Smash burgers are having a moment. Chains like Five Guys, Shake Shack and Smashburger have been serving the thin beefy caramelized patties between two soft, smashable buns for several decades now, but since the pandemic, the burger seems to be having a revival. According to Eater, it was during the pandemic that independent chefs started to put their own spin on it.
There’s something sort of ruggedly awesome about the smash burger compared to other styles, like the pub burger—stacked high and sometimes served in abhorrently kitschy ways, such as on a butcher block and with a knife through it. The smash burger is the chef’s burger, entirely unworried about presentation and sopping with the gorgeous pungency of all that is holy in this world: butter, salt, vinegar and grease.
I’ll admit that while filling my arteries with research, I found that even the burgers that didn’t make this list were still satisfying. I was quite content devouring the burger from Westport’s Green Room, the one from Los Compas in KCK laden with avocado, ham and bacon, or the two quarter-pound beef patties smushed with a chili jam and caramelized onions from Muni in the River Market. And Town Topic’s burger will forever be my hangover cure.
But this list doesn’t settle for satisfying. It aims for the pinnacle of smash burgers.
The crux of a smash burger is its patty and the multitude of textures it delivers. Thrown on the flat top and flattened to near smithereens, the outer edges of the thin beef patty are fried to a crispy caramelization while the grease keeps it juicy.
Then there’s the bun. It should be softer than a cloud (bonus points if it’s toasted and the top half is gleaming with butter) and eventually so flat that it looks as if someone bopped it with a mallet like they were playing Whac-A-Mole. Although some may choose to engage in the splattering and smearing of condiments with abandon—and I certainly endorse this behavior—it is not always necessary. True chef-driven smash burgers are exemplary examples of how restraint can be rewarded. Chefs often choose just one condiment for their burger—yellow mustard, with its vulgar tanginess, often being the consummate choice. Mayonnaise is also appropriate and can really make a beefy patty sing. Ketchup shouldn’t be necessary but is, of course, admissible if you’re a maximalist.
As for other add-ons, onions (raw or caramelized, it doesn’t matter) are necessary to really bring forth the funk. The same goes for pickles. Several burgers on this list forgo tomatoes and lettuce. They don’t need them. But lettuce and tomatoes are a fantastic way to cut the heaviness of a hearty, beefy burger.
It’s important to note that several of these spots also offer a non-beef burger option for vegetarians and vegans. You won’t find any of them on this list. Maybe one day I’ll succumb to a Beyond Burger for experimental purposes, but that day will not be today.
For my carnivore brethren and meat heathens alike, here are the best smash burgers in KC.
Cosmo Burger
7438 Wornall Road, KCMO & 8750 Penrose Lane, Lenexa
I’ll shut up about Cosmo Burger when it stops being incredible.
Remember what I said about restraint? Chef Jacob Kruger is a master at it. He knows that at the heart of anyone seeking a satisfying burger is someone needing it his way: with greasy beef patties, American cheese, grilled onions, crunchy house-brined pickles and a tangy secret sauce all on a buttery potato bun. Oh, and tots.
Disco Burger
Sitting outside of the River Market’s only cocktail bar, Varsity Club, is a trailer that slings one of the crispiest smash burgers in the city. Helmed by longtime service industry veterans Darren Carter and Matt Chapman, Disco Burger’s patties are smashed with such force on the flat top grill that they nearly dissipate into something that looks like a lace doily. Each succulent patty is given a splash of yellow mustard before flipping to help caramelize it and make it extra tangy.
It follows a similar compositional formula to Cosmo and prioritizes cheese, onions and pickles. However, Carter and Chapman use sliced raw onions so the texture is off the charts and the funk is sharp.
Rascals Big Red Food Truck
3750 S. Noland Road, Independence
This smash burger food truck, situated across from a strip mall off Noland Road in Independence, is one of my favorite food spots in the city currently. Smash burgers, as the name implies, don’t often have a lot of height, but because Rascals highly encourages customers to pick and choose their toppings—including fried eggs, jalapenos and bacon—they come stacked high with extra goodies. I get a loaded double “shipwreck style,” with Thousand Island dressing and crispy onions. Surprisingly, one of the things I noticed the first time I got this concoction was the beautiful fresh leafy lettuce it came with.
The Snack Shack on Johnson Drive
Snack Shack offers its smash burger with your usual suspects—lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pickles and cheese (cheese is an extra fifty cents)—but you can customize it to your liking. While I can appreciate a burger that is crafted with precision, when I’m here, I say yes to everything. I add ketchup and mustard as part of my ritual. If onions are as important to you as they are to me on a burger (which, they should be!), Snack Shack’s choice of dicing them is a great method because it results in equal distribution.
The Campground
You probably don’t go to The Campground, one of KC’s more exciting restaurants currently, for the smash burger, but you shouldn’t overlook it. It’s something to order if you have money burning a hole in your pocket (it’s $16), but I promise it won’t disappoint. The double patty with cheese is perfectly salty, with the crispy edges spilling over the sides of the bun. The chosen condiment of mayonnaise, and mayonnaise only, is a bold choice by the chef, and I respect it, especially with the accompaniments of pickles and onions. I recommend ordering the side of fries and dipping the burger in the accompanying smoked garlic aioli.
District Biskuits
The bun of a smash burger is often just a vessel that supports and soaks up the greasy patty, but at District Biskuit, chef Guroux Khalifah’s buttermilk biscuits take the spotlight. Hoisting up two patties, melty American cheese, grilled onions, pickles and a special sauce, the biscuit adds a fluffy, buttery component that makes this burger insanely unique.
Our top picks were selected from a smattering of restaurants taste tested across the metro. Other places we tried: Muni, Tay’s Burger Shack, Maloney’s, Los Compas, Town Topic, Sauced, Brewer’s Kitchen, Meat Mitch BBQ and Green Room.
