Smash hit
There’s beauty in simplicity… even for America’s favorite sandwich. After years of burger aficionados stacking up their offerings, consumers are now turning away from complex, topping-heavy buns and towards a more humble hamburger: the smash burger.
Indeed, per reporting from the WSJ, smash burger-related queries on restaurant review page Yelp more than doubled between 2019 and 2023, according to company data, and Google searches for “smash burger” have increased 10x since the start of 2020, overtaking the ever-popular “chicken burger” by search volume last month.
Although pressing patties down on a grill to speed up cooking has been typical of diner chefs for decades, a newfound appreciation for the sear and texture that this technique produces — thanks to the all-important, umami-making Maillard reaction — has seen the smash burger take off.
Fast-food chains like Shake Shack and the aptly named Smashburger, which has 220 locations in the US, have seen success with their single- and double-pattied efforts, and the trend has also given rise to social media hits like 7th Street Burger. Even upmarket eateries are now riding the smash wave, with wagyu beef versions cropping up across the country, and chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants opening smash burger joints in San Diego and Austin.
Related to the “veggie burger” line on the chart above: Like most Americans, McDonald’s has given up on Beyond Meat
