Smashburger Media Event

What are you craving right now?  A big, hot, juicy burger on a butter-toasted bun with your choice of toppings?  How about Pepperjack Cheese, Avocado, Lettuce, Tomato, Cilantro, Chipotle Mayonnaise, and Sour Cream with a spritz of fresh Lime Juice?  This SoCal Burger is available at the brand-new Smashburger that opened in Camarillo today!  And it is so delicious!

The Classic – hot & delicious!

And, that’s only one of the wonderfully fresh things I tried yesterday at the Media Event hosted by Rod Boyer, Director of Franchise Operations, and the Hunter family, owners of this franchise.  My friend, Nina, and I sat down with fountain drinks as the sides started coming.  We tried Smashfries, Sweet Potato Fries, Fried Dill Pickles, Haystack Onions, and Veggie Frites with Ranch and Chipotle Sauces.  All of theses were great, but my favorites were the Haystack Onions which are sliced super thin and fried in Chicken Fried Steak Batter and the Veggie Frites which are Carrot sticks and Green Beans flash fried in Beef Tallow and seasoned with sea salt and herbs.

My two favorite sides – Haystack Onions & Veggie Frites!

Then, the burgers started coming out, cut into quarters.  We started with just a beef patty while Rod told us about how the certified Angus beef is sourced and the cows’ lineage can be traced back to their heritage in Scotland.  The meat is juicy, perfectly seasoned and tastes just like steak.  The first burger we tried was the Classic Smash which comes with American Cheese, fresh, crunchy Lettuce, Red Onion, Tomato, Dill Pickles, Ketchup, and Smash Sauce.  Then, we tried the BBQ, Bacon, & Cheddar Burger.  Next, came the SoCal Burger!  I liked each one better than the last.  Nina’s favorite was the Classic and mine was the SoCal.  We also got to taste the Avocado Ranch Black Bean Burger, and the Avocado Club with Grilled Chicken.  Every burger is available with beef, chicken, or black bean patties.

Avocado Club with Grilled Chicken

Hand-spun Oreo Milkshake

By then, we were loosening our belts, so although we got to see & photograph two huge salads, the Classic Cobb, and the Spinach, Cucumber, and Goat Cheese, both with Grilled Chicken, we didn’t taste them.  However, we did manage to find room for 3 mini Hand-Spun shakes made from Hagen-Dazs ice cream:  Oreo, Butterfinger, and Salted Caramel.  The Salted Caramel Milkshake alone is worth the trip!
In addition to providing high quality, fresh food, Smashburger prides themselves on the service they provide.  The Hunter family are looking forward to greeting you at their brand new place.  Ryan, the Executive Chef, trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. (I’m so jealous!).

Smashburger was featured by Forbes Magazine as “America’s Most Promising Company” in 2012.  To read more about the food at Smashburger, click here.  To see the Camarillo menu, click here.  The chain started in Denver and grew to 4 restaurants in 2006.  They now have 296 worldwide, with more opening all the time.