mathprof

Food blogger Robin Lee captured my feelings about five guys fries:... my reaction was probably something like, "Oh my god these fries are made of crack and rainbows and how the hell can fries taste this good oh sweet jesus I'mgonnaeattenmore."

Unlike others I have not had a bad batch. I think the burgers are pretty good with extra bacon (same price for extra bacon as just plain add bacon), cheese, and grilled onions and mushrooms.

gaobest

I still like them without salt :-)

boxo

Oh hey, there's a Smashburger nine miles from me. Color me excited. I mean, any burger place that has brussels sprouts on the menu can't be bad, right? If I was closer, I'd whip out my phone and order delivery right now.

gaobest

It’s 2a and all this talk is craving toast.

klew97

I don't know, I tried the sprouts at The Habit and they were mushy and coated in oil. Even tried it a second time to see if it was an off day or the cook did it wrong, nope. The sprouts from Gott's Roadside were much better.

On topic, two Smashburgers opened in my county some years back, tried both and was disappointed both times. They were gone within two years. I do find Five Guys fries to consistently be the best of all the fast food chains I've tried. At McDonalds, I have asked for no salt on the fries, which usually means I get the next fresh batch so they can serve them before salting them for the commoners.

JBord

Near my condo in Chicago, the Five Guys and Smashburger were just a few blocks apart on the same street. Smashburger didn't last long. Apparently Lincoln Park has voted. I agree Five Guys is the best, but "consistent" is not a word I usually associate with it. If every store output exactly the same quality as the best ones, I suspect there would be little debate about the best. Too many people, like my wife, have their first experience at a mediocre store -- in her case, we waited nearly 30 minutes after ordering, while two teenagers worked the grill and served a large group of their friends that came in after us. We finally got undercooked fries and room temp burgers with un-melted cheese. I've tried enough stores in my work travels to know they can be great when done right, but many people probably don't give it a second try.

boxo

Okay, I went to Smashburger for the first time because of this thread. My mom and I had them cut the burger in half and we shared the brussels sprouts. Separately, I ordered Smash tots and she had regular fries. Loved the rosemary on the tots and enjoyed the sprouts as well.



The sprouts were huge and surprisingly good, al dente, not mushy at all, but not exactly “crispy” as the menu claims.

corky

How was the shake? What is the seasoning on the sprouts?
I got a page of coupons in the mail for Smashburger a few days ago.....I know I should throw it away so I won't be tempted to go but I haven't yet.

gaobest

you deserve to return.

boxo

I thought the shake was unremarkable in chocolate flavor. In hindsight, I would have rather had a pint of Haagen Daz Chocolate ice cream instead. I think the sprouts were salt n peppered with some parmesan. They are served with a side of ranch dressing and I must say that was a tasty combination new to me. The leftover sprouts were even better the next day after a stint in the toaster oven - hot n crispy.

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