Business & Tech

Smashburger Brings Its Gourmet Fare on a Bun to Monrovia

The eatery, which opens today, features five burgers and two chicken sandwiches.

Move over burger chains.

A new eatery hopes its particular twist on the beef patty between two buns will to be a smash with hamburger afficionados.

Smashburger, located a 602 W. Huntington Drive, opens today.

The Monrovia location marks the 245th restaurant the Denver-based company has opened, said Brian Beers, vice president of operations.  The plan is to get to 250 by the end of the year, he added.

Smashburger had a preview for food bloggers and other media Thursday, giving the group a chance to sample the menu and even get a turn at making a hamburger on the grill.

The menu features five burgers cooked in butter and sprinkled with a secret blend of seasonings, as well as two chicken sandwiches.

The Classic Smash, with includes American cheese, smash sauce, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, and pickles on an egg bun is the most popular, Beers said.

The eatery also offers the BBQ, Bacon & Cheddar burger, the Truffle Mushroom Swiss burger, the Spicy Veggie Black Bean burger, and a specialty regional burger that can only be found in Southern California. 

Beers said they have dubbed the regional offering the L.A. Burger. The spicy specialty burger features cucumber, tomatoes, and cilantro seasoned with a Japanese ginger dressing, a fried egg, and a crispy wonton all on a white sesame seed bun.

Besides the burgers, the eatery serves crispy fried onions, sweet potato fries, and smash fries, which are tossed in olive oil and flavored with garlic, oregano, and other spices.

Fried pickles are a secret menu item.

If that isn't enough decadence, the restaurant also makes hand-spun salted caramel and Oreo cookie shakes made with Haagen Daz ice cream.

Smashburger started with a couple of restaurants in Denver in 2007 and began expanding to other states in 2009, Beers said.

The eatery also has international locations in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Costa Rica, and Canada, he said.

Forbes Magazine named Smashburger "America's Most Promising Company" last year.

"We want to be every city's burger place," Beers said.  "We want to come to town and be that great burger place where everybody wants to hang out."








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