Who doesn’t like a big red barn? Buffalo Bump Pizza, located just one block west of Four Corners on Norris Road, is the place to go with your family for hearty pizza, satisfying calzones, hot & cold specialty grinders, fresh salads, delectable wraps and spicy buffalo wings.

Driving up you’ll notice the ample parking and the generous outdoor patio for warm weather dining. Enter through the double doors and you’ll find a unique interior with barn wood flooring, large beams and old-style lanterns hanging overhead. The tables and booths are made of darkly stained rough-cut lumber finished to a high gloss. On the north side of the building a round grain bin alcove is available for more private parties. The walls throughout are colored warm gold or burnt orange and the decor consists of northern Rockies styled posters and signs. In addition, a saddle and full-sized canoe are suspended from the beams.

Buffalo Bump pays great attention to the needs of any youngster; with a play table (you can make wooden pizzas, naturally), lots of coloring books, crayons and interesting picture books for kids of all ages. The kids’ menu boasts cheese sticks, cheese pizza and unique to Buffalo Bump, macaroni & cheese pizza. Wow. I can’t imagine a more kid-centric menu item, one which blends two of the most favorite meal requests of mac & cheese and pizza. The Mac & Cheese pizza is $5.85, cheese sticks are $4.25, and the 8” Cheese pizza is $5.45.

Before I tell you about the food we enjoyed with our friends I want to tell you that not only was I born and raised in New Jersey but that my grandfather Michaelangelo was a baker, first in Newark and then Edison. My Uncle John took over the bakery and turned it into a successful pizzeria and later an Italian restaurant. I was literally raised with pizza in my mouth and let me tell you, Buffalo Bump Pizza is the closest I’ve gotten to the pizza of my youth. West of the Mississippi, pizza tends to be doughy and overloaded with a lot of sauce; both traits are absent at Buffalo Bump. The crust is thin, crispy yet substantial enough to hold the perfectly placed toppings and can still be folded in half with one hand. It arrives at your table piping hot. My only thought is the dough could use more salt, but that is simply my personal taste preference. According to this piece’s photographer, the dairy-free cheese is wonderful. For those of you who need to know, there is a gluten-free option for the crust in the medium size. The pizzas range in size from 8”, 12”, 16”, 18” and all have a “U-Bake” option as well.  The prices for pizza range from $8.25-8.50 for the 8” up to $26.50 for some of the 18” pies.

A few of the “Traditional” pizzas include the Four Corners (ham, salami, pepperoni, mushrooms, feta, bacon and onion), the Bobcat Pride (pepperoni, meatballs, mushrooms, green peppers and red onions), and the Buffalo Bump special (pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, black olives and onions). Specialty pizzas include the Sicilian Cowboy, the River’s Edge, and All Thai’d Up (with peanut Thai sauce, mozzarella, chicken, mandarins, red peppers, cashews and chow mein noodles).

Our friends’ sandwiches arrived in baskets lined with checked red and white paper. They were gorgeous to look at – hot and generously stuffed. They were also delicious – Mark kindly gave me a bite of his: cheese melting, meats hot and bread soft and toasty-crispy. You can ask for either white or wheat bread for your sandwich and they come in sizes: 4”, 7” or 14”, ranging in price from $4.75 to $14.50. Here’s a couple of the Oven Grinders: Fully Loaded (ham, turkey, roast beef, salami, mozzarella, and pepperoni), the Crumbled Bacon Cheeseburger (bacon, beef, cheddar and onion). Don’t forget the Italian Grinders or the Veggie Grinders!
The Wraps are made with your choice of tomato, spinach or wheat wraps and are all $6.50 each. They boast choices like the Sweet Turkey Wrap (with raspberry dressing), the Philly Wrap, and the Buffalo Chicken Wrap (romaine and spinach, buffalo chicken, tomatoes, blue cheese, green peppers and buffalo wing sauce).

The salads were served in a clear to go box; freshly prepared and crunchy with plenty of dressing on the side, ranging in price from $4.50 for a small salad to $8.25 for a large one and with your choice of Chef’s, Cranberry Walnut, Mandarin, or Buffalo Chicken to name just a few. The buffalo wings, deep fried to golden perfection came coated with either a spicy Buffalo dry rub or a delectable dry barbecue rub and your choice of ranch or blue cheese dressing. Everything comes hot, fresh and delicious. Unfortunately, we didn’t save any room to try the calzones, the cinnamon sugar stix, or the dessert pizzas with apple or cherry filling and streusel topping with vanilla icing.

With the quality and variety of the menu, the reasonable pricing and the spacious dining room, Buffalo Bump Pizza is a great place to take the family. It’s just a short drive west on Huffine Lane from Bozeman, or south down Jackrabbit from Belgrade. Five spokes!
Stacey Alzheimer has put her motorcycle away and is fiendishly knitting Christmas gifts when she is not massaging clients at Theraputika Massage.