Smashburger follow-up

Like any subject, food requires research, and for the sake of this blog and the few people who read it, I decided to do some more in-depth research on Smashburger. I did this for you obviously. I just want to be clear on that. The opportunity for consumption of greasy, fried deliciousness had no bearing on this endeavor whatsoever.

Having brought Smashburger to everyone's attention in the last post, I found a good opportunity yesterday to see if they really were as delicious as they sounded.

First, a note on the restaurant itself: It's actually pretty nice on the inside, for a fast food type joint anyway. It's certainly not like going to McDonald's. Of course you aren't getting a dollar menu either but still. It looks like a diner or a restaurant inside with the same bold red color from their logo splashed around onto booths and light fixtures. I don't know if this is standard decor or if its fancy because it's located in a fancy mall.

The Food: I ordered the 1/3 pound classic burger which comes with lettuce, tomato, onions and ketchup on an egg roll. Either they made a mistake or it automatically comes with fries because I ordered fries on the side and I got some in the burger box and then an extra box as well. ( Side note: I got it to go and everything comes in little white boxes similar to Chinese food boxes.) I probably should have tried the sweet potato fries but I was craving nice, salty potato fries. I couldn't pass up the chance to try the fried pickles either. Way too tempting. I could smell them on the ride home, tempting me with their delicious salty fried smell. Luckily its a very short ride so I didn't have to suffer too long.

The pickles did not disappoint. They were VERY salty but they were a terrific mix of flavoring. I wouldn't want to eat them very often but they're a nice treat. The fries on the other hand were terrifically disappointing. They were pretty cold even after the short ride home and had that dried out texture. They sounded so tasty. At least if they had been mushy like McDonald's fries are inside they might have had a shot at staying tasty. I'd like to try them hot out of the oven some time when someone else is paying.

The burger was quite tasty and all the things on it looked fresh and in good condition, unlike most fast food accompaniments.

So the conclusion of my dedicated research is that Smashburger is a success if you have $7-10 bucks to spend on grease but skip the fries and try something else. Also don't think about the exorbitant amount of calories you are likely consuming by eating these monstrosities.

So this is what the fried pickles look like along with their ranch dipping sauce ( also tasty). As I learned from the Food Network, each batch is individually made by tossing the pickles and batter around in a plastic bag and then popping them in the deep fryer. Yum!



And there are fries in the back...




A blurry shot inside of lettuce, tomato and onions