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Buffalo Nickel

3.8 (348 reviews)
ModeratePizza, American, Mexican
Closed • 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

Buffalo Nickel Photos

Business Info

BUFFALO NICKEL ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for groups
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Buffalo Nickel

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Reviews With Photos

Cindy W.

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.

Kelly B.

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.

The front entrance
Jona H.

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!

Fresh chip and Shrimp Ceviche.
Vince B.

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.

This is the Carne con Chili, with beans, rice, and a tiny salad. This was absolutely amazing!
Martin C.

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.

Bloody Mary
Gina O.

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

Tasty BBQ wings
Steven D.

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!

Carne Asada and tortillas (corn or flour).

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.

Overcooked kids corn dog
Amy M.

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.

Beef Taquitos
Alina N.

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!

Camarones a la Diabla with corn tortillas and fajitas
LeeAnn R.

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!

Carnitas plate. Extremely tender and juicy.

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8 months ago

Food and service is always good. I like it better than the buffalo bill restaurant. They don't charge you for theatre

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They deliver to the dive park! Good was great. Service was super quick. Made for a great surface interval meal.

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1 year ago

Really good food - good drinks - best on the island! The Buffalo milk is STRONG. Highly recommend.

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Page 2 of 9

Ask the Community - Buffalo Nickel

Is the Buffalo Nickel still open?

The Buffalo Nickel re-opened on Friday November 3rd, 2017. They suffered a kitchen fire and they closed for approximately 9 weeks. During that time, they took their time to do a full restaurant re-model. The outcome was excellent and they are back… 

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Maggie's Blue Rose - Chips & Salsa (not complimentary)

Maggie's Blue Rose

3.9(1.1k reviews)
1.1 mi
•$$

Most Recently: May 30, 2026 | Maggie's Blue Rose has excellent customer service, tasty bites and…read morestrong drinks! Shrimp Enchilada & Mango Salad | Discovered this dish at Taste Around Avalon & it was quite a memorable combo! There was flavor upon flavor in every bite! I highly recommend! Chips & Salsa | Delicious!! Love the salsa and the crisp tortilla chips! Guava Margaritas | I first tried the guava margaritas at Taste Around Avalon, which made quite an impression! Most recently, while taking a break from shopping, one of my friends and I stopped to have a quick drink on a very hot day! We had no idea the glasses would be so huge! Lol! The drink was also strong this time! I'm a lightweight, so I enjoyed a few sips, but definitely couldn't finish all of it, not even half of it! If you like large flavorful drinks, this is the place! Customer Service | Wildly friendly, and accommodating! Once, when several friends surprised me on the island at once, we all dined here! It was our last meal before catching our ferry, so we had very little time! Maggie's Blue Rose was kind enough to accommodate us, a total of about 10, as well as get our meals to us quickly, including excellent customer service! #grateful We had a variety of food! Overall | I'm looking forward to exploring more of the menu, as well as updating my review one day!

We wanted Mexican food as soon as we got off the ferry, and Maggie's looked like one of the better…read moreoptions. First, it was SO hot inside the restaurant. If you decide to eat here, definitely sit outside. Our server was also sweating so much that I was worried sweat was going to drip into our food. I ordered a piña colada, which was okay, and the Lazy Green Enchiladas. Unfortunately, "lazy" was pretty accurate. The enchiladas and beans had basically no flavor at all. The green sauce tasted like jarred salsa, and the chicken was plain, bland boiled chicken. My husband got the fish tacos, he said they were okay. Overall, this was a disappointing first meal on the island. I wouldn't eat here again and unfortunately wouldn't recommend it. Oh, if you want Mexican, the sunset bar and grill was good!! And great service!

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Maggie's Blue Rose - Bar Area - No "Auto-Gratuity" signage

Bar Area - No "Auto-Gratuity" signage

Maggie's Blue Rose - Nachos with steak

Nachos with steak

Maggie's Blue Rose

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The Sand Trap - Corn dog and carne asada taco

The Sand Trap

4.0(485 reviews)
1.1 mi
•$

Quick & Good, no fuss. Conveniently located by the Golf…read morecourse, they have a bar. Good food & drinks, great prices. And they have a HH!!

My wife and I came to Catalina Island with our kids while they were attending a lifeguard camp…read more While the kids were busy with camp, we decided to venture out and grab some food and drinks, and we ended up at the Sand Trap because it had some decent reviews. Overall, it was just okay. The food was fine, but we felt the prices were a little high for the quality and the location. The service also wasn't anything special, and unfortunately, our bartender came across as a bit rude, which definitely took away from the experience. One thing that really surprised me -- and this seems to be common at a lot of places on Catalina -- is that they don't provide complimentary water. If you want water, you have to purchase bottled water, which seems particularly strange to me and arguably worse from an environmental standpoint. I've never really understood that practice, but I guess that's just how things are done on the island. The Sand Trap is probably a convenient option if you're playing golf and happen to be nearby. But if you're staying in the main part of Avalon and looking for a place to eat, I'd probably explore some other options. Nothing terrible about our experience, but nothing that would make us rush back either. Next time we're on Catalina, we'll probably try somewhere different.

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The Sand Trap - Seating inside at #TheSandtrap

Seating inside at #TheSandtrap

The Sand Trap - Chilaquiles with eggs

Chilaquiles with eggs

The Sand Trap - Seating inside at #TheSandtrap

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Seating inside at #TheSandtrap

Coyote Joe's - FIRE

Coyote Joe's

2.8(655 reviews)
1.0 mi
•$$

Most Recently: May 30, 2026 | Coyote Joe's is an amazing Mexican restaurant with a variety of…read moreoptions on the menu! It's also a wonderful place to go if you want a late night bite, as it's open late until 2 AM! Fish & Chips | Delicious & flavorful alongside tartar sauce, & filling! Under From the Sea is where you will find this dish! Salmon Plate | Yes, please! Generous portion of salmon! It's a tasty dish, alongside flavorful rice and beans! Chips & Salsa | I really enjoyed the crispy tortillas and flavorful salsa! Chocolate Cake | Decadent! I did share with friends, as to the rest, I enjoyed every chocolatey bite! Haha! Decor | Festive & fun! A coyote sits on top of the frame of the restaurant and a vibrant Marigold entrance welcomes you at the door! Restaurant is very colorful, rich colors all around, as well as photos and artwork! I was also here when it was decorated for the holidays in October of 2025! Seating indoor as well as on the outdoor huge patio! I've enjoyed both! Customer Service | Wildly friendly! Hi, Nancy! I know Nancy from around the island, at another location! As soon as we spotted each other inside of the restaurant, we screamed, but not loud (hahaha!) and hugged each other! I had no idea that she worked here! Always fun to see a friendly face! Late Night Bite | Open late night until 2AM! Many of the restaurants on the island closed before 10 and sometimes before 9 AM! Overall | Yes, Please! An array of flavorful dishes, festive atmosphere, and friendly customer service... Let's go!

Beer was warm and flat. Margarita was weak…read more We finally got our food at least 1/2 hour after serving. My husband's food was barely warm. Mine was hot but it was terrible. I took five bites and I was done. Do not EVER eat here.

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Coyote Joe's - Decor during October!

Decor during October!

Coyote Joe's - Special burrito they are known for. Shredded beef for Jake. Superb! Size for three people!

Special burrito they are known for. Shredded beef for Jake. Superb! Size for three people!

Coyote Joe's - Happy hour Paloma

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Happy hour Paloma

The Lobster Trap - Bread bowl

The Lobster Trap

3.8(2.6k reviews)
1.0 mi
•$$

I dined here 10 years ago during my last visit to Avalon and it happened to be recommended to me…read morethat it was still a popular place to eat so I returned for dinner last night. The location is one block from the waterfront and features one large room with a full bar, dining room and then a bar with stools next to the open kitchen all with a nautical theme to it. The restaurant has a vibrant feeling to it. I ordered a cup of the clam chowder ($8) and upon the recommendation of the waitress pucker the seafood pasta ($32) for the entree. The chowder arrived about 5 minutes later and was perfect. Delicious, rich, creamy and flavorful, it was as good as any that I have had (5). The entree arrived about 15 minutes after ordering and had shrimp, scallops, clams and fish on spaghetti in a marinara sauce. Quantity wise it was plenty. Taste wise left me wanting a little more. First, I don't like fish in this dish and should have asked it not be included. My fault. I prefer just the shrimp, scallops, clams, etc. Also the marinara was ok in taste but not my favorite. I gave the entree a 3. I would have preferred it with the also available garlic butter and olive oil sauce instead. Service was very good. I am going to give a 4 score here because I think that my entree dislike was more of an anomaly than normal. I would be happy to return.

Cecilia was scattered covered and covered She forgot my…read morebeer and had to be reminded By the time I got my beer I was deep into my meal She never even let me know she was late and apologized Only go for breakfast that is the best time

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The Lobster Trap
The Lobster Trap - French toast

French toast

The Lobster Trap - Oysters Rockafeller $26

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Oysters Rockafeller $26

El Galleon

El Galleon

3.9(442 reviews)
1.1 mi
•$$
Outdoor seating
Private events

I had lunch at El Galleon upon a recommendation a couple of weeks ago. It's easy to find on…read moreCrescent and has a nice interior with two levels of seating and a full bar on the ground floor. The interior has a lot of local art works of Avalon and Catalina island giving it a nice ambiance. I ordered the fish and chips meal for $24. It came with 3 large fried filets, fries and slaw. It was a good tasting meal with the fish and fries hot and fresh to counter the cool and tasty cole slaw. The table service was very good too. I would be happy to return here.

Located right on the beach, the view are beautiful. I had originally planned to eat at the…read morerestaurant next door but the wait was too long, luckily this restaurant had half the wait time. 20 mins wait on a Saturday evening is pretty great. Drinks: Dirty Martini 2/5 Food: - LEMON GRASS CHICKEN CRUNCH SALAD 4/5: This salad was incredible. The dressing was so flavorful. My only complaint is that it was drenched in dressing so a bit too salty and soggy. I would just ask for the dressing on the side next time. - PRIME RIB 4/5: We chose a baked potato and brussel sprouts as our two sides. The baked potato was on the drier side, and the brussels were small. The prime rib itself was good. Meaty cut and pretty tender. I wish the horseradish had more of a bite though. - FRESH CATCH OF THE DAY 3.5/5: I opted for the fresh catch booked with a lemon and garlic sauce alongside rice pilaf and asparagus. Flavors were great but it was slightly overcooked so a bit on the dry side.

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El Galleon
El Galleon
El Galleon

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M Restaurant - Linguine bolognese

M Restaurant

4.1(458 reviews)
1.2 mi
•$$$

Came here twice during our trip and loved it both times! The cheesy garlic bread is a must, and we…read morereally enjoyed the lobster linguini and seafood pasta. Caesar salad was not bad but I think I would skip next time. The restaurant has a really nice romantic atmosphere, so it's perfect for a date night, dinner with your loved ones, or a special occasion. It's also right by the main street with all the bars, so we walked around and grabbed drinks afterward. Service was amazing and the drinks were also great. I sat both inside and outside, and would recommend sitting outside if you want to enjoy the ocean more. Luckily they have heaters so it doesn't get too cold at night. Definitely recommend making a reservation since it can get busy. Would happily come back again!

I guess this is one of the fanciest restaurants in Avalon. However, I was surprised that our food…read morecame out only about 7 minutes after we ordered. We tried the French onion soup, but unfortunately, I couldn't bring myself to eat more than one spoonful and ended up leaving almost all of it. The pasta was also a bit overcooked and tasted pretty ordinary--nothing particularly special or memorable. If you're visiting the island, I'd recommend this place for the atmosphere and ambiance. But if you're hungry and looking for really good food, I personally wouldn't recommend it. That being said, our server was very nice and attentive. In fact, it was probably the best service we experienced during our time on the island.

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M Restaurant - Inside seating

Inside seating

M Restaurant - Fried ravioli with a view.

Fried ravioli with a view.

M Restaurant - 04.30.23  orange juice

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04.30.23 orange juice

Buffalo Nickel - pizza - Updated October 2026

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