Bumsted’s serves as both a restaurant and a community gathering space where playful comfort food, and high-energy entertainment collide. Since reopening in 2020, this local gem built a reputation not just for its legendary meatloaf sandwiches, but also for its lively karaoke nights and growing weekend brunch scene.
A Culinary Staple with a Unique History
Originally founded on Fourth Avenue in 2001, Bumsted’s was a staple of Tucson’s dining and nightlife for 13 years before an unexpected lease termination forced its closure.
However, general manager Scot Shuman and some pals, saw an opportunity to return stronger. In 2020, they reopened in a new, larger location at 1003 N. Stone Ave. attached to a hotel, allowing them to expand their menu, event space, and overall vision.
“We now own the property,” Shuman said. “We spend most of the summers replacing plumbing and roofing and everything else, but at least it’s ours.”
The new location not only offers more room for guests, but it has also allowed Bumsted’s to evolve into a full-fledged experience, complete with an expanded menu, weekly entertainment, and a thriving local following.
Furthermore, the restaurant went through a rebrand with new mascot — an anthropomorphic heart with a butt.
“My daughter took it upon herself to play with the graphics, and she redid all the menus, and she came up with the little butt guy,” Shuman said. “We all kind of liked it.”
Brunch, Burgers, and House-Made Meats
While Bumsted’s has long been known for its hearty sandwiches, its weekend brunch menu is gaining traction.
“We’ve always had great breakfast cooks, and it just made sense to keep that momentum going,” Shuman said.
The brunch menu includes American classics such as a platter of eggs, bacon, home fries, bacon, and toast. It also includes other staples such buttermilk pancakes, breakfast tacos, yogurt and granola, and a “big ass cinnamon roll.”
However, their brunch shines more with the adventurous savory options such as the Otis house-made chicken fried steak. Meatloafing showcases their signature meatloaf chicken-fried with two eggs and a rich, homemade gravy infused with jalapeños and sausage.
One of the standout items on the lunch and dinner menu is the Bat Out of Hell, a jalapeño cream cheese meatloaf sandwich that serves as the restaurant’s most popular dish.
“We wanted to do for meatloaf what other places do for burgers — get creative with the toppings,” Shuman said.
Other top-selling items include the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon BLT, a combination of peppered bacon, salami, and house-smoked pastrami, and the Double D, a chicken, bacon, and avocado sandwich that remains a crowd favorite.
Bumsted’s takes its food seriously, curing its own pastrami and roasting its own beef in-house. The philosophy? Fresh is always better.
“We don’t even have a [walk-in] freezer in the building,” Shuman said. “We converted it into a second walk-in [fridge] so everything stays fresh.”
A small chest freezer exists purely for the tater tots.
Signature Sauces and Unexpected Combinations
Bumsted’s also takes great pride in its house-made sauces. Their Hot & Sticky wing sauce — created by blending their atomic sauce with their signature Loaf Sauce — is hands down their most popular one, Shuman said.
The menu includes unexpected but surprisingly delicious combinations, such as the Ape Drape burger with peanut butter, a fried egg, and jalapeños.
Karaoke, Open Mics, and More
Beyond the food, Bumsted’s cemented itself as an entertainment spot. The lounge area, which is separate from the main dining room, hosts karaoke nights from Thursday through Sunday, as well as open mic comedy on Wednesdays.
Despite being a veteran of the industry, Shuman is still finding ways to evolve and grow. His resolution for this year? Get more involved in Tucson’s food scene.
For 25 years, his focus was on being a parent. Now that his daughter is out on her own, he sees it as a growing opportunity to be more active in the community.
Future plans for Bumsted’s include expanding their monthly drag brunch, enhancing their social media presence, and continuing to innovate with new menu items.
“There’s just something about mimosas, eggs, and drag queens that just makes sense,” Shuman said.
Bumsted’s is located at 1003 N. Stone Ave. For more information, visit bumstedsaz.com. Keep up with Bumsted’s on Instagram.
Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
