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Category: American (Traditional) [Edit]
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Mon-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.
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I LOVE Buster's.
I LOVE Buster's when I am drunk and sober....
All those other reviews about only hitting up Buster's after a night of bar hopping make me sick. I actually prefer to be sober when eating my perfect Philly cheese steak sandwich. I crave this bad boys at least twice a week and if you don't finish your entire cheese steak no worries, they are amazing the next day too.
I have to start off by letting you all know that I have not been to Buster's before midnight....that being said, this place is AMAZING! All my friends swear by the cheese whiz, but I am a provolone guy, I save the cheese whiz for the fries.
The meat is tender the bread is bomb and after a night of North Beach bar hopping a Busters Cheesestake is just the ticket. Do yourself a favor, this weekend, set a reminder on your phone around 1AM to hit up Busters on your way home, you won't be dissapointed....unless you are an vegetarian.
I'm sitting here with a minor hangover from a night of liver punishing drinking and thinking to myself, I should feel much worse from all the booze I drank. Oh yeah, I ate a large Philly cheese steak last night, Thanks Busters.
I have been here several times (sober and inebriated) and always left happy. The sandwiches are really greasy in a good way with tons of cheese and meat. The bread is also very soft which makes everything go down easy.
My only complaint is that they do not have sweet hot peppers. They do however have jalapenos. Its just not the same.
Not bad! I came here last night with a buddy of mine after doing some frantic fist pumping at Ambassador lounge, and I actually bookmarked this place the other day. Let's say I made a good choice coming here.
This is definitely a good alternate place to eat beside your regular late night craving of pizza, mexican food, donuts, or pho. I mean they're cheesesteaks dammit! The fact that they're open til 3am in Little Italy/North Beach is a plus. I ended up ordering a North Beach cheesesteak combo while my friend ordered a side of garlic fries. Yup, another plus for having garlic fries.
What I like is how you can see the cook grilling your food while you wait. A side of fries for an extra $2.75 is pretty reasonable to make your meal a combo. Also note that a small size sandwich is roughly like a 6-inch you'd find at Subway. Good enough for me. The sandwich itself was smoking off the grill, and it was quite tasty from start to finish, granted I still had some of that dranky drank in my system. I will say that having spinach and zucchini in my sandwich was rather interesting. Not necessarily in a bad way, but I guess I should have stuck with the OG cheesesteak.
Good alternate place to go for the late night grub. Cash only and no seating booths, just bar stools and counters since this place is rather small. I'd come back again if I'm in the mood for it.
I got an original philly cheesesteak with provolone (7 in) and it was realllly good. The combo comes with an enormous basket of fries that no one will ever finish. Next time I will split the 12 inch and fries with my bf, which makes it really affordable. It sucks that they only take cash :( I also wish they had a soda fountain rather than cans, I like refills :)
There are nights when you just crave something greasy and cheesy. Busters never fails to hit the spot on nights like these. *said nights do not always have to be drunk nights.*
The fries are forgettable but the star is really the cheese steak. It is best eaten after you've let it rest a while. You know, when the bun soaks up all the delicious juices and flavors. Yummy. I like mine original i.e. plain with just cheese and onions and I add horseradish mustard when I get home. The "North Beach" is also good though.
They are open late and it's always an interesting crowd the later it gets. Be a fly-on-the-wall and clue in to some really amusing drunk banter/TMI sweet-nothings.
Ordered for takeout, 1 x large classic Philly Cheesesteak, no extras, and a garlic fries.
The Cheesteak sandwich was great. Very rich taste (I got cheez whiz), quality steak meat, and a good bun.
Unfortunately the garlic fries were incredibly soggy and untasty...too bad.
All I really want to say is: YUM. but i'll elaborate. The philly cheesesteak with provolone cheese is literally all you'll need at the end of the night to go to bed happy and wake up sans headache. this is my favorite post-night out spot. If you're feeling extra gluttenous, share some chillicheese fries with a friend and dump on the hot sauce. you will not be disappointed!
GREEEEEEEASE STEAKS!
and I mean this in a good way!
I've been coming here since I was about 16 and hittin the clubs...kit kat club, city nights, you name it! I love the grease steak, I mean cheese steak sandwich! This particular spot on the corner of Columbus Street is my favorite by far. They have a great selection of options and you can customize your sandwich just about any which way you please.
The last time I came here unbelievably was at 2am from Castro Valley because I was totally craving the grease steak after going out. crazy but true! The reason for one star off is dealing with city parking...that is always a bitch!
Drunk or sober, this is the best Philly you can get in SF, maybe even California. Been here more than enough times on the way back to my apartment after a night at Kells or C-Bus Cafe. I wouldn't bother trying anything else on the menu except the regular steak sandwich with either Whiz or provolone. Both are good, but be warned, Whiz comes with A LOT of Whiz, so if you don't like a lot of cheese, go with provolone.
Stopped by here for a late night snack after the bar. Almost anything tastes good when it's 2am, you still have a good buzz going, and you haven't eaten since 6pm. Well, ALMOST anything....
Buster's fills your crave for something greasy and filling. Their garlic fries are not bad either. I always get the Philly Cheesesteak with Swiss & Mushrooms....yum!
Fast, open late, and THE BEST Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches in the city! Perfect for after bar… Read more »
If you're in the mood to clog your arteries at 3 am, Buster's is open to help you out with that. Located on Broadway, surrounded by world class strip clubs, lounges & other fine dining establishments, Buster's really shines as the star of the late night/early morning comfort food world. Seating is limited: about six chairs facing the kitchen where "the magic happens" & about another six stools along the wall facing the street & passersby in various drunken states.
The bf & I had:
- a cheesesteak with cheese wiz
- a california cheesesteak w/ provolone- comes with onions, tomatoes, lettuce & pickle (freakin fantastic.)
- cheese fries
- a root beer
- a gatorade
total: $19
Buster's cheesesteaks are messy & delicious & just what you need after a night of sinnin' (aka FUN!)
P.S. the order taker lady is a complete space case, but she gets the order right & she's nice enough. And cash only.
Yum, this place usually hits the spot after a night out in the city. I really like the Philly Cheesesteaks here. I've tried Geno's and Pat's in Philly and they've got nothing on Buster's. I also like the chili cheese fries here. It took me awhile to remember what this place is called and I just had to double check with my bf because I am always a little inebriated when we go here and never bother to pay attention to the sign, lol! The first time I ate here during the day (and sober :p) I was relieved to find that the line wasn't out the door and that the philly cheesesteaks tasted just as good :)
So tasty - so very bad for you. My favorite time to indulge is on a cold,
dreary winter afternoon so I can go home and hibernate afterwards.
Wow, came here for the 4th of July before staking out a spot at Pier 39. What can I say, definitely the best cheeseteak I've had. The sandwiches are big, delicious, and get all over the place! Their fries have a nice crisp to them too, whether you order plain or garlic.
Different styles of sandwich with different ingredients in each one make for interesting tastes. Don't worry though, you can still get the classic cheesesteak you know and love.
Wow! This is the spot. There cheesesteaks have lots of flavor to them. I like the different kinds they have. I like the other spot on Divisadero but this definitely on a higher scale even though that place is still good. I would have gave it 5 but parking is sometimes crazy and nothing compares to the cheesesteaks in Philly.
UPDATE: I recently went back and I have to say, this place definitely beats out Cheesesteak on Divisadero. And their garlic fries are a force to be reckoned with.
Delicious. Just delicious. Am I feeling too lazy to cook something for lunch/dinner? I go to Buster's. Am I drunk and need some tasty munchies? I go to Buster's.
I can't really comment on the rest of the menu because I order the same thing time after time. Large Philly cheesesteak with CHEEZ-WHIZ. I know, it sounds nasty but it's heaven sandwiched between a lightly toasted roll. That, and an order of cheese fries (also slathered with cheez-whiz!)
Try it, I guarantee you wont be disappointed.
i love this place and everything it stands for: late night dining.
omg. philly cheese steaks. so delicious. a couple friends and i just parked randomly and walked into this place. boy am i glad we did. it was the most delicious philly cheese steak i've ever had at 2 am. we got garlic fries as well. everything was so reasonably priced and delicious.
plus the place is open til i think 3 am. awesome! i love it.
the only thing is, it IS a tad dirty, maybe it was trashed at the night. but then again, this is the city. this could be as clean as it gets.
The best cheesesteak in San Francisco. And probably better than Pat's or Gino's in Philly, though it's been a while since I've been there. The small cheesesteak is enough for one and a large can be split two ways if you get some fries to go with it. You can't go wrong with dinner for one at $6.50 and dinner for two for a few dollars more.
Sober or drunk, this place serves up some delicious sandwiches. I mean, steak, cheese, onions, add some sweet cherry peppers, and some quality bread. If you're really bad you'll get some jalapeno up in the mix.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
After a night of bar hopping, this is the place to BE!
FRESH HOT PHILLY CHEESESTEAK AND HOT CHEESY GARLIC FRIES...all VERY amazing.
Except I'm lactose intolerant so I ran to the bathroom that night and also all day the next day.
Hey, it's worth it. That's how good it is.
"I'll have a cheesesteak with cheezwiz and jalapenos."
Just say it. It'll make all your problems go away.
North Beach is a hassle for me to get to, but I'll do it for Buster's. I'd do anything for Busters. It's the best cheesesteak I've had in this city.
This place is right next to where all the nightlife is, so it has a great location for a bite to eat before OR after a night of drinking.
Pros:
+ Open late
+ Good price
+ Great selection (I recommend the Chili Cheese Fries & Cali)
+ Quick
+ Fresh
+ Large portions
Cons:
+ Employees can be a bit rude (probably used to dealing with too many drunk people)
+ Lots of obnoxious loud drunk people constantly rolling through (hence #1)
+ Dirty seating area (just stools on parts of the bar-type area)
+ CASH ONLY
The place is still serving up great cheesesteaks so none of the cons will stop me from coming ... I might just try to come before heading out to drink, or take it to-go and eat it somewhere else.
Failure 1: I came here with a lot of friends, (we were bringing them a lot of business) and the guy at the cashier told us to "SHUT UP". You could at least ask your customers to "tone it down", rather than be rude.
Failure 2: Then they ran out of large sandwiches, even tho 2 small equal 1 large, which the guy acknowledged but refused to reason. The taste would only appeal to the drunk folks of broadway, but is only good for that purpose,
Conclusion: if you want good food with good service, go elsewhere. I am in the restaurant business and this place was unforgivable.
Buster: Shame on your cashier. And if you were the cashier that night, you deserve a beat-down sandwich.
Last week, I took the team out for lunch and we went to Buster's for some Philly Cheesesteak, cheese fries, & garlic fries. It was mouth watering juicy and oozing with flavor, plain Yummy!
Buster's was known as "The Old Philly Cheesesteak", now it looked a lot different than I remember some 15 years ago, no more Philadelphia newspaper wallpaper. The place is still pretty tiny - counter seating for 8 & outside seating for 6, service was ok with a little attitude. :)' Trust me - you've gotta order the large Philly for $7.45 & add cheese to your garlic fries $3.75!
A great little hole in the wall for Philly Cheesesteak. Everything's customizable and made to order - meaning it's Fresh Fresh Fresh! You can add a variety of toppings in your cheesesteak such as sauerkraut, onions, olives, dill pickles, sweet pickles, jalapenos, and more. Shared a large philly cheesesteak with provolone and a side of garlic fries and that was plenty for both of us!
The bread was perfect - semi-hard on the outside but perfectly soft in the inside, so that the cheesesteak won't soak through and make the thing fall apart in your hands. My main gripe (and the primary reason for the 3 stars) is that the meat was overcooked and they definitely could've added more of it in the sub - I felt like I was eating a lot of bread and not enough filling.
The garlic fries are thin and super crispy - they use real chopped garlic too, so your breath will be a-kickin' afterwards. It's well worth it. I'd definitely give this place a 2nd chance - it's a really great concept and obviously super popular!
Did it satisfy the late-night post-bar-hopping craving? Yes indeed! It's in prime location for all the North Beach bars and ensures that you have something greasy to soak up all the beer and can wake up in the morning all fresh and dewy and hangover free.
Pretty crowded however and may be better to grab and go. Also, the cheesesteak was a bit dry, and it certainly doesn't measure up to Chicago's Hoagie Hut, hence the knocked off stars. The cheesy fries use nacho cheese or something along those lines, not my idea of cheese but my friends seemed to enjoy them. All in all, it was a satisfying end to a good night and seems worthy of trying on a night out in North Beach.
Headline: Epic night leads to epic drunk food
My Friday night quickly turned from a stay in with a good book to playing wing woman for my favorite lady Christina T. No matter how much shit the Marina gets, I adore all the good looking, TALL men. XO
With all the eye candy it was easy for me to stay out until bar time, and after a successful evening of meeting men almost a foot taller than me (and I'm 5'10!) I was feeling the hunger pangs..
Christina T. lives in good ol NB so we were heading back that way, my ideal destination being Golden Boy Pizza.. mmmm. Until Christina suggested Busters. Lacking an intersection, we were not sure our magical cab ride would bring us to this desired destination. Lucky for us, our magical cab driver provided us with a cab driver reference book which includes almost every food/alcohol joint in the city. Columbus and Vallejo here we come!
Unsure of myself I ordered a California Cheese steak. To which my friendly server asked me, "How are you soo gorgeous?" How do you answer that question? With a simple, I got lucky? Or maybe, You can thank my parents...
Back to the sandwich...Oh... DEAR. It rocked my late night tummy's world! A small is about 8 inches I would say. I cannot even imagine a large. (ha.. that's what SHE said!)
I soon realized that I would need some water to wash down the heavenly steak... My biggest fan Mr Server gave me a free bottle of water... What a darling :)
One word summary: Fulfilling
Forget all those fast food places. For the same price you can have a fabulous burger from Buster's with FRESH meat (and BIGGER than those little In 'N Out burgers), and whatever toppings your heart desires. Juicy, perfect flavors and seasonings, with all the toppings I am craving that day, eaten in a little basket at the counter and juices dripping...pure bliss. Add an order of garlic fries, extra crispy and you've reached burger heaven.
I dig their hot dogs with everything on them too (sauerkraut, jalapenos, mustard, mayo, hot sauce...). They are huge and with all the toppings, fill you right up.
Oh, and I almost forgot about the large bottles of Mexican coke; If you've never had Mexican coke, you gotta try it!
Be nice to the cooks, and they'll make your order extra special and tasty!
It's...okay. Does the job in a pinch.
I've been here a few times now, and it's pretty damn convenient if you're in North Beach after the bars close. Everyone else seems to agree as there's often a line out the door weekend nights. The food itself is tasty with lots of options, though I generally just get the regular cheesesteak with provolone. If you're not a big fan of hot peppers on your sandwich but don't mind sweet peppers, don't bother with the peppers at all - every single time I've asked for sweet peppers more than a large number of hot peppers make their way in, usually to the point where I can't tell if they bothered listening to me or not (normally I'd ask them to fix it, but it's generally been to-go every time and we're long gone by the time I start eating). I actually love spicy food, but there's a time and a place and this isn't it for me. The chili-cheese fries are pretty good too.
I'd be tempted to up the rating on this place were it not for one other reality, which is that you pretty much have to have an iron digestive tract to eat here unscathed, and unfortunately I don't. There's nothing wrong with the food per se and it's never made me ill or anything like that, but I do spend an inordinate amount of time on the toilet after eating here. Just saying.
I'm sure I'll be back for convenience's sake, but I can think of better places for cheesesteaks in general.
This place is fantastic for so many reasons....including but not limited to the following:
1. Great cheese steak sandwiches
2. Right down the street from where I live
3. Open late
4. Cheap
5. They always have Red Sox games on and if there's something I like more than eating a cheese steak, it's eating a cheese steak while watching a Red Sox game.
Eating cheese steaks will most likely put us all in an early grave, but this place makes death seem delicious.
Imagine yourself drunk, alone and scared on a Saturday night. 2:30 in the morning and you've never needed grease in your body more. Friends? Gone. Fast food? Closed.
Then with a shining light, the glory of Buster's comes from no where to save you. If you want to pretend you're healthy, get the North Beach... an eclectic medley of vegetables goes great with the pound of meat and cheese wiz (or pepper jack if you're not feeling authentic). Feeling ballsy? Go for the traditional, or better yet a california style (lettuce tomato onion and mayo). Either way, I'd add sweet peppers and jalapenos (TAKE THE HEAT BABY!). If you're sharing with a friend, I'd reccomend getting cheese fries (chili optional for you vegetarians) to douse the fiery goodness you just inhaled.
In the day time you can get abused in the great philly style, and don't have to wait in line. The smart ones will call in and save themselves the wait.
All in all? Beauty, sheer Beauty.
Philly Cheesesteaks in San Francisco?!?! How good could they be right? How about amazing!!! Stumbled upon this place when newly living in North Beach and is a great go to place after a few too many! Classic Philly is my favorite! My roomate has been known to walk the street of North Beach, eating his Philly Cheesesteak with complete disregard for all other human life, and making noises that should only be made in the privacy of his own bedroom, because he love them so much! All in all, great food, not bad price!
Doesn't take credit cards so make sure you have cash on you!
After a long movie at the Metreon, I was starving, so I demanded my friends accompany me to North Beach for a late-night dinner. Giordano Bros. was closed, so out of desperation I asked them to check out Buster's with me. I wasn't optimistic that they'd have anything I'd like but was pleasantly surprised to see TWO vegetarian options on the menu! I can't comment on the veggie patty because no one ordered it, but the tofu sandwich was awesome. They sprinkle it with ginger and serve it piping hot with cheese and vegetables. The sauce selection is mighty (Tapatio, Louisiana hot sauce, garlic sauce, A1 steak sauce, etc.), and the sandwiches were sizable (their Philly cheesesteaks looked pretty good too). I'd definitely come back, whether Giordano Bros. is open or not. Also, the ambiance leaves a little to be desired, but after a few drinks I'm sure you wouldn't even notice.
awwww Midnight Philly Cheesesteaks are mmmmmmm mmmm good! I crave this delicious delight that you create your own or choose one of the specialties on the menu. This place is open really really late or until early in the morning. Come here after a great show at Bimbos or one of the cool bars here in North Beach, or if you insist the strip clubs too :) . They play fun music in here and the staff is fun!
i've only been here twice, and both times after some late night drinkage. i usually get the california cheesesteak.
they come in two sizes, small 7 large. the service is pretty quick, and the ingredients are fresh.
definitely will come again.
I have serious cravings for this place. No joke, post 10pm on weekdays and weekends I contemplate walking the two blocks to Busters for their standard cheesesteak. I'm a creature of habit so I haven't ordered anything besides the cheesesteak here but in a nutshell my review of their sandwich is:
Provolone + beef = heaven.
I take the sandwich home and savor each bite, often sharing the sandwich and fries with my neighbor. You can cut the guilt of late night eating in half if you share the calories with a friend :)
After watching 4th of July fireworks on Pier 39, we were walking home on Columbus, famished and dying for some grub. We come across Buster's and decide to give it a shot - after all, they are the self declared #1 Philly Cheesesteak in the land (they even got a sign out front to prove it)!
Service - it was OK, food came out fast.
Food - ordered a cheesesteak and fries...Bread was stale, meat was greasy, fries were half cold and had that bitter old grease flavor.
Decor - you walk in and are surrounded by a giant aroma cloud of grease and onions.
So why is this dive so highly rated? Gotta be the beer goggles...Everything tastes good when you got the drunk munchies.
Hit this place up on a Friday night after hanging out at a local bar. I hadn't been drinking so the ability to rely on my tastebuds was high.
First off, this place is pretty small. Drink selection is good and I was unaware there were so many different ways to get a Philly Cheese Steak prepared. This was my first time actually getting cheese wiz on the PCS making it a true Philly, I guess (never been to Philadelphia).
I'm glad I ordered the smaller sandwich because it was pretty filling. For some reason, the sandwich was delivered a good 10 minutes before the fries were which made for an awkward eating experience. Also, the place seemed a little dirty and I noticed they didn't have health inspection cards posted anywhere.
All in all though, the sandwich was good and I'll definitely stop by again. Probably after a few beers though next time as it's rare I hang in North Beach without a couple of brewskies.
Someone in our party, after we drunkenly stumbled out of Tosca's, announced a fixation on cheezy fries. That is, she announced it again after announcing it over and over earlier that night. She is, she explained, a bit OCD, and tonight it was cheezy fries. And that obsession led us to the incomparable Buster's.
I may have just been a little tipsy, but I was not expecting such an amazing veggie po' boy/sub style sandwich. I mean, truly outstanding. Besides spinach, cheese, oil, and little cubes of tofu in there, I couldn't tell you what else was in there, but that sandwich was like diving into pure joy. Next time, I have to try it sober to see if I just hallucinated it. Pure satisfaction only cost $5.50 last night. Even the meat-eatin' GF loved it, but I didn't let her have more than one little bite.
Oh yeah, the cheezy fries weren't bad either.
(and I'm usually harsher on North Beach eateries and bars, but I could go to Tosca's and Buster's a few times a week and be a happy man . . . )
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Category: Burgers
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