Smashburger — Restaurant in Rockville

I wrote to Smashburger through their customer satisfaction survey after three unsatisfactory visits.

CONSISTENCY IS A REAL PROBLEM: The burger was incredibly small but tastier than 5 Guys'. My frustration level was quite high because with each visit, something was left off of the burger. While well-presented (I do not eat a bun or cheese, and the burger presented with lettuce on the plate, unlike 5 Guys with their thick lettuce halves that cradle each side of the burger) I was forced to eat with a knife and fork each time. (I got real knives and forks while my wife got plastic.) Picking a burger up in your hands while the sauce runs down them is part of America's burger-eating tradition!

The picture above the cashier area shows a beautiful photo of a bacon cheeseburger. I asked for the burger as a lettuce wrap with no cheese. During my first visit they left off the bacon. When I pulled an employee aside, he insisted that there was no bacon on the bacon cheeseburger, but brought me some bacon as a "favor!" DUH!

I asked for mayo when ordering and had to hunt down someone to bring me small packets of Heinz mayo that are impossible to open. Perhaps if I had been given the "special sauce" my request for mayo would have been unnecessary; the pickles were also missing. I had to ask for bacon on the bacon cheeseburger, mayo and pickles. The onions came with my first visit, but were absent after that.

On my second visit, I had to find someone to give me mayo (again) because I guess that I am not "special sauce worthy!" Onions and pickles were absent, but the bacon was there.

On my third visit, there was no special sauce or mayo, because I am not "special sauce worthy" or "mayo-worthy!" Again, there were no pickles or onions!

Now, don't get me wrong, everyone is really nice and accommodating, but they clearly don't know what they are doing.

During my third visit I filled out a satisfaction survey and received this response: Dear Ruth,

Thank you for taking time out of your day to write to us. We greatly value guest feedback as it helps us stay on top of what is happening at our restaurants and can be used as a coaching tool for our team. I offer you my sincere apology for your experience at the Rockville, MD Smashburger. I will be discussing your letter with our entire management team and we will take corrective action on the items you mentioned.

I am hopeful that you will give Smashburger an opportunity to serve you again and then provide me with any additional feedback on these visits. I would use these comments as a measure of progress or lack thereof.

We at Smashburger strive to be every city's favorite place for burgers and can only achieve this with help from guests like you. I am very hopeful you will assist me in this endeavor.

Thank you again for caring enough to write and I look forward to hearing from you soon!

All the best,

Tom Gabriel DM Maryland Market Here is my response:

Dear Tom,

Thanks for your response. While I did not expect anything further from you, most companies would have issued a coupon for a free burger to win back my confidence.

I hope that you are able to solve your issues with inconsistent results and customer frustration. I will not be returning to Smashburger. I cannot visit again and deal with correcting the cashiers, cooks and servers to serve a bacon burger with what is clearly visible in the picture and on every employee T-shirt. As they say at the ballpark, "three strikes and you are OUT!" I guess that I am not "special-sauce worthy" or "coupon worthy." If you have had burgers in LA, you have a myriad of choices and great burgers that you can actually see without a microscope. In and Out Burger, Fat Burger, etc. come...

This place is pretty average. I'll break it down by category though.

Service - 5/5: No issues. Fast process and they brought the food out and were polite.

Restaurant - 4/5: It has a decent amount of seating and a few outdoor seats. At lunch it's probably packed to the brim. The restrooms are one person at a time. They have their menu posted on the glass outside, which is convenient. They also have some menus by the door to look at while you wait. Ketchup and mustard on the table. Fountain drink machines = free refills. No sweet tea. :( Parking lot isn't super big so you may have to park elsewhere during peak times.

Price - 3/5: This solely depends upon your appetite. For some, just a $6 Burger will suffice so pricing is decent. For other hangry individuals like me, pricing is dumb. Two burgers (triple double and build your own), tots, two milkshakes, and a fountain regular size cup = $28

Quantity - 2/5: These burgers are pretty damn small in size. Five and six ounce patties. "Big" is six ounces. Triple double is nice for $6, but still not much meat. Don't bother with tots. You get like 10-15 for the price. Just buy a bag from Safeway. Milkshakes are about average size.

Quality - 4/5: The burger was tasty, but not the best I've ever had. Really liked the gooey cheese with the burger. They won't ask you how you want it cooked, so you know it's not a true 5 star burger. Tots are tots. Milkshake was average. Drinks are genuine Sprite, Lemonade, water, unsweetened tea, lemon tea, and a few others. Still a tasty meal, but not superb.

Parking - 3/5: The lot for this place is small, but free. It can fill up super fast so I parked a few blocks down near Pizza CS and walked.

Overall, not a bad joint to visit here and there, but if you're looking for cream of the crop burger joints,...

Unfortunately, for me. I ordered a burger with bacon on it. It was the bacon stacked burger. The bacon was absolutely raw. I sent it back and they placed cooked bacon on the burger. The problem I have they didn’t understand it was actually raw and asked the people in the back to make it extra crispy. Food Bourne illnesses is very serious and can cause great harm. To serve raw pork is dangerous. Anything beyond raw should not be described as extra crispy. Now the other issue I had was, I was told they would remake it. Only after my new burger was returned to me and I have bitten into it, was when I realized, they removed the raw bacon and placed the cooked bacon on. The bun and burger were still contaminated with the raw bacon. I only took a bite of it before realizing what had been done. Needless to say the rest of my day I have been sick in the bathroom. In addition to all of that, I paid $19 for tater tots, a drink, and a contaminated burger. I would like to see the staff participating in continuing education related to food Bourne illnesses and safe cook temperatures on beef, chicken, and pork. This is just day one for me, and I have been sick ever since. if I end up in the hospital, I will keep you posted. The young man in the front was...