Heavy Handed

"The short rib patty differentiates Santa Monica’s Heavy Handed from the rest of the pack. The burger is fatty and rich and only benefits from the addition of American cheese, caramelized onions, bread and butter pickles, and a healthy dosing of “heavy” sauce. Just be warned, the potato bun does its best to hold this burger together, but it is bound to get messy. Heavy Handed also now has a second location in Studio City." - Rebecca Roland, Eater Staff

"Whether you're a smashburger die-hard or you’ve merely heard of them in passing, chances are you know about Heavy Handed. This walk-up spot on Main Street has a devout fanbase, and we get the hype. The burgers are simple and effective: a single, double, or triple stack with cheese, sweet, housemade pickles, and their house sauce on a fluffy potato roll. With a side of their beef tallow fries, it’s an easy option for a quick lunch, but we suggest eating your burger on the spacious front patio." - sylvio martins, jess basser sanders

"This burger stand has made a sleepier stretch of Main Street in Santa Monica alive with lines of people queueing for single, double, or triple short rib burgers; baskets of fries made “heavy” with caramelized onions, melted American cheese, homemade pickles, and the shop’s namesake sauce; and perfectly dolloped soft serve encrusted in a chocolate dip or swirled with sprinkles. There’s no way to go wrong here, other than not ordering a cone before you go." - Eater Staff, Matthew Kang

"Your Order: Double Short Rib Burger ($11) As the lone smashburger option in Santa Monica, this small yellow walk-up window on Main Street is a destination for touristy types on the Westside, and that’s before you factor in their dipped soft serve cones, beef tallow fries, and a long list of craft beers on tap. The strongest burger traits here are the beef (substantial, flavorful ground short rib) and bun (a buttery toasted potato roll). The rest is divisive: the patties are more seared than smashed, the onions are squishy and caramelized rather than griddled, and the combination of a worcestershire-heavy special sauce and sweet housemade bread-and-butter pickles is a little jarring. Would we still destroy one of their doubles in seconds after an afternoon at the beach? No question." - garrett snyder, sylvio martins, nikko duren

"Heavy Handed's juicy short-rib patties, as well as its welcoming patio, weekly beer list, and chocolate-dipped soft serve cones, check all the marks for a pinnacle smash burger experience." - Mona Holmes