Smashburger

Quality, fresh and amazing food… with the combination of an amazing staff in a very clean and great ambiance environment = 5 starts all the way!
I had the pleasure of being introduced to Smashburger a couple of weeks ago with a lunch date with my Mom. I fell in love instantaneously! From the great staff to the awesome food to the really clean restaurant… it was awesome! Love the fact that everything is made to order and the ingredients are quality and fresh!
What my most favorite thing about Smashburger that separates them from SO many… is when you ask for extra… they give it too you without having to sell you left kidney and beg and plead. I love pickles and their’s are amazing! I was so impressed with this, because some places are so stingy its like you wonder if the employees are going to be charged out of their paycheck… lol. But, not here at Smashburger… they are the farthest thing from stingy!
Today, my parents and I went there for lunch and the experience was outstanding! Since, my prior 2 other visits, the employee Mike, again went above and beyond… remembering my pickle obsession… in which I got a whole side dish of pickles!!. And yes… I did eat all of them… lol…low in calories! We met the manager, Eric, in which he was also outstanding and was so amazing… letting me do some «changes» to the build your own… without batting an eye… even though my combination of ingredients with my burger is not on their menu options. It was so impressive… because at so many other places, the answer would have been no.
I just can’t rave enough about Smashburger and this location of staff! Whether you are meeting for a burger, grabbing carry out or maybe just swinging in to have a burger by yourself with your fav book (yes I did this~~no rush from the staff, just amazingly attentive!!)…they are AWESOME all the way around! Great food and awesome pricing… which is all made to order… what could be better??? I highly recommend and if you go… definitely get the pickles and my fav… the haystack onions with dipping sauce… to die for! P. S. I hear from others the Nutter Butter shake is to die for… on my list «to eat/​drink» next time I visit… which will be soon I’m sure :)!!!

Love these burgers!
The fries are flavorful with the Rosemary, and oil.
Super fast service, and very friendly staff.
We will be coming back, I even noticed that if you bring in a movie ticket they have a deal o get another burger free. How can you beat SmashBurger!
Décor is perfect, colorful and clean. Spacious restaruants, so you can visit with all your friends and kick back and relax, even on the patio.

(Quick tip: Smash size ¹⁄₃ pound, double smash ½ pound)
My wife and I tried this for the first time on a whim recently, and I think we were both pleased.
Things got off to a good start as we were promptly welcomed by a staffer with a smile on her face. She was also very eager to answer any questions we had (the only one being what’s the difference between smash and doublesmash sizes?)
I had the BBQ burger (smash size) and my wife got Buffalo chicken. I thought the flavor combinations on the burger worked really well together, but I was expecting something a bit more substantial. However, our dinner time on this night was past 9, so it’s probably good I didn’t eat too big. Next time I go I’ll definitely do a doublesmash.
My wife’s Buffalo chicken sandwich was OK. We were both expecting the meat to be dunked in Buffalo sauce, but there was just a tiny bit drizzled on the top. That small amount took away from the flavor as the chicken itself wasn’t really seasoned at all.
We each got fries, me the regular french fries and my wife the smashfries with rosemary and garlic. We both loved the fries; crispy, hot and delicious!
Limited waiter service, i.e., they bring your food out to you, but it’s up to you to bus your table when you’re done. A bit on the pricey side for what it is as the sandwiches, drinks and fries came out to be about $ 11 per person.
It’s not the best burger I’ve ever had, but Smashburger seems to be on the right track and I’d definitely go back!

I’ve been to a good amount of burger places and this one really stands out in all aspects. It’s a nice setup, the place is clean, a lot of choices, staff is really friendly and the food is so good.
When you walk in you are greeted by a menu and very nice people. The only things you really see is cash registers and the stuff to make the milk shakes which it is really kind of nice to not see the whole kitchen. The decoration is very sleek and up to date.
Their menu is fantastic. They have a lot of choices. You can either make your own burger or chicken sand which or they have some that they have made. I also like that they have size choices for the patty besides big, bigger and biggest. I got the small smash which I think was a third pound and it was a perfect size. I had ordered the spicy baja sand which which was absolutely delicious. Pepper jack, guacamole, cilantro, lettuce, tomato and chipotle mayo. Soooo gooood. Then I had a order of the smash fries which are the fancier fries because they are tossed in olive oil, rosemary and garlic and they were really good. My boyfriend had gotten the fried pickles as his side and I don’t know what a good fried pickle is because those were my first but they were OK. I think it’s just not my thing so they would probably be good to the fried pickle lover.
Everything was above average and I will for sure be back.

One Saturday night, we decided to try something new and it was a decision we regret. My friend had a burger that was small, over priced, and lacked any and all flavor. He got chili cheese fries that were not good either. I got a chicken Caesar Salad and he ate half my chicken. The salad was ok but not what I would expect a chicken Caesar Salad to be. The dressing was over loaded with pepper and half of the lettuce was actually spinach. Top it all off, our total was just under 20 dollars. For less than that, I can go to Portillos and get much better food.
I gave this place a chance and will not be returning.

I like the Bolingbrook location more. They had better, quicker service and tastier food. I came here using a groupon doing a to-​go order and tried their new Fresh Mex Chicken Sandwich. First, who’s idea was it to put sour cream on a burger or chicken sandwich? Eww. Second, the girl at the register or the person in back got our orders mixed up, which I don’t understand because we had the same sandwich but with minor changes and mine came with fries, the other sandwich did not. To make a long story short, my fries were stale and no longer hot, and my sandwich was wrong and even after I wiped off all the sour cream, it still wasn’t that great.
I’d be willing to give them a second chance, but only if I dine in so I can make sure my order is right and my food is hot.

My name is Laura, and I’m a fried pickle addict.
I grabbed a Groupon for Smashburger because I saw that they had fried pickles on their menu. And oh, what fried pickles they are. They are sliced, fried in buttermilk batter (like you’d find on some yummy fried chicken) and served with a side of ranch dressing. And oh yeah, they’re only $ 1.99 for a perfectly sized portion.
Since man (or woman) cannot live in fried pickles alone, I also ordered a Classic with Cheese. Although I’m still not exactly sure what is in the «Smash sauce,» it’s tasty and I loved that my burger was right on the border between «juicy» and «greasy.»
The Dude, who sticks to a vegetarian diet, ordered a Spicy Baja black bean burger and he thought ti was quite tasty as well. We also give them bonus points for having an outoor eating area.

I grabbed the groupon because my fiancé and I have noticed these burger shops opening up everywhere. We heard they were pricey and they are a bit pricey, but I think the value of the food when using the groupon was worth it. We ordered the mushroom swiss and chicago burger and they were great burgers but you probably could get the same burger at a sports bar for a few bucks cheaper. The smash fries were pretty good but not AMAZING as a lot of the reviews have said.
The only negative was the restaurant seemed to be in chaos. Garbages overflowing and workers really not knowing what they were doing.

Smash, smash, smash, smash all the life and flavor out of our burgers and charge way too much to sit at a dirty booth. That is the sum of what was our trip to Smashburger.
I heard this place was going to beat Meatheads and 5 Guys — no way in hell. They would have to serve me a perfect burger to change my mind — I dare you. First the burger was underseasoned and dry as a popcorn fart. Even if you cook a burger well done on a flattop it doesn’t have to be like this. The smash fries were good but the rosemary didn’t go too well with the sweet potato fries. The fried pickles could have used more time in the fryer to get a but crispier.
To top it off we looked around for a clean booth to no avail. We thought we finally found one to sit down and find out that something sticky and clear was on the table. Invisible and gross — not a good combination.
I’m going back to Meatheads or 5 Guys when I get the flattop burger craving unless someone can convince me otherwise. Step up your game Smashburger!

The burger I had here was good. It wasn’t great and it wasn’t in any way bad, but it was good. It wasn’t very big and I’m not sure it tasted good enough to be worth 5 $. There was nothing really special to say about the food. The smash fries are just the regular fries tossed in rosemary oil, and not really worth the extra 10 cents.
In my opinion this place is way overpriced. I understand that when you aren’t having McDonalds you have to pay for quality, but I just don’t think a meal for one person here is worth 10 $. There are no combos so you have to pay for every little thing you want separately. On the plus, I stopped in to get my food to go and it only took about 5 minutes.
The food is fine here, just pricey.

If you are looking for a $ 10 lunch consisting primarily of a mediocre, unremarkable burger then Smashburger is the place.
Took my first visit to Smashburger at lunch today as it was right by the cleaners. We walked in and a very friendly lady at the register asked us if it was our first time. She gave us a brief overview of the place, including why it’s called «Smashburger», and about the different burger sizes. (Hint: they «SMASH» all the brugers on the flattop, hence the name)
I ordered a BBQ, Bacon, and Cheeseburger, the Smash Fries, and a fountain drink. I ordered the burger in the «Smash» size, which seems to be the «regular» size coming in at ¹⁄₃ pound pre-​cooked weight. The Smash fries are their fries coated in a rosemary and garlic infused oil.
Seating was cramped at the lunch hour. There’s maybe 10 – 12 tables and one of the tables in the back held someone’s coat, purse, and other accessories the whole time we were there but nobody used it. Our only option was a tiny booth that seated two (One facing one another) that was obviously created for extremely lean marathon runners, not «burger and fries» connoisseurs. In typical fast casual style, you order at the window, seat yourself, and your order is brought to you.
After about 10 minutes our burgers arrived. The burgers and fries were served in this long wire basket thing, with a little silver dish for the fries. When my burger arrived, I was unimpressed. The presentation made me think «Is this it??»
Let’s start with the burger — The BBQ Bacon Cheddar burger I ordered had no visible evidence of BBQ sauce. I enjoy my burgers well done, but this one was cooked to a blackened outside and very thin. The meat had very little flavor, but the first bite or two I did taste the BBQ sauce. I did like the taste of their cheddar cheese though.
The «Smash Fries» as they were called were interestiing. The fries were similar in shape and size as those you would get from McDonalds, but they were covered in the rosemary garlic oil. The rosemary garlic oil had a strong scent which actually smelled good, but the fries had very little flavor other than that of plain friench fries. They were only $ 1.99 though.
I really wanted to like this place because it’s close to my office, but my first visit to Smashburger will probably be one of my last if I can help it. For similar money and about 5 minutes travel time, one can make their way over to the Promenade and sit down at Five Guys and get a much higher quality burger and fries.
The following info did not factor into my review of the place:
Not that burger and fries folks generally watch calories and such, but accoding to published nutritional information, the DOUBLE burger at Five Guys is slightly better for you than the single ¹⁄₃ pound burger at Smashburger. I’m following Weight Watchers and this was my weekly excursion. Item for item, it seems to be much higher than a comparable item from Five Guys.

This is my favorite burger joint. It blows 5 guys out of the water. I love their BBQ Bacon Burger and I switch my bun to a preztel bun. Sooo good! My co-​workers love the Windy City Burger.
The best side is their smash fries that are coated with rosemary, olive oil and garlic… love them!
What is also great is if you don’t want a burger, you can substitute grilled chicken on any of the sandwiches.

Came here with the Groupon & with a big appetite too. The bf and I shared a hot dog and I got the veggie burger. He ordered the «Windy City». We also shared an order of sweet potato fries and fried pickles.
I enjoyed my veggie burger-​there were tons of black beans in it, but it fell apart very easily. The chipotle bun had a good flavor too. The hot dog was pretty good too and my bf seemed to enjoy his burger.
The side portions were pretty small for the price. I liked the sweet potato fries, but the pickles were way too salty. Overall, I would say the service was friendly and the place was very clean. I am happy I tried Smashburger, but won’t hurry back there anytime soon.

Generally speaking, Smashburger is a fast food burger done right. It’s like a Steak and Shake burger with more quality and substance. I’d put it on par with MBurger but less expensive.
I went to Smashburger on a Groupon with my son. Our experience was great. We got there early, like 11:30 AM for lunch. The woman behind the counter was very informative, so based on her recommendation, I went for a classic Big Smash because I wanted to try the smash sauce (only order this if you like mustard, because that’s what it tastes like), and the smash fries (shockingly similar to my favorite fries in the area at District Bar on Orleans). My son got the kid’s smashburger with cheese.
We cleaned our plates and the price was like $ 14 for the 2 of us. Not a bad deal for food that’s vastly better than a drive-​thru. Can’t wait to go back!

Yum, yum, yum. I have found my new favorite burger joint.
I am a regular at Tom & Eddies & Meatheads, and love them both. But I recently had Smashburger for the first time, and I am totally hooked. I mean, both of my orders have just been absolute perfection.
This location is a cute, small, clean space with very friendly staff. Both times, I ordered the bbq bacon burger with smash fries. Let’s start with the burger: the PERFECT amount of toppings. crispy bacon. gooey cheese. crispy onion strings. sweet, spicy, smoky bbq sauce. lightly toasted bun. Seriously, I ate this so fast that my stomach hurt afterwards. It’s THAT good.
The smash fries — wow. perfectly crispy, seasoned with garlic and rosemary — i’m a sucker for rosemary. a little oily, but otherwise delicious. totally obsessed with these fries!
The first time I came here, I got the normal sized burger. Today, I got the «small smash» — this was enough for me — i can’t even imagine how big the biggest burger must be!
I should really try other menu options next time — but i’m just hooked on that damn burger. maybe next time i’ll opt for the sweet potato fries!

Great portion size, a bit pricey but worth it.
Attractive atmosphere with plenty of seating inside and out.

Smashburger vs. Five Guys vs. Meatheads
I went to Smashburger for the first time this week to see how it stacked up to a couple of other fast casual burger chains I’ve visited recently.
Overall, I’d say Smashburger ties with Five Guys for the top spot, with Meatheads following close behind.
I liked the variety of bun choices that Smashburger offers. I chose a Chipotle bun. This added a dimension not available (to my knowledge) at 5G or MH. The burger itself was appropriately cooked (in the typical well-​done manner of this type of place). The condiments and cheeses available for toppings stacked up pretty nicely with its competitors. I added chipotle mayo, red onion, lettuce, tomato, jalapenos and pepper jack to my custom burger. The smashfries (tossed in olive oil and rosemary) were good, but I think I might go for their standard fries (10 cents less) next time.
Five guys fries, when hot, are superior, in my opinion, but more importantly, are vastly more plentiful than the relatively small portion provided by Smashburger.
I do like this place overall, though. Counter service was extremely friendly, and the location works better for me than 5G. I’m happy that there is competition in this restaurant segment, because I’ll always have a weakness for a good burger with fries. If only In-​n-​Out would come to the Chicago area, I’d be on Cloud 9.

In review of the food — it wasn’t bad, in fact I’ll visit again only I’ll probably visit the Bolingbrook location on Weber Rd because the service could NOT be slower at this location, I can’t imagine if the place were busy.
I got a create your own smashburger with cheddar cheese, mustard, and lettuce, a drink, and fries. The family in front of me had a long complicated order, or the girl taking the order wasn’t getting it… I gave up listening and just noticed that my wait was LONG and there was no one behind me in line. One of the employees came in from break, clocked in on the register but did not take my order. She stood by the pick up window, I’m unclear of what her job is exactly. At least three employees came from the back to get cups for drinks but no one else attempted to take my order so I stood and waited.
The family ahead of me had their order to eat there and once it was done, the cashier and girl who came back from break carried the 6 small baskets to the table SLOWLY after taking at least 3 minutes to figure out who was carrying what… again, 6 SMALL baskets of burgers and fries. My bag sat there and the Manager (Michelle) walked around shaking her head and gave me my order. Kudos to her.

A fairly decent entry into the fancy burger market in Chicagoland. A regular Smashburger is ¹⁄₃ lb, Big Smash is ½ lb. (I had to ask, because they don’t list the patty sizes anywhere that I could see on the menu or website.) A wide variety of bun, sauce, and topping selections give you a good amount of creativity in putting together your own burger.
The inside is pretty narrow, but has a good amount of booth and stool seating. I was impressed with their iced tea dispenser, which offers three signature-​recipe iced teas. I’m not a tea drinker, but I would expect that those who are would appreciate this. They also carry Green River and IBC root beer in addition to Coke products.
I ordered a regular-​sized Smash Burger, pretzel bun, American cheese, red onion, and «Smash Sauce.» Smash Sauce is pretty much a mustard-​based (as opposed to the usual ketchup-​based) thousand island dressing. The sauce was okay, but basically tasted like regular yellow mustard. I also thought the preparation was a bit sauce-​heavy, and I ended up scraping off a lot of it. I’m a fan of their offering the pretzel bun. The patty was a good size and juicy, very well cooked.
Tried the Smash Fries, which involve rosemary, olive oil, and garlic coating. Very tasty, but greasy like you might expect. The fries are shoestring-​cut, pretty much the same thickness as McDonald’s, but not as long.
The burger & fries with a soda was $ 9.50, a bit high, but nothing radically different than the other burger places popping up. Overall, I would try it again, I would just refine my order a bit from my first experience.

Yum! I am loving all of these new gourmet burger places that are springing up all over the place. This one is a pretty good one, and one that I am sure that I will return to. The staff was really friendly when I walked in and eager to tell me about their «never frozen» Angus burgers.
Their menu offers a few specialty burgers, chicken sandwiches and hot dogs or you can also make your own burger. I went with the Windy City burger which had onion straws, cheese and spicy mustard on it. The side items are sold ala carte and they have quite a few to choose from. They offer a few different kinds of fries, fried pickles, chili, etc. I went with the smashburger fries which are regular fries tossed in olive oil, garlic and rosemary. Both the fries and the burger were delicious and the regular size (as opposed to the larger) burger and the fries were plenty of food.
They offer Hagen Daz milkshakes, specialty ice teas and Coke products to drink. Once you order your food, you grab a seat and someone brings you your food in about 5 – 7 minutes time. Everything was good, service was great and there are things that I want to come back and try. Great addition to this part of town.