YEE Elite Tasting at Smashburger

This was probably as interactive a Unilocal event as I’ve been to, since I was actually allowed into the kitchen to make my own Smashburger. While I do disagree in cooking temperatures of their burgers (medium done vs. medium rare, my preference), the food was delicious, the service was great, and the owners are passionate about the product they are putting out.

Awesome tasting event hosted by Smashburger. Very kind of them to close their establishment just for elite members. There were some customers that came expecting the place to be open but were given coupons by their employees which was a nice gesture for the inconvenience.
This was my first actual tasting event where we were seated and had a tasting menu. The tasting menu consisted of several burgers, I won’t go into each one of them but I’ll briefly describe the ones I liked and did not like so much. It’s also important to note that each Smashburger menu is specifically crafted to reflect the taste and flavors of the region.
For starters, we were introduced to their fries (regular, smash, sweet potatoe) and veggies frites while one of the employees of Smashburger gave us some background on the company. The company was founded not too long ago by a guy who had a phd in flavor town (not the exact academic term), apparently he was one of the creators of the mc griddle, so there is a big emphasize on taste, ironically.
Their fries are on the smaller size, a tad bit smaller than in-​n-​out fries but bigger than shoe string fries. I personally prefer larger fries so that I don’t have to shove twice as many fries in my mouth compared to the larger kind (quite embarrassing), and plus you get more of the potatoe taste. The only difference between the regular fries and smash fries is the addition of rosemary, garlic, and olive oil. Oddly enough they are price exactly the same, but the smash fries taste a lot better, in other words order the smash fries.
Onto the burgers. My favorite burger was the BBQ, Bacon & Cheddar Burger. It me reminded me of the Western Cheeseburger at Carls Jr, but a lot more refined. My least favorite was the Spicy Veggie Black Bean. The veggie patty texture was a bit on the mushy side, so I had a hard time getting past that but I have since moved on. Although they provide set burger items, you can also customized your burgers starting from the bun to the various sauces and toppings which are all inclusive. If if you’re wondering, YES, they do offer an egg as a topping of choice.
They also have real handmade milkshakes made with Hagen Daz ice cream. I didn’t get a chance to sample them as I was too busy talking to the other Unilocalers I met for the first time.
At the end of the tasting event they gave us an opportunity to smash our own burgers in their kitchen. Smashing is a cooking technique they use to create that wonderful crust on the burger. I’ve seen it done on TV so I decided to pass on smashing.
Thanks Ryan for organizing the event and drawing my name from the raffle.

Four star service, three star food. Why so critical when it was a free event?
I’m an admitted meat and health snob. I’m always cautious about food preparation techniques and ingredients especially when it comes to meat. I’m also trying to eat healthier but I get a couple of cheats per week so Smashburger was a BIG cheat.
Let’s get right to the burger process since that’s what Smashburger’s name indicates. They take a 5oz clump of ⁸⁰⁄₂₀ Angus sirloin and with a custom mold press it into a frying surface that has just been brushed with melted butter. This combo made for a slightly oily burger experience in my opinion. Yes the purpose is to sear the burger and lock in juices but the extra butter an no escape for the fat didn’t settle well in this Unilocaler’s gut. Everything else about their burgers — sauces, buns, veggies — was tasty but it’s too bad the meat was prepared on an open grill.
Also regarding preparation, everything is prepared on the same frying surface which means a black bean burger could be cooked along side bacon, chicken, and beef. I’m sure this is common in many places, but just seemed discomforting to me.
We also had a sample of the sweet potato fries (crisp & tasty), regular fries (average), and the veggie frites which were a bit to oil again for my tastes being partially fried. A tray of Smashfries was also delivered but not to every section of our big table so I only got to try one fry.
The Black Bean burger was a unique item I’ve never had before. The torta-​like bun was incredibly soft like the bean burger which left the burger lacking texture. Maybe throw in some fried tortilla strips to make it crunch.
The staff was very friendly and the corporate speech was very informative. I’m grateful to have attended this event but if I return to Smashburger it will be to give their healthier looking salads a try.

Another great event Mr Ryan C!
His events are always awesome, as impossible as it may sound he has outdone him self time and time again.
Amazing!
This time we learned about and tasted the delicious burgers of Smashburger.
For a change, on my way there, I managed to get my DD Roy lost (sorry again!) we were a bit late, but it was all good =)
«Thus shall the last be first»
Well in this case yes =)
My table partners were Roy B and Alex W
and yes we were lucky to be 3 in a table of 4
muahahaha meaning we got food for 4 to divide among 3
First we learned about the Smashburger concept and philosophy.
Then we started tasting delish food:
–Fries: regular fries, sweet potato fries, seasoned fries and fried veggies. All were really tasty.
–Classic Smash: a traditional burger. More my style, great meat, very well seasoned.
–OC Burger: with mushrooms, and arugula, great flavor and texture contrast.
— BBQ, Bacon and cheddar Burger: delish, the haystack onions and the bacon add a special touch to this burger.
— Classic Chicken: more diet-​friendly than the other ones =) but as flavorful as the burgers.
–Avocado Club Chicken: Avocado, bacon, lettuce, tomato, ranch dressing on a multi-​grain bun. Delicious and quite healthy/​
I didn’t try the Spicy Veggie black bean because of my allergy, but everybody said it was delicious.
To finish our delicious dinner we had this cute and tasty mini-​milkshakes
Then the fun part started: we were allowed to go into the kitchen and smashed our own burger. I loved that! It was so much fun doing my own burger, flipping burgers is harder than it looks.
It was great to see so many cool Unilocalers, great to see you all.
.
Smashburger crew was amazing, super nice, friendly and helpful.
Thanks Ryan for this cool event, I had a blast!
Until next time!

Smash = To strike with a heavy blow
Burger = A sandwich consisting of a bun, a cooked beef patty, and often other ingredients such as cheese, onion slices, lettuce, or condiments. Often used in combination
At first I wasn’t quite sure how these two things became one. But after my trip to Smashburger I now have my PHD in the ways of the Smashburger. And man did they spoil us this there!
Got there
right as the party started, check in, grab a couple of brews
(gratis) and sit down. We were soon joined at our booth by my new Unilocal friend Alex W.
Then it begins. The onslaught of FOOD!:
First they bring a tray of yummy Rosemary Garlic Fries… Effin good!
and before I could eat a hand full, more arrived first regular fries, then sweet potato fries, and finally Veggie fries
We were in French fry heaven!
I secretly loved the veggie fries! Am I turning Vegan?
We hardly made a dent in the mountain of fries here come the Smashburgers!
1^st was The Classic: American with cheese, smash sauce, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion on an egg bun.
2^nd The OC Burger: with portabella mushrooms, arugula, grilled onions, Swiss cheese and truffle mayo on an egg bun. The shrooms made this a tasty burger.
Third was the BBQ Bacon & Cheddar Burger: like the name says bacon, fried onion strings, smoky BBQ sauce and cheddar. I liked this one a lot.
Fourth was the Spicy veggie black bean: guacamole, pepper jack, lettuce, tomato, onion, and chipotle mayo on a chipotle bun. I really liked this one! Am I turning Vegan?
Fifth was the Classic Chicken: lettuce, tomato, red onions pickles mayo on a multi grain bun.
6^th was the Chicken Avocado Club: Avocado, apple wood-​smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, ranch dressing and mayo on a multi-​grain bun. GOOD Sammy!
Then they brought out a couple of tasty mini shake samplers in choco and strawberry.
Hell no we weren’t done yet! Time to get our smash on! We all were treated to a DIY in the Smashburger kitchen where we first got the fundamentals of SB
Safety first!
No glove No Love!
Then we got to make our own burgers!
Of course we were all so full from all the other eats, that these were road burgers.
Of course there were a bunch of my Unilocal homies there. Ingrid V, Evelyn T, Joe L, Sandya N, Suki B, Jonathan Z, Alex W, Ben W, Grace C, Ryan C and of course my partner in crime and dining Lili H.
Couple notes, SB has a nice outdoor patio and is doggy friendly too!
The staff and owner here are very nice and will take nice care of you!
Big thanks to Ryan C and Smashburger for a smashing time out!
WOW this was the coolest, so much food, friends and fun, I’ll be back to Smashburger!

«I believe that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade… And try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party.» –Ron White
For this party, Ryan didn’t hand us lemonade or vodka (although he often does!). This time, Ryan C. handed us burgers. And we had ourselves a PAR-​TAY! He partnered with the Smashburger team who not only gave us a fabulous tasting, but offered us a behind-​the-​scenes opportunity to «Smash» our own burgers, and share some of the secrets of their delicious burger patties. We even got to take home the burgers that we personally made.
A few highlights of our tasting:
The OC Burger: Baby portabella mushrooms, baby arugula, grilled onions, aged Swiss cheese and truffle mayo on an egg bun.
Classic Chicken: Lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onion and mayo on a multi-​grain bun.
Sweet Potato Fries:
Tuan L. and Evelyn T. showin’ the burgers who’s boss:
A huge delicious thank you to Ryan and the Unilocal team, and the folks at Smashburger, for organizing yet another memorable and fun event!

Got to taste some 8 burgers (smaller portions mind you), all kinds of fries and fried veggies in 2 hours, plus got to make a burger myself? Hells to the yeah! Did I mention all the fun I had and recommendations I got from the other awesome Unilocalers? Oh, and the great insight info about ingredients and the way they come up with and cook the Smash Burgers? And the great event alltogether that Ryan C perfectly organized? Loved the OC Burger, the Avocado Chicken and the Spicy Veggie black bean, best veggie burger I’ve ever had. The Haagen_​Dazs shake sample we got was great, got to come back for more! Thanks for all the info and for a great night everyone!

Came to the event without expectations and left looking like I was expecting! :O
We sampled 6 different types of burgers. My favorite was the Spicy veggie black bean burger! It tastes like a burritooooo. It’s served on a spicy chipotle bun to add to all the spiciness the patty already has. Textures don’t bug me much, but if you’re a texture kinda person, the soft squishiness of the veggie black bean patty may not suit you. Prior to our burger fest, we were served their sweet potato fries, ROSEMARY fries (omg to die for), sauteed peas and carrots and regular fries. All of which were good, but my favorite was the Rosemary fries without dressing. Ah-​may-​zing!
I enjoyed their chicken burgers. The patties are thinly sliced chicken breast. It appears meager, but is super flavorful and complements the burger very well. Got me thinking maybe sometimes more doesn’t mean better!
Also got myself some goodies ( Unilocal Sunglasses) and a free brewski (Arrogant Bastard!)!
Thank you Ryan for another amamamamazing evening with Unilocal!
Want to see pics? Follow me on Instagram @schimiggy

Though i’ve had my elite badge for a little over a year, this was my first ever YEE. Schedule conflicts have resulted in me missing the past 1,000 events but after listening to all the cool stories from fellow Unilocalers sitting around me last night, I realized that I have truly been missing out.
This was a seated tasting, you know, the way they do it in fancy steakhouses and fine dining restaurants… except they were talking about burgers, not foie gras and gastriques, burgers. Hell yeah, this is totally my scene. The owner’s son broke down every ingredient to every burger and was quick to answer questions about the food and the business.
4 sides and 6 burgers came out one by one, each very different from the last. Of the sides, I loved the veggie frites: not breaded & lightly fried, still maintaining the crunch of the green been and carrot, and the Smashfries: regular fries tossed in rosemary, garlic, and crack, I presume?
Of the burgers, I favored the classic: I’m a burger purist and I loved the classic taste with just a little twist in their homemade 1000 island and that caramelization and crunch from the smashing technique. I order my burgs med. rare, but I still really enjoyed that fully cooked patty. I also loved the blackbean burger. Really nice blast of flavors. A ton of ingredients.
What an awesome night! Seriously, mad props to Ryan C. for pulling together such a cool event! I truly have been missing out and you can bet i’ll be making time for more of these in the future. It was nice to meet, chill, and grub with fellow Unilocalers! Can’t wait to see what’s coming up next!

Awesome event, thanks Ryan!
I was SO excited to get to go to this event because I’ve heard people raving about Smashburger for months now and hadn’t gotten a chance to try it. They pulled out all the stops for us with special printed menus, tons of food, and the chance to learn their special ‘smashing’ technique!
I tried to pace myself with the fries, but the smashfries were just too good to stay away from. They had the perfect amount of garlicky goodness with just a hint of rosemary. I can’t wait to go back for more! The other types of fries were good as well, but the smashfries were really the standout.
We sampled 6 different burgers: 3 beef, 1 black bean, and 2 chicken. My favorites were the original smashburger and the black bean burger (surprised about that one!). The smash sauce on the smashburger was really good, different from your typical 1000 island, and the egg bun was fantastic! The black bean burger was slightly spicy and tasted like a burrito in burger form! It was so good!
We also sampled the strawberry and mint oreo milkshakes, and both were fabulous.
It was fun to get to know other Unilocalers over some deeeeeelicious burgers! I’m so glad they agreed to a second time around. They definitely have a repeat customer now!

Ryan and Smashburger South OC/​North SD (the franchisee) threw this event with love in their hearts.
Close down the entire restaurant during peak dinner hours? Check.
Dedicate a platoon of staff, managers, and owners to wine, dine and educate Unilocalers? Check.
Stuff Unilocalers with more burgers, fries, sauteed vegetables, and milkshakes than we could handle? Check.
Set out separate, unadulterated model burgers for the Instagrammers in all of us? Check.
Take us back to the kitchen and let us make our own friggin burger out of the real commercial equipment and range? Check.
Now this is how you run a Unilocal event at a fast-​casual restaurant. Sad I had to leave early!

The Good: Burgers, burgers, burgers, burgers, burgers, and yet more burgers. Yep, we got to try 6 burgers, a full spread of sides, and shots of milkshakes. My favorite was the bbq, bacon and cheddar burger and I was surprised how good the spicy veggie black bean burger was and that even a smashed chicken breast can be seared and juicy at the same time. I was hooked after the first time I went to a Smashburger in Las Vegas and was so glad to hear that they are opening all over California and beyond. FYI, they have a hidden menu, not sure what’s on, but they can make a Sin Burger (the Las Vegas local burger) and you should try that next time.
The Bad: Sooo much food, wait, can that be a bad? I knew it was going to be a fatfest so I tried to pace myself, FAIL.
The Ben: Thanks to Ryan, Unilocal and the crew of Smashburger for such a awesome tasting. I don’t think I would have ever tried some of these burgers on my own, but after tasting some of them I would go back and try them all.

Round 1. No contest. I wasn’t even in the fight.
Round 2. Fight.
With the ravings from the previous YEE at Smashburger, I had high expectations. Those expectations did not waver!
I paced myself with the apps (sweet potato, regular fries, rosemary fries, and veggie frites) because I we had a list of the feast ahead.
There was a 6 long spread of burgers that reached our table. My favorites were the classic and WTF spicy veggie black bean? Can it be true that I would eat a veggie patty over the chicken? Yes I would and I’m eating that very veggie burger right meow thanks other table!
We got 2 small sample shakes that I drank like shots. We got to make our own smashburger, which BTW my turned out gorgeous.
Loved the event. Loved the amount of food (I wasn’t at the max, but I don’t go there anymore). Love Smashburger. Fist bump for Ryan.

OMG SO MUCH FOOD!
Thanks to Ryan C. and Smashburger Aliso Viejo for a great time last night. We each got to taste 6 different types of burgers. There were 3 regular burgers (Classic, OC and BBQ Bacon & Cheddar) 1 Veggie burger (Spicy Black bean) and 2 chicken options (Classic and Avocado Club). All of them were so good, but I have to say, the Classic Burger was still my favorite.
We also got a little tasters of two of their shakes which was really good.
We also got to «smash» our own burgers to take home which was really cool. One of the owners (sorry, I don’t remember his name) took us back into the kitchen to smash our own burgers. He went through the process they go through and how they strive for this «meat candy» which was great. Me and my burger with bun went home quite happily.
Got a chance to meet a few new people (Hi Alex and Liz) and see old friends. Overall great time out once again. Thanks Ryan and Smashburger.

Poor me. I didn’t make it into the first event for the tasting so it was awesome of Ryan to do this again because Ryan rules.
Smashburger closed down the place for us Unilocalers, printed out a special menu, and we were seated randomly in order to get to know our fellow elite Unilocalers. Hooray. I’ve met so many people this way and love it.
The night started with a variety of fries — veggie frites, rosemary fries with truffle oil, plain fries, and sweet potato.
Then, they brought out the 6 burgers. Oh my. I was getting full so fast. My all-​time favorite was the classic smash even though it only had a few basic ingredients but the flavor was wonderful and I’d order it again if this location wasn’t so far away. Really wish they had one closer in north county.
The night ended with milkshakes and a chance to smash our own burger. We also got a goodie bag and I also won my first ever Unilocal raffle!

I can always expect a great event thrown by Mr. Ryan C. I never win anything at the raffles, but I won’t dock a star for it! Still love the endless supply of Unilocal swag!
There definitely wasn’t a shortage of food at this Elite tasting! 6 burgers/​sandwiches + 3 fried appetizers + 2 samples of delicious Haagen Dazs milk shakes +a Smash burger to go?! Holy Moly!
The fries were quite good. Not overly fried, nicely salted, and just the right amount of potato. The Smash fries had a bit of rosemary and garlic that gives it the extra kick! I also enjoyed the vegetable frites. Never have I seen a somewhat healthier alternative like this at a burger joint! Kudos on that!
Of the 6 sandwiches we tried, my favorite, and my tablemates Jason and George agree, the OC burger was the best! Super tasty Smashburger patty with delicious extras! The mushrooms paired with aged Swiss and truffle mayo?! And topped with my favorite secret weapon, arugula! MMMMMMMmmmmmm! My next favorite is probably the Smashburger. Traditional, but really great tasting! They use angus beef (Yes, I was listening!) and get that great sear on the burger. The BBQ, Bacon and Cheddar burger is a very close 3^rd. Beautiful bacon, crispy onion strings, tangy BBQ sauce, and a nice and soft egg bun! Sounds like a winning combo to me!
Ok, fine. I love beef and beef loves me! Now on to the non beef sandwiches:
I really enjoyed the avocado club! Thin, well seasoned, juicy chicken, smoked bacon, and ranch. That’s like the menage trois every person dreams about! Seriously though, a great combo of flavors! Next is the Spicy Veggie Black Bean. What a surprise! More kudos to the great team at the Aliso location! Who knew that a black bean patty could be so delicious?! The spices added into this bad boy give it a big kick! Looks dry, but isn’t nearly as dense as it looks. So much flavor in this thing! The classic chicken was ok for me. Nothing too flashy here, but still tasted good! Nothing here was average. You can really tell that the team here strives for awesomeness!
The one problem I had was that the samples of the shakes were small… but that’s only because I’m a fatass and also because they were amazing!!! The chocolate one and the strawberry were amazing!
It was a simple, but great experience being able to step into the kitchen and smash my own burger! Thanks Ernie for having us. Thanks Ryan for another great event.
Shout out to nearby tablemates Jason, Jonathan Z (although you ditched us), George, Ben, Alice, Matthew, and Evelyn! See you all at future events!!!

I was kicking myself for missing the first Smashburger event [What, a Super SmashBros burger joint??? jk] so I jumped at this 2^nd chance :)
We had the whole place to ourselves which made it extra special too!
LOTS of food, and it was really cool of SB to print out a special Unilocal menu so we can see what the burger tasting lineup was. The owner and son combo greeted us warmly and gave a brief background of the restaurant and their experience. I had no idea there were so many SBs in the U.S. …and they have one in Costa Rica!
They started with appetizers and there were plenty of it to go around– Sweet Potato, Fries, SMASHFries, Veggie Frites. The SMASHFries and the Veggie ones were definitely my favorite.
**Burger Lineup**
Classic — Like it says, it’s the Classic burger. Except it has SMASH sauce, and hugged by a super soft egg bun.
The OC — A flavor explosion! Baby portabello mushrooms, TRUFFLE mayo, arugula, swiss and grilled onions on again the soft egg bun. This was my favorite burger, but only if I can go halfsies with someone :)
BBQ, Bacon & Cheddar — BACON, and haystack onions. Winning combo.
Spicy Black Bean Veggie (aka Fresh Mex) — I’m a wuss when it comes to heat. So this was unfortunately too spicy for me. It had pepperjack, jalepenos, spicy chipotle mayo, AND a spicy chipotle bun. Yowza!
Classic Chicken & Avocado Club Chicken — Classic was a bit too plain. Avocado Club wins this chicken fight since it had BACON. :)
**SMASHING**
It was very generous of SB to allow us to go into the kitchen and to actually smash our own burgers. They were so patient! We tutored along the way to make our own burger, and got to take our creation home. 5* service.
**LOOT**
I won a DVD! Side Effects BLU-​RAY! My PS3 thanks Unilocal.And I finally got the adorable Unilocal sunglasses, refreshed my mint stash, and got some SB related goodies too like an eco-​bag and cup :)
Thank you, Ryan for coordinating this event, and SmashBurger for accommodating us with freebie beer, soda, LOTS of food, patience, friendliness, generosity, and awesomeness!
Shoutouts to Aaron, Matt, Ben, Alex, Evelyn, & Sam!

As Austin Powers would say, this event was «SMASHING, BABY!»
Smashburger known to their burgers is to take the burger (which is 80% sirloin, 20%fat) and put it on the grill and then like wrestling with batman, BAM! KAPOW! your burger is done! Actually they use this special contraption which smashes your burgers down flat (about ½ each) and cook the burger to 155 degrees. I love this event because I along with every attendee who wanted to, got to make your own smashburger at the end of the event! That was really cool being able to make it at a commercial kitchen.
Just don’t ask me to make it fast now!
In addition, we got to have a complimentary craft beer (which is normally under $ 4 a bottle on the menu insanely cheap). They had oaked arraogant bastard and coronado brewing red, great choices!
The burgers we tried:
Classic — It was simple burger, oddly it reminded me of the big mac but in a better way. Must’ve been the unmelted cheese.
The OC — Portabello mushroom, arugula included? Can you say more Californian than this? Liked it!
BBQ, Bacon & Cheddar — Bacon and fried string onions? For you BBQ sauce lovers!
Spicy Veggie Black Bean –This was my favorite! It’s black bean encrusted (BTW, I think this was the word our guy was looking for) as a patty and it was flavorful. Think of black bean dip but on a burger!
Classic Chicken –Regular chicken sandwich
Avocado Club Chicken — A better version of the classic Chicken. Really, get this instead of the classic chicken.
We were also treated to some shakes via sauce cups. Real ice cream shakes? Hellz yeah?!
The food here overall is solid, not the biggest in portions, but it won’t leave you stuffed. I follow these guys on social networks. I know that you are able to stack coupons when they offer them, like the B1G1 °F. I think I will just do that and use the free $ 5 gift voucher smashburger gave us last night as part of the gift. Thank you for a great time Ernie, UnilocalOC, and Smashburger!
Oh, great meeting some of you folks and seeing the regulars-​Joe, Sadya, Evelyn, Aaron, George, Ben, Lili, Philipe, Alice, Jason. Thanks for the Unilocal shirt Ben, I owe you!

The moment I walked in, Ryan yelled at me for not attending a Unilocal event since Halloween. Ryan C., your memory is amazing!
Today was definitely super fun — the fries and veggie frites (was that what they were called?) were so yummy, and the burgers tasted great! I don’t like eating tomatoes or onions or mushrooms or avocado, but I ate everything because it was just that darned good. I was stuffed by the end of the tasting, and to top it off they gave us a sample of their mint chocolate milkshake in these tiny portion cups — it was so cute!
I was a bit overwhelmed at first, not having been at a Unilocal event in quite a while, but I definitely had a great time, especially when I was smashing my own patty in their kitchen.
I got a full belly, tons of swag from both Unilocal and Smashburger, and I won free Unilocal socks in a raffle! I love socks.
Thanks Smashburger and Ryan!

Definitely a fun time with tons of delicious fries, burgers (even a spicy, flavorful vegetarian burger), veggie frites (flash fried carrot sticks and green beans — goood!), burgers, and milkshake samples. Good to see old and new faces: Matt, Alice L, Jonathan Z, Ben W, Sam, Alex K, George, Aaron Y, Tuan L, and Ingrid V. I had a great time chatting and Ryan C was as welcoming as ever; he really organized an awesome tasting. We got to try our hand at seasoning, smashing and grilling burgers in their kitchen, too. That was great! Ryan also had numerous cool items he gave away in a raffle, and for our check-​in to the event, we were awarded red Unilocal sunglasses.
All of the fries were fantastic: french fries, sweet potato fries, and smash fries (tossed with just the right amount of rosemary, garlic and olive oil). I really liked the smash fries and would buy them to go with my burger on my next visit here. The Veggie frites are a tasty and good idea — having veggies to balance out the meat works well. I kept refilling my glass at their iced tea bar; I recommend the pomegranate iced tea.
We sampled these burgers — we were given generous quarters of full burgers:
Classic — Juicy burger, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, and Mayo on a Multi-​grain bun. Winner! If I had to choose, this was my favorite. It’s a perfect burger, really.
OC Burger — Rich burger with truffle mayo, baby portabello mushrooms and arugula, swiss cheese and grilled onions an egg bun. The truffle mayo is a good touch and complements this burger and its flavors well.
Spicy Black Bean Vegetarian — Lives up to its name and has a nice kick of spice to it. The patty is great and I think adventurous vegetarians will like it. A cut way, way above the typical boring veggie burgers other places have.
Smoky BBQ bacon cheddar was a favorite for some of the Unilocalers, it had plenty of bacon in it and was excellent.
The chicken burgers we tried were very good, also. I preferred the Avocado Club chicken burger, which had fresh avocado, ranch dressing and applewood-​smoked bacon; but the classic chicken burger with red onion, lettuce tomato, pickles and mayo was really fresh tasting and I think chicken lovers would like it.
The franchise owner, Ernie, and his son talked about Smashburger and its origins. The franchise is a strong one with plans for future locations in many areas domestic and international. Staff did a fantastic job for this event, which was completely enjoyable. My husband enjoyed the burger I brought home from our smashing event. «Mmm, mmm, this is so good.» He found it addicting and ate it quickly, commenting on how good the seasoning was. Thank you Ryan C. and a big thank you to Smashburger!