It's very rare that I review a place three times (actually, I think this might be the first), even moreso when said place is a typical chain food fare sort of joint. So hey, congrats to Smashburger for getting my personal "First to Review 3x" badge.
As you can see from my previous reviews, I've *really* tried to give Smashburger the benefit of the doubt. When they first opened, I figured it was just a crazy overpriced burger chain trying to cash in on the "burgermania" that seems to be sweeping the nation lately. I was on a diet around the time I wrote that, and I can only guess that the lack of salt and meat running through my veins led me to believe it was actually at least halfway decent. A few months later, I tried it again and was a little disappointed by what I got for my money, swearing to myself that I'll probably never come back.
But I did come back. I was about to go on a ~5 hour road trip for the holidays, was in a rush, it was on the way, and most importantly - I was too lazy to detour even a fraction of a mile to go elsewhere. The place was pretty busy, but there wasn't much of a line. That's where most of the good things ended. When I went to order, the girl working the register was *super* curt. I get it, she was probably all "holiday'ed out" much like myself, but she made it super apparent that she either hated being there, or hated my face; I couldn't tell which, possibly both. I ordered the standard "smashburger" this time around, figuring I'd see how their signature burger tasted. Forgetting my own advice, I went once again for the "big" size for an extra buck / buck and a half more. For a side, I threw in some of those rosemary fries. All said and done, well over $10 again, bringing me into the realm of diner / actual restaurant prices.
The food came out quickly, and I can officially say after taking the first bite that I am utterly through coming here. Salty doesn't even begin to describe my burger, and I'm a guy who frequently quaffs "Salty Lassi's" and "Ayran" at Indian / Pakistani restaurants, so I don't usually mind salt. This burger tasted like meat that was soaked in butter for about a day, squeezed out, thrown into the salt jar, shaken off, and then pressed into the grill until it was hockey puck'ed (well done, kinda dry). Once again, my burger vs my friend's (who got the regular size) was practically identical, making the "big" size absolutely pointless, and the fries were pretty so-so this time around, missing a lot of the oil / rosemary flavor I'd come to expect. Maybe my taste buds were burnt off by my "Dead Seas" burger, I don't know. He got the "veggie fries" with his, which weren't really anything great - literally just a bunch of carrots and string beans that were dunked into the fryer for a few seconds and then doused with more salt.
The only positive thing I can say is that they keep it pretty clean, and the food came out pretty quick. With Red Robin opening literally next door, there's honestly no real good reason I can think of to come here, unless you think spending restaurant prices for tiny, thin, overcooked, and incredibly salty burgers is a good idea. Meh. read more