SMASHED

"Smashed, one of the first restaurants in the latest smash burger trend, has closed. The restaurant was seized by the Marshall’s office, according to a source; the business has since announced its closure on Instagram. At one point, Smashed was the main competitor of 7th Street Burger. Smashed opened first, and the New Yorker once said it served the city’s best burger, but it was slower to expand: By the time it opened a second location last year, in the West Village, 7th Street Burger had spread across the city. Last year, Smashed closed its original burger shop to move into a bigger location at 167 Orchard Street, at Stanton Street, but the burgers weren’t the same." - Luke Fortney

"The burger counter that kicked off the city’s smash burger craze has closed after three years." - Luke Fortney

"Smashed became one of the earliest arrivals in the new wave of smash burger spots when it opened in 2021, and it now has a second location in the West Village. The signature burger comes with the choice of one, two, or three seared patties on a potato roll with American cheese, griddled and raw onions, pickles, and burger sauce. Also popular is the Big Smacc, a “smash burger Big Mac,” served on a sesame seed bun." - Luke Fortney, Robert Sietsema

"Stumble down Orchard Street before 3 a.m. on a Friday, and that’s where you’ll find it: a mess of lettuce, pickles, patty, and cheese otherwise known as the Big Shmacc. It unofficially stands for “smash burger Big Mac,” and standing outside of Smashed on a recent weekday night, the name is almost perfect, given that most of the people uttering it are visibly shmacked themselves." - Luke Fortney

"In the current era, the “smash burger” has become a thing, accomplished by doing what we were once told never to do: Press the spatula down on top of the patty until all the juices have been expelled, resulting in a thin dark patty that produces a slight crunch when bitten into. I dutifully tried three of the seven burgers offered, including one that featured blue cheese and bacon, mainly because the place received a glowing review in the New Yorker, in which the Maillard reaction was prominently mentioned. I found the patties inconsistently smashed, with some of the sides deeply browned, others gray and soppy. Nevertheless, the double-patty “classic smashed” ($12) on a puffy potato roll with an orange sauce like thousand-island dressing, proved to be tasty if not truly delicious. The wobbly brown fries outclassed the burger and were the best I tried among all four burger joints; but the “smashed potatoes,” made with miniature skin-on spuds, were disappointingly bland. Alcoholic beverages may eventually be available, giving “Smashed” a new meaning." - Robert Sietsema