Cafe 54 is located at 54 E. Pennington (hence their name), just west of Scott Avenue in downtown Tucson. The upcoming Silent Auction (their first annual fundraiser) on December 11 will feature paintings, sculpture, jewelry, and will be from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., coinciding with 2nd Saturdays Downtown. Cafe 54′s phone # is 520-622-1907.

Cafe 54 is an innovative bistro serving “New American Fusion” cuisine in the heart of downtown Tucson. The cafe serves lunch Monday through Friday at 11am to 2 pm in an artsy, urban ambiance with a changing daily menu. Cafe 54 is a non-profit organization with an award-winning training and employment support program serving individuals recovering from mental illness.

Cafe 54 is Supported by the Community Partnership of Southern Arizona, Rehabilitation Services Administration and private donations.

Our Mission:

* To assist individuals with mental illnesses become independent, tax-paying citizens.
* To provide trainees with the tools they need to recognize and utilize inherent talents and skills.
* To provide the restaurant community with a pool of reliable employees who have had training and first-hand experience working in a quality restaurant setting.
* To reduce and ultimately eliminate the stigma surrounding mental illness by shifting focus from disabilities to abilities.

If you haven’t tried their delicious, innovative menu for lunch, you should stop by the next time you’re downtown. Their food is always fresh, interesting, imaginative, made from scratch daily in their kitchen.

As a frequent diner, I love the jerk chicken salad, their rosemary rolls, their teriyaki salmon (and most other dishes as well). Here’s their description on the jerk chicken salad: “Jerk seasoned chicken breast, mango, pineapple, strawberries and spiced pecans served on mixed greens and dressed with raspberry vinaigrette.” It is all fabulous.