Known for its stellar smashed burgers, kosher chain Smash House is gearing up for the opening of its second Manhattan location, this one in the Garment District. The joint will be taking over the space previously occupied by PokeWorks at 63 West 37th Street by Sixth Avenue.
“We don’t have a date yet but we are starting the work now,” a Smash House representative said when asked about timing details. “The plan is to be open this summer. It shouldn’t take too long.”
Originally founded in Miami back in 2022, Smash House now also operates locations in Boca Raton and New York, including a storefront in Queens at 69-44 Main Street and another one in Manhattan at 33 West 47th Street near Sixth Avenue.
In addition to the Garment District opening, the owners have announced the imminent debut of a new location in Cedarhurst at 594 Central Avenue.
Menu-wise, you can expect more of what Smash House is known for: smashed burgers, fried chicken wings, French fries, popcorn chicken and more.
Although all food on offer is solidly good, it’s the chain’s hamburgers, and the technique employed in preparing them, that has earned the various locations a ton of attention.
Usually, burgers are prepared using a fatty piece of beef on a grill. As the meat cooks, a lot of the fat falls through the grates and onto the fire. Typically, folks adroit at cooking the burger stay away from actually pressing down on it: the action forces even more flavor to drizzle below the grill.
Smash burgers, on the other hand, are made on a griddle so the juices and fat are forced to marinate the meat, having nowhere else to go, therefore contributing to the dish’s overall flavor. The technique also creates a unique crispy crust around the beef that more traditional versions of the food don’t have.
If it all sounds a bit too complicated, there’s only one solution: you’re going to have to try the smashed burgers for yourself.
