Smashburger sizzles with fresh meat, ambiance

In the city that inspired the book "Fast Food Nation," who would have thought there would be room for another hamburger place, let alone several? But I'm here to tell you to prepare yourself for the bourgeois burger blitz.

A high-end burger battle is starting.

It's a delicious bombardment of a different kind of burger chain than you probably are used to. America's first burger invasion (McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's) valued efficiency and uniformity above all. In this new wave, the ultimate prize is a better burger.

It's all part of a nationwide trend of celebrity-chef-inspired burger gentrification that is doing for the lowly patty what Chipotle did for the burrito.

The first salvo was upscale West Coast franchise Fatburger, which started offering juicy, grilled, 1/3-pound burgers on North Academy Boulevard in 2005. Then East Coast powerhouse (and Michelle Obama favorite) Five Guys Burgers and Fries opened across the street late in 2008 and easily overwhelmed Fatburger with the shock, awe and deliciousness of its old school fresh ingredients and awesome potatoes. The line is regularly out the door at Five Guys.

Now comes a truly worthy contender: Smashburger.

The chic space, full of red retro booths and cool modern lighting, opened just off Powers Boulevard in March.

The Denver-based franchise does hamburgers on a whole new level. It's a place that treats the patty as more than just a piece of meat. There is respect for this American classic, even ... decorum.

You can get metal silverware at Smashburger. You can get a glass of white wine or a bottle of beer. You can get fries tossed in olive oil, rosemary and thyme. And if you are feeling especially snooty you can get an order of veggie frites (though I wouldn't recommend it). All this would be annoyingly pretentious if you couldn't also get one of the best burgers in the city.

Order a burger, and a never-frozen ball of fresh beef (either third of a pound or half a pound) is smashed flat on the hot grill. The theory is that squashing the meat creates a crust that seals in juicy flavor. And it seems to be true.

I ordered the classic Smashburger (mustard, ketchup, red onion, pickles and secret Smashburger sauce, $5), and it was delivered to my table open-faced, showing off a smashed patty as misshapen as Pangea - vaguely round, but full of inlets and valleys where the condiments could congregate.

The patty sported the deep brown crust of a good backyard burger and glistened with a molten slice of good old gooey American cheese - the perfect low-brow accessory for a true cheeseburger.

The fresh, crunchy pickles are the kind you might encounter in a kosher deli. The bun is a chewy egg roll: substantial without being too voluminous. They didn't skimp on the mustard.

One bite and I was in love.

Don't get me wrong. You pay for everything you get at Smashburger. Small burger, fries and drink will run you $10. But it is worth it. This is the burger you've been dreaming of.

You can upgrade in all sorts of ways - by adding guacamole, Applewood Smoked Bacon, superthin and deep-fried Haystack Onions, or spicy Pepper Jack cheese - but the plain burger is the most elegant attraction. When we visited, the extras on the Mushroom Swiss Burger ($6) were too greasy and salty.

Not everything at the burger boutique is so phenomenal. The Smashfries ($2.79), with their olive oil and herbs, are very good but taste frozen, so they don't approach the fresh-cut goodness diners can find at Five Guys.

The Veggie Frites ($4) are a glistening jumble of green beans, asparagus and carrot sticks fried long enough to make them greasy but not long enough that they are actually cooked.

But other offerings are fantastic.

The shakes ($4) are made with hand-dipped Häagen-Daz, not soft serve, which means, besides tasting great, they don't have all the gums and stabilizers of soft serve. So the shake can be thick and still suckable through a straw.

The Smashdog ($4) is split and grilled, then dressed with all the good toppings.

If you want a true Chicago dog, this is the place.

Smashburger also has a very cool takeout box.

It's a wide, paper rectangle with top flaps that fold open, giving diners on-the-go an impromptu plate more fitting for such an elegant burger than just some paper wrapper.

It keeps the secret sauce off your lap, too.

But I don't recommend getting burgers to go. The boutique Smashburger deserves to be enjoyed hot and fresh at a table, possibly with silverware.

You can raise your pinkie while eating it if you wish.

Smashburger
**** (More than just a piece of meat)

Address: 3707 Bloomington St.
Contact: 574-4126; mysmashburger.com
Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. daily
Entrees: $5-$7
Vegetarian: Fries and salad
Alcohol: Beer and wine
Credit Cards: Yes