For a full 12 days, starting Feb. 26, Santa Cruz Burger Week will be tempting diners across Santa Cruz County, with special deals at more than 30 local restaurants at any of three price points: $12, $15 and $18. Below, here’s all we know by the Good Times print deadline about who’s serving what, and where. For more up-to-the-minute details, visit santacruzburgerweek.com.
AJ’s Market
5955 Soquel Dr., Soquel, 831-479-0399, ajsmarket.com
The AJ’s Classic burger features a hand-pressed ground beef patty cooked to order with cheddar, Swiss or American cheese. Served with ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, onion, lettuce, tomato and pickles on a locally made Aldo’s bun—plus fries.
Back Nine Grill & Bar
Inside the Inn at Pasatiempo, 555 Highway 17, Santa Cruz, 831-226-2350, backninegrill.com
For one of his Burger Week specials, executive chef Ben Kralj drew inspiration from his mother, who always boosted the flavor of the ground meat she served. “At the minimum we would put a French onion soup packet into it. So I just did a play on that,” he said. For one Burger Week special, “the meat is mixed with cheddar cheese, bacon bits and serrano chiles. So all that flavor is cooked inside. From there we have a chipotle ranch sauce; I’ll throw another piece of cheddar cheese on top. It’s a really, really good burger.” He adds, “We’re also gonna be offering our Outlaw Burger, which has a ciabatta bun, a whiskey glaze, two pieces of bacon, pepper jack cheese and an onion ring.”
Belly Goat Burgers
725 Front St., Santa Cruz, 831-225-0355, bellygoatburgers.com
For Burger Week, there will be a French dip burger with a black Angus beef patty, Swiss cheese and caramelized onions, which is topped by thinly sliced, deep-fried onions—like miniature onion rings, says co-owner Greg Crema. “We’re going to serve it with our horseradish aioli on a brioche bun, and then we’re going to have a little au jus on the side to dip it in.”
Betty Burgers
505 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz, 831-423-8190
1000 41st Ave., Capitola, 831-475-5901
1200 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, 831-600-7056
Bruno’s Bar and Grill
230 Mt. Hermon Rd., Scotts Valley, 831-438-2227, brunosbarandgrill.com
Bruno’s embraces Burger Week with three punny, fully loaded specials. The Popperazzi has a one-third-pound burger with melted cheddar, bacon, beer- battered jalapeños, crunchy onions and jalapeno cilantro creamy ranch, topped with lettuce, tomato and pickles. The Smash Brothers boasts two juicy four-ounce patties, smashed and topped with bacon, sautéed red onions, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and Thousand Island dressing. And the Fig Lebowski (“a laid-back, flavor-packed burger that abides”) pairs its patty with Calabrese peppers, brie, grilled onions, fig preserves, bacon, tomato, pickles and arugula. All come with fries.
Chunk’s Sandwiches
3555 Clares St., Suite TT, Capitola, 831-515-7194, chunkssandwiches.com
Tad Moore of Chunk’s says, “We’re going to run two different specials. One is just our normal cheeseburger and we’re going to be pairing it with fries for just $15, on sale from what is normally charged. And we are also doing a special burger that we’re calling the Dynamic Duo Burger because we’ve teamed up with Cheese Shop 831, that’s right next door to us, to use a neat cheese called taleggio DOP, a really soft Italian melting cheese, and it’s going to have a crispy bacon on top of it—and a special bacon aioli that we’ve made for this burger.”
Churchill & Beers
10110 Soquel Dr., Aptos, 831-612-6558, beeraptos.com
Churchill and Beers will be serving an Angus beef patty with jack cheese and grilled jalapeños on a brioche bun. The second special is the Western Bacon Burger, with cheddar cheese, bacon and barbecue sauce, topped with onion rings. Both are accompanied by fries.
Crow’s Nest
2218 East Cliff Dr., Santa Cruz, 831-476-4560, crowsnest-santacruz.com
The first special is a Salmon BLT Burger, with salmon, bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado on a toasted francese bun with garlic aioli, served with house-made chips.
The second is the Pastrami Melt Burger: a ground beef patty with shaved pastrami, melted swiss and Thousand Island on a pretzel bun, served with house-made chips.
East End Gastropub
1501 41st Ave., Suite I, Capitola, 831-475-8010, eastendpub.com
The Soft Shell Crab Burger puts Maryland soft shell crab in the spotlight, with lettuce, tomato, onion and house tartar sauce on a Martin’s sesame seed bun. The East End Double Cheeseburger augments its patties with shredded iceberg, onion, house sauce, homemade pickles and American cheese. Add Old Bay fries to either for $2.
Gilda’s
37 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz, 831-423-2010, gildas-restaurant.com
The Surfer’s Paradise Burger features a beef patty with padrone jam, crispy onions and sharp cheddar on Gilda’s toasted homemade bun. The Luau Burger is a ground beef patty with pineapple, teriyaki, ham, Swiss cheese and coleslaw on a toasted bun. Both are served with French fries.
Heavenly Roadside Cafe
1210 Mt Hermon Rd., Scotts Valley, 831-335-1210, heavenlyroadsidecafe.com
Joining the rotation—which includes the John Wayne, Rico Suave and Roger Federer burgers—is Bella’s Cali Burger, named for co-owner Marty Soliz’s daughter: a half-pound choice Angus patty, avocado, applewood smoked bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, American cheese and secret sauce. The second special, Ruby’s Devilish Delight—named for a friend—gets its spice from grilled jalapeño, pepper jack cheese, cilantro and chipotle mayo. Finally, Soliz says, there’s the never-before-served Torta Burger, loaded with a half-pound choice Angus patty, shaved ham, hot dog, chorizo sausage, queso Oaxaca, pickled jalapeños and Tapatio mayo. All three come with either house-made fries or a salad.
Hook and Line
105 Walnut Ave., Santa Cruz, 831-225-0434, eathookandline.com
This fish-forward eatery has its Marin Sun Farms burger on the regular menu—or call about Burger Week specials.
Hula’s Island Grill
221 Cathcart St., Santa Cruz, 831-426-4852, hulastiki.com
Francisco Cernatis says, “We’re going to have a Banh Mi Burger, that’s what we’re calling it. We’re still using our grass-fed patty. It’s going to be on a ciabatta roll. The spread is going to be a Madagascar aioli. … Just enough spice to make the burger pop. It’s going to be topped off by our taco slaw: cabbage, lime juice, tomato, onion and cilantro. So it’s basically like a pico de gallo but we add cabbage. … The habanero has a little sweetness to it; we’re going for a little sweet and spicy. We’re just serving it with classic fries.”
Ideal Bar & Grill
106 Beach St., Santa Cruz, 831-423-5271, idealbarandgrill.com
This seaside spot is serving two specials. The 1994’s half-pound Angus patty is flavored with garlic, black pepper, Parmesan and Worcestershire, then topped with pepper jack cheese, Dijon mustard aioli, caramelized onion, and arugula, and served on a pretzel bun. JR’s Revenge’s charbroiled half-pound Angus beef sports bacon blend, chipotle pepper, smoked paprika, cheddar cheese, a crispy fried onion ring and chipotle aioli, served on a brioche bun. Both come with thick-cut French fries.
Izakaya West End
334 D Ingalls St., Santa Cruz, 831-471-8115, westendtap.com
Co-owner Geoff Hargrave shares the lowdown on the Izakaya Burger, which will incorporate two 100% Wagyu beef patties, teriyaki pork belly, American cheese, caramelized onion, a pickle and spicy pink mayo.
Laili Restaurant
101 Cooper St., Santa Cruz, 831-423-4545, lailirestaurant.com
On the menu here for Burger Week only is the Beef Koubideh Burger: ground beef seasoned with cumin, jalapeño, cilantro, garlic powder, turmeric, coriander and mint, then topped with mint aioli, caramelized onions, gorgonzola cheese and arugula. Also available is the Lamb Burger: ground lamb seasoned with white onion and garlic, then topped with mint aioli, butternut leaf lettuce, red onion, tomato and Swiss cheese. Both come with roasted paprika potatoes and mixed greens.
Laughing Monk Brewing
262 Mt Hermon Rd., Unit 103, Scotts Valley, 831-226-2868, scottsvalley.laughingmonk.com
On tap here are three specials, all half-pound burgers.. The Shroomin’ Swiss is dressed up with sautéed mushrooms, stout caramelized onions and arugula. The Island Burger goes tropical with grilled pineapple and teriyaki aioli with cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles. And the Barnyard Burger is augmented with bacon, cheddar cheese, BBQ pulled pork, coleslaw and onion straws.
Mad Yolks
1411 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, 831-291-3686, madyolks.com
Mad Yolks co-owner Henry Wong says, “I wanted to do something a little bit more bold … double meat, cheese, thicker bacon with jalapeno cilantro aioli and we’re going to have a fried egg as well. It’s gonna be stacked. But the aioli gives it a freshness…a smoky, crispy bite. It’s all fitting pretty well. It’s heavy for us, but given that it’s Burger Week, we want to give people a little something different.”
Makai Island Kitchen & Groggery
49A Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz, 831-466-9766, makaisantacruz.com
Chef Chelsea Holmes says of her Burger Week special, “We’re calling it the Makai Miso Burger. It’s like a lightly seared rare miso-marinated ahi steak and we’re crusting that with sesame seeds and serving it on a brioche bun with mixed greens, tomato, miso mayo, avocado with a side of sweet potato fries. I’m really excited about that one. It’s so good.”
Mozaic
110 Church St., Santa Cruz, 831-454-8663, mozaicsantacruz.com
Guests of Mozaic can truly have it their way with three different patties—and each can be served with Beyond Beef patties as well. The Mozaic Burger features an Angus beef patty, charbroiled with caramelized onions. The Wild Salmon Burger has a grilled salmon patty served with honey Dijon sauce and caramelized onions. And the Lamb Burger is grilled and served with fresh mint aioli, tomato and onions. All burgers come with fries.
Obló
740 Front St., Suite 100, Santa Cruz, 831-600-7770, oblosc.com
Obló steps up to the plate with three distinctly different options. The Obló Burger sports a ribeye meat patty with crispy onions, brie cheese, sautéed mushrooms and truffle aioli. The Ribeye Burger patty is decorated with white cheddar cheese, dill pickles, caramelized onions, lettuce and sesame aioli. And vegans can chow down on the Portobello Burger, with its marinated portobello mushroom topped with avocado aioli, tofu, arugula, crispy onions and red bell peppers.
Paradise Beach Grill
215 Esplanade, Capitola, 831-476-4900, paradisebeachgrille.com
The Pulled Pork Burger comes with a beef patty topped with pulled pork, pineapple barbecue sauce and coleslaw on a francese bun. To gild the lily, it’s served with French fries.
Parish Publick House
841 Almar Ave., Santa Cruz, 831-421-0507
8017 Soquel Dr., Aptos, 831-708-2036
Erik Granath of Parish Publick House says both restaurants will serve a Hawaiian-themed burger. “We do a half-pound patty on a Hawaiian bun with some jalapeño pineapple slaw and a little teriyaki soy. The other one will be called Raising Arizona…a smoky roast pepper jack cheese on a burger. It’s got a sriracha-y dip on the side and some chips on the side,” he said. Made in house, the chips are “almost too good.”
The Point Kitchen & Bar
3326 Portola Dr., Santa Cruz, 831-476-2733, thepointkitchenandbar.com
“Every year we like to switch it up,” Erick Gonzalez says. “We came up with a classic, but kind of out there. We’re going to call it the Overload, and it’s basically a bacon mac and cheese burger. It’s going to be a half-pound Angus beef patty with creamy house-made mac and cheese, crispy applewood smoked bacon on a brioche bun with french fries. We’ve been sampling it with the staff and they love it. It sounds like a lot, but it’s great. You get a lot of textures.”
Pono Hawaiian Grill
120 Union St., Santa Cruz, (831) 621-7448, ponohawaiiangrill.com
The downtown Santa Cruz spot puts out island vibes with the Flying Pig, a concoction of grilled spam, kalua pork, island coleslaw, grilled pineapple, pickled jalapeños and spicy aioli sauce on a Hawaiian sweet roll bun. Served with fries.
Pono Hawaiian Kitchen & Tap
3744 Capitola Rd., Santa Cruz, (831) 476-7458, ponohawaiiangrill.com
Pono’s Capitola outpost is also serving the Flying Pig with a side of fries.
Riva Fish House
31 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz, 831-429-1223, rivafishhouse.com
Chef Chelsea Holmes has given her Burger Week special the whimsical name of Salmon Patty Cake. “I actually took our crab cake recipe and adjusted it so we use lightly poached salmon to make essentially a crabcake. We’re putting that one on a toasted ciabatta roll with arugula, tomato, sweet pickled onions and then Riva’s remoulade sauce. And diners can choose from fries or slaw for a side.”
Rosie McCann’s Irish Pub
1220 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, 831-426-9930, rosiemccanns.com
Rosie McCann’s gets its Irish up with a Guinness Burger special, served on a house-made bun or a gluten-free version.
Santa Cruz Diner
909 Ocean St., Santa Cruz, 831-426-7151, santacruzdiner.com
The Monte Cristo Burger will combine a burger patty with ham and Swiss cheese on grilled French toast, accompanied by strawberry jelly and a side of tater tots.
Seabright Social
519 Seabright Ave., Unit 107, Santa Cruz, 831-426-2739, seabrightsocial.com
The Big Kahuna Burger rules this week, stacked sky-high with Kalua-style pulled pork shoulder, grilled pineapple, fermented chili, garlic aioli and cilantro-ginger slaw.
Sevy’s at Seacliff Inn
7500 Old Dominion Ct., Aptos, 831-688-8987, sevysbarandkitchen.com
Ken Drew says Sevy’s is all about burgers: The “regular generic burger” is “pretty good to begin with” and there’s a special every Wednesday. For Burger Week he’s bringing back one of those specials—the Mediterranean Burger—which incorporates the ingredients from Sevy’s meze platter—tzatziki, hummus. feta cheese, cucumbers, radishes, red peppers, onions—to make “kind of like a salad in a bun with a piece of meat. People loved it when they had it,” he says.
For the second burger this year, “just because we can,” Sevy’s will do a Barbecue Pulled Pork Burger. “Nothing crazy fancy about it,” Drew says. “Just a burger, pulled pork, gouda cheese, cole slaw and a side of fries. I think it’s going to sell very well.”
Vinocruz
4901 Soquel Dr., Soquel, (831) 426-8466, vinocruz.com
On the menu at Vinocruz is Bistro’s Best Burger, equipped with mushrooms, bacon, arugula, smoked Swiss cheese, tomato truffle oil and red pepper aioli. The Vino Burger is draped with bacon, gem lettuce, griddled onion and white cheddar deluxe sauce on a brioche bun.
Zachary’s
819 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz, 831-427-0646, zacharyssantacruz.com
Charlie Watson of Zachary’s says, “This year we’re doing a California Melt: one-third-pound beef patty on our grilled sourdough bread, with bacon, avocado, grilled red onions and pepperjack cheese, served with home fries, fresh fruit or potato salad.”
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