Buster's Original Southern BBQ — Restaurant in Calistoga

I expected more of the bbq being served in the Napa Valley. This is the second worst food experiences in the Napa Valley I've had, the first being a place known for fried chicken but they ended up serving chicken that wasn't cooked thoroughly, and it was super disappointing because we ended up at McDonald's before the Kenny G affair. Back to the bbq...the side sizes were super small, they served sides in tiny containers which I would've expected to pump condiments in such as ketchup, mustard or any other dip sauces. I ordered the slaw and chili beans. The slaw was decent, the chili beans tasted nothing like chili beans, instead it tasted like bland, boiled beans. The main course was a 3 meats combo, tri tip, pork ribs and half a chicken. The chicken was dry!!! Some parts were so dry I couldn't even mess with it. The tri tip was tender but completely lacked flavor. The pork ribs were the wrong cut of ribs to use, way too much fat, not enough meat, not tender AT ALL, the top layer was crispy, kinda stringy and then came the fat and working my way through to the very little meat ....one of the worst ribs I've had. I didn't even finish one rib.When you bite into a rib all you should feel is meat and a little fat to accompany it and it should be tender.When I got there the smokey smell in the air was enticing but then they served the food. All foods in Napa Valley should be ON POINT!! I don't feel like I should walk away from the Napa Valley thinking, I can cook better than this. I still have the leftover food in the container, my husband was like, it must be bad because you're not even offering a taste. My chickens will eat well today. I had to give one star for the food but if it were up to me I'd give tons of...

UPDATE... So today 10-27-22 my Latino coworker received so much meat on his tri-tip sandwich he could have made another sandwich! I questioned the cashier and she said "do you want more meat?" I said "I just want it to be fair and the same." She said "it will be $5 extra." My coworker did not pay any extra for what he received. So if you're the same nationality as the staff you will definitely be treated better. I guess the owners are ok with that since it has been going on for a while...

I've been coming here since 2007 with several coworkers and it seems if you are Latino and order in Spanish you tend to get a little extra on your tri-tip sandwich... just sayin'... but I prefer the pork ribs... unfortunately the quality is inconsistent. They have ranged from perfect(hot and juicy, and comes off the bone nicely) to dry and tough. Today 8-7-17 they seemed old... like they have been sitting around a while. The meat came off the bone clean, but they were on the verge of being considered dry. I talked to one of the guys working the bbq about the tough ribs previously, he said there is one guy who don't know how to cook the ribs right, but it seems no one is doing quality control... I do like there hot links and baked beans. The hot sauce is HOT! The mild is just right. Sometimes I get half hot and half mild on the side for a little extra heat. We haven't seen Buster there for quite a while or else I would talk to him about it... The other guys haven't complained about the tri tip sandwiches except for as previously noted... I just hope the ribs are up to par next time we ...

MAJOR TRIVIA: THANK YOU FOR YOUR GUINUINE RESPONSE ON READING MY REVIEW / YOU ARE A CLASS ACT...I WANT TO COME AND TRY OTHER ITEMS NOW!!!...I'VE NEVER HAD A RESPONSE LIKE THIS...WE ARE COMING BACK...7/31/25...

• NEXT ORDER WILL BE... BEEF RIBS / BEEF BRISKET / WITH 2- SIDES OF BAKED BEANS / CORNBREAD INSTEAD OF THEIR GARLIC BREAD...

NOW...I'M GLAD THAT HIS BUSINESS DOES REALLY WELL / BUT... WE STOPPED HERE ON 7/27/25...DEFINITELY NOT IMPRESSED...THEY NEED TO SEASON THEIR MEAT FOR SOME FLAVOR...THIS IS A BBQ RESTAURANT WITH NO SMOKE FLAVOR EITHER...OUR PORK RIBS & CHICKEN WERE DRY / SAUSAGE WAS OKAY...POTATO SALAD LACKED / GARLIC BREAD WASN'T GOOD...THE BAKED BEANS WERE THE ONLY ITEM WE ENJOYED...*TRIVIA: NOT TO WASTE THE MEAT / WE ARE MAKING A GUMBO / WITH ADDED OKRA & SHRIMP...

*EXTRA TRIVIA: MAYBE OTHER MENU ITEMS HOPEFULLY WOULD BE BETTER... *MY EARLIER REVEIW... AN ORIGINAL SOUTHERN BBQ / SOUNDS VERY DELECTABLE...HIS REVIEWS ARE LOOKING TEMPTING...A VERY NICE AND BEAUTIFUL DRIVE OVER ST. HELENA MOUNTAIN...WE WILL DRIVE / AND MAKE A FUN TRIP / TO OBTAIN GOOD CULINARY CUISINE...ESPECIALLY A GOOD SMOKE HOUSE...EVEN THOUGH I BBQ AT LEAST A COUPLE TIMES A WEEK...HIS MENU LOOKS DELICIOUS AND VERY EXTENSIVE...MMM...TRIVIA: LIVE BLUES / JAZZ MUSIC ON SUNDAYS IS AN ADDED BONUS... OPENS 10 AM TO 8 PM ALL WEEK / EXCEPT SUNDAY 10...