An N.C. State alumnus, Ketan Patel, opened an establishment in Durham aiming to be fueled by the Duke University population’s economic prowess – and he’s doing it the tastiest way possible
Smashburger is another installment of a seemingly regular burger joint, trying to add a bit of taste to the fast food experience, both figuratively and literally.
The location of this restaurant is kind of strange; Smashburger is housed in what was once a GameStop. The layout makes it rather obvious it wasn’t designed to be a restaurant, with half of the seating in a weird hallway in the back. Despite the awkward and scarce seating, Smashburger accommodates a fair amount of customers, even if it does put the patrons eating inside the restaurant in close proximity to other customers.
Smashburger offers a variety of options for both burgers and chicken sandwiches, including an avocado club. There are also some more traditional style burgers and sandwiches, such as the Classic Smashburger, the BBQ and the bacon & cheddar Smashchicken sandwich. For those looking for healthier options, Smashburger offers a spinach, cucumber & goat cheese sandwich as well as salads. Their salad options are the generic harvest and Cobb, but they also have a baja Cobb. Smashburger offers avocado ranch, veggie and black-bean burgers for their vegetarian patrons.
One of Smashburger’s signature sides are the garlic fries, dubbed Smashfries. These Smashfries are thinly cut french fries with olive oil and garlic seasoning. They were so good that my table bought another order to split before we left.
In addition to the Smashfries, there are a variety of options for customers to choose from. The sweet potato fries and the haystack onions (essentially a blooming onion, similar to that found at Outback Steakhouse) are good examples of how Smashburger is more than a typical, quick burger joint. The truffle mushroom Swiss burger and chicken sandwich also testify to Smashburger’s efforts to break through the mainstream.
If it is physically possible to have dessert after the meal, Smashburger offers hand-spun shakes that demonstrate the level of quality Smashburger provides. In addition to the standard vanilla, chocolate and strawberry options, Smashburger also offer options such as a butterfinger or salted caramel shake. Simply put, these shakes were great and my salted caramel shake was by far the creamiest milkshake I’ve ever had.
Smashburger provided a tasty meal at a reasonable price. The burgers were made with 100% angus beef. The restaurant offered various sizes of burgers. The large burger was in fact large, half the patty didn’t fit on the bun. While it was a generous serving provided in a fashion that differs from the traditional single or double options, it was a tad awkward to actually eat. The first half of the burger was essentially hamburger steak. Though it was very tasty, a burger that doesn’t fit in its bun is frustrating.
My largest complaint with Smashburger is how far away it is. Smashburger is roughly 20-30 minutes away from campus. It really isn’t worth the drive, especially considering the plethora of options surrounding State’s campus that are just as good. The food is good but don’t make the drive just for the food. Make it to show support to a member of the Wolfpack who is running a friendly establishment that serves good food.
