Smashburger

When it comes fast food burgers, I would put Smash Burger among the best. Whenever I try a new burger place, I always start with a plain burger so I can taste the beef. The smashburger burger was beefy and juicy. The smash fries are shoestrings tossed in olive oil and rosemary. The rosemary taste is strong (as rosemary always is), but we all liked them. was worried at first that the olive oil would make them greasy, but that wasn’t an issue — the coating of oil was light and fries were crispy. The The only negative we had was the seasoning on the onion straws was WAY too salty. I don’t know if this is normal or the kitchen was just heavy-​handed on the day we were there.
Overall, excellent for fast food and miles above McDonalds, BK, Hardee’s or other big players in the fast food burger world.

You know, it was ok. The burgers were pretty good, not overly impressive. The service was strange. I’m used to fast casual but I was confused on what to do with my dishes when I was done eating as there didn’t appear to be a clear place to put them. I tried the smashburger fries, and even though I love garlic and rosemary, I didn’t like these. They were shoestring type fries and maybe that’s why. I just didn’t feel like there was much flavor aside from the rosemary. I might give them another try. It’s just a little overpriced for the size of the burgers.

The food isn’t bad. As someone else stated, it’s a step up from Wendy’s, and Five Guys is better. They serve thin cut fries similar to Steak ‘n Shake, which I am not a fan of. I opt for their veggie frites, which are green beans and carrots stir fired in olive oil, rosemary and garlic.
This location has very limited seating. If they are busy, the order taker will place your order to go in case a table doesn’t free up, so you can eat it in your car or someplace else. Learning that lesson, if there are no empty seats when I walk in, I just go next door to Chipotle. Pro Tip: If there is a free seat, make sure someone sits there while you are in line to order.

How, you ask, can can a restaurant fit into the footprint of a former Radio Shack? The dining area is very small with maybe eight tables and a counter for eating in. Very cozy, or slightly cramped, depending on your point of view. The patio seating by contrast seems spacious, open and inviting, especially on this unseasonably warm 73 degree November day.
I ordered one of the signature burgers, an avocado black bean ranch on whole grain bun, a side of fries and regular drink. At more than $ 10 my first thought was that this was rather pricey for the food you get, but then the food you get cannot be found at just any burger joint. Goat cheese, blue cheese, avocado, truffles, mushrooms… this is fast food for grown ups.
My «smashed» black bean burger was quite tasty, an interesting texture and excellent flavor. The bun was fresh and so were the toppings. The presentation was very attractive with crisp lettuce, bright green avocado slices and other colorful toppings.
The shoestring fries were adequate if nothing special. I opted for the regular fries instead of the smash fries on this visit because I didn’t want to return to work smelling of garlic.
Service was quick and friendly.
Portion size was a little smaller than I expected, quite a bit smaller than my favorite Punch Burger burger and fries.
I will return to try some of the other sides and perhaps a salad. Milkshakes look dangerously delicious as well.

We had a coupon for a free entrée and decided to try it out. I was definitely pleased with the quality of food for how quick and fairly priced it was… I got the club burger but I just had the avocado and lettuce on it. I really liked how you could customize your order so much and the shakes definitely looked delicious! The place was clean and the manager was more than friendly! Will be back!

This was a quick stop and I’d never heard of Smashburger before this visit. We had the chicken sandwich, the veggie fries and their regular fries. All pretty good. I felt like I was eating (slightly) healthier than I would be at any other fast-​food chain, so there’s that. Next time, I really need to try their burger to give an all out review.

SHORT REVIEW: Amongst burger joints, this one definitely SMASHES the competition.
LONG REVIEW: Indy is slowly but surly becoming a REAL Burger City, getting away from the fast food, conveyor belt patties. Smashburger is a great brand to push the city out of the frozen ages and into the fresh meat future.
FOOD: GET THE Spicy Jalapeño Baja burger! My goodness. Going healthy? Well, you can even ask to make any burger a salad. They’ll have local beers here, cool addition. Their unconventional cheese selections are also pretty dope. Great fresh ingredients 100% certified angus. Seared when smashed into the grill. Locks in that flavor. Mm.

Stopped in to grab some dinner for the family. The good about this place is the service is great and the food is good as well. Nice variety. This particular location does not have the best set up in my opinion. Not much room and flow. Better when it gets nice out and you can sit outside.

If Dunkin Donuts and Jack-​in-​the-​Box were to have a baby, I have a feeling that baby would closely resemble this location of Smashburger, a growing international chain claiming this Carmel, Indiana spot as its first Hoosier location.
With the ironic twist being that Smashburger is, in fact, next door to a Dunkin Donuts, the entire time I was inside I found myself thinking as I looked around «This reminds me of Dunkin Donuts» or «That reminds me of Jack-​in-​the-​Box.» I’m not quite sure if Smashburger is supposed to have their own niche’, but they’ve been nicely described here as a step up from Wendy’s with burgers that are never frozen and variations on the burger that definitely go far beyond fast food options such as an avocado ranch black bean burger, a spinach, cucumber and goat cheese option, and several others including a build-​your-​own option that offers several bread varieties. They also offer a variety of chicken sandwiches (grilled or breaded), salads, shakes, ice cream and, in what is fairly rare for burger joints, they do serve beer. They have kids meals and a variety of sides including fries, sweet potato fries, a side salad, veggie frites, haystack onions and their trademark smashfries that include olive oil, garlic and rosemary.
As this was my first visit to Smashburger, I opted to go with what they consider their signature items — a classic smash (can be ordered regular or big) which is a burger (all angus beef) with American cheese, Smash sauce, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion on an egg bun, smash fries and, of course, my usual unsweetened iced tea — It’s Honest Iced Tea, a pleasant surprise and it’s brewed not bottled.
The dining room seats 70, though my immediate thought when I saw the sign was there was no way that was going to happen without some major intimacy involved. I suppose it could be the fast food version of speed dating. It’s mostly tables and booth/​table combos, though there’s a few stools against the wall with tables. Oddly, they have two tables very near where you order that really make it tight for a wheelchair. I had to say «excuse me» twice while dining in and that’s never a good sign. The employees were friendly and did offer help should I need it, but the interior design just feels a bit wonky. They do also offer a few outdoor tables and as we seem to be arriving in Spring, some folks were outside enjoying the warmer temps.
They do have two ADA compliant parking spots right near the front door, then you enter through their glass doors and go to the left into a line. They have menus at the start of the line so you can be planning ahead. You place your order, but they deliver it to your table after handing you a number. They also clean up the table — As near as I could tell, there were no trash containers in the dining room. So, they truly expect to clean the tables.
The food?
I liked the burger — it was obviously fresh as were the toppings. Did it blow me away? Nope. As I don’t live in Carmel, I definitely wouldn’t drive out of my way to experience it. The egg bun complements the Smash sauce, which I can’t really describe but I’d say it’s a lot like the 96^th Street Steakburger special sauce, and the burger was a definite highlight for me. The shoestring-​style fries, which I’m usually fine with, just didn’t hit the spot. I realize Olive Oil is «oil,» but this just tasted excessively greasy and I actually didn’t finish my regular order. I would not order them again. The iced tea was solid and you can get your own refills.
The meal came in at just over $ 10 — not inexpensive, but also not high-​end. This, to me, felt like higher-​end fast food. It’s in a good location to appeal to a higher-​income demographic, but as someone who doesn’t typically go for experimental burgers I’m just as happy paying less as this burger was good but not a stand-​out.
Smashburger benefits from its friendly employees, solid location, fresh fare and outdoor dining, but it falls short of turning into a destination spot for me. With a few accessibility issues and fries that just missed the mark for me, a three-​star rating feels about right with a recommendation but definitely not a rave.
Plus, now I’m craving Dunkin Donuts. And Jack-​in-​the-​Box.

Sorry everyone else I have to give this place 5 stars. Why? It takes elements of a lot of other places and folds them into a nice experience. The burgers remind me of both of those Shake places, their fries are new and different, just like my favorite pub in Chicago. The best tasting burger and the best fries — can’t beat it. When you get there you will see what I mean by «elements».
Seating is a little limited so please don’t spread too much. It’s a great experience and you can get chicken too! In case you can’t find it, it’s where the Radio Shack used to be, next to that donut place you got your breakfast at.

My husband and I love a good burger so we decided to give Smash Burger a try. We both got cheeseburgers with a side of sweet potatoes. The burgers were pretty good, their secret sauce is yummy and the ingredients tasted fresh. The fries were just ok, nothing to write home about. We were debating between eating there and taking it to go, but when we walked in and saw how dirty it was inside, we decided to take it to go. There was food all over the floor and most of the tables which were vacant had not been wiped down. There were several employees that didn’t seem to be busy, but no one looked like they were concerned about the mess. I’m not a neat freak or anything, but it grossed me out a little. Not sure I’ll return.

It is a step up from Wendy’s. Like Wendy’s, they serve never frozen burgers and can be made to order. Opposite from Wendy’s, they deliver your order to your table and put away your dishes. They have healthy options such as the buns, the toppings, and the sides.
I ordered a custom regular smash burger with multi-​grain bun, spinach, pickles, mustard, etc. I went for the sweet potato smashfries (with rosemary, olive oil, and garlic). The burger was juicy. The rosemary was tasty but something I would have to get use to. The food looked fresh; I did not recognize the rosemary and was brushing it off at first. Haha.

Good burgers, dude. Get the Classic Smash, which is one hamburger patty, smash sauce (I have no idea what that is, but it’s tasty), ketchup, lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles and American cheese on an egg bun. That is the burger that has brought me the most Burger Satisfaction™, but there are others that you can order if you wish.
The fries are good, although you should know that they are shoestring fries. These kinds of fries are not my favorites, but Smashburger does them good, so of course I finished a whole sleeve of them.
The day we visited, there were, like, eight people working there, so we were able to get our order really quickly. In and out in a flash — I like that in a burger place. I really wish this location had a drive-​thru, though. That would make it truly wonderful.

This place is so under rated! I really don’t understand why the average rating isn’t more than 4 stars. Everyone was super friendly and ready to help in anyway. The food came out HOT and quick.
For the size of my «big burger» I feel like the price was very reasonable and the quality of everything was very high. For a family of 3 our total bill wasn’t even $ 24 and I LOVE restaurants that give military discounts.
Only wish they have a drive-​thru and some cinnamon sugar for the sweet potato fries. We had a great dinner though and will be back soon for more!

Smash was just ok. I love burgers and eat waaaay too many of them. I was in the Carmel area today and gave them a try. The small dinning area was laid out awkwardly. I’m not sure how it works when they’re busy? The counter where food comes out is completely open and I just feel like there should have been a railing or a wall to divide the space.
Service was pretty standard «can I take your order.» Nice but nothing extra. The ok rating was for the average food. With so many great burger options around the area this just wasn’t special. I don’t mind paying for a quality burger but this was just small and dry. It wasn’t bad just boring. It was also prepared too fast to have been smashed to order! The reason Smash still gets a solid 3 stars is for the fries. While the order was small the Smash fries are tasty for sure! I’d probably come back next time just for fries!

The service on Saturday was amongst the worst I have ever received. It was painful to watch the staff attempt to do their jobs. Clearly they were not trained. A timid cashier constantly apologized for being the only person working while his manager and coworkers failed to help him.
This location gets 2 stara because the food, when it finally arrived, was still good.

Smashburger has tasty fast food for an above average price– (you are going to spend more than you would at McDs or BK). But what you get for the price is totally worth it, IMHO.
I got a bacon burger that tasted like it was hand made (i.e.: not frozen). I tried some really interesting onion straws. My holiday peppermint shake was festive and sweet– without being too minty. The place was clean and it was a relatively easy location to get to. All-​in-​all, it feels like a simple burger joint that will hopefully stand the test of time. I am likely to go back.

Smashburger is the middle sibling between the younger McDonald’s and the big bro Bru. It’s a semi fast-​food place which offers a drive-​thru and a TINY brick red eat-​in area where you order up front, pay, display your number at your seating area of choice, and servers bring out your food. It’s utterly chaotic when busy and you’re lucky if you find a clean table to sit at crammed into the personal space of the table next to you. Like any artisan burger place, sides and drinks are a la carte. There’s no # combo options, so look about spending around $ 10/​pp for a complete meal with just water.
For around $ 7, the burgers are pretty small (like a kid’s McD’s cheeseburger size) thin and completely cooked kind of like a flat top Steak ‘n Shake burger. What makes it more grown-​up are the fancy fixings of goat cheese, cucumber, baby spinach, and balsamic vinaigrette atop my spinach and goat cheese burger finished with a multi-​grain bun. My boyfriend and I ordered a regular smashfries and a sweet potato smashfries. They were a little oily… not sure if it’s from the olive oil they toss it in or undrained oil from the fryer. However, I preferred the regular matchstick smashfries tossed with rosemary and garlic. (I think Boogie Burger’s garlic fries are a better deal.) The sweet potato fries were a little limpy and puddled in oil.
Portion sizes run on the small side. I’m pretty sure I’d need like 2 big burgers and 2 large smashfries to be completely full just because I’m a tiny hungry person. Now I can see you bigger fellas ordering a White Castle sized case to go. It’s okay if you’re looking for a greasy, somewhat cheap «artisanal» fast-​food burger on the go or to cure the morning after hangover.

Love smash burger. It’s like my semi– fast food type of burger place. Selection is great and their smash fries is pretty amazing.
I like their make your own burger and I always order mine with sriracha sauce. Adding a fried egg completes my meal.
I love the fact that they offer shakes. Their hand scooped and they use Haagen Dazs for their ice cream. Premium ice cream for shakes? What’s not to love?
Service is great and very attentive service. Great bang for your buck. Kids menu is spot on and my son loves their grilled chicken strips with fries.

I attended a Unilocal event that gave us a sneak peak of all the different options that Smashburger offered. Although all the burgers that we tried were good, the standout for me was the Truffle Mushroom Swiss. The mushrooms added a great flavor to the burger, I highly recommend it! Other standouts included the Smash fries, which are tossed in rosemary, garlic, and olive oil, and their Haagen Dazs Oreo shake!