Substance Diner

4.6 ( 173 reviews )
$10–20
103 N Park Ave, Tucson, AZ 85719, United States
+1 520-336-0144

Substance Diner, located at 103 N Park Ave in Tucson, AZ, has rapidly become a standout in the local dining scene, especially for those seeking innovative vegan cuisine. Diners rave about the vegan sandwiches, particularly the Philly cheesesteak and the renowned fried chicken sandwich, which many describe as the best they've ever tasted. Creative flavors abound; customers like Sheryl Lake and Shay Emmons applaud the rich, satisfying profiles without needing to adhere to a vegan lifestyle to appreciate the dishes' vibrancy.

The restaurant’s commitment to using fresh, scratch-made ingredients shines through in items like the Barby roast peace sandwich and the consistently perfect veggie burger. The atmosphere enhances the experience, making it a delightful spot whether for a casual lunch or a more in-depth culinary exploration. Add to this the rotating ice cream flavors—like a refreshing blueberry—and you have a menu that keeps patrons coming back for more.

With glowing endorsements from food lovers, including Tim Brown’s praise of the vegan ranch and shakes as "scary good," it’s evident that Substance Diner is more than just a food truck; it’s a culinary movement in vegan dining that is not to be missed.

Amenities and More

  • Service options
    • Has outdoor seating
    • Offers delivery
    • Offers takeaway
    • Serves dine-in
  • Highlights
    • Has live music
  • Offerings
    • Serves comfort food
    • Serves happy-hour food
    • Serves organic dishes
    • Serves small plates
    • Serves vegan dishes
    • Serves vegetarian dishes
  • Dining options
    • Serves breakfast
    • Serves brunch
    • Serves lunch
    • Serves dinner
    • Has catering
    • Has counter service
    • Serves dessert
    • Has seating
  • Amenities
    • Has bar on site
    • Has toilet
    • Has Wi-Fi
    • Free Wi-Fi
  • Payments
    • Accepts debit cards
    • Accepts NFC mobile payments
    • Credit cards
  • Children
    • Has kids' menu
  • Parking
    • Free of charge street parking
    • Free parking lot
    • Plenty of parking

Reviews For Substance Diner

Sheryl Lake
Jul 12,2025
Absolutely to die for! The sandwiches were amazing. I had the Philly cheesesteak- and yes- all vegan! But please know- this food will excite anyone’s plate- you don’t have to be vegan to enjoy these flavorful sandwiches!
Evie Shen-Tal
Jun 11,2025
Excellent food. The Caesar salad dressing was so good and the Barby roast peace sandwich was my favorite. I cook a lot and tend to focus on ethnic food more when eating out but I really enjoyed that the food I ordered was creative and created from scratch. It was refreshing to see blueberry as the rotating ice cream flavor. I enjoyed the atmosphere too.
Jenna Bourland
May 25,2025
Substance makes the best veggie burger I’ve ever had in my life. I’ve gotten it several times, and it’s consistently perfect and worth the price. I’m also a huge fan of the fries, seasoned or plain.
Shay Emmons
May 18,2025
If I could give this place 6 stars, I would. I have to preface this by saying I live in Portland, Oregon, which is pretty much the gold standard for vegan food. I am not exaggerating when I say this was hands. down. the. best. vegan. food. I've had, like ever. Between 3 of us, we got the fried chicken sandwich, Philly cheesesteak, and burger. I'm torn between the chicken sandwich and cheesesteak, and I wish we had had enough appetite to try everything on the menu. The fried chicken was PERFECTLY crispy and densely textured, the sauce was ample and delicious, just perfection in a sandwich. And the soy curl based cheesesteak was tender and sloppy, just as it should be. The sauces, quality and quantity of the toppings, rival any 5 star restaurant I've been to anywhere else. AH. MAZ. ING. You might want to bring your own napkins though--the sheer messiness of these sandwiches will bring you to your knees in the best of ways.
Tim Brown
May 12,2025
Some of the best vegan food not only in Arizona but the entire United States. This food is out of bounds delicious and served modestly from their food truck. You CANNOT miss this spot. The ice cream shakes and vegan ranch are scary good. I can highly recommend everything in the menu. Support this incredible local small business!
Clare Madrigal
Apr 15,2025
Wish I came here sooner. This place is DELICIOUS. The seitan is cut so thin. It’s super flavorful. The bread on the TLT is perfection. Cesar dressing A Update. Have come back several times. This place is great. Seating at the brewery next door.
Jake Fortner
Mar 31,2025
Such amazing food! I highly recommend coming here if you never have been here before. I have tried almost, if not everything, on the menu and I have never been disappointed. Everything from their fried pickles, burgers/sandwiches, shakes, salads, and Sonoran dogs is pure delicious.
Daniel Revillini
Mar 19,2025
First time to Substance and it was really, really good. Me (not vegan) and wife (20yr vegan) got the spicy 'chicken', small fries, large kale salad and a chocolate shake and loved all of it! The seitan chicken was super well cooked, spicy, crunchy, with pickles, tomatoes and shredded lettuce on a toasty sesame bun. Could use a little saucing up, we ordered a side of ranch The fries were perfectly crispy and seasoned well with salt and pepper. The kale salad was huge and fresh and the dressing (mustardy ranchy) was fab, but wish we had more cause it didn't fully coat the large. Oh and the house croutons were nuts. Cool spot in the back of Screwbean Brewery, where you can take your food to eat and grab a coffee, beer, cocktail. Will come back next time we are in Tucson

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