Smashburger

Wow. I drive all the way from college park for your burgers all the time. I absolutely love their burgers! The drive does not bother me. I get there by 945. Apparently they’re closed already!!! You guys used to give me such great service!!! So disappointed in you guys. Will never come back.

Food is good when you get what you ordered. I would say that they get my family’s online orders about 80% correct. Today was the last straw after I received a burger with just mayo, all the fries were half way filled as well as the milk shakes. I walked the few blocks back and was told that they now only serve all the fries (Kids and regular sized) half way filled and because they were kids milkshakes the cups are filled halfway. I was able to get a black and blue burger after I showed them the mayo burger. No replacements for the fries or shakes. Really disappointed and not worth it. There are too many burger places around for me to stick to this place.

Anthony, the manager, is extremely polite, professional, and accommodating. He helped us with every aspect of our order. His team got all our special requests right, and the food was delicious.

I like the food, but even more than that, the people who work here are so nice and helpful! Every time I come in they’re kind, prompt, and seem like they put great care into their work. Fast food can be so tiring and exhausting when you work in it day in and day out, but the staff here go above and beyond. Great service!

Hit snags twice with service, but they were super apologetic about it both times (forgot protein for a salad, then another time forgot to fire my order). Salad flavors don’t hold a candle to Jetties’ offerings (and portioning seems smaller unless you dine-​in), but their burgers typically hit the spot without too much guilt. Chicken stays moist, black bean patties are okay, and the big/​little beef options are convenient adjustments depending on appetite. Smash fries and veggie frites are my favorite sides, closely followed by the fried pickles. Egg bun wins a skosh over multigrain. Avocado club and spicy jalapeño baja are solid go-​to burger options, and I reserve capital and truffle mushroom swiss for cheat days. Haven’t justified the calories for a salted caramel shake yet!

Two tiny half pieces of bacon on the «bacon cheeseburger.»

Smashburger is second to Shake Shack for my favorite burger. They’re always cooked to perfection and I love the eggs buns. Their french fries are delicious as well. I’m very picky about sweet potato fries so I tend to not order them out of fear of disappointment, but theirs do not disappoint. Get some barbecue sauce for dipping and you’ve got a winning combination. Sometimes the service is subpar and/​or unprofessional, but it’s nothing too insane. Cityburger has a good burger too but if you’re in Bethesda, I would say go with Smashburger.

I think we’ve been spoiled by the genius that is BTS because Smashburger just didn’t excite us. The chicken «burger» tastes really, really fast food-​y (and that was despite getting the least fast-​foody option, the spinach, cucumber, and goat cheese), and the sweet potato fries look like sweet potatoes but taste of nothing. I’m not entirely sure how «smashed» plays out with chicken — to me, it just looked like a big flat piece of chicken. I will say that the staff seemed super friendly and efficient, but the food just wasn’t exciting enough to warrant a return trip.

Mmmm mmmm. I’m not a fan of flat «smashed» burger patties, so I usually opt for the Smash Chicken or Black Bean Burger– both very tasty (and healthier). My favorites is the Spicy Jalapeño Baja– guac, FRESH jalapenos (none of that amateur pickled nonsense), chipotle mayo, pepper jack cheese, spicy bun. DELICIOUS. If you’re looking for a healthier option, the Spinach, Cucumber & Goat Cheese is also very yummy. The sides are also good and more creative than most burger places– includes veggie frites, fried pickles, and haystack onions along with the typical fries. Their shakes also look delicious but I have yet to try one. Service can be hit or miss– I’ve come at peak lunch rush and have had to wait for quite a while, but usually you get your food pretty quickly. Service is very friendly. Prices are reasonable, definitely cheaper than BGR down the street. Would definitely recommend!

I recently started a composting project and was looking for 5 gallon bucket donations. Patrick and his team at this Smashburger without hesitation offered to help me out. I was so impressed with their generosity despite the odd request. And I was even more impressed they took time out of their busy schedule to help the neighborhood. Keep up the good work Smashburger!

Tried this place for the first time since I was working down the road from it. The service is good, the cashier seemed very enthusiastic and helpful. Atmosphere is decent, nothing too special, however.
I tried the classic burger with the thin onion rings and the food came out pretty quick and they looked pretty good. The burger wasn’t so bad and the onion rings were not bad either, but they were not all that great. No special taste to the food, maybe I did not order something good but the food was a small upgrade from any other places that sell burgers and onion rings. Once again, none of the food were bad, they just were not superb. By the way, I did enjoy the sauce that came with the thin onion rings.
I would definitely go back if I am at work and in a mood for a burger and fries but not a place I would go out of my way to eat at.

You know what makes food better? When it is free. What makes free food better? When the service is great. Free food + great service = a happy Unilocaler. On a recent trip to Bethesda I decided to stop in on the local Smashburger because I remember how great the burgers were from a recent Unilocal event in Baltimore. At that event we were given certificates for free entrees at Smashburger. Finally I had the opportunity to use one. I opted for the capital burger with smashfries (they were not free). The burger was cooked well done but still juicy. These days many people do not understand the difference between well done and burned. Service was great and big shout out to Patrick. When I ordered my burger he came out to tell me that the baby arugula that came with the burger was not up to their quality and offered me a selection of other vegetables to put on my burger. I truly appreciated that because most places would just be like «they will never notice» or just put the produce on anyway. Parking was not bad even at lunch time as I opted to park on the street. There is a garage nearby that’s a short walk if you choose. A few quarters and I was good to go. The next time I am in Bethesda this will be a definite stop for me if I am craving a burger and great service that comes with it.

The good
Milkshakes! The burgers are good to a bit salty but very good.
The restaurant is clean except for the grease slick near the bathrooms.
The ownership is awesome I met them during a snowstorm
That’s why it pains me that they hit my top pet peave All of the chairs up at 8:30. By hey close at 10! Talk about feeling unwelcome.

Quick. Healthy options to eat.
Great favors and portions are on point. Very pleased.

Meh
I’ve been here for three days in a row… I work across the street. The onion rings are too thin for my liking. The burgers are delicious though. They’re juicy and fresh.
The line here is always astronomical and out the door.
I’ve yet to try the milkshakes. But I know mine bring all da boys to da yard

major disappointment, given the quality of burgers and service available at other fast casual spots in Bethesda. Was drawn by a postcard with $ 2 coupon featuring Sin City burger. Ordered a Big Sin City to go from the cashier (a «certified trainer») who engrossed with his phone perched on the raised counter next to him. No ask of temperature for burger. When I got home a few blocks away, I found the tomatoes got on, but no pickle. No haystack onions at all as listed on menu. The egg bun was limp and mushy like white sandwich bread, and the burger was barely cooked through with no char-​it had that metal taste where you wonder if it’s even dead.

I usually don’t think very highly of burger joints but this one actually impressed me. I was leary of how good the burger would be so I just ordered the regualr «smash burger» …
Let’s just say, I SMASHED this burger, it was gone before I knew it. The rosemary fries were YUM. And to boot: the price is very reasonable. Pictures do not do justice.
The service was ok, the décor was top notch trendy hip… the location in Bethesda leaves to be desired.
I have to give this place a 5 star since I can’t think of a better tasting burger for the money… I don’t like giving away 5 stars easily on Unilocal… only for those extraordinary dining experiences.

I was skeptical at first, given burgers being one of the trends in the area. Everyone either wants to do cupcakes, donuts, or burgers, and a zillion places have popped up as more try to get in the game. But I gave this place a try, and I’ll say they caught me off guard at how much I liked the place. I actually went two days in a row, once to this location and once to Virginia.
So this location, on Cordell Ave, right off Wisconsin Ave or Old Georgetown Rd in Bethesda, is easily accessible by car or metro. I took the red line metro to Bethesda station and made the short walk. There is metered street parking and a few area garages.
Inside, no frills, but the place is clean and spacious. The glass windows makes dining alone okay, because you can grab a seat at the bar style seats and people watch out the window. The staff is pretty awesome. And menu much larger than I’m used to.
So the food. They have a variety of burgers, and the same sandwiches chicken can be substituted if that is your thing, or you can opt for a salad. I did the bbq, bacon, and cheddar, smash chicken sandwich here. Delicious and juicy and a nice size. Order the smash fries. They are hands down the best thing in this place. Not to say the other food is bad, but I love these things. If they made an option for an extra extra extra fat man size fries, I would order that one. Overall a good experience.

This little establishment just recently popped up on the Bethesda radar and boy did my co-​workers come running to try this place out. It took them three attempts to get me to try this place. Burger places are not my ideal cheat meal, in fact I only let myself cheat on my meal plan twice a week and Smash Burger was not an ideal pick. I did read below that someone compared THIS place to SHAKE SHACK, did they happen to sprinkle crack on your burger in order for your taste buds to hallucinate? Shake Shack (being a NYer) is marvelous and one-​of-​a-​kind, get it right.
Looking around there was no one inside but us and two other customers. It was snowing out so I blame the lack of business on the weather, benefit of the doubt. Even though it was snowing outside it could have been snowing on the inside as well, seriously no heat? How are you supposed to serve our food hot? It was like 30 degrees inside! We did enter at 11:00 when they opened however there should be no reason that your employees couldn’t be running the heat while they were getting ready to open so that your customers don’t turn into ice.
When it came to ordering the employee was overly nice, super helpful and basically ordered for me. He asked if I wanted chicken or beef and before I could even say chicken the boys screamed beef, it’s like the mission in life is to make me fat. Therefore, I was stuck with a classic burger and rosemary/​olive oil fries. These fires were super itty bitty slim and had just the right amount of olive oil on them so that they were still crisp and not soggy. The burger reminded me of Wendy’s. I am not a fast food person and I would have to say in my opinion that this is like Wendy’s and McDonald’s. Also, I felt horrible afterwards.
For anyone who is addicted to fast food, they have a reward service «Smash Club» that you can sign up for and receive the latest news and promotions directly from them.

3 ½ stars. One thing I like about Smashburger is that you can order either chicken or beef for any of their burgers. Only caveat, I wish you can request to cook beef burgers medium or medium rare (They don’t ask and almost always comes out well done; sometimes juicy sometimes not).
Their mushroom truffle and Swiss burger is so good and was also very surprised how great the goat cheese added in flavor (thought it would be overpowering) to its chicken sandwich. My favorite burger is still their classic smash burger and their capital regional burger though.
Their fries are the skinny types and like their rosemary olive oil fries (even though the one today didn’t have any olive oil or garlic, just rosemary) and you can also order fried pickles too! Just ask for an order, as I don’t believe it’s on their printed menu.
Join their club and on rare occasions you will get some coupons like $ 2 off and free regular side.