Busters

Let’s get one thing straight—I’m always game to try a new spot, especially when the locals are swearing it’s the best thing they’ve ever eaten. So when I started hearing whispers about Busters, a brand-new southern-style restaurant just off the freeway in Hollister, Idaho, my curiosity kicked in fast. Southern food in Idaho? I had to find out if they were serving the real deal or just totally missing the mark.

They host something called Southern Sundays, where the menu changes weekly and features a new southern dish. Sounds cute, right? Well, that Sunday was not giving. I walked in and noticed their specials board still listed the night before’s offerings—prime rib and a seafood boil. When I asked if they could still make it, they checked with the kitchen, but were out of some of the ingredients. Time for my classic go-to: ribeye.

Country Ambiance

The place was almost empty, which gave us plenty of time to look around and dive into the menu. Honestly, nothing stood out. There wasn’t a hint of Southern flair or anything remotely fresh or exciting. No bold fusions. No clever twists. Just your standard burgers and fries. The head chefs weren’t in, but we did get their stand-in—the chef’s wife, who doubled as our waitress. She was sweet, super chatty, and had me laughing in no time. We bonded over the tragedy of people ordering their steak well done and our mutual disdain for steak sauce. That little spark of shared sass gave me hope that maybe, just maybe, this ribeye was about to surprise me.

Spoiler: it was not.

Food Disaster

Once the food started hitting the table, it was a downhill spiral from there. The burgers were shockingly small, dry as the desert, and completely naked—not a single leaf of lettuce, slice of tomato, or ring of onion in sight. Just sad, bland patties on buns pretending to be something special. And for Idaho? Way overpriced. The tater tots weren’t any better—burnt to a crisp and somehow still flavorless. No salt, no seasoning, no love. Just crunchy little disappointments.

And then came the main event—my steak. I asked for medium rare, but what arrived was barely warm, completely unseared, and seriously lacking flavor. It was a bit tough and definitely not the steak experience I was hoping for. I gave it a generous shake of salt just to make it through a few bites. The green beans tasted like they came from a can and were heavy on the garlic, which seemed to be the go-to seasoning. The mashed potatoes were actually pretty decent, especially once I mixed in the cup of butter they served on the side. Yes, a whole cup—bold move, but hey, it worked. And honestly, the soda was solid. Sweet, fizzy, and probably the most enjoyable thing on the table.

Should I Go Back?

Would I eat here again? Maybe. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt and hope it was just a bad day. But realistically? No. Don't waste your time. There’s a gas station up the road and I’m telling you, the food there is probably better.

See ya later loves.