Join us on March 2nd – 8th for the Santa Barbara Independent‘s Burger Week!

Excerpt from Independent article:

“Though the burger’s reign atop the pantheon of American cuisine began more than a century ago, this simple sandwich formula is celebrated more now than ever, from fast food’s strip-mall saturation to the gussied up and gourmet versions served at top-tier establishments. And in this era of openness to all appetites, “burger” no longer just means ground beef, which is welcoming even more people to the patty party.

While we can’t exactly claim that the modern zeitgeist began with the Santa Barbara Independent’s inaugural Burger Week in 2017, we can certainly say that our annual promotion didn’t hurt the humble meal’s rise to recent stardom…

There are plenty of chef-y tricks layered into this double-smashburger, like the bacon, onion, and jalapeño that add texture to the three-ounce patties, the dueling American-Swiss cheese slices, and the sweet-and-spicy combination of house-made BBQ sauce and chipotle aioli, all squeezed between a soft brioche bun. But the star of the show remains the beef itself, so juicy and savory and meaty that the accouterments simply serve as a harmonious choir in support of a delicious diva.

Thank the Wagyu beef. “It’s the best we’re able to find, and you can taste that,” said Kaity Dean, who owns the kitchen component of Validation Ale with her partner, Chef Matt Marsit.”