Quick Take
Which burgers in Santa Cruz County are the best? Lookout food and drink correspondent Lily Belli hit the streets to find out. From cheffy restaurant burgers to paper-wrapped fast food, here are the local burgers that rose to the top.
What makes a great burger? As I ate my way through more than a dozen burgers looking for the best in Santa Cruz County, I thought seriously about this question. At local restaurants and burger shacks, there is no shortage of creative interpretations of what is arguably America’s most iconic meal, from crispy-edged smash burgers layered with melted cheese, to thick house-made patties loaded with cheffy toppings, to straightforward classics topped with lettuce, tomato, onion and special sauce. What qualified a burger to be the best?
Here’s our criteria: First, only burgers on a restaurant’s regular menu were eligible. While some very good burgers can be found at local pop-ups and on special menus, these types of burgers can be ephemeral – here one day and sadly gone the next. This list has staying power. Second, the world of toppings is vast and deeply personal, so only standard burgers and “house” burgers as they come on the menu were considered. I did occasionally add cheese, but, in order to level the playing field, I never added additional toppings or deviated to a specialty burger on the menu.
Despite differences in style, every good burger has certain things in common. It should be well-seasoned and cooked properly. The burger components – patty, toppings, sauce and bun – should go together, in regard to both flavor and physical composition. And it should be a good value for the price. I didn’t dock a burger if it didn’t come with fries, but I did consider whether the overall value of the meal matched the final bill. Basically, was it worth it?
Most importantly, does the burger have a soul? Was it made with care, by someone who knew what they were doing and valued their customer’s experience, money and time?
This final list includes a mix of high-end bistro burgers and paper-wrapped fast food, but each burger is excellent in its own right. Are there other good burgers in Santa Cruz County? Absolutely. But every burger on this list is a winner you can count on whenever a craving strikes.
THE BEST BURGERS IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
1. Oswald Restaurant
121 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz | More information
Burger & Fries, $25
When I polled my Instagram followers on their favorite burgers, Oswald’s burger ranked the highest. Now, I understand why the burger on this downtown Santa Cruz bistro’s menu is a local favorite, despite some surprises. For one, the popularity of smash burgers has made the thin patty the default on many menus, but here, a thick patty made from tender house-ground beef, cooked to the diner’s preferred temperature, with juices running into a fluffy homemade bun, made me fall in love with big patties all over again.
Second, the blue cheese makes this burger. Blue cheese skeptics might be inclined to substitute a different cheese — don’t do it. I understand why you might be tempted; at many restaurants, the flavor of the blue cheese is too strong and overpowers rather than complements the burger. But here, its salty funkiness is balanced with rich caramelized onions and sweet garlic aioli for a powerful flavor experience that’s worth the $25 price tag. Plus, it comes with a mountain of crispy, well-seasoned fries.
2. Firefly Tavern
110 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz | More information
Double Cheeseburger, $18
The restaurant space on Walnut Avenue where Firefly Tavern opened in mid-2023 has been a pub for decades. Firefly Tavern updated its dark booths and wide wooden bar with chic decorative touches and cool wallpaper that make this longtime pub feel fresh and modern. It has a similar approach to its menu, which focuses on comfort foods made with a level of finesse and inspiration that leaves you pleasantly surprised. On previous visits, I was distracted by fried chicken and waffles with bourbon maple syrup, Korean fried rice with brisket and housemade pickles, and herby chicken chili verde, and I overlooked the seemingly humble double cheeseburger.
The menu undersells it. Firefly’s ode to a classic smash burger features double patties layered with gooey American cheese stacked under a sesame-covered bun with shredded lettuce, pickles, tomato and special sauce. Like everything else here, it’s well-made and well-presented, but the cook’s liberal seasoning with black pepper takes it over the top. It sounds simple, but the borderline eye-watering amount of black pepper both complements the beef and adds an unexpected spicy, earthy kick that cuts through the richness of the cheese. Find it next to a pile of equally peppery fries at the upscale pub in downtown Santa Cruz.
3. East End Gastropub
1501 41st Ave., Capitola | More information
East End Double Cheeseburger, $20
East End Gastropub in Capitola isn’t necessarily known for its burgers. This upscale neighborhood joint has a full menu that includes elegant, seasonal entrees like braised beef cheeks and squid ink pappardelle, classy cocktails and local craft beer and wine. But its double cheeseburger has a passionate, loyal following.
It’s easy to see why – who could resist those layered patties oozing with melted cheese on top of shredded lettuce, tangy housemade pickles and a swipe of special sauce? The bun itself is a thing of beauty, glistening with butter and toasted on the griddle so it absorbs all those burger juices. It’s like a thoughtful, grown-up version of a certain California burger chain’s cheeseburger. One major difference is instead of hurrying in and out of East End, you’ll want to linger until every bite of this burger is gone.
4. Belly Goat Craft Burgers
725 Front St., Santa Cruz | More information
American Burger, $9.50
Abbott Square in downtown Santa Cruz is filled with local kiosks with unique food offerings. It’s counter service only here, with plenty of public indoor and outdoor seating. Located across from the Front & Cooper bar, Belly Goat Craft Burgers creates handcrafted burgers with big flavor made from high-quality ingredients at an affordable price.
Its menu is full of à la carte specialty burgers like the Cowboy, with bacon jam, smoked blue cheese, masa onion “hay” and chipotle ranch. The Seoul Surfer is stacked with kimchi, barbecued pork belly, fried egg and gochujang mayo. But the standard American burger gives “basic” a good name. The patty is much thicker than your standard fast-food burger, for starters, and it’s sandwiched between a fluffy, toasted potato bun with zippy housemade pickles, shredded lettuce, tomato and a tangy special sauce — all for less than $10. If you have Champagne taste but a beer budget, you can’t do better than Belly Goat.
5. Wooden Nickel Bar & Grill
1819 Freedom Blvd., Freedom | More information
1/2 lb. Burger with Cheese, $9.95
To know the Wooden Nickel is to love the Wooden Nickel. The current iteration of this restaurant and bar, located in the small town of Freedom just outside of Watsonville, has been around for more than 40 years, but the establishment goes back to at least the 1930s. From the moment you walk in, it’s clear that the Nickel holds a lot of history. Memorabilia and taxidermy animal heads hang next to holiday cards from longtime patrons, and the bartenders and servers greet many of the guests by name. The Nickel doesn’t just have repeat customers; people spend their whole lives coming here.
You can order almost anything you want at the Nickel, from a three-egg omelet to a New York steak, but its kitchen churns out burgers all day long. The Wooden Nickel’s hamburger, like the Wooden Nickel itself, feels like it’s from a kinder – possibly more fun – bygone era. There are no frills; it’s just a straightforward cheeseburger, but well-composed and elevated with a pile of sweet griddled onions. This is the kind of burger that doesn’t need fussy extras or trendy toppings; it gets the job done without all that cheffy stuff. Plus, it comes with fries, coleslaw and a tiny slice of cake – yes, really! – for just under $10.
6. Jack’s Hamburgers
202 Lincoln St., Santa Cruz | More information
Hamburger, $7.50
Even if you’ve never been to Jack’s, it’s easy to find. Not only is this burger shack crowned with an enormous cheeseburger that’s built into the roof, the smell that wafts down Cedar Street during lunchtime will lure you in from blocks away. This downtown Santa Cruz restaurant has churned out burgers since 1974, and over the past 50 years has become a local institution.
It’s still a favorite for many, and earned a top spot on this list because a Jack’s hamburger can’t be beat when it comes to budget burgers. We’ve all had this style of burger before in one version or another – a charbroiled beef patty with leaf lettuce, tomato, sliced red onion and pickles. It’s the iconic paper-wrapped American fast-food burger, the “do you want fries with that” burger. But Jack’s is made with care, from the freshness of the veggies, to a flavorful sear on the meat and a lip-smacking special sauce. It’s not fancy, but it hits the spot every time for less than 8 bucks. If you want to customize your burger, the sky’s the limit, with everything from chipotle ranch and jalapeños to mango chutney and avocado.
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