We're getting a Smashburger

Just another chain? or really something special this time?

http://www.mysmashburger.com/

We got a Five Guys recently and it didn't live up to the hype. But maybe this time?

The Smashmobile visited town, too.

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2008/12/the_smashmobile_denvers_xmas_p.php

I realize this is pretty new and not many locations but anybody have any experience with it?

Thanks.

Let's get ready to RUMBLE!!!

This is the scheduled 12 round main event.

Return to your corner, after each round, when the bell sounds.

No hitting below the belt.

No holding, tripping, pushing, biting, spitting or wrestling.

No smashing burgers.

I just don't get it. In George Motz's book, Hamburger America, half of the places listed have burgers starting off as being smashed flat on the grill yet these are some of the best places in America to get a hamburger. I've had many burgers smashed flat and they have been just fine.

roosy90 will not be happy to hear that burgers are getting smashed like this!!

For me, I would have to say, it depends!
I do like the charbroiled lines that the "pressing down" will do, but yet , I want JUICES, too!
So I want it both ways!

PLEASE provide a trip report with pictures.

flattening ("smashing", in this case) cold raw burger meat onto a flattop or grill doesn't smash any fat out of the meat, as the fats are still solid. Pressing a warm burger, after the fat has melted, certainly will.

It would be pretty impressive to smash solids out of meat.

one of my favorite tricks when preparing frozen supermarket burger patties at home is to preheat a cast-iron grill weight on an adjacent burner to my trusty 10" lodge cast iron griddle.. the searing-hot grill weight sears and seals the top of the frozen patty while it cooks from below, and keeps the patty from curling and releasing moisture while it thaws and cooks. the result is a much jucier burger than you would otherwise get from typical low-grade meat.

maybe this burger chain is using the same idea?

I'm going to Colorado Springs this summer for our Central States Shrine Convention, so I'll have to try this place when I'm out there.

I just came upon a tiny little place called Grand Stand Burgers in Johnson County, KS. They smashed their burgers. The burger was good! Not at all dry, in fact quite juicy, but nicely crisp on the outside.

Matt's Place in Butte, MT. smashes their burgers somewhat. The burgers we had at Matt's were also very juicy and tender.

Both places only smashed the burgers right when the meat went on the grill, not at all during the cooking process.

Now that looks good to me. I like the idea of having it the way you want it. Make mine medium rare with American cheese, grilled onions, mayonnaise and chipotle.

quote:

Originally posted by zataar

I just came upon a tiny little place called Grand Stand Burgers in Johnson County, KS. They smashed their burgers. The burger was good! Not at all dry, in fact quite juicy, but nicely crisp on the outside.

Matt's Place in Butte, MT. smashes their burgers somewhat. The burgers we had at Matt's were also very juicy and tender.

Both places only smashed the burgers right when the meat went on the grill, not at all during the cooking process.

Where in JOCO?

quote:

Originally posted by Niagara

quote:

Originally posted by zataar

I just came upon a tiny little place called Grand Stand Burgers in Johnson County, KS. They smashed their burgers. The burger was good! Not at all dry, in fact quite juicy, but nicely crisp on the outside.

Matt's Place in Butte, MT. smashes their burgers somewhat. The burgers we had at Matt's were also very juicy and tender.

Both places only smashed the burgers right when the meat went on the grill, not at all during the cooking process.

Where in JOCO?

Grand Stand is at the corner of Antioch and Merriam Drive. Technically it's north Overland Park, but it's Merriam to me. Merriam Drive has some great places. A Salvadorean place, a terrific Mexican chicken place, Grand Stand and Quick's BBQ.

I thought the burger I had at Grand Stand was very good. I'll post about it in the Hamburger Forum.

Smashburgers are in the Denver metro region. There are none within 7-8 miles of my house so I'll wait until they build one near me and let you know how they taste.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

Make mine medium rare with American cheese, grilled onions, mayonnaise and chipotle.

Did'nt know you were a CHIPTOTLE man, Michael..
I like a little chipotle every now and then...not on burgers, though... I like dipping my french fries in various sauces, including chipotle, etc, etc, etc..
(I'm a big dipper!)

I'm not a fan of French fries.

I've tried Smashburger several times. They are excellent. Great quality! I am very picky about my burgers but these exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend you try them.

My only "beef" with them is you can't call ahead and place your order; at least at the location I go to. You have to place your order on site. Their response is it compromises the quality of freshness for your order if you call ahead and it sits too long. I guess I can't argue with that logic since you have go there anyway to get the food. There are always a lot of people eating in the dining area with beer and wine.

I've eaten takeout from Smashburger a couple of times (they're right across the street from our development). They are good for a developing chain. At least when I asked for mine mooing rare, that's what I got! Oh joy!

Since I didn't see it being cooked, I couldn't vouch for the smashing part.

The fries are pretty ordinary. And it's pretty pricey.

But it was a very good burger and I would have one anytime. Especiallly if someone else was paying...

First visit. A + for service, B- for food ( I’m very picky about my burgers and I like a basic burger not a pretentious one).

I had the Texas Smashburger, an addition to the basic menu which substitutes a slice of tomato for the ketchup on the All-American Smashburger.  Whoo-hoo.

The burger was served open-face; the patty was irregular, loosely formed, beautiful.  A portion of it fell off when I picked it up.  Without any instructions from me there was little pink in the center of the burger.  Unfortunately the toppings included thick slices of kosher pickle and just a squiggle of mustard on each slice.  I’m not used to taking a camera with me when I eat and I forgot mine but here’s a picture I found on another discussion board.  That looks exactly like my burger except for the missing squiggles of mustard.



The kosher pickles really stood out as being out of place and the skimpy portion of mustard was a joke.  Overall my impression was that it was a very affected attempt at a gourmet burger.  There are bottles of Heinz and French’s on the table so I could have added more but if you’re going to have kosher pickles and an egg roll why not at least some good deli mustard and sea salt and peppercorn grinders on the table?

I did not care for the Smashfries at all and wouldn’t order them again (olive oil, rosemary, garlic).  The Haystack Onions looked good but I didn’t get a good look at an order of regular fries. The egg roll was too soft and squishy; it soaked up too much of what little juiciness there was and was too much like eating a burger on a croissant.

The meat, however, was very good.  It’s the star of this burger and reason enough to return to give it another try.  I’m thinking the best way to enjoy a Smashburger is meat with minimal accouterments.

The service was A +; I was greeted at the door and handed a printed menu but whether that is regular practice or just coincidence I don’t know (you order at a counter).  After I got my meal no less than 3 employees stopped by in the first few minutes to see if everything was okay; one even offered to get a refill on my drink which was still half full.  Before I was finished the manager also stopped by and sat down and chatted me up about the concept and how they wanted feedback and hoped to see me again.  Wow!  At a burger joint, no less.  As he was walking away he suggested I try the Baja buger next time- aged Pepper jack, chipotle mayo and jalapenos on a chipotle bun. 

There are some great burger places in Houston and this one will have some tough competition.  Just a couple of miles away I know of a little place that does a fresh, never frozen burger with hand cut fries that’s very credible and it’s better than this and not even on the radar as one of the best in the city.

I do like Smashburger better than Five Guys which recently opened in a suburb way out west.  I’m not sure this should be compared to S&S, Culver’s, etc.; it’s more upscale in approach.The decor tends towards sleek-modern-bistro, rather than fast food.

We're getting a Smashburger here on the outer fringes of Chicagoland. This is to be the first of 25 or so to come to Chicago area in 2011, ours will be open in about 3 weeks in a vacant store front near Trader Joe's. I haven't tried any of the new burger chains, 5 Guys & Meatheads, that are here now so there will be no comparison. My burger of choice lately has been at a local brew pub which makes them fresh to order so I have high standards to compare to.

We have a Smashburger in North Dallas (Addison), but there are local joints that are much better, e.g., Twisted Root and Kinkead's.

Two Smashburger restaurants are coming to town in the fall.  A blogger buddy is excited about it, but it looks like another squashed, well-done burger place.  They do offer a half-pound burger, unlike Five Guys Burgers and Fries. 
 
Here's a link to a video which includes some views of the cooking technique:
 
http://ozersky.tv/2010/04/a-painful-but-rewarding-trip-to-smashburger-3/
 
Ohhhh, I just read that they offer local and craft beers.

St. Charles, MO - a suburb of St. Louis just got Smashburger this week. I figure I will give it a bit of time to let the hub bub die down before I make the trek. Supposedly the franchisee has plans to open seven in the  St. Louis metro are within the next couple of years. I like Five Guys burgers but can live without the fries and to be very honest, there are so many local joints that serve great burgers ... why go to chains?

Well, other than In-N-Out if they came to town. I have never had a better cure for a hangover in my life. (Including over-imbibing in several bottles of red wine and champagne. Now, that's pretty awesome!)

There's a Smashburger up in my parts.  It's located smack in the middle of a 1 mile triange that includes White Manna, Bobby's Burger Place and 5 Guys.  I would REALLY have to be something special to rate a visit over those three (not to mention half a dozen diners and about 10 pubs).  I gave it a try, it doesn't stack up.  It's fine for what it is, but it's too expensive, too small and not nearly as good as any of the other options I mentioned.  Add to that the fact that it's in a mall (I hate malls with great intensity), and I shall not return.

If you want a smashed burger go to Steak N Shake. I 'm not saying they were the first but they were probably among the first. Get a double, with cheese it will cost you about $4 with drink and fries. No long lines either.

I hate Steak and Shake. So if Smashburger is anything like it, I wont bother.

Has anyone tried their "SmashDog"?? Please report!

Ann, those smashburgers look too big and juicy to be like Steak N Shake.

White Castle may have been the first to cook a smashburger.  When WC was founded, they "smashed" balls of ground beef on the grill along with fresh onions.  Wouldn't it be great if they still did that today?  It wasn't until the late '40s that they began using pre-fab patties and dehydrated onions.

We've had a Smashburger for about 7 months now and I have been 3 times. At first I liked the idea of the "create your own"  but decided I can get the same at any number of local restaurants and pubs in the area. What is good at Smashburger is their fried pickles, veggie frittes and haystack onions, all fried in a light batter and really crisp. Since Smashburger opened, a Tom and Eddies opened about a mile + away. T & E is a small Illinois chain started by 2 former Mc Donald's execs that is similar but, to me anyway, a far better done concept with a better tasting burger. Five Guys has now opened between Smashburger and Tom and Eddies but I have not been, I'm happy with Tom and Eddies when I want a burger outside of my favorite local spot. 
 
http://www.smashburger.com/menu_illinois.php
 
http://www.tomandeddies.com/index.php