Nestled in the Bear Canyon area on Tucson’s east side, Tandem American Eatery has established itself as a neighborhood favorite. Co-owners Patrick and Ayana Malarchik blend house-made comfort food with a commitment to community.
While the restaurant features a bicycle logo in a nod to a tandem bicycle, the name has other origins.
“It just kind of evolved into that when we came up with a logo and stuff like that,” Patrick said. “But we like the concept of front of house and back of house working together. Food, pairing with beer, wine, and it takes two sides to make the machine work.”
From Sierra Vista to Tucson Roots
Before opening Tandem in Tucson, the couple spent six years building a reputation in Sierra Vista. Their first concept, The Outside In, eventually evolved into Tandem before the building was sold to developers. Tucson was always the goal.
“My wife was born and raised here,” Patrick said. “I spent most of my career here, so we’re always kind of wanting to move back. We love Tucson.”
A Turnkey Location With Charm
The restaurant’s location helped kickstart their Tucson chapter. The space was previously outfitted, minimizing build-out costs.
“We thought it was a really cute location fit our concept,” said Patrick. “The place was ready to go and matched our concept perfectly. There’s a bar side and a formal dining side — it fits the ‘tandem’ idea.”
A central bar features dark wood base and polished countertop, surrounded by black barstools. Overhead pendant lights cast a soft, inviting glow over the dinging tables. Navy blue wainscoting lines the walls with minimalist décor.
Scratch-Made From the Ground Up
“One of us is always in the building,” he said. “I get here every day when we’re open at 8 a.m. making fries and chips, preparing sauce from scratch, braising meats, smoking bacon. Kind of just making sure it’s true food, true cooking from the ground up.”
Popular dishes include:
- Mushroom Sacchetti – a pasta play on beef stroganoff with braised short rib, fontina and porcini pasta, wild mushrooms, roasted onion, spinach, and demi-glace
- Barbecue Bacon Burger – a crowd-pleaser featuring house-smoked slab bacon, barbecue sauce, and aged cheddar
- Reuben Sandwich – originally a St. Patrick’s Day special, it recently earned a place on the menu
While Tandem leans into comfort classics, they accommodate dietary needs. Many of their dishes ingredients start vegan, so guests can just communicate and Tandem will accommodate accordingly.
House-Smoked Bacon With a Trophy-Winning Past
One item holds a special place on the menu — the BLT.
“In 2015, we were working at Union Public House, and we competed in the first Arizona Bacon Fest,” Patrick said, “That’s when I first decided to make my own bacon from scratch. We actually took home the first prize. Bacon, lettuce, tomato, but just made really, really well. Homemade bacon, homemade aioli, fresh sliced tomato, a little bit of avocado on there”
Local Focus, Family Values
Tandem’s ethos? Support local.
“Even if you don’t support us, go somewhere that the money stays in town,” he said. “You don’t have to go to a chain. You can get great food from Tucsonans who are going to live here and raise their families in the community.”
Plans for growth are simmering.
“We’re working on adding a patio,” said Patrick. “We want to find something that’ll fit the concept on the other side of town.”
Daily Specials
- Monday & Tuesday
$20 burger & beer - Wednesday
$2 off glasses of wine, 20% off bottles of wine, $2 off all whiskey
$17.50 wing combo — eight jumbo wings with either a mixed green salad or small fries - Thursday
$55 pasta meal deal — one artisan salad to share, two pasta meals with choice of protein and a dessert to share - Friday
$18.95 fish & chips - Saturday
10% off to share or not to share menu items and desserts
Prime Rib Dinner $37.95 Starting at 4 p.m.
Tandem American Eatery is located at 8864 E Tanque Verde Rd. Happy hour is 3-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Keep up with Tandem American Eatery on Instagram. For more information, visit tandemaz.com.
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.
