SANTA BARBARA’S
Burger a z n a n o B OUR BIGGEST BURGER WEEK EVER: 25 RESTAURANTS SERVING $10 BURGERS UNTIL MARCH 20
BY INDY STAFF
I
n an age of fake news and cultural divides, here’s
a totally true headline we can all get behind: The Santa Barbara Independent’s Burger Week 2024 is the biggest ever! Though ranks have grown since we created this week-long celebration of patties in 2017, this year marks the first time we’ve hit 25 participating establishments, all of which will be selling their specially crafted Burger Week creations for $10 from today until March 20. Of the 28 burgers — some offer more than one option—the vast majority are of the beef variety, with a heavy emphasis on smash burgers, given the popularity of the style. But there are chicken, turkey, and salmon burgers in the lineup as well, giving protein options to explore.
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THE INDEPENDENT
MARCH 14, 2024
As per the usual formula, we sent our hungry staffers out on the town to sample each burger and report back on their findings, which we’ve published below. Keep in mind that most of the $10 deals just include the burger and that there are stipulations for certain establishments, such as limited hours and days of availability, which have been listed with each entry. If nothing special is noted, that means the burger is available for both dine-in and to-go during normal hours. On the beverage front, Validation Ale is the “Official Beer of Burger Week,” and eight of the establishments will be pouring their beer alongside their burgers. (As an interesting, out-of-house sign of runaway Burger Week success, this year even sprouted a sideshow of sorts: Taco
INDEPENDENT.COM
Tour Santa Barbara enlisted a few of the taquerias that it promotes to serve taco-inspired burgers on their menus all week.) To spread the love digitally, we’re running a “Snap. Share. Win!” contest for the best photos taken and posted to Instagram during Burger Week. So take a picture of your burger (pro tip: before you eat it!), share to IG with the hashtag #sbindyburgerweek, and then tag @sbindependent. Each photo serves as an entry for the chance to win a $25 restaurant gift card. For an extra entry, snap another photo with a Validation Ale beer, and make sure to tag the restaurants in your post. Happy burgering! —Matt Kettmann