Smashburger

Is anyone else losing track of what new restaurants have opened in the Eldon Square or Metrocentre food courts? And with so many to choose from, sometimes it can be hard to decide which one is worth your time. We got invited along to Smashburger to try their burgers and popped in for lunch this week.

First off, I didn’t realise Smashburger is more of a Five Guys/ Shake Shack kind-of ‘restaurant’ as opposed to Byron’s or Fat Hippo, so was glad when my husband filled me in before we arrived. You may think “A burger is a burger” but fast-food style burgers are not the same as restaurant-standard burgers. I’m not saying this as a bad thing, I think they both can exist equally in the food world and I admit that I like both types, just like how I love authentic Chinese food and the Western-ified Chinese takeaway food too.

Anyway, Smashburger is found on the ground floor of Eldon Square’s food court area – very close to George’s and Crepe Affaire. We were seated at the back of the restaurant near the floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over The Green. I feel that this part of the restaurant feels like you’re eating in a restaurant, whereas the seating in front of the counter makes you feel like you’re eating in Eldon Square with shoppers walking by. Where we sat it was quite easy to forget we were in a busy shopping mall and just focus on dining.

There is plenty to choose from, and what makes Smashburger different from other burger places (but similar to local The Grind) is the way they prepare their meat patties by rolling them into a meatball shape then smashing them on a hot, buttered grill for the heat to cook and lock in the juices.

We decided to order a Classic Smash burger and a Truffle Mushroom Swiss burger, both with a side of Smash fries (tossed in olive oil, rosemary and garlic) and a Chocolate hand-spun shake and unlimited soft drink refill.

Okay. I need to take a moment to say that their drink refill machine in the swankiest machine I’ve ever seen. It had a huge touch screen on it where you could choose all sorts of flavours and search functions. I have never seen one of these before. Maybe it’s old news to some of you, but it was brilliant and made choosing a drink so fun. MrJ ended up with a Coca Cola and Lime combo which was tasty.

My milkshake was everything a milkshake should be: thick and creamy and chocolatey enough to taste the flavour without being sickly-sweet. I let my 1-year-old try a mouthful which was a big mistake as then she wanted more and more. They also have highchairs and a kids menu and are very family-friendly.

MrJ’s burger arrived in a deconstructed manner, which made it easy for him to pick out the pickles, but didn’t look that aesthetically pleasing. However, it still tasted the same when put together! I loved the look of my burger and thought it tasted great. It was packed with mushrooms and cheese which had a strong taste and was something different from your usual cheeseburger. The bun was soft and the smashed burger itself was well-seasoned with some moisture which made it a really enjoyable lunch!

Yes, it is a little pricey, and it seems to be these elevated fast-food chains are (Five Guys – I’m looking at you). But, overall we really enjoyed our meal and as well as this review, have visited before for a quick burger fix that satisfies everyone with all the options available (they have veggie burgers and salads if you’re interested).

So, if you’re caught out for somewhere to get lunch quickly while shopping, Smashburger is a good one to go for. You’ll leave satisfied and with a very tasty meal (especially if you get a milkshake alongside your burger, which I highly recommend!)