Busters Beach House Restaurant Reviews

Click here to go to a review of Buster's on AOL Local Guide for San Diego

Pacific Rim Cuisine
Aloha Spirit Beach Front Dining "Who Could Ask For More?"

"Couple exceptional cuisine with exquisite scenery and the result is bound to be a memorable dining experience." Busters combines its' friendly "Aloha Spirit" with the above in establishing what we consider to be a remarkable contribution to our Culinary Region.

by Wayne Hardin - Editor in Chief
So Cal Food.com

Manila Steamers, New World Chips and Rip-Tide Guacamole, Half Moon Bay Cioppino, Balinese Baby Back Ribs, and Pad Thai Xanadu exemplify Busters' versatile menu of extraordinary Culinary talent. With a focus on what many have reflected to be "Island" cuisine, Aloha Restaurants (Monterey Canners-Jolly Rogers) has graced SoCal with the presence of Busters Beach House and Longboard Bar in two fabulous locations- Seaport Village in San Diego, and Alamitos Bay -Long Beach

We've had the pleasure of sampling both locations, lunch and dinner- announced and un-announced, with waves of dining sensations throughout. Consistency, a vital part of successful restaurant operations, was found abundantly in both locations. Service with "Aloha Spirit" is an understatement, we witnessed a focused mission towards "Customer Satisfaction" - all aspects of our dining experience. As we fathomed the atmosphere and ambiance of Busters, one could not help but taste the sensations of a Coastal Community. Panoramic views of oceanic scenery, bustling murmurs of marina lifestyles, and glimmers of sunshine rebounding off coastal waters virtually onto our laps. As the sun sets, activity within Busters takes on a casual sense of celebration. Live "Beach-Boys" themed entertainment, raised whispers of the days events, with a sense of "Village" unity unlike any we've witnessed before.

We've set the scene, now lets "Check Out da Eats!". Our lunch session in Long Beach consisted of Macadamia Nut Crusted Chicken (a large boneless breast delicately crusted with a macadamia nut coating, accompanied by an exquisite ginger soy glaze,served atop an abundant nest of garlic mashed potatoes, with spring vegetables blanched to perfection), and the Pork Luau Sandwich (a healthy portion of shredded pork- slow roasted in banana leaves for 7 hours!- nestled atop grilled Barillo bread, onions, pineapple, and Maui Chutney, accompanied with the best Asian Cole-Slaw I've
tasted world-wide!). Portions are extremely generous, as are the prices throughout Busters menu. But what caught my eye in reviewing the menu was the overwhelming diversity and variety available. Culinary creations stemming from all coastal fronts of the globe exemplify the legend behind Busters.

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As we learned from our Gracious Host, the menu concept evolved behind the travels of a well respected waterman known throughout many coastal villages as Buster. His love and passion for food, hospitality, and friendship landed him in many restaurant positions as he funded his surfing lifestyle. After many years traveling the globe, and stumbling onto a small "Diamond" find in Africa, Busters dream came to reality as he opened his own restaurant upon returning to Southern California, christening it "Busters Beach House and Long Board Bar.

Topping off our lunch in Long Beach, we shared a dessert creation one would not expect to find within a coastal menu, "Créme Brûlée". Now, don't be swayed by the French aura, this version was infused with "Tahitian Vanilla Beans", and exquisitely crafted. Topped with fresh berries and a sprig of mint, my taste sensations were dancing with glee. After a delightful and informative lunch, "We Were Hooked".

Three weeks to follow, while entertaining three Culinary Executives from Colorado and Chicago, my first intuition for displaying our regions Culinary Diversity was "Busters". Reservations in San Diego are not always necessary, but suggested. As our party awaited seating, we lounged in the Longboard Bar, sampling exotic blends of Rum concoctions, and the famous "Long Board" appetizer platter of Jamaican Voodoo Chicken - Barbados Crab Cakes - Maui Onion Rings - Coconut Shrimp - Tuna Tsunami - and Fried Calamari, all accompanied with an array of dipping sauces such as cilantro scallion mayo and Bloody Mary cocktail sauce. Coupled with the live music, Tiki-Hut style decor, and exquisite view of the channel, the ambiance was set and my guests were intrigued.

Once again, the overwhelming variety offered within Busters menu made for difficult decision making. Once settled, we focused on sampling fare from four different regions of the menu. Our Seafood choosing came from the daily special menu and consisted of "Sesame-Crusted Ono" with jasmine coconut rice and sautéed spring vegetables. Surfing onto the shores of Hawaii, we sampled the Pork Luau with Hawaiian chutney. Venturing onto Thailand, my guest from Chicago and Prominent instructor from the Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy, could not stop raving over the Pad Thai Xanadu. Onto the shores of Italy we travel, sampling Cioppino Pasta consisting of a delicate tomato garlic broth swimming with scallops, mussels, fresh fish morsels, clams, shrimp, calamari, atop a bed of al denté linguine. Our final choosing was a traditional "Long Board Pizza" Calypso style. A two foot long "Surfboard" shaped pie topped with Jerk Seasoned Shrimp, Red Onion, Peppers, Avocado, Creole Tomato Sauce, and toasted coconut.

Rounding off a remarkable evening, we delved into sweet delicacies of Tempura Banana Fritters, Almond Tacos with Fruit Salsa, Todos Santos - a glorious wave of white chocolate on a triple chocolate brownie, caramel sauce, whipped cream, and a "Surfer Cookie".

Busters combines its' friendly "Aloha Spirit" with the above in establishing what we consider to be a remarkable contribution to our Culinary Region. We have profound confidence Busters will achieve many goals throughout it's bright future, and look forward to watching their growth.

Special thanks to the staff, both front and back of house, for their dedicated devotion to customer service and consistency in all they do. We'll show our deep appreciation by returning again, and again.

Wayne Hardin - Editor in Chief
SoCalFood

Check It Out...THIS REVIEW FROM DIGITAL CITY SAN DIEGO
- by Troy Johnson

Though perched on the tranquil waters of San Diego Bay, middle-class surf cats may call this the Promised Land. Every Moondoggie-ish artifact that exists is here -- from the full-size VW bus (with a working horn), to the board-shaped bar tables. All that’s missing is the bikini-strewn sand and a little whitewash.

Above the bar lies the Buster’s main attraction—three jugs of home-infused liquors. There’s the Hades-hot Pepper Vodka, Pineapple Vanilla Rum and the Mango Lime Tequila, smooth enough to be sipped as a cordial. (Ask the bartender about the Eddie Van Halen "Mango Lime Tequila" story). Every surf cat should go here at least once to check out Buster’s surf maps on every table, on which he’s handwritten invaluable notes. If you want to check the crowd before going for a drink, their website has a ?live bar cam? for pre-party evaluations.

-- Troy Johnson, Digital City San Diego

San Diego Metropolitan Magazine –Terryl Gavre

Buster's Beach House opened nine months ago in a beautiful waterfront location at Seaport Village. The freestanding restaurant,formerly occupied by Jolly Roger, is owned by Aloha Restaurants out of Irvine, operators of The Cannery Restaurants and Jolly Roger Restaurants. Buster's Beach House is the company's first of a new, beachy concept.

The atmosphere is very casual. It is sorta like TGI Fridays goes to Gilligan's Island. Cane and rattan furniture, wooden floors and a palapa-style bar gave me the feeling of being on a vacation with Thurston Howell III. Authentic wooden surfboards and other items from the genuine, non-Beach Boys surf scene era are everywhere. The Seaport Village location, along with the "Hurricane" rum drink I sipped while waiting for my table, did wonders to help me forget that I do actually live in San Diego.

We arrived a few minutes before our reservation and had to wait just a few minutes as the place was packed. We adults enjoyed choosing from quite a selection of house-flavored rum drinks while the kids were thrilled with the great big umbrella-ed smoothies.

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The menu is large, with playful versions of easy-to-order, easy-to-eat items. It would be hard to find anyone who could not find something that excited them. Choices like "Baja Lobster Quesadilla," "Kilauea Onion Rings with Volcanic BBQ Hot Sauce" and "Barbados Crab Cakes" made ordering an appetizer a problem only because they all sounded so good.

In addition to the "Barbados Crab Cakes", we had an order of the "Fried Calamari"($8.95). It is dusted in corn meal and sesame seeds (which gives it a nice nutty little crunch) and is presented in a bamboo steamer along with a trio of dipping sauces; a citrus tartar, a cilantro scallion mayo and what they call Bloody Mary cocktail sauce. The cilantro-scallion mayo was my favorite, of course.

Two items I had a hard time not ordering were the "Corn and Clam Chowder" , because I am a fool for anything with corn, and the "Molokai Pizza" . It is made with fresh pineapple, luau pork (sweet and tender) along with sweet Maui onions.

I recommend the "Macadamia Nut Crusted Chicken" . It is finished with a ginger-soy glaze, garnished with what they call Hawaiian chutney (a spicy mango-pineapple relish) and served over garlic mashed potatoes. It is a well thought-out dish, capably prepared and nicely presented.

My dining partner, Sam, chose one of the fresh fish specials, "Sesame-Crusted Ono" . It was served with a sweet soy-ginger sauce over jasmine coconut rice with sauteed vegetables. It was a tad overcooked, but had a good flavor and again the presentation was wonderful.

The kids (who were already full from their smoothies and appetizers) each ordered from the children's menu. Samuel ordered the "Pasta Swirls" and Rachel had the "Buster's Burger." When I asked them to score their dinner on a scale of 1 to 10 Rachel quickly blurted out 8. Samuel, who has been learning to multiply and divide fractions this quarter, after much calculation, gave it a 10 and 13/15ths.

Myself, for a great family dinner out, I give it somewhere in between.

Review by Kim Bryan-San Diego Family Magazine:

Who will take "Foreign travels" for $300? Jeopardy fans can you name the explorer who left Venice to discover China in 1271? Correct; it was Marco Polo for $200. Now can you name the surfer who traveled the world over for unique and exotic recipes for $400? Time's up! It was Buster - of Buster's Beach House Restaurant and Longboard Bar. And he has just opened up a fantastic new establishment right here in San Diego! Lucky us!

Buster's place is where else, but by the water? Overlooking San Diego Bay and the beautiful Coronado Bridge, this location takes you away from the everydayness of life and offers you a slice of perfection "surfer-style"-style. Prices are moderate, dress is casual, and the atmosphere is very friendly! The rattan furniture, ceiling fans, international artwork, and Jimmy Buffet music truly made me feel as if I was on vacation.

That and the fact that I was out with just the girls... My guests for the evening were good friends, Jerri and Christen (a soon to be junior in high school.) Normally, I bring along my eight year old daughter and a friend or two to critique the children's menu. Buster's offers the usual kid's fares; burgers, pizza, chicken fingers, fish and chips, and pasta. I was impressed by the menu design, a surf atlas with five things you can do to keep our oceans clean. Teaming up with Washington Elementary School and Surfriders Foundation show the high quality commitment this business has to Partnerships in Education.

Finally, what you've all been waiting for! And what a worthwhile wait it was. We started out with the Sugar Cane Shrimp Appetizer–delicious, marinated shrimp dumplings deep fried on a sugar cane skewer and green papaya slaw (yum!). And if shrimp isn't your favorite, you could try their Barbados Crab Cakes, Killer Fish Tacos, or Baja Lobster Quesadillas (to name only a few.) Choosing an entree was next to impossible! Jerri decided on the Wok Seared Scallops ( large scallops cooked in a steam of rice and shitake mushrooms). Christen chose the Fish and Chips (the fish comes from the Chesapeake Fish Co, and in brought in fresh, twice daily), and I opted for the chef's special Yellowtail in a black bean salsa, cilantro-scallion yogurt sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, and Creole veggies. I must boast that it was the best fish meal I've ever eaten!

If fish isn't your preference, you'll find plenty of other selections including the chef's personal favorites; Pork Luau which is slow cooked for seven hours in banana leaves and lava rocks in a pineapple/orange juice marinade; Baby Back Ribs with a tamarind citrus sauce and Jamaican Jerk Chicken with pineapple mango mojo and sweet potato fries. The variety of Buster's menu is unbelievable!

Promise me one more thing! That you'll be sure to save room for dessert! We were talked into the Tempura Banana Fritters-Macadamia nut ice creams smothered with banana fritters and a caramel-cinnamon sauce. As soon as I took my first bite-full I knew I'd be back for more. My husband would have loved Buster's Tropical Tiramisu , and the Down Island Bread Pudding. My daughter would have gotten the Tahitian Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee. We'll definitely return!

Buster's Beach House is located at 807 West Harbor Drive in Seaport Village (three hour validation available) Phone (619) 233-4300. Open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Surfing legend Wayne Lynch and Quicksilver hosted a screening of the classic1969 Surf Film by Paul Witzig, EVOLUTION at Buster's Beach House. Lynch lives in a remote area in Western Australia and was instrumental in giving life to the short board revolution. In a brief visit to San Diego, Lynch was surprised by all the attention he received and told a stoked crowd of about 75 fellow surfers, "We were just kids. We didn't really know what worked. It was incredibly frustrating." He went on to inspire the first generation of short boarders with quick turns and radical maneuvers.

Most surfers loved watching films that featured this individualist. His cool bottom turns and cranking cutbacks became an out of reach standard for most of us.

Lynch summed up one of the most rewarding aspects of surfing by saying, "The great thing about surfing is that it's brought interesting and diverse people together from all over the world."

Wayne Lynch, now 46, still rips and is married and the father of two children. He continues to design and shape surfboards.

MAHALO TO WAYNE LYNCH AND ALL WHO ATTENDED!

Thanks to Terry Rogers at the San Diego Union Tribune for a great article.