OK Denverites - Smashburger Opinions?
 

A better burger? Smashburger coming to area


<!-- END tabs --> <!-- begin content --> One of the nation’s hottest restaurant concepts is coming to the area.

Denver-based Smashburger said Monday it plans to open locations in Lawrence in spring 2010, Overland Park in the summer of 2010 and in Westport. No date has been set for a Westport opening.

The operations offer “cooked-to-order” burgers, 100 percent Angus beef (1/3 or ½ pound), smashed (thus the name), seared and seasoned on the grill, put between a butter-toasted bun and then topped with such items as cheese, fresh produce and condiments.

Customers can order from one of the chain’s recipes or they can create their own. Also on the menu — chicken sandwiches, salads, haystack onions, Häagen-Dazs shakes, bottled beer and wine. Average check price is $7.95.

This so called “better burger” segment of the industry is expected to capture a growing portion of the $100 billion hamburger category, according to Nation’s Restaurant News, a national trade publication.

Local operations like Blanc Burgers + Bottles and Chefburger also have jumped on the trend. Blanc currently has a Westport location so could be going head-to-head with Smashburger.

Smashburger, which currently has 27 operations, was recently named one of five “2009 Hot Concept Winners” by Nation’s Restaurant News with average annual sales at about $1.3 million per location and a new location opening every other week.

It's not bad. Better than what you are going to get most places.

Yup. We have one here in Wichita.

Better burger but you certainly pay for it.

Damn, they are expanding like crazy. They're supposed to be opening one about a 1/2 mile from me in Oct, and up to 10 more in the Omaha/Lincoln area in the next 4 yrs.

It's a good burger. I'd compare it to backyard burgers or Town Topic in the KC area.

You're not supposed to "smash" a burger before putting it on the grill. The best burgers are those that are "formed" into patties- NEVER smashed.

It cannot be as good as Booche's Burgers. That, for me, is the epitome of burgerdom

I hadn't realized they were expanding so much. I have heard a lot of good things about it but still never been.

Generalizations are ALWAYS wrong.

On a related note, we have a place here called Fatburger, and one of their burger topping options... a fried egg.

http://www.fatburger.com/menu/

Yeah, I want a fried egg and bacon burger. Add some hash brown patties on there too. Breakfast burger.

Might as well drench it in sausage gravy while you're at it.

Mmmm. That would work. I want my breakfast burger with bacon and sausage.

Dude, Fatburger started in SoCal decades ago. George Foreman was a huge sponsor and endorser. It freakin' rules (at least out here).

As a matter of fact, we had Fatburger yesterday. :D

Good stuff in Denver as well.