"But the craze it generated was all unintentional as for owner Mark Mendaros. For him, the burger was a matter of survival. Like many chefs, he had to pivot amid the pandemic. He closed his American bistro in the Lower East Side, fashioned a walk-up window and began hawking the best seller: the smash burger. Word quickly caught on, and within a year, smash patties became a hot trend."
""I've watched the smash burger space grow a lot since we started," says Mendaros. "We were the first to specialize in smash burgers here in NYC, but there is a lot of competition now." Recognizing that "the basics aren't enough," Mendaros has added the spice of variety to his menu, rotating through 13 different burgers, from bacon-jalapeno-topped numbers to a vegan variety."
Owner Mark Mendaros turned a pandemic pivot into a smash-burger business by converting his Lower East Side bistro into a walk-up window selling a single best-selling smash burger. Rapid word-of-mouth transformed one location into multiple outposts, including a Brooklyn spot inside Time Out Market New York. Facing growing competition, Mendaros expanded the menu to rotate through 13 burgers, from bacon-jalapeño offerings to a vegan version, and focuses on surprising customers beyond the basic smash. Smashed Express opened in Union Square in December, featuring signature items like the Original Classic and the double-patty Big Schmacc.
Read at Time Out New York
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