Smashed Express

Even though he is one of the trendsetters who sparked the smashed burger movement in NYC, Mark Mendaros didn’t start in the burger biz. His first foray into the New York scene was more about baby back ribs and golden fried chicken at his American bistro, Oola’s Kitchen, in the Lower East Side. But the pandemic had other plans for Mendaros, who, like many proprietors, pivoted his business to a walk-up window-only concept called Smashed NYC. He bet it all on his best-seller—a smash burger—and the rest, as they say, is history. Smashed NYC is a certified hit and its seared, crispy patties have set a trend we have yet to come down from.

So what is it that makes Smashed NYC so special? Is it the patties with caramelized, griddled edges? Is it the scratch-made sauces, from the tangy secret smash sauce to the truffle-ized swirl? Or is it the fact that Smashed also serves an excellent vegan burger?
Whatever the proverbial secret sauce, Smashed NYC is one burger mainstay we can all get behind.