A Winning Welcome to The Win-Dow

The words “tasty” and “affordable” are unfortunately not often coupled together in the Santa Barbara dining universe, which makes the “Win-Dow” hyphenation a “Win-Ner,” despite the awkward punctuation.

Everyone from downtown workers to trendy foodies, Instagram influencers, and bargain-seeking high school students seemed eager to line up for this week’s opening of The Win-Dow — a popular L.A.-based smashburger concept. Even more exciting than their extensive list of opening week bargain specials (free double cheeseburgers with purchase, half-price fries, $1 drinks, etc.) causing lines down the block is the high-quality, low-priced, upscale fast-food menu. 

The flat-top grilled cheeseburger — regularly priced at just $4.35 — was melt-in-your-mouth good and the fries were also perfectly salted and served hot and stayed warm enough to eat with the burger, rather than demanding to be eaten first (one of my pet peeves with most burger joints). The creamy with just-the-right-amount-of-kick jalapeño sauce is well worth the 60-cent upcharge to pair with the fries. 

I also really enjoyed the fried chicken sandwich ($7.35), which has a zesty mix of textures — crunchy chicken on the outside, really tender inside, with a perfectly proportionate amount of slaw and creamy sauce — all on a soft, slightly sweet potato roll.

Your vegetarian or health-forward friends will also find some things to appreciate on the menu, including a vegetarian “Beauty Burger” (Impossible burger) for $8.50, an $8 grain bowl, and a shaved kale salad ($7.95). On the sweet side, they have handspun shakes and soft-serve dipped cones, which looked delicious, but I was too full to try them on that first visit. The ice cream cones come with handy little drip catchers, and their flavors are intriguing too: mint cookies and cream, salted caramel, and peanut buddy. I’ll definitely be back for dessert when the line dies down a little bit. 

The Win-Dow, located at 701 Chapala Street (across from the Paseo Nuevo parking lot entrance in the former home of Romanti-Ezer) is currently open Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. On weekends from 9 to 11 a.m., they serve what they describe as “a dope breakfast burrito stuffed with smoked brisket, cheesy eggs, peppers and onions, and crispy potatoes.” 

The Santa Barbara restaurant is the first version of The Win-Dow outside of Los Angeles County — founders Paul Hibler and Jeff Goodman debuted the first Win-Dow in Venice in 2019 and have since expanded to Silver Lake, Long Beach, Hollywood, and The Grove at Farmers Market (the shopping center owned by Rosewood Miramar’s Rick Caruso). Although I grew up in the “L.A. Go Home” bumper sticker era of Santa Barbara, and still mostly stand by it, The Win-Dow is one L.A. transplant I’m actually happy to welcome to the hood. 

See thewin-dow.la.