Casual eateries in San Diego (1 of 2) I knew of the The Habit, but I had never been to one. This one is in La Mesa, not far from SDSU and before El Cajon. The first one I've ever seen was on Sunrise Blvd. in the Citrus Heights / Fair Oaks area east of Sacramento and it hummed with customers, with the scent of grilled meat sometimes wafting through the air if you should be that lucky. Los Angeles may have them, too, but I've never seen one. The Habit, specifically this one in La Mesa, serves up hearty sandwiches that are robust and tasty. While 2 burgers on sesame seed buns were ordered by friends and deemed to be good, I went with the Chicken Club, which is presented on sandwich bread and, if it was offered, I would have gone with sourdough. My sandwich was definitely very tasty and filling. If not going to the top of list in terms of doubling up patties and excessively decking out the sandwich, most of their burgers and sandwiches come in somewhere between 500 and 1,000 calories. (When The Outback's Blooming Onion comes in at over 2,000 calories, you will easily find comparatively more sensible options at The Habit.) The service was fine - arms length, but polite. I will say that the store, and we took the ordered food to go, was very nice and clean. It's in a nice neighborhood east of San Diego and SDSU and there is an amply sized parking lot. The prices were in the ball park for its quality and for being in a suburban California location. There aren't many things on the menu that interested me since I don't eat much ground beef anymore, preferring chicken and fish. However, I'd happily return to this location and might be open to trying others in The Habit portfolio. I'm going to go with 4 stars. read more

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I do really love the Habit for their food however I don't think the service here is the best. I ordered on Yelp and when I went it to pick up my food (5 mins past my original pick up time) they said they were still working on it. Even though my Yelp app said my order should be ready, I sat down and waited for them to call my name. After another 5-10 minutes, they still hadn't called my name so I went up and they said they were still working on it. When I showed my Yelp app saying the order was ready, they finally looked in the bad and realized that the order was already finished. Again, I do really like the Habit and their food, it was just a shame that even though I ordered online and my order was ready, I wasn't able to pick it up until around 20 mins past my original pick up time. read more

This Habit burger is in La Mesa Ca off the 8 freeway. Ali went above and beyond i did a online order . When it was ready she helped me. Professional and polite. Made sure I got both orders First order was two charburgers with cheese and second was a Santa Barbara charge salad and kids meal. Food was amazing and perfect. Tha k you staff I been to this one a few times highly recommend them and I be back thank you Ali and staff read more

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My favorite fast food place for a burger. Always made to my liking with light seasoning and well done. I love the Santa Barbara Char. Although, this time my grilled onions were more raw ): I'm not really fond of the onion taste so this was a bit disappointing because it was allllllll over. The workers were super nice when I picked up my order and packaged it as soon as I got there. They were a full house and had full seats. I also found out they have a little outdoor patio! read more

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I was looking forward to trying this place and getting something different from my typical go to fast food. Boy was I disappointed. I tried their famous most loved char meal with cheese and when I got it out of the wrapping paper the burger was undone, very messy and the burger was pink. The salad was okay not bad. The corn tots were very cold and very mushy inside. The green beans were probably the only thing that was good. Fast food is not cheap anymore and then they forgot to put the fries from the charburger meal in the bag. It was too far to drive back. I wish the workers were more mindful and would double check orders. read more

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Once again, wavering between stars, I decided to round up with 4. I rounded up because my food was hot and fresh. Also, even though they had a kiosk to do self order, they still took my order. But there was a missed opportunity. I haven't been here in years! I had no clue the bbq bacon char burger didn't come with cheese. If she would have asked if I wanted cheese, I would have said yes! The second reason for not full stars is the bbq sauce. It's so yummy! But very little of it on one side. Could have done better going coast to coast on the bbq! Establishment is clean inside and out including the restroom. Staff friendly enough. read more

Habit Burger & Grill - Bbq bacon charburger with onion rings - Salad Near Me - La Mesa, California

HABIT BURGER & GRILL @ SAN DIEGO Stumbled upon this place as its neighbors with Chick Fil A! Parking is available out front, free, and easily accessible to the place. This is more of a you get in line, grab your food when it's ready, and find a seat yourself. The line wasn't super long, and I got straight to ordering. I decided to try the Char Burger, Fries, and an Oreo Milkshake. Found a table and my friend and I waisted for about 10 minutes until we got our order. Everything was delicious, high quality taste, really enjoyed the portion. The only note was that my shake was more on the liquidity side rather than thick for a shake - but overall flavor was still amazing. The ambiance was clean, spacious, and it was great for something quick and easy! read more

Habit Burger & Grill - Salad Near Me - La Mesa, California

First time to eat here ordered sweet potato and regular fries, burger and chicken bites... all were good, fries not undercooked or burnt, nice staff and clutter free. Floor is cleaned. Will definitely eat here again. read more

Habit Burger & Grill - Salad Near Me - La Mesa, California

Came for lunch with the family. We had the BOGO Double Char deal. Kids meal was chicken nuggets and fries. Food was fresh, clean and spacious inside. Friendly staff . read more

Habit Burger & Grill - Double char and fries - Salad Near Me - La Mesa, California

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High quality and great food. Only wish salad was made fresh I believe they're premade. The sweet potato fry's are awesome. Staff is very busy and not familiarly with the beef or chicken origins. read more

Habit Burger & Grill - Miso mango salad - Salad Near Me - La Mesa, California

So disappointed in my food today! Treated myself and ordered the Santa Barbara burger for the first time ( I say treated because it's $10 for just the burger). The burger fell apart as soon as I took a bite, the whole sandwich was cold, the lettuce and tomatoes were mushy instead of crisp, the bread didn't hold up up and the avocado had no flavor at all ( I had to check that there was even avocado on it because I couldn't taste it). Not worth the price in my opinion, save your money. read more

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Ordered online. Part of the order was removed. No way to talk to human, only AI or web site. We'll get back to you on Monday. They didn't. No way to change or cancel order. Last time I use Habit. read more

No music, someone needs to tell the employee taking her that no one wants to hear out loud whatever video she's watching. (Earbuds!) The burger and fries were a 7.5 out of 10 read more

Habit Burger & Grill - No One wants to hear what ur watching. - Salad Near Me - La Mesa, California

The restaurant was clean and was nice to sit in. The people behind the counter were very friendly. Unfortunately the food was stone cold. I ordered both a Santa Barbara Burger and 50/50 fries and onion rings. Great flavor, just cold cold cold. read more

Food was delish and.service was excellent. Everything is so very fresh. Ur place is the.only place I will eat kale Well done read more

I waited 25+ minutes for a curbside order. Got my burger just to see that it is nothing but trash, wet and oily Patty absolutely disgusting. The downfall of habit. Carl's Jr. burgers are even better than this. fire every chef. never coming back again. read more

Habit Burger & Grill - Wet oil style Double Char - Salad Near Me - La Mesa, California

I'm going to be completely honest-- I'm creating a list of foodie birthday freebies and I signed up through the app few months ago to recieve their bday promo which is a free charburger with or without cheese when you purchase a drink . Sooo here we are-- Upon arrival, I actually tried to redeem this offer through my app as it says I could-- after a few attempts in their parking lot I gave up because it kept giving me an error screen . I decided to go inside to redeem, which was fine.. I was just being lazy lol . Walked inside and placed my order, cashier was nice and scanned my phone for the coupon-- simple enough. I also added on garlic Parmesan fries because I couldn't resist their huge promotion banner right as I walked in . The cashier gave me a buzzer and I waited about 10 minutes or so to get my order . The restaurant seemed clean, love that the cooking is done in plain sight, and the addition of grabbing your own pepperoncinis is top tier . Once I got home, I began my review: This was my first time actually having The Habit charburger with cheese and it surprisingly was so tasty ! Juicy patty, sweet caramelized onions, tomatoe, shredded lettuce, a plentiful amount of tart pickles, on a perfectly toasted bun . I really enjoyed it with the pepperoncinis . I am an In N Out girlie and I want to say this burger comes close ! 8/10 The garlic Parmesan fries looked nothing like the promo banner lol . The fries are the fries I normally prefer-- thick, yet still thin, wide and long . When I took them out of the bag, they were soggy and stuck together-- but lucky for them.. I'm the psycho that actually loves soggy fries !! The thing that bothered me was just the Parmesan shreds stuck on one side . The side garlic sauce it came with was the star of the show-- sooo garlicky, oily, herbey deliciousness . 6.5/10 .. probably would be higher if I dined in . Overall, they gained a new customer from their birthday freebie promotion . I will definitely be back and take rhe fam when I'm craving their charburger again in the future ! Sidenote-- while I was waiting for my food, the employees at the cashwrap were talking about previous customers in Spanglish ..this is unprofessional in my opinion . They didn't say anything about me, but it's just the principle-- if you really need to vent, do it behind closed doors . read more

Habit Burger & Grill - Salad Near Me - La Mesa, California

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I had a frustrating experience with curbside pickup at The Habit Burger Grill. I placed my order online and selected curbside, not regular pickup. When I arrived, I parked in the designated curbside spot and pressed the "I'm here" button as instructed. It said someone would be out shortly. Well... no one ever came. I waited about 15 extra minutes in the car with no updates. Finally, I went inside to see what was going on, and my food was just sitting there at the pickup counter. If I had wanted to go in, I would've just chosen regular pickup. The whole point of curbside is convenience, and this completely missed the mark. Really disappointed with how this was handled--hope they can improve their curbside service going forward. read more

Habit Burger & Grill - Salad Near Me - La Mesa, California

First time at the Habit, food is very tasty they have a promo of $10.00 is fantastic great customer service, they even surprise us with a sample of a sweet dessert, store clean. Definitely be back. read more

Food good. Parking lot ew. Stopped by on a weeknight after running errands in the area. Parking was a challenge because the drive-thru dinner lines for Chick-Fil-A spilled towards the street :( The interior space is cozy and clean. There are convenient ordering kiosks and a front counter cashier available. For drinks, I like their tea and juice options in addition to the usual self-serve soda pop offerings. The pager lit up and buzzed when our food was ready. Hot peppers are available at the counter if you need that spicy heat. Tasty menu offerings at this Habit location. The cheeseburger is nice as well as the grilled cphicken sandwich, although the mini chicken-to-toast ratio for the price was meh this time. Fries were closer to the warmish and soggy, not hot and crispy. Mini-me was pleasantly surprised to get a cheeseburger shaped candy gummy with her kid's meal. Even though no drive-thru service, the restaurant is neat. Depending on when you go, the smallish parking lot can get crowded, except on Sundays when the neighbor businesses are closed read more

Habit Burger & Grill - Soft drinks - Salad Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Wow! The Habit is so underrated. Food was amazing! Tasted fresh, good sized portions. And the FRIES!! They are perfection!! Also Great variety, burgers, chicken sandwiches and even tempura avocados which are delicious! Oh and let's not forget $1.50 ice cream cones. This is 100x better than the overrated in n out or other popular places. Also the team was friendly and welcoming (rare to experience these days). My teens and I have now claimed it as our new spot! Oh, and almost forgot, so affordable! Walked out spending at least 40% less than we would have at other comparable joints. Wish there was one in Santee. But we will definitely be back! read more

Decent food, excellent employees with good customer service! I love this place for having tempura green beans, they're my favorite!

I've been going here on and off for years. Sometimes they make things overly salty, sometimes they forget to give ranch..etc. But overall, they are efficient in making the meals and packaging it up. Today, I ordered through a delivery service app. It came on time and was perfectly packaged up. Sealed and we were given straws and napkins. Sadly no ranch, but maybe we mis-clicked and forgot it. I ordered their seasonal drink the Banana Wafer Shake. It was sweet and more of an artificial banana if anything. The base was probably vanilla with a banana extract or syrup (because it would have turned brown after 5 min but it was still white). And a handful of nilla wafers in the shake. Overall it was yummy, probably good for a kid. 7.8/10. Then I ordered onion rings. They packed it really neatly this time. It was a lot more than usual! So thankful. For my main dinner I had a charburger! It was yummy. I liked the addition of the grilled onions but I wish they had 2 tomato slices rather than just one. My brother had the Santa Barbara Char with French fries and it looked incredible. It was perfectly toasted and not soggy. Nothing was spilling out of the sandwich, it was all so neat. (The menu for the delivery service didn't show any malt shakes which was disappointing, hopefully it is still available in stores!) read more

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We went back to Habitat Burger, and this time we were pleasantly surprised by the experience, not just by the food but also by the service. It took way too long, unfortunately, but we were able to use our two coupons for two burgers. Moreover, the burgers with cheese were moist, and juicy, much more than last time; when they were extremely dry!!! CHEESE IS THE KEY!!! We also got fries and onion rings, with two drinks, which were completely tasty. PS My partner was going to get 3, because he thought that they were small; THEY ARE NOT SMALL!!! read more

Habit Burger & Grill - It's a very nice building, brand new. Located in La Mesa, CA. It has only one drawback, shortage of parking spaces. - Salad Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Fast good food, would come back I got the ahi tuna, it tastes quite healthy, fries had to be added on though read more

I am very disappointed with this establishment. I have come here before and mostly my experience has been good. But right when I was about to write a good review this last visit was the worst. For starters the two women in the front were to busy talking most of the time about stuff that is not work related. Not even paying attention to customers or taking orders I waited almost 3 minutes before any acknowledgement for taking an order and for the simple reason they were standing there talking. The customer service really isn't that great it has gone down over the years here. And by far the worst part of my experience is I ordered a double char. My burger was by far the worst I've ever had it tasted overly salty! Very gross and it tasted how when they don't clean the grill where they place the patties. And I asked for it lettuce wrapped and the lettuce was brown in a lot of parts. So I don't think I want to come back to this location. I can't even think about having another burger here. read more

I just posted a negative review for a different establishment, so I feel it's aligned with my principles to "offset" my negativism with a positive review! The Habit consistently delivers great tasting, fresh food across burgers, chicken, sides, and salads (I've tried them all...haven't had a shake yet, but they look great!). This location's staff is attentive, friendly, and caring - they always get my order right and package it (carry out) with care. Obviously employees are well-trained and care about customer service which complements the quality food. read more

This is generally been a go to spot for a decent quality burger at a reasonable price. The atmosphere is fast paced casual and perfect for having a little one. Unfortunately, my most recent visit on December 1st was absolutely terrible. It was a little busy for a Sunday afternoon and I was more than understanding of that so I even waited to check in on my food as they were apparently running behind on pumping out their orders. 25 minutes turned into 45 minutes and then over an hour. Because they were so busy and people were very upset approaching them, they were reluctant to come to the counter and I couldn't get any initial help asking or checking about my order. When I did finally get a chance to ask somebody, I was very kind about it Considering I've been in the service industry, and I understand how it goes. Unfortunately bad news got worse... They lost our ticket and they didn't even have it. They said that they don't do refunds in the store and that you have to reach out online or somehow call. I've reached out five different times now and have received no refund and no response on the terrible mishap that happened. That's turned in just bad customer service at this point. I witnessed a handful of other people also asking for refunds being told the same thing. Hopefully they got some sort of response. Even with the decent quality food, I don't believe I can return here after this experience going to unresolved to me being out $45 with no food or anything to show for it. read more

This is how you lose customers. -You can't get orders correct. -You make customers wait inordinate amounts of time for service. -You promise services like curbside that you can't deliver. -You finally deliver an order that's been sitting so long the food's cold. 2nd time. Not again. You lose. read more

Habit Burger is like "The Office." It's amazing as a whole, and its cast of characters are each so phenomenal, it's impossible to pick a favorite. I have been in love with the Teriyaki Char since Day 1, but how am I supposed to pick a favorite item with sides like tempura green beans, onion rings, and sweet potato fries?!?! They are all SO good. Now that we've discussed the food, let me take this moment to give a shout-out to Manager Jenna. We came one night for take-out, and you could tell they were slammed with online orders and dine-in. This didn't phase her one bit. She took our order with lots of friendliness and a smile, and got back to doing five million things at once shortly after. She is phenomenal!!! Keep up the good work, Habit team!! read more

The service is terrible. They could care less about the customers, so rude, do nothing to help, snarky responses to a question or request. It has steadily gotten worse over time, today took the cake. All around awful service. Food is good though! read more

The employee working speaks Spanish but refused to speak to my mom in that language,the whole point of having bilingual employees is to make customers feel more welcome knowing their can order in their own language comfortably. It would be one thing if they said they didn't speak the language which would've been fine,but outright refusing to speak the language you say you do when a customer needs help is deplorable. The food was fine,but the rudeness of the employees ruined the time we spent at this location. read more

Love the other locations this one not so much better customer service and a smile would make this over cooked burger even better but I guess that might be too much to ask read more

Habit Burger & Grill - Burnt #1 Original Charburger Meal - Salad Near Me - La Mesa, California

I live right down the street and typically order when I'm hungover. The best burgers ever!! And they always have great service. Wish the had a bigger parking lot lol read more

I just ordered online. It's prepare fast also the restaurant was clean. The taste was good.

Great burgers! The key is to get a side of half fries, half onion rings. The La Mesa location is usually busy but worth the wait.

Food here is consistently delicious-what you expect from The Habit! Service and speed however are wanting. Curbside is a little bit of a mess, especially since the lot o shared with Chick Fil A, so people always park in the curbside parking that aren't waiting for food. Overall, food and service are worth the value! Organization could be improved upon, but other than that my orders have been correct and delicious!! read more

We always enjoy our food. Leticia is very friendly, professional, consistently provides exceptional service and does it with a beautiful smile! Thank you, Leticia for making our dining experience wonderful every time! read more

Always on here everything on the menu is always good freshly made, and the staff is very friendly and unhelpful. Highly recommend this place. The prices are awesome too. read more

Double char burger is a must try! Heard the Habit beat In-N-Out in the burger game, cane to try it out, can't say which one I like both places for different reasons. This would be a go to if you like the backyard grilled style burgers, I can definitely taste the char in the patties. The green bean tempura is great too, more than I expected, light coating. Ranch is not bad, quick service. I will come back again read more

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