Smash burgers in Vancouver: Where to find top-notch handhelds
Burger joints often brag about their brioche buns and tout their toppings, forgetting the most important part of the hamburger — the meat method.
Enter the smash burger, folks. Arguably the most delicious way to prepare a patty.
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For the handful of you who don’t know what a smash burger is, it’s quite simple — a ball of minced beef is put on a searingly hot grill and literally smashed into a thin patty with a spatula, cooking the meat in its own beefy juices.
The result? A crispy, caramelized patty on the outside that holds its juicy flavours inside. It’s a thin, imperfectly shaped, beefy prize of a burger.
There are many places in town that offer the popular burger style, but these four places make the smash burger their centrepiece.
DownLow Burgers
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From the go-big-or-go-home minds of Commercial Drive’s DownLow Chicken Shack, DownLow Burgers bounced around town as a pop-up until it found a permanent home at the historic American Hotel Bar on Main.
DownLow’s beef comes from Two Rivers Meats, and once smashed, its flavours are locked inside a seared crunchy coating. Nestled inside freshly baked potato buns, this smash is a hit.
Address: The American – 926 Main Street, Vancouver
Phone: 778-945-6751
Between 2 Buns
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Who woulda thought some of the best smashed burgers in Vancouver come from the heart of Chinatown? Between 2 Buns understands what a true smash tastes like and doesn’t disappoint.
The simple menu features messy, crispy, and succulent smashes that justify the lineups.
Try the classic Double Cheeser or the ever-popular Jalapeno Bacon Cheeser, full of fried peppers, pools of secret sauce, and topped with loads of “shredduce” (shredded lettuce, as if we needed to explain that one).
You can also find this concept’s truck at various events and fests in and around Vancouver.
Address: 105 East Pender, Vancouver
Super Smash Burgers
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Considering griddled smashed burgers have that old-fashioned diner taste, it’s fitting that Super Smash is located inside Glitch, Vancouver’s retro arcade bar.
Using high-end Alberta Angus beef, toasted potato buns, and classic melty American cheese, these smashes are bang on.
If you’re brave (and hungry), try the Triple Smash Burger with a caramelized onion “power-up” and a side of all-dressed tater tots. Here, even if you lose at pinball or Playstation, the food is always a win.
Address: 2287 West Broadway, Vancouver
Phone: 604-428-2847
Sirius Craving
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With its neon, laser-tag-like ’80s space-themed look, Sirius Craving is perhaps the most memorable and outrageous-looking food truck in the city. It recently celebrated its new brick-and-mortar location in White Rock’s Coho Eatery. Either way, you smash it, the eatery knows a good burger.
To up the ante on smashed burgers, Sirius makes its own pickles, sauce, and sodas from scratch. The patties are a mix of brisket and chuck and crisp up nicely, tasting as homemade as a burger gets.
Address: Various food truck locations (check Instagram)
Address: Coho Eatery – 14985 Marine Drive, White Rock
Phone: 1-888-424-6366
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