Smashburger

Went there for the first time yesterday and thought the Burger was pretty good… I just got a fairly regular one, but saw they had some unique ones that I might at a later time… Service was definitely quality, and the fries were definitely tasty… Might not be the cheapest place to get a burger but still worth trying on occasion…

Decent burgers and fries. Pretty standard stuff. Excellent milkshakes. Pricey. Sometimes I think about going here, but that thought never manifests in me darkening the door. This is partly due to the Pavilion East area being a pain in the behind, but mainly because Cookout is closer, better and cheaper. If I were to go back, I would try one of their salads.

Burger was great! Price was not.
The filipina manager is awesome. I forgot her name but she training a new manager at that this location. But her service is absolutely awesome. She was friendly and kind.
Overall, great burger. Fries too thin. Price is overpriced. Good place to check out, at least once.

The burgers are so good. I wish I would’ve gotten the cashiers name because she was FAB! Very clean and the atmosphere is nice!

If you need some quick soul food, a pick-​me-​up, or if you’re just craving some good junk, you go to Smashburger.
The food here is greasy and delicious. I enjoy their barbecue, bacon, and avocado burgers. I like when restaurants have their unique fries and Smashfries definitely stand out. If that isn’t enough to fill your craving, try one of their milkshakes; you might have to share it with a friend.
The restrooms are clean and there is ample indoor seating. It’s nice to come here every once in a while for a treat, but it’s sure to wreak havoc on your diet. While their burgers are good, I prefer the burgers from Nosh when I’m in the area.

OK yes so I’m that person that orders a salad at a burger joint LOL. I ordered a Spinach, Goat Cheese, Cranberry salad and added on grilled chicken. It was FABULOUS! The chicken was nice an thin, and the seasonings were spot on. The salad portions were HUGE too! When I was there they had a cool thing going on for St. Patty’s day where it was BOGO on the Mint Chocolate Milkshakes which also looked awesome. This location also has a really nice outdoor seating area with umbrellas which we enjoyed getting some fresh air. Very close in proximity to Duke University Hospital, the VA Hospital, and the Children’s Hospital. Parking out front can be rough at peak times but there’s a garage in back!

This place was good. Not great, nothing special, just a good burger and fries. A little overpriced in my opinion but the device at this particular location was great.

Smash burger is located in a strip mall with other restaurants and businesses. The parking is tight and this area is hopping for lunch. There is a decent sized lot for parking but it fills up fast. Inside you wait in line and place your order and they bring the food to you. The menu is hard to see and figure out. They have some house burgers or build your own. They also have chicken sandwiches and salads. I got the build your own «big» burger, on pretzel roll, with LTM plus the smash fries. The burger was maybe ¼ pound at most. It was cooked well but still greasy as all. It had a decent taste but nothing special. Its somewhere between a good fast food burger and an actual specialty burger. The fries though cooked up crispy were super thin and again super greasy. The seasoning of rosemary and garlic was nice, but loose the oil. The whole plate was floating in grease. Im just not a fan of those ultra thin fries, so might as well skip those. And smash fries just means they are even more greasy as far as I could tell. The burger fries and drink cost me nearly $ 13. Overpriced in my opinion considering what you get. The service seemed OK to me, though certainly nothing stellar.

We decided to try Smash Burger because the reviews are really pretty good. We placed our order at 7:12 and about 15 minutes later they served my salad and an order of veggie frites. My youngest daughter’s burger came a minute after that. About 10 minutes later, my older daughter’s chicken tenders came. It is now 7:58 and my husband still does not have his burger or shake. A family at another table just got their money back because their order never came out. The food may be good but the staff is in need of major help to actually prepare the food and serve it.
Maybe his food will come to go but of not we’ll be going to Firehouse Subs to actually get him dinner.
Sorry Smashburger but we won’t be back.

A burger is not just a burger at Smashburger.
I ordered the Truffle Mushroom Swiss with a regular fry. Man. I never knew a burger could taste so good! I ate every. single. bite. My friend had the garlic fries. Those were delicious also.
Change your life. Eat a Smashburger.

Saw a recent review that was similar to my experience actually… The cashier seemed lazy, bored and almost annoyed. Didn’t seem like she wanted to help us even though it was our first time. However, everything about the food was excellent and there was a guy who came out and checked on us with awesome customer service. Just seems like they might need to put friendlier people up front.

This was my first time going to Smashburger. The cashier was very nice and polite. My meal came out within 5 – 10 minutes of me ordering it as well. (and this was during the weekday lunch rush) This is only a personal preference but I didn’t like how thin the burger patties and French fries were. (like Five Guys in comparison) It was still a yummy meal and I am glad I was finally able to try this burger joint.

First time eating here. Nice location and great food! One of the best burgers in Durham. The cashier seemed like she was in a bad mood. Being our first time, my family had a few questions and it seemed to bother her. Other than that it was amazing.
— — –
Update: the owner contacted me and was very generous and expressed genuine desire to make my experience perfect. My second visit was fantastic! I really appreciate the lengths taken to satisfy customers. My family and I will def be returning!

WOW, so many people that like this place sound like they’ll settle for any burger… such as a pre-​cooked med-​well burger that’s just warmed up when you order it… give me a fresh burger made to order any day.
I don’t know of anyone that likes those fries… very greasy. Overall, the burgers are just OK but not worth the $$

Quick place to grab a tasty burger and fries! This Smashburger is located conveniently across the street from Duke campus/​hospital. Sign up for their Smashburger club and you get emailed coupons regularly – I used a $ 2 off coupon and ended up only spending about $ 4.50 for my Avocado Club burger (lettuce, tomato, avocado, bacon, ranch). And if you fill out a survey online, get free Smashfries at your next visit!
Order at the counter then find a table. Service is fast – the staff is always so friendly here. My burger was juicy with the tomato and ranch and the avocado was quite fresh. The portion size is just right – if you’re looking for a bigger size you can order their large size for about $ 1 more.
The Smashfries: AMAZING. I was initially skeptical — -rosemary with garlic flavoring? But it’s sprinkled on just right – not too chunky or herby. These fries were so addicting. My only complaint about the fries this time was that they were drowning in a puddle of oil. I tried their Smashfries a few months ago and they were definitely not as oily, so hopefully this was just an off day for the fries.

One of the better smash burger locations I have been to. The food was made very well and the sweet potato fries were not greasy and were quite crunchy. I really enjoyed my lunch here. It does get packed so plan accordingly. It’s a nice walk from the Duke/​VA hospitals.

I’m updating my review because the owners really care about this place. I finally got to dine-​in and I had a wonderful lunch. The employees acted like real people and were very helpful to me since I had a baby. I am a creature of habit and I always get the same burger — and it tasted delicious. The sweet potato fries were perfect! The restaurant is very clean and still new looking. I definitely enjoy the food dining in better than my take out– but that’s usually how it is if you can’t space travel home.
Looking forward to my next visit!

I visited a Smashburger for the first time recently. I thought the burger was pretty good. I had the burger with the barbecue, and bacon. I also liked the fries (Smashfries), which were an interesting take with the rosemary seasoning.
This review is 3 ½ stars even though I enjoyed the burger and fries The review is not higher b/​c there are just so many great burger joints to compare Smashburger to, a lot of them in Durham. Smashburger is kind of pricey too. The burger and fries alone were around $ 9.00. I considered a milkshake, but they are above $ 3, so that will have to wait. Smashburger, based on my one visit is mid-​tier, better than say Wendy’s, but below Town Hall Burger, Only Burger, Bull City Burger and many others in the area.
I’ll probably be returning though…

juicy stuff
smashfries is alright. But overall it’s good. Next time I will try the milkshake

«Excellent new fast-​food burger place w/​lots of options»
Heard of Smashburger before, but was delighted with my first visit there today (opening day). It’s in the same shopping center as TGI Friday’s, Noodles & Co, and Chipotle. The place was hopping even at 11:30am– clearly there was anticipation for the opening, and there were LOTS of employees around helping everyone. Burgers come in 3 sizes, and the smallest is a third-​pound. Sides are separate, but include their «smash fries» (w/​rosemary), sweet potato fries, or «veggie frites» (fried green beans & carrots served w/​ranch dressing). There were also some salad options, chicken burgers, and a black bean burger.
Positives:
+ Taste. I got the spinach/​goat cheese/​cucumber hamburger. It was absolutely delicious– the meat was great (tasted more like what you’d make on a grill than what you’d get from a fast food joint– ground beef was loose rather than «packed»), they were generous with the spinach & goat cheese, and the vinaigrette was a nice addition. I also loved the veggie frites. My dining partner had the black bean burger (with fresh avocado slices), noting the burger itself was both large and flavorful.
+ Service. May be a function of opening day, but MANY staff checked on us regularly, and they took away our trash. Food came to our table pretty quickly, too… within 5 minutes despite the crowd.
+ Atmosphere. I appreciated that the seating wasn’t overly cramped. There are many more seats than apparent from the doorway, as dining area extends in the back outside of view to the right.
Appropriate:
Price/​value. Not fast-​food prices, but certainly fair for the high quality. Two of us had a filling lunch for $ 20. The sizes of everything were good– not the «crazy-​large» amounts of fries you get from places like Only Burger or Five Guys, but enough that you eat and feel full. Certainly a far better deal than going to TGI Friday’s next door.
Synopsis:
I definitely plan to return. I also want to try their avocado burger. If they hold up the quality on all fronts, I’d go to 5 stars. Delightful, cheap, tasty, and right off Duke’s campus. What more could one want?