Smash Burger is definitely the supreme burger.
While expensive, this restaurant takes the burger to the next level!
The burgers themselves are SMASHING, along with the fries, and milkshake.
Smash Burger definitely has a fan, but can use a little less salt... but other times, that wasn't a problem.
Smashburger looks like a better-appointed Chipotle. Melamine, cool colors and shiny surfaces in abundance. The order takers were very helpful, spotting our BOGO coupon and asking us if it was our first time and suggesting all kinds of add-ons we could
try to make our experience a special one. No criticism there whatsoever - hey, we even threw them a couple of bucks as a thank you, even though I generally frown on places which expect a tip that don't offer full table-side service.
Our experience was a special one, but sadly for the wrong reasons.
First, let me tell you what we ordered: My vegetarian wife opted for the Spicy Baja Black Bean Burger, accompanied by Smashfries (fries tossed with rosemary, olive oil and garlic) and a side of fried pickles. I went for the Mushroom Swiss Grilled Chicken which comes loaded with garlic sautéed mushrooms, aged Swiss cheese and mayo all sitting atop an egg bun. For my side I decided upon the Chili Cheese Fries, a buck more than my wife's choice.
When the food was delivered I was disappointed to see it all came out in hideous stainless steel wire baskets, each item separated from the table by little more than a thin layer of wax paper. Now, I HATE wire food baskets at the best of times (it is the ONLY thing I despise about Red Robin's otherwise top notch modus operandi) but these were a complete joke. Except neither of us laughed. The sides of the basket - also wire-framed - were half-an-inch tall meaning that when the food was served it was already dripping grease out onto our table.
Things didn't get any better when trying to slice our food up, the wire-bottomed trays making the buns more difficult to cut than anyone sane person should have to bother with. The upshot was that the table ended up wearing much of our food. Worse than that was that grease oozed out of the side of my wife's burger, slithered across the table and onto a new pair of pants she had bought just the day before. Dear restaurateurs.... just what the hell is wrong with proper plates?
My wife said that what she could actually eat of her burger - it was very VERY messy and falling apart  - was the considerable palate pleaser, the right mix of both spice and texture. However, for all its culinary plusses she did leave almost half of it behind, her attempts to eat curtailed by an inability to be able to cut the bun properly. Her Smashfries were viewed suspiciously and considered merely OK - I think both of us were expecting something a little more than oil-drenched McD-esque frozen fries, possibly something hand-cut with a real, y'know, potato flavor to them?!
My chicken burger was a disgrace. Nothing short of. The grilled chicken patty in my bun was a floppy mess and tasted of absolutely nothing. The egg bun overpowered everything else, the cheese flavor unrecognizable and the mushrooms appearing neither fresh nor appealing. My chili cheese fries were also a disappointment, the chili failing to fire up the fries in any way whatsoever. Was it from a can?
So, in terms of food, they earn a mere 2 points. I can't imagine we'll ever be back. It was just too messy and too 'meh' to make the effort.
However, I have awarded them 3 stars instead of just 2 for one simple - and some may say ludicrous - reason. Their bathrooms.
OK, so you expect the bathrooms in a new establishments to be bright, clean and sparkly and Smashburger's certainly fulfilled that ideal. However, where they get the extra star from is the locks they put on the doors. No, I am not making that up.
14 years I have been in America and for all of those fourteen years I have spent time waiting outside a bathroom wondering if it _is_ actually engaged or have been inside the bathroom cowering with anxiety as person after person tries the door whilst I am.... well, erm.... whilst why I am 'pushing to make room', if you get my drift. In all those 14 years I have never.... NEVER .... seen a loo door with a lock which on the outside shows an "in use/vacant" slider to immediately inform other customers of the actual status of that bathroom. Such locks are prevalent (possibly even 'the law'?) in Europe and it's never failed to consternate me whilst I have been living this side of the pond that American builders, plumbing contractors and businesses can't adopt something similar to make everybody's life just that little bit easier and less stressful.
So, 2 stars for the less than average food & presentation plus 1 bonus star for the toilet door!
When we sat down at our booth to wait for our Smashburgers, I started reading the other Yelp reviews and then I got a little worried. Â They are pretty mixed, so I didn't know what to expect! Â I read one review that said the burgers were tiny and pancake like. Â Another said they were covered in salt! Â Both good reasons to be disappointed with a burger.
Our food came & I was pleasantly surprised to see a good-sized burger (according to my standards anyway) and fries plopped down before my hungry face. Â First of all, they got my order right which always seems to be hard to do for most restaurants. (I swear I'm not that asshole who sends everything back.) Â I waited for my husband to take a bite. Â He made that sound - you know the one. Â The 'ohyeah,ivebeenwaitingforaburgerlikethis' sound. Â & then I was relieved. Â
My burger was pretty good. Â The best burger I've ever had? Â No but still good nonetheless. Â I tend to like my burgers well done, so it was a little undercooked for my liking but I'm still alive, so a little bit of pink didn't kill me (that's what she said? ... Too far?). Â I do think they should start asking customers their preference before cooking or just cook them through all the way. Â The fries were good too! Â My only complaint is that they are pretty pricey. Â They are to directly compete with the Home Runs & 5 Guys of the World & definitely compare but I can cook a burger just as good at home. Â Drop the price down to the $6-$7 range & I would be back a lot!
It's a smashing good time! (Ok, now that I have you laughing, onto the review).
I've been to Smashburger several times now, and each time I really enjoy it. Â The service is great, and the staff even joke with you when you have a complicated order. Â They are attentive, and quite honestly, with my orders, they have yet to get one wrong. Â That is a huge plus for me!
The food is good. Â The chicken is a little greasy, but aside from that, it's awesome. Â You get a choice of toppings if you want to build your own, or you can order a specialty burger. Â Salads are oversize and completely yummy. Â The only thing I wouldn't suggest is the 3-way dog, which is actually more of a 4-way (chili, cheese, onions on the dog). Â The bun and dog were slightly overcooked and the chili was a bit chilly. Â
The only reason this isn't 5 stars is because I feel it's slightly more than I want to pay for a small burger.
Smashburger is swooping in and riding the tide that 5 Guys started stirring up. Â Personally, I prefer it over 5 Guys, in no small part because at least you have different options for cheese! Â The cheddar that they used was deliciously sharp - much higher quality than I was expecting. Â The smashfries are seasoned with rosemary, which was interesting, but I don't know if I'd pick them again. Â
I liked the modern, sleek interior. Â The food came out quickly, so it was still piping hot when it arrived at the table. Â
I'd definitely stop by again.
I fully expected this would be much the same experience as 5 Guys but I had a disappointing experience.
First, the burger is overpriced. I could tell it was pressed and it didn't taste fresh. I don't care how Angus is in your Angus you can tell when a burger was a frozen patty. The mushrooms and onions also tasted prepackaged. I had asked for the mayo on the side but was given no knife to spread it and no napkins. This was my first time here and I didn't know where anything was and nobody was interested in showing me.
Second the fries were bland. No outstanding potato taste. In fact, they tasted frozen.
Third, the service could have been better. Â I ordered the fries first. When I received my order they forgot the fries. I asked someone if they could get them for me and they promptly rechecked my receipt and then asked if I wanted to pay for them separately because I hadn't been charged. They were busy and this caused the customers behind me to wait longer along with the customers who were waiting on to go orders to wait longer......Um.......really?? You couldn't just get them for me so could get on the road when it was your mistake?? Â Not cool.
The Haagendaz Coffee shake was good but WAY too sweet, WAY too large and WAY to expensive.
All in all, the experience was overpriced for what I received. It was far more "corporate" than I expected. I had just eaten at Five Guys a couple days prior. There was NO comparison. I won't be eating at Smash Burger again.
Lets start with  $10 for a burger fries and a soda. I think the burger will need to be pretty special. My burger was not. Allow me to back up a bit. The physical appearance of Smash Burger by NKU in Highland Heights looks great clean and contemporary. The order taker very helpful and courteous.
Things went down hill from here. I ordered the small Blue something burger recomended by the order taker and some string fries. When my order was delivered to the table in a short period of time I was struck by the thiness of of the burger pattie and the bland tastlessness of the fries. The whole experience reminded me of the old Hardee burger chain from the 70s. Not what I was looking for. Shouldn't a $10 burger be thick juicy and sloppy with chewy tasty fries.
I might give it another try but not a third. Thanks
Fast casual burger joints have increased in popularity recently. Smash Burger is the latest entrant in this crowded field to make its way to the Cincinnati region. As a burger fan, I like having more options other than fast food and Applebees types of chains for a decently priced burger.
Overall I have been satisfied with the burgers I've devoured at Smash. The burgers come in three different sizes (small, smash, big smash) and I typically go with the big. There is a large variety of toppings and buns to choose from. Their burger is of the steak burger variety. It's not gonna make the best burgers in the city list, but if you are on the run and want a decent burger Smash is a good choice.
Big question is how does it stack up vs. Five Guys? I would rank Smash ahead of Five Guys for a couple of reasons. I much prefer the ambiance and atmosphere at Smash. It is a lot more casual and cleaner than 5 guys. The burgers at Smash and 5 Guys is pretty different (I think both are decent), one thing I like better about Smash is I don't feel like I got hit by a tranquilizer dart after I ate their burger. Not saying Smash is healthy, but it doesn't seem to be as overwhelmingly greasy as 5 guys.
Smashburger is a solid burger joint. Â I'm a big fan of the Bluegrass burger, with its BBQ sauce, bacon, cheddar, and fried banana peppers. Â The Windy City burger that they carried for a limited time was awesome, especially the pretzel bun it was served on. Â They should offer the pretzel bun year 'round! Â I tend to get their "big smash" burgers, as the larger patty really helps balance the burger to toppings ratio. Â I'm also a big fan of their sweet potato fries, but they should come standard with their chipotle mayo. Â I also tried the Nutter Butter malt on one occasion, and it was delicious and quite large. Â As far as prices go, they could be a little bit lower. Â My burger and sweet potato fries with a water usually comes out to $10. Â It's still a better value than 5 Guys any day, and I always leave stuffed.
Review Source:Wow, I can't believe this place has such a low rating. Â Maybe some problems after they first opened? Â I dunno.. Â I love this place. Â We have them in St Louis, so when I was home for Christmas I stopped by for dinner. Â I love the smashburger.. hot and juicy! Â I built my own with guacamole and bacon - deeelicious. Â I'm not a fan of the smashburger fries, so I went with sweet potato fries and fried pickles (I couldn't choose!) Â
Staff was friendly and helpful, offering refills and clearing plates immediately. Â I'd definitely go back!
My only complaint is that they don't have unsweetened tea.
My wife and I were really excited to try Smashburger. As far as the quality of food we were really impressed. They have a very good bun(we had the egg bun and the chipotle bun) compared to other burger restaurants. To me the burger itself did not standout but the overall flavor profile of my burger was delisious(the spicy burger). I had the sweet potato smash fries, the regular fries, and fried pickles also and we thought these were also delicious. Lastly my wife wanted to share a nutterbutter shake to which we both thought was deliscious but for nearly $5 it was on the small side. The atmosphere was great and overall customer service was on par with everything else in the area. We would eat there again for sure!
Review Source:I had high expectations given the hype around the opening of Smash Burger, unfortunately it just didn't live up to the hype. I had the mushroom swiss burger and the smash fries on my visit. The burger was under seasoned and just perfectly average. The fries were completely soaked in oil making them greasy and heavy. The portion of fries was absurdly small for the price and overall I felt the price I paid was not worth the meal I received. I hope things improve and one day I can have a meal here that matches the hype, until then there are better burgers to be had at a better value.
Review Source:Oh boy. I really wanted to like this place. The decor is the usual trendy fare with stainless steel this and that. The hipsters are sure to love it, very Chipotle-esque.
The food. Very, very disappointing. It sure did look like a gourmet, high-end burger but it managed to taste bleh. I think it was the toppings. I had the Bluegrass burger (this chain's attempt at regionalization) and it tasted awful! I'm still in disbelief! Did they not test this thing before putting it on the menu? I can't swear to it, but I think the "cheddar" they used on this thing was a cheese sauce. Really? On a $6 gourmet burger? If for some reason I'm mistaken and it was actually a slice of real cheddar cheese, I'm sorry they need to look for a different supplier. Cheese that doesn't taste like yak ass would be a good start.
My wife had the Spicy Baja burger. This was another bland, uninspired burger. The giant leaf of lettuce tasted very strong. I know it sounds weird but it tasted like yard work. It was better than the Bluegrass burger though (which isn't saying much). The fries... the fries. They offer something called smash fries. It's fries covered in oil, garlic and rosemary. This does not even sound good to me, that's why I ordered regular french fries. Guess what they brought to my table? Yep, smash fries. I figured what the heck. I tried one. Have you ever accidentally tasted ear wax? Yeah, that's how my taste buds reacted to that french fry mess. Â I got my regular fries though and they couldn't have been any more generic. Think Steak n' Shake fries, just slightly thicker.
On the upside, the burger patty itself was good. It was cooked just the way I like it with just a hint of pink and plenty juicy. The big smash, which I thought was going to be two patties is actually one big (as in diameter) patty. With a patty this good and tasty, it's a shame they screwed up the rest of the burger.
This place has no soul. From the stock generic logo and Chipotle-wannabe look to the menu built by someone who obviously does not know burgers.
When the place first opened it wasn't very good, but my god this stuff is amazing now. I have seriously considered freebasing the smash sauce. Â The food is amazing and orders are fast. Â Great family atmosphere too with good choices for little ones. Â The Smash Fries are great, but my personal favorite is the fried pickles. Â not greay, not soggy, just foodgasmic.
Try the Bluegrass burger, it's amazing. Â
If you are a low-carber/WLS patient like me, this is a great joint because you can get your burger lettuce wrapped and it's just as tasty. Â
If you're really feeling frisky, the milkshakes are drool worthy. Â I'd compare them to the goodness of Chick Fil A's and that's saying something.
This newest location of SmashBurger in the greater Cincinnati area is located in the new mini-strip on 27 near NKU with Chipotle, Jimmy John's, etc. We tried it mostly because it was in the neighborhood, but I love a good burger as much as the next person so was hoping for a new local (albeit chain) favorite.
The building is brand new, so everything is clean and new inside as well. The staff is obviously still being trained (reciting the SmashBurger intro from a script when you step up to order), but friendly and accommodating enough.
I ordered a small (1/4 lb) 'create your own' burger and haystack onions. Plentiful enough topping options, but pretty standard condiments overall. I did like the different bun options, including a multi-grain option. All sides are a la carte and include regular and 'smash' fries, fried pickles, haystack onions, etc. There are also a regular (1/3 lb) and large (1/2 lb) burger options.
I was expecting onion rings, but the haystack onions are more like a pile of 'onion straw' garnish--super skinny onion rounds, which weren't quite as satisfying as actual onion rings, but tasty enough (as long as you leave the bottom grease-sodden layer).
The burger was fair--nothing too special and I didn't really get the supposed 'smashed' quality of the patty; just seemed like a standard burger to me. Basically, I finished it, but wouldn't go out of my way to have it again. Last critique, on everything served, I found it all to be extremely over-salted.
Whoa! A Smashburger in NKY?! I circled back around for lunch. I've heard great things about this burger chain, but never had the chance to try it since all the locations were up near Mason. Not anymore! Located next to the Chipotle and Jimmy John's by NKU, I discovered this Smashburger just opened mid-October.
Inside were sleek stainless steel walls and red booths; a very hip burger joint. The waitstaff were friendly, but it was clear they were still learning the ropes of a new restaurant. I ordered the following:
- Smashburger: hand-pressed beef patty with lettuce, tomato, pepperjack, ranch, BBQ sauce, guacamole, and haystack onions on an egg bun.
- Smashfries (tossed with rosemary, olive oil, and garlic).
The food was prepared quickly, and the cook yells "Smashup!" when the order is ready for the server. I got my burger to go, which arrived in a paper sack with grease dripping through the bag. That's how you know it's a good, juicy burger.
Upon arriving home, I bit into my delicious burger... then noticed something was missing. Several things, actually. There was no BBQ, Ranch, or haystack onions on my sandwich! I can understand forgetting one ingredient, but THREE? Especially when some of those were premium toppings that I paid extra for. That alone almost bumped this review to two stars.
Fortunately, the Smashfries saved the day. Their unique seasoning is amazing, and at only $1.99 for a large, they are some serious competition for Senate's Truffle Frites.
Overall, my burger was quite tasty, but I wish I had received all the toppings I paid for. I'd like to go back to try the chicken sandwich and Veggie Frites (fried asparagus, carrot sticks and green beans), but I think I'll wait a month or two until the restaurant gets the hang of operations.
Price per person: $10.00
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