Smashburger’s Menu Was Majorly Revamped—Here’s a Food Editor’s Review of Every New Item
If you’ve never been to Smashburger before, allow me to ask: What the heck are you waiting for? The chain has been slinging superbly seared, just-thin-enough burgers, fries (like the cult-favorite rosemary variety) and milkshakes since 2007. As a beef-loving food editor, I had to visit to try all the new items once I heard about the menu’s recent revamp.
Not only are there eight new handhelds, drinks and sides to explore, but the chain also enhanced a few existing items, like the BBQ Bacon Smash, Truffle Mushroom Smash, chicken tenders, sweet potato waffle fries and crispy Brussels sprouts. Read on for my honest reviews and overall ranking of the latest and tastiest innovations.
(Note: Menu options and prices may vary by location.)
10. Veggie Smash
- What It Is: plant-based, Southwest-seasoned black bean burger, lettuce, tomatoes and mayo on a butter-toasted bun
- Price: $9.49
Black beans are my favorite base for a veggie burger. This one was a touch dry—I assume from being thinly smashed into the grill—but tasted bean-y and savory. I expected more corn, peppers and/or dry spices because of the Southwest-inspired seasoning, but the fluffy black beans were really the dominant flavor.
9. Chicken Smash Burger
- What It Is: ground chicken burger marinated with signature garlic-olive oil seasoning, topped with lettuce, tomatoes and mayo on a butter-toasted bun
- Price: $8.59
Listen, I would never (ever) order a chicken burger at a burger joint. But if that’s your style, this one won’t disappoint. It was gently seasoned (sort of like very mild chicken souvlaki), and the chicken itself was succulent and moist. The patty was thin, but still offered protein with a fraction of the fat of its beefy counterpart, if you care about that sort of thing.
8. Spicy Jalapeño Smash
- What It Is: Angus beef, grilled jalapeños, pepper Jack cheese, aged cheddar cheese, lettuce and chipotle ranch on a butter-toasted spicy chipotle bun
- Price: $9.79
It might not be the prettiest burger on the list (the light-colored pepper Jack and cheddar don’t exactly look Insta-worthy when melted), but it was tasty. I loved the skirt of crispy cheese that surrounded the patty. The freshly grilled jalapeños impart some heat, but it wasn’t as spicy as some folks might want it to be. I wished the peppers were pickled for a touch of acidity.
7. Scorchin’ Hot Fries
- What It Is: crispy French fries tossed in Nashville hot seasoning, served with ranch
- Price: $4.09
These leaned soggy and thin, exactly how I like them. However, they were blander than I expected. They could have used a bit more salt, and there was very minimal heat from the seasoning. Because of their vibrant orange hue, I expected more spice than smoke.
6. Peanut Butter Cookie Shake
- What It Is: hand-spun peanut butter cookie milkshake made with Häagen Dazs ice cream and Nutter Butter cookie pieces
- Price: $6.29
Hot take: Nutter Butters are severely underrated. But even as a fan, this milkshake fell a bit flat for me, despite still being tasty. The peanut butter flavor was pretty modest; I wish they’d add a spoonful of the stuff for a thicker body and a more pronounced nutty, salty note. However, I did adore the crunchy cookie bits on top.
5. Scorchin’ Hot Tots
- What It Is: crispy tots tossed in Nashville hot seasoning, served with ranch
- Price: $4.09
I preferred these to the fries. While the thicker breading on them retained more oil, making for a greasier bite, I felt like this also helped the seasoning stick and resulted in a spicier flavor. They were also tender on the inside and super crunchy on the outside, even after the car ride home.
4. Bacon Stack Smash
- What It Is: Angus beef, layers of applewood-smoked bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and mayo on a butter-toasted bun
- Price: $9.79
Full disclosure: I’m not a can-I-add-bacon-to-it person. I usually find that it doesn’t offer much additional deliciousness to a burger, even if it’s super crispy to my liking. (I think it’s overpowering in many cases.) However, the bacon’s quality here was undeniable. I liked that it was chewy and slightly fatty in the center, with craggy, dark, crunchy edges. The mayo was super rich and creamy, but I wished it was a touch tangier.
3. Salted Caramel Shake
- What It Is: hand-spun salted caramel milkshake made with Häagen Dazs ice cream
- Price: $6.29
Sweet, salty and ever-so rich, this sipper was an easy home run. Despite the name, I have a sneaking suspicion that it was made with Häagen Dazs’s dulce de leche ice cream (I was a frequent flyer as a kid, so I’m pretty confident). I respected the level of salt; I feel like some eateries are too shy with the salt on their salted desserts. It had a super lush texture, but I recommend letting it sit for a few minutes before drinking for better sippability.
2. All-American Smash
- What It Is: Angus beef, American cheese, red onions, pickles, mustard and ketchup on a butter-toasted bun
- Price: $7.29
I loved the char on the beef. Everything was super savory and well-seasoned (ever so slightly over-salted, but I wasn’t mad at it). I also loved that the edges of the American were crisped on the grill, because caramelized cheese makes everything better. The pickles were also the perfect thickness and packed a punch of sour bliss that played beautifully with the mustard.
1. Scorchin’ Hot Crispy Chicken Sandwich
- What It Is: Nashville hot crispy chicken tenders, pickles and mayo on a butter-toasted bun
- Price: $9.69
I didn’t expect a chicken handheld to take the top spot, but here we are. If it’s heat that you’re after, look no further. The tenders were thick, juicy, crispy and thoroughly spicy, while the mayo and produce cooled things down. A single piece of chicken would’ve been easier to eat than multiple tenders, but I promise you won’t mind the mess. The cooks accidentally made mine with lettuce and tomato instead of pickles unfortunately; I think I would have liked it even more if it came as it was supposed to.