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| - We hit the new Smashburger off Randolph (behind Harris Teeter) on an "off night" once the grand opening crowds died down a little. It's a nice spacious restaurant with ample parking behind it (who knew?). It just sits at a very crowded traffic signal, and many times I've seen lines out the door. Literally. Out the door.
Since there was no line, we were able to order pretty quickly at the counter and grab a booth to wait for our food to be delivered to us.
Smashburger is a chain restaurant, yet its burgers (thankfully!) taste nothing like your typical fast food burger joints. Yes, I'm calling you out McDonald's, Burger King, etc. with your pseudo-burgers. The burgers are big, flavorful, and, yes, real. I also like that they offer "gourmet" burger toppings, as I like some variety. I opted for the Spicy Jalapeno Baja burger. It wasn't super spicy (at least not for me), but it did have a kick, was juicy, and had lots and lots of flavor, both the toppings and the smashed burger itself. The skinny fries have some great spices and herbs on them, too.
The prices are a bit high for fast food, but I guess compared to the "competitors," you get what you pay for, so it's worth it. I've always thought Five Guys was pricey, too, but I think Smashburger has them beat in both taste and atmosphere (although no free peanuts!).
Would we return? Definitely. As long as there's no line out the door.
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