Commoner & Co.

The fried chicken was the blandest food I have had in recent memory. After dropping off the food, no staff member came by for over fifteen minutes at which time the meal was beyond saving. The salmon got mixed reviews from the group and the meatloaf was good. The Asian pear salad was unique with a good mix of flavors. The cheese board was a good starter, but overall it was a disappointing meal.

Some of the best food I have had in Tucson-​no joke. My boyfriend and I came here on a Friday night. We had been here before and decided to make reservations which I would say to do if you are coming on a weekend night i.e. Friday or Saturday
I can’t even explain how good this food is. Between my boyfriend and I, we’ve had:
— Fried chicken
— Chicken and waffles (the best fried chicken I’ve had… so moist on the inside and perfectly crispy on the outside)
— homestyle chicken (…can you tell we like chicken?)
— gnocchi
— the suit (My boyfriend says this is THE BEST burger he has ever had. Mind you this is coming from sone who’s favorite food is a hamburger so yeah thats saying a lot)
— PB cookie sandwich (OH MY… please bring this back … or don’t cause I don’t need the extra cals, but this is seriously amazing
— chocolate taste with caramels (so good, tastes like a twix!)
— strawberry ice cream sandwich thing (I hate strawberry ice… but this, I was shocked. I was eating this in disbelief. the ice cream was so fresh and you could tell made from scratch. Still shocked at how much I liked this)
Honestly if you haven’t been here, you are missing out on some seriously delicious american style food. Can’t wait to come back here again for the millionth time!!!

We ordered the appetizer chicken wings, house made pasta & the short rib with bone marrow pudding. The wings were good but nothing out of the ordinary. For the short ribs & bone marrow, I was a little hesitant by the name of it, and did not know what to expect from bone marrow pudding. It turned out to be delicious and the perfect compliment to the short ribs. I was looking forward to the clams that come with the house made pasta, but had mussels instead since they ran out. Overall, the food turned out pretty good. Great atmosphere and great customer service.

Had the Flat Iron Pork ($ 17) with garlic, Rosemary, zucchini, corn, smoked honey, lemon and herb goat cheese mouse and it was «yummy». There was a nice offering of beers, wine etc… Atmosphere was fun and somewhat noisy. The menu had a nice variety to satisfy all tastes. A family member had duck croquettes with figs, prosciutto and pasta. Very good. Service was good! Parking was good! Bathrooms clean. All in all… good! Reasonably priced. Look forward to going back and trying another dish!

One of our best experiences in Tucson for a while. We came early to enjoy Happy Hour, and we left very happy :-) Everyone loved the cocktails, but the sous vide old fashioned was the clear winner.
All the apps we ordered were great — the meat and cheese tile was very well presented, the shrimp cocktail had great bloody mary flavor, and the mussels curry sauce was superb. Woulda liked the mussel meat to be a little bigger — they were pretty small, and needed bread to mop up the sauce.
I had the burger as the entrée, and it had wonderful flavor. The trout was a big hit, and the fried chicken was a huge portion.
Service was was excellent — our waitress showed up just at the right times when we needed her, but didn’t bug us.
Very pleasant experience. We will be back for another Happy Hour soon!

We met friends here on a Wednesday night and had an amazing meal with great service. So good that we came back two days later on a Friday night with a different couple. We made reservations for 5:45 and were seated on the patio. It was not very busy inside and we were the only ones on the patio.
The busboy brought out waters right away. Then we sat and waited for our waitress to come to our table.
Another couple with their dog sat at the table next to us about 10 minutes after we arrived. The waitress goes to their table first and it is quite obvious that the couple are regulars. They chitchat for another 5 minutes and she finally meanders over to our table. By now we are not very happy and happy hour is over. We give her our drink orders and mention that happy hour is over. She said she would give us our drinks for the happy hour price — great! We also order several appetizers since we had her attention.
Now all the staff are taking turns visiting the couple at the next table and we still do not have our drinks and our waters need refilling.
Our appetizers begin arriving and still no drinks. As soon as our drinks arrive, we tell the waitress that we want another round because who knows when we will see her at our table again.
The appetizers that we got were very good but we were so irritated at the poor service that we decided to go somewhere else for our dinner. We waited for our waitress to come back; after 15 minutes my husband finally went inside to the bar and asked if we could get our check and paid the bill.
Food is great. Service is inconsistent.

Went with a group and we sat on the patio. They have a happy hour from 2−6pm on the weekend with a happy hour menu. We couldn’t order from the regular menu until 4pm. The happy hour menu is limited but a variety. I had the shrimp cocktail which was pretty good. The shrimp were cooked cooked in vodka and in a bloody mary salsa, looked similar to a cerviche. The taste was good and they came with «saltines» which were not like the small crackers. Several people had the mussels and said they enjoyed them. The service was pretty good. The patio area is nice but gets pretty sunny in the later afternoon. While they have some kind of curtain to lower, when the wind is blowing, it doesn’t stay in place. I’d go back again to try something else.

First of all, 5 star service — Christopher was a phenomenal server, totally listened to the fact that we were taking it slow and had a perfect balance between asking us what we needed and giving us space.
And the food — well, that’s another easy 5 stars. Being Prep and Pastry’s cousin restaurant, we only expected the best and that’s exactly what was delivered. The curry sauce on the mussels is heaven, and the seafood pairs perfectly with the homemade french fries. We also had the country salad which was awesome, with only the freshest ingredients! Lastly, we enjoyed the fancy grilled cheese and tomato soup — the grilled cheese was packed with unique ingredients lending to amazing flavor.
We don’t usually order dessert, but Christopher highly recommended the ice cream sandwich and we’re so happy we indulged. Absolutely delicious and fudge-​filled.
Also highly recommend trying some of their assortment of cocktails. The meinke’s mayor was my personal favorite, very refreshing gin drink.

We had a delicious brunch this morning. Started with a fresh scone and coffee. Could have stopped there, but came hungry. Had the brisket omelette. It was tasty and cooked perfectly. Great service and very reasonable price for what we got. No one in our party of 4 was disappointed.

Our party of 9 was seated promptly, within minutes we all had waters and our drink orders were on the way. We started out with their bloody mary shrimp cocktail — omg… best shrimp cocktail of my life! So fresh and seasoned perfectly, this is a must order item!
Most of us split several salads, I had their spinach salad which was fantastic. Our waiter even remembered to leave out the nuts & seeds in mine, which is unusual, I’m always sending back my «screwed up» salad.
For my entrée I had the chicken and dumplings, even though this entrée was perfectly prepared and very delicious, it was just a tad too rich for me. Not their fault at all, just saying it was very hearty.
I sampled other foods like their gnocchi and house made fettuccine — amazing!
Aside from delicious food I really want to give high praise to our server, however, I forgot his name :(he was fantastic, attentive and professional yet friendly too. If it helps any; he had long dreadlocks, blondish I believe? Anyhow, this restaurant not only met all the right dining criteria they surpassed it by miles! Next time we’re in Tucson we’ll definitely be back!

I felt q little bit awkward walking into Commoner & Co. in a yoga pants and sneakers, but hey, no one was judging. There’s no dress code or anything (and I doubt anyone would care anyway if you did walk in with yoga pants), but dressing up just a little bit won’t hurt, since the atmosphere is a little bit upscale. Additionally, the decorations were gorgeous, with a ‘rustic’ feel. The service was nice and people took care of us well from the beginning.
The food was good — the salmon dish that I had just the right. The aspect that I liked the most about this dish was that it tasted healthy and clean, rather than overbearing. I could distinguish what went into creating the dish, as the menu accurately described the components of the dish, and it was simple. Sometimes, restaurants make the mistake of creating a dish that is over-​spiced, but this was definitely not the case at Commoner & Co — the dish had just the right amount of flavor and I could taste that the vegetables weren’t ‘masked’ by the spice. I also liked my mom’s dish (she got the pasta of the day, Sriracha noodles). This definitiely had some ‘kick’ in it, and reminded me of a spicy Korean noodle dish. I would highly recommend this if you enjoy spicy. The food was well-​presented.
I would recommend this place as a date night or for a special occasion.

Really, really good poutine at brunch– slow cooked short ribs over fries, gravy, egg. Delicious and enough to share. Would come back if in the area again; everything on the menu and plates around us looked great

The potential is there, but not happening yet. We had 7 in our party on a slow evening, but service was fair, nothing to be impressed with. Actually, the waiter did a poor job making us want to order anything. He said the soup was tomato with Parmesan shavings, but omitted to say it was a cream base, which was a disappointment to the diner who ordered it. He did not appear to be excited about anything he described to our party even when explaining the three dessert choices.
We started with appetizers and the spinach salad was delicious, no complaints there. The shrimp cocktail was very good as well, but could use a bit more heat. The crackers served with the shrimp were the best! Way better than any saltine I have ever had and much bigger!
The main courses varied in taste. The heirloom farmers market was misleading. It was a vegetable dish, but the portion was small, especially the white rice (really I think you can afford to put more rice in the bowl). The meatloaf and pork dishes were good but lacked flavor.
Also be aware if you use the salt shaker on the table it pours out fast and furious!!! They might want to invest in something that doesn’t have the potential to ruin your dinner. There was no offer for fresh ground pepper. Such a shame.
Again, if they make the same effort they did with Prep & Pastry, hopefully it won’t be long before all the kinks are worked out and they will have a higher rating in my review.

This was our fourth visit to Commoner’s & Co. because we simply love their food. So, for this past Valentine’s Day, my husband and I decided to book a table for Valentine’s dinner. Commoner & Co. had a special 3-​course dinner for Valentine’s for $ 40 ($ 70 with wine pairing). Even before we got to the restaurant, my husband and I had already decided to get the prime rib for our main course. We were both looking forward to a great dinner. A few minutes after placing our orders, our waiter came back with bad news — there was only one prime rib left in the kitchen and so one of us had to change our order. I decided to get the cioppino which was a kind of seafood soup. After less than a minute, our waiter came back with even worse news. He said that there was a chance that they were completely out of prime ribs and that my husband should choose another dish just in case. He came back a third time to say that (good news!) they had indeed ONE prime rib left for my husband. After we had placed our orders, the couple who were seated next to us (they came later than us) placed their order and got the news that there weren’t any prime ribs left.
My cioppino was a disappointment. It was mediocre in taste. My husband loved his prime rib. While we were having our main course, the next table’s server came up to the couple and whispered in a conspiratorial way to them that he could «hook them up with the prime rib after all.» He said that he managed to procure one for the man. Then, another server who seemed to be a friend of the male customer came up to their table and said the same thing… that he took care of things and that he was able to get them the prime rib. We were shocked to hear all of this as we had been told earlier that there was no prime rib left. I signaled to the waiter/​friend-​of-​the-​next-​table and asked him about this «miraculous appearance of the non-​existent prime rib». He didn’t offer an explanation or an apology and all he did was to offer me a plate of prime rib. By this time, I was already full and I also told him that that wasn’t the solution we were looking for. All we wanted was not to be lied to. He offered to get the manager for us. The manager came by and explained that there was a miscommunication. That there was in fact a second prime rib left but it was still frozen and was in the oven when we placed our orders. We told him that we were very disappointed because it seemed like that we were lied to and that there was some kind of special treatment given to diners who know people working at the restaurant. I told the manager that if we had been told the truth, I would have waited for the second prime rib to be ready. To give credit to the manager, he was very apologetic and at least he was honest with us. He offered to cook a prime rib for me. (Wait! How many prime ribs are there really?) Once again, I declined because I was already full. Then, he offered to take care of my dinner. We told him that that wasn’t necessary but he insisted. In the end, we had to pay for only one person’s meal.
We still love the food at Commoner’s. But with the disappointing experience we had for Valentine’s, I don’t think we would be back anytime soon.

OK I’ll just add my 5 star review to the mix. I had the grilled cheese and it was the best grilled cheese I’ve had in a long time. The way the asian pears were paired with the cheese and the hazel nut gave it a perfect bite every time. We also got an order of Mussels and fries. The sauce for the mussels was AMAZING!
We will def be back!

I’m new to Tucson and this became an immediate favorite. Oddly, we always have the same waiter and he’s AWESOME! Everything from burgers to grilled cheese to pasta to soup to desserts are simply scrumptious.
The thing that sets this apart is the combination of flavors with low prices. Two of us eat well for about $ 30. Yay!

Nate and his crew have really put together something special with Commoner and Co. They’ve achieved the restaurant trifecta: food/​drink, service and ambiance. I can’t say enough about the food or especially, the way he’s treated us while in his establishment.
The first time he recognized me from his days at The Abbey and stopped by to greet us. He practically apologized for, what he felt, was bumpy service since they were fairly new. To me, there was nothing at all wrong with the service.
On the most recent visit he came to our table almost immediately, shook my hand, asked us if we had any food allergies and offered to send some of the, evening special, popovers to our table. The picture of them I posted practically speaks for itself, but I’ll talk about those soon…
The cocktails they have created are simple, yet inventive and thoughtful, takes on classics. The white sangria is prepared with Thai chili infused vodka; a perfect balance of sweet and spicy. The sous vide honey Old Fashioned is just what it says. The dirty martini, prepared with the juice from their housemade pickles… ’nuff said.
The food has been nothing short of spectacular. The popovers I mentioned above, were buttery and laced with truffles and brought, piping hot, to the table by Nate himself. The strawberry jam and creamy cheese on the plate all went perfectly together.
On two different visits I’ve had the short rib with bone marrow bread pudding and the house special pasta, which changes nightly. The sriracha infused angel hair pasta contained an abundance of clams, a couple of shrimp and Spanish chorizo, all bathed in a saffron broth. It was really good, but the short rib and bread pudding I had on the first visit was likely the best dish I have had a in a Tucson restaurant. It was extremely hard not to order it on my second visit. The chicken dish my wife had on the first visit was fairly forgettable, but she could not stop talking about the Kobe beef lasagna (that night’s special) and finished with, «best lasagna ever!» She said it was not heavy, like lasagna can be, and very flavorful.
The egg nog panna cotta, topped with whip cream and apples, reduced in brandy, finished off this perfect meal.
I will mention that this was an anniversary dinner for me and my wife. I did not mention that to anyone in the restaurant, but we were treated so well it was very memorable. I will repeat that Nate and his partners have put together something really special here. There is nothing common about Commoner and Co.

My third return to the Abbey was… wait…what? Oh… yea, it’s not the Abbey, it’s now called Commoner & Co, my bad.
*Cough* *Cough*
My first experience at Commoner & Co felt eerily similar to the restaurant that used to be located at Sunrise and Kolb, the Abbey. Mind you, I actually didn’t mind the Abbey and enjoyed their heavy drinks and solid menu, and Commoner appears to have much of the same.
The wife and I split the Chef’s Tile, which literally comes on a tile that you would find at Lowes, covered in various munchies. Outside of the ridiculous presentation on a tile, the selections sitting on it were solid, with the likes of Honeycomb, cured meats and cheeses, with some pickled veg.
We then split the Burata salad, and grilled cheese. Although both were very solid, they both felt a tad unrefined and slightly heavy handed in flavor profile. The grilled cheese especially suffered from this. The corn chowder in lieu of a tomato bisque was a bit too garlic heavy and the consistency more closely resembled a loose grits.
The sandwich itself was cooked in brown butter, which I felt was too heavy with the loads of cheese and thick bread.
Overall though, it was a nice night, and my wife and I would certainly go back. Sorry for not being very funny on this one, it’s Monday.

I’m not gonna lie — we had to drive pretty far out of our way to visit so we had to plan to go. In the end, TOTALLY worth it.
The location is gorgeous — right in the cradle of the Catalina mountains with some amazing views. The side of the building is glass garage doors that open up to a perfect patio. It was actually raining when we were there so there was fog rolling in on the mountains and the view was instagram-​worthy.
It took a minute to get a table. Reservations are important — we didn’t have one so I appreciate the hostess taking care of us so quickly. Now we know for next time: RESERVATIONS.
My daughter started off with the balsamic glazed baby carrots. After the first bite, she did her little in-​the-​chair-​happy-​dance and literally said «this is the best thing I’ve ever eaten.»
She then had the housemade daily pasta special — sriracha noodles with chicken and shrimp. She was nervous it might be too spicy but she said it was perfect. And ate every bite.
I had the roast chicken and it was the tenderest chicken I’ve ever had. I know it’s just chicken but, as an event manager, I’ve been to enough overcooked-​rubber-​chicken dinners to know the distinction between poultry effort and poultry indifference. This meal was anything but apathetic. They cook it for hours, beginning first thing in the morning. I purposely didn’t eat it all so I could have some for leftovers the next day.
To finish we ended with lemon and peach sorbet, a recommendation. The sorbet was fantastic but the frozen pieces of fruit put it over the top. It was basically prison rules after the first bite because we both couldn’t get enough. My daughter won because I love her and didn’t want this sorbet to ruin our relationship but if it had been anyone but her…
We’ll be back. Like I said before, worth the drive. Not even a question.

This modern American restaurant took over The Abbey. Staff and servers were all very attentive, helpful, and friendly. Being a first timer, I was recommended to get the Mussels and Fries for an appetizer and Short Ribs for an entrée. That’s exactly what I ordered; and I was not disappointed. The mussels were cooked perfectly. The fries were crispy and seasoned well paired with an aioli dipping sauce. You can even ask for some bread to dip into the mussle sauce! The short ribs were extremely tender and a bit fatty (a little too fatty for me but I still enjoyed it). It came with bone marrow bread pudding which surprised me. It had re texture of cinnamon toast which gave the dish a nice sweet and savory taste. Food was completely worth the prices.
I’ll definitely be back and looking forward to trying other items on the menu !