I use to be a regular here from the late 80's through the early 90's (My High School and early College years). I highly recommend trying this place for a blast of great stuff from the past. I don't know how long they've been around, but I do remember going to this place with my parents even as a little kid. As a grown up later on...I would often stop here and pick up some of their Delish, hot and fresh, large beefy and juicy Burgers and incredibly deluxe home style Shakes/ Malts and freshly made French Fries to take with me along with a hot date to the Santee Drive In Movie Theater.... Now that's what I like to call a Winner Winner (Burger & Shake and a Drive In Movie Dinner)... Cheers! read more

I went today 6/16 and was insane the wait time. I was in line for 20 minutes and finally decided to leave. Only 2 cars in front of me.

Food was decent but service leaves a lot to be desired. After a looong wait in line behind the one car ahead of us (during which time I read a book and taught myself to play the harmonica so I wouldn't waste the time), we asked for a specific condiment at the window (malt vinegar which we don't have at home) for the fish & chips. "Benjamin" said "yeah" or something similar as he shut the window, giving the impression he didn't really want to be there. Food finally came, we asked if the condiments were in the bag (I have to have malt vinegar for the fish), again with the "yeah" and he shut the window. No smile, no "thanks for visiting," no "have a nice day" etc. You know the rest - we got home, no malt vinegar (also no napkins). This seems to be the Beef & Bun way. Customer drives a distance, pays the high prices and in return gets a long wait, rude employees and incorrect orders. This is why over the years we return less and less often, occasionally hoping for improvement, and being disappointed. Oh, and they have the nerve to blatantly have a huge "tips" jar next to the pick-up window. read more

I've had this restaurant on my list for some time. I had the time to check it out. I ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger And the add on of a drink and fries. I wanted to get the Fried Zucchini but they don't make substitutes. The food came out quickly and looked great. The fries are crinkle cut and they are okay. The Bacon Cheeseburger was good and the flavors worked. The bun didn't hold it. By the time I finished the burger the bun fell apart. They do have a good number of food choices. read more

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

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I have to say I really used to like this place, but what you get for the price you pay is subpar at least. I ordered the hamburger deluxe with cheese and tater tots. When I looked at my receipt there was an I charge for the Swiss cheese ($3.00) and an additional charge for the tater tots ($1.00), which i want advised of. The burger was very bland to say the least, I can get a better tasting burger at McDonald's. With all that being said I don't seriously that I will ever go back. read more

Food sucks, $45 for Crappy food. You guys used to be really good. Bun was stale, burger over cooked. Everything smelt like mold. I wish I could get my money back. Worst dinner ever read more

40-year customer here. Although I've definitely noticed a dip in food quality over the years, I went with a friend last night at 8:25pm. The restaurant is advertised as being open until 10:00pm. We entered and were greeted with a shout of "DINE IN". When we approached the cashier, he was unfriendly to the point of being rude and said, "Take out only". After I asked why, he stated, "We close the dining room at 9:00pm". Guess they didn't want the business... Judging from the empty dining room on a FRIDAY NIGHT, I'm thinking this crew did a pretty good job of driving off customers. They certainly drove us off for good. What a shame. read more

Food is so so. Prices are fine. I love the enthusiasm of the staff. Place is clean and functional. read more

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

Beef n' bun is one of my favorite burger places. The food is solid and consistently good. The place is small but reminds me of the old fashioned places. Service is usually good. My husband loved the zucchini fries but be forewarned, they're huge! read more

Portia and staff have integrity and quality customer service. Restaurant was clean. Our food was fresh. 2/21/2025 5:30pm-6:30pm.

My review is for their shakes since that's all I've ever tried here. They have some of the best shakes I've ever had but also such different flavors than the classic chocolate, strawberry or vanilla. My favorite is to mix some of the flavors! The mocha milkshake used to be my favorite but then I went through a chocolate peanut butter and banana shake phase. I also tried their root beer floats which I loved too! Recently I had an Oreo milkshake that was as great as expected! One day I'll have to actually try the food but love that these shakes have been a constant favorite for me for around 15 years. The drive thru line is usually long so be prepared, but if you're getting a shake, it'll be worth the wait! read more

Wonderful food! Employees are very friendly! It is a very good place to stop by for a big choice of food.

I really like this place. They have cut their menu down since Covid, but still have good options. My favorites are the fish and chips, the burgers, and the shakes. The drive thru is slow but now customers can order ahead and pick it up. Always enjoy the customer service. Whenever I'm in the area, I get takeout. read more

This place is famous! My favorite thing to order is the fried zucchini and the chocolate peanut butter milkshake. They are also known for their burger and fish and chips. The zucchini is made like you get it at the fair. Big huge stalks. I usually just order one thing because I get full easy. This is not a fast food place. The food takes a minute to make and. There is always a line at the drive thru. read more

I'd rather come here over going to any big chain fast food place. I've gone multiple times and the staff is friendly, fast and food is good quality. Whenever I'm in the area and craving a burger I go here. The fried zucchini is also a favorite! read more

The pieces if zuchini were so large that the coating was almost burnt and the inside not throughly cooked. The burger was ok. Not a lot of flavor. The fries were crispy and fresh. The workers were nice and got the order out quickly read more

There was a slight mixup with order and they quickly made it right. Everything was delicious. Fried zucchini is massive. Love Beeferbun.

Can't go wrong with a burger, can't go wrong with their fish and chips and must order a shake and their onion rings! Pretty sure their onion rings are hand battered and made on sight. Service is great, I asked for extra ranch and they didn't go light on that request! Classic burger and shake joint. read more

Been awhile since I've been here. I understand Inflation rising cost but not lowering Quality. Yes the wait for your food was always annoying but you got Quality. My burger was warm at best. The bun and fries were the star on my meal. Wasn't going to pay 20 dollars for there least expensive combo w/ a shake. Only location and the quality has dropped. Burger was bland and warm,not fresh! Sorry not justifying the cost with the Quality. In and out is king. read more

The milkshakes are delicious but the burgers lack,,,, a lot. Flimsy & boring . But definitely go for the shakes !

I had to come on here and give an updated review for this El Cajon classic. A friend told me that beef n bun had a 60th anniversary special going on today with a specially priced menu! Music to my hyperinflation ears! The drive thru was fairly long upon arrival and we noticed you could get food inside instead of drive thru. Walking in, only 2 others were in line. Kya took our orders, I got a 1/4 pound burger with added cheese and some monster fries. I even got a .60 fountain drink, that's cheaper than McDonald's! We got our order in under 10 minutes and decided to eat in the car. The fries were on fire. Reminded me of my super hot steering wheel this morning. Hot crispy salty crinkle cut heaven. These fries were delicious. The main event, my $3.60 1/4 pound burger. Fresh beef, cheese, lettuce, onions, pickles, Mayo and ketchup on a sesame seed bun. A recipe for happiness! This burger was great. I loved how simple the burger was. The freshness of all of these ingredients really stands out. I have to give a big shout out to the employees! I saw that drive thru line and I'm sure they were dealing with a super busy day. Kya was wonderful and didn't look phased at all. Thank you all for being so great and such hard workers. I hope the manager or owner recognizes the fantastic team that was working today. Beef n bun is an east county classic. Please support this local business! 60 years!!! They're doing something right. read more

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Very nostalgic reminds me of being a kid in the 90's! The smell the packaging ugh I love it!! The guy at the window today was so kind and patient I really appreciated him. Anywho this is my 2nd time here and it's like being in a Time Machine. Thanks beef n bun read more

The burger has completely changed recently, you used to be my go to.. are you using frozen costco burgers now?

Good food. Got a piece of fish and fries crispy just the way i like it. The burger had fresh veggies and was very good. Great customer service. read more

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I know this place for long time , I tried itong time ago and it was great , I've been around this place again and decided to try it again, the burger wasn't good as last time and also the service changed alot. read more

This was the most tasteless burger and they are definitely using an inferior product with absolutely no seasoning. Everything except for the shakes were beyond terrible. I'm sorry for all the history of this place I was so very disappointing read more

Didn't get to order the other day. Was craving some beef n bun and when we pulled up to the drive thru we waited about fifteen minutes and heard nothing, finally we said "hello?" And heard someone say "sorry we will be right with you" we waited maybe another 5-10 minutes before finally just driving all the way through. I will be back but it would be nice if they increased the staffing so that customers were actually attended to. read more

It isn't cheap but none of the burger places are anymore. For 2 bucks more than Carl's I get a meal that was cooked after I ordered it. And I get a large drink that's actually large. The quality between this place and chain restaurants is night and day. And for a standard American style cheeseburger it's delicious. The fish is also pretty good. They have a regular customer base so something must be getting done right. My favorite fast food joint by far. read more

Ordered a double bacon cheeseburger. A single bacon cheeseburger A small 12oz shake A small 12oz malt A small fry Waited in the drive-thru for what seemed like 15 minutes with only one car ahead of us. Total $45 so not cheap in price but the quality of the food was very cheap. Very thin 3/16" patties that were like the cheapest processed frozen patties from the grocery store. $6.29 for the shake and $8.08 for the malt that did taste like it had any malt at all. The guy said he put 4 scoops of malt in. Well, their scoop must be a 1/8 teaspoon. I will not go back here ever. The kids working the drive thru were friendly and respectful. This review is against the management, not the staff. read more

I have driven past this place like millions of times, throughout my life. Never went there. Finally decided to try it last week. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't spectacular. Definitely onion heavy and more bun than beef. Their milkshakes are top tier though. read more

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

This is my friend's secret burger spot, she had been coming here for some time and she mentioned that she rarely took anyone to eat here. She took us last Saturday and I was really excited to try it out, I ordered the bacon cheese burger combo, I asked if we could switch the fries to waffle fries which were their June fries and opted to change the soda for a their shake of the month, which happened to be snickers. I also ordered biscuits with country sausage for me to take home to my husband. For three people our total was around $72, so that's 2 bacon cheese burgers, 2 shakes, waffle fries, monster fries, fried zucchini, biscuits and gravy and a chicken club combo. I really felt bad for these kids, they told us when it came own to pay that it was just 2 workers. They ended up running out of waffle fries and told me I could switch for tater tots, that's fine and I asked to switch to an Oreo shake instead of snickers. We got our food and went back to Cheryl's, I wasn't super impressed to be honest, the burger was good but it lacked any seasoning and those tater tots were still cold, the only saving grace for me was the Oreo shake, it was nice and think and had a ton of cookie pieces. My husband also really liked his biscuits and gravy, they loaded us up on those. I would definitely recommend checking this place out, the lines and wait can be really long so be patient, it's good food, I'll just have to order differently next time. read more

Been coming here for 30+ years and the quality and service have gone wayyyy down. The chicken fritter dinner is now a mountain of soft fries and 4 chicken nuggets that are mostly batter. The shake was so bad I threw it out. Chocolate peanut butter is what I ordered and I could have just stuck a straw in a jar of peanut butter and got the same thing. The kids working there just shrug and grunt with no real idea of how great service used to be here. So disappointed. read more

Their milkshakes definitely brings all boys to the yard! Lol I have been coming here since I was a child and it's amazing. Such a classic old school feel to the place. I usually get a burger or a BLT. If you are a fried zucchini lover you will definitely dig this place too. Their fried zucchini and onion rings are ginormous and so good! And obviously don't leave without a milkshake! read more

This place is the spot. Got recommended by a friend and it was worth trying out. Service was fast and food was great.

I've been going to Beef 'N Bun since the mid-90's, mostly for their milkshakes. I hadn't been in a year or more, but stopped for a milkshake at 7 o'clock on a Wednesday night. The first thing I noticed was the parking lot was empty, and there wasn't a single car in the drive-thru...I've never seen it this dead around dinner time. I ordered a small (12 oz) malt, and it was almost $9....that's insane! What has happened to this place?! Don't tell me that's inflation. I'm done after being a customer for 30 years. read more

The food is good with excellent fries. But the buns while ok lack structural integrity. Not sure why, either just soft or has been in a microwave. I found that the drive-through is kind of a camping expedition-- an audiobook would be good. I have been here four times and once was given the wrong order. Asked if I wanted ketchup I said yes and the kid put in nearly 20 of them. Other people like it I think because more than once I have driven away due to a long line. 3 1/2 is closer to the truth. read more

This is my ultimate comfort food place. I love eating the delicious burger with great fries and shake. Sorry I don't have picture of the burger or fries as we devour it The shakes and malt is a must have. Forget your diets for a day because it is so good and satisfying. We tried the mocha, banana chocolate, mint chip, and more. It is so good with the best fries that has the perfect crunch and saltiness. The burger is always amazing. My daughter and I gobble that up so fast. The meat was cooked perfectly. Along with all the great sauces and vegetables, it makes a perfect bite. Seriously though, great burger. This place is my comfort food and it is worth the wait. Yes the wait as they make everything as you order. So be patient because it is worth it. read more

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

One of the best burgers in the area if you're close stop by and get a malt and shake hell get the Monster Burger too! Holy wow it's amazing for people that like a BIG burger. The regular sizes are just as good for normal appetites...Fries are awesome too! Friendly but really busy be patient it's worth it ! read more

Great milkshakes, my family's favorite is the Oreo. Well made thick milkshakes. We also ordered a side of Onion Rings, they were great while hot but after cooking a hit they were too greasy to eat. Not sure about the other food but I'll be back for the milkshakes. read more

The cashier and staff were not willing to accommodate the style of the burger I wanted. I wanted a western style and they told me they can't do that because they don't know how to charge for that. I would've paid extra and I didn't mind that they were already short staffed and had a sign on the door. I ordered a quarter pounder with fries and an orange soda. The orange soda tastes absolutely awful like bleach. Other than that the burger was amazing, the fries were crunchy and nice. It was clean inside and the place is dog friendly read more