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Category: American (Traditional) [Edit]
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph HillMon-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.
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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'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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
At first, I thought the cheese steak was pretty ordinary. Then I hit a juicy section of meat and I was immediately converted. I'm not from Philly, but that is one of the tastiest cheese steaks I've ever had. Mind you, I had the "California Cheese Steak" which adds lettuce and tomato to the mix. Overall, this place is a great choice after a late night out.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Best ever... All you haters just don't live in NB, it's not a neighborhood it is a state of mind. Best music ever, best people watching, best neighbors, OH yeah, the food Number one baby! If you don't like it stay away we don't want you around anyway!! That's just life in the city go back to the east bay and pose there!
Keith i luv u . Best service in the craziest f NB has 2 offer. Garlic fries put gordon B 2 shame,… Read more »
Excellent hot dogs! Staff was friendly. MMM sauteed sauerkraut. This is one of the best places to get a good hot dog in SF or the Bay. Flavorful dog with top notch ingredients. And the price is not bad.
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 :)
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 . . . )
Oh Buster. When will I ever learn...
I'll just say, instead of a DJ that night, a cheese steak saved my life.
The sturdy brown paper towels (comforting), the simple cheese steak (perfect) and the cheezy fries (risky) helped me end the night with a preemptive strike against a hang over. Plua, I only ate half, bonus points for me, and bonus points for being open at 1 am. Even the vegetarian of the group sings his praises.
This review is strictly for Buster's breakfast, which my girlfriend and I just had this morning on our first visit.
In a word: Excellent! Don't let the name or the obvious "Cheesesteak" focus sway you here, this place might not seem like a quality breakfast joint but my Juevos Rancheros were awesome (best I've ever had) and my girlfriend loved her Buster's Omelette. Everything was spot on, right down to the potatoes, toast, coffee and OJ, which certainly tasted fresh-squeezed.
The guy running the place was very efficient and personable enough without going out of his way to lay on a lot of phony "charm".
Obviously most people are thinking Italian when they head to North Beach but next time you're in the area and want a good solid breakfast give these guys a try. We passed a couple of places along Columbus that offer similar stuff at twice the price, so unless you put a high value on a "quaint" ambiance you're better off at a no-nonsense restaurant like Buster's. For that matter they've even got a couple of tables out on the sidewalk so we opted to sit out there and soak up as much North Beach ambiance as we could want!
Can't wait to go back for the Cheesesteak!
I went here during the day, not drunk or anything. See, I try to avoid the late-night walkup places in bar areas on account of they are full of choads and douches who want to fight. And then I would be forced to kill them messily. So it's just practical and more ethical for me to eat first then drink, see?
The steak was first class and half the fun is watching it made before your eyes with two spatulas blurring into one and smoke leaping from the grill as extra grilling sauce (my sources say "oil") is laid on. Sweet peppers are a no-charge option and the large size is quite large. Real cheese wiz (oxymoron?) places this sandwich slightly above that at Theo's, for now. Still have not tried the actual honestagod real cheese at either joint so I will now proceed to do that.
Well it might not be as good as a Philly Cheesesteak from Philly but it's definitely the best I've had on the West Coast.
I decided to get a large Philly Cheeseteak with provolone ($7.95) which took a little bit to come out. The man behind the counter makes one order at a time, regardless of how little or many cheesesteaks there are in an order. I saw him sprinkling some white powder (garlic powder) onto the meat while cooking it. You can definitely taste this. The meat was thinly sliced and very tender. I enjoyed every single bite of this!! There is ketchup, hot sauce, etc. on the counter for you to use. On this standard sub, there are grilled onions which definitely add to the yummyness. My bf and I actually split this for a pre-dinner snack and it ended up being more than we expected... I would say it's about 10".
Now -.5 stars for the spacey, frizzy, blonde-haired girl. I asked her how big a large cheeseteak was only for her to reply with "bigger than a regular sub." WTH? There is no indication on the menu board of how big either of those were so how am I suppose to know? Regardless, I would definitely come back and add more toppings!
ohhhhhh ho ho ho ho yes.
This is one of those places that is soooo good it will be the death of you. This place is one of the two places in the city I will go for cheesesteaks (also see The Cheesesteak Shop on Divisadero).
The great thing about Buster's is the location. I fondly recall stumbling out of Kell's one night around 1 in the morning and happening upon people eating cheesesteaks. I was sold almost instantly. I also ordered chili cheese fries but my bastard friend ate them all before I got to them. Bastard.
Tiny place, greasy food. All around fraking awesome-ness. I dare you to get one with the Whiz. Cheese in a can, DO IT!
Anybody that gives Cheese Wiz as a cheese option deserves three stars alone! I do not care how clogged my arteries feel after I eat here. I know I will die happy, if I had just eaten a cheese steak and garlic cheese fries from Buster's.
I love the seating at the window, but I haaaaate the smokers who smoke outside, right next to the open window. You might as well be sitting next to me... and you shouldn't even be mixing this deliciousness with cancer sticks in the first place! That is double death!
warning, this place may make you feel like crap (or even crappier for those of you stumbling in at 2am) but you'll feel great at least until you get down to the last inch or so of your sandwich.
Hands down it is one of the tastiest phillies in the city but there should be a warning that consuming mass amounts of meat, cheez whiz, jalapenos...and possibly a side of fries covered in the same will leave you desperately wishing walgreens was open at 3am so you could pickup some tums.
Yes, five stars- however, please note that I have never been sober while eating here. Take from that what you will...
I was recently extremely surprised and pleased at how great Buster's burgers are. I've been a huge fan of the late night cheesesteak from Buster's for quite sometime but I have to admit their burger blows their cheesesteak out of the water.
For $5 you get a perfectly medium well prepared half pound burger on a sesame seed bun with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, mayo and the cheese of your choice.
I mean I really can't say enough about this burger for the price and flavor this is easily the best street food I've experienced in San Francisco... I felt like I was back in Chicago for a minute finding tasty food for $5.
It is now 12:30 am on a Thursday night/ Friday morning and I am ashamed of myself for eating a… Read more »
Date & Time: Saturday December 27, 2008 @ 2:45pm
Company: Michael & Jack
Crowd: Tourists & Locals
Vibe: Very Casual
Decor: Counter-Seating & Two OutDoor Tables
Service: Efficient
Devour: Large Order of Cheese Fries w/ Cheese Whiz
Total: $3.95=)
I must say I was not drunk and it tasted good!
We bought it after drinking on Broadway and I took it home to eat. After we heat it up, it was still yummy! Plenty of meat and just the right amt of cheese.
Will def. be back for more!
Ah the famous Philly Cheesesteak. I'd never had one before and today was the day to try this "delicacy". I was there with an actual Phllly native and decided to try an original - steak & grilled onions with cheese whiz (omg) - since that is the real deal and this is supposed to be the place to get them.
Two bites, two words - Instant stomachache. Cheesesteak meet trash can. Trash can meet cheesesteak. May you enjoy a long, greasy, artificial, waxy, orange life together.
Good fries. Absolutely fantastic location across the street from the legendary Molinari's where I got a delicious meatball sandwich to go.
A story, if you will:
In my San Francisco college infancy (2 years ago) I decided to bike around the city to see where everything was and be a good little San Franciscan. I biked from the Lake Merced area downtown via Portola and Market, saw everything, and said that it would be fun to see Telegraph hill too. I decided to get some food and have my lunch at the top.
I was in Little Italy, and saw this little hole in the wall sandwich place. My kind of place. The pretty girl behind the counter greeted me, and I looked up at the menu and saw the California Cheesesteak. The Philly hinted grilled steak, cheese and onions combined with the Subway-standard-faire crunch, zip and tang of lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and mayo. I got it in short time, spending it watching the tourists enjoy the city on a beautiful day from the large open front window in Buster's.
I then ascended to the top of the hill, navigating a long line of cars looking for the one of 8 or whatever parking spots at the top. I grabbed my sandwich, and saw it glistening in the sunshine. I'm sure someone who wanted to take a picture of Coit tower was dismayed because the reflection off of the melted cheese probably caused a little lens flare.
I took a bite, and wham, bam thank you ma'am, new San Francisco favorite. I can't explain it to you, the combination of deliciousness and awesomeness all contained on a toasted on the outside, slightly chewy inside roll, dripping with grilled onions and steak. All I can tell you is it was phenomenal.
Slight downside: Philly cheesesteaks don't have mayo, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles, where as the aformentioned "California" one does. So don't be surprised if, as you're barreling down telegraph hill, a piece of lettuce stuck only on the basis of the viscosity of mayonaise, dislodges from your beard and impales the nearest precariously-parked sedan. You've been warned.
Normally, after a drunken stumble down Colombus, when the bars let out, my girlfriends and I will grab pizza by the slice. Typically whichever one has the shortest line :) drunken beggars cant always be choosers, right?
However, if we're with a group of guys, we usually divert to Busters. Cheesesteak will satisfy the dudes WAY more than a slice of peperoni pizza will. Keep in mind, Busters only takes cash and the line can get long quickly. But once you have that cheesesteak in hand....oh man you'll be in love.
Honestly, cant really remember what I've ever ordered here...all I know is that it was delicious. And in the end, thats all that matters :)
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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