Smashburger took over the spot in Desert Ridge previously occupied by Fatburger. Since I have an aversion to restaurants with 'fat' in the name I was happy to see a new burger spot to try.
So far, the food is good. The menu offers an assortment of burgers, chicken sandwiches and sides. I have enjoyed:
- Mushroom Swiss burger - a flavorful and juicy beef patty, garlic sauteed mushrooms and swiss cheese served on an egg bun.
- Fries - nice and crisp, seasoned with sea salt.
- Haystack onions - onion strings with a tangy dipping sauce. If you like onion rings, you will love these!
While the food is good and the service is quick and friendly, the restaurant itself kind of spoils the experience. It feels cramped inside (weird layout of entrance/line/counter and drink dispensers), and on both of my visits many tables needed to be cleaned. Trash cans were stuffed to nearly overflowing, and many of the condiment bottles were empty.
I appreciate that the staff is delivering orders from the kitchen quickly, but taking a few minutes to wipe tables and empty trash would make a big difference in the small space. Nobody likes to sit down at a sticky table.
As the location is so close to the movie theater, I am sure I will give it another try - hopefully I won't need to bring my own Clorox wipes!