The Best of Marana!

Food & Fun

PicturedCool off at Marana's Splash Pad
CreditSarah Korus

The Best of the Northwest is Right Here in Marana

If you’re looking for your next weekend adventure, delicious meal, or family outing, Marana has some of the best spots in town. Don’t just take our word for it—these local businesses were all recently named "Best of the Northwest" by readers of the Marana News and Explorer newspapers.

Places to Stay & Things to Do
Best Kept Secret
Best Place to Watch the Game
Barbecue, Burgers, and More Food & Drink Categories
Best Brewery & Best Cocktails
Other categories that make Marana a great place to visit (and live!)
Plan Your Visit!

Here’s a rundown of the winners and readers' recommendations for 2025!

Places to Stay & Things to Do

Best Hotel/Resort

Winner:

The Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain, the jewel of Marana, is both a 5 Star Hotel AND spa! For the 11th consecutive year, the resort has earned the coveted Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating, while its world-class spa has received the same distinction for the sixth year in a row. These accolades recognize the resort’s unwavering commitment to outstanding service, amenities, and guest experiences. Additionally, the resort has earned a Gold Badge in the U.S. News & World Report 2025 Best Hotels in the U.S. rankings, securing the No. 1 spot in Tucson, No. 3 in Arizona, and No. 86 in the nation.

The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain
The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain in Marana, Arizona

Best Place for Family Fun

Winner: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

This local gem has been a mainstay for visitors and locals alike since 1952. For more on how to enjoy the day at the world-renowned zoo, botanical garden, aquarium, natural history museum, art gallery and so much more, read our guide! The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum also won Best Place to Take Visitors!

Reader Recommended: TopGolf Tucson-Marana, a three-story entertainment center offering food, events, and golf in a fun, high-energy atmosphere.

TopGolf Tucson-Marana
Enjoy a great sunset from the bays at Topgolf


Best Event or Festival

Reader Recommended: Marana Pumpkin Patch, a Marana tradition that now attracts people from across the west! This entertainment venue is also a family-owned and operated farm.

Reader Recommended: Marana Holiday Festival & Christmas Tree Lighting. Marana is known across Arizona as a family-friendly community and we go all out to make sure everyone can celebrate the holidays in a big way. So big, in fact, Marana’s Christmas tree is 45 feet tall with 18,000 lights! This is the largest municipal tree in the state of Arizona! Additionally, there are over 100,000 Christmas lights wrapped in our landscape trees that dance to holiday music along with the Christmas Tree.

Best Place to Escape the Heat

Winner: Marana’s Splash Pads (Heritage River Park & Crossroads at Silverbell District Park)
Cool off in these community-favorite splash pads, perfect for summer fun. Coming soon: Marana's brand-new recreation and aquatic center!

Marana Splash Pads
The best place to cool off on a hot summer day!


Best Golf Course

Reader Recommended: The Highlands at Dove Mountain — Rated #1 in Arizona and #11 in the U.S. by GolfPass Golfers' Choice 2025.

Best Game & Entertainment Center

Winner: Elevate Trampoline Park

Reader Recommended: Tucson Games and Gadgets (at the Tucson Premium Outlets at Marana Center)—A go-to shop for board games, Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, and Dungeons & Dragons. They also host weekly events and meetups.

Best Bicycle Store

Reader Recommended: HMS Bikes. Cyclists exploring Marana's scenic routes—including the newest segment of The Loop—can find top-notch gear and service at this locally owned spot near Cortaro and Interstate 10.

Best Motorcycle Dealer

Winner: Located right off Interstate 10 and Ina Road, you’ll find Saguaro Harley-Davidson, named Best of the Northwest for all your motorcycle needs. They specialize in everything Harley including parts, accessories, and clothing (and of course motorcycles)!

Best Kept Secret

We couldn't agree more with the Best of the Northwest readers who named THREE great spots in and around our town as the "Best Kept Secret."

Winner: La Olla Mexican Café - If you’re looking for a place to enjoy authentic Mexican cuisine with an original twist, look no further than La Olla Mexican Café. This family-owned and operated restaurant serves Sonoran-style classics such as enchiladas, carne asada, pork carnitas, chiles rellenos, and more. La Olla won the Taste of Marana STANDOUT award in 2024, and was also named Best Kept Secret on this same list in 2024! La Olla also grabbed Reader Recommended for Best Marana Restaurant!

Reader Recommended: Old Pueblo Cellars Winery and Tasting Room and Sky Rider Café are two gems you won't want to miss!

CreditLa Olla Mexican Cafe

Best Place to Watch the Game

Reader Recommended:

Native Grill & Wings—Plenty of TVs, Buffalo-style wings, and a great sports bar atmosphere. Also named Best Wings and Best Sports Bar!

Rosati's Pizza—Serving up authentic Chicago-style pizza with plenty of screens for game-day viewing.

Barbecue, Burgers, and More Food & Drink Categories

Best Barbecue

Reader Recommended: Li’l Abner’s—A Marana staple, offering an Old West steakhouse experience that’s perfect for visitors.

Best Mom & Pop Business

Winner: Donut Wheel

A local favorite for decades, serving fresh donuts daily (including drive-thru service!). Also named Reader Recommended for Best Bakery.


Best Asian Food

Winner: Asian Spice Restaurant

This local favorite is also among the 100 Best Chinese Restaurants in the US for 2024 according to Yelp. This is the first time that Asian Spice has been featured in a national publication. It was ranked 53rd in the nation!

Reader Recommended: Sushi Cortaro (also the Best Sushi winner!)

Best Breakfast

Winner: Bisbee Breakfast Club (Sandario location)

A three-time winner, serving hearty breakfast classics. Read all about Bisbee and other great breakfast spots around town to find your next bacon fix.

Best Local Burger

Winner: Luna Café

A rustic eatery inside the Marana Stockyards—offering some of the freshest burgers in town.

Best Italian Food

Winner: Dominick’s Real Italian

A longtime local favorite, also awarded Best Happy Hour and Reader Recommended for Best Marana Restaurant.

Pizza and Pasta at Dominick's Real Italian


Best New Business

Reader Recommended: Mantis Gourmet Chinese & Tio Ben’s Mexican Grill

Mantis, a beloved local Chinese eatery, made a triumphant return, while Tio Ben’s offers an authentic taste of Mexico with Sonoran-style and regional dishes.

Best Brewery

Winner: Catalina Brewing Company, named Best Brewery. This local spot near Ina Rd. and Interstate 10 has been serving up delicious craft beers since 2016 and is Marana's original nano-brewery. It’s more than beer here, you can play pinball, listen to live music, or participate in trivia and other weekly events. They even host yoga on Sundays!

Other categories that make Marana a great place to visit (and live!)

We should also mention that the local school district, Marana Unified Schools, was named the Best Place to Work and the Town of Marana came in as Reader Recommended! Our late Mayor, Ed Honea, was also named Best Community Leader for his nearly 40 years of service to Marana. He passed away in 2024, but will forever be missed.

The  Marana Chamber of Commerce, which operates our Marana Visitor Information Center was named best Chamber!

Additionally, Northwest Fire District, our local heroes, was named as the Best First Responder Agency! Marana Police were also Reader Recommended in that category. Congratulations!

Plan Your Visit!

Marana is home to award-winning restaurants, exciting entertainment, and incredible attractions. Whether you're a local or visiting for the first time, these Best of the Northwest winners offer something for everyone. Start planning your trip today!

Related Blogs

This itinerary/blog post showcases local businesses in our community. We feature partners that serve food and drink, offer recreational opportunities, places to stay, and shopping. We value accuracy, fairness and balance in our advertising and marketing. We would love to showcase your business to our visitors. These advertising and marketing opportunities (social media, articles, website, and ads) are open to all businesses within Marana and the designated two-mile “Pima County Tourism Partner Zone” around the town limits that meet this criteria. If you want to be featured on our website or in social media, please contact us at MaranaInfo@Maranaaz.gov.

Stefanie Boe

Author

Stefanie Boe

Tourism and Marketing Manager, Discover Marana/Town of Marana

Stefanie Boe is not just the Tourism and Marketing Manager for Discover Marana, she is also a passionate storyteller and a proud resident of the town. She has deep roots in the Marana area, going back to the 1970s when her family moved here from Chicago. She loves to share the natural beauty and cultural heritage of Marana with visitors and locals alike.
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