Buster’s On the Lake

It’s not often you can sit on a patio bar overlooking water in Phx. Don’t miss this little place. food was very good service friendly and not overly busy.

Busters– Well it’s a place where I’ve been to a handful of times-​It sits by a lake which is nice. It’s good for intimate parties. So we went there today with my family for lunch /​play picnic since it was super hot for a picnic we decided on busters so we could eat on the patio by the lake-​and the experience was soooo disappointing. So we waited over 15 minutes for a host or hostess. So when my BF walked to ask the woman working in the bar area that we among others are and had been waiting. she was totally rude and sarcastic. When he said wed been. Waiting over 15 min she laughed… He was upset that he was treated so poorly We ended up leaving. Just from the staff not knowing how to treat customers. My bf introduced me to the place for a quiet lunches years ago and I doubt either of us will ever go back. Pretty upsetting and the funny thing is the hostess still never came and there were a lot of guests in our same situation waiting to see a host or hostess. Hopefully this review will let the employees no that when they are working its their job to represent the co. Otherwise they’ll lose customers. Thumbs down on service and attitude. Too bad:(

Went here for lunch and sat on the patio by the lake, which had nice views and was very enjoyable. I ordered one of the hamburgers and the server would not let me substitute a salad for the french fries/​onion rings, so had to pay an extra $ 4 for that. The burger and salad were both good and were pretty large portions.
I would give this a 4 rating but for the service, which was somewhat slow and the server was not knowledgable about the menu and did not offer to ask another server when he was posed with a question that he did not know the answer to.
There were lots of enticing menu options, so I will come back again to try something else.

Had wonderful dinner tonight, service was wonderful, over all great time had by all

I actually found tisplace by accident. We tried to eat at a breakfast place near the same location but it was too full. I had always heard that Busters had amazing food and indeed it was wonderful. I had the Eggs Benedict and you actually get more food for the $ than some of my other favorite cafes in the same area. We will definately be back — soon.

My first time at Buster’s — a wedding. The wedding party reserved the patio near the lake, which was nice. A little small, but we were celebrating and enjoyed the company, cool weather (great breezes that evening), and excellent food. I had the filet mignon and it was delicious– cooked to perfection and served with garlic mashed potatoes, with sauteed green beans. I finished every bit of it! Our server was amazing, attentive to empty glasses, friendly with nice words for the bride & groom, and respectful to each person’s requests/​needs.
From what I can tell, this is an establishment that has been around a while. The décor is «classic» with B&W photographs of vintage/​timeless Hollywood stars and athletes. I’m not sure of pricing but would guess this is probably a $ 20+ per plate type restaurant. If the weather permits I would suggest requesting a seat outdoors on their patio– it’s great.

Been coming here for 15 years.
Pro’s
— rolls and sweet breads (have to ask) are fantastic
— meals all good portion size and high quality!
— atmosphere good on bar side (tv’s for games)
— atmosphere on other side quiet but very nice
— has a couple large rooms for bigger groups
Con’s
— bar side service tends to be slower than expectation; only one server covers that area.
So happy this restaurant remains given the market space for dining is so competitive.
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My family has been coming to Buster’s for years for consistent American fare with a view. It’s situated along a fake lake, which offers some ambiance to this aging restaurant. The last time I came was in the middle of summer for dinner. There were probably three other tables making for a kind of sad dining experience. I think it’s much busier during the fall, winter, and spring seasons. We ordered pasta, meat loaf, and pork chops, which were all really good and the portions were really hearty. All of us took our food home. Our server was really friendly and checked on us to make sure we always had what we needed but not in an annoying way at all. The hostess could’ve been friendlier. Would be nice if they could do some renovating or rebranding to draw more business, since it’s kind of hidden in a strip mall. Would love to see Buster’s thrive again like it did when I was younger.

In the mood to try something new (new to us anyway), we went to Buster’s for lunch. Summertime is quiet and it was more like midafternoon so the place had only a few tables busy. I think during tourist season this place is hopping and the patio is always full — I know because we often ride the bike path that goes by. Today we looked out onto the patio and then the lake, dreaming of a few months from now when we can actually eat outdoors again.
We ordered a cheeseburger which looked like something out of a magazine ad, good quality meat with what looked like a wheat bun and all the fixings. Gladly substituted a side salad for fries. I enjoyed soup & salad combo — chicken tortilla soup tasted homemade and a half Chinese chicken salad with a light dressing. The half was generous plenty for one, I think a whole salad would have been way too much for me.
Service was attentive, food was excellent and prices were reasonable. I think we found a «new» favorite. I can’t wait to go back.

You know what I like about Buster’s? It’s that it’s actually on a (faux) lake! Yes, the lake isn’t real, but it’s big and houses live on it and if you close your eyes and try really hard, you might forget we are in the desert without a whole lot of natural water sources.
When I visited Buster’s it was sadly in the 100’s so we couldn’t sit out on the patio, but next time I will definitely make sure I do. Instead, we sat in the bar area and enjoyed Cajun Chicken Cesar Salads. The salad itself was hearty and tasty. I added avocado for a little extra. The setting was decent and very old school Scottsdale. Translation: everything is a little older, but clean and there’s nothing trendy about this restaurant. I also really enjoyed the delicious bread they bring out to your table. I can’t pinpoint the flavor but it reminded me of a bread I’d have as a kid. It’s a little sweet, a little sugary and a lot of deliciousness. I also noticed that they have pop corn shrimp on the menu which I will definitely be ordering next time.
Buster’s is worth a visit but you have to come in expecting an old school restaurant on a faux lake. It’s all A-​OK. There is plenty of room for large parties. The menu can be pricey, but if you order at the bar, it’s definitely more reasonable.

Another restaurant that, while living in AZ, was a family favorite of ours. Many celebrations, and even Thanksgivings, were spent at this dining establishment. It’s on a lakefront, very pretty and tranquil, but even the interior is very pleasant. In the days when I ate beef, I used to get their prime rib… deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious. Then, as I phased out of that, I changed to their Chicken Sonoma… a chicken breast sauteed and then topped with parmesan cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes and artichoke hearts in a Chardonnay wine sauce and served with garlic smashed potatoes (really yummy) and vegetables. I got that dish every darn time for years… except at Thanksgiving when they served traditional Thanksgiving fare, which was BEYOND awesome. As for desserts, I would get the Old Fashioned Skillet Apple Crisp, with granny smith apples, cinnamon, brown sugar and oatmeal crunch topping, plus vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. My daughters typically got Buster’s Mud Pie, made with Haagen Dazs chocolate and coffee ice cream
layered in a rich chocolate cake. Topped with chocolate sauce,
almonds and whipped cream. This place did not skip a beat, and you can be sure, the next time we’re back in Scottsdale, we WILL go HERE !!

Some colleagues invited me for lunch the other day and decided to pick this place. It was my first visit. After browsing the menu for a few minutes, I decided to order the California Wrap (Spinach, Tomatoes, Avocado, Feta Cheese, Sun-​Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing, Tomato Basil Tortilla, $ 8.95) with a side of Cole Slaw & Iced Tea.
I took one bite out of the California Wrap and was in Heaven!!! The sweet flavor of Sun-​Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing was a perfect compliment to the Feta Cheese & Avocado… the Cole Slaw was amazing too! What a great combo!
The only knock on this experience is that the service was kind of slow. We had to constantly look for our waiter… to order… to ask for extra napkins… to get refills… to get our check. Maybe we caught him on a bad day? Because I enjoyed my meal so much, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.
Return Factor — 92%

I love Buster’s! The Lavosh is to die for. Service is always good. A place to dine and relax. Romantic and nice.

Upon arriving @ Buster’s On the Lake, it became immediately clear that our party was underdressed. Most guests came attired in khakis and button downs at the very least; our part was full of out of town shorts and basketball shirts.
That said, our reservation was honored, no problem, and we were met w/​a minimal amount of disapproving glances.
Sure, they seated us in The Lounge, a darkened bar which it became apparent was the restaurant’s haven for the undesirables:

There goes that 30-​year-​old, hunched over in her walker. Oh, look,
Honey! An interracial couple wearing somewhat urban attire. Is it
Halloween? That couple’s teenage daughter didn’t dress beyond her
years and OMG TOO MUCH PLASTIC SURGERY OVER THERE!!!
We were there for Thanksgiving and the $ 28 dollar price tag suggested a fine dining experience. What one got was a slightly above average cafeteria/​bar setting (I kept the half-​lukewarm Thanksgiving turkey because it’s just so obnoxious to send things back) and a friendly glance from the waitstaff forced to work while half the world was off enjoying time w/​their families.
It could just be that wheelchairs don’t fit so nicely into anywhere but The Lounge, but Buster’s is still nothing you’d want to drive 45 minutes out of your way for.

I had two gift certificates to this place so we tried it. I wasn’t excited after reading the reviews but it is like watching a movie someone says is bad. You really want it to be better than it is. The ambiance is very stale. My husband actually said it smelled «old». We were the youngest people in there other than the staff by 25 or 30 years. The manager was incredibly friendly which was a plus but our server was very slow. The food tasted like cafeteria food very average. My husband had a steak on onion rings and I had coconut shrimp each right around $ 20 a plate. They serve a lot of food you could easily share an entrée.

My client and I will occasionally loiter on the patio for afternoon meetings at Busters. The location is nice, it’s a cute little spot next to the «lake.» As I’ve never eaten in the restaurant, my review will only cover the patio and bar app menu. So in no particular order, my observations.
The patio needs more umbrellas, or perhaps a nice solar sail. Western exposure in the afternoon … need I say more? The clientele around us was rather … entertaining (yes, sorry I know that’s snarky). It was an odd mix of bridge club and bar star.
The waitstaff is friendly enough, but during slow afternoon hours is busy with side work and tends to forget about you. I had to go inside to get my first drink since I missed her when everyone else ordered.
The beer selection is very good, but the food is pretty bland. My last visit we ordered the artichoke dip with chips. There were not enough chips to go around for three people, and the dip was rather mealy. I’ve had better dip from Costco.
I wouldn’t go there on my on volition, but it’s okay for a meeting.

I loved Buster’s so much in Flagstaff, I wanted so badly to love it just as much here, even though the Scottsdale location no longer has the same owners. But after a few attempts to love it, I just like it.
First, the bread basket is always disappointing. In Flagstaff, it was a big hunk of warm sourdough with enough zucchini muffins for everyone in your party. Here for three people, it was two sourdough rolls and a few thin slices of zucchini bread. I am happy to report that the French onion soup is the soup I know and love with a higher price tag of nearly $ 6. In fact, many of the dishes are the same as I remember, but everything at this restaurant is substantially higher in price, over-​priced in my opinion. Some of the nearly identical dishes may be $ 7 or $ 8 more here. It’s Scottsdale, not another planet.
So while I might come back for nostalgia, it will most likely only be when my mom insists. We ordered fish and chips, one sandwich, two bowls of soup, half of a lahvosh, 2 cocktails, a soft drink, and one beer for $ 91 BEFORE tip! Even without the cocktails, the price for these items was ridiculous. No wonder everyone who eats here is old. You have to cash in your retirement to pay for it!

Hidden in the shopping center just north of Via De Ventura on the West side of Hayden is Buster’s. Buster’s, along with a Chipotle, a flower shop, and some other businesses that I hope to make a better mental note of next visit…
I could easily have gone along with my life and not noticed Buster’s although I drive by the area all of the time. But, when my friend Allyson suggested it as a central spot for a few girlfriends to meet for dinner one Tuesday night, I went along with the plan. I’m always up for trying some place new!
Buster’s offers traditional bar food along with some seafood, steak, and specialty items. We chose to sit in the bar although none of us partook in their happy hour (which goes until 7). Aside from the waitstaff, we were the youngest people in the place (by a decade or two).
Nothing really stood out, and the food was fine. Not amazing. Not bad. Just fine. I had a Greek Salad with chicken and my two friends each ordered ½ portions of the lavosh pizza and side salads. They seemed happier with their orders than I was. I will point out that the lavosh pizzas do not come with any kind of sauce on them but marinara is available for dipping upon request.
The bill was under $ 20 a person out the door but then again, we didn’t order much. I wouldn’t choose Buster’s as a ‘go-​to’ place again, but I wouldn’t be opposed to giving it another shot sometime either.
PS — I didn’t notice the musty and damp carpet smell (maybe they replaced it, Natalie!)

Mmmmm… If you can get past the musty and damp carpet smell (prob from the «lake» humidity), the food is pretty decent!!!
Hey Buster’s! Replace your carpet for Pete’s sake (and clean it frequently once you do!)

Sunday Breakfast Here Rocks (the only day they do breakfast)
Awesome! Good food, nice dark atmosphere for nursing that hangover, and an awesome view of the lake.