Tumulty's Reborn

In a city with plenty of drinking and eating emporia, many of them very recent, an old, familiar name has just stepped into the mix. Tumulty's Pub, a fixture in the city since 1937 when it was called the University Pub, has just reopened under new ownership.

And those owners, Rich and Sheila Weber, know a thing or two about running a bar and a restaurant, considering they also own the venerable, iconic and very popular Brunswick Grove in East Brunswick. And the way they have run that central Jersey institution--with attention to detail and a heaping dose of love and respect for their customers-- is clearly rubbing off on their Hub City digs. They did all their own renovations in Tumulty's, including expanding the bar, removing beams to show more of the dramatic vaulted wooden ceiling and replacing "The Train" that still rumbles along the elevated track surrounding the dining area. They also installed more interior lighting, as anyone who has ever been to Tumulty's knows that it wasn't the best lit place in town.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. Pubs and bars are dark for a reason, especially at closing time, and apparently many Tumulty's customers liked it that way. "We had to turn some of the lights off," said the bartender (chuckling), "because patrons said it was too bright in here." So while the "old" darkness has certainly been lifted, the "new" darkness is a tribute to the former appeal of the place.

The downstairs, still undergoing renovation, will be for banquets and special events. There will be no bands or entertainment, and while that may send the 23-and-under crowd elsewhere, it conversely appeals to a certain demographic of customer that the Webers want to cultivate.

The "cozy" booths are gone, and the customer can sit at a low-top table, a high-top table or at the bar, and by the time we left, there weren't many tables open.

Much of the evening crowd consisted of "theater people," as Sheila called them, and that's fine with her. During the day, she hopes to appeal to the nearby "Courthouse Crowd" who seek a nice lunch at very reasonable prices in a place away from the hubbub of the Hub City. Sheila told me there's even a Rutgers prof who brings his grad students in after class to discuss the intricacies of finance--with beers. I'd like to see the settling of that tab at night's end.

Vinnie, the bartender who has stayed on along with Denise (below) and the entire kitchen staff, was most animated about how much room he now has to do his thing "without banging my knees" in the previously cramped bar area. And doing his thing (besides greeting every customer with a sincere welcome) means delivering the beers (Tumulty's Ale from Climax Brewing is still on tap) from a very impressive list overseen by Sheila and Rich. But once again, knowing what sells in "The Grove" helps that process along.

SubScout Kaz had a Luponic Distortion and I had a Kane Head High--both delicious--with our meals at the bar. My Pub Dip was outstanding and so big and stuffed with roast beef that I had to take half of it home. Kaz, a strapping 26-year-old, had a Stuffed Cheeseburger of which there was not a morsel left on his plate to even consider taking home. Known for its burgers, Tumulty's still offers them they way everyone whoever came in remembers. That's because the kitchen staff is almost exactly the same as it was before the Webers took over.

And owning The Brunswick Grove during the four-month-long renovation process came in very handy for both the Webers and the temporarily displaced staff. The Webers hired them during their hiatus to work in The Grove. That allowed the owners to "train" them in the Weber Way while giving the employees a shelter from the temporary layoff storm. That nearly all of the former Tumulty's employees are once again Tumulty's employees speaks volumes about the way the Webers run a business. And every worker I spoke with was excited about the "new" old place. The Point-of-Service upgrades were just as welcome to people like barmaid Denise as the extra space was to barman Vinnie.

It's a new, old Tumulty's, as the Webers have struck a nice balance between upgrading and maintaining the ambience of this iconic New Brunswick eatery and pub. As previously mentioned, there are a lot of places to spend your pub dollar in New Brunswick. But few where it will be better spent than at the New Old Tumulty's.

When you go, and go you should, say hello to Rich and Sheila and tell them The PubScout sent you. While Rich will be happy to pose for a picture with you and your group, the challenge is to get one of camera-phobic Sheila that she doesn't delete. Cheers!

The PubScout