Have you ever heard the expression, "it's a marathon, not a sprint"? Well, I have also, but when it comes to this I am currently full out sprinting an entire marathon. What happens when you sprint a marathon? You either don't finish, or you die. Taking this into consideration, my pace will considerably slow down within the next few weeks, but I can still promise you 100 different burger joints by 2016.The next stop on this journey led my stomach to Smashburger, a fast casual burger restaurant with over 300 locations in 5 countries. The first Smashburger opened in Denver, Colorado in 2007 before spreading out its franchise to the rest of the country and beyond.
I ordered the burger at the counter; a "big" Smashburger on a chipotle bun, topped with lettuce, Smash sauce, jalapeños, and pepper jack cheese. I sat down and had this flattened meat wad delivered to me after it had been smashed on a grill and cooked with love.
The Beef: You can tell this beef was fresher than many fast casual chains, it had a distinct taste which had me wanting another bite after each previous bite. When ordering, there were two options, a "regular" or a "big". I asked if the difference is one or two patties, but apparently the patty sizes are actually larger, meaning its not just one size patty and stacked as many times as you'd like it. Beef, 3 out of 4.
The Bun: The choices of buns were different than many places I have seen (but this journey is just getting started, so maybe I shouldn't speak too soon). There was a brioche bun, an egg bun, a gluten free bun, a multi-grain bun, a chipotle bun, or you can have it no bun at all (also gluten free, ha). I got the chipotle bun, which had a very subtle chipotle kick to it, which didn't overrule any part of the burger, but instead added to it nicely. The bun, however was very soft, not toasted, and turned to a mush when bitten into. Bun, 2 out of 4.
The Beef to Bun Ratio: I had high hopes when this burger was delivered. The burger patty was hanging over every possible edge of the bun. I couldn't even see the bottom bun! Then, I put the top bun on the burger and took a bite. The top bun was very large, and a lot of bread. What appeared to be a 3, turned out to be a 2 out of 4.
Presentation: This burger was so delicately put together. As pictured, the burger was put on the bun, the cheese melted in the direct center of the patty, the lettuce was placed on the top bun with the jalapeños arranged nicely in the middle, and all this served on a tray. The presentation definitely took some care and love. 3 out of 4.
The Cheese: Pepper jack cheese. If you offer pepper jack cheese for your burgers, you and I will be friends. However, if you only put one slice of pepper jack cheese on my monstrous colossal burger, you and I will not be friends. So, since we are friends and not friends at the same time, we'll have to give Smashburger a 2 of 3 for their cheese.
The Sear: Definitely cooked well on a flat grill. The sear was present on both sides but could have been a little more of a crisp outer layer. 2 of 3.
Overall Taste: I definitely enjoyed this burger. This burger, so far on my quest, is the best of the fast casual chain restaurants. I will continue to seek better ones, but until then Smashburger holds that crown. 3 out of 5.
BBSR: 17 / 27
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