Please note: I received two free burgers, two free soft drinks, and portions of their shakes as part of their VIP night. Please take this review with as much salt as you believe you should.
I’d heard all the buzz around Smashburger’s other metro locations and when I saw that they were opening up in Eagan I was mildly interested in checking them out. When I found out that I could head over there for their VIP night, presumably on their dime, I became quite a bit more interested.
We had “reservations” for 6:30 and met up with two friends right on time. The space is tiny and crowded and reminded me a lot of Chipotle–think busy and brushed metal. We were directed to order anything on the menu and told that we’d receive small portions of their shakes later so there was no need to order them at the counter. After looking over the menu (a huge one is located on the wall in an uncomfortable location and another smaller one was on a standalone sign in another inconvenient location) we all decided on our burgers and placed our orders.
I went with an off-menu item, shown on a table tent on the front counter, named The Spicy Baja which was advertised to include pepper jack cheese, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, onion, chipotle mayo, and fresh jalapenos on a chipotle bun. My wife ordered their Classic Smashburger (American cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, onion, pickle, and our smash sauce on an egg bun). One friend ordered a Twin Cities Smashburger (layers of melted cheddar bar cheese, Swiss cheese, and garlic grilled onions, with lettuce, tomato, and mayo on an onion bun). Her husband attempted to order a custom burger but ended up with their BBQ Bacon and Cheese burger instead. My wife and I ordered our two burgers, which come with fries (I got the smash fries and she got their haystack onions), and two soft drinks and if we had to pay it would have been close to $22. Certainly not cheap for burgers, fries, and drinks. She went off to find a seat, which ended up being in an tight and uncomfortable counter parallel to the foyer.
We were told our burgers would be out in 5 to 7 minutes and that seemed to be pretty accurate. I had a few minutes to chat with the Smashburger PR person, who first asked if I was with The Heavy Table… When she asked me what I thought I told her, “it’s another chain restaurant,” to which she responded with a question asking how many chains offer a regional menu item? I smirked and didn’t bother to go into the list of places off the top of my head that did because, well, it wasn’t really worth it.
Anyway, my burger greatly exceeded my extremely low expectations. Their press release states that their burgers are, “named for the cooking method used to create the perfect burger,” which is nothing more than an abomination. Absolutely everyone knows that a “smashed” patty is the worst way to cook a burger. As such the burger was done more than I’d prefer and was not put together all that nicely as my guacamole was lopsided on the bun and the meat was 4x as thick on one side as it was on the other but I have to admit that it tasted pretty darn good. While the guacamole was basically tasteless (it appeared as if it was nothing more than avocado mushed up with nothing else added), the other vegetables were nice and I remarked to my friends that I was very impressed that they chose to go with fresh jalapenos rather than pickled as many other places would choose to do. The cheese carried little flavor but that may have been because the other toppings, especially the chipotle mayo, overwhelmed it. While I am not 100% sure, the bun I had appeared to be an onion one rather than a chipotle one but perhaps they just look similar–I certainly couldn’t taste chipotle in it. Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve lived in Minnesota too long but the char on the edges and with all the flavors melding together with the meat, I found this burger to be quite an enjoyable one. It was almost as if all the stars and planets aligned in the sky and a booming voice came down from the heavens and directed me to enjoy this burger. That or it was my rumbling stomach, either one, take your pick.
In my opinion the smashfries were good. They were seasoned perfectly and the rosemary was just hanging in there while the other unnamed herbs and garlic were doing their job silently in the background. While I thought they were excellent, my wife disagreed. That said, her Haystack onions did not impress me at all. They were too thin and basically required you to eat them with a fork to get them into the sauce. Honestly it looked like a hairball rather than a side dish. She later said that it was as if they were having a burger topping pull unnecessary double duty as a side. One of my dining partners ordered a side of their veggies frites which include asparagus, carrots, and green beans. While I only had a single carrot stick I was pleasantly surprised to see them seasoned well with kosher (or sea, I didn’t look that closely) salt and that they were quite good. Definitely a winner if you are not into fried foods on the side.
We received our samples of the shakes, even though my wife had to go to the counter to get them, and I was not impressed at all. While I saw the Haagen-Dazs containers on the counter, my memory of their ice cream has either faded over time or they were watering it down so much that the bastardization of the brand should lead to a protest by Haagen-Dazs. The first sip tasted as if there was liquor inside and the second did nothing to make me want any more. I passed it off to my wife who happily slurped up what I decided was not for me. But, as always, you need to take my dessert ratings with a grain of salt–I really am not one for sweets.
Everyone seemed to enjoy their burgers with one person also noting that it was a lot better than they expected. That said, when I asked my wife if she thought it would be worth returning to again, she said not for $21+ it wouldn’t be. If we’re going to spend that kind of money on burgers we’re better off at nearby Junior’s Cafe where they at least have real waiters (rather than Culver’s like delivery) and the burgers are much more impressive size wise.
Overall, quite good but too pricey for us. The place is going to be packed on the weekdays for the lunch rush so be prepared to get your food to go or to sit shoulder to shoulder with complete strangers–something every true Minnesotan will loat…errr, love.
Address:
Smashburger
1270 Promenade Place
Eagan, MN 55121
Phone:
612-333-1723
See all the pictures from Smashburger on Flickr here.
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February 17th, 2010 at 11:10 am
I’ll have to go try it out. Less than 2 minutes from where I work. With Junior’s taste/experience fresh in my mind, it will be interesting to see how they compare. Thanks for the timely post of the review, as I think they open officially today.
February 17th, 2010 at 11:37 am
Wait a minute, Bill is a VIP now??? :)
February 17th, 2010 at 11:52 am
It’s actually nice to see a review of a chain restaurant considering their domination of the market. Smashburger is probably worth a try but I doubt I’ll be a regular visitor, primarily because of the price and distance from Burnsville. How would you compare it with Red Robin?
February 17th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
What’s regional about that burger? When I think of MN/Twin Cities burgers, I think of Juicy Lucys. But I had to think a moment for that. The one they claim is TC is just a burger with onions on it, really.
February 17th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
DM that sounds more “White Castle Regional”!
February 17th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
Nils, you’re welcome.
Blaine, they made a mistake.
Joey, Red Robin is crap thus this is better than Red Robin.
dm, it was certainly regional. Boring and as far from spicy as possible.
February 17th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
I have visited the Smashburger in Woodbury a couple times. I was also happily surprised by the burgers, but was not a big fan of the smashfries. I liked the shoestring onion rings as well, but agree that they really are more like a burger topper being served as a side.
Its a little expensive, although not out of line for a sit down place with decent food. Its clear to me that they have their act together and the corporate or franchise people are pretty good about quality control, so it will be interesting to see if the quality drops in the months after opening.
All in all, I would go back. It will however, as you said, be crazy busy and people will wait in line to pay $10 bucks for a burger when they could probalby walk in and sit down at Juniors and get better food for less money.
February 17th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
as one who went to Juniors on Bill’s advice i concur it is a great spot, and buying local is always good…. Smashburger has scored well among the burger review wars…. looking forward to trying it.
Although I tried 5 guys in Edina about 3 weeks ago and was also pleasantly surprised… great for a quick meal if you want it extremely low key casual. Very good fries, burgers were good, not great, but I like the approach… simple, efficient, and yet cooked freshly.
Off Topic: has anyone tried the Vietnamese place Song Long in Apple Valley, its near Pizza Hut and Famous Daves and Rascals? i picked up a take out menu and it had some interesting things i had never seen… Tamarind Catfish Soup….. Tamarind Shrimp soup, … and Hue City STyle Beef in Thick Noodle Soup? not to mention 6 bottle beer selections , 3 of which were imports for $2.95 each?
February 17th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
Song Long: their website says they cater weddings and if you book off their wedding menu for 20 tables or more they give you 2 free cases of beer.
February 17th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
No, never been in there. Looks scary to me.
February 17th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
“Absolutely everyone knows that a “smashed” patty is the worst way to cook a burger.”
RIGHT friggen ON! How stupid to smash a patty. Bye bye juices… Smashburger reminds me of Culver burgers.
February 17th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
I live across the street from their Woodbury Location. I share the same sentiment about the awkward location of the menu – and overall, traffic just does not flow well in the register area.
Given that most of the clientelle is snotty soccer Moms and Dads with even snottier kids in tote, I usually prepare myself for a lengthy wait in line as people constantly hold up the line deciphering the awkwardly placed menu and ask the cashiers 100 questions about every menu item. There is a Chipotle immediately adjacent to Smashburger, and the same fate waits for you if you every find yourself in line there – I guess Minnesotans are just way to confused by fast food menus in general (“what’s Carnitas?????”)
Now since I’m across the street, It’s pretty much a given that I’d like to get my smashburger in fries in the 5-7 minute quoted turnaround time then head back over to enjoy the meal in my magnificently appointed tuscan villa. Only problem is if you place an order for takeout – good luck finding a location to wait in their crammed mess of a space. There’s not even a bench or chairs to sit on and wait and you basically get mauled and pushed around by every single soccer mom in there while you’re standing off to the side waiting for your food.
The burgers are good, but the Smash Fries are more addicting than meth. I think my order came to $7.50 which for a burger and fries is pretty decent in my book (I do not order drinks or shakes).
Also, I tried the deep fried pickles last time – they are amazing – a definitely item not to miss.
Probably will try the Chicago Dog next time I’m there.
February 17th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
am I banned in the USA?
February 17th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Gophers, no, just caught in the spam filter. Fixed.
February 17th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Apparently not. Well, Anyway, I literally live across the street from Smash-booger in Woodbury. Initially I was excited when i looked out my bedroom window and saw it was being added to the vacated Cunningham Sports Space, but I share some of the sentiments you outlined in your review.
For starters, the menu is in a needlessly awkward location. Basically you walk in and there is a Smashburger mural behind the registers that is pretty ornately done, however, the Large Menu is actually perched on the wall to your right high up on the wall, pretty much hidden and confusing to the snobby soccer moms and dads complete with 2.5 children in tote who already have a difficult time ordering at the chipotle next store (“What’s Carnitas”???) :rolleyes:
Secondly – the layout is completely crowded – It’s impossible to order takeout and find anywhere to stand that is out of the way while you wait “5-6″ minutes for your order to be up. No chair, no bench, basically you stand off to the side of the entrance/exit while you are violently pushed by soccer moms and stepped on by kids.
Burgers are okay, but the smashfries are absolutely amazing – I could eat a full box of them. Also, you need to try the deep fried pickles – do it do it!
The prices are not that bad – for under $8 you’ll get fries and a burger.
February 17th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
I have to laugh. Reminds me of the challenge one can face if you make the mistake of telling your wife you’ll run and get her something from DQ and happen to be there the same time that 2 or 3 youth sports teams (soccer, baseball, basketball, volleyball, etc) decided to drop by and feed the teams. It seems that when I was a kid, not only did I know what I wanted, but my mom also knew. She would do the ordering for us all. Of course my brother was the opposite. Give him too many options, and he’d never be able to pick. Back when we were growing up in Coon Rapids, there was a candy store at the corner. (Hanson Blvd NW & 105th Ave NW) We’d walk there together in the summer and I’d walk in, take a look around, then go right to what I wanted and I was done. My brother, would keep us there for nearly 1/2 hour deciding.
The smashed burger is a style that seems to be regional, and not common to this region. I’ve seen places on the show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives making such styles. The one time I bought a burger from a Sonic, their burgers seemed that style.
February 17th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
I actually like my burgers dried out and kinda like a hockey puck. And I love fries. But I hate small crowded restaurants. Guess I’ll pass.
February 17th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
We used to eat there all the time when it was the Mandarin Buffet. Loved it. Have gone twice since it became Song Long, once right after the change in ownership and once a few months after (to be fair) and the food was pretty bad. Second time, they seated us in the middle of a wedding reception (I kid you not). Uncomfortable situation and bad food. We haven’t been back since.
February 17th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
Mayhap it’s far from spicy, but it didn’t even have ketchup on it. Clearly, not that regional.
**disclaimer, ketchup is gross, I’m a bad Minnesotan.
February 17th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
Ketchup is considered spicy in Minnesota. That was my point.
February 17th, 2010 at 9:29 pm
I guess at the very least it’s much better use of the building than that old stiff Ethan Allen store. For me that place was one step up from a funeral home on the stiffy scale. I’ll take a burger place over that any day. That was also an interesting conversion of the old building.
I work in Eagan, so I’m sure we’ll check it out at some point. I won’t be going anytime soon though. I hate crowds and the last time we went to Five Guys it was so busy that there was no place to sit. A bunch of us just stood there like dumb asses waiting for anyone to leave. When someone did it was like Walmart on Black Friday where everyone was running each other down just to get a table. No thanks. I like Junior’s and I would rather give them my money.
February 18th, 2010 at 4:17 am
[...] for Crispin’s new cider (The Saint), Bill Roehl gets mistaken for a Heavy Table operative and finds Smashburger “quite good but too pricey,” the Well Fed Guide to Life hits The Anchor Fish and Chips, The Vegetarian scores high marks, Teddy [...]
February 18th, 2010 at 10:19 am
Here’s my take. And, of course, the caveats in the interest of fairness:
a) I ate there for free as well.
b) Although I like pretty close to any burger, any time, I have a strong preference for thick patties done medium rare. When I get a burger, I want to be able to taste the beef. I don’t want char. I don’t want sauce. I like only enough seasoning to draw out the flavor of the beef — usually that means just a bit of salt.
The burger HAS TO be on a good quality bun. My preference is for a bun with a bit of tooth, but with a “pillowy” quality. I don’t like sesame seeds.
If I get cheese, the ideal is a sharp cheddar so you get a distinct flavor without having to put more than one slice on it. I also like bacon — preference for thick cut, NO maple or overly fruity flavors (some “applewood smoked” have too much applewood).
Of course there are exceptions. I think fried eggs on a bacon cheeseburger, or even a split hot dog on there like they do at King’s in Miesville can really work.
So…..on to Smashburger.
Because of my preferences, Smashburger is at a distinct advantage going in. 99% of the time, smashing down a burger on a griddle results in a charred/crispy burger with no juice left inside (50% of the flavor gone). Then, it’s nearly impossible to leave any beef on the pink side (the rest of the 50% of the flavor gone).
Miraculously, Smashburger was able to maintain some pink, albeit only on the thick half of the burger. As Bill mentioned, whoever dons the spatula has to learn how to press evenly. The photo shows the pink I was able to find as I deconstructed my burger.
I’ve heard a lot of people say about Smashburger, “Wow…even though they smash the burger thin, it’s still juicy!”. I have to wholeheartedly disagree. There is a very obvious difference between juice and griddle grease. Even before I touched the burger, there was grease all over the top of the bun, all over the paper on the tray, dripping off the top of the cheese and, somehow, already on my fingers from just moving the tray. I have about a half-dozen photos of my, and my wife’s food before we started eating and there are pools of grease (not juice) all over everything in every shot. This was almost as messy as Solly’s in Milwaukee where they put a 1/4 stick of butter on the griddle, then fry your burger AND bun in it.
I think Smashburger is duping people into thinking “juicy!” by cooking the burgers in 1/4 inch of grease on the griddle. I wasn’t fooled — Smashburger food is over-the-top on the greasy scale but the beef itself wasn’t juicy at all.
The bacon was good. Medium thickness and good flavor. No complaints.
I ordered “bacon, sharp cheddar on the egg bun” but ended up with their BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger which is fried with the BBQ sauce on it (caramelizing it to a nasty flavor/glaze) and buried in unwanted onion straws.
The cheddar cheese wasn’t sharp at all making me think I got the “bar cheddar” (what the hell is that?) instead.
The choice between a “classic egg bun”, whole grain bun and onion bun was incredibly frustrating. Egg buns/egg breads always have a dry, spongy quality that, to me, just doesn’t go well with a burger. Granted, they hold up to dousings of grease where a plain bun might not. Maybe that’s part of the Smashburger trickery.
They need to get a plain bun on the menu ASAP.
I thought the fries were average. This, again, may be part preference, part actual quality. I prefer slightly thicker fries with evidence of the skin (think the Nook, or for broader reference the style of places like One Potato Two). These were the dimensions of McDonalds and had the same formulaic quality. No crispy bits or edges, no slightly overdone ones. They all looked exactly the same and screamed “chain restaurant”.
As Bill mentioned, the Smashfries’ herbs/seasonings seemed to work, but underneath, it’s still a french fry without any character at all.
My wife and I decided a good analogy is that Smashburger is like choosing Chipotle over Taco Bell (and add a couple dollars for Smashburger). It kicks Culver’s butt for certain, but it’s still just middle-of-the-road burgers. Definitely a niche where there is no competition, but a niche that is pretty much useless to me.
Beyond that, at least at Chipotle, the ingredients offer a clear flavor and freshness advantage, as well as their commitment to local sourcing (for which the $2 per person extra is worth it, to me). Smashburgers’ beef tastes about the same as Wendy’s around the corner and the fries aren’t measureably better than McDonalds.
I also agree with Bill that the shakes were off-tasting and mine had these pearls of white ice throughout. Really chemically and weird.
Given their formula, I don’t expect to go back and have any different experience next time. So…basically…I don’t expect to go back at all.
February 18th, 2010 at 10:27 am
I forgot to mention the grease. Like MSPD says, it was everywhere. In fact we had to wipe our table down because the grease soaked through the buns, through the thin layer of paper underneath, and onto the table.
While I appreciate that sort of thing for NY style pizza, I don’t particularly care for it when eating a burger–but that’s me.
February 20th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Ate lunch there today. Very busy, extremely crowded. If they keep up this pace, there’s not enough seating inside. As to the food, I liked the 1/3-lb. Smashburger. Based on the description I was kind of expecting something Steak ‘n’ Shake like, but it really wasn’t. More of a typical diner burger, crispy on the edges but juicy in the middle. The Smash sauce is good. Smashfries (thin fries with rosemary and other seasonings) were terrific. I’ll definitely return, but not during peak dining times — the place just isn’t big enough. There were people standing around waiting for a table to free up, that busy. Good for them.
February 21st, 2010 at 3:20 pm
I had Smashburger a few times, good burgers but greasy. I have been there at least 5 times now. I would say get better meat so that they are less greasy.
April 14th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Tried it today and wasn’t all that impressed. The burger itself was nothing remarkable, I really didn’t care for all the grease. Honestly I think it might have been the greasiest I’ve ever had. Every time I picked it up for a bite all my fingers were wet with grease. Gross. Seriously, it had to have been 70/30 if not worse. I didn’t finish it for that reason alone.
The fries, nothing great there either. I did the seasoned fries which didn’t taste very seasoned. Didn’t taste even a hint of garlic.
The orange pop I had was the highlight of my meal!
1/3 burger, fries and pop: $9!!!!!! Not again.
In concept I’d compare it to 5 Guys, except 5 Guys blows this place out of the water. Love, love 5 Guys. Doubt I’ll be back here though.
April 15th, 2010 at 10:02 am
I like the burgers and fries, but find the place too crowded and chaotic. Given the crowds at both lunch and dinnertime, it’s difficult to find a table. I was there a week ago with my wife and two grandkids, and we had to leave (and get a refund) because there weren’t any tables available, period. Can’t do that with kids — definitely not a family-friendly place. I go back by myself, but not with kids.
April 22nd, 2010 at 9:28 pm
I tried it last night with my wife. I had the classic burger with the haystack onions side, and she had the Twin Cities burger with the veggie fries (flash-fried carrots, asparagus, and green beans).
We thought our burgers were alright — better than some places, but not the best in the Twin Cities, either. I thought the toppings were a bit heavy on mine, but I’m the kind of guy who only likes a couple of things at most on a burger besides the bun and the meat, so that’s a personal preference and not an objective one. I like that they have a fried egg topping option, though, since fried eggs on burgers rule. I had trouble finishing my onions; they were quite good, but there was a lot there to eat as a side. Plus, they were tricky to eat without a fork.
My wife loved the veggie fries. I only had bits of a carrot and a green bean (and I normally can’t stand green beans), and they were very tasty. They’re pricey at $3 with a sandwich/ $4 without, though.
Overall, I’d say it’s a place I might go to if I was near one, really wanted a burger, and there weren’t other good options, but I don’t think I’d make a special trip for it.
On the company’s website, they have the menus for all of the areas where they have restaurants side-by-side, so you can see what the different areas have. Unsurprisingly, each one has a “local” burger differentiated only by a sauce or topping that isn’t on the others. Sometimes it’s legitimate (the Iowa one has Maytag bleu cheese, for example), but other times its just something random (like here).
May 29th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
My recent busy schedule and travels around the Twin Cities have had me finding opportunities to sample some of the “newer” area restaurants I had not yet tried. God for my curiousity, not so much for the waistline. But nonetheless, Smashburger found its way to me (or me to it?) last week for the first time.
Unlike many on here, I have no distinct prerequisites for a perfect burger. Some, like the heavenly one at the Strip Club in St. Paul, are thick and meaty, with subtle flavorings and toppings that perfectly compliment the burger. Others, like the belly busters at the now closed burger joint Terrible’s in Las Vegas, simply absorb the ancient flavors of the grill and mesh perfectly with the chosen bun. I’ve had good flat greasy ones and really nice upscale “near steaks”. In short, I’m open-burger-minded.
I ordered the Twin Cities Smashburger, a concoction of melted Swiss cheese and “bar cheddar” cheese, combined with grilled onions, kethcup, lettuce and mayo on an onion bun. I chose mine without tomato (as usual), and then asked for a side of their grilled garlic mushrooms to go along, though not on the burger. The meal was finished off with an order of Smashfries, a house special rosemary, garlic and seasonings blend on crispy shoestring fries, and a root beer float. My niacin pills were waiting at the ready for me at home, don’t worry…
In short, Smashburger serves a tasty burger, so the hype is not completely overblown. I was wowed by the smell when the food came out, and the appearance, for a 1/3 pound burger, was pretty sweet. The patty, and the bun, are oversized, and unlike a lot of area “1/3 pound” burgers that leave you wondering where and when your next meal is going to be before you even dig in, this one looked satisfying. In general, it was.
That said, there were flaws. Most notably, between the grease from the beef, and the butter/oil from the onions, and the butter from the buns (both sides obviously), this burger was an oil slick (OK, maybe not the best phrase to use in today’s environment, but indulge me…). You cannot put down a Smashburger without the beef sliding around in the bun, the toppings sliding around on the beef, the bun disintegrating away from the whole mess. And while I really did like the chosen bun (good size, nice doughiness without being too soft, etc.), it stood no chance to contain the mess. So, one wonders, if the beef is so juicy and fresh, and the buns are so flavorful, and the toppings so fresh and innovative, why does Smashburger feel compelled to slather the whole thing up in butter? Don’t get me wrong – I love butter like the next guy (I once came up with a restaurant concept called Butter in fact), but this was too much. And not surprisingly, a well deserved belly ache greeted me about an hour after the meal was done.
I was quite disappointed with the fries. I love shoestrings, and the fries themselves here were crispy and well cut, but they lacked a rich potatoey flavor, and the blend of spices on top added nothing. Ironically, these maybe COULD have stood to be a bit more garlicky-oily to bring out the flavors of the rosemary and garlic, but instead, they weren’t far removed from just an uninspiring plain order of fries. And at the hefty price (nearly $3) – not worth it. My buddy ordered the sweet potato fries, and not much better to report there.
The root beer float was as a root beer float should be — cold, frosty, rich, nice. I loved it. Of course, I only was able to bury about a third of it, with the greasy burger and fries already occupying most of the available space in my gut. A shame actually.
The surprising highlight was …drum roll… the BAR CHEDDAR CHEESE!! I kid you not. I don’t know what it is either, but I’ll damn well find out, because it was the star of the burger. I can’t honestly explain why — it’s defintely not the texture, which is almost impossible to describe, but I’ll try with it a sort of gritty, pasty spread. I almost envisioned those small jars of Borden spread cheddar or something. But it has this weird, addictive flavor that blended so nicely with the burger and condiments. The Swiss cheese was sticky, gooey and flavorless – a waste, but this cheddar spread is the bomb. I will absolutely next time get a bacon burger with grilled mushrooms (which were outstanding too – the onions not so much) and this spread, and I’m sure that will be outstanding. If not for the annoying addition of a giant leaf of leaf lettuce which threatened to overwhelm the entire damn thing and was quickly pulled off, I would’ve had even more of this flavorful goodness on there.
Editor’s Note: Please, for the love of God, someone arrest and put away the fool who thought up putting leafy, crunchy lettuce full of STALK on a burger. It’s just plain stupid. And NOT good. Showcasing an earthy vegetable (and not even a good one at that) on a slab of greasy beef is like ordering the fish and chips at your local chinese restuarant — pretty senseless.
In the end, I can see the Smashburger appeal for someone who has been shoving McDonald’s and Culvers in their pie hole for a decade, and hasn’t found their way to a Five Guys. The thing is, though, Five Guys’ burgers are every bit as good (I say better) with a more appropriate price point, and a much better package. Peanut shells on the floor and an old diner red/white tile feel, with your burger leaking through a brown paper bag. That is an identity. Smashburger is…well…a cooking process, and not one I am totally in love with at this point.
But don’t tell them that until I find out what that darn bar cheddar is…it’s addictive.
June 3rd, 2010 at 10:49 am
We’ve eaten at Smashburger now twice & really like the food although it is greasy! And yea it was all over the table! We had the Twincities burger & rosemary fries. I also think the burger reminds me of Culvers burgers! I’ve had the Smashcobb salad & I Love it..hmmm…A Fried egg on top..I guess we gotta get our grease somewhere? lol :)
June 6th, 2010 at 8:46 pm
Disappointed. That’s how I felt after our lunch here on Saturday. I love a cheeseburger and fries just about anytime of day and it’s vary rare when I don’t really like a burger when I eat out, but the best I could rate my meal is “ok”.
I ordered egg bun, 1/2 pound with mayo, smash sauce and bar cheddar. It was greasy like has been mentioned which is fine with me but one bite and I had to go get a knife and fork. I never eat my burger with a knife and fork! It didn’t really seem as large as I expected either.
What really turned me off I think was that I like my burger cooked. All brown inside and crispy on the outside is fine. Mine was mostly pink. So I have to give that thumbs down. Didn’t seem to be a way to order how well done you want but if I go again I’m going to have to ask for well done and see what happens. Just slight pink in spots with my wife’s burger.
I didn’t love the taste either. It was ok, but maybe I need to try a different combination. Just get smash sauce and american cheese to see how I like that. I’m not really sure what the smash sauce tasted like actually.
Fries again just ok. Shoestring are my favorite and I’m not really sure why I didn’t like these more. Even though not over done I felt like I would have liked them more if they came out of the grease a couple minutes sooner. (BTW, I really like McDonald’s fries as a comparison.) My wife ordered the smash fries. I tried them and thought they were fine but I like plain fries and salt so seasoning is not really my thing.
My wife had the 1/3lb Baja and really liked it. She wished the jalapenos were pickled and removed some of the onions but otherwise had no complaints.
My all time favorite and the gold standard I compare all other burgers to is Kopp’s in Milwaukee. When I go back to visit my parents a stop there is the highlight of my visit. This was not even close nor is any other place around here I have tried.
Total for the 2 burgers, 2 fries and 2 drinks was $20 and some pennies. If I had loved it I’d go back and pay that. But for fast food that I didn’t really love, it is too spendy and not worth the drive.
December 23rd, 2010 at 9:40 am
we’ve visited the Smash Burger in St Anthony – and quite frankly I’d have to concur with Bill’s assessment. Great tasting burgers -
October 21st, 2011 at 10:58 am
I tried Smashburger last night. Decided to go for a triple dose of the good stuff with a BBQ, Bacon & Cheddar burger with chili cheese fries on the side. I didn’t really notice any greasiness, so either something changed or I’m oblivious (which is the more likely of the two).
The burger was actually quite tasty to me, and I was happy to see that the patty was larger than the bun. I don’t like eating a lot of empty bread. I wish the bacon had been crispier, and next time I’d order without the onions which I ended up just pushing off to the side of my basket.
The fries were only so-so. I think a fry has to have a certain substance to it when it’s being doused with chili and cheese. I like to eat them with my fingers, and a slender fry just can’t be used to pick up chili, cheese, and onions. Once the chili was gone I realized the rest of the fries were not very good at all.
I probably won’t go back, at least not until I’ve tried all the other burgers in Minnesota.
October 21st, 2011 at 11:27 am
CC, I thought you were going to Matt’s.
Matt’s is about the only place I have not been yet, though MSPD’s comparison to the 5-7 is pretty much enough to keep it that way.
Stick with the Nook. Whatever comes in second (good day maybe) is really not that close.
October 21st, 2011 at 12:12 pm
Lefty, I will be this weekend…along with the Nook.
See: http://www.lazylightning.org/d-spot-maplewood-mn#comment-120727
My plan to eat meat occasionally quickly spiraled out of control once I remembered how yummy it is.
February 7th, 2012 at 2:35 pm
Smashburger is looking to come to Apple Valley too! http://applevalley.patch.com/articles/smashburger-looks-to-open-apple-valley-location
You know, because one can’t have too many Smashburgers nearby.
February 7th, 2012 at 3:02 pm
They could put one in South Dakota. It would be an upgrade from the Burger Times and other fast food burger places.
February 7th, 2012 at 3:09 pm
Yay! More shitty food in Apple Valley!!
February 7th, 2012 at 3:48 pm
Maybe it’s just a pure giveaway of my unrefined palate, but I would rather eat a Burger Time burger than a Smashburger right now.
Is Apple Valley just going to become one big pile of burger with all of the different unappealing varieties of the same food that seem to be descending on it?
Any word on the new Copper River production in Lakeville (oops, I digress…)
February 7th, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Jason,
You guys get Rasing Cain’s, so stop complaining.
You are the burger and chicken finger city of destination.
February 7th, 2012 at 4:03 pm
Jason, I reviewed it. Its yesterday’s post.
February 7th, 2012 at 4:26 pm
Bill,
As usual, you’re way ahead of me. Just read it, and…ouch. I am not surprised.
All in all, it just makes me somewhat ashamed I hijacked this thread to even spend a minute on that drivel…
We now return you to your regularly scheduled Smashburger programming, already in progress…
PS: I am from Lakeville, the city of destination for…well…a food to be named later.
February 7th, 2012 at 5:01 pm
They have food in Lakeville? Who knew?
February 7th, 2012 at 7:44 pm
On my way to Bruegers bagels for lunch last saturday, I pondered with my son the fact that I had only visited white castle 2x since they had opened. Both of us agreeing we would rather to go Rasing Cain’s than the old white castle. Then when Bruegers was out of litterally everything, with no clue when stuff would be done, ended up at Rasing Cain’s anyways.
If smashburger is looking for somewhere to be, I suggest a cheap lease over by the target off Pilot Knob road. Two strip malls over there completely or nearly empty. Plus it would be close for me. I get tired of driving into the mess that is apple valley.
February 7th, 2012 at 7:53 pm
Hmm…I go to the Target and Wells Fargo over there due to less traffic so I might stop in if that is where it ended up. Though if it’s going to be that kind of place I’d rather it be 5 Guys.
February 7th, 2012 at 8:54 pm
I had five guys burgers the other day in every day I need attention. Not bad.
February 8th, 2012 at 7:47 am
@ Sandy – allegedly. Much of it is shot or found by the side of a road.
Now Five Guys – that gets my attention. If we’re going to be mired in the mess of “sh&t we can call destination food, even though it can be mass produced and cooked by anyone with any culinary skills”, we at least should have the best of the best. To me, Five Guys was the leader, and the rest of them are all wannabes, at least when it comes to the burgers themselves.
February 8th, 2012 at 1:09 pm
I visited the Eagan Smashburger several times late last year when I discovered, after running in to buy some on-sale fruit, that Rainbow receipts had a BOGO coupon on the back. That promotion ended with the new year, and so did my visits to Smashburger.
Though good, its still fast food and too expensive to be paying regular prices. The coupon was supposed to lure people in and get them to pay regular later but it just made me decide for those prices I’ll just go to a normal restaurant for a burger fix.