If there were two words we had to use to describe Bubba’s Bistro, they would be “absolutely perfect.” Yes, we say that about a lot of places, but we love food, and we love great service – and those are two things Bubba’s absolutely nails.

We had the chance to sit down for a meal with chef and owner Nicolas Trianta, as well as head waiter  Victor Rodriguez, and learn all about the hidden gem, while simultaneously chowing down on their menu.

Nicolas is a native Astorian, but he has traveled the world learning great food. He’s Greek and French, but is primarily influenced by his French heritage. He spent years in France and Spain perfecting his cooking, before opening a restaurant in Long Island. Soon, though, he found himself in love with the Ditmars area of Astoria – and knew he had to open a restaurant here.

So four years ago Bubba’s Bistro was born, and we are so glad it was. Everything is fresh and made on the premises – exactly as you’d expect from a great restaurant. The thing about the food at Bubba’s is that you can taste the French influence, and Nick’s passion for cooking.

“I’m here seven days a week, this is my favorite place to be. I love more than anything to see people eating and enjoying my food – to see the smiles on their faces.” He truly loves what he does, and it’s almost infectious how joyful he is about cooking. Despite being the owner, you never get the feeling that Nick is anything but a lover of food, and a lover of making people happy.

Along with Nick, there’s Victor – the head waiter. If you thought Nick loved making people happy, wait till you meet Victor. He informs us that the word restaurant originates from French – and that it means to restore someone to a previous state (we checked – he’s right), and he tells us “That’s what I do! I restore people!” With a glowing personality, Victor steals the show, making us feel welcome and
ecstatic all at the same time.

 

 

“I was a server for 12 years in the Village. This is what I do, this is what makes me happy,” he tells us.

Together the two may just have perfect the art of cuisine and customer service.

The food at Bubba’s is Southern Comfort food, something Nick longed to bring to the residents of Astoria. It’s simple, but really blows you away in terms of taste. There’s no doubt that his French influence adds a level to the food that can’t be beat. Here’s what we had:

Drinks. We tried a number of drinks from both the cocktail, beer and wine menu. Hands down, our favorite was the clear chocolate martini – a chocolate flavored, Grey Goose based cocktail. It’s a best seller, and we can easily see why.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, don’t worry – we ate in between all our drinking! Here’s what we chowed down on:

 

 

 

 

 

 

If this looks good – keep an eye out: Bubba’s has a new menu coming out in May. They’ll be keeping the best sellers like ribs, fried chicken and pulled pork, while adding in some new specialties. In two weeks’ time, they’ll be open all day, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

We’re sure you’ll love Bubba’s Bistro – we were genuinely impressed, and will definitely be finding our way back to their door soon.

Bubba’s Bistro
31-13 Ditmars Boulevard
718-728-2227