Bushfire Kitchen

Tip: if you order your food to go, verify that they gave you everything before you leave!
I’ve made the mistake of not doing this only to discover after I got home that items were missing. Typically it’s been bread or sauce so I was annoyed but just brushed it off. However, on my last order I got home to find they didn’t give me an entire entrée. My family needed dinner so I drove back to the restaurant. What bothered me the most is that when I told the cashier and then the manager why I was there, no one apologized. No «I’m sorry this happened.» No «I’m sorry you had to come back.» Nothing. Apologizing goes a long way. The manager offered a refund or to give me the missing entrée; however, my food was cold and I was now upset. I asked for them to remake my entire order. They reluctantly did and my family was much happier having a hot meal. I was glad it was resolved, but Bushfire could have approached it better — they could have apologized, they could have proactively offered to remake everything vs me having to request it. When my order was up the manager handed me the bag and said «everything’s in there.» Again, no apology. They could have done something above and beyond just for my inconvenience of having to drive back, wait, and delay my family’s dinner — such as throwing in a cookie or an extra piece of bread. Nothing! I get treated better at Urban Plates and they’ve never messed up my order. It’s a shame because I like Bushfire’s food.

This place is yummy price for the amount of food you get is reasonable. But they only thing that bothered me was I was told that I could not bring any other drink in the restaurant if it was not there’s for safety issues like it I we’re to get sick from that drink and said it was them they are just protecting the company just was kind of thrown off.

The manager was so rude she wouldn’t allow my SERVICE dog in which is completely illegal !!! It’s unwelcoming and just all around bad atmosphere, would never return and that’s sad because I live right down the street.

Haven’t been here? You need to put it on your list of «must try». If your looking for a healthy eatery that allows you to enjoy the weather with your meal as well as a tasty craft brew, this is it. Good food, good brew, good weather = 5 stars.

I first tried Bushfire in Temecula, and from my first visit I was blown away by the quality of the food. This is a great place to eat if you are gluten-​free, if you care about eating locally, or if you just love good food. My favorite is the ribs — they made my Kansas City uncle say «wow» and claim they were some of the best ribs he’s ever had. Good quality main dishes, but not a huge selection of sides. The salads have all been delicious, and the spinach and strawberry is my favorite! Though, my husband loves the beets and quinoa salad. Highly recommend this place!

I read the reviews online for Bushfire and one day I want to go and one day I don’t so today I made the leap and jumped in. So glad I did.
Once again, a restaurant in a shopping center with better than average chain food. Here all the food is in the counter where you can see it before you buy. So like a deli, but with lots of made to order items as well.
I opted for the Argentinian burger and a side greek salad. Burger comes with arugula, provolone, smoked bacon, roasted green peppers, house made aioli and chimichurri sauce. I had mine wrapped in lettuce (to avoid the carby buns — but man did they look good).
So it’s not a cheap burger mind you — prices are a little high so I set my expectations higher too. First bite of burger — I’m more than delighted! Beef is top quality. But what is this flavor profile I’m getting — combo of arugula, roasted green peppers and chimichurri sauce was a tastebud wowzer. I’ve never tasted anything so fresh and wanting me to take another bite. Well done Bushfire!
Ambience is really cool too — rustic meets industrial. Before I left, I went back to the counter to check out the braised offerings — big pots of yummy stews, curry, briskets, short ribs and more. Okay i have to go back and try one of those now too.
Speed of service was good and staff very helpful — even offered samples of food in counter to try — can’t do that in a regular sit down.

This place is really hip and modern ideas with great tasting food. The
Ribs and Mac and cheese are amazing!!!

Organic, grass-​fed, house ground beef! What more could you ask for? I’ve been on the hunt for a great burger and this place definitely satisfied my requirements. I ordered the Californian and my husband got the Argentinian. They were cooked perfectly and all the ingredients were so fresh! I ordered a side of sweet potato fries with my burger and they were hot, thick steak fries with the perfect crispness.
We enjoyed our lunch on the dog friendly patio. Really great happy hour with a nice selection on tap, unsure of the days/​times for HH. They make their own lemonade, which made for a great Arnold Palmer.
Just outside of the patio there’s corn hole that’s available to play while you wait for you food. Would love to see this place busy and from the looks of their website it seems they are working on starting to serve breakfast!

I’m not sure what’s going on with Bushfire. I typically do not have any issues, but when I do I feel it’s fair to let management know.
The good:
— taste of food. I think their food is fresh and full of flavor. I have enjoyed everything I have ever ordered.
— good menu options
— speed of service
— friendly staff
–solid draft beer selection
— GT’s Trilogy Kombucha on draft
The bad:
–made to order burgers. I love their Californian burger, which I have now ordered on three separate occasions. The first time the burger was cooked exactly to my liking. The second time, I ordered the burger medium, and it was served closer to medium well. The third time I decided to order the burger medium rare. The burger arrived once again closer to medium well. I told management. I had the kitchen cook me. an entire new burger, and I also kept my original. The new burger arrived in the medium range. Unreal. You would think the acting interim manager would have come back to the table to check on my new burger. Nope. He could care less. As a matter of fact it took him 5 – 10 minutes to arrive at the the table. At one point, while waiting I remember saying to my wife, «I wonder if a manager will show up at all.»
–Kids chicken plate. On one order, the plate consisted of only dark meat. My son was less than pleased.
— Today I asked for plastic utensils and a side plate. The side plate my wife was handed was dirty. When she went back and showed the interim manager the plate, basically handed her a stack of plates to look through and choose from. 99% of the side plates had chips in every corner of the plate. Unreal. Get rid of ‘em and get more durable plates!
–noise level
If it’s busy, the noise level can be very high. Also, the music is played louder than desired too.
All in all I recommend BF but with caution.

If you’re looking for some burgers and sandwiches with a little side of healthy, then this is your place.
It’s quite a unique place. When you first walk in, it almost looks like a buffet style setting because you can see the variety of sides and salads they offer through a glass case.
You basically check out the menu, and order at the register.
After you order they give you a number and you seat yourself.
There is indoor and outdoor seating available.
Although the restaurant itself is on the smaller side.
On some days, they have live music outside on the patio!
Food:
+ Natural Angus Tri-​Tip Plate + two sides $ 14.95
We went with mac and cheese, and Caesar salad. The mac and cheese was delicious. It was very cheesy with a lovely crunch because it was baked with bread crumbs on top. The caesar salad was fresh. The tri-​tip steak was very soft and tender, but the portion size of the meat was very lacking. I did really love their chimichurri sauce though.
+ Brisket Burger + French Fries $ 15.90
The burger buns was different texture and had white and black sesame seeds, probably because its gluten free. But it wasn’t bad. The burger had really good flavor to it, and tasted healthy. Although I asked for my patty to be medium rare, and it was definitely well done because it was on the dry side. The french fries were crispy, flavorful and delicious though as well.
Overall, they serve very healthy meals. A bit on the pricier side, but the food doesn’t make you feel heavy. I would come back again to try their other items and salads!

Brushfire Grill was suggested by a family member today and we were so glad to take her up on her recommendation.
The modern meets farm décor so popular nowadays was brilliantly executed in the décor stylings. Rustic reclaimed wooden planks with loads of black iron fixtures and galvanized metal chairs lay center stage to the adorable homemade lemonade and soda station, along side the glass abutting the counter to place your order.
Food ordered; curry chicken with brown rice and roasted root veggies, simply delicious with a lot of coconut undertones cutting the spicy heat in the curry. Lovely flavors that were not overpowering even though intense. Also, rotisserie chicken with sweet potato fries and kale coleslaw, again, perfectly cooked, the dipping sauces accompanying the fries and chicken were quite tasty. The two burgers and regular fries ordered by my daughters was said to be the best burger they’d had in quite awhile. The lemonade bar had three flavors, hibiscus-​lavender (sugary, but good), regular and tea-​lemonade. Their soda fountain, which we did not try, held custom flavors such as Shirley Temple and Ginger Root Beer.
Service was top notch, very friendly.
There are tables outside should you chose to eat alfresco.
Would definitely recommend.

I’ve been to Bushfire Kitchen about four times now. Its so yummy here.
5 stars because they have a great story. Food is locally and family run, food is organic when possible, locally sourced,
4 stars because their portions aren’t very big especially, after a long day or a workout next door at the 24hour Fitness. The prices are a little higher than I would like; however, their food is fresh, mostly gluten-​free, and like I mentioned before– super yummy.
Bushfire Kitchen is a glorified cafeteria like concept. You take a look at the menus and food behind the glass counter. Ask for a sample or two if you desire, they will happily assist you! Make your decisions at the register, pay, grab your drinks and cutlery. Enjoy a few minutes at your table as you await your meal to be brought to you.
I have ordered burgers, salads, tri-​tip bowls with delicious roasted veggies. They have both beer and wine, gluten free desserts, and occasionally have a band playing outside.
There is indoor seating as well as an outdoor patio.

I found this place last year through an amazing Unilocal event and I’ve been meaning to come back forever. The perfect opportunity finally presented itself.
My parents were in town visiting and I wanted to take them out. So, where to go? Bushfire! My mom adheres to a gluten free diet and my dad isn’t adventurous with food at all. After looking at their menu, I decided everyone could eat here.
I ordered the tri-​tip with macaroni and cheese plus their California Caesar salad. I also ordered their lavendar hibiscus lemonade.
My mom ordered the rotisserie chicken breast and wing but they were out of it. So, they grilled up some chicken. She also ordered greek salad and butternut squash.
My dad settled for the ribs, since they were out of rotisserie chicken. He asked them to brush it lightly with sauce (and they did). I’ve had their ribs before and they are delicious. He also ordered rice and butternut squash.
All dishes came with focaccia bread. Oh, and yes… tons of local beer on tap. Last time I was here, I did imbibe but not this time.
They have several gluten-​free dessert options too.
Long story short… I love this place. Local sources for food, organic, all homemade and flavorful. Portions are the perfect size. You’ll be content from your dinner but still have room for dessert… right down the block at either Baked Bear or SusieCakes.
I’ll be back!

Another good place to get a plate of chicken and some sides, in the Urban Plates-​tender greens-​tin leaf style, which is really great! They also have burgers and such.
The chicken is great every single time, the salads are all good (really like the one with goat cheese and strawberries), and all the sides i have had so far have been really yummy. Great to go place to grab stuff for everyone.

Watch out Urban Plates! This place is a lot of fun, especially on a weekend. Came in on a Friday night, didn’t have to wait for a table, didn’t have to struggle looking for parking. Easy peasy!
This restaurant is located in the new La Costa/​Olivenhain area. Maps will tell you it’s across from the 24 hour but it’s not. It’s to the left of Jamba Juice.
Atmosphere is a lot of fun. It’s low key, and family oriented and they had live music playing just outside by the patio. We chose to sit outside since it was a beautiful night.
Food: kind of like Urban Plates where you can see the food on display, but they obviously cook everything fresh. I chose a regular Greek salad with chicken and it was delicious! If you aren’t starving order the regular. It’s a perfect portion. My husbands California burger was to die for. I made him share with me (I’m sure he was disappointed) and the favors were amazing. Every bite was juicy, avocado was perfect, bun was moist, and all of the flavored combined for a tasty bite. Burgers here are organic so they are a bit more expensive but you pay for quality! Fries are an optional side, and they are delicious as well. I think they make their own ranch and that’s the dipping sauce it comes with.
All in all I had a great experience. Since we love so close, we will definitely try to be regulars here on the weekends.

Food: great food here! They have a good variety and everything looks good and fresh. I ordered the Californian burger ($ 11) w a side of fries ($ 2.50). The grass fed beef patty was jam packed with juicy savory flavor. The onions, green leaf lettuce, tomato and avocado were all very fresh. It was a burger that makes you want to go back. Each bite was mouth watering and loaded with freshness. Bun was moist yet crispy. Fries were cooked and seasoned perfectly as well. I don’t know what the dipping sauce was for the fries, but it is a MUST try. They have lots of beers and wines to choose from.
Service: everyone was very friendly. You walk in and order at the counter and then take your number and sit. All of the food is directly in front of you and you can point at stuff you want or order from the menu. Drinks are self-​serve just like a fast food joint, but they all have more healthy choices. Can’t get more healthy than water which is ice cold and in a large jar. Tip at the register if you want.
Parking: the entire are is cool to walk around with many fountains and cool lighting all over. Lot is huge and we didn’t have to park far on a Friday night in October. Location on the Unilocal map is kind of off. This place is located next to the clock and Jamba Juice.
Atmosphere: very rustic and clean. There is indoor and outdoor seating. The seats outside had some live music that was really nice while we ate dinner. Many tables inside and out. Outside tables only sit 4. There are a couple TVs w sports games on.

Finally had a chance to re-​visit Bushfire Kitchen after a recent Unilocal Elite event we had here. It was really hot outside and luckily they have A/​C!
Last time we had ribs and a whole roasted chicken. This time, we opted for the En Fuego Burger with fries and a couple of beers. Our kids had the Free Range Chicken and Burger with cheese and a Shirley Temple from the Natural Soda Fountain they thought was delicious.
Overall it was good. The fries were properly seasoned and the house-​made focaccio bun was toasted just enough I had to eat it. Normally I like to take the bread off to lower the carbs.
Seating is a bit strange here. Since last time they added larger tables very close together. Unless you’re rail-​thin, it’s very difficult to get around the tables if the restaurant is semi-​busy. I would turn the middle four-​tops back into two-​tops OR remove the iron railing nearest the counter to make seating more user-​friendly.
I’m really anxious to try the slow-​cooked braises and salads which look mighty promising so we’ll be back for sure ;)

Really like this newish restaurant here in the La Costa area. Many of their items are ready along the buffet line, but some need to be prepared after they’re ordered. They offer naturally nutritious food many of which are gluten free and organic when possible. Food items may cost a bit more than your average quick bite, but this isn’t really your average quick bite here either.
I ordered the Chipotle Braised Short Ribs which was kind of like a stew served with grilled veggies over mashed potatoes. Each and every bite was delicious. The flavors really worked well together. I only wish it was a larger serving.
My wife ordered the Veggie Delight sandwich. Grilled veggies served with humus on focaccia bread. Really good as well. She also had a side spinach and strawberry salad. The cheese added a nice kick to each bite.
We’ve been here a couple times previously, once with the family and the other during a Unilocal event. Both times, and then now, the service was great, friendly and welcoming. If we needed anything, someone was there to help out. The manager came by to say hi as well when he saw me taking pics of the food…
Great place to visit for a quick lunch with a healthy habit.
Keep on Unilocal’n!

Food brings people together in a funny way. It brings stories to life and can make a whatever day just so much better. I dare say it can even give you a glimpse into someone’s soul. Sometimes all three of these factors collide together and creates a meal that’s easy to write about because it brings back memories you wish you could savor all over again. We had a memorable meal here at Bushfire Kitchen over the weekend.
We tried:
Caesar Salad with Avocado and Bacon
The dressing was richly anchovy which I loved. The chunks of avocado with the crispy bacon worked well with this salad.
Millionaires BLT Sandwich
Dayum. This was a great BLT sandwich. The homemade foccacia tasted nice and fluffy with the crisp bacon and cold lettuce & tomatos. There’s something about brown sugar bacon as the salty & sweet combination brings this BLT to another level.
Californian Burger
Double Dayum. The thick beef burger patty was topped with ripe avocado and pickled onions. And do you see the basil pesto aioli dribbling out of the bottom. The pickled onions was a fun surprise as it added a tartness to this burger. Make sure to specify the doneness of your burger (I suggest med rare as they hand grind the patties daily so the beef should be pretty fresh)
Chicken & Rib Combo
They serve meaty ribs that were tender with a nice ratio of meat/​fat to each rib. The bbq sauce wasn’t too sweet and was thick enough to coat each bite without having to ask for a side of extra sauce. The ¼ dark meat chicken was so moist, flavorful, and juicy.
Thai Chicken Curry Bowl
The panang curry was AMAZING. I joked to friend that they must have a tiny Thai woman in their kitchen making this batch of curry because the curry sauce tasted legit. It was rich and creamy without being too heavy. The beautiful orbs of brown rice absorbed the panang curry sauce perfectly. They use white breast meat in this dish but the chicken breast tasted moist. Note that this curry was spicy which I loved (but others/​kids may not).
Tri Tip
The tri tip was prepared a beautiful medium and comes with two sides. The tri tip was delicate and soft. The co-​star on the plate would bet he chimichurri sauce which isn’t oil based. This aioli type chimmi was creamy, garlicy, pesto-​y.
They make all their sauces and breads in house. They currently have 8 beers on tap (I think) and also serve wine on tap (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it — especially the Pinot that comes out chilled from the tap).
There’s even happy hour from 2−5p every day. Sculpin lovers out there — here this — they charge $ 3.50 for a craft Sculpin during that time.
Staff works hard here as does Eddie the manager. It’s definitely worth a visit.

4.5 stars.
One of the best new restaurants in North County.
I’ve been to the Bushfire grill in Temecula many times but it’s just too small.
Bushfire Kitchen is a big upgrade on every level. The Food, the Service, and the Location.
While I can talk about each meal and dish I’ve tried ad nauseam, there is one sandwich here that I must discuss in more detail.
The Bushfire Special
Tri Tip + Slice of cheese + house made horseradish between warm focaccia bread.
It sounds simple, and it looks simple too. But the taste was amazing. The bread was soft and the tri-​tip was tender. The horseradish wasn’t strong per say, but it was the key binding component for the whole thing. I don’t usually order the same thing twice anywhere I go, but I will order this again here. Highly recommended.
It’s the little things…
— Serve yourself natural soda and house made lemonades.
— The kids meals are great, top quality.
— Kombucha on Tap, how cool is that!
— The Manager Edward (Eddie) did a great job walking us though the ordering process. Eddie also checked up on us later to make sure everything was exceeding expectations.
— Jazz band Saturday evenings.
— If they keep this up, this could very well be my next 5 star review.