A gem of a spot in downtown Ventura, Ca. Sidewalk seating. Great staff and yummy eats. All makes for a prefect start of the day. Plushy you can't pass up a 50s diner theme. read more

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Average American diner. The plate I ordered was a combo breakfast with breakfast meats, potatoes and eggs. Which was good, can't really ruin eggs and potatoes. I had a side of biscuits and gravy. The biscuit seemed to be baked fresh but the gravy needed some help. It was very sour tasting. Our server was attentive and checked on us as she should and was very sweet. If you are wanting that 50's style diner feel, with music that fits the diner then this place is a good place to stop. read more

Busy Bee Cafe - Diner setting - Diners Near Me - Ventura, California

The food was good, the hot dog was huge and the ambiance was fun. The only downside is the price was high

What was this place? How did I get there? These are the questions I ask myself looking back at my visit to the Busy Bee Cafe. I think it might be cool to go here for a shake with your kids or something but for a meal forget it! All of the food we ordered lacked any flavor despite 'looking good'. Not pictured was the soggy and pathetic hot dip sandwich which was clearly microwaved meat of the lowest quality and salty faux aus jus. My friend ordered something else forgettable, but I forget what exactly. Our waitress Kim was very attentive and courteous. She was the lone bright spot during this ill advised stop. I'm not sure why we even went here but I'm definitely sure that I will never be back. read more

We love to visit Ventura and when we do the place we go for breakfast is Busy Bee Cafe...my husband likes their 3 eggs and bacon with the home fries...I like the polish sausage and eggs...not really a fan of the gravy...but I love their fluffy biscuits...the portions are good sized without being huge...the coffee is some of the best you'll get anywhere...our server Gustavo was awesome and the people in this place as a whole are some of the nicest you'll meet anywhere...they truly make the place worth going into...this is why when we come to Ventura this is the place we come for breakfast.. read more

If you're someone who likes to spend money on cold cafeteria food, warm mimosas and unseasoned vegetables then this is the place for you. I am so not impressed with the endless menu either. The best thing about this place is the location. Although, I don't think the menu has been updated since the 60's. I ordered the "HOT" brisket sandwich. My daughter had a barbecue brisket sandwich also was supposed to be "HOT". That was so not the case!!! read more

My order was wrong 3 times after sending it back, 3 times! Requested napkins and mustard 2 times before they were brought to us! Drinks were wrong as well! Poor seevice at best tonight! read more

Busy Bee is awesome. Every week I have to get lost for a few hours while the cleaning lady does her thing, and I've taken to driving up the coast to Ventura for breakfast at the Busy Bee. There's a parking lot about half a block away which has always had spots when I've been. This place has a fun 50s diner kind of vibe and the menu is your regular diner fare, heavy on the breakfast. Always important to me is good coffee, and this place has great java and they stay on top of the refills. I tend to be a bacon and eggs guy in the morning which is hard to screw up, but these folks are very consistent and FAST. Service with a smile, too. Thanks for giving me a cool place to hang out! read more

Consistently solid. I've been coming to Busy Bee Cafe for over 25 years now and as a child, it was the yummy pancakes and jukebox that I loved - and as an adult, it's the memories and food. Busy Bee has a sprawling menu with anything that you could possibly want, including killer breakfast and comfort lunch/dinner dishes. Don't miss their corned beef or chicken fried steak! read more

Bloody Mary's!!! They are the best in town! Huge portions! Their chicken fried steak is always on point. Wniught for two. Burgers are fresh and delicious. Oh and the wedge fried with ranch... yum! Chilli its goodness! High recommended. Staff its friendly fast and really fun! They offer good beer on tap. They have even gone above and beyond to order certain beers on request. It's always a great spot that never fails. read more

Five stars for the best burgers in Ventura!!! We found this little gem while hunting for a chocolate alcohol beverage for a special occasion. The grasshopper milkshake is delightful and I would have one every day if I could. Also, just stopped by for a burger on the way to get my eyebrows did and oh my goodness..... best burger is for real. The cost is very affordable compared to other places in the area. You get lots of wedge fries and all the fixings. Will come back as much as we can. read more

Just so so. Food seems fresh and most items are pretty tasty but I had a really bad chicken pot pie. I really couldn't eat it. The sauce was weird and tasted odd. Everything else was fine...salads, chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, bread pudding. At least they were nice enough not to charge me for the chicken pot pie. Even so, I'm not sure if I'd return. read more

Absolutely fell in love with this cafe. Breakfast is served all day, cocktails, beers, and milkshakes are available. They also have vegetarian options as well. My parents are picky when it comes to American food but this place is so flavorful. We definitely found a new family favorite place and will be back to try their breakfast. The 50s style theme is adorable and is very clean. Our server was very helpful and kind. You can look to spend about $12-23 for a plate. read more

Busy Bee Cafe - Diners Near Me - Ventura, California

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The busy bee cafe is amazing!!! A slice of the 1950's in Ventura. I felt like I was in the diner from the movie Back To The Future or Happy Days. The food was great. Foot-long hotdogs, cheese burgers and root beer floats. The service was great. The owner cares about this business. Family owned and operated. If you're looking for an enjoyable time out and a good meal, I highly recommend this blast from the past. read more

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Only place open for breakfast at this hour. That's a plus..!!! Very sleepy town. Has a variety of things to eat. read more

I brought a group of about 15 people in on a Wednesday without giving this restaurant much of a heads up. I called while we were walking over. When we arrived, they had the entire back section of the restaurant ready for us! We were greeted with menus and a quick explanation of all of the milkshakes that they offered (we only ordered milkshakes). The orders were fulfilled super quickly and the milkshakes were delicious. Such a fun atmosphere and we loved the decorations inside. Looking forward to coming back! read more

While on the 8-hour drive from Carlsbad to San Fransico, we decided to stop at the Busy Bee Cafe in Downtown Ventura.  By the name, you obviously think, cafe, not a diner.  But instead, it's one of the most decorated diners out there.  If there is anything I learned while going to diners in California, is the decorations and atmosphere is usually at the top. Atmosphere: The Busy Bee Cafe is located in downtown Ventura.  The downtown is beautiful with plenty of parking. The outside appears to be a little cafe with a retro "time to eat" clock at the top. The inside is as retro as it gets.  There is a full-length bar, tables, and booths.  Everything is chrome with red booths, coat racks, and vintage signs all across the restaurant. Coffee: The coffee was brewed hot and fresh, and the waitress refilled it multiple times. I have no complaints. One unique addition was the multiple coffee mate creamers at the table. There were several single-serve flavors including Irish cream french vanilla. Food: The Busy Bee Cafe serves everything at all times. If you want pork chops at 6 am...go for it.  Breakfast for lunch?  Go for it.  There are plenty of blue plate specials as well.  I decided to order the farmers omelet with their famous biscuit and gravy.  Growing up, I loved good biscuits and gravy.  It was my favorite! Without reading the menu, I would expect the Farmers Omelet to have every vegetable imaginable. The Famers omelet actually had all of the proteins available!  It was cooked well. The biscuit and gravy were perfect. They serve the gravy on the side so you can top as much as you would like.  For me, that was all of it. Service: We saw many of the wait staff including the manager. The employees worked as a team which was cool. The food came out quickly, and I have no complaints. Overall Thoughts/Summary: I liked the Busy Bee Cafe, and it's a great stop along 101.  If I'm in the area again, I would definitely go back. read more

Busy Bee Cafe - Omelet - Diners Near Me - Ventura, California

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If you have never tried the breakfast or burgers at Busy Bee before, you absolutely need to now. We just picked up an omelette and a burger (the indecision of noon time for us both), and they were delicious. The omelette was perfect, the potatoes were crisp, and the burger w/ onion rings? The Bomb. I was sad to see this place empty on a Sunday...but the girl behind the counter cheered us up (despite THEIR circumstances), she gave us a coupon for a free banana split. Redeemable in April, when this COVID crisis eases up. I think they're giving that out to locals supporting their business. Support Busy Bee. read more

Busy Bee Cafe - Empty on Sunday...with a short pickup cue. - Diners Near Me - Ventura, California

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Perfect stop for breakfast on a beautiful day in Ventura. Ample outdoor seating, friendly and efficient service and most importantly... the food was very good. If you're in a hurry, this place won't disappoint as the food came seemingly minutes after ordered. Bacon (thick) cooked to perfection, waffles crispy on the outside and soft inside, blueberry pancakes loaded with fresh blueberries. We brought our coffee with us from Cafe du Suro, a few doors down. If you're not in a hurry, you're welcome to stay and play on your laptop as the gentleman next to us enjoyed multiple coffee refills. After breakfast I went in to use the restroom and realized the inside is a very nicely decorated diner! Sometime on a cold winter day I'll try the indoor booth seating. read more

Busy Bee Cafe - Diners Near Me - Ventura, California

Popped in here for breakfast recently. Glad to see they had re-opened as of last Friday for outdoor dining. Ordered the ham and cheese sandwich with potato wedges. Probably one of the best ham and cheese sandwiches I've ever had. Loads of ham smashed between the bread. Toast was just right. It was so much I only ate half. I wasn't too chilly on this morning, but the heaters are outside in case it is a bit chilly for those that do get cold easily. Can't wait for it to re-open to dine inside the diner! read more

A group of us went to Olde Town yesterday...just to look around .... We decided to stop at Busy Bee.... it's been a while. They have a New Menu & upscale prices now. As I usually do at diners I ordered a Burger. This one, their cheapest, was close to $16. bucks. I said cook it medium...and extra dressing on the side. What arrived was an open face sandwich no dressing (literally a thimble with mayo on the side) with a large unidentifiable chunk of grey matter masquerading as hamburger. It was very dry & appeared that it was taken out of the freezer & put into a microwave. No Taste...No griddle marks...no burnt edges...no seasoning...just DRY grey! I put Ketchup & Mustard & the thimble all over it nothing helped. The small tomato & ground up lettuce was too little to even make a decent sandwich.. I left half of it on the plate. I'm assuming they were using the dishwasher as their fry cook on Sunday???? read more

Quick, efficient, a huge menu, and very high-quality food. We sat outside and it was delightful. We shared a club sandwich and it was fresh and just the way it should've been. The waiter was excellent. What else is there to say for a small casual diner like this. read more

Busy Bee Cafe is a great place to grab breakfast in the morning, especially since not many places are open that early in this area. We ordered the Farmer's Omelette, Seafood Omelette, Scrambled Eggs and Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes. Everything was delicious, my only complaint is that their three egg scrambled eggs was awfully tiny. It looked more like one egg than three. My mom ended up eating some of my omelette because her portion was so small! The service was average. Our server checked up on us every once in a while, but wasn't very friendly or welcoming. Also, if you have to go to the restroom you need to get a token from the counter to unlock the door. We will likely return for breakfast the next time we are in the area! read more

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This place was recommended by a local friend who raves about their malted shakes. We weren't looking for shakes but thought we'd give this place a try anyway. What a great little cafe!! The wait staff was quick and quite friendly. The food was excellently prepared, and the service was very fast. The place was immaculately clean -- including the restroom. The attention to detail was impressive. I wished I lived close by, I'd eat here all the time. read more

Great burgers, nice decore, music and staff. Would come back. Super quick service (Friday at lunch time)

AMAZING and great service!!! Taste fresh, the environmental is very cool!!! Our food came out fast read more

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I have been on a hashbrown binge for a month now, and this is my go to spot. They have great 50s music on the juke box, comfy booths, pleasant service, and there is not usually a wait for a table like most of the other breakfast places in town. Breakfast is served all day, along with cocktails and mimosas. What more do you need? When I want hashbrowns, I want them now, and when my friend's daughter was having a low blood sugar cranky moment, she needed a real milkshake stat. Busy Bee delivered both with friendly service. Food is made to order so it takes a moment, but my hashbrowns were perfectly browned and fresh off the grill hot. The quesadilla is huge, but ask for salsa, it only comes with guac. It is a fun little downtown Ventura stop with real cherry coke. read more

Busy Bee Cafe - Perfect hashbrowns with a Mexican omelet - Diners Near Me - Ventura, California

The 2016 YELP 500, Review #061: Step back in time and head to the Busy Bee Cafe. Tasty homemade meals. 50's music on the jukebox, milkshakes, FULL BAR, comical signs and great service. Five-stars on next visit. See ya then! read more

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My wife and I have been coming here for approx. 30 years. Most of our experiences have been good. Then a few years ago things changed, The staff was not quite as friendly and the food was just OK. We drove over from Simi Valley and went for lunch. It looked like all of the staff were new. We ordered Fish and Chips. When the meal came it looked very different. The breading was thick and we found out it was made from crackers...really? We did not like the fish or the breading. The waiter came by and asked how we like our food. My wife said, we don't like it. We had each taken only one bite. He dropped the check on the table and said have a good day. No can I get you anything else, nothing. We won't be coming back. read more

I tried their food cart at a farmer's market in Thousand Oaks. Delicious tri tip sandwich. The garlic bread bun was to die for! Thanks to Raymond for the delicious experience. read more

Probably the cutest diner I have ever been to! When you walk in, you feel like you've stepped into a time machine back into the 50's, love it! Our server was super sweet and thorough. Food came out from the kitchen at a very decent amount of time. My fiancé and I split the Farmer's Omelet and opted for the biscuit with gravy for the carb side. Very good portion side (please refer to my pictures posted) My biggest surprise was that they served YELLOW watermelons. I grew up eating them from local farmers markets, so when I saw that they give you a slice of yellow watermelons, it look me back to childhood memories, that I can't get back. Another HUGE plus about this dinner is that they serve MIMOSAS during the week!..not just at Sunday Brunch. Love itttt! I would highly recommend this place, location is great and food is yummy! read more

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Nothing extremely exciting, but definitely a fun place to go. You have your 50's, 60's music, a bit of nostalgia for some. The staff is nice and attentive. I hate to be the one wearing the uniform they have to wear. The prices are decent as well. You get a pretty good amount of food. The food (I have only had breakfast) is good. The bacon is the some of the best I have had compared to several diners I have been to. I ended up getting the 3 eggs, fruit, a biscuit and gravy with bacon. The meal also came with a very small apple. The biscuit and gravy was a bit different, the gravy was off the side instead of right on top. At the end of the meal they give you bubble gum. Overall, I can see myself coming here for breakfast, prices aren't bad and the food is pretty good. Just note that this place can get pretty busy in the mornings. read more

Busy Bee Cafe - Hey there's a apple! - Diners Near Me - Ventura, California

Went to Busy Bee in Ventura today and was pretty disappointed when I spoke to the manager that I saw one of the waitress take her phone out when she had my credit card and it looked like she took a picture of my card. The manager disregarded my concern and said she wouldn't do that but maybe checked her phone for a message. I told him well just like you shouldn't touch your face or hair and then grab someone's plate of food, it looks bad taking out your phone and then hovering over the credit card of a customer. We love coming to Busy Bee but maybe will have to take a break for awhile since we know our concerns are being dismissed so easily. Hope this doesn't happen to anyone else!! read more

Friendly staff. Yummy burgers. Generous portions. Potato wedges are great. I got the regular hamburger and my friend got the mushroom burger. read more

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Busy Bee is a long time restaurant in Ventura with a fifties theme diner with real jukebox you can play from your table. The food is old fashioned in large portions and consistently very good. Whether you are a local or just visiting, you are certain to enjoy it. read more

The vibe here is great, the food was delicious American classics, a step back in time. The service was great thanks to Nancy! read more

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Came for brunch. There were 4 of us and nobody enjoyed their food. My niece ordered fried chicken and had one bite. She said it tasted old and plain gross. My fries tasted the same. Maybe they were fried in old oil? It was just bad. My sister ordered the omelette and it was overcooked. She said the bacon was good, which is why I gave 2 stars. Service was prompt but couldn't make up for lousy food. They have a pretty extensive menu, which should have been our first clue. Won't eat here again. read more

It's a busy diner right on the strip so it's cool to go to if you have friends coming from out of town. The portions are nicely sized and the food was ok. However, the service was everything to me. Super friendly and accommodating staff! I'll go back perhaps once in a while. Try it out guys you may find something on the menu you'll like as it has variety and the location is great! read more

Loved this Cafe! The bee theme is spot on and the food and service were top notch!!!! Staff was friendly and the prices were moderate. I had the Grilled Salmon sandwich, which was cooked to perfection. The wife had the bacon and eggs overmedium, which they nailed (if you like your eggs cooked that way, you know it's hit or miss sometimes, either overcooked or running off the plate). The fruit was ripe and delicious also! Their outdoor dining experience was great! read more

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To all the vegetarians. The Veggie Rubin is amazing. I'm blown away. So simple but very well executed. That was the best Veggie Rubin Sandwich I have ever had in 11 years. Bravo Busy Bee Cafe, bravo read more

Busy Bee Cafe - Veggie Rubin - Diners Near Me - Ventura, California

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