food and atmosphere. When we were there there were only three tables being used and the wait for drinks was long.

GREAT food but it doesn’t match what the venue actually is– a bar. I was expecting something much nicer based on my review of the menu online. However, it was clean, food was delicious (they have a whiskey flight special on Wednesdays!), and the service was good despite it being pretty busy. Just wish the place and the kind of food it offered matched a little better.

Limited experience. Was craving something different and good on a late weeknight. Came across Dante’s Fire. Had the coconut shrimp which looked and tasted unique and amazing! (was a few months back so details are limited) Unexpected from this Gastropub upon walking in, but the food is A-​grade.

I discovered Dantes Fire through their bread at the Rincon Farmers Market about two years ago and fell in love!
It is a bit out of the way being on Grant past Campbell but so worth it and the real draw here is they are open AND serving the full menu until close at 2a!
Be mindful that if you are looking for a traditional dish with anything offered it won’t be the case. Whether it’s one of their pasta dishes, the Cioppino, even the Chicken Marsala is unique to this restaurant/​bar.
This last visit the hubby had the Parpadelle Diablo and subbed chicken for the crab. The chorizo adds a nice depth to the spicy sauce and I just love the strips of cheese they add to it… Plus the pasta is so good (possibly made in house).
I dined on the Smoked Pasta Gambaretto… UGH The smoky flavor really compliments the candied bacon and again the pasta was just wonderful. Only downside is this is a creamy dish with shrimp and the rails were left on. So the first bite was full of shell that was definitely off putting.
We used a TucsonOriginal gift certificate that saved us $ 13 or so and John, one of the owners, was kind enough to print it for us as we COULD NOT get the barcode to pull up. So appreciate his patience and assistance.

Nice cocktail…“grow a pear” highly recommended… we had the short rib tacos and ciopinno with mussels shrimp and clams both excellent !

Really wanted to like this place. Went on a Thursday night, it was actually really busy, which I thought was a good sign at first. However, there was only one waitress working for about 10 tables. We waited about 10 minutes to order a beer, and then another 15 to order food. They gave us stale bread while we waited for our appetizer. The kitchen was pouring out food, and I wanted to side with the wait staff. that they were understaffed but there were times when she wasn’t busy and she just let food sit up on the counter for several minutes, we watched her doing her make-​up instead of serving food.
The food was alright when it arrived. It wasn’t hot, but it wasn’t super cold. Disappointed they didn’t have ranch to go with my fries, the fries were spicy but not the best kind of resembled McDonalds. The burger was mediocre. Our appetizer sounded more interesting than it was. It was duck egg rolls, which basically just tasted like normal greasy egg rolls-​nothing special.
Again I really wanted to like the place, but I just thought it was a dive and not in a cool hipster dive bar kind of way.

The food and drinks here are fantastic! I got the grilled jalepenos and the cheese/​meat board! Everything here is made from scratch!!! I wish I lived in the area so I could try everything… but at least I have something to look forward to next time I’m in the Tucson area! This place is definitely worth trying!

You can’t judge a book by its cover! Looking obscure and inconspicuous, this premises is a dichotomy and enigma. The name, Dante’s Fire, evoked the images of darkness; the reality is not. Perhaps this should be a place for bad a$* tatted-​up bikers who can also recite Shakespeare sonnets. I’m definitely confused about Dante’s Fire.
The menu is organized by the circles of Hell with an interpretive whimsy. Their dishes are creative even though they bear the names of traditional items. We ordered Dante’s Inferno and Cucumber Matini, both quite drinkable. For starters, we ordered truffled tomato burrata and escargot. For the main course, flat iron steak and stolen burger.
For imagination and creativity, both for literary and culinary senses, Dante’s Fire deserves A+. Simply there is no one better. Execution, however, is much to be desired. Despite original ingredients, I felt the taste of food did not come close to its scintillating names. The food tasted decent but far from outstanding. I will not say the food was authentic, but I will say i enjoyed certain twists that made the dishes special. For example, escargot was not at all what I expected (heavy butter and soft) but it is uniquely different in the way it is prepared and tasted.
Dante’s Fire should be recognized for its originality and creativity, and their culinary twist deserves your visit! I plan on coming back to tease my brain with evoked imagery of transposed reality. Perhaps I’ll even read Inferno sipping on Pimms.

A must try in Tucson. Love coming to this place. Great friendly service. Kimberly and Meghan are awesome. Skip the tuna tartar, go for the chicken marsala. They always have new beers rotating the Tap, which is a huge plus for me.
Another great thing is that they are open till 2 AM, so if you are craving late night munchies and want some quality food instead of pizza you can come here after a night of drinking.

I dread writing this review and in fairness I will give this establishment another try… hopefully when it is not as busy. I want to start off by saying the food was spectacular, the drinks were pretty decent, but the service was atrocious. In fact, it really ruined the dining experience.
We made reservations on Unilocal,which they did not have when we arrived. We should have known they were out of step with themselves when it took over 5 minutes for someone to even come greet us. It felt very awkward standing in their little entrance for all that time. Although they didn’t have our reservation, they accommodated us. It was around 6:30 and there were only about 3 empty tables in the small restaurant. We noticed there seemed to be just one working waitress. There were 3 staff behind the counter and the service there seemed to be much better and faster at the bar.
It took almost 25 minutes to get water and another 10 minutes to get bread. The service really was bad. Did I already mention that? We had the Coconut Curry Shrimp, Pumpkin Bacon soup and the Pappardelle Diablo. The portion sizes were perfect and I felt quality for the overall price of the meal.
The restaurant itself has a church like feel to it. The timber beams and stained glass accents were nice.

Looks can be deceiving!
We really enjoyed this place for dessert. We had a dessert flight and it was delicious! A pb mousse, a chocolate cake, and a bread pudding. They were all fabulous! The bread pudding knocked our socks off and I didn’t even think I liked bread pudding. It was gooey, warm, with a hint of cinnamon. So that was a pleasant surprise!
The interior is small but comfortable. The bartender was slammed but he handled it all with a smile and didn’t seem overwhelmed at all.
What I noticed while there is the entrees. The food that was coming out of the kitchen looked legit! Sadly we had eaten and Dantes was just a night cap but I am going to make a point of going back soon to try something other than dessert.
One more thing is their happy hour. You can be happy till 7! Apps and drinks discounted to reasonable prices. And did you see I said until 7!!!
.out.
The End.

Dante’s Fire has one d my favorite happy hours in Tucson. Unlike lost places, they have happy hour every day. Yes, folks, EVERYDAY. 4−7pm and 11pm-​2am. That includes Fridays and Saturdays! You can get alcoholic drinks for as cheap as $ 3, which is such a great deal!
$ 5 wines
$ 4 drafts
$ 3 bottles, cans
$ 1 off menu cocktails
There are even live bands on certain nights, which makes for a fun atmosphere. Servers at the bar are also very helpful and friendly. Shoutout to Meghan! She is awesome.
Some new items I tried recently and love:
Adult s’mores
— Amazing, amazing, amazing! Prepared to be wow’d when you see this dessert in terms of presentation and taste. I will say no more. Don’t want to spoil the surprise!
Charcuterie plate
— If you’re in a mood to wine and munch on goodness, pick this! Perfect combination of savory meats, fine cheeses, sweet figs, and more deliciousness.
Cucumber martini
— Try this if you have a love for cucumbers and find it refreshing like I do. This was enough for a light weight like me to have a good buzz.
Savannah Peach
— My favorite drink here! Like a sweet orangey tea with a good kick.
Parpadelle Diablo
— Crab based pasta with creamy Cajun sauce. My only gripe was the pasta noodle was a little undercooked. Other than that, it was wonderful.
I can’t wait to come back here and try out more items. I have been here numerous times and always end up having a nice, fun, and chill time over great food and drinks with a friend. Hope your experience will be as delightful as mine!

Soooo this the second time I’ve been…
The food is excellent … The atmosphere is cool and the inferno theme is kicking hott!!! So check it out!!! They shake the shit out of the martini here

This one gets a big thumbs up from me. While there are a couple things that could be a bit better about the place, in reality there’s not much to complain about and the positives for someone like me far outweigh the few missteps on the menu. There are 4 main reasons for why I like this place so much:
The hours: This place is open till 2am. When I say that, I do not mean that, like every other bar in town, they serve drinks until 2am but the kitchen closes at 10 or 11 if you’re lucky. I mean they are open until 2am and everything is served until the place closes. For late night workers, such as myself, this place is ideal for some GOOD grub after a long day on the job. Wednesday nights (I believe) are service industry nights, and if you work in the service industry, its 20% off. This place definitely caters to the working folks out there. Much appreciated.
The drinks: The cocktails here are hands down the best I’ve had in town so far. My recommendations are the Grow a Pair and the Cucumber Martini.
The food: Better quality food than you can get at any hour at most anywhere else in Tucson. This is a scratch kitchen, so everything is made in house. The chef is young and while most of his ideas are fantastic, we have had a couple of misses on the menu. The papardelle diablo sounded fantastic on the menu, and while it was not bad by any means, it was surprisingly bland when you consider that it is chorizo, red pepper, and cajun cream. The smoked pasta gamboretto, on the other hand was rich and delicious. We have also liked the duck confit egg rolls, chorizo sliders, the escargot as well as the flat iron steak (on which the horseradish mashed potatoes were the real star). We got to sample all of the desserts on our first visit, and while they were not bad, they also weren’t amazing and so I would recommend a pass.
The price: The prices are really very, very good when you consider the quality of food being served here. It may be a little more pricey than your other options at midnight (applebees and the like) but truthfully, its not that much more and you are getting something homemade, from scratch, with lots of love put into it. For late night eats, this place is the best option out there and I will recommend it 10 out of 10 times.

What a hidden, unknown gem of Tucson. I have driven by this place a million times, and I always thought about stopping in, but I always forgot about it when it was time to have dinner. My husband took me out for surprise date night last night, and we came here for dinner.
We pulled up and there were nearly no cars. Not a good sign. Then we walked in and stood at the hostess stand for a few minutes. I was getting even more nervous. Then the manager, Kimberly, came out and sat us. She was awesome, and gave us a rundown of the menu and some suggestions. Daniel, our server was also really knowledgeable and helpful throughout our entire meal. We got escargot as a starter and I got a Cucumber Martini and my husband got A Satisfied Woman.
Hubs had never had escargot before, and I was glad this was his introduction! It was savory and tender, served in the shell. My Cucumber Martini is, I think, the best drink I have has in Tucson. It was like drinking a cucumber, and was fresh and crisp, and served with a cucumber foam! The Satisfied Woman was a delight as well, and was refreshing, though I’m glad I got the drink I did.
I ordered the Smoked Pasta Gambaretto as my entrée. This was perfect, and the flour was smoked before being made into pasta. The shrimp was decadent and cooked to absolute perfection. The candied Canadian bacon was just enough in there to get a sweet little bite with the smokey flavor every so often. I seriously can’t overstate how amazing this pasta dish is.
My husband had the Parpadelle Diablo, and while it didn’t have exactly the amount of heat he was looking for, it was still absolutely delicious. The crab and chorizo in his pasta were perfect, and the flavor were scrumptious.
For dessert, we got a sampler and an adult s’more, so we got to try everything. My favorite thing was the Peanut Butter Mousse and my husbands favorite was the Bananas Foster Bread Pudding, which happened to be my least favorite. I also got a Sexual Chocolate and he got the Grow a Pear. My drink was not my thing. It really just tasted like watered down, weak, old coffee, and even the espresso foam couldn’t save it, but the Grow a Pear was really good.
Apparently, the person that came up with my dinner is a 22 year old. Twenty freaking two years old, and he came up with potentially the best pasta I have ever had! I was shocked when Kimberly told me this, but this person has a really bright future if he keeps cooking like this. I would have thought it was someone who has been cooking for way longer. Smoking flour. Very technical drinks and dishes. Flavors that come together and make perfect meals.
The pricing here was way, way less what I was expecting. The meals here are about what I have paid for food at Village Inn, but the quality is astronomically higher. Next time I need a late night bite, I will be headed here. The kitchen is open until 2 a.m. The food is totally from scratch.
This is my new favorite place. I loved the play on fire and brimstone, with the red walls and black tables without being tacky. I loved the concept of it being all Dante’s Inferno-​y with the menu. The service was fantastic, and the food was phenominal.

I find I easily forget about Dante’s Fire.
It is in an area of town I do not frequent (I stay away from Grant as much as possible — though I am happy to see that the city finally took care of the horrendous pothole problem).
Also, the restaurant is located on a strip that doesn’t look like much. You have a bunch of strip malls full of businesses that look like they may have closed years ago. You have some seedy-​looking bars.
Then you have Dante’s. I seems to like Jon Tuck’s philosphy. I appreciate that Dante’s has a small air of elegance and pomp while being such a down to earth spot. Hugely accessible — great prices, I mean — and casual. It’s the kind of place where you can easily show up Chucks or a business suit, and you would still get amazing service.
I have had great luck with the food as well.
I had escargot for the first time in my life here. Pretty amazing and meaty — lovely snails in a white wine and garlic butter sauce.
I also am fond of the jalapeño peppers and the duck confit egg rolls, which are massive. My favorite as of late is the Thai curry shrimp. This is a wonderful offering. The curry sauce has the perfect flavoring, and the shrimps are sizable. You can get the meal for $ 7 during happy hour — bonus!
Speaking of happy hour, Dante’s offers a great deal with $ 1 off specialty coctails, $ 3 bottled beers, $ 4 drafts and $ 7 for a glass of the house wines.
And it seems like the best days to go are:
Mondays: Geeks Who Drink pub trivia
Wednesdays: Wiskey flights
Thursdays: Ladies night
Fridays and Saturday: Live music — with jazz performances
Nice spot for best friends and romantic partners.

This is really a surprising diner. I would have bumped it up a star except for … the clam chowder made me instantly sick. Strange and a real bummer. It tasted amazing. Obviously homemade but I fear it had shrimp in it. I am very allergic to shrimp. I have never had it in clam chowder so I did not ask. I might be wrong but it sure hit me wrong.
They have delicious fresh made bread as an appetizer.
My hamburger was very good and the bun was homemade fresh. Fortunately I had a coupon from Living Social or Groupon. so the $ 14 price tag was not so painful.
I wanted a delicious sounding desert but they were missing ingredients that is how I ordered the soup.
Oh well. Very nice place.
My waitress was one of the best ever. The barman was very good also.
Looks like a great place for a date or meeting friends.