A New Burger Comes to Town, Welcome Smashburger - CLOSED

Smashburger

26541 Aliso Creek Rd. Ste. C

Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

As we near the end of 2012, it has become clear to me that this year's burger craze will continue well into next year, and who knows how long it will be after that. The OC area has been inundated with new burger places this year and last. I welcome all these burger places, many of which are from outside this area. The Habit, Five Guys, Boardwalk Burgers and Fries, and Umami Burger are all encroaching on what used to be, or for some people still is,  In N Out territory. I will leave the debate for which burger place is best for another post, but for now, I was one of the lucky ones to attend a media tasting of another newcomer to the area, Smashburger.

I had heard of Smashburger before because I had read a few San Diego food blogs. This new burger concept has 11 San Diego locations, and now they are spreading northward. The food bloggers in our south enjoy the burgers here, so I knew I would be in for a treat. It just so happens that this latest location is mere blocks away from my "real" job, so I was able to make the lunchtime media preview of Smashburger. I was also lucky enough to bring my friend Steve along so he could get the food blogger and Smashburger experience.

Back to Smashburger, though. To say that they have shot out of nowhere would be an understatement. They recently topped Fast Casual's 2012 Movers and Shaker list and were also named one of America's Most Promising Companies by Forbes magazine in 2011. With these great accolades, it is no wonder that they are now operating 191 restaurants across the US, Canada, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Costa Rica. All this from a company started less than five years ago.

Here's a quick look around the place. Ordering is done at the counter, where you are given a number, then the food is brought out. The interior design of Smashburger is clean and sleek. Like other burger places, their logos and walls are dominated by red and white. I really enjoyed the video menu boards above the counter. They gave this burger spot a more modern feel. For those of you who would like an adult beverage to accompany your meal, they offer wine by the glass and at least five different bottled beers. Some of the beer selections I saw were Corona, Stone IPA, Stella's, and two more, which I missed. I was here during lunch hour, so there would be no drinking, but I ate my fair share. This is what came to our table after we had ordered.

We will start with my good friend Steve's meal first. Steve had the Avocado Club Smashburger ($5.99). This burger came with avocado, tomato, lettuce, ranch dressing, applewood-smoked bacon, and mayo, all on a multi-grain bun. Steve was a delighted boy eating this burger. The burger was cooked exactly medium, which is the way he likes them. The produce at Smashburger was all very fresh, and some nice flavors and textures were added to the burger. The avocado was exceptionally creamy. The mayo and ranch combination worked well, and the bacon here is not to be missed. I was unsure about the multi-grain bun, but it did not taste as healthy as I imagined. It held all of the burger parts well. The Chili Cheese Fries ($2.99) was a good-sized portion. The fries were layered with meat-based chili, cheddar cheese, onions, and some of the hottest jalapenos. What I liked most about these chili fries was their layered well. I hate when places put all the toppings on top of the fries, so when you get to the bottom, all you have left are plain fries. The chili was not spicy, but the fresh jalapenos had enough heat to remedy that situation. I could tell Steve was very happy with his meal because this was the only time I remember him being so quiet. Thanks, Smashburger.

The base model I judge any burger place on is their version of a bacon cheeseburger. At Smashburger, it is their Classic Smash with Bacon added ($7.49). This burger was seasoned well, and the applewood smoked bacon was one of the best I have had on a fast food burger. The juiciness of this burger needs to be mentioned as well. I got the spicy chipotle mayo to add to the burger for a little extra kick. The sauce did not overpower the burger but complimented it rather nicely. The egg bun used at Smashburger was very fresh, pillowy, and soft. I ordered the Smashfries (1.99) to go along with this burger, but I did not get a chance to snap a picture before they were gone. I know; it's a real rookie food blogger mistake. The smashfries are their regular french fries tossed with rosemary, olive oil, and garlic. Since these are the same price as the regular fries, it is a no-brainer that I would get these again. The french fries were a skinny, fast-food fry, but adding the garlic, rosemary, and olive oil really kicked them up a notch in the flavor department. The garlic was the most prominent, which was fine because I am a garlic fiend.

I was pretty full from the burger and fries, but I was convinced to try the Chili Cheese Dog ($4.99). This all-beef Angus hot dog came with chili, cheese, onions, and hot jalapenos. The hot dog had a great beefy flavor, but I had to take a few of the jalapenos off to avoid some of the heat they emitted. The chili was mild but congealed well with the hot dog, cheese, and onions. My only complaint about this chili cheese dog was that it needed more cheese. Other than that, this was an excellent chili cheese hot dog.

No, I did not eat all of this as well. I snapped pictures of other people's food before they could eat it. Special thanks to my good friend, Shelby, from Glitterful Felt Stories for letting me take photos before they dug in. She seemed delighted with her food. Smashburgers is not just all about burgers and hot dogs, they also offer four salads as well. I did not sample the Baja Cobb Salad ($5.99) above, but it was a very generous serving size. The Veggie Frites ($2.99) will not replace my love of french fries anytime soon, but they were a crowd favorite this afternoon. The OC Burger ($5.99) will be the next burger I will try on my next trip here. Smashburger has a signature burger for each region, and in Orange County, it is the aptly named OC Burger. This burger comes with portabella mushrooms, arugula, and grilled onions. Swiss cheese and truffle mayo. That sounds like a winning combo, and I can not wait to try it.

As a special treat at the end of our meal, we were taken to the back of the restaurant and made our own Smashburger with company founder Tom Ryan. To say that we were in awe of Tom Ryan would be an understatement. My buddy Steve, pictured above on the right with Tom Ryan, called him "a food genius." Why the high praise for Mr. Ryan? He only created the Stuffed Crust pizza and the Lovers line of pizzas for Pizza Hut, the McGriddle, Big and Tasty, and the Dollar Menu at McDonald's, and as if that was not enough, he also came up with the Steakhouse Beef Dip and the Sammie's at Quizno's. Quite an impressive resume, to say the least. Both Steve and I attempted to make our own Smashburger. Steve's turned out better than mine, but I expect that since Steve is a butcher by trade. The grill at Smashburger can handle only four burgers at a time, so each patty gets the attention it deserves. The 100 percent Angus beef is packed loosely into a ball and then flattened with a tool that Tom came up with. The secret to creating a good Smashburger is not to overhandle the meat. The burger is flipped once and then ready to be placed on the bun. It was an absolute honor to be able to cook with this legend of fast food. Both Steve and I still talk about this experience we shared together.

After this introduction to Smashburger, we look forward to our next visit. What sets Smashburgers apart from its competition is the quality of the ingredients it uses. The produce, meats, and condiments had a freshness you do not see from a fast food concept. The menu is varied enough that anyone can definitely find something on it that they will like. We hope to see this burger trend of other regions' favorite burger places invading Orange County continue into the new year and beyond. As their expansion into OC continues, Smashburger may soon become one of our county's favorite burger spots.

Special thanks to everyone at Smashburger for the opportunity to experience Smashburger firsthand. Starting at the top, we thank Tom Ryan for talking with us and allowing us to flip burgers with him. We also need to mention the franchise owner of this location and the Mission Viejo Mall location, Ernie Sandoval. Ernie, you may have a hit on your hands here. Our gratitude also goes out to the staff of Smashburger, all of whom took outstanding care of us on this particular afternoon. Lastly, we must thank Ali Metzger at Bolt PR for the invitation to this great event. Thanks so much, Ali. We had a great time.

Experience Smashburger for yourself. Visit their website for locations and other information here: http://smashburger.com/