Andy Lin's Lickity List (Amazing $10 Authentic Meals in Tucson)

Welcome to Andy Lin's Lickity List!  Only restaurants that are unique to Tucson can be found on this list.  The other great part is that it's all very cheap - around $10 for an amazing meal!  I usually stick to the same item off the menu at these places to satisfy the craving of a meal I haven't had in a while.

This list will be a running log that I will update whenever I go to one of my several favorite restaurants in Tucson, so be sure to check back for my latest recommendations via the link under my Hot Topics section!

Andy Lin's Lickity List
Amazing $10 Authentic Meals in Tucson

Lindy's on 4th
431 N 4th Ave
Tucson AZ 85705
Date Visited: February 29, 2016
Style: American
Go-To-Lick: Two Finger Peek-a-Boo, single patty
Price: $10.29 including tax

Raves: This place doesn't really need an introduction.  It has been featured on Man vs. Food for the OMFG challenge: 9 1/3lb patties to be finished in 30 minutes.  I have had one friend attempt and finish the challenge in 17 minutes.

My Go-To-Lick here is the Two Finger Peek-a-Boo, which is a burger patty with original Lindy's sauce and two grilled-cheese sandwiches acting as the buns.  It comes with mushrooms, onions, lettuce, an onion ring, and even more cheeses.  It's definitely a large burger for the price you pay! It's also extremely difficult to hold and eat, so good luck!

Other burgers I've tried and recommend are the Mac & Cheese (original burger with mac n cheese), the Dirty Sanchez (spicy burger with guacamole and jalapenos), and the Donkey Punch (basically the Dirty Sanchez, but with habaneros).  Beware, if you get the Donkey Punch and the habaneros are in good season, this may be the hottest thing you have eaten in a while!  My tolerance for spicyness is high, but even this burger kicks my ass sometimes.

For sides, I recommend the tater tots topped with your liking, but I advise you to get the side and not the basket.  The side includes a healthy portion tots, which is still enough to share.

I've taken many friends from out of town to Lindy's and all have great things to say about it.  It's not a large place, so expect a wait during peak busy times.  Enjoy!


Indian Frybread - Manna from Heaven
1118 W St. Mary's Rd
Tucson, AZ 85745
Date Visited: December 23, 2015
Style: Mexican
Go-To-Lick: Indian Taco, Wednesday special (with ground beef, no beans, and red/green chili)
Price: $7.84 including tax
Read this Review.


Sher-E-Punjab
853 E Grant Rd
Tucson, AZ 85719
Date Visited: September 24, 2015
Style: Indian
Go-To-Lick: Lamb Vindaloo with Basmati Rice
Price: $12.44 including tax
Read this Review.


BK Tacos & Hotdogs
5118 S 12th Ave
Tucson, AZ 85706
Date Visited: August 21, 2014
Style: Sonora Mexican
Go-To-Lick: Large Caramelo Asada
Price: $6.78 including tax 
Read this Review.


Saing Thai Cuisine
9136 E Valencia Rd
Tucson, AZ 85747
Date Visited: June 19, 2014
Style: Thai
Go-To-Lick: Pad Kee Mao
Price: $8.59 including tax 
Read this Review.


Frog & Firkin
874 East University Blvd
Tucson, AZ 85719 
Date Visited: May 12, 2014
Style: English Pub
Go-To-Lick: The Firkin Burger with Cheese
Price: $9.13 including tax 
Read this Review.


El Guero Canelo
2480 North Oracle Road
Tucson, AZ 85705 
Date Visited: May 3, 2014
Style: Sonora Mexican
Go-To-Lick: 2x Carne Asada Burro Jr. with Extra Cheese
Price: $9.27 including tax 
Read this Review.


Andy Lin is your typical Tucson resident and is a not food connoisseur.  He is simply a man who knows what pleases his tastebuds and belly.   Special thanks to Nate M. and Matt H. for help with coming up with a title for this list.

The Game of Basketball is Changing

Any basketball fan that watched last night's game between the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder has to appreciate the kind of show Stephen Curry has been putting on all season long.  The 3-pointers, the wins, the excitement...it's truly unlike anything I've seen in a while.

The game of basketball is certainly changing.  We're living in an era where the 3-point field goal is being attempted at rates higher than we've ever witnessed.  When players are shooting them at an effective percentage, why not shoot the 3?  The reward is totally worth it.

I've been playing pickup ball and in basketball leagues for over a decade now and it's amazing to me how much the game has changed.  I personally have always been a 3-point shooter, but back in the day when I first started playing pickup at the rec center at the University of Arizona, games went to 11 and there was no 2-point basket, everything you made was worth 1.  Now the norm is to play pickup games up to 15 where anything inside 19-feet is worth 1 and anything outside of that is worth 2.  However, the kids these days are not shooting them at the arc anymore.  There's this "monkey see, monkey do" mentality and now a lot of them try to shoot from NBA range, which is 24 feet or so.  Whether they actually make these shots is another story.  I've left them open until they prove they can make it from that range, but once they do, it's easy to stop if you just play some defense on them.

I am definitely no Stephen Curry, none of these kids are.  During practice I sometimes hoist shots from 24-28 feet deep, but my percentage from out there has to be less than 30% (and those are uncontested attempts).  When you watch Curry on TV, he really makes it look effortless when in fact, these are extremely difficult shots for any normal human being to make.  They showed a statistic last night that revealed his percentage of makes from beyond 28-feet and it was a mind-boggling +64%.  Simply incredible.

It's just interesting watching the game evolve.  The Golden State Warriors could be the net big dynasty and while LeBron has had his chance to be the heir to Air Jordan, we are watching the becoming of a new king who is establishing a new type of throne, one that is built around the 3-point shot.  I am still a LeBron fan and hope he can win a few more championships, but damn, you have to just tip your hat to Curry and appreciate his phenomenal talent.

Introducing Timed Lights at the Andy Andy Residence

Living alone certainly has its perks, but one of the most challenging (and frightening?) notions can be safety and security.  You may recall one of my blog posts about a security webcam I installed to help me monitor my home while I was away.  While this is effective when I'm on it, I can't be on it all the time, especially when on vacation.

Usually when I leave for trips, I like to leave the lights on in the house to give the illusion that there is someone home.  However, it's obvious to anyone paying attention that I actually turn these lights off at night when I'm home and asleep.  Any proficient burglar could recognize these patterns if they just stake out my home for a week.

Thus, I was recently recommended to install timed lighting at my home.  I ordered a couple timers off Amazon.  The first was a timer for a wall switch by Honeywell for the dining room area in my house.  This is the light that stays on most of the time in my house, as it lights up just enough of the kitchen and the great room, ensuring maximum light protection.

The programmable switch seems like a lot to learn at first, but it's actually quite simple.  Once you have it set up, it's easy to enable and disable.  The most challenging part was the installation, since the box is fairly large and you really have to squish all the wires in to fit everything inside the hole in the wall.

The second timer is one by GE that you can attach any electrical device with a plug.   I use this for a lamp in my bedroom, since I am often in there at night as well.  It's got similar functionality as the wall switch in the dining area, the only problem is that I have it under a nightstand which makes it a little difficult to access.

Regardless, both get the job done and I have increased my peace of mind ever so slightly for whenever I go leave town.  Definitely worth the $30 investment.  As for now, I think I am good with just these two timers and won't be installing additional ones anytime soon.

And so, the challenge of living alone goes on.  Now I just have to figure out what to do if I ever get severely hurt or knocked out at home accidentally...since there could be no one around to find me for days... *GASP*

Andy Lin's Lickity List (Amazing $10 Authentic Meals in Tucson)

Welcome to Andy Lin's Lickity List!  Only restaurants that are unique to Tucson can be found on this list.  The other great part is that it's all very cheap - around $10 for an amazing meal!  I usually stick to the same item off the menu at these places to satisfy the craving of a meal I haven't had in a while.

This list will be a running log that I will update whenever I go to one of my several favorite restaurants in Tucson, so be sure to check back for my latest recommendations via the link under my Hot Topics section!

Andy Lin's Lickity List
Amazing $10 Authentic Meals in Tucson

Indian Frybread - Manna from Heaven
1118 W St. Mary's Rd
Tucson, AZ 85745
Date Visited: December 23, 2015
Style: Mexican
Go-To-Lick: Indian Taco, Wednesday special (with ground beef, no beans, and red/green chili)
Price: $7.84 including tax

Raves: I've lived over on the west side of Tucson near St. Mary's and Silverbell for over a decade and I've driven by this little restaurant all the time, but never did I actually see what it offered inside.  It wasn't until earlier this year that a friend and I decided to give it a try for the first time.  Once we did, we were amazed!  We walked in on a Wednesday and saw that their daily special was the Indian Taco going for $5.50.

I ordered one with ground beef and asked for no beans (since I can't stand refried beans in anything).  It was unlike the usual burritos and tacos made of tortillas...this "shell" was all delicious Indian Frybread.

I've since gone to "Manna from Heaven" several times afterwards.  For an extra $1.50, I've also tried adding green or red chili to the taco and both add much flavor and meat.  Neither are spicy, but beware, if you add chili to the taco, it will get messy and the bread has a higher chance of falling apart while you eat it.  As for red versus green, both are great and I haven't tried either enough to make a recommendation on one over the other yet.

And despite the key ingredient being Indian Frybread, I would have to say this place falls under the Mexican flavor of food.  Truly a great find in a city that already has so much great Mexican food.

Be sure to check if they are open on the day you visit, as they are not open everyday.  According to Yelp, they are closed Sunday and Monday.


Sher-E-Punjab
853 E Grant Rd
Tucson, AZ 85719
Date Visited: September 24, 2015
Style: Indian
Go-To-Lick: Lamb Vindaloo with Basmati Rice
Price: $12.44 including tax
Read this Review.


BK Tacos & Hotdogs
5118 S 12th Ave
Tucson, AZ 85706
Date Visited: August 21, 2014
Style: Sonora Mexican
Go-To-Lick: Large Caramelo Asada
Price: $6.78 including tax 
Read this Review.


Saing Thai Cuisine
9136 E Valencia Rd
Tucson, AZ 85747
Date Visited: June 19, 2014
Style: Thai
Go-To-Lick: Pad Kee Mao
Price: $8.59 including tax 
Read this Review.


Frog & Firkin
874 East University Blvd
Tucson, AZ 85719 
Date Visited: May 12, 2014
Style: English Pub
Go-To-Lick: The Firkin Burger with Cheese
Price: $9.13 including tax 
Read this Review.


El Guero Canelo
2480 North Oracle Road
Tucson, AZ 85705 
Date Visited: May 3, 2014
Style: Sonora Mexican
Go-To-Lick: 2x Carne Asada Burro Jr. with Extra Cheese
Price: $9.27 including tax 
Read this Review.


Andy Lin is your typical Tucson resident and is a not food connoisseur.  He is simply a man who knows what pleases his tastebuds and belly.   Special thanks to Nate M. and Matt H. for help with coming up with a title for this list.