Inside Hyphy Burger, West Oakland’s New Hyped Spot for Smash Burgers | Eater SF
"A smash-burger shop launched by Grammy-nominated rapper Guap (formerly Guapdad 4000) and regional food influencer BayAreaFoodz (real name Darion Frazier), both childhood friends from West Oakland who opened on a vacant lot near where they grew up. The project is explicitly rooted in local culture: Guap says, “What we are doing is representative of the greater meaning of community, the feeling, the spirit we grew up with,” and frames the concept as “We’re trying to do the Hyphy version of In-N-Out.” The core menu is intentionally small and affordable — a signature Hyphy Burger (two smash patties, American cheese, pickles, grilled onions, and “You Feel Me” sauce on a potato bun) priced at $6.99, and a Burnout Burger (double smash patties, pepper jack cheese, jalapeños, pepperoncini, grilled onions, and “You Feel Me” sauce on a potato bun) — accompanied by “McDonald’s-style” fries and ten thick Stunna Shake flavors (including Cap’N Crunch, Lucky Charms, vanilla, and chocolate); Guap quips the shakes are “they’re BBL shakes.” Frazier, who created the entire menu and “even mastered his own patty and sauce recipes after scouting smash burger empires around the Bay Area and Los Angeles,” says, “BayAreaFoodz is one thing, but that can be self centered,” and emphasizes that “Hyphy is the entire Bay. That’s our culture. People are pouring out to help. They understand the struggle of coming from Oakland.” The location includes a full-on Hyphy bus and is being staffed with local residents; as Guap posted on Instagram Threads, “We’ve hired and trained black youth & a felon… We are not Grand opened yet so everything cheaper as a gift to the community as we figure it out and build together [sic].” The team soft-launched informally on Friday, February 14, was “shadow announced” via Guap on Instagram Threads on Wednesday, February 19, drew large crowds and local celebrities (Stunnaman02, Oopz All Berriez), briefly closed after a week to “collect data,” and has since resumed service while still developing the menu. Future plans include artist collabs (they’ve “spoken with E-40. Keak Da Sneak. We really want to honor Keak. He made hyphy, and we want to honor that,” Frazier says) and unrevealed items (“We haven’t unveiled the Gas, Break, Dip yet,” Frazier jokingly teases). Beyond food, the founders aim to create a communal gathering space with cultural nods throughout — Guap designed menus, employee uniforms, and forthcoming merch with airbrush and denim touches — and position the venture as a grassroots, community-centered response to local losses: “The Raiders left, the A’s left. Shit, even In-N-Out left us,” says Guap. “Oakland needs something new and refreshing, something grassrooted and for the community. That’s us.”" - Alan Chazaro
