* = Incredibly creative & humorous menu * = Colorful, zany environment * = Excellent bar & brew selection * = Totally embodied the best parts of old Santa Cruz * = Fantastic burgers and sides First dates are opportunities to make unique impressions on people. I had a first date several years back (2011). At the time, I was nearing the end of my collegiate career. I had a job but wasn't making lots of money yet. Couldn't afford to blow a trip to Shadowbrook on something that might only be a 1-or-2-time affair. And yet, you don't want to just phone it in and take them to Olive Garden or Cheesecake Factory. You want to make an impression. Burger, in Santa Cruz, was unique. It had colorful murals painted outside. The menu was entirely named after pop culture icons. Your order token was a framed celebrity mugshot. The cuisine was some of the most off-the-wall, stoner-genius combinations I'd ever encountered. They served a Luthor on glazed donuts. Their take on the western burger was called the "Hank Williams" Their double-patty sandwich was called "The Dolly". Who wouldn't immediately smile upon ordering dinner here? First dates are fleeting. In the vast majority of cases, they're usually discarded and lost to the sands of time. But this particular first date turned out to be my wife. Someone that I'm still with, to this day. There isn't a single year that goes by where we don't fondly recall our first date, where I introduced my wife to Burger. Heart-broken to see that they've closed their doors. Based on the more recent Yelp reviews, it seems like they were struggling with inflation in the post-pandemic world and had either raised their prices, subtracted their portion sizes, or both. We always enjoyed our annual trips to Burger. To coin a phrase from the MCU's resident android, "A thing isn't beautiful because it lasts."

While scrolling through this area's surrounding restaurants, we were hopeless on finding a good spot for dinner. Ended up at this place as recommended by a university student and it surpassed our expectations. This little corner street burger joint holds a lot of character and a whole lotta flavor. Food: There's a huge list of things on the menu to please everyone's palettes and I like how they make a lot of their sauces in-house. They have everything from donut burgers to chili dogs. The best part is they make potatoes in all different ways from tater tot's, truffle fries, and sweet potato fries. We ordered 3 different burgers that were paired perfectly with their combination of toppings. The sliders were by far the juiciest! They make a sauce similar to in-n-out and honestly, theirs might even be better... Ambience: They have a self-serve drink/condiment section and they have quite a variety of condiments + the extras you can ask for when you order. I love pepperoncinis so I'm glad they were able to give me some on the side. The decor inside is pretty trendy, yet bar casual vibes with a comedic touch (they use celebrity mugshots/profiles as their placeholders). Parking: Can get a bit tricky as they have a small lot and it's located on the corner of a busy street.

I think this place deserves an extra star in their rating. After four and a half years living here, I finally tried Burger. I went with a basic burger, lettuce wrapped, with cheddar cheese. I really appreciate any establishments going the extra mile to prove grass-fed beef. We are deserving of this quality and it's a shame you don't see it more frequently (especially in towns deemed healthy). I enjoyed the flavor, however, I think I'd like to try their gluten-free bun next time and see how that tastes. The lettuce wrap was satisfying and I probably could've had another patty, easily. The fries are quite basic yet satisfying. And that chocolate milkshake. What a treat! It's not often I order a milkshake but wowee, that was yummy. This will likely be one of my quick/goto burger places moving forward.

Came here for a takeout dinner after an afternoon at the beach. I ordered a lettuce wrapped burger with pepper jack cheese and sweet potato fries. My boyfriend got the burger with the usual bun. I liked the detailed burger menu options and the table picture they give you to associate you with your order. The burger itself was pretty good and I liked how the lettuce wrap was cut in a way that it was easy to hold and the lettuce they use is perfectly crisp. The sweet potato fries were really soggy which could be just because I got takeout but I have a feeling they're usually pretty soggy. I took off one star because everyone else in my group who got sweet potato fries also recieved a dipping sauce but I didnt get one. Overall this is a decent burger spot and the take out orders came put pretty quickly.

I rarely eat at Burger and don't understand why. Every time I come here it's a great experience! My partner and I initially wanted to stop at a brewery and after 15 minutes of circling the place with no parking available, we decided to go to burger. Starters: parking spaces! So many that instantly my irritation went away! As soon as we walked in , we ordered in the front and got our beers. Within 10 minutes, our food was ready and let me tell you, so so DELICIOUS! Those onion rings take the crown honestly! I'm so serious, idk why I don't come so often but now I'm rethinking my meal choices! You gotta try!

I've been here several times. The service is usually good. The set up is a bit annoying, because people have to order in advance even when eating in, which means that you can get a line full of patrons trying to decide what they want, leaving you stuck standing around waiting 10 minutes to even be seated. But it's usually quicker than that. On to what you really....really care about, the food. Burgers are good here, nice options. Slug fries is why I go, and slug sauce is amazing on just about everything. Get extra, take it home and dip or spread the love on your favorite in home treats. Trust me, you will not regret it! P.S. Slug sauce has onions so don't get it if you're allergic. Otherwise, Live a little!

Service is nonexistent but the burgers hit the spot when spending the day in the city, and that's really what you're here for, right? The fries are good as it comes out piping hot, and the chocolate milkshake can be a little bit thicker, but still hit the spot with its chocolatey goodness. I feel over the past years the quality of the burger hasn't been at its best as it was before, and the size of it did go down while the price went up. I could have sworn before there were more burger options, but having the hand-held menu did make it easier on the eyes to narrow down what I wanted to eat. I got the "Dude" and to no surprise, that was the vibe I got at the joint. Totally not complaining though, but just go in expecting everything to be self-serve after you place your order and you won't be disappointed! What did disappoint me, though, was the coleslaw. Was not a fan of the apple - it was sweet with no tang.

Wait a minute. I never reviewed this place?! What?! Delicious. Abso-damn-lutely. Delicious. The menu of burgers is extensive with all sorts of creative samplings. I had the 'Marilyn Monroe' with artichoke hearts, swiss cheese, and mayo. Scrumptious - the burger was cooked to perfection with that great bit of pink through the middle. And the bun (that bun) it held everything inside and never got soggy. Hubby had the "Dude" with house-made guacamole, crispy bacon, and jack cheese. Also wonderful. The fries are crispy and salted just the right amount - not too much, not too little. We loved this pit-stop and have been hankering for this burger every afternoon around 5pm. Yum.

Super fire burgers and food! I ate here a few years ago with buddies and I remember it the same. The burgers are insanely fire and taste so fresh. The bathroom is a little sketchy, but that's ok. 100% recommend you come here.

I dont know why this place has 3 stars but it definitely deserves five! The service has always been extremely fast, and while you order at the front and have to self serve water and sauce, the servers are all super sweet and bring the food to the table. They have a fun twist on how the servers recognize your order, through different place cards of celebrities, and the combinations of the burgers and hotdogs are super fun, so it has a great vibe! There is some outdoor seating which is extremely dog friendly, and plenty of indoor seating with the bar. I genuinely look forward to eating here when I come to Santa Cruz, because the burgers are huge and have great servings! Definitely do come here.