Food & Drink/Food

The smash burger continues to bash its way into foodie hearts with its delightful, retro-simplicity hiding the culinary craft at the core of these crispy-edged delights.

The smash burger has been winning the bun battle at the best American fast food joints like Shake Shack and In-N-Out, for years. The smash patty is as simple as a regular chuck burger flattened down into a thin patty that’s then sizzled on the flat top until its shaggy edges are crispy and the centre is tender.

Making a permanent mark north of the border, smash burger joints across our NEXT Three Cities are giving those fast food spots a run for their money. Sporting only the quintessential cheeseburger toppings and a no-muss-no-fuss attitude, smash burgers are the new classic of the burger family.

Happy Burger (left), Matty’s Patty’s (right).

TORONTO

Matty’s Patty’s
Celebrity chef Matty Matheson’s Queen West burger shack is taking the chef’s heralded recipe from his pop-up collab. with RVCA’s Pat Tenore at 2018’s RVCAloha (Tenore’s Hawaiian skate-and-surf event), making it the centre of his newest restaurant.

Serving only the classics — single, double and triple cheeseburgers — along with their impossible burger counterparts, these “Patty’s” are slathered in American cheese and Matty’s special sauce, which includes the “holy trinity” of burger sauces (mayo, mustard and ketchup) with diced pickles and white onions.
923a Queen St. W., mattyspattysburgerclub.com

Happy Burger
Happy Burger makes customers smile with freshly ground chuck and brisket patties served on the go-to bun for smashing, Martin’s “pillow soft” potato buns. These juicy burgers come dressed in a couple more options than just the classic cheeseburger. The pastrami-topped smash patty is a standout with griddled pastrami, American cheese, the works (lettuce, onions, pickles) and a happy sauce.
76 Lippincott St., happyburger.ca

Extra Burger
This Parkdale burger joint is slinging out the ultimate in classic smash burgers. With only its double or single cheeseburger on the menu, Extra Burger isn’t very extra at all. With no menu filler, this spot is focussed on creating the perfect beef patty (or Impossible patty for vegetarians) for you to grab and go.
269 Dunn Ave. extraburger.ca

Iyycburg (left), Lil’ Empire Burger (right).

CALGARY

Lil’ Empire Burger
Inspired by the golden age of roadside drive-ins in Southern California, Lil’ Empire Burger is a fast, casual burger joint focused on serving the perfect cheeseburger. Using local Alberta beef, this burger spot has a small menu that centres on sustainability and the quality of the ingredients. Try the staple Empire with Cheese or go plant-based with Beyond Meat patties.
4323 1st St. SE, lilempireburger.com

Boogie’s Burgers
Crowd-pleasing, creatively topped, savoury patties on soft buns have helped Noel Sweetland and Kipp Teghtmeyer create one of the biggest destination burger spots in Alberta — well, two locations actually! Boogie’s boldly features smash burgers piled high with toppings like butterflied hot dogs, fried mac and cheese wedges, and pepperoni and pizza sauce.
Renfrew: 908 Edmonton Trail, Marda Loop: 2129 33 Ave. SW, boogiesburgers.com

Iyycburg
With smash burgers made from locally sourced meat and dairy, this spot is made by Calgarians for Calgarians. The menu here is simple: pick your patties (3-ounce single, double or triple) and watch as it gets loaded up with Iyycburg’s classic toppings and served on a lettuce wrap or Martin’s potato bun. Vegetarian? Iyycburg has a samosa smash burger, which can also be added to the smash burger of your choice.
19 Sunmills Dr. SE, iyycburg.com

Mimi’s Burgers (left), GTO Burger (right).

VANCOUVER

GTO Burger
Mark Perrier, the former chef at Vancity’s Savio Volpe, is taking his burgers across Vancouver, working exclusively from different pop-up locations. Operating in a “slow fast food” mentality like fast food joints of the ’80s and ’90s, Perrier and his partner, Drew Dunford, put a ton of care and thought into their grass-fed and hormone and antibiotic-free smash burgers. Their Dressed Burger, a classic double smash topped with the works, is served on a sesame seed bun and lathered in a GTO sauce.
Last Pop-Up at 1950 Triumph St., instagram.com/gto.burger

Mimi’s Burgers
Kevin Doyle and Jesse Harris are making hand-pressed smash patties in honour of Harris’s late mom, Mimi. The burgers here are made from quality beef and are hand-rolled and pressed to order. With only Mimi’s cheese, classic, double or beyond-meat burger the focus is on quality, taste and hospitality. Make it a combo and try Mimi’s colossal and crispy onion rings.
2287 W. Broadway, mimisburgers.com

Between2Buns
Between2Buns is serving up some serious takeout smash burgers in Chinatown. Owner Tony Hua takes on a simple menu of cheeseburgers, focusing on making sure each cheesy-layered burger is made to perfection. Try the Jalapeño Bacon Cheeser featuring the classic cheeseburger layered with bacon strips and pickled jalapeños.
105 W Pender St., instagram.com/between2bunsburgers

Going DIY for dinner? Learn three ways to cook a smash burger: