Beef n Bun has definitely changed since the last time I visited and reviewed. In many ways, they've got their sh#t together now and the changes are mostly for the better. It feels like a change in ownership to someone with a bit more of a marketing budget. First things first, their handling of COVID is easy to understand and sensible. Online ordering for curbside pickup was easy and preferable to waiting in the drive-thru. The website is newly updated and looks nice. Service was quick and friendly with minimal contact. I don't personally worry about food being tampered with, but the bag came sealed with a tamper-evident sticker. Their branding looks a lot nicer, too. As far as the food goes, my go-to order is the bacon cheeseburger combo. The price is a great value and the food is aesthetically pleasing, even after driving it back to my home. However, I noticed that a large part of the burger looking great even after a slight commute is due to the fact that they switched over to a much thicker, sturdier bun. I found it to make for a bit of a stiff burger and thought it made the actual patty and fillings seem to be a lot more sparse. The flavor was still great. I'm in love with the new fries. They now coat the fries in a very light batter so that they are delightfully crispy on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside. I'll have to order chili cheese fries from them sometime and see if they've fixed the strange interpretation of the dish (chili piled on one side, cheese sauce on the other like wtf who hurt you). In any case, while I will miss the old Beef n Bun (many years ago, before my last review), the changes aren't necessarily bad even if the buns aren't my favorite. It's still worth it to me to swing by if I'm in the area and craving a good burger! read more

Did not like the fried zucchini! Idk how ppl going crazy for it. Ordered sweet potato fries. It was about 10 fries for 4.99!!! Shakes are ok. I might try their burgers one day! Idk read more

In my opinion, best choices for a drive thru in Fletcher Hills. The shakes are to die for. My go to is the chocolate peanut butter. My favorite meal is the fish and chips! They also have a nice size fried zucchini basket. You can't go wrong with any meal! If you live in this location, you will discover Beef & Bun is pretty monumental. However, the line takes a very long time. read more

Everyone would agree they have great shakes here, best around except Minor's Diner in Julian is better. Minor's diner offers more shake for the money with a shake mixer container included with more shake in the container included in the side and shakes are served in cold tall desert glass containers like the old ice cream shops used to do, and the price is more reasonable at Minor's diner. Too bad it is in Julian not closer. The lowdown on shakes here is Shakes here are too expensive. $8.50 for a shake and $2.00 extra to add malt. So over $10 for a shake, really? (How far will they go?) The malt used to be free with shakes). I could see raising the price on everything a dollar fifty. But they have passed what is reasonable in the increase in prices here. read more

An East County classic! Some of the best burgers and milkshakes you'll ever find. Other delicious items include the chicken sandwiches, onion rings, fried zucchini, biscuits & gravy, and fish & chips Beef N Bun is a good old fashioned burger joint that gives you exactly what you want and more read more

I've been going here for over 25 years. Best burgers and shakes around! I don't know what happened to this place recently but spending over $30 for 2 cheeseburgers and 2 shakes? Let alone waiting over 30 minutes in the drive thru? Crazy when I asked where the fries were, Jake said I didn't order the combo and he could fix it but of course...more $$$ and that I should've ordered the combo! Well, sad to say, we will no longer be going to Beef n Bun, and honestly, Dennys has better tasting burgers nowadays! read more

Beef 'n Bun - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

This place has delicious food I ordered quarter pounder burger and fish n fries ....both were home runs...love it Kianna Jon at the cashier ..she was a pleasure to talk to....my experience here was a place I can relax...they have a fish aquarium nice touch.....if you folks are nearby ....please...give it a try...I do believe you will enjoy thier food and atmosphere read more

Don't get me wrong the onion rings are good. Just wanted to express the disappointment in the amount of rings you get for $5.99. Alittle steep imo. read more

Beef 'n Bun - Owings are good i must say but $5.99? That's a dollar a ring?? That was disappointing. - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

May 5 Came in at 8:30 pm. Signs on yelp says open until 10pm. Sign on the windows of the restaurant in large painted letters say 10am-10pm. Nowhere does it say DINING ROOM CLOSES AT 8:30PM. We weren't told anything when we ordered. They even brought it to us at our table. It was quite uncomfortable sitting there and eating while they turned outher customers away. MANAGEMENT/OWNER you need to have a sign to specify your dining hours. I would have assumed last dine in would be at the least 9:30pm. So many disappointed/angry cutomers. Crew was even rude to the poor elderly couple who came a long ways to sit and eat. Do better! read more

A classic spot. A local's favorite. A gem in San Diego. Delicious burgers and excellent service!! Amazing milkshakes and food that will keep you coming back for years read more

Beef 'n Bun - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

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My family and I decided to watch movies with other family members at the Santee Drive-In theater, which was a blessing considering that this pandemic has prevented all of our families from watching movies at any movie theater. Being the master blaster that I am, I planned this movie outing with my brother and his family and my brother-in-law and his family. Prior to watching the movies, I arranged for us to eat dinner at a restaurant I had previously imbibed a milkshake from. I was looking forward to eating at Beef n Bun (BnB) and consuming one of their famous milkshakes, which I highly recommended you don't miss out on. If Saturday was any indication of how popular BnB is, I suggest you give yourself some leeway if you need to be somewhere at a certain time. BnB is operating strictly as a drive thru restaurant with no indoor dining service, which probably explains why there was such a long line of cars waiting to order drive thru. It also was a positive sign that BnB is a popular eatery. BnB is located in Santee, CA., which was a convenient location to eat dinner at since the drive-in theater was in close proximity. Despite having an employee outside to take orders and assist in moving the long procession of cars, an opportunity area of theirs is to be more efficient. BnB does have a small area next to the restaurant for outdoor dining. If you want to eat in this seating area, you would have to find parking in the street and just walk over. Our families decided to park in the spots designated for library parking and eat in our cars. As I indicated above, I previously ordered one of their famous milkshakes, which is why I chose BnB for dinner because I wanted to savor one of their masterpieces again and I wanted to try their food. BnB has a diverse menu, but not an overwhelming amount of choices. I believe it's got diverse amount of choices where diners can choose from a variety of food choices from burgers, sandwiches, breakfast, chicken and seafood, kids' meals, side items, and of course their shakes. I decide to order a bacon cheeseburger, a side of fried zucchini, and a regular chocolate peanut butter shake. If it wasn't for the milkshake I ordered, I would have given BnB a 3.5 star rating. The bacon cheeseburger was good, but it didn't blow me away. It satisfied my hunger, but nothing stood out. The fried zucchini was plentiful and I thought the batter was tasty, but it was on the oily side and similar to the burger, was just okay. For my milkshake, I ordered a regular size chocolate peanut butter shake. One thing about BnB's milkshake sizes, their regular appears to be a large and their large size is gigantic. If you're a milkshake fan, I suggest you order a large and when you see their large, you're going to be blown away. My chocolate peanut butter shake was creamy, not overly thick, perfectly sweet, and it was divine. It's obvious they take pride in making quality and delicious milkshakes. For my shake, the chocolate and peanut butter can be detected equally. I enjoyed every single slurp of that shake. Each person in my family could not stop talking about how heavenly their shakes were. The shakes are must order. The east county food scene has not disappointed me one bit. I've had positive experiences at all of the restaurants I've eaten at. Beef n Bun is no exception. The food I ate on this trip was average, but the milkshakes were stellar. I would eat here again solely to have another milkshake. read more

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I used to love beef n bun several years ago. They had delicious fish n chips and their milkshakes were delicious. I moved away and returned last year to find that service was abysmal here and the food wasn't as good. At that time I swore I would never return, but yesterday my grandmother and I were craving milkshakes and I remember how good theirs were so I decided to give them one more chance. I thought i was in for a good time when the gentleman at the drive-thru was pleasant, and though I was shocked by the price of a small milkshake ($6.29), I ordered two. I was deeply saddened when the clerk gave me two sample size cups that had the milkshakes in them. I seriously expected double the cup size. Seriously, my grandmother was robbed of the money she spent on these milkshakes. $6.29 for a teeny tiny cup is highway robbery. I will not be returning to beef n bun. Too many other places have what they are selling, larger sizes and friendlier service, though again, I commend the gentleman yesterday for his friendly customer service. To the owner, quit stealing from your customers by charging astronomical prices for a sample size amount of product. read more

Beef 'n Bun - Forgive the mess. This cup size for $6.29! . Two sips and it was gone. - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

I asked for a cheeseburger with no bun no tomato or onions. They give me this covered with onions which I took off and a bunch of tomatoes. There's no cheese and no condiments. Absolutely trash. Maybe think beef n bun employees read more

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Good ass burgers amazing shakes. Fried zucchini is a meal in its self Everyone is friendly and helpful knowledgeable about what they serve but they are short handed so only drive through orders on occasion A saltwater aquarium with an eel in the lobby and old style burger joint booths and high table seating read more

Worst experience ever. Not only did I get cold food, but I also got a tiny "full salad" with raw chopped zucchini. It was a $9 salad that looked like hospital food, even packaged croutons. I thought someone might have mistakes it for cucumber, but when I called and the woman on the phone told me that it's normal and it comes on the salad. I will never go back here not even for my $10 refund. read more

Beef 'n Bun - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

Food: Standard American food. Nothing stood out. We didn't try their milk shakes. Wish we had. Fish and onion rings were under cooked. My date didn't tell me about the fish until we were driving away. Service: the staff couldn't be friendlier. Ambience. Traditional American burger joint. Spotlessly clean to include the restrooms and the parking lot. I think we'll return just to give the friendly staff a second chance on the food. read more

Excellent choice with Zabiha halal food. Tried Nashville Burger with regular fries, it came warm , taste excellent, and was filling experience. The customer service was welcoming and friendly, I recommend it. It was comfortable as we were to enjoy more for family. We will do one more time before we end our Orlando trip. read more

The food is okay, but the SHAKES?! Wowowow. I always get mint mixed with Oreo, and it's amazing The shakes will always have me as a customer read more

Been here twice now. Good place for some quality food. I fully support small businesses, especially when the product is very good. The drive though takes some time so don't think it's gonna be a regular fast food speed. But then again it's not a nation wide mass produced product either. The burgers and shakes are pretty good. They always have some type of special deal going on. Last time it was a mushroom bacon burger. Very tasty. This time I just got a regular quarter pound burger. Shakes are delicious. I was not happy with the soggy waffle fries I got last time. This time I got the fried zucchini. They were cooked perfectly. It's a huge order. I think it was 6 big zucchini spears. The batter is like a fish and chips type batter. I couldn't finish it all so I gave some away and still had two big spears for later. They held the crunch even 4 hours later. read more

Beef 'n Bun - Mushroom burger meal. Pretty good burger, waffle fries not so much. - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

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I have going here since I was a tiny kid The food is ridiculously huge and very good They're malts and shakes are to die for the best in town They have drive-through and pick up and it's pretty cool inside read more

After a long 15 minute drive and 35 minute wait at the Beef 'n Bun drive-thru line, my vehicle awoke and glided towards the winning finish line. Although I had ordered a bacon cheeseburger, small fry, and corndog, the real star of the show was the regular sized banana milkshake still waiting for me on the other side of the window counter. A cashier had appeared, repeated my order, and asked for payment, all of which went in one ear and out the other. My focus was obviously and squarely placed on the sweet nectar of yellow fruit that I had been ogling all week via cellphone imagery; memories that would soon be mine. I swiftly and promptly paid for my meal and waited patiently for a small plastic cup to appear in this cashier's-- excuse me, this gatekeepers claw. The reason for the sudden transformation was that of me being ready to do battle in the very unlikely case that the cashier retorted that the establishment no longer had banana shakes. But I digress, because within minutes, the whole transaction had been completed. The milkshake had appeared so quickly, and I had swiped it from the cashier's hand so fast, that I almost forgot I had also ordered actual food. Staring now at the plastic cup with pearly white liquid sitting in my car's beverage holder, the cashier re-emerged and returned with a greasy bag filled with additional spoils of war. Leaving now, heading back to my domicile, I survey the street for a safe opportunity to puncture my "cup of gold" with one hand grasping a transparent straw and the other on the car's steering wheel. I take a chance while stopped at a red light and firmly insert the straw through the cups lid, sliding it deeper into a thick blissful fluid of aromatic tropical fruit, milk, and iced cream. Grasping the cup, I bring the straw to my lips and take my first swig; "MY GOD" I exclaim as a wave of endorphins and euphoria touch my brain from all ends of the spectrum. The sudden punch of fresh bananas was immediate, followed by a smooth creamy mixture of milk and ice cream. Hits number two, three, and four all followed as my shoulders relaxed, my worries crumbled, and a delightful grin now stamped my face. I drifted seamlessly from freeway, streets, to now in my apartment where I sat alone admiring the last few sips of ecstasy. I lie to you not when I say that I skimmed every curve of that chalice with my straw. And as fast I had received her, she was gone; a winter tropical freeze of joy. A slice of monkey heaven now sitting comfortably in my tummy. Oh and the burger, fries, and corndog were ok. read more

Beef 'n Bun - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

Love this place- the malts are fabulous!! And the zucchini are also another one of my favorites

This review is based on the wait--drive through was very long and since we were only ordering 2 small shakes we went in. The older lady who took our order said it would be a "few moments". We ended up waiting 15 mins before I decided to ask for my money back. Sad that the lady taking orders just stood around when she could have been making shakes. No one else was in the dining area that she needed to help. Seems to me that someone should strictly be on shake duty, but yet that wasn't the case. Seems like no one knew what to do. If the machines were being refilled (which was happening) at least communicate with us that the wait was going to be longer. The police officer who ordered ahead of us, got theirs right away and he ordered 2 medium shakes and that was it. Sorry Beef n Bun, do better! read more

SUUUPER slow, food was cold (and too small for the price). The "shakes" are just soft serve with a straw. AAWWWFFUULL!!! read more

Beef 'n Bun - THIS is how I received my food... an HOUR later! - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

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Got a quarter pounder with swiss cheese, fries and a milkshake for $15 and some change. Everything tasted great. Like how things used to taste. The staff were super helpful and friendly. read more

Why Beef N Bun Why??? Been coming here since I was a kid in the 80's and my dad has loved it since he went to high school at Grossmont in the 70's. To say we've been loyal and longtime customers would be an understatement. Went today for the first time since the COVID shutdown and we are beyond sad and disappointed. They have changed the burger to this massive hard bun and paper thin burger patty and 1/4" thick tomato slice which was so ridiculous (trying to hide how small the burger was?). We tried to utilize the parking spot where you order online and call them to say you're outside instead of the long drive thru. I order then call to tell them our space # like it instructs on the sign. I was rudely informed that those spots are for people to order ahead and that the wait would be 20 minutes. I said should I get back in the drive thru I thought I was doing something to help them but he was put out that I arrived too early or something? Waited the 20 minutes plus another 5 before our food came out. The shakes, thank god, still taste the same! Although they apparently don't do whipped cream on top anymore. Whoever may read this PLEASE remember why your lines are so long and you're legendary in East County and go back to the way things were before you lose more customers... we're out. read more

Listen, I hate to do this, as I have been a loyal beef n bun customer for years. Like my little league team was sponsored by them back in the day...like the year 1992 back. I went there tonight to get a meal for my nephew... Prices are insane! Nearly $12 for a kids corn dog meal (with a shake)?!?? Seems excessive... I feel like Fred would be rolling over in his grave with these prices... I understand this isn't a big chain restaurant... I understand they gotta pay their workers and keep the lights on... Still love the place... may need to reevaluate where I get this meal from... read more

The shakes are flavorful but really? the straws break so easy ouch!! Overall besides the straw incident the burgers are actually tasty. I have had a corn dog in the past here and not do i love a corn dog! Bring on the dogs!!! read more

Beef 'n Bun - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

Not even sure where to begin. After reading all of the great reviews for this place and found myself craving a burger I decided I needed to try this place out. I arrive at Beef-N-Bun and proceed to go through the drive-thru and there are three cars ahead of me. I also noticed the parking lot was full which is always a good sign at any eatery. I waited patiently for what seemed like forever to order..... I then wait again for a long time to get my food order. I didn't mind because I know good food takes time to prepare. My ordered consisted of a 1/4 cheeseburger, French fries and chocolate shake. On the drive home I try out a few French fries..... cold hard French fries with no flavor whatsoever. Not to mention there may of only been about 8 cold hard French fries in my bag. Now on to the burger. What a disappointment! First of all where's the beef? Oh there it is all shriveled up and dry! At this point I am starving and proceed to eat the burger and expecting each bite to maybe get better. That didn't happen! It was dry and tasteless! The only saving grace to this meal was the chocolate shake. Folks do your self a favor and find a better place to grab a burger! read more

Beef 'n Bun - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

WOAAAHHHHH I don't really think y'all will understand the hype of these milkshakes here!!!!!! i was really shook to find a place that could honestly make a milkshake that was better than Jack in the box I really do think this milk shake hands down for the pricing of the quality and sizing is by far the best milkshake in the state or maybe even world no joke. Garrett was by far one of the friendliest cashiers that I have ever come across in all of my casual eating out days now I don't do much fast food but if I did I would definitely want Garrett standing behind every register!!!! thank you Garrett for making my experience at beef 'n bun so pleasant. NOW to be called "beef n bun" like....The beef and the bun like didn't really come out and grab me like I would've wanted the meal to do however it just sort of did it's job- it didn't exceed any expectations that I walked into this place hoping for. I feel like the beef was a slight bit dry and what I mean by that is there was just no juices oozing out no matter how hard I squeezed it. The bun tended to be almost dry in a sense that I could pick it apart easily and it seems almost like it was not moist put it that way. (Please see photos for exhibit A and B of bun dryness) read more

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Many many months enjoying the food here. Cost-effective and delicious, great combination most favorable parking. Excellent staff. They seriously go out-of-their-way to accommodate, not something you normally see at a fast food joint. Obviously, the only explanation is the owner is paying her Labor extremely well; Happy staff, happy food. I've never seen a turnover of staff. Says a lot if you're like me and eat out a lot, you begin to know the difference, and the food confirms this. Drive thru is fast and cool. I've never been inside. read more

Pretty good little spot off Fletcher parkway. Drive through line gets aggressive. Wraps around the block and fills the parking lot. As a walk-in patron, customer service is top notch. The place was very crowded on a Thursday night. Although slammed, my milkshake came at me in like 2 minutes, my burger and fries 2 minutes later. The milk shake is A1. Superior to in and out in flavor and mouthfeel. Vastly superior. I recommend the strawberry. The burger and fries are middle of the road. The burger is very similar to a Burger King Whopper in my opinion, not a bad thing in my book. Overall a great local eatery but not a destination. read more

Beef 'n Bun - Their milkshakes are incredible and worth the trip alone. Vastly superior to In and Out. - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

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For a fast food burger joint this place is pretty good . Far better than a mc Donald's and they have a variety of junk food to choose from just like Mickey D's . If you 're looking to please everyone in your family's different needs this place is a good choice . I recommend having one of their delicious and huge milk shakes . You could share one with your honey for sure and both get plenty . I like the banana flavor . I also recommend their onion rings . Some might wish they have some salt added to them . But they are cooked perfectly and have a great batter . The cashiers are very friendly and nice . I love that they smile and make you feel very welcomed . The way all restaurants should . But sadly not all restaurants do . Well this one certainly does provide awesome and efficient customer service . read more

Beef 'n Bun - Good onion rings - Burgers Near Me - El Cajon, California

Whenever you are in El Cajon you might want to go here for a delicious meal. They've got tasty burgers and fries. The specialty shakes are bomb. Get an order of onion rings on the side and enjoy. read more

Great burgers and must try the shakes! Been around forever in San Diego and you will see why.

Food service now that they changed owners is terrible we were waiting 15 mins in line behind 1 car and didn't get to order yet service is slow ¹prices have gone way up NOT WORTH THE WAIT read more

My very first time ever having beef and burn it is a little bit on the expensive side however it is worth the money I also want to say they do give military discount which is a good thing for a lot of San Diego people that are military I highly recommend this place if you have not ate there before my aunt has she got me hooked on it now I had the roast beef today very very good especially the tater tot's and a home make the fries too along with their onion rings homemade I do highly suggest going there and giving it a try read more

Great place to stop by for some burgers and shakes. Apparently this place has been around for quite sometime now and the locals seem to enjoy the place as there are always cars at the drive thru. I really enjoyed their quarter pounder and chicken club sandwich. Their fries and fried zucchinis are crispy. They also have a cool fish tank or you decide to dine in read more

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It seems that when we're kids, we care less about the quality of the food or service provided by neighborhood hangouts than we do about their willingness to let us.. well... hang out. I revisited Beef 'n Bun Whistle Stop recently, and was surprised at the number of teenaged kids dining in and picking up carry out orders that were eaten in the parking lot. I didn't grow up in El Cajon, but had I done so, I'm pretty sure I'd have been a BnB regular, too. I ordered a Half Pounder burger, no lettuce, fries and an extra-chocolate shake with banana. The meal was huge, but pricey, costing $9.95. BnB burgers remind me of those I used to get at the lunch counters of DC-area People's Drug Stores: that is, irregularly shaped, barely seasoned and a bit greasier than burgers from a fast food chain. They also resemble burgers someone might make in a frying pan at home, if people still did that. The buns BnB uses are fresh and doughy - a good thing - but they're formed in such a way that they break into one-inch sections (think monkey bread), once the juices and grease reach the bun. This may be intentional. I note that BnB double-wraps their burgers, like Carl's Jr. does, perhaps to provide diners some protection against leakage. Toppings are basic: tomato slices, lettuce leaves, raw white onion rings, dill slices, ketchup and mayonnaise. Everything is fresh and applied in ample, not overdone, portions. As other reviewers have mentioned, Beef 'n Bun sells crinkle-cut frozen fries, which aren't bad if you get them the day the fryer grease is fresh, and the fry cook's not too busy to let the fries cook all the way through. Now, about that shake: my server moved a half-gallon container of "Soft Serve Vanilla Flavored Reduced Fat Ice Cream Mix" out of his way in order to pull a milkshake cup's worth of chocolate soft serve for my drink. Then he added chocolate syrup and milk, chopped in most of a ripe banana, set that sucker on a mixer for a bit, and after wiping up some overage and bagging up my order, handed me lunch. The shake was not as thick as one from a typical fast food place, which I appreciated, and the flavors were great... authentic and substantial. The banana (a last-second inspiration on my part) made the drink a bit slimy on the tongue, and the mixer hadn't completely pulverized it, so I got bonus chunks of banana popping out through the straw every now and then. Overall, a great tasting drink, but not one I'd recommend to those who might be put off by these features. Beef 'n Bun won't kill you, and the flavors might take you back to happier times, but with so many better options available around town, I wouldn't consider BnB a destination restaurant. Unless you're 16, and just hanging out. read more

I'm so sad this place has gone down hill. This is a childhood memory. Pains to go say it But the buns are terrible. The service is unnecessarily slow. The burgers are expensive. You can go to in and out for better service. Won't go back read more