Smashburgers are ideal for fast food-style burgers, as they cook up quickly and can be eaten just as fast. With their thin patties, an abundance of good and fresh accompaniments (cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.) are essential in taking the burgers to the next level.
In Pittsburgh, there are now several places serving smashburgers, with more being continuously added. Below, Pittsburgh City Paper is highlighting five restaurants throughout the region where you can order the deliciously squished trendy burgers.
Burgh’ers Brewing
Multiple locations. burgherspgh.comSmash a burger and pound a beer at this local brewery/restaurant with locations in Lawrenceville, Zelionople, and the South Side. Burgh’ers offers several different smashburgers with toppings ranging from the typical (like onions, greens, and tomato) to the artisinal (balsamic reduction, pickled onion, and goat cheese), but all have those slightly crispy edges. Burgers come in pasture-raised local beef, a mix of beef and ground mushrooms called The Blend, or Impossible meatless patties. Wash it down with one of Burgh’ers locally brewed beers, if you like.
fl. 2 Modern American
510 Market St., Second Floor, Downtown. fl2pgh.comAvailable during lunch, this restaurant inside the Fairmont Hotel offers a fancy version of a fast-food classic. Sesame-seed buns cover two smashed patties and two slices of American cheese. Combine that with special sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle, and the second floor restaurant, with a great view of Market Square, provides comfort food with a side of high class.
Gab & Eat
1073 Washington Ave., Scott Township. gabneat.comIt’s hard to argue that the kind of places really exceling at smashburgers are diners, and Gab & Eat coffee shop in Scott Township is no exception. While not labeled “smashburgers,” this diner compresses their ground beef hard on the grill, then serves it up hot on their burgers and inside some beautifully fluffy buns. Options range from standard hamburgers and cheeseburgers to the Deluxe Burger, which comes with onions, peppers, and provolone cheese.
MoonLit Burgers
moonlit-burgers.square.siteThis burger pop-up joint has been selling smashburgers across the region, and is opening a permanent storefront in Dormont soon. But until then, customers can still enjoy MoonLit’s single, double, and triple Moon Burgers that come smashed on a Martin’s potato roll, and served with American cheese, griddled onions, pickles, and their signature Moon sauce. MoonLit promises its burgers will take you over the Moon.
Pittsburgh Sandwich Society
501 E Ohio St., Millvale. pghsandwichsociety.comThe smashburgers at this food truck and sandwich shop are inspired by the beloved West Coast burger chain In-N-Out Burger. In fact, Pittsburgh’s Sandwich Society’s name for their burger is an homage to the chain: the In-N-Aht Burger. It comes with two smashed beef patties, American cheese, onion jam, spring mix, tomato, and pickles on a butter toasted bun. Pittsburgh Sandwich society also has a new brick-and-mortar location inside Strange Roots Brewery in Millvale.
