The Habit Burger Grill

Food is great, no complaints. But it be great if staff didn’t constantly sweep and mop while customers dine. Yuck! Wait til we are done!

Excellent fresh and hot burgers. Onion rings are great. So are the salads. Quick service and very clean.

Delisioso!!! Definitely coming back! Santa Barbra Burger was on point and the Cobb salad was so fresh and tasty!!! Onion Rings are to die for!!! The service was superb everyone was so nice and helpful, full of smiles and good vibes I will def bring my family back!

The Habit has become one of my favorite places to grab a healthy meal. From here I have ordered an ahi tuna steak sandwich, and a chicken sandwich, both were very delicious. The meat is cooked to perfection every time, the bun is fluffy, and the vegetables are fresh. I love how I can choose a wheat or sourdough bun. The fries are great, and they give you ranch without even asking. I really want to try the burgers next! They just know how to do it right. Everything tastes fresh, everything tastes right.

better to go for the Santa Barbara style burger over the regular. fast food style, chargrilled which is nice, but was not as juicy for the regular with a bit much pickles. with the Santa Barbara buttered grilled bread and cheese avocado, though, was much better

This location is subpar compared to all others I’ve been in. I had so many mixups on my burgers and salads that I’ve told the spouse that I’ll get boudin and bring it over rather than eat their meals. I do have him order me a drink and fries, as I want to give them some business if I’m spending time there with the spouse.
The fries — you’d think they’d be hard to screw up, no? Except the last two times I was in it was obvious that A) they needed to replace their oil pronto! and B) they don’t know how long to cook the fries as they were on the hard range. I didn’t send them back, because I’ve had experience having to talk with the people behind the counter and they’re not always the most savvy. One manager didn’t understand why I was upset that they put cheese on my hamburger order. I think he finally replaced my unordered cheeseburger with a hamburger just to get me to stop trying to explain to him the difference between a hamburger and a cheeseburger, rather than any true understanding.
If you want Habit — drive up to the San Mateo store. They’re pretty good. This one? Just avoid.

WOW!
The flavor of the Char Burger, the white sauce, and the extras meld in your mouth, taking your palate to the highest dimension. I paired the Char Burger with a vanilla shake (my favorite). Real ice cream is used! I was taken back to the days when I had ice cream from my grandfather’s dairy, a time when pride and quality went hand-​in-​hand.
And one would think that high prices would be the norm. Not so!
I will try the Santa Barbara burger on my next visit. And I can’t wait!

Now I know why it’s called The Habit. Very tasty, and worth visiting more than once a week. A good spot to go to with co-​workers for lunch.

I live in South San Jose but work in Santa Clara so, I am not too far away from this location and restaurant. The restaurant isn’t too big but does have both outside and inside sitting. Also the outside sitting area is underneath a tent like structure and has heating lamps.
This is a really good burger standard burger –charburger with cheese. If you like that grilled, charbroiled, juicy burger than this is the place. I also really like their veggie burger (with swiss cheese on sourdough). You can’t go wrong with their sides of sweet potato fries or regular fries. Also to the right of register you can find additional condiments such as banana peppers, jalapeños, ketchup, malt vinegar, etc.

Been here many many time but have never posted it. Best hamburgers around and very reasonable prices

The burger tastes like the meat was in the freezer at some point and they de-​frost it. I don’t really trust this place and I suspect the meat isn’t very fresh. I think I’ll stick with In’n’Out burger.

Normally I love the habit! I usually get a veggie party since I don’t eat meat, but for a change I tried the fish and I’m sorry to say but I’m disappointed. I love fish, but it seems like they use a frozen filet and don’t even cook it all the way. I’m hoping not to get sick but I’ll still return there. They have great service, very fast, and food is really good guess I just got them at a wrong time. No worries habit there’s room to grow from mistakes

Good burgers at a cheap price. Expect a long wait to order your food during lunch hour!
Chose habit burger as I wanted a good burger for lunch on Veterans Day. Parking lot is always full which should be a good sign. But it’s poor design combined with drivers who do not know how to park make it an adventure. I did spend 10 minutes enjoying my burger watching one guy attempt to park his car. Yes 10 minutes.
But back on topic. Ordered the double chat with bacon and cheese and a side of fries. Was quickly prepared and quickly devoured. Was delicious and for a meal under 10 bucks was a cheap lunch in Sunnyvale.
Easy to see why this place was rated best burger and is a growing company.

For years Cali Natives flocked in waves to In N Out Burger (as we all still do) but move over INO, with Habit growing with chains all along Cali and Arizona they are definitely giving you a run for your money. Yes of course we love our mom and pops and our favorite burger joints around the country are pretty much independently owned, but there are certain times in life — -hungover mornings, road trips, overnight layovers, all day shopping trips at the outlets — -that the only options around are chains. Habit is a great alternative to In N Out!
There are 5 types of burgers on their menu, ranging from the simple charburger to versions topped with BBQ sauce and bacon, mushrooms and Swiss or Teriyaki sauce and a pineapple ring. Other options include salads, grilled sandwiches and all of your standard sides. Being known for their Charburgers and one I tend to favor is the BBQ Bacon Charburger. I know it sounds like a mouthful but that’s because it is a mouthful. Their 100% fresh ground beef burgers get their fantastic flavor from being chargrilled over an open flame. The visible grill marks were an indication that the charburger was superior to other chain offerings. I absolutely love the sweetness of the BBQ sauce combined with the sweet flavor of the caramelized onions. The beef also had a smoky flavor and was juicy (despite being pattied so thin)
Their fries achieved awesomeness to the fullest extent. They were golden brown, crisp and light. They would be even more great dunked in ketchup or your shake but if your a sweet potato fan then the sweet spuds are the way to go!
Their milkshakes are delectable! I usually order a mocha shake with my meal and it’s apparent they are use real ice cream to make their milkshakes extra creamy. Dipping the salty French fries in the shakes helps to boost the fries worth (don’t judge… try dipping your fries in your milkshake or ice cream… it’s surprisingly good!)

The Habit has become a habit for me! I love their reasonably-​price options, side selections, friendly, prompt service, and their quality of food. If you’re hungry and ready to get a little messy, I suggest ordering your Charburger «Santa Barbara Style». You won’t regret it! The default toppings are: shredded lettuce (way easier to eat than one GIANT leaf of lettuce), tomatoes, mayo, cripsy dill pickles (which I LOVE), and caramelized onions (perfect if you’re like me and don’t want stinky onion breath afterwards). Their tri tip is juicy and cooked to your liking (I ordered medium-​rare) and their Santa Barbara Cobb is filling for the price! They mix the dressing in for you and put half of an avocado on top!
I highly suggest ordering a side or 2 and sharing them with someone. The crispy breading around their green beans gives you that satisfying crunch to compliment the burgers. The sweet potato fries are seasoned well and their french fries are crispy, yet not too salty. I am a huge onion ring fan and theirs did not disappoint! Basically, any side you order will go well with your main course.
Another plus is their pepper selection.. .banana peppers, pepperoncinis, jalapenos are all offered for those who enjoy a little sweat while eating their juicy burgers.
To top off their mouth-​watering menu, their service is outstanding! They are friendly and always willing to take the time to explain any menu options to you. The restaurant is always a bit chilly and loud, but you may take your meal outside if those elements distract you.

Love this place. Hadn’t been in forever. The fella and I are burger whores, and I wanted to pop his Habit cherry.
We both ordered the Santa Barbara. I made mine a single, which they take 90 cents off for. A normal Santa Barbara is 2 patties with lettuce, pickles, tomato, avocado, you are asked if you want cheese, and it is all on toasted thick sourdough. I think it comes with mayo and katchup on it as well. Get ranch dressing, whether you get this or a regular burger. I came when it first opened, and one of the staff members gave e some and said he loved his burgers like this. I haven’t looked back since, though I reserve this particular decadence for Habit burgers only.
Onion rings and fries are good. I have been meaning to try the fried green beans, but haven’t.
Must go back soon!

Having lived in Santa Barbara for close to a year, I definitely understand how The Habit is reflective of Santa Barbara culture! Came by the other night to try the Santa Barbara style burger and it was decent! Patty wasn’t super juicy but was okay. The sourdough bread was tasty grilled and toasted. Portion size was very generous too.
Staff was very friendly and professional in their The Habit uniform!
The half-​and-​half (onion rings & french fries) were decent with the onion rings being my favorite. The onion rings are better than the french fries!
~$ 8.7 for a quick dinner!

Three years later, and the ingredients are still fresh, the customer service is still top notch, and I left the restaurant feeling satisfied.
I recently decided to splurge and order a double charburger (with no cheese), a side of regular fries, and a side of onion rings. The beef patties were nice and juicy and cooked to perfection, while the additional toppings were very fresh. While the fries needed a little bit of salt for flavor, they had a nice crunch on the outside, and were very soft on the inside. The onion rings were cooked perfectly, and the free side of ranch dressing that they give you really works well with the batter they use on the onions.
Aside from the great location, the thing that sets this burger restaurant apart from the other burger restaurants nearby is the customer service. I stop by this location a few times a year, and I never have a bad experience.

Proclamation: just as good as In-​N-​Out, but with better menu options.
For my first trip to the Habit, I knew I had to try their famous Santa Barbara style burger (the fattest offering they’ve got here… heh). It’s a Double charburger in between 2 pieces of griddled golden brown sourdough bread with avocado and cheese — creamy, savory and immensely satisfying!
However, the onion rings ($ 2.25) in my opinion were the highlight. On top of being fried to a perfect crunch and wonderfully salted, these golden circles of yum also manage to stay intact with each bite instead of falling apart — all hallmarks of an amazingly constructed onion ring. Got a side of ranch sauce for dipping, and Ermahgerd, my life is now complete.
On other visits, I’ve also tried their mushroom burger which turned out to be just okay. I can see myself coming back for the Santa Barbara and those perfect onion rings, though in the end I still prefer In-​N-​Out.

Update to my review…
The veggie burgers have changed. Not the same as they used to be and it no longer comes with sprouts. I asked the manager about it and she confirmed that they changed the veggie patty and no longer offer sprouts. My veggie burger was dry and just tasted horrible. The manger agreed that my food looked crappy and gave me a free burger coupon for next time. This last experience just ruined it for me though. I don’t do beef, so coming here for the veggie burger was something I looked forward too. Not No Mo. :-(