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Buena Mesa - Steakhouse in Downey, California

Buena Mesa

4.3 (573 reviews)

5861 Firestone Blvd, South Gate, CA 90280

Seafood restaurant
Steak house

About Buena Mesa - steak house in Downey, California

Customer Review Summary

Buena Mesa offers a vibrant atmosphere and great seafood, with highlights including grilled shrimp and flavorful salsa. The service is generally praised, with staff being attentive and friendly, particularly noting a positive experience with server Guillermo. Some guests enjoyed fresh sashimi tuna and a solid michelada, while others faced issues during happy hour, citing slow service and incorrect orders. Several patrons found the food quality inconsistent, with complaints about the taste and preparation of some dishes, including overly salty shrimp and unappetizing beans. Despite a few negative experiences, many reviewers expressed a willingness to return, especially for specific menu items, though some indicated they would not recommend the restaurant due to service and pricing concerns.

Key Features

From the business

  • Identifies as veteran-owned
  • Identifies as women-owned

Service options

  • Outdoor seating
  • Curbside pickup
  • No-contact delivery
  • Delivery
  • Takeout
  • Dine-in

Highlights

  • Fast service
  • Great beer selection
  • Great cocktails
  • Live music
  • Sports

Popular for

  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Solo dining

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair accessible entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Wheelchair accessible restroom
  • Wheelchair accessible seating

Offerings

  • Alcohol
  • Beer
  • Cocktails
  • Coffee
  • Comfort food
  • Happy hour drinks
  • Happy hour food
  • Hard liquor
  • Healthy options
  • Late-night food
  • Organic dishes
  • Quick bite
  • Salad bar
  • Small plates
  • Vegetarian options
  • Wine

Dining options

  • Breakfast
  • Brunch
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Catering
  • Dessert
  • Seating

Amenities

  • Bar onsite
  • Restroom
  • Wi-Fi

Atmosphere

  • Casual
  • Cozy
  • Trendy

Crowd

  • Family-friendly
  • Groups
  • LGBTQ+ friendly
  • Tourists
  • Transgender safespace

Planning

  • Accepts reservations

Payments

  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • NFC mobile payments

Children

  • Good for kids
  • High chairs
  • Kids' menu

Parking

  • Free parking lot
  • Free street parking

Customer Reviews

Rating Distribution

4.3 out of 5
5
386
4
80
3
38
2
23
1
46
Based on 573 reviews

J C

5 months ago

This place is a vibe. The seafood is great and you can catch the game here and a live concert. I totally think this place is clean and just a good spot to chill. There’s no rowdy nonsense like at other marisco places.

ShamPoo

1 year ago

We got grilled shrimp plates and added octopus on the side. The grilled shrimp were really good, the chips & salsa were A1, and even the white rice was delicious! I would recommend getting the whole octopus instead of adding pieces on the side because it's much easier to overcook a single tentacle versus the whole thing. The refried beans weren't traditional, but still good. There was an issue with the way my order was processed. I spoke with the manager & he was more than happy to rectify the situation. I will definitely be returning for the grilled shrimp & delicious salsa.

Rebecca

11 months ago

My husband and I came in to try this restaurant for the 1st time based on the reviews, and we were not disappointed. The positive reviews were very accurate. We had the pleasure of having Guillermo as our server & he was the sweetest and most attentive. 10/10 service. And the food was flavorful and tasted very fresh.

Juan Dotson

6 years ago

Super fresh tasty sashimi tuna (spicy) and scallops! Solid michelada, more ice than I'm used to. Friendly service, lots of parking, some big screens. Great first impression. Welcome to neighborhood and keep it up!

Maria C

Came here for the first time during happy hour and there was nothing happy about it . Service was slow. We all placed our orders for food and it took forever to come out. The shrimp ceviche had too much of a clamato taste and the shrimp cocktail we order had octopus when we clearly asked for it with just shrimp. The shrimp caldo was the last to come out and it literally had like 6 shrimp and was a bit too salty. The tacos gobernador were ok but the tortilla was a bit burnt. Food was overpriced in my opinion. We had to keep asking for napkins and condiments because they didn't have that readily available at the tables. Mind you it was just our table and another table that was being served. When the bill came the drinks that I ordered were not "part of the HH menu" but it clearly said cocktails. Waitress stated that only the margaritas were part of the HH menu but it clearly said 50% off cocktails. Never going back to this place again.

Maria Garcia

It was our first time here. Not what we were expecting. To start off, they had only sprite, Diet Coke and agua fresca. We asked for a straw, they didn’t have any straws but coffee stirs. I order the Camarones Monia, the beans tasted bitter like if they were going bad and the rice didn’t have any taste. The service over all was okay. I will definitely not come back ever again.

Jaime Pradisas

Even though the food was good (not excelent), we were short on service and atmosphere. Not as expected. Service personnel were most of the time talking to each other instead of keeping an eye on customer needs. There were some children yelling and running all around the place which made it somewhat uncomfortable. Parents were careless. We had a little trouble at checkout time due to our host not being knowledgeable about taking gift cards. Luckly the manager was able to assist us and resolve the issue. Pricewise was on the high side. We more likely will not return to this place or recommend it to friends or family.

Marco Ramirez

4 months ago

Sunday at 5pm was less busy than usual. We ordered the seafood tower special and it was very delicious and flavorful. Cassandra was very attentive and also gave us recommendations for our next visit.

Location

Contact Information

Hours of Operation

Friday 11 AM–11 PM
Monday 11 AM–10 PM
Saturday 11 AM–11 PM
Sunday 11 AM–10 PM
Thursday 11 AM–10 PM
Tuesday 11 AM–10 PM
Wednesday 11 AM–10 PM

Price Range

$$