Small's Smash Club — Restaurant in San Clemente

We used to come to this location frequently when it was TJ’s Woodfired Pizza, so that nostalgia may bias my review.

First off, the service was great. The staff was very kind and seemed very helpful with questions from customers and ensuring orders were correct.

The ambiance is, interesting. It feels a little too modern/fancy for the food being served. It’s a very clean restaurant with minimalist design, looking from the outside you’d expect to be getting an expensive brunch wi the full service, not a hamburger served on cardboard. Once the place filled up, it had a nice chill vibe and was family friendly.

The food is honestly a little too pricey for what you get. All food is getting expensive, I get it, but if I go just down the street to Riders, I can get a thick 1/2 lb burger with lots of toppings, for $14. Here, I got one double smash burger (each smash is not very much meat), a side of fries, and a beer. With a 15% tip it was $31 for lunch. That’s ok, but if I’m paying that for lunch, I REALLY need to love the meal or get something that I don’t get anywhere else, not a ‘pretty good’ burger.

It should be noted that if you want anything other than cheese, pickles, onions, and sauce for toppings, you will be charged 1-2$ per topping. This is on top of an $18 base price for a double smash.

One person in my family is vegetarian, and another is gluten free so I went at a time they couldn’t join since they don’t overtly offer anything for them here. There may be options but I didn’t see them on the menu or on their site.

If there is a flavor here that you just really love, it may be worth the price for you to have that simple burger in a nice atmosphere. For me, it’s akin to an In and Out burger at a steep price and it I’m going to pay gourmet burger prices, I have some other...

We had a fantastic experience at Small Smash Burger! From the moment we walked in, Jolie and Drae made us feel incredibly welcome. Their service was top-notch — respectful, polite, and genuinely attentive throughout our visit. We came in to try a few different beers and were impressed by the selection. Every beer we sampled was excellent — fresh, flavorful, and well-paired with the vibe of the place. Of course, we couldn’t leave without trying the food, and we’re glad we did! The burgers were absolutely delicious — juicy, well-seasoned, and cooked to perfection. You can tell they take pride in what they serve. Highly recommend stopping by if you’re in the area. Great food, great drinks, and outstanding service from a team that clearly cares. We'll...

Tried our first Small’s burger. A single combo with fries and small fountain drink costs $19. We both got singles. The patty is so thin there are big gaps and holes in it, and the edges are crispy. Someone else said the inside was moist and juicy - there was not enough thickness for it to be juicy. The bun and grilled onions are the over riding taste. No lettuce. No tomato. The fries are ok and not overly seasoned. The onion rings are the best part. Considering it probably takes only 5 minutes if that to grill a patty this size, service was very slow. We waited 20 minutes for our order and it wasn’t crowded. Better to go across the street for a Habit burger where a single combo costs $13.29. We will not be back and do not...