Elite Event: Smashburger

when i hear SMASH, i think of three things in no particular order: NBC’s TV SMASH (boo! hiss! and thankfully it was cancelled!); Hulk SMASH (RAHR! superhero nerdery) and SMASHBURGER, where quality, value, local sourcing, and a fast casual dining experience intersect.
ducking in from the cold into SMASHBURGER’s warm well-​lit embrace, one can see how the narrowish long space had a lot of thought put into it. from the bright but not overpowering lighting. the exposed brick wall on the left, with fun modern signage. the off-​white walls which smooth out the bright accent colors and cool metal fixtures. the well-​spaced tables: a few normal ones in the front and then about 5 to 6 high tables (4-​tops). though the restaurant is not gigantic – it feels airy, open floor, etc.
on this chilly St. Patrick’s day, Ruggy told us to bring our appetite. as this was a sitdown SMASH food like polite savages:
first up SMASHED FRIES. i got a whole tray to myself. and all i’ll say is these crispy shoestring taters that were bathed in olive oil and a lil bit of garlic are perfect. FRIES SMASHED! salty, light grease n garlic!!!
as more folks joined my table. the hardworking SMASHstaffers quickly reloaded us with fries and drinks. then brought out FRIED PICKLES with RANCH SAUCE and SWEET POTATO FRIES. i was superpartial to FRIED PICKLES because they are salty and pair deliciously with tangy RANCH SAUCE. Fried Sweet Taters are always good, but those pickles n ranch tho, YO! delicious.
more drink reloads and soon began the SEVEN COURSE BURGER ONSLAUGHT! hide everything but your appetite! hahaha
TOM RYAN, founder of SMASHBURGER is a passionate dude. he knows burgers. in fact he knows food. he has like a PhD in taste, flavors, aromas, fats, etc. (GOOGLED his credentials!) it’s insane! later in the night, i’d discover he’s responsible for STUFFED CRUST PIZZA, McGriddles, and other mind-​blowing food creations… oh, TOM, how my cholesterol loves/​hates your delicious food-​frankensteinery! he walked us through the SMASHBURGER ways and enlightened us on how SMASHBURGER does and approaches burgers differently during each course.
CLASSIC SMASH aka a classic cheeseburger with SMASHSAUCE on an egg bun (Tom told us the sauce recipe but i forgot to write it down #damnit). if you like traditional cheeseburgers, this be your thang.
BBQ, BACON, & Cheddar aka dat messy beefy bacon cheesy saucy burger with crunchy fried onions. if you like bacon cheesy crunchy flavor bomb, this is your thang.
TRUFFLE MUSHROOM SWISS BURGER: truffle sauce, mushrooms, swiss cheez, and the beefiness smashed into a egg bun. if you like SUPER SAVORY UMAMI NIRVANA experiences in your mouth then this is your tastypalooza. 5 outta 5 star. MY OVERALL FAVORITE OF THE NIGHT!
NEW YORKER (regional burger specific to NYC locations): beefy cheddary, grilled oniony, spinach smashed into a brioche bun. do you like simple blunt to-​the-​point people with flavor, then a NEW YORKER is a good burger match for your people preference. 5 outta 5 stars
AVOCADO RANCH BLACK BEAN BURGER: vegetarian option of creamy avocado, pepper jack cheese. ranch on a BEAN patty smashed into a multigrain bun. if you need to avoid temptations of «the flesh” – this is your burger. TASTY. i’d actually order this.
SPINACH, CUCUMBER & GOAT CHEESE CHICKEN, cucumbers, goat cheese, grilled chicken on a multigrain bun. chicken was cooked perfectly, not too heavy, and had flavor. this fowl was definitely not foul – and was absolutely yummers!
BUFFALO & BLUE CHEESE CRISPY CHICKEN. YASSSSSSS!!! Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Sauce, blue cheez, crunchy juicy chicken on an egg bun. SO good! it was like eating a sandwich of wings without the bones to pick through! if you’re a wings guy or gal, take this bird down. you won’t be sorry.
7 COURSES? PFFT. nah more like EIGHT burger courses. in recognition of St. Patty’s day and because he’s a madman, Tom whipped up an Irish Burger with bacon, cheese, Guinness-​soaked what-​not. flavorful. savory. and ooey gooey lightly greasy… YUM.
please keep in mind that we got MULTIPLE SAMPLES of each burger course. definitely ate the equivalent of 5 to 6 burgers!!!
how do you top 8 burger courses? with Haagen Daz specially-​spun shakes. we got an Oreo Mint shake as well as Salted Caramel one. i hearted both, but the Oreo Mint would be the one i marry.
what made the night so incredibly awesome wasn’t just the food, ambience, or Tom’s entertaining insights. it really was the hardworking SMASHING staff of SMASHBURGER. they really made us feel welcome, constantly bringing out food, bussing. those folks have my respect and gratitude for killing in it terms of service and kindness. YAY!
thank you to Ruggy and the rest of TEAM Unilocal. Monsieur Ruggy and co. A HUGE ROUND of APPLAUSE for putting together an outstanding event of glorious gluttony & savory excess on St. Patrick’s Day.
drops mic, so i can pass out from eating 2 days worth of calories in 2 hours. zzzz
i out!

As many other here alluded, when Ruggy said to come hungry for the first time you knew this event meant business. Arriving with fellow eliter Alejandro we were amongst the first to enter and were immediately greeted by the founder of smashburger, Tom Ryan. Something about his look makes me think he could be on undercover boss one day, def a lively and interesting guy. Also said my mom was a smart lady for enjoying Smash burger in NJ, but I digress :). We were promptly seated and offered beer selection (its st patricks day so why not) Of course I started with a Guinness and later switched to a blue moon. Started with some amazing fried pickles, as the waitress told us, its something you wouldnt think to eat but when its sitting there and baked into the crust it was amazing. The sweet potatoe fries were also a solid appetizer.
Onto the good stuff, the burgers! We were allowed to sample 8 different burgers. Starting with the classic, that is popular and traditional and I enjoyed. The BBQ Bacon was tasty but bacon isn’t really my thing. My favorite by far was the truffle mushroom Swiss burger, something about the sauteed crimini mushrooms really did this for me. Honorable mention goes to the avocado ranch bean burger, as I like this place is cognizant of the veterinarians out there, and for a non meat substitute this was pretty solid.
The night ended with some milkshakes! They had a cookies and cream and caramel one going around. The caramel was delicious and I was lucky enough to get to try a second one. Overall, this is what Unilocal elite events are all about, getting to intimately try a new or established spot in the city that you may not have seen, and getting to experience it first hand. Props to Ruggy for getting this one set up. Next time im in the Financial district and craving a burger I know where to go :).

Wonderful, intimate foodie event!
Each smashing Smashburger was described in detail
by the passionate founder, Tom Ryan.
How so, you ask? He made a special St. Patty’s day burger with Guiness-​infused onions as a surprise for us! And gave a demo of how a burger is smashed onto the grill!
Tom has 30+ years of experience in food, previously working with McDonalds and Pizza Hut, and founded this «fast-​casual» Smashburger with locations around the world. Each region features a special burger (e.g. Pan Asian style in Cali) as well as a special BBQ sauce (e.g. root beer infused in New Orleans) = muy cool!
It would be even cooler if
EACH REGION’S BURGER MADE A MONTHLY (?) APPEARANCE IN NYC
since NYC is so diverse and full of visitors/​transplants/​adventurous natives!
We each got Smashburger & Unilocal swag in totes hanging on each of our seats (love those bar chairs & high tables!!) including Unilocal sunglasses, a Smashburger menu, reusable sport-​cap bottle, and sticker.
I tried their:
_​French Fries: thin and crispy = yum
_​Sweet Potato Fries: crispy & tasty = yum
_​Haystack Onions: never had them this thin, I like!
_​Fried Pickles: still crispy even though fried, nice
_​Truffle Mushroom Swiss burger: tasty!
_​Avocado Ranch Veggie Black Bean burger: pretty good
_​Spinach, Cucumber & Goat Cheese chicken sandwich: mmm.
(Tom mentioned that people who don’t like goat cheese don’t even notice the taste and like it, but that wasn’t the case with my bf.)
I’ll have to return to try their Harvest Salad and Smashfries®!
Thank you Tom & Ruggy!

This was such an amazing, thoughtful event hosted by Smashburger Founder Tom Ryan. It’s rare to be able to 1. meet the Founder and 2. hear the story and history of a restaurant or chain, especially from the Founder himself.
Food with a story makes us connected, it gives us context, and in this case, it really added to the experience and understanding of the flavors.
The entire staff was extremely kind, helpful, and fun, and I love that Tom Ryan took time during his speech to thank them all.
We were able to sample all the burgers, cut in quarters, as well as a medley of sides (Sweet Potato Fries, Smash Fries, and Fried Pickles) and milkshakes. The Sweet Potato Fries were some of the best sweet potato fries I’ve had and the Smash Fries were delicious, shoestring size but with olive oil, rosemary, garlic, and salt. The Fried Pickles we had were a bit too salty so I didn’t have more than one. We were also able to try two shakes — Salted Caramel (heaven) and a special St. Patrick’s Day shake of Oreo, Guinness, and mint.
My favorite burgers were the Classic Smash, Bacon Cheeseburger, Truffle Mushroom Swiss and the special burger Tom Ryan concocted earlier that day with bacon, Guinness caramelized onions, spinach. The special burger was actually our table’s favorite. And no surprise that all my favorites were the red meat options. The vegetarian and chicken burgers were good but nothing can compare to the real thing when you are inherently a burger fiend. Also made a burger friend in Mary!

One of the best Elite events this year to date! It was intimate, informative, and absolutely filling!
Pros:
* Founder of Smashburger Tom Ryan was so welcoming, funny and took his time to explain his company, history and each of his special offerings– all of which were delicious! You can tell he is passionate about his business and is always experimenting to produce unique and bolder flavor combinations.
* I enjoy Manhattan Elite only events because none of us turn into Unilocaltures in a smaller and more intimate setting and everyone can relax and indulge an a continuous flow of food. My favorites were the Truffle Mushroom Swiss (truffle mayo, sautéed baby portabella mushrooms and aged swiss on an egg bun), BBQ, Bacon & Cheddar (bbq sauce, applewood-​smoked bacon, cheddar and haystack onions on an egg bun), both Crispy Chicken and Goat Cheese Chicken Burgers (the pounded chicken was so juicy and succulent) and the final surprise burger The Classic Smash (american cheese, smash sauce, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion on an egg bun) was also delicious
* Loved the regular and sweet potato fries, fried zucchini and milkshake desserts made with Haagen Daaz icecream!
* Excellent service — the staff constantly kept tabs on us
Thank you Ruggy, Tom Ryan and the courteous staff of Smashburger for hosting a terrific and stuffing event!

You know you’re in for a treat when Ruggy’s welcome email tells you to come hungry. No need to hog all the fried macaroni and cheese croquettes to yourself, hypothetical Unilocal Elite guest Gluttonous Gloria, there’s plenty of food to go around here!
(But in all seriousness, people at Unilocal Elite events who take second, third, or fourth helpings all at once before others have a chance to try food will receive a patent-​pending glare of disapproval from myself. This also applies if you’re oblivious enough to brag about it on an event review page and then complain there wasn’t enough food to go around – I’ve seen it happen. Courtesy is contagious, and it begins with you! End rant).
Truffle Swiss burger. Salted caramel milkshake. Fried pickles. Sweet potato fries. Rosemary garlic Smashfries. Stop me if I’m making you hungry, but I already know what I’m ordering next time I come to Smashburger.
Our MC was the founder of the Smashburger empire himself, Tom Ryan. I enjoyed meeting someone with a clear passion for food and a high level of charisma. Tom took so much pride in explaining each burger individually, and answered any questions we had. I was interested to learn more about the restaurant’s expansion internationally (specifically the Middle East), and Tom was happy to explain.
Tom even designed a specialty burger for the event featuring onions slow cooked with Guinness beer.
Just like in dating, very rarely will you find you get a full picture of who the person or restaurant is in just a few hours. This evening was a special exception; we got to see how the restaurant’s mission and competitive edge manifests itself across its different menu items. For those looking for a behind the scenes glimpse, Tom even offered to take us to see the kitchen (I was too full to even think about food by that point, though).
On that note, I liked how Tom described a process many of its competitors do not do, which is to pay homage to local market preferences with the food, with something as basic as BBQ sauce. Did you know, for example, that Smashburgers in Michigan use cherries in their sauce (I guess I know where my next vacation is going to be)?
Let’s talk about the staff for a second. Holy cow (pun intended?), they were great. Very friendly, professional, and diligent. Very rarely do you come across such high level of service in the City. Whether you needed an extra drink or another basket of fries, they were happy to help.
Ruggy is always outdoing himself with these events, which isn’t easy because he and the Unilocal Elite NYC team set the bar so high.
I was very fortunate to have this event fall on my birthday. What a better way to spend my day than with great company and outstanding food in a classy event. Thanks to Ruggy, to Smashburger and to the restaurant’s hard working staff.

I will never look at a burger the same way again… especially after the Smashburger founder himself, Tom Ryan, eloquently and gracefully explained his thought process behind sourcing the freshest ingredients and combing those ingredients to elevate what we all know as the «hamburger». The care that Tom and his team puts into creating the perfect burger and the way he spoke and presented each burger was sight to see, hear, and most importantly, taste. I have no qualms with recommending Smashburger to any of my friends as I now know only the freshest ingredients are used. In my humble opinion I believe that the Smashburger dynasty will continue to thrive in NYC.
Thank you Tom Ryan, Ruggy, and the entire Smashburger team for setting up this tremendously successful event, providing an amazing dining experience, and working to raise the bar on the quality of «fast food».

This was the best Elite Event yet! Not only was it around the corner from my apartment, I got to make some new friends and try AMAZING burgers and shakes, and meet the owner Tom Ryan. I loved how he gave a short speech explaining the thought process that went into creating each burger before it was served. The ingredients, flavor combo and preparation of the food were all so clearly thought out, and based on taste, I would definitely say this man is a culinary genius!
My favorite burger was the truffle burger or the special st. patricks day burger Tom Ryan created THAT DAY. It included guinness marinade, dubliner cheddar, some sweet sauce that was delicious but I cannot remember what was in it, and crispy onions. This should definitely be a regular menu item, it was SO good. Although I was very full from trying 8 different burgers, I managed to try the oreo mint and salted caramel shakes, both of which were amazing. They also gave us a full mug of beer AND smashburger tote & water bottle! Thanks to Ruggy, Tom, and all the kind members of the staff at Smashburger, you have a new, loyal customer right around the corner :)

Ruggy commanded us to come hungry and hungry we came. Smashburger delivered like no other! This event was perfect, from the founder, Tom Ryan, being there and explaining the history and menu of Smashburger, to the wait staff being total sweethearts and delivering our every need, to the intimate setting that the small group created. Tom even gave us a tour of the kitchen and showed us the «smash process.»
This is what it means to be Elite! Thank you Ruggy!

Amazing 1^st event as an elite. Had the opportunity to meet and speak with some awesome folks. I was warned by a number of Unilocal vets that this event definitely set the bar of standards super high. But I am so certain that Ruggy will ensure every event is just as awesome, if not better. (Although, how it can get better I just dont know)
The location was immaculate, service went above and beyond and oh my what a showstopper their founder, Tom Ryan, is all by his lonesome! Allene, Rose, Dominek and myself sampled all of their offerings and then some– thanks to a customization required due to allergy. Like, how many places would do that when everything is gratis? It’s all about the details and Smashburger clearly knows what great quality is all about.
I walked in not knowing what to expect and left full to the Brim with surprisingly fresh, quality, well seasoned food, vibes and libations. Thanks to Ruggy for being awesome and I cant wait for the next one!

YAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! We were told to come hungry, and I came starving.
So glad I was able to attend this extremely intimate event with the crew at Smashburger. I was discussing with my lovely new Unilocal ladyfriends at my table and we all agreed that this was one of the best, if not THE best Unilocal events we’ve ever attended in terms of intimacy, amount of food, types of food, and relationship with the restaurant. Hopefully our new noobie Unilocal Elite had an amazing first event!
Along with Smashburger paraphenalia, we were given an opportunity to try Smashburger sides and do a tasting menu of Smashburger’s burger offerings — 8, yes EIGHT, types of burgers. The sweet potato fries were TO DIE FOR. Fried pickles were also good, as were the shoestring fries and onion ring «haystack». Tom Ryan (founder of Smashburger) explained each and every burger to us and how he was inspired to make each one — it was so detailed and you could totally see the passion he has for his food. The staff at Smashburger were all so incredibly nice and so helpful and attentive the entire night. Whatever we needed, whether it was a drink refill, sweet potato fries refill, or a simple thing like a clean knife — they were there for us.
That truffle mushroom burger though… and I downed 4 of those baby milkshakes at the end — so much food, I couldn’t resist. It’s okay — Rose K. and I went to the gym right afterwards and burned all those delicious calories off.
Cheers to Ruggy, Tom, and all of the Smashburger staff for making this such an organized, delicious, and SMASHing event!

Literally the best event I’ve ever been to in my 6 years of being Unilocal Elite. Also great company to find myself sitting with Allene T., Dominek, and Mardory!
Props to Tom Ryan for being such a well-​spoken, knowledgable, and organized founder! We were incredibly pampered by the entire staff. There was a printed tasting menu of all the different burgers we were going to taste throughout the night. Tom even personally surprised us with his own St. Patty’s Day creation.
Favorite of the night was definitely the truffle mushroom. I’m coming back to get one with a fried egg.
I think Ruggy must have been snickering in the corner at anyone who has ever complained about not getting enough food at an event. Everyone was stuffed! And at the end? Their milkshakes brought all the boys to the yard…
Thank you so much to everyone who made the event so amazing. I won’t need to eat for the rest of the week.

WHAT A GREAT EVENT. Like hands down this has been the best event I have attended so far. There are so many reasons why it was:
–Huge amounts of food
–The intimate environment between the Unilocalers and the founder
–The organization and order of the event
–Explanation of each item
–Extremely attentive and kind staff
–The fact this was not a +1 event. Kind of forced you to get to know other Unilocalers.
I love how passionate the founder is about his brand and how you can tell how involved he is in the process. The food in itself knocked my socks off. We had had the chance to sample EVERY SINGLE burger that is available plus one that was inspired for St Patrick’s day. Each burger was delivered hot and fresh with only the freshest toppings. My favorite burger was Truffle Mushroom Swiss. It was like God made it himself.
There were plenty of sides to go around as well. The smash fries were delicious and I couldn’t stop eating them. Loved the sweet potato fries and the fried pickles. Yum.
At the end were blessed with heavenly milkshakes. I had the Oreo mint one. OMG!!! SOOOO GOOD.
Thank you Smashburger staff, thank you Ruggy, and thank you Tom!!!

It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to make it to an Elite event, and boy am I glad I finally made it tonight for one of the most enjoyable ones I’ve ever been to.
The awesome Smashburger crew and founder Tom Ryan (also the creator of the Stuffed Crust Pizza (!) as we found out during some interesting stories after the event) hosted us to a very chill and delicious night of burgers and excellent fries. Unlike some of the louder and more crowded events, it was a great chance to meet new Elite members, like Stephanie W., who is about the same age as Stuffed Crust Pizza.
It was one of the Elite only, more intimate gatherings, with probably only about 20 people or so, with everybody seated at tables of 4 or 5. The tables were stocked with plenty of their excellent Sweet Potato Fries, Shoestring Fries and Fried Pickles during the beginning of the event while people arrived.
After about an hour or so, the delicious burgers started coming out at a good pace, with Tom explaining the story and ingredients behind each one. They were cut into quarters for people to share, but still ended up being plenty of food since we got to try a total of 8 great varieties.
Best of all is of course the BBQ Bacon Cheddar, and for non burgers, the Buffalo & Blue Cheese Crispy Chicken was also great. Lastly, they gave us samples of the Mint Oreo Shake for St. Patrick’s Day, and even better the super sweet and delicious Salted Caramel Shake.
The crew and the space here are both great, so it is a major welcome addition to the not-​so-​great dining scene here in the Financial District. Major thanks as always to Ruggy of course for organizing such a cool event with a great business.
Come tomorrow if you want a free Smashburger for the grand opening. I’ll definitely be back more later on for some solid burgers and shakes.