Buster's tri-tip sandwich with potato salad and the best cornbread muffin.
Although there are plenty of great restaurants in Napa Valley, many of these places are not really viable options for lunch. For the avid wine enthusiast who can only get to Napa once or twice a year, time can be precious, especially during the day. On average, the Napa tasting rooms begin closing at about 4:30pm, which gives visitors about a six- or seven-hour window of wine tasting each day. Granted, proper planning will ensure that one can visit plenty of great wineries in that time, but a quick lunch should also be factored into the equation (unless skipping lunch and embarking on a bender is the main objective).
Fancy, crowded, sit-down restaurants can tend to chew up a lot of clock, and I’ll concede that this scenario may not be the worst thing in the world for most people. Most people can use a break from the deluge of Napa Cabernet, whether they realize it or not. After all, three o’clock and beyond tends to be amateur hour in most Napa Valley tasting rooms. Folks get loud, slightly unruly, friendly but sloppy. Fortunately, I’ve never been to a tasting room that actually requires a bouncer, but this is sometimes the direction we’re headed. When I used to pour wine at Grgich Hills, it was always the couple who skipped lunch that ended up making out by the check-out register.
In order to avoid these types of crowds, I’ve been rediscovering Calistoga lately. If you’re ever in this neck of the woods, and in need of some good quick sustenance, Buster’s Southern BBQ & Bakery is a great choice for a pit-stop. Buster’s may be the antithesis of Napa Valley chic, but it blends in to Calistoga perfectly. In fact, it’s is the type of place that you’re most likely to smell before you see, which is a beautiful thing. Buster’s is located on the northwest corner of the first stop-signed intersection in Calistoga (if you’re heading north), which is at Lincoln Avenue (Hwy 29) and Foothill Boulevard.
I usually like to order Buster’s tri-tip sandwich, pictured above, which is sliced to order and piled onto a warm, garlic-toasted French roll. After they assemble your (paper) plate, the good folks at the window will ask you if you want hot or mild barbecue sauce. Although there is a sign that clearly states “Yes, hot means hot,” please do not fall for this trick question. I can handle a good bit of heat, and I enjoy a good bit of heat. But having been forewarned about Buster’s hot sauce, I’ve requested “half hot-half mild” in the past, and it was still pushing the upper limits of too spicy.
Of course, if you want to taste capsaicin and nothing else, go right ahead and order the hot barbecue sauce. And good luck with wine tasting after your taste buds have tapped out. I’m not sure who exactly orders the unadulterated hot sauce, but someone out there must, if they keep making it. However, everyone I know stays away from the stuff. At Buster’s, if you play with fire, you will get burned. Having learned to swallow my macho pride in this situation, I have now resigned to just order the mild barbecue sauce, which is perfectly delicious on tri-tip. I can live with that.
In terms of Buster’s side items, they each embody exactly what you might expect from such a place. I usually choose the potato salad or baked beans. But you should also order a cornbread muffin, if you feel hungry enough. These muffins are sublime in their simplicity, plenty moist without the addition of any butter (but always better with). Buster’s also makes their own lemonade, which is just barely sweet and completely refreshing. If you think you need a beer instead, I can’t really argue against that, either.
Buster’s features a semi-enclosed patio with ceiling fans, so the place never really provides total relief from the often oppresive Calistoga heat. On the plus side, the dining area, furnished with four or five very rustic picnic tables, contains plenty of paper towel dispensers, which you will most likely need. Sure, on most summer days, a little air conditioning might be pleasant, but this is barbecue, my friend. Besides, you shouldn’t be trying to lounge around for an hour — there’s too much wine to taste.
