Smashburger opens in Emeryville

photo: Christina Mitchell

While there are Smashburgers in the city, North and South bay, this is the first East Bay location. What’s up with the name?  Apparently “smashing” is a technique where the patty is “smashed, seared and seasoned to order, using our fresh, premium beef.” Several other places use this technique including Trueburger, Baron’s Eats, Docs of the Bay and Shake Shack.  Basically, the goal is a juicy burger.

I went to Smashburger one day after a morning run and an exhausting trip to Ikea.

Note to self: Don’t run 6 miles and go to Ikea on the same day #ouch

— Christina Mitchell (@eastbaydish) January 4, 2015

It was kind of an upscale fast food joint (if there is such a thing) and I was HONGRY. There were fancy burgers, chicken sandwiches and salads on the menu, but I was in the mood for something simple. I ordered, got a number, sat down and a runner delivered my food a few minutes later.

photo: Christina Mitchell

Meet the Classic Smash (Regular $5.39, Big $6.39).  I got the regular, which is a 1/3 pound burger with American cheese, Smash Sauce, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, pickles & onion on an egg bun and I appreciated the grilled onions at no extra charge.

photo: Christina Mitchell

It was surprisingly flatter than the other burgers mentioned above – I guess they take this smashing thing seriously at Smashburger.  The crust on the patty was impressive and the meat was juicy at first, but then seemed to dry out as it cooled down. I noticed myself adding more and more ketchup as I was eating.

photo: Christina Mitchell

Now, let’s talk about fries.  The Smashfries ($2.29) were tossed in Italian olive oil, rosemary & garlic, and while they didn’t really seem fresh, I liked how the rosemary didn’t overwhelm the potatoes.  The Veggie Frites ($2.99), which were green beans & carrot strips flash fried for 30 seconds, were kind of oily but still tasty.  It was weird at first because the carrots looked like sweet potato fries (any ideas how they get that consistent shape?), but it was nice to have a low carb option too.

Anyway, stop by if you find yourself in Emeryville, but I wouldn’t make a special trip.

1151 40th St, Emeryville

510-655-1177

open daily 10am – 10pm

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Christina Mitchell

Christina is the founder of East Bay Dish. Her writing has also been featured in East Bay Express, Berkeleyside, Oakland Magazine and Edible East Bay.

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