This is a cute little Mom and Pop general store. It's a funky little place, but they have just about anything you could need if you are camping at the beach. I was excited to try the "world famous Jalama burger." To my surprise, it was just mediocre. I am a bit spoiled and happen to be very good at making hamburgers, but I have to say there wasn't anything world famous about it. The sauce is a homemade thousand island and the lettuce is perfectly shredded, but the beef looked like it was frozen and there weren't a lot of additions (ie bacon). I'll definitely go back and love the views, but I think this place needs to step it up to be world famous. The fries were also just so-so. They were just frozen and lacked flavor. Next time, I'll try something else. The breakfasts look good. read more

Big, HUGE, Disappointment!! My husband & I have been taking numerous trips (70 miles) to Jalama Beach on our days off just to get a Jalama Burger. I'd say we were addicted. Once we even got a second burger before we left for trip home. But on Monday, August 21st we had two less than Mediocre burgers! Not to mention a 'short' order of fries. Who was that cooking in the kitchen?? This was the most AVERAGE, get anywhere, burger & definitely not worth a trip! Did someone forget to put the secret in the secret sauce? We've told so many people to go get this "Famous Jalama Burger" but not sure we can do that anymore. Plus we've lost all desire to return. I'm so curious to know what happened that day! If this had been our experience the first time there we would have never returned. Want to give it a 2nd chance but have to say not really in any hurry now. read more

I used to come here when I was little and every time I am even remotely close to it I have to go back. The burgers here are some of the best I have everrrrr had in my life. It most certainly is world famous in my book! Plus you can either eat on the beach- or if it's crazy windy per the norm then you get ocean front seating! read more

After coming here and loving it for over 40 years, I have to tell you the last two times we have came and ate a Jalama burger it was NOT THE SAME. Don't know if they changed something but definitely not the same as years past. At first I thought maybe it was just me but my husband and daughter said the same thing. I really hope that they change it back to the way it was because there was not a better burger out there before. My husbands bun had mold on it and the lettuce was as soggy and the sauce did not taste the same. Jalama is a beautiful place! read more

One of the best places in the county for a burger and who could beat the views of the best beach breaks?! The food is So tasty the staff is super friendly and you always run into a friend ;) read more

Jalama Beach Store - YUM - Burgers Near Me - Lompoc, California

I read about this place in Sunset Magazine a few years back and my wife and I finally got to visit here yesterday on the way up the coast for our 30th anniversary. I know people throw the term "hidden gem" around a lot but Jalama Beach/campground and store really are hidden gems. Jalama Beach is 14 miles off the main road to Lompoc just off Hwy 101 if you're heading North. You're cruising down a winding, two lane road in some of the most beautiful country you could ask for and suddeny...after what seems like a thousand twist and turns, there it is, the big blue ocean with Jalama Beach and Campground nestled neatly down below all by itself. If you're lucky you'll see the Amtrak Surfliner mosey on down the track just above the campground. Be sure and try the famous Jalama burger while you're here, it's grilled fresh to order, get a side of fries with it and a cold Coke and then head over to one of the little benches on the beach just to the left of the store, take a seat and wolf everything down like we did. The little store is worth the trip itself. They sell everything you could possibly need for camping, a day on the beach, a bbq on the beach etc.. This place is a real old school store, very cool, true Americana. Do yourselves a favor and check this place out, you won't be dissapointed. Great view, great beach, great burger and one of the coolest little road trips around. read more

See all

I crave that damn burger on the regular. Worth the drive just for the burger! The chile verde breakfast burrito is a close second. Take one home with you since you will be stuffed from the burger. read more

Great burgers, camping style tables to eat at. Good fries with seasoning salt. A fun place to have lunch, cost $15 a person with an iced tea. read more

Jalama Beach is one of the hidden gems on the central California coast and the Jalama Beach Store is the diamond of the setting. It's a combination General Store and Grill that has a little bit of everything, from beer to firewood, tackle, soy sauce, T-shirts and sodas. The grill is famous for their Jalama Burger, a 1/3 pound burger sitting on shredded lettuce with fixin's and "Jalama Sauce". The entire park sits at the end of a 14 mile windy road from the Cabrillo Highway just south of Lompoc, CA. Our last visit we ordered a Jalama Burger, 2 Shrimp & Chips and a kids Chicken Nuggets. While the nuggets sat neglected (bleh, 1 out of 5 stars) the shoestring fries were perfectly cooked, salted and generous portions to boot. The butterflied fried shrimp were perfectly done, too. Zero complaints on the burger. Maybe it's being right there at the beach that makes the food taste so good, but whatever it is it's worth the trip, even just a "ride to lunch" on motorcycles. I don't know if it's common practice, but the rangers at the park gate are usually willing to give a free pass to visitors who are just going to the store to eat. read more

First thing that stands out for me is the staff in the store. Very helpful and excellent customer service. We were not as prepared as we could have been for camping and this was not a problem. The store is stocked with everything you could possibly need and the restaurant was very good. We tried the burger and ordered fries. it was the best burger I have had in 20 years. I will be camping here for awhile and hope to try other things on there menu while I am here. This entire park has a very laid back happy atmosphere and it is worth the drive up to just be here. read more

Very good big burger and tasty fresh fries. Taste a like a good homemade burger. Just don't like the long drive that get one. I had a basic burger, will go back and try something different. read more

Ordered the fish and chips! Disappointed! Hugely disappointed to order this and realize it wasn't fresh. Looked and tasted like store bought frozen fish. Very greasy! read more

Sorry, but FORGET THIS PLACE. Allow me to tell you a very sad story. If you don't read any of this, just know that FOOD IS NOT SERVED PAST 5:45PM. I was on business travel at VAFB and stayed in Lompoc. Since it was probably the only time I'll ever go to Lompoc in the foreseeable future, I figured I'd make the most out of my stay. I asked the receptionist at the hotel if Jalama Beach was worth checking out, and she insisted that I would have a burger that was out of this world. She tried calling them to double check that they were open. No answer. We checked online, and it looked like they were open till 7pm. Perfect, plenty of time! Could zip on down and eat a burger before enjoying a sunset. I embarked down Highway 1. Absolutely gorgeous weather as I tore the road apart in my rental Mazda 6. Had Boston and Journey blasting to scenes of blue skies, lush green hills, and blooming wildflowers. It was great times. 40 minutes plus one missed turn later, Jalama Beach burst into view. My goodness, that is beautiful. I responsibly took pictures with my EVO while coasting down the home stretch, using the screen to make sure I wasn't driving off a cliff. Too pretty of a moment to not capture it. I hopped out of my car. Oof, smell of melting brake pads. Oh well, Avis' problem. And there it was. Jalama Beach Store. My stomach was growling. I went inside and saw the patio where I would be eating my burger. The lighting was perfect. I could smell the aroma of beef. This was going to be epic. I waited behind a paying customer and looked around. Where's that menu...the cashier (who I now take to be the owner) made an inquiry since I probably looked pretty confused. "You need something?" "Yeaaah...I'm here for some food." "Kitchen's closed, we stopped serving food at 5:45." My heart skipped a beat. What? Wait a minute. I pulled out my phone. 5:46pm. I look at him quizzically. "Seriously?" "Yup." He turned away to start doing something else. You've got to be shitting me. I peaked into the kitchen. Grill was still hot, and someone was clearly cooking something. "Look, I just drove 45 minutes to eat here. There's no way you can make an exception?" He turned around. "Hey, if I serve you, then I gotta make food for the next person, then the next person, and I'll never leave." I hold back a laugh. This place is deserted. I didn't see a single car after turning off Highway 1, and the only lifeforms I had seen in the last minute was an adorable golden retriever and the douchebag running this place. This is ridiculous. I contemplated purchasing some dry food or candy just to ease the hunger. No. Forget it, not giving money to this place. I give the cashier a sneer and start to walk away. But then a lady (who I take to be his wife) appeared and started mumbling to him. He shook his head dismissively. As I had my hand on the doorknob, she called out, presumably against his wishes. "I've got a grilled cheese sandwich here, we can give you that!" Sigh. Too hungry. Whatever. I paid them four bucks. No tip. I thanked the lady earnestly. Didn't say a word to the cashier. What made the moment even better was when the chef insisted on making the lady another grilled cheese sandwich. "You SURE you don't want something to eat? I can make whatever you want, just tell me what, grill's still hot." This is unbelievable. Screw you guys. I took my sandwich and proceeded to the patio. But the cashier yelled at me and said it was unavailable, despite the store being open until 7pm. Whaaat the hell. The lady had this defeated smile on her face that said, "Sorry my husband is such a prick, if I was running this place and he wasn't such an abusive asshole I'd totally let you have your moment and fill your mouth with the best burger you've ever had." I walked out without hesitation that time. I ate the sandwich in a few bites with seagulls flocking to the sight of possible crumbs. Took in the natural splendor of the beach and stole some cool rocks just to spite the place. Then walked back to the car, still hungry, still feeling defeated. I looked back at the door and contemplated telling the guy off. But I almost didn't want to give him the chance to redeem himself. Look, even if this place has amazing food, I don't forgive an establishment that cannot fathom the concept of customer satisfaction. You just turned away and insulted a potential well paying customer who is going to dedicate his 45 minute drive back to civilization scheming how to mar your reputation. And that's just what I did. read more

This place is a joke. Food is WAY overrated! There was nothing special about the hamburger at all. Just another burger, which was made worse by having to wait over an hour for the damn thing. The oil used to make my onion ring was obviously old and had not been changed in a while. This was not worth the drive. The beach was beautiful, but this will be are only trip to Jalama. read more

Recommended on Google search as one of the places to visit on the way to Monterey. Hidden but worth the drive. Beautiful scenery! Burger and fries delicious! Only negative was the cashier who instead of handing me my change threw it on the counter! This which I found to be extremely rude!!! read more

Jalama Beach Store - Delicious! - Burgers Near Me - Lompoc, California

I've been coming to Jalama Beach for a few years now, and i try to return every month or two. It truly is a hidden gem in Southern California, reminiscent of California beaches from days gone by or beach camping in Baja, back when it was safe! It's a great family hangout. Located in this pristine beach environment is the Jalama Beach Store. It is a piece of what makes this place so special. The store has everything-and I mean everything- you might have forgotten to pack. To top it off, they have the most amazing restaurant you could imagine. The Jalama Burger is world famous, the Chili Verde Burrito is astonishing and the SurfBurger is awesome. The food is always fresh and delicious. it makes camping at Jalama Beach a joy. I've ready some of the reviews left here by disgruntled people but I gotta say, the owners are awesome and very genuine. Some of the complaints written are crap; the owners have lives too, so if you show up after the place is closed deal with it. Hello? Does McDonalds open back up for you when you arrive 20 minutes after they close? Get a life!!! Bottom line: Jalama Store is not only a great place to get firewood, it's a great place to get a hot delicious meal for the family and enjoy a beautiful day at a beautiful beach. Jalama Beach Store is a winner!!!! read more

Always delicious! The very best burger I've ever had. And for this who complain about the wait, go back to the highway to In-N-Out! I learned today that they serve up to 400+ burgers per day on a weekend. Great job Jalama Cafe!!! read more

Don't know what was more breathtaking the view or the burger! Went @ 11:30 on a Wednesday and there wasn't any wait. Chili fries were good but the cheese fries with their "secret sauce" were even better. They were very friendly even letting my kids in at the last minute the night before to get ice cream. Worth all the hype! read more

Don't get the hype. Burgers are good but nothing to rave about. The only place to eat around, so I guess that's the deal

Best burger/chicken "burger" EVER!!!! I've been coming to Jalama since I was a kid. It has never changed. That's what makes it so special. The food is incredible, the atmosphere is "small, cool, beach store." This has always been one of my favorite places to visit (I only live about 15 miles from here but you get what I mean). If you go for lunch during the middle of summer when the camp ground is full, be prepared to wait for your meal. They will tell you the wait time. We went once during an extremely busy time and our wait time for food was 1 hour 20 minutes. Honestly I'd wait all day for this food if I had to. I mean, you are AT THE BEACH, so place your order and go enjoy the beach for awhile until it's ready. It all depends on what time of the year/day of the week you visit. We went on Super Bowl Sunday and got our food in like 10 minutes............no crowds. If you want to visit a place that the person or people you are with will actually engage or pay attention to you, this is where you want to be. There is no cell phone service...Hallelujah!!!!! If you look around, people are actually enjoying themselves and there are no phones in hand with people looking down. It's so fun just for that reason alone. People are enjoying life, the beach, food, each other. Once you've had a Jalama burger, no other burger will ever come close. This is truly a special place! read more

We stayed at Jalama Beach April 19-21 2011, the weather was spectacular. First thing we wanted to do was enjoy one of those infamous burgers. We ordered 2 burgers,2 soft drinks and an order of onion rings, $21.60 later we were feasting. i suppose we were expecting too much, the meal was mediocre at best. Honestly nothing special about our meal at all,I'm still trying to figure out why people are raving about this meal, I suppose it's because they feel they made that long trip there and are compelled to rate it highly. Well thanks but NO thanks to the self proclaimed Famous Jalama Beach Cafe Burger. read more

It was very windy during my stay. This location has great morning & evening views (how could it not! It's beachside camping!) I have not stayed in the cabins but I would rather do that with a more active & better company. The campsites were reasonably maintained, they have coin showers, & a local store that is over priced. read more

The jalama burger was SO WORTH the drive. I highly recommend this place. Best burger I've had in a long time.

3 stars for the burger. Good but nothing special. Way too much of their special sauce. Onion rings disappointing. Appears to have been fried in old oil. 4 stars for location. Kinda fun discovering a lesser known beach. Overall, good stop on ur way to SLO. Agree with other reviewers that it's worth the drive. read more

THEIR BURGERS ARE BOMB!!!! I have not been here in a few years, but for whatever reason I was thinking about it today because I had a burger at another joint today in the OC that definitely did not stand up to my standards. And then, I remembered this place! I have only ever been to this store when I used to come and camp here at the beach park. We would usually come to the store towards the end of our stay as we were running low on supplies. With that said, smelling delicious, moist, special sauce covered, angus burgers after eating hot dogs for a few days is a bit provocative. Hell, it is DAMN provocative! You order at a dingy little register and then get your burger through a little trap door like hole in the wall and go and eat in an attached room filled with taxidermied animals all over the walls and a view of the ocean from a bluff next to the little creek that empties right by it. WHEW! That was one long description and I hope I haven't lost you yet. HAHA! In the end though, this burger is to DIE FOR! Eating Packaged Hot-Dogs aside, this burger definitely ranks up there with In-N-Out's or anything on the Westside. But while the latter's is good because of its quality and relative availability, Jalama's burgers are good because of the quality, the atmosphere, the fact that it is hidden from the main road by fifteen miles of a hundred turns through gorgeous golden canyons of native plants and trees, the views of the ocean and simply because they know how to make a DAMN GOOD BURGER! read more

Best clam chowder I've had in a long time! The The burger was pretty run of the mill but if your out on the beach all day it tastes amazing. The onion rings were really tasty too! The store has a good amount of supplies and knick nacks. Definitely will return!!!! read more

Cool little store, they literally have everything you can imagine in this place. The prices are fair especially for how remote you are. The grill is in the store also. read more

Oh my goodness!!! If you are looking for a fantastic burger with a gorgeous view come to this place. But you should order your fries well done unless you like them floppy and greasy. Way out of the way but WORTH IT!!! read more

Jalama Beach Store - Ready to eat and enjoy beautiful breeze - Burgers Near Me - Lompoc, California

A couple of my friends and I decided to take a trip to the famous Jalama Burger joint & popular, quiet beach of Jalama. It was well worth the hour drive from Santa Barbara and despite a hefty $10 fee to park for the day at the county-run park, we had a wonderful time on our day trip! We ordered the Jalama burger, I asked for a small fry (which was HUGE and I split it three-way), while one of my friends ordered a side of onion rings which he thoroughly enjoyed. It took awhile for the food to come out (about 30 minutes), but I presume it's made to order and not frozen patties. Their "special sauce" tasted just like any special sauce at any burger joint (Thousand Island-like)...but tasty. It was indeed a delicious burger and we followed it by a beach walk& my is it gorgeous! I will definitely come back to visit (despite the cost of parking). One question though, are there not milkshakes there?!(I didn't see it on the menu and think they could thrive with the sale of those... Think: dipping fries in a milkshake...). read more

Jalama Beach Store - The "Jalama Burger" and a SMALL fry... - Burgers Near Me - Lompoc, California

See all

Worth the hype, worth the drive, and a near perfect burger. You can't beat the setting and the beer is ice cold.

My wife and I rode in here with some friends on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. We stopped in for the burgers. We were not let down-these burgers were amazing. The view was great, the ride was great and the price of the burgers were cheap. I had a good time; loved the place. read more

Always good! Jalama Burgers are great. Think less Mayo would be a plus but just ordered without. Nice time camping. Store has everything!

Best burger hands down. Plus it's at the beach. What more can you ask for? When you get to the gate of the park, tell them you are going to eat, they will give you a pass and you don't have to pay for day fees. read more

This was the worst. We were told it would be 45 minutes to get our order. It actually took 1 hour 50 minutes to receive a soso burger. Read all the reviews including Sunset Magazine telling us what an awesome burger. It is not bad but far from awesome especially when it took almost 2 hours to get it. The kitchen is the problem. Just not organized to handle crowds. read more

The store actually supplies pretty much all you need. Got a bottle of wine one night and it was one of those that's been sitting on the shelf for who knows how long. Got a case of Flat Tire for another night, same thing. Tried their Surf burger and was pretty disappointed because it was just a fried patty and I couldn't tell if it really had seafood because it tasted like a fried potato patty and texture was very soft. Totally regretted not ordering their signature burger. Staff was very friendly read more

Their biscuits and gravy were delicious, but be forwarned that the gravy is very peppery. I was okay with that.

So what's all the fuss about? Well, for years we've said we'd stop by for a Jalama burger and just never made the 14-mile drive. However, this past weekend we decided to just make a special trip. Grabbed some friends and left Long Beach at 6:00 a.m. for Jalama Beach. Loaded the camera gear in the truck as I KNEW there would be opportunities. Figured we'd get there, do some shooting and then be just in time for lunch. Right all counts. Photography was great, then it was time for the ever-talked about Jalama burger. Funny thing, at 11:00 there were no cars in front of the store, so we continued on our photo quest. Got back at noon and there wasn't a place to be found! What? Where did all these people come from! We walked in the store and placed our order for Jalama burgers and (originally were going to order) large fries. Until I saw a guy pick up his order and he said, "THIS is the large fry!"....I changed the order to a small fry. My saying of, "order in 5, eat in 30" held true. You wait....and wait...and wait. But, when they called our number, I couldn't get to the window fast enough! We got our burgers, found a nice picnic table nearby (you 'can' eat inside, but why WOULD you?). So we all sat with this absolutely wonderful burger sitting in front of us. 1/3 pound, on a fresh bun, piled high with Jalama coleslaw, pickles, tomatoes and bermuda onion. My partner order the turkey burger (she doesn't do beef), and it was a nice 1/2" thick burger, seasoned nicely, with all of the other accoutrimants listed above. The fries were thin, crisp and served with catsup on the side and may if you request it. Oh my....we'd all died and gone to heaven. The drive was a peaceful one through the countryside, the scenery was wonderful and the reward at the end was absolutely well worth the wait! We'll be back, you can count on it! Carmi, Sue, Pat, Craig Long Beach, CA read more

For anyone who loves burgers this is one grill that provides you with one of the most memorable burger moments of your life! Where else better to find a great burger than by the beach? All ingrediants are propotioned into a delicious two handed monster that leaves you full and hopelessly hooked! The fries are an excellent side and are crispy, not overly salty! Definitely will become a family favorite, both the burger and the beach. read more

Good burger but paired with the drive / view it is a real winner! One word of caution : Jalama and Halibut must sound alike since we ordered the first and received the second. Staff was very accommodating and replaced the Halibut with the burger. Bonus: we got to keep the halibut to snack on while the burger was being prepared! read more

So we went camping there at Jalama Beach where I had the chance to sample the famous Jalama Burger. The Beach Store was very busy, which means that the seating was limited. However, everyone was chomping down on their burgers so quickly and heading to the beach that it wasn't hard to find a seat. I had heard so much about the Jalama Burger that I was excited to try one. We ordered and grabbed a seat outside where the weather was perfect. The burgers and fries were nice and hot. They were pretty good burgers, but probably would be even better after a good surf session. I think that's why it gets so many positive reviews. I would definitely recommend a trip to Jalama Beach for the camping and a good burger. read more