Smashers — Restaurant in Norfolk

3 stars reflects the inclusion of "VALUE" in this ratings equation. Strangely, Google doesn't seem to think that matters.

Here's the deal. I support local. Check. I love a feel-good story. Check. Smashers is a nice place with good food and friendly service. Check. I enjoyed myself. Problem is that with inflation, I and so many others out there today are struggling to afford a meal out. These good folks at Smashers have built a very nice place, but sadly they basically copied and pasted the exorbitant Five Guys menu prices! Indeed, with tax, one meal at Smashers can run you $25.00-$30.00. Easily.

Consumers have so many choices these days, and when a place like Smashers' competitor, Freddy's, for instance, offers you almost the exact same meal (smash burger, fries, drink/shake), yet at 1/2 (one half) the cost (!!), well then Smashers likely becomes a hard sell for many by comparison. Moreover, in my opinion, when comparing the two products, there is an imperceptible difference in quality plus equally good flavor and taste. Obviously, YMMV. The service is excellent at both establishments, but in the end, I simply cannot justify going to Smashers. It's just not a good value relative to what is offered in the marketplace. The same goes for Shake Shack and Five Guys.

And no, I don't work for Freddy's. I would also advocate for a place like Chili's. Chili's offers a very good smash burger on their "3 for Me" menu for only $10.99. And in addition to sit-down table service, the Chili's smash burger comes with fries (or a side of your choice), plus a free soup or appetizer...AND a free non-alcoholic beverage! How can anyone beat that? Answer: They can't.

Value conscious consumers abound these days, and for good reason. I wish Smashers the very best of luck and extravagant levels of success, but I do worry that local consumers will come to similar conclusions as...

Been looking forward to bringing my Mom here. Finally got here Sunday night, January 2025.

We got there an hour 1/2 before closing and I was slightly nervous that it wasn’t going to be as high quality because of that. I was incorrect. The quality and freshness was on point.

Friendly Staff. Fresh Burgers nice and hot burgers made to order. Fresh cut fries.

My Mom commented that she usually doesn’t eat those types of fries but these were good she said and she couldn’t stop eating them 😁

Drinks are all 1 size which I like because it makes things simple. In fact, the entire ordering process is simple and clearly labeled.

The only thing I would suggest is that the ordering area right in front of the grill might be too loud to hear the customer ordering. I say that because I had to keep repeating my order and I talk kinda loud so I’m told.

It was decorated for Christmas which was cool to see and the music was good.

Would def go here again. Conveniently located at the corner end on the left as you turn into the POM.

I love to support locally grown and owned businesses. Maybe he can grow one in Suffolk 😁

Side Note: I just read thru some of the other reviews mentioning Freddy’s. I’m a big Freddys fan however I didn’t even think to compare the 2. Smashers burgers are thicker and have a distinct seasoning that...

The place closes at 9 PM, and we got there at 8:03 PM. I gave 3 stars because the two of us wanted to dine in, but we were told we had to take our order to go because it was past 8 PM, and they close at 9 PM. There is nothing that says no dine-in orders one hour before closure. I go to a place to sit and eat, not having to take the food back to our hotel to eat cooled-down food and pay 4 dollars for a drink with no refills because I couldn't dine in.

I worked and managed a fast food restaurant in the past. I have never told a customer that they couldn't dine in because we were closing in one hour or even in 5 minutes. I would inform the customer what time we closed and that we would start cleaning the store after we closed and that we would clean around the area they were sitting at last.

I think the employees and management wanted to be lazy and not take the time to clean the lobby after the restaurant closes. That is why they don't want customers to dine in one hour before closing.

Besides that, the burgers and hot dogs were good. The fries were a little undercooked and needed more salt, but...