Busy Bee Cafe

I love stopping by Busy Bee when I'm headed to or from the beach. Pretty much anything you get is going to be tasty. Their Pancake breakfasts are really good and recently we tried the Pastrami sandwich, and it was excellent, especially with a bowl of Beef & Barley soup. The Milkshakes are worth trying and the Watermelon Margaritas are amazing :)

We split a beef dip sandwich with onion rings and a pastrami sandwich. The beef dip was good but the pastrami was so much better than any pastrami we've had lately. Shockingly good! The onion rings are kind of sweet and cake dough-y but good. The potato wedges are a nice change from the usual mediocre diner fries. Overall our meal was much better than expected! Cute decor and friendly staff.

The Busy Bee Cafe is a Ventura icon. Modeled after a 1950’s cafe, The restaurant offers large portions with quality food. You can choose the music at your table. $0.25 a song. They have a large menu with items that you would expect. I eat here often. The fried chicken is delicious. The sandwiches are great. I also like the fish and chips. The staff is friendly. And I enjoy the vibe. Oh, they also serve beer.

Highlights: Old school diner aesthetic and atmosphere is very cool. The potato wedges were tasty. Needs work: Food was mostly forgettable. I got the classic cheeseburger. I asked for it medium rare, but it came well done (dry). Also, no utensils and napkins at the table is an odd choice. I asked for napkins and they never came until I asked a different server for them. Overall: Not the best experience.

Delicious food and plenty of it. LOVE the country fried steak! Great Bloodies 👍

Legit 50s diner. Great prices and portions. The food is delicious, fresh ingredients. Great cocktail menu $10 drinks, $25 champagne flight. Fast and friendly service.

I ordered Eds 1/2 chicken basket. Chicken was very dry. The pastrami sandwich my husband ordered was just ok. The chicken fried steak dinner my sister ordered was delicious. Service and atmosphere was a 10. Would definitely eat here again to try other menu items.

My husband and I stopped at the Busy Bee on our way home from a weekend of camping with our family. The food was very tasty and the waitress was attentive to anything we needed. Loved the country fried steak and their machaca was also good.

In all the years that Busy Bee has been a staple of downtown Main Street, I've never been. Recently my father and I have been meeting for Breakfast every Sunday and we decided to not only visit our favorite haunts, but try some new (new to us) restaurants out. I enjoy a laid back, diner like feel when I visit an establishment, that was Busy Bee to the core. We arrived early and had our pick of seating, the booths are definitely well worn from years of patronage . I ordered the western omelet and my Dad ordered a Ham and cheese, both of us were pleased with our meals, and my Dad being the Biggest breakfast critic I've ever known, gave the greenlight to come back. Don't expect bells and whistles, this is down home old fashioned cooking, with decor to match. Prices weren't bad, compared to a majority of the competitors in the near vicinity that are about 15% higher. I'll definitely be back .

Amazing place! Friendly staff. Very clean. Love the vintage style. Enjoyed every bite and mainly their morning coffee. Highly recommended. Visiting from Los Angeles and definitely will be coming back.

Very cute diner with an extensive menu! We ordered the seafood scampi pasta and the provolone chicken sandwich. Both were yummy but definitely overpriced in my opinion. One thing I thought was odd was that there was no music playing in the back of the diner, so there was sort of an emptiness in the air. We tried to play music on the jukebox next to the table but they don't actually work. Fun place to visit once but I probably won't go out of my way to come back.

If you're looking for a classic breakfast spot with a fun and retro vibe, Busy Bee Cafe in Ventura Beach, California is the perfect place to visit. This charming diner with its 50s dinner theme and friendly staff offers a welcoming atmosphere that will make you feel right at home. The menu at Busy Bee Cafe is filled with classic breakfast dishes that are sure to satisfy any appetite. From fluffy pancakes to savory omelets, there's something for everyone. But if you're looking for a standout dish, I highly recommend the Eggs Lorraine. The Eggs Lorraine is a delicious combination of scrambled eggs, Canadian bacon, and feta cheese , and the eggs are cooked to perfection. The bacon adds a smoky, salty flavor, while the melted cheese brings everything together. But what really sets Busy Bee Cafe apart is the attention to detail and the friendly service. The decor is spot on, with vintage jukeboxes and classic diner booths that will transport you back in time. And the staff is always welcoming and attentive, making sure you have everything you need to enjoy your meal. Overall, I highly recommend Busy Bee Cafe for a delicious breakfast and a fun, retro dining experience. The Eggs Lorraine is a must-try dish, and the friendly service and charming atmosphere will make you want to come back again and again.

Old school mid century diner vibe right smack in the middle of Downtown Ventura... The food was good and the service was excellent. This particular trip I had a BBQ beef sandwich with fries (my arteries suffered but damn it tasted good) and split a shake with my wife.

For those who enjoy liver and onions this is the place to go. The staff is Great to accommodate special instructions on the orders. The chef is outstanding. And prepares the food taste like it was prepared for your mothers table. Thank you thank you thank you.

Great burgers, nice decore, music and staff. Would come back. Super quick service (Friday at lunch time)

we have been customers over the years this visit last week as we are eating roaches starting coming out of the corner of the booth ROACHS we informed the waitress her response was (oh they came out) yes ROACHS !! We put our forks down paid the FULL bill Never again!!!!!

Service was great, food was amazing, had the breakfast combo and steak and eggs. Steak was cooked to perfection. And the sausage was yummy. Would deff recommend!

Love, love, LOVE this place. The decor was fabulous, transporting us back to the 50's and 60's with Marilyn Monroe & Humphrey Bogart movie posters, and jukeboxes at every booth. We put in 25¢ for 2 songs, but left before we heard them. Meanwhile all the songs we did hear transported us back to a rock'n'roll time. We used the bathrooms, which were singles, and they were clean and stocked. The women's room had a baby changing table. The signage advised us to not smoke (thank you), pay our server (of course), and warned us not to dance on the tables (tempting). The staff was super efficient and friendly. As soon as drinks or food were ready, they came out to the table. My neice and I could not resist the drink specials. She had The Hawaiian Grinch & I had the Hot Toddy. Both were good. Husband, our designated driver, had a Coke. Neice ordered the tuna melt without the bread and a side of pickle & potato wedges. Husband had the pot roast special with toasted roll, gravy and mashed potatoes. I ordered the Sunrise Special: 3 pancakes with strawberries, blueberries and bananas - all fresh fruit! It came with syrup, but I didn't need it. Everything was delicious! Niece & I joined the clean plate club, but Husband left some potatoes & pot roast on his plate because he was too full to eat anymore. And he wanted to try one of their home made desserts. They looked so tempting. No room!! I hope we can return here for more meals. It was such a great experience!

The service was wonderful! The man helping us was attentive but not pushy and the food was great! We got the Sunrise Pancakes and Corned Beef Hash meal and it came out fast and was absolutely delicious. The diner is very retro and cute inside and I loved all the decor. It was very clean as well!

I had been wanting to check this place out and I'm glad we finally did. The food was great! The sausage burrito was very yummy and had great portions of sausage, egg & potatoes. We also had the coffee & baileys drink, loved it. My boyfriend had the American breakfast plate and while he was eating it he kept mentioning on how good everything was tasting, especially the pancakes. The service was great. The staff was friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, the juke box was not working but the diner was still a vibe. I'll definitely be back.

A group of us went to Olde Town yesterday...just to look around .... We decided to stop at Busy Bee.... it's been a while. They have a New Menu & upscale prices now. As I usually do at diners I ordered a Burger. This one, their cheapest, was close to $16. bucks. I said cook it medium...and extra dressing on the side. What arrived was an open face sandwich no dressing (literally a thimble with mayo on the side) with a large unidentifiable chunk of grey matter masquerading as hamburger. It was very dry & appeared that it was taken out of the freezer & put into a microwave. No Taste...No griddle marks...no burnt edges...no seasoning...just DRY grey! I put Ketchup & Mustard & the thimble all over it nothing helped. The small tomato & ground up lettuce was too little to even make a decent sandwich.. I left half of it on the plate. I'm assuming they were using the dishwasher as their fry cook on Sunday????

Can be pricey depending on what you're getting but overall pretty good! Great atmosphere to sit and have a meal at any time of day and the servers are always nice. I always get their strawberry shortcake which is only $9 and comes with a big scoop of ice cream which isn't typical but sooooo good!

Great place for brunch and breakfast. Their breakfast cocktails are delicious as well. Has an old diner vibes. Service was excellent, even while busy.

So cool. 50s diner. Jute box you can choose records "vinyl" drops onto turntable. Great food huge portions. Just like 50s 60s. The APPLE PIE IS AMAZING. It's literally the best apple pie ala mode I've ever had and I come here often for it. Wonderfully sweet staff just a great place to hang out.

After a beautiful morning walk along the beach, my friends and I came across this restaurant just off of C street in Ventura. Must mention, Ventura is a lovely city with much to see all in an easy walking radius. The Busy Bee Cafe wasn't busy when we came along, about 11:00am which was perfect as we had our choice of outdoor seating and terrific personalized service. Our server was quite patient, answering all of our questions while making helpful suggestions. After perusing their vast menu, I chose a grilled portobello mushroom sandwich with avo, red onion, cheese, lettuce and tomato presented on a delicious whole wheat bun. Sandwich was delicious! Subbed coleslaw for the fries and life was good ;-) Parking can be tricky at peak hours. We parked in one of the nearby lots earlier so had lots of choices. Hope you check out the Busy Bee, there's something for everyone here!

Enjoyed coming here for a late breakfast. They offer a wide variety of breakfast options all day. I had the breakfast combo with banana oat walnut pancakes and they are some of the best pancakes I have tried! They were so delicious that I should have ordered the full stack. The decor is very cute and does take you back to a different period. Their shakes are so sweet too that I would come here just for the different flavors they offer. Super fun place to enjoy a bite!

Casual dinning in the middle of downtown, Big selection that is great for big families with picky eaters. The burgers and sandwiches are always a good option and the staff is fast and friendly. It's a good option that is more kid friendly than restaurant in downtown.

they have cockroaches....brought to the waitress attention and she acted as if it was a reoccurring visit that they appear...didn't take another bite and had to pay the bill in full

This was open on Thanksgiving day. Perfect place to hang out. Food was good. Atmosphere was excellent and we enjoyed the bread pudding. The mashed potatoes and gravy were delicious. The fried chicken was over cooked and dry. Overall it was a great place to go on Thanksgiving day. Service was great. Very friendly staff.

Don't judge the book for its cover! On Thanksgiving day my partner and I were cruising for breakfast and most of our favorite places were closed. Being European diners are usually not my first choice and today it was THE ONLY breakfast choice downtown Ventura, so we decided to give it a shot with no expectations. We were very positively surprised with the food ( ordered both egg Benedicts in vegetarian version - it is called Valentino, one with potatoes the other with hash browns). I also ordered hot Toddy. Our sever Lily was just delightful! She was very knowledgeable about food and drinks ( which they have sooo many) and accommodated my request of speeding up our order as we were on tight schedule). The hot Toddy was delicious and the egg Benedicts to die for! Out of potatoes and hash browns the hash is the winner! The outdoor patio dinning is pet friendly. We definitely will be back and will check their Happy Hour which they have 4-7 Monday through Friday!

This is a really fun place to come with kids or maybe a first date. They have typical 50s diner style food. Burgers, fries, sandwiches or some veggie options. They make amazing milkshakes!! It comes in the metal mixer which I love. The kids adores their shakes. They have a jukebox at each table which my kids thought was so cool. This combined with the pictures on the walls of old celebrities and vintage music and red booths is just such a fun vibe. Check it out!!!

I must say I was not mad at that burger! It was an all American made in your home kitchen kind of burger. It was juicy, not dry like a hockey puck and cooked they way I ordered. . The contents of the burger had a diner feel such as the perfectly melted overly yellow/ orangey colored square of cheese, a bun that most likely hitched a ride on an 18 wheeler that traveled across the country to be delivered. The curly fries being that it didn't taste like it was freshly made ( a huge pet peeve...HUGE) most likely came in frozen causing a lack of potato taste. YET, the 100% percent grinded ground chuck beef used in the burger even though it cries for salt, WORKED! It was a respectable burger! I don't know how or why but it was. I got true delight in eating it. And as I write this review a few hours after consuming, I am happy to say my tummy is still intact. The small hot fudge sundae came in a huge glass ice cream bowl which was the highlight of it all. It reminded me of the kind I would get as a kid when gourmet preparation, and organic this and that didn't matter. It was nostalgic and made me a happy 8 year old, so 4 stars it gets. Plus pretty good ice cream, French vanilla even! . Bring quarters for the jukebox. You may think you have no interest but your gonna wanna.

If you want good diner food this is the place!! Chicken fried steak as big as your head and $4 mimosas?? If you get a blue plate special dinner it includes soup or salad and a small dessert. Reminds me of my Mel's Diner days. And love the table jukeboxes.

Overpriced mediocre food. The tri-tip is reheated not fresh to order. My 12-year old refused to eat her burger and the one bite she managed to try was immediately spit out. She hated it. Won't be coming back. Just to expensive for what you get. Not worth the $17 a sandwich.

Visiting this spot for the first time and omg! The food was amazing the server was very nice, very attentive to our needs. we came as a family of 5 and 6 of you count the little dog in our stroller. The food was freaking amazing l. I had the sausage omelette. My best friend she had the seafood omelette which looked amazing and I will be coming back for. Just a nice place to come eat at. Also I dig and love love love the 50s area vibe. Will be back for sure

If I could give this place 0 zeros , I would !!!! Bacon was over salty tasted like I was biting salt mixed with cardboard . Pancakes tasted like cardboard even thought I got flavored pancakes very bland . The waitress Nancy was very hostile and got mad when we started complaining . One of my friends didn't even eat of their food because it tasted terrible and she didn't want to refund her . She said since she had already checked up on us and we said everything was fine she couldn't do anything about giving us a discount . DONT SIT IN NANCYS SECTION TERRRRIBLE PLACE TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE , we called to complain and Nancy answered and she said they would call us back .

All of the food at this cafe lacks flavor. I don't know what all the other people in the reviews are talking about. Food is mediocre. Only good things are the shakes but OVERPRICED.

I had a wonderful solo breakfast here yesterday morning. It was a busy Saturday but the diner greeted me right away and sat me at a booth. The food was hot and delicious. The restaurant was clean and cute! Definitely going back next time I'm in town.

We love this place! The pastrami Reuben is out of this world. The skinny margarita is the best I have ever!!! All of the people are lovely, helpful and hard workers!!! It is a fun vintage setting!!!

Such a cute diner, the aesthetic and atmosphere is great. Alcoholic drinks are made well, and food was great. We ordered the Classic Burger and Roast turkey dinner which came with a soup or salad and dessert. Inside the diner at the booth seating there's a wall-o-matic where you can play two songs for 25 cents!

A gem of a spot in downtown Ventura, Ca. Sidewalk seating. Great staff and yummy eats. All makes for a prefect start of the day. Plushy you can't pass up a 50s diner theme.

For a good bite to eat or somewhere to find good ambience, this is the place for you, it feels as if you were taken back to the days of the 1950s in films or shows like Happy Days or Grease. The servers are very polite, friendly and welcoming, another aspect of the place i admire as its not too common nowadays to have such attentive and respectful people that can smile and wave you out after you pick your bill on the way out from a good and wholesome meal. This is one of those places where the experience is part of the meal and being able to just soak it in and just take time to catch a break from the hectic and crazy world outside. For any families, people or anyone just wanting a quiet but safe place to find a good meal, this is it.

Solid breakfast spot on Main Street. I tried the western omelette and it was good. Portion was good too. My partner had the stuffed French toast and that was so good! The menu had so much variety, so I will be defiantly coming back to try some other things out.

We were looking for a 50s diner and were so excited to come to the busy bee. Imagine my surprise to walk into a 50s diner and not hear any music playing. I feel like that is essential. When I inquired I found out that they were having some problems with their music. They did manage to get their jukebox working and so we had a ton of fun ordering songs from the table. I didn't have any quarters on me so I told them to add money to my bill and they had no problem doing that to bring me some quarters. We do think that not every song we selected was played, and that some of our quarters were eaten by the machine but overall it was great fun. The menu was very extensive as you can see in my photos the kid menu was small, but my son did not order off of it. They have gluten-free bread which can be used on any of the sandwiches. Please please do double check your bread. I looked at the bread that mine was served with, and I had to inquire about if it was gluten-free or not... I'm glad I did because it was not gluten-free and had been incorrectly given to me. I was also incorrectly served french fries, which had a gluten,l coating but I had already been eating them before I was told. What can be done? They had some of the best old fashioned barbecue and honey mustard that brought me right back to when I was a little girl eating in American style diners. I absolutely loved it. Rave reviews on the food which we found to be very tasty. The area is a little shady and the restaurant can get very cold towards the back and where the bathrooms are. Overall I'm glad that we went but I think I would look for a different 50s diner next time.

Great date spot to take your best gal! A lot of great options in both food and shareable desserts! The one thing that brought it down a star was its prices! I get it that inflation sucks but it can be a lot if you get carried away and order too much! Staff is friendly and tentative!

Food was good, but service and ambiance fell short when multiple vagrant flower salesmen were allowed to solicit. I like to enjoy my food in silence, and when the first one hasseled me at the table I asked my server to get them off my back. Nothing happened, and then a second one was allowed to come in and do the same thing? Crazy. Dont come looking for a quiet or uninterrupted meal.

My order was wrong 3 times after sending it back, 3 times! Requested napkins and mustard 2 times before they were brought to us! Drinks were wrong as well! Poor seevice at best tonight!

A Gem of a Diner located in the heart of Ventura! Shockingly great, good staff and awesome 50's diner decor. Food we ordered: Chicken and Waffles: Holy Crap! That's the first word that comes to mind. This dish absolutely blew my mind. This is one of the best fried chickens I have had in California HANDS DOWN. Yes it took 20 minutes to cook but when it arrived it was amazingly crispy, seasoned amazingly and the waffle was perfect! Cover it all with syrup and WOW this is it. Chicken Fried Steak: Perfectly crispy gravy was delicious another really solid option. Kids Breakfast: As expected not great, bacon was the best part eggs and pancakes were run of the mill premade. Drinks: Ice Tea - Regular Lipton tastes fine Prices are about as expected for diner. They do get very busy however the staff was friendly and helpful, they accommodated the specifics on the orders. They had crayons and jukeboxes at every table so the kids were kept busy while we waited.

Dog friendly patio, good amount of vegan/vegetarian options, service was ok. They are just simply order takers here. No conversation, might as well order at a kiosk or drive through. Super chill ambiance.

If you're visiting Ventura, or even if you're a local, you need to stop by the Busy Bee at least once in your life. I have eaten here many times and it's a staple and usually the place I will have lunch if I have friends visiting the area. Love the vibe and décor inside the restaurant. Always reminds me of a restaurant from the 50's or the Happy Days era. This most recent visit had to be outside because of the c0vid, but even though it was a nice day, it was very windy and blustery. Would have preferred to eat inside. But, anyway... Food was fine. Service was fine. I felt a tad neglected eating outside, to be honest. I don't feel I got the same service as I have in the past. But again. Thanks be to the c0vid for that. The clam chowder was the best thing of this visit, and I wouldn't recommend their fish and chips and/or their chicken strips though. The breading on the chicken is really weird and not flavorful or even tasty. And it appears the breading was the same on both?! Huh?! We only had a bite of the one of the chicken strips and wasted the rest, sadly. Should have sent it back for something else, but again with sitting and eating outside, it was just too much work. Have had different menu items in the past and they were good enough. Burgers and fries are a staple here, too. Would recommend for a good quick lunch spot, if only for the atmosphere and location near the beach. :)

First time here and it was awesome! Kimberly was a great server, very attentive, the mushroom cheese burger was cooked to my specifications, med rare, the strawberry malt and chocolate Sunday were yummy, and the classic 50s tunes had us singing all the way through our meal!

We loved the vintage aesthetic and ambiance this place had. It had a lot of character, the neon lights were so cute! As for the food I got a blackened chicken burger, it had a lot flavor and the potato wedges had a good amount of seasoning. For dessert I got a homemade cream pie, the flavor they had this day was coconut! It was pretty sweet but overall the coconut had a great texture. The service was also pretty fast and our server was nice and attentive.

We have dined here more times than I can count. We come here to enjoy good homemade diner fare with a few additions. The food is hearty, homemade, filing and tasty. There are always great daily specials and homemade soups listed on the board if you crave something off the menu. The old soda fountain drinks and malts/shakes are what you would imagine from this 50's style diner. Whether it is a cherry Coke, lime phosphate soda, delicious malt, creamy shake or even a cocktail they got you covered here. Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served here. You can order breakfast at anytime which is something I always appreciate. I am a total breakfast for dinner type, so this makes me happy. However, you can't go wrong with anything else listed on the menu either. I really like the Chicken and Waffles special. They are always accommodating with my request for chicken strips because I hate bones. However if you like Chicken on the bone their homemade fried chicken will not disappoint. My strips are served with a Belgian style waffle that is always hot, fluffy and moist. Paired with a hot chocolate that has hints of cinnamon and delicious whipped cream is perfection. Try this combination and decide for yourself. You will definitely feel like you stepped into a 1950's soda fountain diner. The oldies played on the jukebox will get you rockin' and rollin to the beat. Select the songs you like from the jukebox catalog and put a quarter in at your table side for 2 songs. The friendly and welcoming staff all provide excellent service. Great service is not always the Norm anymore so you will feel you stepped back in time. Do not forget to order some of their delicious homemade desserts to complete your meal. Whether it is an ice cream sundae, bread pudding. Tapioca pudding. Strawberry shortcake, variety of pies etc. Your sweet tooth will be more than satisfied. Take a step back in time and visit the Busy Bee you will be glad you did.

Nice little place in the middle of downtown Ventura that looks like a 50's dinner and has indoor and outdoor seating. The service was a little slow at first but once our server got to us she was always around and checking in on us. The food was good, a fairly decent sized portion, and everything was cooked exactly as we requested (ex. well done hash browns and medium cooled steak). I'll definitely be back when we visit again and would like to try other things on the menu.

Our first time visiting Ventura Beach yesterday for my birthday. Just stopped by this restaurant while waitlisting at another restaurant, and I was already in love with the traditional American design of Busy Bee Cafe. Feeling like I have been traveling back to the 1980s or 1960s which was a perfect spot for taking pictures hehe. I only seen this restaurant on American movies but finally i have the chance to explore. Food is soo good here we ordered beef liver and seafood soup. I highly recommend the beef liver plate. Price was so reasonable especially they came with such a big portion. Thanks for this wonderful experience

One two step into a lifetime before yours (most likely). This voluptuous piece of Americana can still be found tucked into the elbow of California. Busy Bee Cafe will make you happy you stopped in for a bite. The décor was very well placed all throughout, including a unique restroom system in which you put 'an olde timey' coin you get from one of the employees into a slot of the door to get inside. Cute restaurant. Breakfast brunch is served here. Beers on tap too. Lovely street-side patio seating too. It's worth visiting when you're in downtown Ventura.

This place is always amazing, I had the vegan pastrami, with onion rings, and a side salad, the sandwich was amazing to be a vegan pastrami, onion rings are just right, the place next door has live music in the street, bonus , place and waitresses are always great and fast.

Sometimes it feels good to feel normal again... I decided to take the family out for a fun day by the beach and the Busy Bee was the perfect stop for some dessert. It was an absolutely beautiful day and Busy Bee had a terrific outdoor set up right in front of their place. We got a table after a short 5 minute wait then decided to order just about everything on their dessert menu. All our choices were spectacular and the portions were all very generous. I think the hot apple turnover ala mode was the crowd favorite, though the strawberry shortcake was no slouch either. Busy Bee was always a great choice for gettting a burger when in Ventura, and now I know it is a great place for dessert too, and I thank them for letting my family feel normal once again during this ongoing pandemic, Aloha