 Image by Average Jane via Flickr |
| The interior of a Smashburger. |
I won't let my wife take our teenage son to Burger King or McDonald's, and I pride myself on never having eaten one of their low-quality hamburgers. So, on Friday night, I offered to take them to a new Smashburger outlet in Hackensack's former Riverside Square mall.
Is the quality of the beef at Smashburger any better than at the low-rent places? It's hard to tell, because the word "beef" doesn't appear anywhere on the wall menu, just the lower-case smashburger repeated numerous times. But on the soft-drink cups, you'll read:
"Smash means we literally smash 100% Angus beef at a high temperature to sear in all the juicy burger goodness, and our seasoning blend and fresh toppings take our burgers over the top."
Is Smashburger saying it uses Certified Angus Beef, a brand from cattle that are raised conventionally on grain, antibiotics and growth hormones? That's the same beef used by Chef Bobby Flay at his so-called Burger Palace in Paramus.
Both my wife and son ordered a one-third pound "Classic Smashburger," with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion and "smash sauce," on an egg bun, and they loved it ($4.99). My 13-year-old son said it was the best burger he's ever had. Fries and drinks were extra.
A friend's child had a Kids Smash Dog, a Best's beef hot dog ($3.99).
A friend's child had a Kids Smash Dog, a Best's beef hot dog ($3.99).
If you don't eat meat
I don't eat meat, so I could have ordered a Caesar Salad, the only one on the menu without chicken or bacon. But I decided to try the Veggie Frites ($2.99) and Sweet Potato Fries ($1.99), which supposedly are seasoned with rosemary, garlic and olive oil.
I got some fried asparagus and carrot sticks, but none of the green beans listed on the menu, and the portion seemed small for the price. The paper they were served on was slicked with frying oil. The sweet potato fries were delicious, but the rosemary and garlic eluded me.
You have to wait in a corral to give your order to a cashier -- called a host -- and after you pay, you place a numbered sign on your table, so a waiter can bring you your food. It isn't a long wait.
You don't get plastic utensils unless you ask for them. When I went to get my no-charge seltzer from the drink machine, I could see into the kitchen, but no one was smashing anything against the grill.
When you are waiting in line, there is a lot on the menu to digest. I don't know if my wife and son saw that they could add many items to their burgers, including a fried egg or chili or potato, pepper and onion.
I paid with a credit card, and was surprised to see a tip line on my receipt. There was also a tip receptacle with dollar bills on the counter near the register where Anthony took my order. The entire meal cost about $25. I didn't leave a tip.
And there is no place for your coat or hat, so I sat in a booth with mine on while I ate.
And there is no place for your coat or hat, so I sat in a booth with mine on while I ate.
Fuddruckers
I once loved going to Fuddruckers in Paramus for a naturally raised ostrich burger or a fish sandwich that were offered in place of conventional beef burgers.
I loved the sliced jalapenos I could pile on my sandwich, and the wine and beer I could order. They even once offered baked potatoes in place of fries. To me, that is a great cook-to-order hamburger place.
Next time my wife and son want a hamburger, we'll try Five Guys in Hackensack, unless they insist on going back to Smashburger.
Smashburger, Store No. 1101, 390 Hackensack Ave.,
Hackensack, in The Shops at Riverside; 201-343-1488.
Say what you want, but four nights in a row last week after emerging from my new job at 11:30 p.m. last week, having neglected to eat before my shift began some nine hours earlier, the only place I could find open was a McDonald's drive-through, and four nights in a row I had a mushroom-swiss third-pound Angus burger, beef byproducts, discarded body parts, hopefully not human, and all. Tastes great, plenty filling, and it sure beats the dollar menu McDouble unemployment special. Take that Bobby Flay and Smashburger Sam.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your new job, Aaron, but you have to plan your meals better. Are there no diners where you now work?
ReplyDeleteIt's always cheaper and healthier if you buy and prepare your own food. What does that McDonald's thing cost?
Send me an e-mail and tell me about your new gig.
This guy's review of smashburger is ridiculous. your wife, your child and you ate for $25 including burgers, fries, drinks, veggies. I work in a restaurant in the area and would rather eat at smashburger any day. The quality and price is amazing. It probably didn't occur to this guy that leaving a small tip in the bin on the counter is a nice, small gesture. The tip line on his credit card is the format from the credit card company, not the restaurant. I know this bc the fast food restaurant I work in has it too. He also sounds like a child who can't figure out what to do with his coat. Try the back of the chair instead of a booth. Shame on you for writing something like this. Next time, figure out how to find the good.
ReplyDelete"This guy" is the author of the blog, Victor Sasson. You may find the "quality and price amazing," but I don't. It's cheap, because the quality of the beef is low, and the portions, especially the Veggie Frites, are small.
ReplyDeleteIn case you didn't notice, I have never eaten the shit burgers served at McDonald's or Burger King and I'm not going to start by eating a Smashburger.
The "good," as I wrote, is at Fuddruckers. which serves naturally raised meat and fish for those who don't want conventionally raised beef.
The only chairs I saw at Smashburger were at tables for two (chair and banqette), so our party of four couldn't sit there and I couldn't put my coat over the back of the chair.
Never been to Smashburger, but Five Guys is nothing special, been there a few times and didn't care much for it. I would take Fuddruckers over Five Guys any day.
ReplyDeleteLOL @ the imbecile ranting and raving about his job at a fast food restaurant.
I may even go to Fuddruckers for a fish sandwich piled high with jalapenos and a small bottle of red wine.
ReplyDeleteSmashburgers baja burger is uneatable! Looked like a disaster opening the wraper. Put together all wrong, bun tasted like it was dipped in dishwater. The Guacamole was garlic flavor only and the beef tasteless... go to fiveguys or something
ReplyDeleteHoustans right next to smash burger is by far superior in taste and quality probably as far as to call it the tastiest burger in America. It's $19 though but when you eat their burger and their amazing fries you still say it's worth it.
ReplyDeleteI've been amazed that you can NOT find an ingredient listing on the smashburger web site. Sure you can find a list of general allergens and nutritional info, but no comprehensive list of ingredients.
ReplyDeleteWhat are they hiding?
Good question. One reason I no longer eat meat or poultry. Try a veggie burger.
ReplyDelete