Smash burgers remain a hot commodity in Dallas. Pop-up restaurants specializing in the burger — known for its flat crispy edges — are opening restaurants all over the city, each offering their own take on the foodie trend.
The smash burger craze first gained popularity through pop-ups the midwest in 2017, but the origins stretch back further than that. According to The Daily Meal, a cook at a restaurant called Dairy Cheer used a can of beans to smash a patty and found it had more flavor that way in the 1950s in Ashland, Kentucky.
Now, that burger lives on in different forms, but mostly sticks to the caramelized onions, American cheese, and pickles.
Here are eight of the best spots in Dallas for smash burgers now:
Burger Schmurger
Smash burgers are the specialty at this East Dallas burger restaurant, which got its start as a pop-up and now has a location near White Rock Lake. The menu includes a grilled cheese burger, sweet heat, and the original Schmurger, with two smashed patties, American cheese, grilled onions, and pickles stacked on a Mrs. Baird's bun.
Dos Huevos
Newly opened breakfast and brunch restaurant with roots in New York makes everything from scratch. They’re known for their breakfast sandwiches such as the Hobo, but lunch is where you will find the smash burger on a housemade bun with griddled onions and cheese for $7.
Dudley's
Rockwall restaurant and sports bar comes from the Lower Greenville Christies Sports Bar team. They know their burgers, including some with Wagyu patties. Their smash burger uses Texas beef, thick slices of sweet & spicy horseradish pickles, and bang bang sauce on a brioche bun.
Herby's
Oak Cliff restaurant from Will Rhoten, also known as DJ Sober, and Jake Saenz, owner of the food pop up Rev’s Grilled Cheese. Their OG smash burger comes with the usual toppings — grilled onions, cheese, pickles, and house-made sauce — with optional extras like bacon or fried egg. They also have a veggie smash burger featuring everything on an OG smash, but with a black bean patty.
Pacheco Taco n Burger
Mom and pop shop inside Four Corners Brewing in the Cedars District from mother-and-son Cecilia and Adan Pacheco does all their burgers smash style with Mexican-inspired toppings such as chorizo, jalapenos, or creamy chipotle sauce. Their go-to option is the double smash burger with two patties, caramelized onions, cheese and pickles. It goes for $13.50.
Picadera
Dominican street food restaurant inside of Trinity Cider in Deep Ellum from chef Michael Tavarez has two kinds of burgers on the menu. The most popular one is the award-winning Dominican smash burger with two beef patties, griddled onions, American cheese, fried sweet plantains, and sliced avocado on a garlic brioche bun. The bodega chopped cheese burger is similar, but with a single patty and comes on a hoagie. Burger is $15.
Rodeo Bar
Restaurant and bar inside The Adolphus Hotel reopened in 2021 with a new menu featuring a standout smash burger. Though it previously had smash burgers with a Texas twist such as added brisket, they went for a simpler approach. The Rodeo burger is a classic smash burger with cheese, pickles, and Rodeo Bar sauce. The burger is $14, but a second patty can be added for $5.
Shady's Burgers and Brewhaha
Brew pub with locations in Lake Highlands and Richardson has plenty of burgers on the menu, but their smash burger is emerging as a new favorite. Their smash burger features two patties, four slices of American cheese, pickles, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and mustard. A smash burger combo is $13.50.
