Bison Witches

Really good American fare food. Full bar. Very much a hippie vibe, on the grunge side. Lots of tattoos and counter-​culture. The staff is cool. The staff sit down in the booth with you while you are ordering. Very intimate and funny. The food is generously portioned and very tasty. Strongly recommend!

You can never go wrong with the bread bowl and ½ sandwich menu option. It’s the best! The food portions are pretty big too. You will get Full… They also have a great selection on beers. Overall great atmosphere to grab a bite to eat or just hang out and have a few drinks.

The pastrami sandwiches on marble rye and wheat beers were awesome. Cassidy has a delightful presence. When in Tucson…

We decided to eat here on a hot sunny Saturday late afternoon after a day of hard work in Tucson. I ordered their Mother Road IPA and their beef chili nachos with jalapenos, tomatos, cheese, and salsa.
The IPA definitely hit the spot and was bitterly refreshing in every way imaginable. The nacho dish was an enormous monstrosity for an appetizer, making me glad that I chose not to order a soup or sandwich. The nachos came on a gigantic tray the size of 4 of my arms put together. It tasted heavenly with all the ingredients loaded together, with the jalapenos being extra hot and spicy.
I also tried some of my friends’ orders, which included a delicious chili bread bowl, clam chowder bread bowl, chicken avocado sandwich, and tomato salad.
Our bartender and server was very attentive and friendly. Definitely a neat place worth coming to again in the future with friends.

Great sandwich and bread bowl soup !!
Always way to busy for us to just chill… but worth it. Never been??? Ya simply gotta go! Check for parking in the back down an alley behind the joint (shhh… it’s a secret ;-)

Bison witches is very deceiving to the unknowing passers by. From the outside it simply looks like a bar, with good taste in music but even still a bit grungy.
Enter and you find. Small establishments definitely not a group eat out unless you go to the back where the patio is, also haven for smokers.
Whether enjoying a sandwich from the Jayhawks to the Tuna it is all so good and the portions are huge. Really a half sand which is a whole one in the real world… Not in Bison Witches world. And what’s the most beautiful thing of all? The fact that they are ALL TOASTED!
Or go for their soups! I haven’t been able to steer myself towards trying any others as I am infatuated with the Clam Chowder. Plan and simple it is perfectly creamyness while the ratio of clams to potato bites is perfect, rivals The Ward in San Fran. Personally an order of soup in bowl is MORE than enough without a Sammie.
Fun atmosphere good service, an all time favorite of ours. Hit the spot once more

Great atmosphere, excellent beer list, and the food was delicious. The wait staff was super helpful. I went with a friend and our two toddlers, we had a great experience.

When my boyfriend and I got here we awkwardly stood near the door until we spotted a worker. We asked if we could sit anywhere and she told us «it’s first come, first served,» then walked away. We found a seat and waited for fifteen minutes to place our orders. We called a waitress, but she walked right by us and went over to the bar to carry on a conversation with the bartender. We finally just stood up and left because we were tired of awkwardly waiting. I wish I could have tried the clam chowder!

I had a buddy suggest this place to me and I definitely wanted to try it. They serve huge sandwiches for a pretty good price, usually around 8 – 10 $.They have a deal for half a sandwich (which is more than enough for most people) and soup in a bread bowl! It is a rather great combination that had me pleasantly surprised. They have about 20 different types of sandwiches and 5 – 10 soups. There is also a full bar!

We were cruising around 4^th Ave. and came across this place. Excellent food and service! I had the Pastrami sandwich and it was fabulous!
My wife got the beef and Brie on rye and she described it as «Decadent»!
We both highly recommend this place! Great selection of beers as well!

This place is always packed (usually a bit too crowded for my liking, but worth it for reasons I will touch on shortly). It’s probably alway crowded because the food is pretty tasty and they also have a pretty nice beer selection. Some of the sandwiches I’ve enjoyed here include their Reuben and the Cally. Both of them are pretty tasty and a solid go to for a nice meal.
That being said, the sandwich that really had the wow factor for me was their beef and brie! Holy mackerel, this sandwich is tasty! What really makes this sandwich pop is the mustard. It goes really great with the beef and brie cheese and will make you want to come back for more! If you’re still reading this review, close your Unilocal app or browser tab and go eat the beef and brie at Bisonwitches now!

I’m really not a fan of sandwiches at all. There are a few in the world that I’ll pay for, but otherwise, what’s the point for some bread and cold cuts?
This joint was different. I love the half sandwich and bread bowl. I love that it’s a gritty bar. I love the fair prices for huge portions.
I got the half CAB on wheat and the baked potato soup. The sandwich was so fresh and moist — so much avocado and meat and the sprouts were a great touch. The soup was not remarkable but it did the job. Loved the fresh bread bowl and loved that it wasn’t sourdough.
They have good vegetarian options and a few good options for kids.
Will come back next time we’re in town.

Hands down best clam chowder in Tucson. I get it every time I visit. I especially love the soup and sandwich option, though I always decline the bread bowl for the soup since the bread on the sandwich is enough. Combined with their wonderful selection of craft beer, this is my go-​to for lunch or dinner whenever I’m on 4^th or just in the mood for some chowder.

Always a good visit when we go to Bison.
Great Beer Selection. If you want an appetizer, go with the CCQ! It’s fantastic! I almost always get the Beef and Brie which is also amazing! Atmosphere is fun and never seem to have issues with the wait staff at the bar. I love this place, and its almost always the first pick when hanging out on 4^th.
CON: Some of the quest that go here, can sometimes ruin the whole experience, hipsters. A lot of the time we have gone, we get sat near people who just think the world owes them something. I never have this issue with any other restaurant, only at Bison, its where the hipsters go… «It’s too cold in here.» «Doesn’t this have broccoli in it, I don’t like broccoli, take it back.» (When they ordered cheese and broccoli soup!!!) It then becomes hard to focus on your own convo when you have someone is always complaining less than a foot away from you. Kills my joy and kills the atmosphere for me.

Although our service here was nothing to talk about, it also wasn’t terrible. The food ended up being very good, I got the chicken salad sandwich and chili in a bread bowl. Unfortunately they got my order wrong and brought me potato soup instead. Fortunately for me, they let me keep it and it was equally as delicious! The back patio, which is practically enclosed, would be nicer if people weren’t allowed to smoke

In the early 90’s my now ex-​husband and I owned the little café that used to occupy the space now known as Bison Wiches… it was called The Rusty Lantern.
We moved away from Tucson once it closed and I moved back in 2013 and hadn’t had a chance to check this place out until last week.
A friend, whose eaten there before, and I ate there on a Thursday evening around 8:30 pm. It was pretty darn busy too! But they folks inside were mostly bar patrons and we didn’t have a hard time getting a table.
At 8:30 there seemed to be the same sorta mix of people that we’d get with The Rusty Lantern. That being a few neighborhood folks, a few 4^th Ave workers, some U of A students, and the ever present hipster kids. Though they weren’t called ‘hipsters’ in the early 90’s…they were called ‘annoying’.
Hey! I’m 51! I can actually call them kids now! AND annoying!
Anyway, my friend ordered the corned beef sandwich that comes with a side of potato chips, and I ordered the sandwich/​soup combo with the California turkey croissant and Wisconsin Cheese soup.
My friend gave me a bite of his corned beef (or was it pastrami?) and it was the pretty standard version of either meat. Not great, but not bad either. But guys… why so much bread?! Seriously? Each slice was close to an inch thick! And at almost $ 10.00 folks want more meat and LESS bread, no matter how good the bread was, there was too much of it.
My California Turkey Croissant was feeble at best. A bit of a stale, fall apart croissant with a less than average amount of turkey. The meat was good though, what there was of it anyway. The sprouts on top of it were good. They seemed fresh. And I love me a good sprout!
Now for the soup.
Guys…we left Arizona and moved to Wisconsin. This soup in no decent way represents the glorious cheesy goodness that’s authentic Wisconsin Cheese Soup. Matter of fact, I’m fairly sure that you’re serving up the Sysco ‘Soup in a Bag’ soup. It’s got a slick mouth feel, very salty, and highly processed. And it comes in a bread bowl… why not serve it like they actually do in Wisconsin? In a regular bowl, but with a big soft pretzel on top.
Be innovative! Be authentic at least.
Will I go back?
I might.
But there’s so many other, quieter food establishments on 4^th that serve better, fresher, healthier food that it’s unlikely.
Unless the friend who was with me visits from Phoenix again. He LOVES Bison Wiches and bemoans the closing of the Tempe location.

always a solid choice for a quality sandwich. seating is usually hard to get and the bathrooms are usually a little questionable, but the tastiness of the food makes us for any ambiance/​amenities that might be lacking. I always get a sandwich because their breads are incredible! Always thick cut and just the right amount of softness. I can usually only eat ½ and then take the other half to go.

Insane amount of good food. Portions are huge! Sandwiches and soups galore. I would recommend the spinach artichoke dip to start. The ambiance is casual but during a good game can be bustling. When the weathers nice definitely sit outside in their covered patio. I was a little disappointed to find out they dont have mimosas (due to not carrying sparkling wine). I used to come here all the time during my college years and i was happy to see it busy as ever!

This was a stop on my 4^th Ave bar crawl so I didn’t sample any food. I enjoy the hole-​in-​the-​wall feel, it made me feel like I was back in Detroit pre-​gaming a Tigers game. Pros: dog friendly back patio, delicious «purple drank» Cons: one bathroom stall
Would like to return and try their famous soup & sandwiches!

Here’s the thing. I go to Bison Witches more than I think I do. Maybe once a month, or every couple of months. When I go, I always think it’s been forever, and when I really think about it, it’s only actually been a few weeks.
It’s open late, which is nice. It has a full bar and fun music and a good beer selection, which is nice. They have one of the best veggie sandwiches in Tucson (this is coming from a girl who was a vegetarian for 14 years), which is delightful.
The service is usually a little bit… quick and snippy. Nothing over the top or actually rude, the severs usually just seem very quick and like they want you out ASAP. Again, nothing truly rude (except for once when my husband got chased out by a server that was unhappy with the tip he left), but I never feel really welcomed there.
The veggie sandwich, though. Oh my gosh. It is SO delicious! Artichoke hearts, avocado, peppers, sprouts, cheese… and it’s grilled up to tasty deliciousness!
I feel like perhaps the reason I feel like it’s always been way longer than it actually has been is because everything else teeters between mediocre and good. There is nothing wrong with being mediocre in this case, the food is just fine, and I would eat there again, but with the exception of the veggie sandwich, I haven’t found anything to be outstanding here.
So, I will be back, of course, that veggie sandwich isn’t going to order itself, and I will enjoy their happy hour and their music. Maybe one of these days I will find something else on the menu that I find to be amazing.