This has become our go-to burger spot. A bit of a haul from La Mesa, but after reading their…read morewrite-up in the Union-Tribune, we headed east to Santee. Great burgers (if you want it medium, make sure you impress that upon them), great people (thank you Lisa and Grace!), good prices, cold beer and a casual outside area where we can hang out with our dog. The trip east is incredibly worth our time!

I did not feel like cooking tonight. -!: I had been helping my Mom care for my Dad after hip…read moresurgery also. She either cooks or I cook and bring him delicious, nutritious, and creative meals to help him feel satisfied and happy with great-tasting along with healthy meals that he needs to heal during the recovery process. I was originally going to head to In and Out Burgers in Santee, but after driving there I quickly changed my mind. The drive through was so long, it made me reconsider. I decided to tryAnny's Fine Burgers. I ordered a regular burger with lettuce and tomato plus onion the way my Dad likes, oh and pickles too. I decided to get one also prepared the same way. I normally do not eat red meat because I am a chicken, shrimp, and fish lover but on occasion I will make an exception if a restaurant knows how to make good burgers. I ordered for both of us, but I had to quickly eat mine so I could write this review and satisfy my raging appetite . The girl behind the counter was so friendly and helpful. She brought me a plate and my bag of food. I opened the wrapper and my eyes were in awe because this bigger was large in size and looked fresh. I bit down thinking there was no way I could eat it all. But, I did! I devoured it in five minutes! It was fresh, delicious, and juicy! They seasoned it to perfection . So glad they do not overly salt their burgers. I also ordered a homemade lemonade and a side of fries for my Dad to enjoy. I better go now as I need to deliver this deliciousness to my Dad! Oh I almost forgot, they keep the place so clean and I love the music in the background . Drake was playing! This is on my favorite burger list! You need to try this hidden gem in Santee, California.

I really like this place. Usually I have the fish n chips but I tried their new chicken wraps this…read moretime. It was amazing! My granddaughter had the chicken tender kids meal and chocolate peanut butter shake!! I've been coming here since I was kid, I brought my kids here, and now my grandchildren get to enjoy it.

I've been meaning to try Beef N Bun for some time now. I had gone once last year but ditched after…read morebeing told it would be about a 40 minute wait in the drive thru. This past week, we drove by when there was no drive thru line so decided to take our shot. We ordered a quarter pounder, a side of fries, and an order of friend zucchinis. Service was quick and the food was out within 10 minutes. I was a bit shocked at first by the price of the fried zucchinis until i opened the bag and saw their size. I believe it was at least 1 1/2 zucchinis cut in fourths lengthwise and then fried. They looked exciting but were actually very underseasoned. i also found the batter to be very soggy because of the amount of moisture released from the flesh. The burger was nothing too exciting. It fed the craving but I would not wait more than 30 minutes for the burger.

The food and service are awesome!! Everyone who works here is so sweet and friendly!…read more And the food is wonderful--very fresh and a lot of healthy options. I'll definitely be back soon. Thank you for an excellent dinner and they good music playing too

Live nearby, but hadn't tried this place yet. Heard SO many people talking about it that I had to…read moregive it a try. Menu is HUGE, so it was hard to decide. Decided to share the Asian salad and bbq chicken flatbread. Both good... but there's so many other things I want to try on the menu!! Tiny indoor dining area, patio area outside nice if it's not too hot. Order at the counter then they call you to pick up your order. Heard people steal other people's orders sometimes so don't wander away too far while waiting.

I remember back in 2018 Chef Hanis Calvin founded The Pioneer.  I saw him hard at work in the…read morekitchen and the bbq was very good.  Sadly he left for other ventures.  I'm visiting for the last time as The Pioneer closed on July 8, 2025. Pioneer Bbq smokes their meats with white oak which gives their meats a smoky flavor without the bitter aftertaste. Pork baby back ribs were tender and had a smoky aroma and flavor from the white oak.  Dry rub gave the ribs a bit of sweetness from the brown sugar and some spice from the black pepper.  Very tasty. Prime beef brisket was tender and juicy.  Peppercorn based dry rub and the smoky flavor combined with the high quality beef into some delicious brisket. Staff was nice and efficient.  I'll miss this place Chef Hanis created.  I was told I could get the same Texas style bbq at a sister restaurant Del's Hideout which employs the same Executive Chef Tim Eylens.  It was back in 2011 I first sampled Chef Hanis food at Carnitas Snack Shack.  Best carnitas I ever had.  It's been since 2023 when I last saw Chef Hanis at the now closed Carbon Bbq.  I hope he is doing well. https://www.hungryones.com/2023/08/carbon-bbq/ To absent friends, lost loves, old gods, and the season of mists; and may each and every one of us always give the devil his due. Neil Gaiman

Enjoyed a good bbq me at pioneer. The meat was pretty tender and the corn was a nice side…read more Unfortunately looks like they've closed. Dels hideout, their sister restaurant is an another good bbq option.

My friends are usuals here. They reserved the corner booth that was stroller friendly…read more Our burger was bomb diggity. The menu had a little bit of everything. Our server was super attentive. This restaurant is great for all ages. There are a lot of TVs. This is definitely a sports bar restaurant. The noise can get pretty loud.

This bar and grill does not disappoint! Their food is consistently good, and the menu is diverse…read moreand pretty on trend. (This is literally the only place I've found that has carajillos on the menu.) Brussels sprouts are crisp but not greasy. I ordered a side of gyros and got a decent-sized portion. My hubby ordered a meat-free pizza for Lent, and was still happy with it. (They have gf and cauliflower crusts too, so !) We have both decided that this is the place for pizza in Santee. The weather is perfect in the spring for outdoor dining. There are shades for privacy since the restaurant's got grocery store traffic. The throwback rock music suits the establishment, and isn't too loud if you want a good convo. There are also lots of TVs both inside and out. Today's server, Lizzy, was so amazing! Super attentive, patient with questions, and quick to offer refills. And so relaxed and cheerful for a Friday afternoon! Thanks for a really nice dining experience, Lizzy!

Past visits have been great. Today was disappointing. After being seated, the server Nevah took our…read moredrink order and disappeared. Literally. We noticed her several minutes later serving other tables. More minutes past when I asked another server, Brook, if she could bring us another server to take our order. Brook was exceptional in taking an interest in our visit. Brook brought us our beverages immediately and took our food order. Nevah later came by with what seemed like a less than sincere apology. We told Brook we would ask for her in future visit. Upon leaving to pay, the young short girl, her name tag was turned over. She had extremely long thick eye lashes. She was extremely rude and stand offish. No kind words after taking our payment she immediately went back to her conversation with a co-worker. We will be back and will ask for Brook.

Big bear Burgar & onion rings are great. Just fries was to salty…read more warm . Not Hot fresh I would go back. nice place for FAMILY

Honestly the potato skins were the best ones I have had in a long while. So good that I can forgive…read morethe bartender for forgetting to input part of our order. The restaurant was very busy because of Bingo night. I felt like the bartender was having to do too many things at once. I felt bad for him honestly. We sat at the bar so it felt a bit stressful to watch him run around behind the bar. Hope he is able to get some help on a busier night like that night. All in all, I would go back. Nice to know I have a restaurant nearby that has the best potato skins on their happy hour menu.

Very good food and service. My wife and I go there every now and then and usually get breakfast…read moretype foods.

Love the menu options and amount of food they give you all customized to your liking and the fast…read morecasual concept of ordering then finding your own table. Great beer variety on tap, flat screens for all the current sporting events, and all the condiments and napkins tableside. You can't go wrong with your order but usually I only order the big beef bone, el toro sandwich or their chicken wings and don't forget the fries and onion rings or you'll only have yourself to blame.

The best thing about Phil's BBQ is the smell. The aroma. It'll hit you from nearly a mile away. If…read moreyou shop anywhere else in the shopping center, the smell is unstable. It's aromatic, intoxicating. It promises amazing food and an amazing time. Unfortunately, that's also the worst part about it because nothing inside the restaurant lives up to this promise whatsoever. The interior is about as Midwestern/country tacky as you can get. The customer service is just fine, the employees are doing the best they can with what they've got. There's really not a lot to say with that aspect, for better or worse. Although the line system and how long you wait for the subpar food is a crime in and of itself. The food itself is the most disappointing part: the majority of the offerings taste cheap, virtually all the meat is incredibly dry, and the sauce will do a little to nothing to fix that. The best thing about the food is that they have Cajun seasoning at the table that you can overload your food with, making it taste slightly more edible. This hardly fixes the fries, though, which might be the worst part about it, emphasizing the dryness of the restaurant's to a degree that can only be compared to a sprawling baking desert in the middle of July. And you can forget about healthier eating options here. All of it is mediocre at best. It would be nice to recommend a local business like this. Unfortunately, it's impossible to do that in this case. Until the restaurant completely overhauls its menu, service style, and does something to really spruce up the place to bring it up to a higher caliber, it's best to steer far clear of aroma tempting roasting aroma that lingers across the neighboring parking lots.

Some days the burgers are extra delicious, others- way off. Consistency issue for sure here, but…read morewhen our order is made correctly, it's great. Have had perfectly wrapped protein style burgers, other times it's a few small pieces of lettuce on top and bottom. Same with whole grilled onions. Either perfectly cooked/sweet (like a real "grilled" onion), or hardly grilled, borderline raw. The employees always say if your order isn't great to go back in, but if you can go back and they'll fix it, but once you've been in the drive thru lane forever- silly to go get off the car and go inside. Nice to sit at their patio when it's a warm night. Employees are all nice and attentive.

Great news for the location is they continue to be very busy and good for meeting a quick need…read more To management - please review how the protein style burgers are made and appear. Also, missing were the cheese and grilled onions I requested. However they appeared on the other two burgers which were supposed to be a number 1. It would also be nice to find a way to keep a to go order warm for a drive home (10-15 min).