Smashburger

I really do like Smashburger, but their food is so high-​calorie and greasy. That being said, if you have a digestive tract made of steel and/​or don’t care about that, their burgers are on point and the smash fries are delicious.
I’m giving 3 stars because I want to reflect that the staff and food are pretty good; however, they keep saying they’ll accommodate my food allergies but I just keep getting sick from it. I am allergic to dairy and always order a grilled chicken sandwich, gluten free bun, with pickle/​lettuce/​tomato. I make myself very clear that there can be no butter or seasoning on the chicken or bun, and they always happily accept that. The last three times have given me hives and bloating, to a point where I’ve had to miss work and take enough Benadryl to knock out a horse.
I really wish I could somehow eat here regularly, but the staff’s inability to make my food the way they agree too is actually damaging to my health. I’ll miss the Smashfries the most, I think. If you go– try them!

Was nicely surprised with the Chicken Club Avocado. Was just the right amount for lunch. Very friendly service!

With as much hype that i have heard about Smashburger i was expecting something wonderful. We walked in, the place looked pretty clean and we took a look at the board and choose what we all wanted to eat. Burgers seemed to be reasonable prices but unlike other burger serving restaurants sides are not included. Expect to spend at least $ 10 a person here minimum. There were 5 of us and the total bill was over $ 60 and everyone got a burger fries and a drink. I’m thinking that these should be some pretty great burgers at these prices. We got our drinks (we had to unjam the ice machine), found a seat and waited. It took about 10 minutes for our burgers to come out and when they did I was pretty disappointed. I ordered the Iowa which had blue cheese, bacon and onion rings and got the large size for $ 2 more. I had a very hard time telling the difference between this burger and the regular size that everyone else got. I was expecting a much larger patty or maybe a double for this price of almost $ 9.00 for just the burger itself. It was no thicker and really no different from the regular size. For these prices you can get a drink, fries and 2 burgers from B Bops, which are much messier and much more tasty! Smashburger’s fries were just okay. I liked the seasoning but the thin wimpy fries are not my favorite. They were really nothing special. I will probably save my money and get better burgers elsewhere.

The Judge has given this place a few try’s. First try was not bad. My second try was ok. My third will be my last. Every time the burger is different tasting. Even though I order the same burger… odd eh? I always get the bacon cheese burger.
The last 2 visit’s have not been in their favor. Quality varies too often at this place. The past visit the fries and burger were SO SALTY I could not eat them. 2 bites of by burger was all I had. Just a few of the fries. After they fixed the burger since they brought me a BBQ burger. But did not make me a new burger. Wiping BBQ off does not get rid of the taste gents… New bun was cold. Barely any onion for the burger.
For the ten bucks The Judge spent and ate 4 bites of overly salted food. The Judge will not be back. Sorry Saltburger… Not often I give one star. But as I always say give it a try yourself if you wanna gamble on a burger. Maybe they are better at the chicken?
JUDGEMENT…The Judge does not like Salt… er Smashburger… Des Moines really REALLY needs a Steak N Shake and a Five Guys. Burger’s in this town need help!

Burger, fries and pop was over $ 12. Food was decent, but I personally experienced it as being overpriced.

I don’t know why I keep going here to eat. Or why anybody else does for that matter as it was fairly crowded on this Saturday evening when I went. Everybody there seems to be in a hurry too much of a hurry to make a good meal. The burgers were so so, the malt was pricey at almost $ 4. I could have got one at Dairy Queen for half the price that would have been twice as good. And the onion rings were terrible they were nothing but a pile of Greece coding and stringing onions in a cardboard box. Nearly in edible with the bottom layer of greasy onion rings nothing but a burnt mess I could hardly eat any of them. I would not recommend wasting your money or time at this place at all.

Smashburger is really good; I like the burgers and veggie frites. It tends to be really slow, though, which is my only complaint. It’s not a great lunch spot if you have to get back to work, but if you have some time the avocado club is good stuff!

This place was pretty darn good. Had lunch here with coworkers. Its a very nice, clean, and modern looking place. Its got plenty of tables but more of a quick joint to get a quality burger.
I ordered their classic with large smash fries and fried pickles. I also added blue cheese to my burger. Order came out within 10min. First thing I could tell was the bun was quality. The meat in the burger tasted a bit charged because they smash it when they cook which is a nice touch. Its more of a thin patty but the flavors are all there. Portions of tomatoes, onion, and lettuce and cheese were on pont. Fries were however the highlight. Drenched in olive oil and rosemary. So tasty. They are also really thin so every bight is flavor packed and crispy. The fried pickles we very good as well. They were slices and not spears but tasted like salty goodness.
Before rolling out my friend and I got an Oreo milkshake split in half to go. It was fantastic. Probably of the the best milkshakes I have ever had.
I had a great experience and will come back again. If you are looking for a quick burger place that’s upscaled then this is the place for you.

Went there for a second time and was not impressed.
The floors were very sticky and made my flip flops make a noise every time I stepped on the ground.
I ordered a chocolate milkshake the cup was over flowing and then they gave me a metal cup that had the leftovers in it. I don’t need the leftovers of a drink if they are going to melt before I eat it
Also the fries were not good what so ever.

Delish! My husband and I inhaled Classic Smashes! Yum! Also had Smash Fries and Onion Straws! 5 Stars!!!

Not good. Fried pickles were soggy, bbq burger was raw, bun stale, just all around gross. Oh, milkshake was good so that bumped my stars to 2. Won’t be returning.

This is a delayed posting from a couple weeks ago. I came for lunch today around 11:30 and beat the rush. This place was hopping. There is plenty of seating available, more than I initially anticipated. I ordered the classic smash with sweet potato fries and a chocolate shake. My husband ordered a double cheeseburger and smash fries. They sell beer, which is awesome. The total for our bill was about $ 26.00. My husband really enjoyed his burger but wasn’t thrilled with the smash fries. I thought the food was good. I’d like to try some of the other burgers also.

A tasty burger with the option to customize your own burger or choose one of their specialties! The patty was a thinner/​smaller one than I would have expected from a burger joint, but the burgers are made to order, which is a plus. It’s relatively affordable $ 5 – 7 for a burger, fries ordered separately. I tried the sweet potato fries… Mine were a little cold, not crisp, and I actually had quite a few regular fries mixed in. I wasn’t a fan of the sweet potato fries for these reasons and because they were over salted. Service is pretty quick though.

Iowa friends really need to try Smashburger. In Phoenix it’s a very popular place. I love that they offer blue cheese. Three kinds of fries. Chicken with avocado is good. Even the salads! But I go for the burgers and there’s a list of items you can add to it. even mushrooms! How about veggies instead of fries that are cooked to be crispy and salted just like a fry. I assume they have that in Des Moines. I was surprised to see Smashburger just tucked away sitting there all lonely like in Des Moines. My family did not even know it was there. WTF! In phoenix we would consider ourselves the luckiest people around if we lived close to a Smashburger. Get your Smash on and get there today!

Stopped in because of the Unilocal listing. Glad we did. A little pricy for a fast-​good type place but still a good experience. The burgers were tasty and done to perfection with a little crispiness but not over done. Grilled onions a must if you like them. The manager walked around to be sure everything was good. Worth venturing off the beaten path.

This is the BEST burger place in West Des Moines.
No gimmicks, no clowns, just burgers cooked the way they were meant to be.
Not a big fan of their fries– wish they had BIG steak fries like another burger place (with less tasty burgers).
Shakes are made from real milk not synthetic dyes and artificial ice cream ingredients you get from those big name drive through places… this is a REAL milk shake.
Too bad they don’t deliver like Jimmy Johns. A bit hard to park in the strip mall, but worth the trip if you want a really good burger.

The is one of my favorite burger places that I’ve ever been to. There used to be one back in my hometown in iL but it closed after about a year, seemingly due to an iffy location. I’m afraid that this place may suffer from the same problem.
But enough about that, how’s the food? Good. Damn good. The bulk of the time I stick with the classic — beef, bun, ketchup, mustard, pickles (which I eat first), lettuce, onion, and tomatoes (which I discard and mock). It’s simple but delicious.
They have quality, thinly cut fries (i.e. Steak N Shake but better). I like the layout of the places and how straightforward the menu is. Their other sandwiches and shakes are good. So, why four stars?
Well, besides the location, there simply are not enough options. Yes, it’s a burger place — burgers are their thing, I get it. Still, it would help to have something that a vegan could actually eat. Also, while prices are pretty reasonable, I could still see a pair of people ending up with a fairly lofty bill if they aren’t too careful.
All things considered, it’s a good stop to make and one that I’d make all too frequently if there was one close to my home.

Big fan of Smashburger. I am partial to casual dining and this place is just good food in a casual environment. I always pick the spicy jalapeño burger but the iowa burger with bacon and blue cheese is pretty spectacular too.
Also the sweet potato fries are delicious and worth a trip themselves.

The food on the menu is an interesting concept but not as interesting as zombie burger. The food was fresh and hot and came quickly to our table. But the service was not up to par. One of the cashiers was drinking her drink from wendys while taking my order and would also playfully throw things back at the kitchen. Service was good when it came to them picking up our food and when we asked for extra sauces.
So overall, Smash burger is a no go. I’ll stick with Zombie burger, both restaurants cost about the same but Zombie burger has more options and waaay better service.

The designer cousin of Five-​guys with the atmosphere of Starbucks.
I appreciated: the cleanliness of the restaurant, prompt service, freshness of my food; especially the lack of fear to serve my burger greasy.
Not so much: the heavy-​handed seasoning on my smash fries and extra extra ranch on my burger, and being charged for a glass of tap water.
To be blunt: the employees suck. This needs to change if they wish to develop a base of returning customers.
What I tried: avocado club burger and smash fries.
To return or not to return: I’d definitely eat here again. This place is worth another mid-​priced lunch stop.