It wasn't really a ribbon cutting, more of a premiere, although it was a small group and a very casual setting.
The marketing folks at Smash Burger invited a handful of local bloggers, including yours truly, to a free meal at the unveiling of their second Colorado Springs location to open within the past month. This one is at 3707 Bloomington Street, just off Powers and N. Carefree, next door to Qdoba. It's an interesting use of social media combined with real world contact, but I'll save that for another post on another blog.
Smash Burger was founded by Tom Ryan with the support of Denver based Consumer Capital Partners and after just 2.5 years or so, now has about 4 dozen locations in 11 states with dozens more in the planning stages.
The concept is fast casual, small neighborhood eateries. Their aim is to become "Every city's favorite burger place". So what sets them apart from a Burger King or McDonalds? Let's start with the burger. No frozen patties here. They use only fresh, never frozen ground Angus beef. The name comes from the process. I had the Classic 1/2 pound Smash Burger. It starts with a 1/2 pound ball of fresh ground meat, which is literally smashed (using a specially designed utensil) onto a hot buttered grill. The result is a burger about 6 inches in diameter and 3/8" thick with a tasty carmelized outside and a tender inside. You order it at the counter and it's brought to your table in a metal basket, with the lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions on one side of the open bun, and the hot burger and cheese on the other. Hot only meets cold when you put it together.
They also serve an assortment of beers, in a frosted mug if you like (I had the Blue Moon). You can take that to your table right from the counter. The atmosphere is cozy. It's probably less than half the size of your typical fast food restaurant. The fresh food and limited size really do give it the feel of a neighborhood diner.
Your burger, side and drink will likely run you about $8-$9, or 20-30% more than you might pay for more ordinary fast food, but it's really an apples and oranges comparison. It's better food, very reasonably priced and I'm not just saying that because the fed me.
Smash Burger is a tasty and welcome addition to the local dining scene. I hope we see one on the South Side soon. Best of luck and thanks for the grub!
Other Colorado Springs location: 5230 N. Nevada Ave.
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