Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Santa Cruz area by diners
Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Santa Cruz area by diners
There's just something about a hamburger—from the way the juices from the freshly grilled meat gently dribble down your chin as you take that first bite of the succulent patty to the way the cheese curves along the sides, melting slowly over the ground-beef goodness placed gently between two buns.
While a burger's je ne sais quoi may defy definition, one thing is certain: Americans love hamburgers. According to a 2024 YouGov survey, burgers are among the top three most popular foods in the U.S., tied with fried chicken and bested only by French fries. As further proof of hamburgers' dominance in America, chains where burgers are the star of the menu generated $110 billion in sales in 2024, according to the annual Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. Based on a Restaurant Business analysis of the Technomic report, that accounts for more than a quarter of the total sales among all Top 500 chains and more than double sales from chains where chicken is the main attraction.
The burger's origins stretch far beyond America, however. Named after Hamburg, a region in Germany known for its cattle, the Hamburg steak was the first step toward what would become the sandwich we know and love today. Served on a plate (sans buns, if you can believe it), the steak was said to have become popular during the Industrial Revolution after an influx of German immigrants into New York. To make the food easier for the workers to eat on their breaks, a now unknown cook sandwiched the steak between two pieces of bread, and the rest, as they say, is history.
While it may never be proven when and where the hamburger was first invented, the deliciously simple sandwich is here to stay. But who serves the best burger today? You'll find many restaurants around the U.S. that claim they do, from Au Cheval in Chicago and New York to The Habit Burger Grill, a California-based chain that USA Today named the #1 fast-food burger in America.
Of course, those restaurants may not be in your neck of the woods. To find the best of the best in your area, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Santa Cruz area based on diners' reviews on Yelp as of March 2025. Restaurants with at least 20 reviews tagged as "burgers" on Yelp within a 10-kilometer radius of Santa Cruz were included. As a result, many restaurants featured may primarily serve other food items besides burgers. Also, to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with at least five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Keep reading to see if your favorite burger spot made the cut—or maybe you'll find your new favorite on this list!
#19. Sno-White Drive In
- Rating: 3.0/5 (182 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 223 State Park Drive Aptos, California
- Categories: Burgers, fast food, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Betty's Eat Inn
- Rating: 3.4/5 (513 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1222 Pacific Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Burgers, American, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Surf City Grill
- Rating: 3.4/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 400 Beach St. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Betty Burgers
- Rating: 3.5/5 (113 reviews)
- Address: 415 Trout Gulch Road Aptos, California
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Seaside Fish & Chowder
- Rating: 3.6/5 (29 reviews)
- Address: 400 Beach St. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Seafood, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Betty Burgers
- Rating: 3.6/5 (533 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1000 41st Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Back Nine Grill & Bar
- Rating: 3.8/5 (292 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 555 Hwy 17 Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Sports Bars, Steakhouses, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Betty Burgers
- Rating: 3.8/5 (1387 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 505 Seabright Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#11. West End
- Rating: 4.0/5 (1156 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 334D Ingalls St. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Gastropubs, Burgers, Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Spanky's
- Rating: 4.0/5 (249 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 9520 Hwy 9 Ben Lomond, California
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Adam's Grub Truck
- Rating: 4.0/5 (390 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: San Francisco, California
- Categories: Burgers, Seafood, Caterers
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Felton Music Hall
- Rating: 4.0/5 (68 reviews)
- Address: 6275 Hwy 9 Felton, California
- Categories: Music Venues, Bars, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Jack's Hamburgers
- Rating: 4.1/5 (559 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 202 Lincoln St. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Belly Goat Beef Burgers
- Rating: 4.1/5 (171 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 725 Front St. Ste 108 Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Burgers, Food Stands
- Read more on Yelp
#5. The Point Kitchen and Bar
- Rating: 4.1/5 (71 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3326 Portola Drive Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Bars, Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Aj's Market
- Rating: 4.1/5 (207 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5955 Soquel Drive Soquel, California
- Categories: Grocery, Fruits & Veggies, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Harbor Cafe
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1626 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 535 7th Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: American, Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Emerald Mallard
- Rating: 4.5/5 (30 reviews)
- Address: 6256 Ca Hwy 9 Felton, California
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Pretty Good Advice - Santa Cruz
- Rating: 4.6/5 (52 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1319 Pacific Ave. Santa Cruz, California
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 304 metros.
