Habit Burger & Grill — Restaurant in La Mesa

I was pleased that their menu was not à la carte like Five Guys. Their set menu was generous and featured burgers with all the toppings, fries, and a drink included. I would say the burger was as savory as your Five Guys cheeseburger. I just ordered the standard charbroiled burger. It was not particularly tasty, or memorable enough to justify another try for any kind of customization, like In-n-Out's three presets. Of course, there were also gourment sandwiches listed on the menu with unusual toppings, but they were priced differently, and did not look very filling. In terms of amenities, the restaurant went above and beyond. I found a good selection in their fountain ranging from various lemonades, vitamin water, sodas, and different teas etc. The interior was spacious, had plenty of seating, and looked clean even if the lighting was oddly soft. Overall, I was just unimpressed with the two tier approach of Habit Burger. The standard, non specialized charbroiled burger was truly forgettable, and the gourmet sandwich side of the menu felt out of place. There was no thematic link between these two tiers of the menu that made me think twice about my choice. I am sure a regular from Santa Barbara or the wider LA area would have more to say about the menu's appeal and possibilities. I also suspect that since Habit Burger does not fashion itself as simply a fast burger joint, the grill encourages customers to modify their orders. However, with such a dull charburger entry for their price, it is anyone's guess why they bothered putting the word "burger" in their name. The list of options for enjoying a gourmet cheeseburger in San Diego is already too long...

The food is okay. Nothing to brag about, but it does the job. The customer service is severely lacking at this location and the workers do not seem to be in any sort of a hurry to get the food out in a timely manner. 30 minutes for 3 burgers and some fries? My bag was just sitting on the counter. It was supposed to be a curbside order, but they were moving so slowly I went inside to see what was going on. They finally gave me my bag and I just told them to give my the cups because the girl filling drinks just seemed irritated she was even there and was walking sooooo slowly. Come to find out, my order wasn't even complete. They had to then put in my fries, so I had to wait longer. Girl is annoyed again, doesn't even say sorry and when I turned around to ask for Ranch she said "I was trying to give you some but you just ran away". Yes, I had kids waiting in the car. There were about 9 people working behind the counter and there was one poor girl putting in some effort and the rest seemed like it was their first day on the job. I'm pretty sure I could've been more efficient, and I've never worked there. Seems like poor training to me. This has been our experience the last several times we've gone. Probably won't...

Would give zero stars if possible. Ordered payed online & when I arrived I noticed trays of food sitting. I let the front team member know that I payed online & gave her my name. She said she would be right with me. 15 minutes later after she'd helped another 3 customers that were waiting to order she finally started bagging the items that I saw when I walked in & then called my name. I noticed this & checked my food which was extremely cold. I asked if I could get my order cooked again due to ice cold food, but was denied. Then I asked if I can return the food & just get my refund & she said I would have to call corporate because I payed online. Very poor customer service & the front team member working at the time has no clue on what she is doing. You always give waiting customers their food first when its ready (especially after 15 min.) before you help other customers that just arrived. Not only this, but they made me feel like I was wrong & started being very rude when I first asked to get my order cooked fresh. This will be the last time I ever come here again due to very poor...