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    Busy Bee Cafe

    3.5 (621 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Business Info

    BUSY BEE CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Busy Bee Cafe

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    Jasmine R.

    Walking around we decided to just walk inside this cafe. Nobody was there, it was a ghost town! Our server was the sweetest girl. She was quick with us, maybe since we were the only ones there haha!! The food hit the spot, it was bomb. The pancakes were my favorite. We were all so full. They have a good amount of options to choose from! Their menu is pretty big. I suggest coming here if you're craving breakfast anytime of the day.

    Fish and Oľ London Fish 'N' Chipschips
    Randy A.

    It was peaceful to eat out on the patio area. I was craving fish and chips, though I have had better. Not bad, but not great either. Fish could have been crispier, and felt bland.

    Holly B.

    We came here for the vibes, but stayed for the food! Most diners we go to have great atmosphere/ambiance with the retro feel, but the food is often mediocre. This was the tastiest food we've ever had from a diner so a huge win for our California road trip!

    Patrick W.

    A lovely 50s diner atmosphere with friendly and attentive staff. My order was two dinner meals - one was a Salmon w/ Veggies and rice. The other was Chicken Schnitzel w/ Mushroom gravy on the side and Mashed Potato. I got the gravy on the side since i prefer lemon on schnitzel. I fished the mushrooms out of the gravy as it was a bit rich in flavor for me. The dinner meal also included a salad (or soup), drink and dessert. For my dessert, I ordered the sundae which was a petit size. I was satisfied with everything, I would surely return if in the area and looking for a nostalgic atmosphere with my meal.

    Christina G.

    Really cute place! I loved the miniature jukeboxes they had at every booth. I found Busy Bee Cafe on Yelp whilst looking for diners near the Amtrak station. The service is great - Lily was amazing. Attentive and really friendly. The food was okay, a little underwhelming. I was really excited to have pancakes but after a few bites, I felt like I could taste bacon. Maybe the grill wasn't fully cleaned or perhaps the oil being used wasn't fresh. They just had an oily and salty taste (we sent it back but didn't want a replacement). We also ordered the fried egg sandwich. I liked that it was almost like a grilled cheese! But the sourdough bread also has a funky oily taste. Hash-browns and coffee were alright. Maybe we came on a bad day?

    the interior
    Zan L.

    A great little retro diner in a busier part of sleepy Ventura. I was passing through town from West LA and had been wanting to try this diner for quite some time so finally got my chance today. It's located in the downtown district around a bunch of other bars and walkable shops. We were able to find a free parking spot in a parking lot across the street so parking is very easy in this area. Inside is quite small, but in a really homey and cozy kind of way. They have a long counter as well as a lot of booth seating. Inside is as you would expect it, a total throwback to 1950s Americana. I loved all of the neon and retro signage decorated all throughout the inside. It's a sort of place that is fun to stay a while, especially because you can take control of the jukebox. Our server was also very polite and everything that we ordered came out very fast. For my breakfast, I chose the Chicken Fried Steak and thought it was fantastic. It was larger than I could even finish so definitely make sure you're hungry if you order this one. It comes with three eggs which were cooked perfectly and overall, I was really happy with it and would recommend. I would stop in to Busy Bee again in the future next time I am in Ventura and would recommend to anyone else in the area or passing through as well.

    Menu
    Connie H.

    The food is meh if ordering anything but burgers. I had the spinach salad and it comes with balsamic vinegrette. My friend had a burger. Burger was great. Salad- well I have never had strawberries in a spinach salad - drenched in what was supposed to be balsamic. This dressing rated like good seasonings bottle Italian dressing and someone added some red wine e vinegar. I have balsamic at least three times a week and this was not. I could not eat this salad as hard as I tried. There was more of this stuff on the side. If the salad was undressed I had a chance. I don't waste food and very rarely do I ever send anything back or complain. But I had to. This was inedible and it was a shame. My complaint t was met with an argument that this was balsamic. I'm Italian and have eaten balsamic everywhere. This was not it and the attitude in taking it back getting me to pick something else and her telling the chef to rush it when we were not in a rush was really uncalled for. Staring at me eating the eggs Benedict made me wonder what was done to them. I am so sorry we even stopped by this place. Ambiance looked so cute- with attitude on the side I guess.

    Country fried steak
    Melissa L.

    My friends were in town and we walked the Blvd looking for something for brunch. My girlfriends wanted a traditional American breakfast and when they saw the menu and cute old school diner vibes they said we had to go in. I'm really glad we did because this spot is legit. Surprisingly for some many years I've walked right by this spot and never come inside, because this really is a classic feel good diner. One of the things I loved most about this spot is how awesome the menu is! They have pages upon pages of food. Breakfast, lunch, classics, unique bites, you name it. I was also pleasantly surprised how large their cocktail menu is. When I think diner I don't usually think cocktails but here I was super impressed they had so many drink options and with pictures! The vibes were cute, red and white decor and lots of old school diner memorabilia. Oldies were playing overhead it was definitely a vibe. Our waitress was very sweet and patient with us. With the menu being so big it took us a little while to figure what we wanted but she was nice and gave good recommendations. She was very attentive and also ensured that our drinks were always refilled. I definitely appreciated the stellar service here. Nice people work here. 5 stars for service and ambiance. The food is a solid 4 stars and overall was pretty good. My friends liked their dishes more than I did but that's ok. I had the chicken fried steak and while presentation wise it looked good the texture and taste just wasn't there for me. Better CFS in the 805. However my scrambled eggs were cooked perfectly and the hash browns tasty. My friends loved their meals. I love that when you ask for the bacon here extra crispy they deliver! My other friend got a unique vegan Ruben sandwich and she was in heaven. I love that their vegetarian and vegan dishes hit the spot. Overall definitely a great spot for brunch and I'll be back.

    Pink Paloma and Margarita
    Sheila C.

    Trying to find food after an evening of drinking and we saw this place and said yes! The service was very friendly, the food was amazing, though we were starving, LOL and the place is right out of the 50's. Perfect little diner atmosphere and fun vibe. Glad we found it on our walk!

    Ruben sandwich

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    2 years ago

    Food was delicious, staff is friendly and the ambiance is great! Service was a little slow but overall a great experience. We will be back

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    4 years ago

    Great food and excellent service. I had the onion rings and Cobb salad. Both were excellent.

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    2 years ago

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

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    Page 3 of 16

    Busy Bee Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

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    Inside the speak easy in the back
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    Barrelhouse 101

    Barrelhouse 101

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    Beer Pressure…read more Classic American Pub located in Ventura that features over one hundred beers on tap and classic American comfort foods in a surprisingly family-friendly environment. The Good: * Beyond all the beers on tap, they also have a full bar. * Service was friendly and pretty good overall. * Secret menu for both food and drink. Shhhh...! * Their wings were fantastic! You've really gotta try the Strawbanero (Strawberry-Habanero) sauce, as it was a sweet and savory bite that had all three of us fighting over. * Buffalo Barrels (aka Tater Tots) were worth the $5 upgrade. But, I'm somewhat of a Tater Tot junkie, so take that advice for what it's worth. * Fries were fantastic, as well. * Short Rib Melt was delicious, but very, very rich. It could've used a little relief like some pickles either on it or on the side. The Meh: * They do have their own parking lot, but it is smallish and can fill up fast. There is some street parking available, as well. The Ugly: * They had a lot of beers that were out of commission, including several that I was pretty excited to try. =/ Conclusion: Great spot to get your suds and spuds!

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    101 beers on the wall (on tap)
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    Barrelhouse 101
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    Cafe Nouveau

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    Wow- Cafe Nouveau is a hidden gem! New to the area we decided to ride our bikes over for a late…read morebrunch. When we arrived we asked where would the best place be to keep our bikes and we were ushered to a secure area. We dined outdoors and the service was incredibly attentive an friendly. The menu is eclectic and it took us some time to first decide between breakfast or lunch and then what to order. From the fresh juice in the mimosas to the flavorful Korean bowl and chorizo scramble, everything was delicious and the portions are large. Due to the variety of menu items, this is a great restaurant for a large group as there is something for EVERYONE- vegan, gluten free, pescatarian, health conscious, and for those who want to channel their inner Elvis or just be a little naughty, please try the peanut butter bacon banana French toast sandwich. We will be back!

    Cafe Nouveau is a great brunch spot in Ventura County, if you're in the area…read more I suggest checking in via the Yelp app, to the virtual "waitlist" on the weekends. My family and I waited only 5 minutes to get seated, as we kept track of our virtual place in line. Service was attentive, efficient and friendly. I was very impressed. For a busy, busy bustling restaurant ...as service did not ever lack or get cranky. I ordered the maple bacon beignets and strawberry matcha pancakes (see my pics) for the table and we devoured it all. So good and definitely would order them again. I tried the ahi avocado roll, which came with grilled veggies and at least the ahi wasn't canned (see my pic). I'd be back to try other items on the menu. Cozy interior. Outside covered patio seating here too. We parked in a free lot, across the street and behind other businesses.

    Photos
    Such a cute place in this old house
    Such a cute place in this old house
    Chili relleno omelette w/au gratin potatoes
    Chili relleno omelette w/au gratin potatoes
    Nouveau breakfast

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    Terrific! Visiting Ventura for a few days so stopped by here for lunch on a lowkey Monday…read moreafternoon. Not a single complaint to be had. The blueberry margarita and limoncello beverages were my two drinks of choice, recommended by our lovely waitress Bethany. I liked my drinks a little sweet and girly and both fit that vibe. Shared some oysters with the wife and some crab cakes, they all hit the spot and were solid appetizers to start with. I also got a cup of clam chowder before my main meal. One of the better clam chowders I've had to date. Nice and creamy, fresh and satisfying, it almost had me wishing I ordered a bowl instead. My wife tried mine too and had to order her own right after. The lobster roll with some fries was my main course. So good! The bun was lightly toasted and crisp and the lobster was just sweet and buttery without being too heavy. Very satisfying. And then finally I had to wrap things up with a dessert. Their strawberry basque cheesecake was the easy choice for me. This is the kind of dessert where everyone says they're just going to have a bite and suddenly half of it is gone. I'm glad I split it because I could have easily indulged and eaten the whole thing on my own if the temptation was there. And again, service was excellent. It wasn't particularly busy when we were there. The drinks came in a little slow because there was only one bartender and the bar was busy but otherwise, our waitress checked in on us a healthy amount of times to see if we needed anything or to refill our waters. We sat outside so nice ambiance too. We went to three restaurants while visiting this area and this was the only one I really felt compelled to write a review for. Certainly recommend it.

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    Busy Bee Cafe - diners - Updated July 2026

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