Best smashburgers and where to find them

The latest trend in hand-held street food, the Smashburger, a recipe that intensifies the beefiness, the crunchiness, and to some extent, the messiness of the traditional burger, is a controversial recipe in that every burger joint thinks they know how to make.

But, let’s take a look at what a real Smashburger is, and where to find three of the best on the Costa del Sol. Invented by Rick Schaden and Tom Ryan in Denver in the 2000s, what constitutes a genuine Smashburger is chopped beef, not minced, rolled lightly into a ball of no bigger than 80g (3oz in American), placed on a flat grill the temperature of the surface of Mercury for 30 seconds to a minute, and then flattened to within an inch of its life against the grill (or about 2mm) so that the edges crisp up almost immediately. The only added ingredients being salt, and if preferred, mandolin sliced onion. Often served as a double and with American cheese melted while cooking the burger. But there are few on the Costa del Sol who know the deepest secrets of the real Smash. But who?

1. Chimchurri, Sitio de Calahonda
The twin 100g burgers are a little too big for perfection by my standards, but the potato buns and sincerity of their Smashburgers are worth the visit. It is what it is. It’s honest, it’s genuine, it’s a real Smash, and a consistent 5 stars on Tripadvisor.

2. Bendito Bocado, Alhaurín de la Torre
Winner of 2022’s ‘Best Hamburger in Malaga’, this double with cheese and bacon where the crunch of the two patties meld the hold thing together. Extremely satisfying and tops my list for customer service.

3. Karnal, Torre del Mar
The Karnal burger joint in Torre del Mar a small place on the promenade where they have created a tasty and crunchy smash that everyone talks about, and better priced than any other burger in the area. The sweet Juanito Baker breads are not my favourite, but 10 out of 10 for the quality of the Smash.