Smashburger

A-​ok 3 star rating for this place would be an «ehhhh-​its ok». good service, but it may have just been the huge hype that created false expectations for the place when it was first opening. Decent selection on burgers but you could get just as good of a burger for the same price at any diner style restaurant in the area. Burgers are smaller than expected for the price but the place is very well tidied even when it gets busier.

We came here for the first time today and we were pleasantly surprised by the customer service we received at this store. Our cashier, Shaneisha (I apologize if I spelled it incorrectly because we misplaced our receipt with her name on it) was exceptional. All too often customers are quick to submit a complaint and Unilocal bad service, but we often times forget to take the time to write a compliment for good service received. The latter, I believe is more important! ;) Shaneisha was so friendly, helped us through the menu as first time guests, and made our ordering experience fun. She told us what she likes to eat and how much she enjoys food, which made us laugh. When we were done eating, we tried to bus our own table and she immediately found us and said, «No no no … you’re only responsible for eating your meal and enjoying it here» — or something similar to state that we only are here to eat and enjoy and not to worry about picking up after ourselves. Her smile and energy made it a great experience. We would come back not just for the food, but to experience her dynamic personality. Great job!

I waited to complete this review until I had visited this location a few times.
Normally when we are in this area we are looking for a quick bite to eat that is manageable with our toddler. I normally have a burger and my wife gets a chicken sandwich. Our two year old loves the grilled cheese.
The restaurant is clean and the food is prepared quickly which is what we look for when dining with our toddler.
The regular fries are run of the mill but the smash fries are great if you want something different. There are fountain sodas or bottled sodas, and there is milk and juices available for kids.

E-​list team member, Pam, gave us the heads up about Smashburger. You’ve probably passed it in the strip of shops across from the Crystal Mall. Ignore the unlikely location and garish signage, and head straight in for a burger, just the way I like it: smashed thin with crooked, caramelized, crispy edges. Like most of the burger chains these days, they offer plenty of toppings and special concoctions, but I like a plain old cheeseburger (American, please) on a toasted egg roll. Multi-​grain or Udi’s gluten-​free are available, too. While it has the look and feel of an upscale chain, there are a few critical things that set it apart: craft beer and a selection of wine is offered, as are ginormous fresh salads that can easily feed two. I passed up the flash fried veggies (tempting) for a heap of onion strings (irresistible). For those that like a skinnier patty (moi) with the right ratio of burger to bun, this one is for you. With so few options for decent edibles around the Crystal Mall, now on my monthly run to Target, I’ll skip my usual popcorn and head across the street.
p. s. I summoned all my willpower to skip the Peppermint Crunch milkshake, but word is the Haagen-​Dazs milkshakes are fantastic.

I’m not sure why people go crazy over this place. It’s ok, but just barely so. The burgers are nothing special, the fries are less than special and the shakes are very good. I’m ok with this place and happy to go if I’m with someone who loves it, but it’s not even close to the best burger out there. The people and service are very good and the setting is comfortable. You won’t have a bad meal, it’s always the same. go ahead and try it, just don’t have high expectations.

Great burger, fries and craft beer in a frosted mug. Definitely try the smash fries-​shoestring fries tossed in olive oil, garlic and rosemary

Been here twice and loved it each time. I’ve gotten a burger with cheddar and ketchup (I’m a simple man with simple tastes) and was never disappointed. I’ve also gotten both the smash fries (fries covered with olive oil and (probably) rosemary) and the regular fries, and I have to say, I like the regular fries just a little bit better than the smash fries. The milkshakes (made with Hagen Daz ice cream) are also very good. Aside from that, they have other stuff like veggie burgers, sweet potato fries, chicken sandwiches, salads, etc. They bring your food to the table and take away your garbage when you leave. Great place, love coming back, would definitely recommend to anyone.

We were apprehensive about going here to eat after reading the reviews, but we decided we should try it for ourselves and see how it is glad we did!
Please keep in mind if you read reviews before you go to a place return the favor by writing a review after you go!
My daughter and I ordered the Classic Burger, Smash Burger Fries, Onion Tower, and she ordered a peanut butter Reese shake, and I ordered the salted caramel shake. The serve was very good the food came out very fast and the order was accurate with no issues! The burgers were so good! My daughter even said this is the best burger she’s had in a long time. I was happy that they weren’t frozen burgers! The smash burger fries were good I’m glad we got an order to share the portion size is very good. The onion tower I would skip when we go back it was okay but they are so thin and small they would be better as a topping for the burgers. The milk shakes my daughter loved hers and thought it was really good. I liked the shake it was just a little to thin for me, I prefer really thick shakes. It really just a personal preference but it was tasty.
Please make sure you stop by here if your in the mood for a burger they are really good and definitely worth the trip! Enjoy!

I’ve been to the San Diego locations and loved it, so when I saw there was a Smashburger here, I had to try it. I ended up ordering the Truffle Mushroom Swiss burger and sweet potato smash fries and less than five minutes later my food was ready. This should have been a red flag for me already, but here’s how it went down.
The burger was small for the $ 7 price tag, and didn’t have that much mushrooms and what was in the burger were the thinnest slices ever. The meat was good though.
Sweet potato smash fries ended up being a mix of crispy burnt chips, greasy sticks and random hard bits of the regular smashfries. Starting to think they refried these…
I’m going to guess they precooked some of their ingredients and reheat them to save time. However, for a good burger, I’m willing to wait for it especially when I am expecting quality.
This was originally was going to be a 2-​star for me, but when one ends up getting food poisoning and spending the evening in the bathroom…
TLDR; Got excited, was disappointed, hugged a toilet.

Got a truffle mushroom swiss burger, smash fries, and a mint oreo milkshake. All great. The plain fries are lacking in flavor (I got to try a couple), but the deliciousness of the smash fries make up for it. The cheese on the burger is a little runny, and I’m not sure I want to know what’s in it (how much of it is actually cheese), but it was delicious. The milkshake was pretty standard, I just really like milkshakes and the mint oreo is a good flavor.

I was seated next to the door by a gentlemen that didn’t look like he worked there. While trying to enjoy my classic smashburg I was bummed into multiple times by people exiting the store getting ranch, smash burger sauce, ketchup, mustard, buffalo sauce and cheese on my new mlp bolo tie

Not worth it… French fries taste old and warmed up. Can go to McDonald’s and get same quality

Salads are really exceptional and huge!
Great bang for the buck…
Burgers are decent but Five Guys burgers and fries are better. Smash serves booze which most parents seems to be drinking when we go in. Service is friendly. Parking in Waterford location is tuff, it’s busy every time we’ve gone.
Waiting in line every time kinda sucks… And ordering is complicated if you’re a cheapo foodie like me. Worth a trip…
No tipping and table service is something every chain needs to switch to.

Do not go. 5 of us went
2 meals came out. About five minutes later another 2. Filly mine came, BURNT. Not just a little but black. Sent it back got another. Not burnt but rubber and dry. Everyone said they would not go back. Then we get to the French fries. If you could call them thst. There was just a little shoestring of potatoes. Onion. rings looked and taste like those onion they make greenbean casseroles with from the can.

Very, very happy that we finally used the free burger coupons that we received at the Unilocal event here a little while back. Equally happy that because of this said event we discovered the deliciousness that is Smashburger. We were in fast food burger heaven here a few weeks ago.
Maybe because I was coming off of a 30 turned 15 day no sugar, dairy, and lots of other stuff diet… but when I bit into that Classic Smash I thought my head was going to explode. It was like that time at CAV in Providence when I told the waiter that «shock waves of pleasure are coursing through my body» after eating a scallop. My boyfriends buffalo chicken sandwich was divine was well. We threw back an ice cold beer and it was a moment that reminds you that life is good. So good.
The fries were the only part of the experience that could be improved. They were too thin cut for my liking anyway, but that would’ve been passable if they hadn’t been swimming in a small pool of oil in the basket. Blech. To end on a positive note, as our experience was almost entirely positive, the staff couldn’t have been more friendly and personable. Very good.

STRAP Takes the Check! A serious restaurant review serving the finer needs of the fine diner.
Today we look at a much ballyhooed and conspicuous restaurant called Smash Burger, currently located at the Waterford Commons, in Waterford, CT.
Today, a person looking for a burger need no longer to check into the fast food wastelands of Wendy’s, McDonald’s, or Burger King. There are Max Burger in Hartford, Five Guys in East Lyme and Mystic, there is In and Out, there is Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse, there is Don Shula’s Grill, and there is Smash Burger.
What is Smash Burger? Google it. Let’s get on to the food. It initially appeared as another wannabe gourmet burger shop. Listen, it’s pretty hard to mess up a burger, but to get it right is magical.
Let’s start with my first impressions. It is a counter service restaurant. You go to the counter, make an order, bat an eyelash to avoid paying, and sit down with a given number and the staff will bring you your meal.
For an extra five dollars, an attractive server will deliver your meal, in your preference of gender. I think I just usurped my ‘serious’ review. Eat It.
They serve beer and wine. Just seems odd at this hybrid five McDonald’s guys. It’s just odd to me in this type of establishment. I ordered the Avocado club smash burger. French fries are a la carte.
The presentation was excellent. It was plated very attractively. The bun was soft, the meat was buttery, and the veggies were crisp. The bacon was crisp. It was delicious. It is called Smash Burger because they purport to smash a ball of meat on a buttered surface to cook the burger a la minute. This is quite effective and it impregnates your taste buds with some serious umami.
This is not all fun and games however, as the french fries underwhelmed me. Sure they were probably freshly cut, but they were shoe string style, small, and quite bland in a way. Not something to squawk about, in my opinion.
Overall, it was a great enough visit to allow myself to go again the very next day, but this time I had a double burger, and the taste was consistent. My top three burgers are 1) The Monkey Farm in Old Saybrook, 2) Don Shula’s Grill in Providence, 3) Michael Jordan’s at Mohegan Sun. Anyone can have a day off at these numbered places, but I’ll keep them on my burger list.
Smash Burger, I’d have to try one more time to start ranking it. If I had to place it now, I’d place it at number two. Try it and enjoy it if you can, but don’t go out of your way for it.

Burgers are good, but nothing stands out at this place compared to its competition in the little-​bit-​better-​than-​fast-​food market. I’m talking, of course, about places like Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Wayback Burger, and the like.
In fact, there’s a couple of things that work against Smashburger. Let’s start with the price. You’re talking about at least $ 15 for a burger, fries and drink. Kids meals are more expensive than sit-​down joints. And it’s not like you’re getting huge portions. Oh, and if you want a shake for dessert, bust out even more cash. Essentially, you’re paying sit-​down restaurant prices for fast food.
Another thing I found odd — the bun is half the size of the burger. I mean, I get it — the burgers are «smashed» on the grill as the gimmicky name suggests. But the result is a burger patty the size of a DVD on a regular-​sized bun. So you awkwardly have to nibble the edges of breadless meat for half your meal while all the condiments, bacon, cheese and bread await your arrival.
Burgers — decent. Fries — decent. Salad — not so great. Shakes — really good. (But it’s almost impossible for anyone to screw up a milkshake. When’s the last time you had a bad milkshake?)
In summary, this place is better than McDonalds. But not worth the price. For the right time, mood and moment, it’s ok. But I don’t see myself going here much more than once a year.

I’m a fan so far but have only been twice. It seems there’s plenty of chain burger places to choose from in the area. They’re middle of the road compared to others but definitely better quality & selection then McDonald’s and/​or Wendy’s.
They offer beer & milkshakes which is a huge plus. I’m partial to milkshakes with burgers & they don’t offer much in the line of quality beer. Points for trying to have local craft but Cottrell Mystic Bridge IPA doesn’t cut it for me.
Probably the worst thing I could say about Smashburger is that their burgers weren’t too memorable. I’ve had both a regular & big burger but couldn’t really tell the difference. Both were kinda flat but did the trick. The BBQ bacon & cheddar was cooked fine & the combo worked well. The Advocado club was a bit more creative. Obviously the advocado flavor was a bit dominant but the sauce was tasty too. I don’t remember the fries being bad but they were forgettable.
They offer chicken & salads too which I probably won’t try on future trips cuz I’m partial to burgers. They also have a kids menu which is a positive.
I give them points for having more variety than Five Guys (& having shakes!) but they’re just a few notches below Red Robin overall. I’d go back if I was in the area & would recommend them. Maybe 4 stars is a bit much but they’re definitely above average.

«Hey now you’re at Smashburger… get your game on… go play.»
«Hey now get your burger… get your show on… get paid.»
I can’t help but think of the band Smash Mouth when I think of Smashburger.
I don’t fully understand the explanation behind the name. They claim something about their meat never being frozen and how their ball of meat is «smashed». Blah blah blah. That’s great to hear, although I feel this whole burger joint trend is a bit too much and will soon implode. It seems like every new business now a days is a burger joint, and they all claim to have the freshest meat. Eventually one place will open up where they give you a gun and you shoot the cow behind the store. Yay. You can’t get any fresher than that, right?
Anyway, Smashburger reminds me very much of Fuddruckers. I found Smashburger’s burgers to look and taste very similarly to the burgers found at Fuddruckers. Fuddruckers is a burger chain scattered throughout the country and they have been around forever. The closest Fuddruckers is located inside the Foxwoods Casino in Ledyard CT. Both of these places are set up where you order at the register and your food is later picked up/​delivered. No tipping is involved.
By the way, Smashburger’s burgers are deceptively thin. They look large at first appearance but there’s very little thickness to them. I found my burger to be OK. Just OK. Plus, the Smashfries aren’t anything special because they’re basically shoe string fries. Big whoop de do. And they’re quite greasy at that.
I think when comparing the two, overall I prefer Fuddruckers over Smashburger.

Saw a great review in the local paper for this new restaurant, so we decided to stop in.
Two registers. Only one in use. Line was about ten deep during our visit.
Food was good. Burgers are made oversized to come off the bun. Chicken tenders had gristle in more than one piece which is never fun to find. The fries are very thin, and a touch on the salty side.
The floors in the restaurant are very slippery. They feel like a greasy kitchen floor that hasn’t been moped, which caused our chairs to slide around while we ate.
I think overall this place has potential. Burgers are fresh. Beer is served. Just the rough edges need to be worked out. We will be back.