A new burger joint is coming to 4th Avenue here in Tucson, and it’s coming from a familiar face.
Lindy’s on 4th has been a downtown staple now for several years, and while Lindon Reilly started the burger joint and helped, in many ways, make it what it is today, he no longer has anything to do with the restaurant.
But while Lindon Reilly doesn’t have a connection with Lindy’s on 4th any longer, he still has a strong connection with burgers. After being out of the downtown burger game for a few years, Lindon decided he wanted to give restaurant goers something different.
He’s seen the oversized portions at a number of restaurants in town, including at Lindy’s, but that’s not the direction he plans on taking his new restaurant, called Thunderbacon Burger Co. No, instead he’s focusing on using high-end products to give visitors to the restaurant the best tasting experience possible, instead of just giving them something large and gut-busting that might not have the same kind of next-level flavor.
Tunderbacon Burger Co. Is going into the space previously occupied by B-Line. He’s going to be partnering with several local food producers to offer high-quality ingredients, Forbes Meat Co., which will be making a one-of-a-kind meat grind for Lindon and the new restaurant (whether this is just a specific grind size or if there are spices involved were not details offered up). Local bakery Cafe Francais will also be producing the buns for the burgers.
Thunderbacn Burger Co. Will be all about focusing on a small menu. There won’t be a cumbersome book with dozens of burgers, which can be the case at some other local Tucson burger joints. Oftentimes in the restaurant industry, the smaller the menu the better the food. Thunderbacon Burger Co. will be serving up diner-style burgers, instead of the massive hunks of cheap meat that leave you feeling uncomfortably full.
While the menu will be small, there will be food options for many guests, including both vegetarian and vegan offerings. It is important to note though that the kitchen is small and there won’t be a specific, dedicated area just for vegan burgers. So there is a chance the vegan burger can come in contact with a griddle or other hot cooking surface that had been used for a meat burger. Just something to keep in mind for those individuals who absolutely cannot touch anything that an animal or animal product has come in contact with.
Lindon has made a name for himself in the Tucson food industry. He started Lindy’s on 4th with his family and instantly received recognition on the television program Man Vs. Food, which was a popular show where the host would try to see if he could eat the spiciest food or the largest portions. However, as often is the case when it comes to opening businesses with family members, things went sideways and, eventually, he was cut out of the family business, despite having his name on the restaurant.
Eventually, London Reilly was contacted by Jay Healy, the owner of Fire N’ Smoke Wood-Fire Pizza and BBQ with a desire to add some of Lindon’s burgers to the menu. So if you’ve been to Fire N’ Smoke and grabbed a burger they were likely the work of Reilly. However, these burgers (and the burgers soon to be offered at Thunderbacon) have stripped away the food challenge feeling Lindy’s on 4th is known for. The bugers that will be served up at Thunderbacon will be more closely in line with the burgers offered at Fire N' Smoke, but even then, the bugers will still maintain a unique taste to the Thunderbacon Burger Co. restaurant.