Elite Event – Burger Bash at Smashburger

North Bay YEE #3 was at the new Smashburger in Mill Valley & it was a smashing success!
OK, forgive me for going for the obvious line, but the Burger Bash at Smashburger was a truly incredible event. Smashburger invited Elites & their +1’s to their new location just prior to the grand opening & straight up fed us all damn near everything on their entire menu.
Wow! I mean, really, wow! The final tally was gut-​bustingly impressive. We all got to try a ¼ piece of 7 different sandwiches (burger, chicken & veggie — equivalent to 1.75 whole sandwiches), all the sides we wanted & some Häagen-​Dazs Shake samples.
With Smashburger C-​level execs present & mingling with the Unilocal crowd at this YEE, it was readily apparent that the company takes the success of every single location’s launch very seriously. With respect to that, I offer my honest appraisal.
The sides (French Fries, Smashfries, Sweet Potato Fries, Haystack Onions & Veggie Frites) are the strength of the menu. All were excellent. Additionally, the Veggie Frites (flash-​fried carrot sticks and green beans) are a unique, delicious & healthy option.
The burgers were mostly excellent. The Truffle Mushroom Swiss & BBQ, Bacon, Cheddar Burgers were flat-​out fantastic. The Classic Smash was really good for a simple burger. But the Bay Burger, which I mostly liked, I feel, needs 1 modification.
Smashburger does this really cool thing where they develop a distinct burger for every different region they have locations. The Bay Burger is the regional burger for NorCal/​SF Bay Area. I liked how it tasted, but it’s served on a soft ciabatta bun. Please toast the bun. The textural contrast & toasty grilled flavor would push this burger over the top.
The Chicken sandwiches were OK. Not particularly great. Not particularly memorable. Not bad. Chicken sandwiches are good to have on the menu as an alternative to burgers, but I didn’t feel there was anything that especially distinguished these from other fast/​casual offerings.
The Veggie Burger had good flavor. I liked it. But the black bean patty was mushy. Again, texture. The whole sandwich seemed too soft. I am, however, not vegetarian, so maybe the texture is more acceptable to vegetarians.
Finally, & indeed the best for last, the Häagen-​Dazs Shakes. More specifically, the PB & J Shake. Yup, that’s a peanut butter & jelly shake. Nope, that did not sound right to me, initially. But it was gooooood! Oh yeah, I will be getting that again.
I’d like to thank Smashburger for debuting their Mill Valley location to us Elites & our +1’s. Thanks also for introducing us to your concept & menu. I now know that my next Smashburger order will be the Truffle Mushroom Swiss Burger (or Bay Burger if the bun is toasted), Veggie Frites & a PB & J Shake.
Thanks also to North Bay’s CM, Kevin B., for his 3^rd outstanding YEE in a row. You are on a smokin’ hot streak! &, lastly, thanks to North Bay Elites Leah C. & Fred V F. for making this YEE a blast. We definitely had the cool kids table.

What a great event and what fabulous food. I love burgers and these were some of the best that I have had. My favorite was the classic burger but they have enough options for everyone’s taste. The chicken options were also really yummy.
Besides having great food, the service was outstanding. The staff is knowledge about the products and they go out of their way to make this great experience for their customers.
I highly recommend Smashburger and plan on visiting regularly.

Don’t they tell you on the food network to not smash the burger patty because it gets rid of all the juiciness? Whatever, this place was delicious. Really like the onion things, and fries, and shakes and beer.
Favorite burger was the bacon cheeseburger for sure. I really liked the bay area burger too and surprisingly the vegan one. Not at first but the spiciness got me kind of excited… Thought the chicken sandwiches were a smart idea. Marin does have a lot of burger competition but don’t think there will be any competition with the chicken sandwich.
Glad I got to have a Lagunitas beer for the first time, been living up in the bay area for 3 years now and still havn’t had one of those. Got the non-​IPA by default, but I would have asked for a non-​IPA anyway.
Shakes, oh god yes. Heaven in a dixie cup. Success Unilocal,success. Can’t wait for more North-​Bay events. WOOP WOOP!

Once Upon a Time… I have to admit that I was a vegan. Actually, I was a vegan for quite awhile, and vegetarian for even longer. I even went to a vegetarian college! Yeah! Crazy! Thankfully, I am now in recovery, and eat everything except, of course, for bell peppers. Because of this history, I was keen on encouraging fellow Unilocal elite vegetarian Fred to join us on the meat side, because, baby, it’s happier here! So off we went to Mill Valley, intent on stuffing our faces with no-​foods-​barred panache.
As always, I was early, to scope out the location. Still new to Mill Valley, I took awhile to get used to the setup of the city, but so far I really am starting to like it. I’ve never had Smashburger either, so this was an exciting treat. We rolled up to Kevin, the ever gracious and amenable host with the most, and headed inside for some cold ones. I was pleased to note that they were serving Lagunitas from my neighborhood (woot woot, Sonoma County!). Asked the friendly servers what the girliest beer was, to which they pointed me to the Pils, and I was quite content with this selection. Bumped into some new faces, Marcus K. and his wife, friends John M. and Lilia M., Issy D., Don F., Scott S (thank you for the beer!), and many others.
Food was overwhelming, I was initially excited with the promise of eight courses, but seriously, it seemed like a trillion! We started off with the world’s cutest waitress Claire, with whom I lost all decency and got über goofy, but we seemed to have fun. Seriously tho, we had more fun than prolly all y’all tables combined! :). First on the docket was the garlic fries, which were salty and delicate, the sweet potato fries which were sweet but I thought a little heavy, and the flash fried (flash fried?) veggies which I liked once we cajoled Claire to bring us a selection of all the sauces from the kitchen to try (hey, doesn’t kill to ask, right?).
Next up were the burgers. My favorite was the mushroom and truffle burger, although the bacon burger was also quite good. I however did not care for the chicken burgers, and thought they tasted cheap, and as Lilia put it «Like I could have bought it at Carl’s Junior.» I have never eaten at CJ’s so I’m just going to have to take your word on that one… And going with 6 Flag’s mantra «More Flags, More Fun,» I stuck all my remaining flags into the last chicken burger to attempt to redeem it, but to no avail. Another fail IMO was the black bean burger, which looked like a turd. Flavor of said selection was unsurprisingly unappetizing to me, with complicated multiple spicy flavors, and honestly, I couldn’t get past the turd-​iness.
I was super excited to see if indeed all the boys would show up in the yard when the milkshakes were served, but if they were swarming, I missed it :(. All of my milkshake dixie cups (5), were melted (Is that why the boys didn’t show up?), but I think if they were more frozen, they would have been major winners. I preferred the oreo one over the PB&J which I thought was too sweet.
It was another blast of a time, had a great adventure talking with the CFO? COO? About the company, what his plans are for northern california, and what Smashburger is doing for vegetarians, vegans, and celiacs/gluten-free’ers.

Yay! I was finally able to attend my first Unilocal elite event. I am so grateful that there are finally events in the North Bay.
I left feeling full on 9 months pregnant with a food baby. Possibly twins. The food seriously never stopped coming.
My favorites were the mushroom burger which my friend even liked although she despises mushrooms. Also the bay burger and chicken club with bacon and avocado. All were amazing. Next time I come I’m grabbing a mushroom burger, smash fries and a shake. Although, everything tasted fresh and delicious so I doubt I could make a bad choice.
I also appreciated the fact that smashburger prices were great and they offer vegetarian options plus salads! No excuse to not come here even if you are on a diet or a vegetarian.
It was great being able to come to this event and meet some fellow Unilocalers. I can’t wait until the next event.

This was our first Unilocal Elite event and we’re looking forward to more events. Great people, food, and fun!
Smashburger is bound to be a big success. Every burger type was delicious. I think I’ll have the chicken burger next time. The fries were fabulous. My favorite were the rosemary and garlic shoe strings. Wow!
The only reason for four stars instead of five is because of the building acoustics. The high ceilings and room structure will prevent it from ever being a place for normal conversation. Granted, the Unilocal party was full of chatty people, but I think it will always be a noisy place to eat.
I’ll be back! The food was too good not to have again.

Hidden away next to whole foods stands this amazing restaurant. Some of the best and unexpectedly juiciest burgers are offered here. There are many ways in which this chain restaurant surprised me.
First, the event was well organized. Their staff was great. They catered to our needs and addressed any complaints we might have had. The only issue was overcrowding. It seemed like there were just a few too many attendees and not enough tables for them. They even had to turn away some people that came late. (Those Unilocalers deserved to be turned away if they came an hour late but still)
The main course of a slew of 7 of their menu sandwiches was just killer in terms of taste and amount. Included in the 7 were the Classic Smash, Bay Burger, Truffle Mushroom Swiss, BBQ Bacon Cheddar, Spicy Baja, Avocado Club Chicken and Classic Chicken. All super delicious. I never would’ve figured smashed meat to have such a wonderful texture and taste and overall juiciness. My favorite has to be our local burger, the Bay Burger. Definitely has all the components I like: truffle mayo, portobello mushrooms and arugula.
Final Impression: Love the atmosphere, the waitstaff and the burgers themselves. I wish I lived in the North Bay just so I’d have an excuse to come here more often.

Thanks Kevin for this GREAT Unilocal elite event!
I had SmashBurgers before in their Sacramento locations but having them now in Mill Valley is awesome! I’ll definitely stop by again soon.
We got to try several burgers from the menu and I have to say that the «bay burger» (Bay Area exclusive) was my favorite: truffle oil in a burger is a great idea!

Not much more I can add the previous reviews except to support all that was said.
Great job in transforming this into a light, bright & airy space. Staff were really welcoming… but the star of the evening was no doubt the food. This truly isn’t just another Burger joint… they are bringing some new twists. If they keep up the quality & customer service they will be a huge HIT.
I will definitely be back along with others, including kids who I know will love this place.
Awesome job Kevin, the Unilocal crew & the great folks from Smashburger.

Well, Kevin knocked it out of the park AGAIN!!!
SMASH BURGERS, what a great addition to this town.
I brought my 14 years old son last night and the first thing he told me is «finally a place better than Super Duper».
Great burgers, staff very friendly, prices very attractive, the place looks great.
I don’t think I ever seen a burger with truffle oil in them, great thinking.
WILL BE BACK.

I love burgers and this place rocks! Great variety on the menu, very fresh & TASTY burgers, sweet potato fries and awesome milkshakes. Onion rings were a bit greasy, but everything else was top notch. If the service is as good as last night, it’s gonna be tough on all the other burger joints in town.
Kevin, you are the Man, thanks for the invite and turning me on to SMASH BURGER.
I will be back… again and again.
Try it, you will like it, guaranteed.

Really cool event (thanks Kevin!)! Featured all of their burgers and fries (and even milkshakes). My personal favorite was the Bay Burger, but none of them will disappoint! The veggie came in as a close second place, and you can order it spicy, just the way I like it.
Excited to try them out again after their grand opening later this week!

Smashburger was a HIT! Thank you Kevin for pulling up a chair after my late arrival — chivalry! I’d never miss an extraordinary YEE. Between the kids’ summercamp and practices, it’s hard to maneuver throughout the mini-​cities of Marin. Luckily, I came in around bacon time, when they introduced their bbq, bacon & cheddar burger (nom, nom, nom). The avocado club chicken — amazeballs, what’s their secret to keeping the meat so juicy? Talk about burger bliss! ‘Save the best for last’ Häagen-​Dazs ice cream! No other place does it right like Smashburger. It was a pleasure meeting CEO Dave and the awesome staff in Mill Valley (MV) — they were upbeat and didn’t miss a beat! Thank you so much for the awesome hospitality.
I can’t wait to spread the word to all my family, friends, colleagues, soccer moms, softball, football, basketball, little league, etc. Smashburger is located perfectly in MV for all the kids and families to go bonkers over this new joint. My kids & I, along with their teammates will definitely be here on Thursday for Opening Day :-)
Watch out Super Duper, In & Out, The Counter, & Pearl’s…you guys/​gals have some FIERCE competition!

Smashburger, you definitely smash the spot for my burger craving! :D
Hehe.What an enjoyably feastful event! Oh my my, I’m still feeling stuffed from all the food! Tucked away in this plaza next to Pet Food Express & Whole Foods, Smashburger is this cute little diner that serves yummy burgers, sandwiches, fries, and milkshakes — just some good ol’ American cuisine.
We got to try the truffle fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, 7 different burgers/​sandwiches, and milkshakes. My most favorites were definitely the Classic, Chicken Club, onion rings, truffle fries, and the PB&J milkshake. Soo yummy! Mmm.
They had a soda machine and beers, but they’re missing wine. Hopefully, in the future, they can add wine to their drink list cause that would be pretty perfect!
This YEE was definitely worth the long distance for sure! Thanks Kevin & Smashburger for a deliciously great event! :)

In N Out and Pearls has got a competitor. Smashburgers taste like the burgers we used to get at The Green Teapot in Illinois back in the 70’s. You’d walk in, order a sack full, have a shake to go and walk out with a bag of burger bliss. The variety on the menu offers plenty of options; the veggie burgers had just the right bit of zest. Nice to see someone understand that veggie doesn’t mean bland– sweeeet job.
I’ll be back (and with friends)!

Excellent event, excellent burgers! We will be back very soon. Highly recommend the Bay Burger if you like truffle oil! Yummy…

Now that is different and great. Give that bacon cheeseburger a shot and you will not be disappointed. This is not just another fast food place. Burgers with a twist. I know I cant get a beer at In N Out and I am not sure about Pearls (fine burgers also). Anyway, I’ve lived in this zip code for 30 plus years, seen new ideas come and go but I think this place will make it just fine in Mill Valley

another great Unilocal elite event. They just keep getting better and better. I had to laugh when they apologized and said all the had to offer me was Lagunitas IPA, one of my favorite beers! Try the chicken club with avocado on whole wheat, or the Bay burger! Onion rings are really tasty. So glad to have a decent, Healthy burger place in marin, even the shakes are good, and I’m not a big shake person.

My hubby and I arrived early (about 40 min) and luckily, got to chat up Kevin, the community manager for the north bay while he was setting up. He was real nice and even gave us free socks for being so early!
Once we were allowed inside (about 10min before everyone else) we were immeditely, warmly greeted by the Smash Burgers PR person and CEO. All the staff and servers were very accomodating, informative and attentive throughout the night.
I’m not typically a burger kinda girl but I do love me a good mushroom burger and I’ve been to so many cheap and upscale burger joints that Smash Burger, far surpassed my expectations of what they were offering at the very low price point.
A 7 course burger tasting, with everything from the standard cheeseburger, bacon cheeseburger, vegetarian black bean chipotle burger, mushroom with truffle oil and chicken burgers. They were all pretty good, flavorful and juicy, but like I said before, the 2^nd burger we tried, the Mushroom with truffle oil was the stand out for me, along with the rosemary garlic olive oil fries and sweet potato fries! The flashed fried veggies were also delicious and well seasoned.
Saving the BEST part of the evening for last though, the thing that will have me returning, hopefully very soon, was the shake. not just ANY shake. a shake made with «häagen dazs» ice cream!!! Add some oreo’s and you got yourself a very satisfied Unilocaler!
I really enjoy these intimate events very much and I had a blast meeting and mingle with new faces of the North Bay, along with a few familiar faces. Shout out’s to Christine R, Hazel K. & Ruobin W. whom I got the pleasure of sharing a table with and engaging in pretty hilarious conversation! ;)
Overall, the entire staff and management at Smash Burger work tirelessly to provide us with attentive service, making sure we enjoyed the experience while offering us an overwhelming amount of food, including reusable tote with a coupon inside to come back!
Thank you so much to Kevin for making this event turn out so well (also welcome!) and much thanks to Smash Burgers for being such gracious hosts and making me feel so welcome that I would definitely want to return, along with some friends! :)

We made it down a little early to walk around the area to get some #fitbit numbers in. Greeted by Kevin at the front door and headed in to a nice new Smashburger not yet open to the public. We are lucky to be hooked up with Unilocal:-)
We talked with one of the area Mangers about the company learning they have over 200 stores and in other countries too. These guys have only been around about 6 years. Nice work!
Grabbed a table and food started coming. This is the 2^nd event that had tons of food. Be advised that this is unusual. They served 7 types of there sandwiches. My fav’s were the BBQ, Bacon & Cheddar Burger, Avocado Club Chicken and the Spicy Veggie Black Bean. The rosemary, olive oil and garlic fries were really yummy. They served PB&J milkshakes. That sound very weird but tasted pretty good.
Awesome YEE! Thanks to Kevin, Unilocal & Smashburger!