My husband and I have been wanting to try this place for a while and finally stopped in. The staff is very friendly. The place is very small, so no large parties here, but honestly, I prefer it this way. It's quiet and not crowded and bustling. I had the cashew chicken, the portions we're perfect and the taste was great! My husband had the Chicken Curry, and his portion was large. It was weird that there is pineapple in it, but he said it was great! I love that they leave a bottle of water on the table for you, I'm a big drinker during meals and I hate having to be without water and asking for constant refills, so I love it! They're very reasonably priced, and my husband and I will be coming back for sure! read more

I went to this spot because my normal Thai place is closed on sundays. I tried the Pad See Ew with chicken and it was really good. The ingredients were really fresh. The only thing I would say is that I went later in the night and the parking lot is dark, so I would suggest parking on the street if you can, where there's street lamps. read more

I'm a Pad Thai guy and decided to try this place. I went with Pad Thai beef, level 6 and it was perfect! Better Pad Thai than 90% of the places I've been to, ever and I did a month in Thailand. Service was prompt, polite ans the ice tea was good ! Not a big place, good for small party. Nice interior, home feel. Going back soon to try Drunken Noodle dish. read more

Found this small spot in El Cajon City right off the 8 freeway.. and I'm glad I did! Food and beverages are so delicious! I recommend their Thai Sausage and Fried Rice! Also try out their Berry Basil Lemonade! read more

Had high hopes, and happy to see some additional thai options in the El Cajon area, but this was just kinda ok. We had the chicken wings and Pad See Ew. I ordered mine as a medium heat and it was about right. It just didn't have as much flavor as I had hoped. In a pinch we would return but for our tastes there are better places in the area. read more

This place is a hidden gem in El Cajon. It's cozy and right out adorable. The food is just excellent, the portions are just right and the owners are wonderful! I really like this place a lot. Will be coming back for more, I like the drunken noodles. My favorite. Update: 8 months later and the food is still as delicious as it once when they opened up the restaurant. I still highly recommend the drunken noodles along with the sticky mango rice. read more

See all

This is a very good Thai place in El Cajon. The man who owns it is so friendly and remembers you right away if you return which I did two days in a row. So yummy. Love the food here. Good flavor, temperature and good customer service. read more

I really love this place. I don't know any other restaurant that can plate to go food so nicely and i always open my food satisfied. Like seriously the detail and care they put into their food is incredible. Always delicious and consistent. read more

Very nice mom and pop restaurant. Had the pad thai as recommended by other yelpers and the Mongolian Beef and tom kha soup. Soup is citricy but well balanced with the coconut milk. The chicken was a bit rubbery but the broth was delicious. Mongolian beef with rice was a lot like a saute but was good. Meat was not as tender but veggies were tender and sauce was good. Pad thai with tofu had a nice savory flavor. Not too sweet and not too salty. We liked it better than the mongolian beef. Waiter was very friendly and place had a santee-like atmosphere that suited well to the restaurant. read more

I've been going to Busy B Thai Cafe for several years now. My favorite is the tofu pad Thai, coconut shrimp, & dumplings. Everything I've ever gotten is delicious! I highly recommend Busy B. read more

This gem is #1 thai food spots I've found in SD. The service Troy and his staff is always welcoming. The food is absolutely comforting and delicious. I don't eat out and thanks to this one exception to when I want a break from the kitchen I consider this my secret service kitchen. + read more

Great food! Cute place and friendly people ! Good customer service! We will definitely be back. read more

GOOD, SAFE PLACE TO GO DURING THE COVID19 virus. You can call in or order online, open the door with your sleeve, use your debit card and disinfect it along with your hands when you leave. Troy may just open the door for you when you leave, as he often does for me. Nice of him and also it means I keep the food containers flat (no spillage ). We have enjoyed the food there on for 2 years or so and everything we have ordered has been great, never overpowering and every dish has a unique flavor. I just finished off the leftovers from 2 days ago (incl. B House Rice) and happily since it still tastes good plus I didn't have to cook. You can't go wrong with the food, reasonable prices and the service from the kindest, coolest owner, Troy. Please help me in supporting our local business owners during this time and in the future. https://busybthaicafe.com read more

During the worst time in the Nation, the person (the Owner) working behind the counter had the worst customer service really important how you treat people that are paying you so that you can remain in business. Complained about assisting patron's like we had the Covid 19, I get it practice being safe which I was. But, if you don't want to be in business during this time then don't open your doors. You should be happy that you are busy and people are buying your food. By the way you spoke about practicing social distance, have a mask on and gloves on your hands when you are serving food and touching money. Even if the food was fine dining and giving it away for free, I would never patronize that establishment. The only reason why there is one star, is you have to give something. read more

Wow!!!! Just wow! This place is literally a hole in the wall and I am sooooo glad we found it! They have a tiny dining area that maybe holds about 12-15 people at a time. I find it romantic hehe. Its clean and the food is good too!! Hubby and I came here on a whim because we had to go back to church for a meeting. We ordered the spicy chicken wings and their house fried rice. Having a picky one year old, if she likes something that means the food is good! She ate about as much as we did! The chicken wings were tender and had a bit of spice to it which I really liker especially paired with the sweet chili sauce. Overall, I loved eating here and we will definitely be back again!! read more

Busy B Thai Cafe - Thai Near Me - El Cajon, California

By far the best Thai food we've tried in El Cajon. Best part is that they don't skimp on flavor/spice. I love that their curries have bite, so many other Thai places around here are too bland to comprehend. Keep doing what you're doing Busy B and you will have a customer for life! read more

Mind you, I don't write reviews. When I do, it's because the place is either really good or really bad. So read on.. It took 45 minutes to make this small little togo order which is half the size of the actual dine in order. During those 45 minutes, a customer came in and complained about an order and he received another order in a matter of 5 minutes. So why did mine take so long? $11 for this "half order," which was dry and tasteless, and I have to wait 45 minutes when you only have one table dining in? Really? Never again. Ever. read more

Busy B Thai Cafe - Thai Near Me - El Cajon, California

Sep 5th, The green curry I ordered tasted so sour. I had to throw it away. Unacceptable. Would never order from here again.

Never been to a Thai cafe before, but was very surprised with this small yet-wonderful establishment. Don't be fooled by the modest interior, the selection, quality, and service are all the best I've had at any local Thai places in San Diego. Stopped at the door with a friend to peruse the menu boards conveniently placed outside, while we were impressed by the fact they have a very nice vegan selection for my friend, the server greeted us outside with a menu and offered her help to find me something that fit my even more restrictive diet. I've never been treated so well before being a customer. I ordered the Thai sausage, which was absolutely delicious and perfectly portioned to work well as an appetizer. And, as an entree had the Crying Tiger, which was some of the best steak in terms of presentation and taste I've had at any Thai location. Another small note is their beverage selection has something for even the pickiest tea drinkers. Had an English Breakfast over ice that worked well to zap the heat out of the day. From the wonderful and kind staff to the last bite this restaurant was absolutely wonderful, if you can look past how quaintly modest the inside is, or maybe have an order to go you'll love this place. read more

This place is excellent. The flavors are consistently amazing. Beautiful dishes, cute spot, great service- a true gem in East County. My family loves going here. The food is authentic and heart felt. I wish all the best for this restaurant and it's owners! read more

Every time I call a Thai place and order a #10 spicy, they say it will burn. This guy wasn't kidding. Very authentic Thai food. Don't think their scale is as weak as other spots. 10 was like a 15, but amazingly delicious to the last bite. Very accommodating to making everything vegan. read more

Busy B Thai Cafe - Thai Near Me - El Cajon, California

Mongolian beef looked questionable at best. Ordered three items, only 2 were in the order and took 30 minutes longer than I was notified to prepare. Did not issue a refund when requested. Would not order from this place again.I understand Covid has made things tricky for businesses but this was unacceptable. read more

My first time here for lunch and it was delicious! It's a very small mom and pop joint. I ordered the phad see ew noodles and it was full of flavor and a good portion size. The price is very reasonable. The only thing was how close to the Main Street it is and it can get really loud. I totally recommend this place for Thai food. read more

Busy B Thai Cafe - Phad see ew with chicken - Thai Near Me - El Cajon, California

Great litttel hole in the wall Thai food place. This place is tiny and really easy to pass by. The service was quick and my food is really tasty. Will definitely come back. read more

Troy is amazing !!! Very nice and a hard worker! The food is fantastic ! I have all my coworkers at enterprise HOOKED !!!

Excellent food great tasting and good portions. Fantastic values and Customer Service,

Best hidden gem hands down. I discovered Busy B When I started volunteering 10 min away from there. It instantly became my go to lunch spot. They have very great Vegan options and the best Tom Kha soup ever. read more

Fast, delicious, great portions, and accessible! Nice hole in the wall. I've never dined in, but I've ordered to go on lunch breaks and will continue to do so. It's a very small restaurant so I wouldn't recommend for large parties. However, if you're looking for a lunch date or take out order, this is the place. read more

I thought that I had good Thai food after going to a local place for years and not venturing out much. I decided to try Busy B a while back and found out what real Thai food should taste like. The noodles were moist, saucy and extremely tasty! The service was very personable and the restaurant was presentable and clean. I will definitely keep going back regularly and try a few more dishes that the staff recommends. read more

I love the food from Busy B! Highly recommended if you're in the area. The crispy pork rolls are very yummy and hard to stop eating! All good at Busy B!!! read more

For starters the staff here is extremely friendly and all the food is amazing. You cannot go wrong with any of the appetizers as they're all good (trust me we tried them all). While I will say the chicken wings are probably my favorite of the appetizers. I had the Panang with beef (red curry) and I will say that the portion with the rice is well worth every dollar. I also recommend trying the basil blueberry lemonade. read more

Busy B Thai Cafe - Thai Near Me - El Cajon, California

I am a huge Pad Thai enthusiast and the dish here is one of the best I've had. This hidden gem should not go unnoticed. Once you enter, you'll become immersed in the beautiful artwork and authentic atmosphere. As you exit, you'll be wanting to thank me for steering you in the right direction. read more

Food was great - it's just not the best place to bring more than 2 people. Now that we're 2.25 people (with the addition of our daughter), I'm a little more concerned about how a place accommodates a baby in a carrier along with the two of us. They've only got 4 tables in the place, which was super intimate, but also a little harrowing once a couple of other groups came in. The food was good - very traditional for US style thai food. We'd go back again - just maybe without the baby. read more

Omg i get the fried rice 3 level for heat .... okay wait so the first time i tried this place my food wasn't to my liking but that's cause i ordered wrong once i spoke to the cook who is the owner he have been making it for me every week he is the most sweetest person ever ..... he makes all his food with love like u can taste it in his food!!! This will always be my go to place for Thai food n the drinks are awesome too read more

So this place doesn't look like much when you go in. It's down right small and most of the area around it is a church. You walk in and it's got a mix of Thai meers micro dinner vibes with only a few people. And then you see the menu and think... very inexpensive it turns out. But the food was amazing. From soups to rice to appetizers to curries. More of a wow. I am trying to figure out how this place isn't packed! read more

This place is delicious. Let's start by saying that. This was our first time here, and we're pretty picky with Thai food. My husband orders a spice level of 1 everywhere he goes, so he got a 1 here. It was perfect for him. I, on the other hand, typically order a 7-8 in most places. I ordered a spice level of 6 because I wasn't too sure of how their spice levels actually are. The 6 was pretty damn hot. I searched their reviews to see if I missed people talking about their spice levels, but no one really did. This is just a warning -- maybe go a little lower than you normally would... or even a little lower than that. It was certainly delicious, and we will 100% return (hence the 5 star review), but it was too spicy that I couldn't actually finish the meal. read more

An excellent tai restaurant that serves individual portions with high quality fresh foods. The service is excellent. Lots of parking in an intimate small setting. Give them time with your order because everything is made from scratch. Highly recommended read more

My first Thai experience and I liked it! Had the Crying Tiger Beef, which was a perfect medium rare, tender and spicy. The beef was cut just right for chop sticks and the dipping sauce was awesome. Along with the beef dish we had an order of pineapple fried rice which was chock full of fresh vegetables, fresh pineapple and cashews, spiced with just a hint of yellow curry powder. The rice was very satisfying and delightful and a good vegan choice. The piece de resistance was the sweet sticky rice with mango and homemade coconut ice cream. The dessert was so delectable my mouth waters just thinking about it. Rice topped with the best coconut ice cream ever served along side the sweetest soft mango. Washed it down with a English black ice tea, Next time I think I will try the Thai Bobo tea. This will definitely be a do again, over and over again! read more

See all

Drive by this place almost every day and finally stopped in today, I wish I would have sooner! Boyfriend and I ordered fresh tofu spring rolls, pad Thai with tofu and orange chicken. Best Thai food we've ever had! The server was attentive and the owner, Troy, spoke with us for a bit and was so kind! We love this place and plan on coming back VERY often. Highly recommended! read more

The staff was really nice. It's cool to see a place with some vegan options. Our food was very tasty. Our dinner was on the milder side of the heat scale so we added a bit of chili sauce. read more