SMASH — Restaurant in Brampton

Just happened to walk through Mount Pleasant after a long hiatus due to Covid when I saw a sign I hadn't seen before: Smash (steak burger).

A new restaurant, the word "Smash" indicating freshly smashed ground beef. A gorgeous day and an empty stomach altogether make a dangerous situation.

I walked in around 6pm on a Friday and spoke to the manager (owner?) Who advised that they've only been open about two weeks! Talk about great timing for me!

After reading some reviews, and gauging my hunger thought I'd try the double.

Things I learned from the manager: Meat is ground fresh daily and not frozen Ground as needed and then smashed when cooked

When asked about the net weight of pre cooked meat she wasn't sure. Personally I'm guessing it's likely around 2-3oz precooked.

Now, the taste: I was quite surprised and more than satisfied with the flavour and the combination of the ingredients.

Served with a nice brioche bun, the burger patties were nicely seared and parts of them had that nice "crunch" to them. Although I presume that the burgers are cooked on a flat top, it was nicely seasoned with a hint of salt

The fried onions were chopped into thick slivers and added a caramelized sweetness. The tomato and pickle added texture and heft.

Now the smash sauce; I have to admit that I like it. It's not amazingly showstopping, but adds both a sweetness and sourness at the same time. Think mayonnaise with just a little more vinegar than normal...and you get a nice touch of creamy tartness to complement the meaty goodness.

I was quite pleased and other than the weight comparison on the patties, would say that the flavour was better than five guys.

A jewel in the rough, but definitely a place where I'll have to try more.

I think the chicken sandwich is my next try.

If in the area, give it a try. It's tasty, home grown local, and tasty. I'm going to go out of way to come back very soon.

Friendly staff, but still training and learning. Be nice to them!

Now for the photos! (Gotta...

I really wanted to like this place so badly because it’s a halal based restaurant and wasn’t too far from our house. But it just didn’t do it for me. Firstly, the parking is a nightmare. This restaurant is situated on the bottom level of condominiums and good luck trying to find parking around the area. I had to park in front of a random townhouse. Secondly, pictures and TikTok videos are deceiving. This place is teeny TINYYY and maybe could fit 2 families of 4 and you’re sitting right in front of the cashier the whole time. Awkward seating and vibe. The table was really dirty and I had to ask for it to be cleaned so we can sit. Next thing, the burgers were greasy and I had grease dripping down hands. I know burgers should be a tad bit greasy but not this much! The fries were delicious though and had a nice seasoning to it and were fresh. I tried to order onion rings and they said they were out of it 🤨 The cashier casually asked me if I’d like a dip with the fries - I said sure! I had to ask if it was extra $, and yes of course it was. Wouldn’t have known that if I didn’t ask myself. The buttermilk crispy chicken was good but they were 3 pieces of tenders that kinda fell out of the burger. So it had to be eaten in a deconstructed kind of way, if you will. Last thing - I ordered a mango shake. Uh… it was white in colour and had the slightest hint of mango. Probably all just ice cream. At that point it wasn’t even worth it to complain because it was so busy (not sure why) and the girl at the cash was kind of everywhere and I just wanted to get the hell out. I’ll be sticking to my Burger Factory burgers. 2 stars because it’s halal...

Ordered a double smash burger with fries. It was just enough food to fill up a hungry woman with an average appetite. Was considering ordering a single smash, but definitely would have still been hungry. The burger was juicy and very saucy. The meat was not very well seasoned, quite bland actually. Toppings were lacking. Got a good amount of lettuce and sauce, but had to go searching for the other toppings that were supposedly in there. The fries were Cajun fries. There was a seasoning on them, but not consistently flavourful in any way. The fries were appropriately crunchy, and stayed that way all the way to my house which was great. The cashier recommended a smash sauce to dip the fries- it is straight up mayonnaise. It’s supposed to be a mix of mayo and another sauce but it looked and tasted exactly like plain mayonnaise. Would not pay extra for the sauce. Would I come back? If I’m looking for a burger and don’t want McDonald’s or Burger King nearby, then yes. However, if I wanted a tasty, flavourful burger then this would not be anywhere close to my top 5.

As a side note: I really hope the cooks are changing gloves when they leave and re-enter the kitchen. The female cook came out to take someone’s order with her gloves on (they looked as if she had been preparing food with them), and kept them on as she returned to the kitchen touching the door. Couldn’t see what happened back there, but I hope they get changed...