Not even sure where to begin. After reading all of the great reviews for this place and found myself craving a burger I decided I needed to try this place out. I arrive at Beef-N-Bun and proceed to go through the drive-thru and there are three cars ahead of me. I also noticed the parking lot was full which is always a good sign at any eatery. I waited patiently for what seemed like forever to order..... I then wait again for a long time to get my food order. I didn't mind because I know good food takes time to prepare. My ordered consisted of a 1/4 cheeseburger, French fries and chocolate shake. On the drive home I try out a few French fries..... cold hard French fries with no flavor whatsoever. Not to mention there may of only been about 8 cold hard French fries in my bag. Now on to the burger. What a disappointment! First of all where's the beef? Oh there it is all shriveled up and dry! At this point I am starving and proceed to eat the burger and expecting each bite to maybe get better. That didn't happen! It was dry and tasteless! The only saving grace to this meal was the chocolate shake. Folks do your self a favor and find a better place to grab a burger! read more

Beef 'n Bun - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

I have going here since I was a tiny kid The food is ridiculously huge and very good They're malts and shakes are to die for the best in town They have drive-through and pick up and it's pretty cool inside read more

WOAAAHHHHH I don't really think y'all will understand the hype of these milkshakes here!!!!!! i was really shook to find a place that could honestly make a milkshake that was better than Jack in the box I really do think this milk shake hands down for the pricing of the quality and sizing is by far the best milkshake in the state or maybe even world no joke. Garrett was by far one of the friendliest cashiers that I have ever come across in all of my casual eating out days now I don't do much fast food but if I did I would definitely want Garrett standing behind every register!!!! thank you Garrett for making my experience at beef 'n bun so pleasant. NOW to be called "beef n bun" like....The beef and the bun like didn't really come out and grab me like I would've wanted the meal to do however it just sort of did it's job- it didn't exceed any expectations that I walked into this place hoping for. I feel like the beef was a slight bit dry and what I mean by that is there was just no juices oozing out no matter how hard I squeezed it. The bun tended to be almost dry in a sense that I could pick it apart easily and it seems almost like it was not moist put it that way. (Please see photos for exhibit A and B of bun dryness) read more

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Many many months enjoying the food here. Cost-effective and delicious, great combination most favorable parking. Excellent staff. They seriously go out-of-their-way to accommodate, not something you normally see at a fast food joint. Obviously, the only explanation is the owner is paying her Labor extremely well; Happy staff, happy food. I've never seen a turnover of staff. Says a lot if you're like me and eat out a lot, you begin to know the difference, and the food confirms this. Drive thru is fast and cool. I've never been inside. read more

Pretty good little spot off Fletcher parkway. Drive through line gets aggressive. Wraps around the block and fills the parking lot. As a walk-in patron, customer service is top notch. The place was very crowded on a Thursday night. Although slammed, my milkshake came at me in like 2 minutes, my burger and fries 2 minutes later. The milk shake is A1. Superior to in and out in flavor and mouthfeel. Vastly superior. I recommend the strawberry. The burger and fries are middle of the road. The burger is very similar to a Burger King Whopper in my opinion, not a bad thing in my book. Overall a great local eatery but not a destination. read more

Beef 'n Bun - Their milkshakes are incredible and worth the trip alone. Vastly superior to In and Out. - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

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This review is based on the wait--drive through was very long and since we were only ordering 2 small shakes we went in. The older lady who took our order said it would be a "few moments". We ended up waiting 15 mins before I decided to ask for my money back. Sad that the lady taking orders just stood around when she could have been making shakes. No one else was in the dining area that she needed to help. Seems to me that someone should strictly be on shake duty, but yet that wasn't the case. Seems like no one knew what to do. If the machines were being refilled (which was happening) at least communicate with us that the wait was going to be longer. The police officer who ordered ahead of us, got theirs right away and he ordered 2 medium shakes and that was it. Sorry Beef n Bun, do better! read more

For a fast food burger joint this place is pretty good . Far better than a mc Donald's and they have a variety of junk food to choose from just like Mickey D's . If you 're looking to please everyone in your family's different needs this place is a good choice . I recommend having one of their delicious and huge milk shakes . You could share one with your honey for sure and both get plenty . I like the banana flavor . I also recommend their onion rings . Some might wish they have some salt added to them . But they are cooked perfectly and have a great batter . The cashiers are very friendly and nice . I love that they smile and make you feel very welcomed . The way all restaurants should . But sadly not all restaurants do . Well this one certainly does provide awesome and efficient customer service . read more

Beef 'n Bun - Good onion rings - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

Listen, I hate to do this, as I have been a loyal beef n bun customer for years. Like my little league team was sponsored by them back in the day...like the year 1992 back. I went there tonight to get a meal for my nephew... Prices are insane! Nearly $12 for a kids corn dog meal (with a shake)?!?? Seems excessive... I feel like Fred would be rolling over in his grave with these prices... I understand this isn't a big chain restaurant... I understand they gotta pay their workers and keep the lights on... Still love the place... may need to reevaluate where I get this meal from... read more

It seems that when we're kids, we care less about the quality of the food or service provided by neighborhood hangouts than we do about their willingness to let us.. well... hang out. I revisited Beef 'n Bun Whistle Stop recently, and was surprised at the number of teenaged kids dining in and picking up carry out orders that were eaten in the parking lot. I didn't grow up in El Cajon, but had I done so, I'm pretty sure I'd have been a BnB regular, too. I ordered a Half Pounder burger, no lettuce, fries and an extra-chocolate shake with banana. The meal was huge, but pricey, costing $9.95. BnB burgers remind me of those I used to get at the lunch counters of DC-area People's Drug Stores: that is, irregularly shaped, barely seasoned and a bit greasier than burgers from a fast food chain. They also resemble burgers someone might make in a frying pan at home, if people still did that. The buns BnB uses are fresh and doughy - a good thing - but they're formed in such a way that they break into one-inch sections (think monkey bread), once the juices and grease reach the bun. This may be intentional. I note that BnB double-wraps their burgers, like Carl's Jr. does, perhaps to provide diners some protection against leakage. Toppings are basic: tomato slices, lettuce leaves, raw white onion rings, dill slices, ketchup and mayonnaise. Everything is fresh and applied in ample, not overdone, portions. As other reviewers have mentioned, Beef 'n Bun sells crinkle-cut frozen fries, which aren't bad if you get them the day the fryer grease is fresh, and the fry cook's not too busy to let the fries cook all the way through. Now, about that shake: my server moved a half-gallon container of "Soft Serve Vanilla Flavored Reduced Fat Ice Cream Mix" out of his way in order to pull a milkshake cup's worth of chocolate soft serve for my drink. Then he added chocolate syrup and milk, chopped in most of a ripe banana, set that sucker on a mixer for a bit, and after wiping up some overage and bagging up my order, handed me lunch. The shake was not as thick as one from a typical fast food place, which I appreciated, and the flavors were great... authentic and substantial. The banana (a last-second inspiration on my part) made the drink a bit slimy on the tongue, and the mixer hadn't completely pulverized it, so I got bonus chunks of banana popping out through the straw every now and then. Overall, a great tasting drink, but not one I'd recommend to those who might be put off by these features. Beef 'n Bun won't kill you, and the flavors might take you back to happier times, but with so many better options available around town, I wouldn't consider BnB a destination restaurant. Unless you're 16, and just hanging out. read more

I was in the area and was pretty hungry so I decided to see what all the good reviews were about. From the outside it doesn't look like much but it's clean, the food is good, prices are great and they have a drive thru. I walked in on a Monday afternoon and it was dead I saw two employees and what looked like the manager sitting at the table near the fish tank. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with a strawberry shake I and may have to say it was the best shake I ever had. It was just wonderful and I wasn't thinking it would be so good. The shake had a good amount of whip cream even though it wasn't homemade it was good. The burger was pretty good and the fries came out super hot so that's a plus. I would definitely come here again even just for the shakes because they're so good. The service is cool, the men's restroom was decent and the food is good and affordable. read more

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Love this place- the malts are fabulous!! And the zucchini are also another one of my favorites

Got a quarter pounder with swiss cheese, fries and a milkshake for $15 and some change. Everything tasted great. Like how things used to taste. The staff were super helpful and friendly. read more

My very first time ever having beef and burn it is a little bit on the expensive side however it is worth the money I also want to say they do give military discount which is a good thing for a lot of San Diego people that are military I highly recommend this place if you have not ate there before my aunt has she got me hooked on it now I had the roast beef today very very good especially the tater tot's and a home make the fries too along with their onion rings homemade I do highly suggest going there and giving it a try read more

Great place to stop by for some burgers and shakes. Apparently this place has been around for quite sometime now and the locals seem to enjoy the place as there are always cars at the drive thru. I really enjoyed their quarter pounder and chicken club sandwich. Their fries and fried zucchinis are crispy. They also have a cool fish tank or you decide to dine in read more

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I friend who lived near by this place told me they have some good grub here, so I decided to give the place a try. I ordered the bacon cheese burger with no sauce for $3.79 and a side of onion rings for $2.79. The burger was good. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/TcSk1t3CAR-oMJZE6SGY5Q?userid=WG3w_73scm_JUWJ_3Lgn0Q#XjxMBN6YCZRZ5n8Rzo76aA) The beef patty was flavorful and the bacon was nice and crispy. It had a nice amount of onions and crispy lettuce. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/TcSk1t3CAR-oMJZE6SGY5Q?userid=WG3w_73scm_JUWJ_3Lgn0Q#-_yEVC3_3M6YOsamYfNFEw) The bun was really good. Good burger. The onions rings unfortunately were screaming for some seasoning. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/TcSk1t3CAR-oMJZE6SGY5Q?userid=WG3w_73scm_JUWJ_3Lgn0Q#aWAjQN2XVYeLniZzovUoaQ) They were very bland and would of benefited from a generous salt shaking after they came out of the fryer. The breading was more like a tempura batter and was a little on the thick side. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/TcSk1t3CAR-oMJZE6SGY5Q?userid=WG3w_73scm_JUWJ_3Lgn0Q#UV2Jt8slktGu14gLZeNCjA) The onions inside were nice and crispy still and had good flavor. Th service was nice. Overall the burger was good. Definitely better than most chain fast food places, but not as good Hodad's or Rocky's, but a good burger nevertheless. read more

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Whenever you are in El Cajon you might want to go here for a delicious meal. They've got tasty burgers and fries. The specialty shakes are bomb. Get an order of onion rings on the side and enjoy. read more

Update: They went back to the fries they had before, thankfully they seemed to have responded to a few reviews that mentioned that horrid change they made previously. My food has been better, but it's the downfall of this place is that the wait is simply too long. I don't mind waiting 15-20 minutes, be wary especially during rush hours that the wait can get ridiculously long as they are slower on average even without long lines. read more

I'm so sad this place has gone down hill. This is a childhood memory. Pains to go say it But the buns are terrible. The service is unnecessarily slow. The burgers are expensive. You can go to in and out for better service. Won't go back read more

Great burgers and must try the shakes! Been around forever in San Diego and you will see why.

I'm only giving it 4 stars because it's a fast-food type place and I feel that 5 stars would give the impression that it is fancier then it really is. That being said, I really like it here. Beef N Bun is not in a part of town that I go to, so I have to make a special trip just to eat here. Because if this, I have only eaten here twice. My mom and my brother just rave about the fish and chips at BNB. They not only drive over from Lakeside, but my brother gets extra fish to take home and eat later. Since my kids are on spring break, we decided to meet the family for a fish and chips lunch. We were going to order 6 orders of fish and chips...at 7.50ish each. The nice young gentleman working there suggested we order the "bucket" of fish: $26 for 16 pieces of fish and it comes with fries. He saved us a bundle of cash. We had just as many pieces of fish as we would have had with the individual orders and more fries than we could eat. We ordered extra tarter sauce for $1. We also had an order of fried zucchini...6 HUGE pieces for $3.49. Everything was fresh, crispy and not too oily. It was a little oily...but not more than to be expected. (It is all fried) The kids ordered shakes after we ate. I didn't try them but they seemed to enjoy them. They devoured them before I could get a taste. So, they must have liked them, right? BNB has great food for the type of restaurant it is. The service is incredibly friendly and the eating area is nice and clean. If you like to indulge once in a while, give them a try. read more

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Ive had shakes from here once years ago. Stopped in yesterday for burgers and shakes with the family. The burgers are to die for.... From the toasted bun to the yummy pickles. I love how they use crinkle cut fries and they were so crispy. Perfect!!!! The kiddos and I each got a chocolate peanut butter shake and they were so yummy!!!! Also great customer service from the young girl with red hair I wish I would of noticed her name she was super friendly as well as the guy at the window with the Spider-Man mask which my kids loved!!!! Will be returning sooner rather than later!!!! read more

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Food service now that they changed owners is terrible we were waiting 15 mins in line behind 1 car and didn't get to order yet service is slow ¹prices have gone way up NOT WORTH THE WAIT read more

I loved this spot ever since I learned about this place in 2015 and holy shit I knew that they had a broken fryer for a little bit in 2020 December ish and we went back again hoping the new fryer had come in, and holy shit y'allllllll the freaking onion rings? oh Jesus, like a giant bite of sweet crunchy reply crunchy onion ring. or the fries that tastes like it was fried to golden crazy perfect fries, fish was exceptionally juicy and soft and flaky inside and holy crap y'all I just, this new fryer y'all got.... . ho-lee-shit. like I said, loved it before, and today new years day 2021, nicest service staff ever, always polite and when I bring my dog they always offer a treat! my love for beef n bun has increased by all my arteries, I cannot believe the flavor and crunch perfection. wow, I'm so in love with this place!!!! before it was dating, now we're married read more

I definitely suggest ordering online and picking up, the drive thru has a long slow moving line. There are lots of milkshake flavors I want to try, I had the shake of the month which is red velvet and has bits of cake in it. I also had the bacon cheeseburger which was fine but not in my top burgers of SD. I'll be back for more shakes! read more

First time there, ordered the quarter pound burger. The WORST burger I have ever had in my 60 years of life. Very bland. I don't get the lines read more

Omg their banana shake!!??!( I came back two days in a row for that tasty treat! Their fish and chips are also legit and the only food item I order here. But seriously don't skip the shake. I'm a full on addict now read more

Beef 'n Bun - My first of many banana shakes. Don't be an idiot like me and get the small size. Splurge for a regular, you won't regret it - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Beef `N Bun reminds me of restaurants back when I was a kid.  Windows are decorated season appropriate with winter being my favorite.  Inside it's clean but not that modern stainless steel clean like new many places.  I appreciate how they didn't tear it all down and rebuild it new like the casino's in Las Vegas.  Place hasn't changed too much since it opened in 1962.  I did notice there is a fancy new menu board.  I noticed they had a monster burger.  I could not resist and ordered it.  Burger was huge with 3 beef patties.  Beef was greasy and had a tasty beef flavor.  I liked the hickory smoked flavor of the bacon.  I liked this burger a lot but next time I'll get a double as I want to leave some room to enjoy a shake and fries here.  They fry up crinkle cut fries which are my favorite.  The crinkles have extra surface area so the fries come out very crispy while the center has delicious potato flavor.  I ordered a cherry shake extra thick and it was very thick and full of creamy cherry flavor.  Little bits of cherry gave the shake extra bursts of cherry flavor. Beef 'n Bun makes great tasting shakes.  I also enjoy the burgers and fish and chips here. read more

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The burgers are good, the fish and chips are the best in San Diego, and the milkshakes are worth driving across the country for. Was in line with a guy who lives out of the area now. He grew up with Beef and Bun banana peanut butter milkshakes, was here for business, and made a special stop. I'm sure he wasn't disappointed. Get any shake with peanut butter and/or bananas - they use real ingredients and it tastes like it. My favorite is chocolate peanut butter - it's like a liquid Reses's. Portions are large. My wife and I split the fish and chips and it's plenty. The small shakes are really mediums, the regular are large, and a large shake is as big as your head. Highly recommended. read more

What happened to their prices?? My gosh , we have been loyal customers for 20 years and now they charge almost $9 for a decent hamburger. Its not a lack of business because they always have a line, It feels like price gouging during hard times. The young kids that work there are great but we can no longer afford their prices. read more

Double check your drive through order. 6 staff members prefer to chat than get order correct. Response after driving back was, "how is this my problem?" Unfortunate because food and shakes are tasty. Name on receipt was Joelle, but I can't confirm that was who didn't care about customers. read more

Went to beef n bun tonight for dinner. Sounded good and all the times I've been there in the past it was so amazing. Tonight not so much. There was a huge line so I'm assuming they were feeling rushed but that's really no excuse for sending out raw hamburgers. I took a few bites into my burger and thought it tasted really weird. I looked at the patty and it was bloody and pink. I am all for medium rare but this was bleeding and cold. I had my wife cut into hers before she took a bite and hers was the same. I tried to call and nobody answered. Will try to call again today. Not cool read more

Beef 'n Bun - I wish you could smell or taste this. Straight raw - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

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The Fish and Chips here used to be so good. Soooo disappointed. The fish is really thin and poor quality with dark bloodlines in it. There is so much batter that it was raw and gooey on the inside. Threw my order in the trash and walked out. Sad day read more

Food is 5 stars! Wait time is 3. The food is so mouthwatering good I want to go back for more now!! LOL classic burgers, fries and shakes just like from the good ol days, if you're from the good old days. If you're not and just LOVE burgers or shakes this is the pLace to go! They even do the Impossible plant based burger right if that's your thing! I HIGHLY recommend the peanut butter banana malt. Honestly the only downfall is the wait. The servers are always friendly, but it takes a while to get your order But the food is totally worth it! CALL AHEAD to order read more

Not worth the time and money. Took about 30 min to get my food from the time I arrived. There were 4 cars in front of me at the drive through. $33 for a 2 person meal. It tasted ok but not for how long it took and how expensive it was read more

I went to beef on a bun today I ordered a chicken sandwich witch's the worst chicken sandwich I've ever had and the meat was so thin that they cut a chicken breast in half lengthwise So they can make 2 sandwiches out of one chicken breast. then they had the audacity to charge me $2 extra because there was a beef shortage a month ago, on top of that mine was a chicken sandwich. It Had more lettuce than chicken, I paid $15 for a chicken sandwich and a drink and fries and a drink wasn't filled to the top so I don't know what these people are doing just a Warning the fries were good they were hot Everything else was just dismal at best. read more

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Our family has been going here for decades and sadly I'm just now doing a review. It's the neighborhood burger go-to joint in Fletcher Hills. The burgers are pretty good here. Better than most drive thrus. The buns are always soft n fresh, generous and never dry. The fries are not the usual skinny kind. I can't stand skinny, dry n overcooked fries. When I remember to, I'll ask if they can give me fries that are on the juicy side. Not overcooked. Sometimes we get the fried zucchini. Very good. With Parmesan topping and ranch on the side. Comes out hot! They are cut lengthwise so the pieces are good size. And the batter is always crunchy on the outside. I like the fish sandwich, but I think the size of the fish is small and the sauce could use more spice n flavor. Same with the chicken sandwich. The onion rings are big and made with a soft batter, not a crunchy cornmeal batter. They are best eaten when hot! They could also use some salt for taste. Some people come just to get a chocolate shake. And u can add malt to ur shakes as desired. The main reason I didn't give 5 stars is because sometimes the Burgers or sandwiches are inconsistent with the seasoning. Sometimes a little bland. Nothing a little salt can't fix. But I think that should happen in the Kitchen. The workers at the drive up are always nice and friendly. And it's cool that they have a bin with complimentary dog biscuits to give to my lil' dog. When we drive up his tail goes wild knowing he's gonna get a treat! That's a big plus. I think the frequent buyer cards are great, too. Free Burgers are always a great incentive for return customers. Update: Ok so, I must be honest. Last few times we've been here, we have not been very pleased with the product. Seems like the quality has gone down. Had to take off one star. So, we haven't been in a while. Hoping the quality goes back up! read more

Beef 'n Bun - Doggies luv the treats at the window. Keeper always can't wait for his! - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

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I love this childhood memory of mine, have the best burgers and shakes. Prices have gone up a bit but I completely understand why! Can never go wrong with this east county classic read more

Wow. This place is absolutely outstanding. You know how good fast food look in tv commercials then you go to the drive thru and it's just a flat, mangled mess? NOT HERE. The reality of the BBQ Loaded Burger that I got was exactly like the photo: tall, sturdy, LOADED. Thick, crispy bacon; loaded veggies; thick bun; meaty patties. The fries are thick and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, absolutely perfect. I added the Snickers (monthly special) milkshake to my combo and it could've been its own meal. Just completely spectacular. read more

Usually I love this place a little expensive but usually worth it. I feel differently now tonight I ordered a fish sandwich combo it wasn't worth it at all, it had absolutely no taste at all they didn't even put hardly any tarter sauce and not seasoned at all. It was horrible. Very Disappointed read more

This place has great fried zucchini. Not really impressed with the other food. The shakes are OK the fish and chips are pretty good. The kids are nice that work there. read more