A free, late night barbeque in the name of Jesus is not really what one would expect when heading out to the infamous drunken debauchery that is Isla Vista on weekends.

Nestled in a flood of party-going City College and UCSB students, “Jesus Burgers” ministry grills up and gives away 200 hamburgers every Friday night, as a show of God’s love for the community. A mustard cross and ketchup heart garnishes each handcrafted burger.

According to Pastor Jason Lomelino, the group was driven simply by their hearts “to see a city come to know God.”

The ministry started over a decade ago when Isla Vista Church hosted a citywide barbeque and night of worship in Anaisq’ Oyo’ Park.

The group settled into their current house at 6686 Del Playa Drive, now known as “the Jesus Burger house.” They have distributed burgers from their front yard since 2001.

“We never called them Jesus Burgers,” Lomelino said. “The city did. They called us the Jesus people that cooked up Jesus Burgers.”

Along with feeding partygoers, the ministry also provides water, a place to rest, access to their bathroom and rides home if anyone is too intoxicated.

As is to be expected with large, college-aged crowds, the scene can and does get rowdy.

“A lot of people get really mad and want to argue,” said Heather Tupps, City College student and member of the Jesus Burgers ministry. “They don’t usually get very far, because we’re not in it to argue. We don’t really fight back.”

According to Tupps, the free food usually puts people in a good mood.

“Even if fights start to break out usually people step in and are like ‘dude stop we’re at the Jesus house. Jesus wouldn’t do this,’” Lomelino said.

City College student Natasha Cooper has been a part of the Jesus Burgers ministry for four months and says that “everyone’s like family. It’s just a good place to come, we love to listen.”

This has made it a safe place for a lot of people.

“We come here to breathe once in awhile,” said City College student Lillian Nguyen. “It’s nice to be able to step away from everything happening on DP.”

An open worship session with music and prayer is held in the house’s upper room before the barbeque, between 8 and 10 p.m.

The group also sells its book “Jesus Burgers: True Stories of Love, Redemption, & Miracles in a College Town” to help raise money for IV Church and its Jesus Burgers Ministry.

With steady crowds and long lines filling up the front yard on Friday nights from 10p.m. to 1 a.m., Jesus Burgers have become a much-loved part of the Isla Vista community.

“They actually taste really good,” Cooper said about the hamburgers. “They’re free but they’re bomb!”