Just steps from Santa Monica’s bustling 2nd Street, HiHo Cheeseburger has earned a devoted following by making a familiar American favorite feel genuinely considered.
Its formula is wonderfully direct: grass-fed, grass-finished Wagyu, a classic white bun, American cheese, and careful house-made details. 🍔
The result is a quick-service burger stop that turns a casual meal into a memorable local ritual.
How HiHo Cheeseburger | Santa Monica won locals’ hearts
HiHo built its name around 100% grass-fed and 100% grass-finished Wagyu, a focused beef-first approach that gives its burgers a clear identity.
The restaurant says it grinds whole cuts fresh every day and seasons the meat with only salt and pepper, keeping the spotlight squarely on the beef.
That no-fuss confidence carries into the classic flavor combination of beef, cheese, and ketchup, an old-school trio that needs no elaborate disguise.
Its signature approach feels especially fitting in Santa Monica, where people can grab a satisfying burger without committing to a drawn-out sit-down meal.
The HiHo Double offers the kind of familiar, compact cheeseburger experience that invites repeat visits instead of one-time curiosity.
Slow-cooked onions add another layer of care, since HiHo says it cooks them for hours rather than minutes. 🧅
House-made pickles, mustard grilling, lettuce, cheese, ketchup, and onions create a recognizable build that still feels thoughtfully tuned.
The kitchen’s commitment goes beyond beef: its buns are baked daily with locally milled flour and contain no preservatives.
HiHo also hand-cuts fries from non-GMO potatoes, making the side order part of the meal’s appeal rather than an automatic afterthought. 🍟
Guests with different dietary preferences have a place at the counter too, thanks to a house-made, gluten-free vegan patty made with grains, legumes, and spices.
For diners looking beyond burgers, the menu includes a fried chicken tender sandwich layered with house-made pickles, honey, slaw sauce, and purple cabbage.
Dessert keeps the same from-scratch spirit, with pies made daily and shakes built from an in-house ice cream base using six simple, all-natural ingredients. 🍦
Food Highlights
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HiHo Double: The core burger includes cheese, ketchup, slow-cooked onions, lettuce, house-made pickles, and mustard, grilled; it is the best starting point for tasting HiHo’s Wagyu-forward, classic cheeseburger philosophy. 🍔
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Pastrami HiHo Double: This upgraded double adds spicy onions and clean-label grass-fed Wagyu pastrami, making it a must-order for anyone craving a richer, more layered burger. 🥪
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Matty: The HiHo Double skips ketchup and adds Matty Sauce instead; it is a smart choice for diners who want a sauce-led variation on the house burger.
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Vegetarian HiHo: A single house-made, gluten-free vegan patty gives non-meat eaters a HiHo-specific option rather than a generic substitute. 🌱
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Fried Chicken Tender Sandwich: Fried chicken tenders meet house-made pickles, honey, slaw sauce, and purple cabbage, creating a sweet-savory alternative to the beef menu. 🍗
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Ashton Fries: From-scratch fries arrive with pastrami, spicy slow-cooked onions, and fonduta made with MATŪ cheese sauce; this is the menu’s most indulgent fry order. 🍟
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Banana Cream Pie: Made from scratch as part of HiHo’s daily pie program, this dessert adds a creamy, nostalgic finish after a salty burger-and-fries run. 🍌
Atmosphere
HiHo offers a straightforward, casual burger-stop energy that suits a quick lunch, beach-day refuel, or relaxed dinner near Santa Monica’s busy shopping and entertainment streets. 🍔
The menu’s compact focus keeps the experience approachable: order a burger, upgrade the fries, and leave room for a shake or pie.
It is a place for comfort-food cravings, not ceremony, with recognizable classics elevated by meticulous sourcing and house-made touches.
Bottom Line
Visit for grass-fed, grass-finished Wagyu burgers, slow-cooked onions, house-made pickles, hand-cut fries, a distinctive pastrami-topped double, and made-from-scratch shakes and pies. 🍔🍟
HiHo makes the classic cheeseburger feel both familiar and unusually well cared for.
Address: 1320 2nd St Ste B, Santa Monica, CA 90401
📞 (310) 469-7250
🕔 Open daily, 11:30 AM–10 PM