We were staying in a hotel in Avalon, and walked to the pier (actual pick up point is across from the basketball courts) to take the free minivan shuttle to the restaurant. We sat in an outdoor booth, weather was balmy, and had the shrimp cocktail with added octopus, and the whole fried tilapia with flour tortillas. Finished with the pumpkin cheesecake. The shrimp cocktail is marisco style lots of liquid broth. All the food was good! She had a couple of their signature drinks. Bottled water - like the other Avalon restaurants there is no house tap. Food and drink were good, service was fast and friendly, and we took the same shuttle back down and then walked back to the hotel. One negative though was that a couple of the workers' children were playing loudly and yelling a lot in their banquet area outside, and that was distracting and detracted from the experience. read more

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We always go to the Buffalo Nickle when we come to Catalina Island They Always remember us and treat us like family. The food is always 5 star read more

Had a great time at Buffalo Nickel! My 9 year old son and I rented a golf cart and drove to that quiet part of the island to explore and we randomly came across the restaurant. We sat outside on the patio and I had a prickly pear margarita which I LOVED and a delicious enchilada combo. My son had a burrito. It's a very cool spot off the beaten path if you want to escape the tourist spots. Definitely worth checking out! read more

While the help was friendly, the food was terrible. Stopped in while on the island, twice. Once for a quick cocktail, pricey as expected, but definitely "worth it." Dropped in the following day and had some margaritas that were definitely missing tequila, and some food we couldn't even eat. read more

Off the beaten path but worth the effort for a large family . We had a sampling of just about everything Ribs, steak, nachos, fajitas etc. everything was tasty and the service was great. It was so good and we were so hungry that I forgot to take photos so I only have a pic of the bar area and the entrance. Whoops. We ate inside on our first visit and when we came back a couple days later for lunch after some time at the beach we sat on the outdoor patio. Definitely the spot for regulars and larger groups! read more

Buffalo Nickel - The front entrance - Pizza Near Me - Avalon, California

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Great take out! Arrived to the island late as restaurants were closing and they delivered food all the way to our hotel, Zane Grey. Large portions of food, and drink (yay!) we could have shared. Nachos, burritos and salmon meal were all warm and tasty. read more

Buffalo Nickel - Pizza Near Me - Avalon, California

We biked here from Avalon to have lunch during our stay in Catalina. If you are arriving by the helicopter, the restaurant is located right next to the helipad. The portions here were very generous, so our quesadillas and Ceviche were more than enough for two with leftovers to go. The prices were very reasonable too, given it was located outside of Avalon downtown. So why not the 5-stars? Well, the service was extremely slow. And the servers all seemed to be slightly tunnel vision and not able to multitask. It could also be that we were there right after a large group has cleared out, so the server chose to spend time cleaning the table versus giving us the menu. Lastly, the quesadillas were on the greasy side. I would recommend budget extra time when dining here. read more

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After exploring Avalon on foot all day, our weary legs clamored for a break and our seafood loving taste buds curious to try what the island has to offer. Something light and fresh since our dinner is in three hours. A local highly recommend Buffalo Nickel. Although a little distance away from the town, their van service picked us up near the golf cart rentals and also took us back to the town proper. Their shrimp ceviche was indeed worth the little drive. It satisfied all four of us with some generous helpings of salsa & chips. The place wasn't packed today - only three tables occupied. The music playing was just the right volume and we can hear our conversations without having to shout even when the speaker was right above the end of our table. More importantly, the price is perfect. read more

Buffalo Nickel - Fresh chip and Shrimp Ceviche. - Pizza Near Me - Avalon, California

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The portions are ridiculous, so be prepared to get your grub on. The service is superb, and the ambiance will immediately relax you. This is a locals type of place, and you have to get a ride up to the restaurant. There's outdoor dining with heaters also, but we dined inside. read more

Buffalo Nickel - This is the Carne con Chili, with beans, rice, and a tiny salad. This was absolutely amazing! - Pizza Near Me - Avalon, California

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We had the pleasure of eating here Friday night. They are extremely friendly, if you call the restaurant they will come and pick you up from town and take you back. The view outside is absolutely stunning, plus you can watch the helicopters coming and going. The prices are very reasonable as well especially for the area I definitely recommend visiting read more

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Went yesterday. Walked from the pier, it takes 15 minutes. Great little place off the beaten path. Was not crowded because of that, but the food is amazing. Service was great, people were nice. You can watch the helos come and go, pretty cool sight. Did I mention the amazing food. We did the chicken and ribs and the ribs were "fall off the bone" tender. Should have ordered an entire rack of them. They will pick you up and drop you off if you call them but the walk is good before getting ice cream. read more

Best Restaurant on Catalina Island! Go early order a cocktail (Wine) and enjoy the Pacific Ocean and a Sunset. Be respectful to the servers, they have good Days and bad Days, most work 2 to 3 jobs on the island. ALL items on the menu remain FAN favorites. Huge portions, especially the ChilI Rellenos that were made to perfection with homemade salsa. The Steak Catalina "EXCEPTIONAL". Servers Pedro and Kevin, who were Outstanding throughout the night. Just another Memorable and Fantastic Dinner. read more

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Love love love this place! Best drinks in town(strong) food is yummy and the service is usually good. Sometimes with bigger parties they can get slow but everything is made fresh and the guys who work there really hump it! Love their Mexican shrimp cocktail and the fajitas. The big wet burrito is a family favorite! Must have the buffalo milk!! read more

This was recommended to us by one our circuit drivers (which is another great service on Catalina) as great food and service. The food was GREAT, the service was awesome. The staff-Andy & Pedro were such a fun time! They helped us celebrate a marathon win. Definitely take advantage of the courtesy shuttle that can pick you up in town. It was a great 10/10 place. Nice indoor seating and fun outdoor back area. Couldn't recommend more! Get the fajitas for two and some margaritas! read more

Still amazing! Best prices on the island, consistently awesome quality and definitely some of the best service I've experienced on the island so far. Highly recommend especially with the warm weather upon us! What a great spot! read more

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Catalina is mostly a tourist trap with overpriced mediocre restraints but Buffalo Nickel is where you need to come. Food is so good, portions are unreal, and prices are great. Ceviche with added shrimp was massive and delicious. Wet burrito with carnitas and 1/2 red / green sauce was big enough for 2. And the Mahi tacos had a ton of fish and were very good. Be sure to ask for the roasted tomatillo salsa which was great on everything! read more

Cute off the beaten path restaurant. Unfortunately, my daughter and I had unpleasant experiences. Her kids corn dog was way overcooked and so were her fries. My nachos, had a hair sitting along my sour cream. I showed my husband. I thought I removed the hair, and he even asked me if I got the whole thing. I didn't see it, so I took a dive in. My first bite I was pulling hair out of my mouth. Gross. I was starving as it was out first night in the island and a long day an I had 't eaten anything that day since breakfast, so I continued on. Thinking back I wish I hadn't. However, luckily I didn't find anymore hairs and the nachos were a'right. The waiter was pleasant and he did take the corn dog off and nachos off our bill. We gave extra cash, because our intention wasn't to get free food, but to bring it to their attention. My husband was totally happy with his chimichanga and had no issues tho so maybe my daughter and I just had a bad night I wouldn't go back here this trip tho, as it was a total turnoff for now. It was also cash only the night we happened to dine in, so not sure what the reality of payment situations are other nights. But not everyone carries cash and I didn't see an atm on site. read more

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It had probably been over 15 years since we had been here so we decided to check it out again. We had a group of 8 and were told to call to get the shuttle when we were by the basketball courts. We waited about 20 min after calling and still no shuttle so we called again and the man who answered was very apologetic and sent the driver right away (not sure what miscommunication happened with the first call). The shuttle arrived less than 5 min later. It is a minivan so the driver had to do two trips since there were 8 of us. Once we arrived we were seated pretty quickly inside. The place was full and had a very fun vibe. Our waiter was the best - very friendly, talkative, and giving us a lot of different recommendations. We all ended up ordering Mexican food and it was all delicious. Housemade salsa and strong tasty margaritas were a bonus! Although we didn't get a pizza, the pizzas smelled and looked amazing. Afterwards we took the shuttle back. Having learned later about the new circuit transportation on the Island I think it would've been faster to just take that over to the restaurant to save some time. Overall we all really enjoyed the energy of this place, loved our waiter, our food, and drinks. We won't let 15 years pass again before returning. We will have to add the Buffalo Nickel to our restaurant rotation on our next trip! read more

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LIKE -Ordered delivery to my hotel room. -Patty melt and fries were good. -Cocktails were good and enormous. (Not necessarily strong, though.) I ordered two but one was plenty. read more

Excellent service Great Food ! Wonderful experience.. definitely would recommend to anyone visiting Catalina..

I always go for anything because all is good, go there every year, thank you for food read more

Food was delicious! They offer a shuttle from the golf cart rental to the restaurant. Make sure to confirm which stop since there are two. Runs on island time but worth the wait and convenient service. We were seated inside as a group of six. Service was excellent. Favorite dish was ceviche with spicy cucumbers. I'd go back just for it! read more

Buffalo Nickel - Camarones a la Diabla with corn tortillas and fajitas - Pizza Near Me - Avalon, California

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Terrible and I'm older women just happy to be out but we waited a hour to be served cuz waiter had a large party outside ridiculous and waiter was not apologetic and when served food was just lots of onions to make up for lack of food stuff read more

This is an out of the way spot that feels like a locals' joint. It is definitely not a tourist trap. Is it worth the effort? You bet. If you have ever rented a golf cart on Catalina to our the island, you have driven by this restaurant. I've driven by it 100 times over the years but never bothered to visit. Until now. Now, unless you don't mind a pretty long walk, simply call the restaurant when you are ready to eat, and they will send a free shuttle to pick you up outside the golf cart rental place. The drive to the restaurant, or back, is extremely short, just a couple of minutes. Tip your driver a couple of bucks, ok? The place is very casual so come as you are. Kids are welcome. The menu definitely leans hard toward Mexican food but you can get a steak or a burger or even a pizza, if you wish. We did see some folks who ordered pizzas and they looked terrific but we all went with Mexican dishes. We had chips and guacamole for a starter and it's very good but on the pricier side. I think the guac and salsa were housemade and the chips were nice and thick. If you like carnitas, I recommend the dinner plate. You get a giant portion of them and they are extremely tender and juicy. They come with three freshly-made tortillas (corn or flour, your choice), rice, beans, tomatoes, some guac, and sour cream. The rice and beans were very average. For the flautus entree, we tried them with chicken and you get two absolutely enormous flautus that were as long as a baby's arm. The tostada was huge and we selected that same delicious carnitas for the protein. Service was terrific. Our server could not have been nicer. Drinks were also on point. I tried a mezcal drink (El Palenque) and it was fine. Then I went full blown tourist and had the mai tai and it was sweet and extremely boozy. It kicked my butt and I was happy for it. This was a fun restaurant that is literally off the beaten path. It's a two minute free shuttle drive from the main tourist drag. Definitely give them a chance. I will happily return. read more

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The service was atrocious. The manager said that the waiter had other tables and that was his excuse for forgetting about my drink and also bringing my bill. I had to go get my bill from the guy behind the bar. Do not go to this restaurant. YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED. . read more

Good food, great portions, solid vibes, & nice wait staff. I liked that this place was a bit quieter than some of the other spots. Slight issues with flies. read more

We got rerouted to this restaurant after our original choice was unexpectedly closed. It's a bit out of the way, but we were pleasantly surprised of the food and staff. Everything we ordered (baby back ribs, tacos, BLT sandwich, pastrami sandwich) was delish, and the staff attentive. The price point was also quite reasonable for a location with an ocean view. We would definitely return and recommend it! read more

The sampler was huge! Good way to try the apps. Nice outside patio and service was good. All the drinks looked great read more

Buffalo Nickel - Sampler - Pizza Near Me - Avalon, California

I was given the tip to go here and get the ceviche from a local, and my goodness, was it a great reco. It's so fresh and truly a hidden gem. We got buffalo milk (of course) and chicken fajitas and they were also top notch. I say this as someone who's lived in Long Beach, OC, and San Diego my whole life and had a lot of great Mexican food. It's pretty far to walk, but if you've got a golf cart, skip the easy touristy spots and head here! read more

I cannot speak enough on how great the staff is here. Super friendly and accommodating. Let's start with the food. The Buffalo burger was so juicy and fresh and cooked to perfection! French fries made nice and crispy and are served with seasoning salt on them. So good. We had a couple of their Jameson green tea shots. OMG!! they make it soooo good. Seriously well done! Ive had my share of green tea shots and this rates as one of the tops. I ordered modelos in the bottle, but asked for a glass with lemon and tajin and it was so refreshing. We just chilled and snacked on some delicious food and watched a game while having some refreshing beer and shots. The staff was super personable and really great to hang out with. I will tell you, every single item I seen served around me looked soooo good and everyone ,locals and visitors alike were having a great time. Great ambiance and if you call them. They will send you a ride and drive you back down into town. Must go to spot!!! read more

The server was extremely biased. There was a point he walked to my table made eye contact with me to take my order, then he turned his back and walked outside to great someone and took their order instead. The food here isn't amazing and their coffee is watered down. The old school diner aesthetic is there but it was very obvious that I was not this servers kind of paying customer he wanted to be serving and it was easy to tell just observing how he would respond to tables who were just and arms reach away. I do not recommend this place. Food was just as tasteless as their service. read more

Local Spot off the beaten path! We've been coming here for years and the food is consistently good. The servers remember us and are so friendly. We prefer the outside patio but the inside dining room is Buffalo themed and very comfortable when the weather is chilly. First off their cocktails are great and the Buffalo Milk is the best on the Island without being outrageously expensive. We've eaten here 3 times this trip and some of our favorite menu items are: the Chicken Supreme Sandwich, all the Mexican food (wet burritos, nachos, chili rellenos,), the ribs and onion rings. The portions are good size and we highly recommend the Buffalo Nickel! read more

Ricardo was our wonderful waiter ! So kind had amazing energy. Even the food runner who was a younger man was lots of help and nice! Food was really good. I got the chile rellenos and it was amazing. Nachos as an appetizer and the asada on it was soo good. All of my other colleagues loved their food too. Sat outside and it was such a nice ambiance. read more

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We had a very limited experience here at Buffalo Nickel, but it was 5 stars for what it was worth. We came for a simple lunch while waiting for our helicopter to leave the island on a Sunday afternoon. Staff were welcoming and genuinely friendly; my husband and I ordered a fish taco plate to split. The tacos were MASSIVE, filled to the brim with grilled fish (mahi I believe); fish that was very flavorful and well-seasoned. We let them know that we were in a touch of a rush in that we had the helicopter waiting for us in 20-30 minutes or so, and they were very prompt with the entirety of the meal. Next time, presuming we're doing helicopters again, I would make a clear point to come here and get the fish tacos. Ambiance is a bit funky, kinda like - Mexican + old school Wild West + 80s music. On an island. So, not really sure what they're going for, along with a slightly kitschy vibe in the interior. I guess it works? Lots of indoor and outdoor seating, nothing presumptuous. read more

The Buffalo Nickel is a locally owned restaurant filled to the brim with character. Small on the inside and appointed with antique wood trim, tables, and bar, it feels like stepping back to another time. We came in by kayak from Avalon (with a whole story about having to wait for the helicopters to take off so that we could transit across the landing pads...), so we sat outside on the cute little patio. The service outside was great at first, then lagged a little tiny bit as we waited for food. I think they had a small rush inside. This is the only reason why this little gem gets four stars. Otherwise, we had a great experience and felt like family. The food was wonderful - best we had all trip. Instead of skimpy and overpriced, the cost was somewhat reasonable and portions were huge. Among us we had the potato tacos, the big fat burrito, and the kids bean and cheese burrito. Everything was excellent. We will definitely back!!! read more

This restaurant is off the beaten path at the heliport and offers a free shuttle to/from the restaurant into town! (Call to request). They pick up outside on the corner of the Catalina Conservancy (near golf cart rentals). Buffalo Nickel has a traditional Mexican vibe with a nice patio and clean restrooms. The service was friendly and accommodating. We weren't very hungry so ordered some small plates to tide us over. The food was plentiful and filling. I couldn't finish my plate of two tacos w/rice and beans. I was with non-drinkers for lunch so didn't try their margaritas. Something to try on the next trip! If you're in Avalon and its busy in town, try Buffalo Nickel for a break from the crowds. read more

The place to be is Buffalo Nickle. Great food, drinks and people. Service providers Pedro, Lupe, Rafael, Agustin, Gabriel will give you a great experience and make you feel like your at home. Best spot in Catalina Island. read more

We came to Buffalo Nickel for dinner on Thursday night the 13th of April while in Catalina. One thing I want to mention that is cool about this place is they have a shuttle that will come and pick you up. Because of it's location, it's kind of tucked away down the main road away from the main part of town, passed the port/docks where you come in on boat. So walking there would be a bit of trek. We were lucky enough to have a golf cart that came with the place we stayed at, but made note if we come next time and don't stay at that same place, we could dine here and get picked up and dropped off. The owner was there, super nice guy. It wasn't packed so we were sat right away and got our food not too long after that. I had a wet super burrito, my wife fajitas, and my kids smaller burritos. The food was good, fresh rice & beans which is always a plus, and a way I judge mexican food. This spot has more items to offer though in the manner of some american food too. read more

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Ordered carnitas wet burrito (both red and green sauce) and a mahi mahi plate. I hate to say it but burrito was way too salty. It was inedible due to how salty the meat was. I am pre-diabetic and sure I know the dish is not meant to be healthy, but I fear the amount of additional sodium is causing far more harm than anticipated, not to mention taste wise again, it was inedible. Hoping and assuming this is a fluke, just had to share. The place was really busy and packed, assuming it is for good reason and good food. Maybe a fluke, but that was my unfortunate experience. read more

Buffalo Nickel - Carnitas wet burrito. Too salty to eat. - Pizza Near Me - Avalon, California

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LOVE that they offered a shuttle to and from the restaurant because it's a 25 minute walk if you don't have a golf cart. The ceviche with shrimp and spicy lime cucumbers is a 10/10!! Definitely try to sit outside if you can as it gets a little warm inside the restaurant. read more

Buffalo Nickel - Ceviche with shrimp and spicy lime cucumbers- YUM. - Pizza Near Me - Avalon, California