Who doesn’t love a good burger? Until last week, my son.
Incredibly enough, even though my husband and I are no strangers to burgers of all sorts—beef, turkey, bison, salmon, veggie, you name it—my son had not acquired the taste, despite years of gentle prodding. It was with no small amount of trepidation, then, that I had him accompany me to the preview of the Pennsylvania’s first Smashburger, located on the Main Line in Radnor. As you’ll see in his review at the end of this article, my fears were unfounded. Kudos to Smashburger!
The goal of Smashburger is twofold, according to founder Tom Ryan. Smashburger seeks to create a great-tasting, juicy burger with full-on flavor in every bite and to put burgers back into people’s lives. Ryan was on hand at the event to present a lineup of burgers, sides and milkshakes to an eager crowd. Since its 2006 beginnings in Colorado, the company has expanded to 218+ locations in 30 U.S. states and 4 countries, making it the country’s fastest-growing “better burger” restaurant.
Before sampling the burgers, we were presented with an incredible array of sides: Smashfries, veggie frites, sweet potato fries and fried pickles. Don’t let the “F” word scare you; these fried foods are fabulous—quick-cooked for just a few seconds to retain their crunchiness. The veggie frites, my favorite, don’t even have a batter or breading; they’re deep fried, Szechuan style, with just a bit of salt and pepper and are a wonderful alternative to the usual carb-laden burger sides. The chipotle mayo that accompanied the sweet potato fries was also a standout.
Next came the burger sampling. From the Classic Smash to the spicy veggie black bean, I tried all seven sandwiches, presented to us by a parade of attentive servers. The star of the show for me was the truffle mushroom and Swiss burger, a juicy burger slathered with truffle mayo, sauteed baby portabella mushrooms and aged swiss and served on an egg bun. Other favorites—and in all honesty, I enjoyed each and every one, so it’s hard to choose—were the Philly burger (created as an homage to Smashburger’s local audience), with grilled onions, Cheez Whiz and Gulden’s mustard on a pretzel bun; and the avocado club chicken, with fresh avocado, applewood-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, ranch dressing and mayo on a multigrain bun.
Just when I thought I couldn’t take another bite, the milkshakes started coming. And really, how can anyone refuse a milkshake? We tried three—the Oreo shake, the PB&J shake (a take on the Nutter Butter shake offered on the regular menu) and the classic vanilla. Smashburger’s shakes are made using Häagen-Dazs ice cream. Do I really need to say anything else? They are thick, creamy and just plain incredible. Promise me you’ll save room for one when you visit.
Smashburger is now open at 550 E. Lancaster Avenue in Radnor; hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Find the menu here, and follow the restaurant on Facebook and Twitter.
Word from the Kids’ Table
The first thing I noticed about Smashburger was the nice color scheme. I really like the red lamps and the photos of Philadelphia on the walls—that’s one of my favorite cities. My favorite dishes from the starters were the fried pickles and the french fries. I’ve never eaten fried pickles before, but I thought they were delicious. Normally, I don’t enjoy sweet potato fries, but I really liked those, too!
I have never eaten a hamburger in my life, so I was curious about how they would taste. I was surprised at how much I liked them. My favorite burger was the Classic Smash, and I also liked the BBQ, bacon & cheddar. I don’t usually like foods mixed together, but I thought these were great tastes to combine. The owner, Tom, is very nice, and the service is great, too. My favorite milkshake was the Oreo cookie one, but I also enjoyed the others. It was nice to have a good milkshake on a hot day. I will definitely come back to Smashburger to sample different foods, like the chicken strips. I highly recommend this place to other families!
Photographs credited to Michele Kornegay.
