I’d heard of The Habit Burger Grill but hadn’t been there before. The owner of the Ballard franchise invited my family and I to visit the restaurant. Located in a developing area, there was plenty of parking, which I love!

We arrived on the early side of dinner service and was greeted by the owner and the manager. Everyone was full of smiles. I always people watch when I go to restaurants. I saw a range of people, enjoying their meal in a clean, welcoming space.

My teenager ordered a Charburger, which comes with lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and mayo on a bun. He ate the burger before I could finish taking pictures, nodded, grunted, and gave me a thumbs up. He approved. While the rest of us started  eating our burgers, he began working on the basket of fries.

I had the Portabella Charburger. It’s a beef patty, portabella mushrooms, white american cheese, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, pickles, and roasted garlic aioli on a bun. I love burgers with hearty mushrooms. The mushrooms were cooked well and added to the overall flavor of the burger. It was a nice combination.

We also had the Santa Barbara Char, a double burger with cheese and avocado on grilled sourdough. We love real avocado! Often, some people say “avocado” when they mean “avocado spread” or something like that.

We tried a bunch of side dishes. The tempura green beans were my favorite! The beans weren’t too soft or too hard, fried in a light batter. Dipped in housemade ranch dressing, it was tasty! The sweet potato fries were lightly sweet and fried crisp. A bit of salt made it the perfect combo. I’m a sucker for onion rings and these had a nice, crunchy exterior and a soft, mild inside. The fries were firm and held up well to all our dipping. We topped it all off with a mocha handcrafted shake that is a bit on the thick side.

If we had paid for the meal, it would have been very reasonable. Eating out can get expensive and we’re always looking for fresh cooked food that we enjoy on a budget. This definitely fits in that category.