The sizzle of beef hitting a hot grill has echoed through Buster’s Place since 1973, where decades of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, regulars have walked through a cathedral of comfort and history.
Among the titans of the Murfreesboro food scene sits a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant that has been serving up the famous “Buster Burger” for the last half-century. Despite four owners over its 53-year history, in a rapidly growing college town, Busters remains rooted in one simple phrase: “Be nice or leave.”
“Murfreesboro wasn’t built around Buster’s Place, but in a lot of ways, Buster’s Place has become part of what this town is,” Alex Jordan, Buster’s owner, said.
Buster’s was founded in 1973 by Buster Pugh, who built Buster’s place as a spot for friends, family and the community to gather. During Pugh’s tenure as owner, he would lead parades through Murfreesboro and always sought ways to give back to the community.
Anytime Buster’s is packed, at least one person shares a story about Buster, Jordan said.
Over the years, the restaurant has evolved from a dive bar where bikers converged to an everyday diner where customers, young and old, can enjoy a cheeseburger.
Over its history, the restaurant has changed hands only a few times, passing from Pugh to Steve Cockrell, then to Peter and Kathy Moret and most recently to Alex Jordan in 2024. However, no matter who the “owner” is, it is still Buster’s place.
“It’s Buster’s place. We’re all just guests here,” Jordan said, smiling. “I happen to be the one in charge of it right now, but it’s always been his.”
Jordan spent nearly three decades in the healthcare industry before making a pivot into restaurant ownership after his children graduated from college. A conversation with a friend in the Nashville, Tennessee, restaurant industry led Jordan to Murfreesboro and eventually to buying Busters.
Before purchasing the restaurant, Jordan spent weeks working there, learning not just the menu but also the history of the longtime hotspot.
The center of the identity of Buster’s falls on the food itself. The famed Buster Burger is nothing flashy to the untrained eye — if anything, it leans into simplicity. A third-pound patty resting between two buns, dressed with nothing more than traditional toppings. Yet that simplicity has kept Buster’s on the map.
Outside of the famous Buster Burger, there are several different burger variations on the menu, including pimento cheese, Frito pie and fried pickle. Coupled with the anchor item, Buster’s offers wings, sandwiches and a variety of appetizers.
Alongside the food, Buster’s has a bar offering seasonal canned beers, including Busch Light Apple and selections from across Middle Tennessee.
“People love local beer,” Savannah Rampy, Buster’s general manager, said. “So on tap, we always have our Buster’s beer, which is a music city brew out of Nashville.”
A favorite dessert item for many Buster’s regulars is the banana pudding, which has an intriguing twist. Jordan’s mother-in-law loved banana pudding but was grossed out by how bananas looked when they ripened. As a result, a banana-less pudding was born, and it’s hard to tell the difference.
Desserts usually mark the end of a person’s visit, but at Buster’s, conversations linger. The hum of neon lights and the scenery adorning the walls each have unique stories. Tucked among the decades of sports memorabilia lining the walls, a collection of football helmets gleams under the lights.
For Jordan, they are more than decorations. A University of Alabama football alum, he keeps a Crimson Tide helmet close as a nod to his own past. But the blacked-out Blue Raider football helmet, secured through a visit by MTSU football head coach Derek Mason, is a main selling point of Buster’s.
“I told them I’d pay full price, whatever it took,” Jordan said. “I just wanted something that showed we’re connected to MTSU.”
Now, the helmets join a corner filled with MTSU chrome mannequins adorned in Blue Raider basketball uniforms, forming a growing corner dedicated to the university just minutes from the restaurant.
“Show me another restaurant in Murfreesboro that’s got this,” Jordan said, chuckling. “I’ll show you someone copying me.”
As Murfreesboro continues to grow and evolve, Buster’s place remains a time capsule — a place where simplicity, history and community show through every patty served.
More than 50 years later, that same sizzle that started in 1973 still echoes through the building today.
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