315 Meigs Road
Santa Barbara
805.963.7492
1209 Coast Village Road
Montecito
805.565.0642
7010 Market Place Drive
Goleta
805.869.2247
mesaburger.com
When local celebrity chef Cat Cora — who has broken many glass ceilings, including as the first female “Iron Chef” — and her partner, Chris Chiarappa, decided to open Mesa Burger, Cora wanted “big, juicy burgers that are not your average burger.” The successful result is evident at the three locations — the original on the Mesa, and in Montecito and Goleta.
Make Mine not Meat: For those eschewing red meat, Mesa always has vegan options (and a separate dedicated fryer for vegan and gluten-free cooking) and a fresh-fish sandwich featuring whatever’s best daily from the Santa Barbara Seafood Market.
Proper Local Chillers: Nothing’s better with a burger than crisp Mesa fries and an ice-cold craft beer on draft. Mesa locations stock eight to ten selections, all brewed in Santa Barbara, Ventura or San Luis Obispo counties.
What Makes it Great: Mesa Burger starts with prime local ingredients and then stacks them onto a delicious brioche bun. Most popular are the classic Mesa and the glitzy Montecito, the latter with glazed mushrooms, an onion ring, arugula, grilled onions, goat cheese and truffle aioli.
