SmashBurger

Last night I decided to treat myself and my wife to a hamburger dinner at SmashBurger, located at 7412 FM 1960, in Humble, Texas. This restaurant was recommended to me by a friend. I checked out the menu online prior to going in order to get an idea of what they served. The first thing I noticed were the prices of the burgers. They seemed to be in line with other franchise restaurants I've visited. A little high, however, I figured the quality of the food would be worth it. After I reviewed the menu, I decided, of course, to get my usual bacon cheeseburger, however, at SmashBurger, you can create your own burger. I decided to go with chipotle bread, mustard, chipotle sauce, lettuce, jalapenos, and pickles, with a half pound patty. You can choose between a third pound or half pound. I forgot to order the bacon when I ordered my food, but the nice salesman hooked me up with some free bacon. I, in turn, returned the favor by giving him a tip. I ordered the regular french fries, even though they offer SmashFries, which is made with olive oil and rosemary. My wife decided to get the SmashFries. After a short wait, our order was brought to our table in cool metal wire baskets, even the fries. The first thing I noticed when I received my food was how huge the hamburger patty was in comparison to the bun. No case of "Where's the beef?" here! The chipotle sauce was spicy and in combination with the chipotle bread and fresh jalapenos, it was one spicy hamburger! At least I had a cool chocolate milkshake to wash that hamburger down with. The patty was seasoned enough for my liking and the bacon was fresh, hot off the grill. The cheese melted nicely and the lettuce was crisp. I didn't like their pickles though, they use kosher pickles. Their fries were nothing special either. I didn't care much for their SmashFries as well. The customer service is top notch. One thing we noticed after we left was how we smelled just like the joint. I smelled like I had been behind the grill. It reminded me of my days when I used to flip burgers. I didn't care much for that. I don't know if it was because we were sitting right across from the kitchen or if the whole restaurant smells that way. The price was about right for the quality of the food. Other than that, it was a good burger, but definitely not perfect. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being The Perfect Burger, I give SmashBurger an 8.