(Bloomberg) -- By now, everyone knows that smash burgers have taken over London. You can practically hear the patties sizzle on griddles across the city.
The burgers, named for their smashed-down patties that maximize the amount of charred meat in each bite, have made serious inroads since last autumn, when the Parisian brand Supernova launched a storefront in Soho, with lines down the block and notably thin, cheese-covered patties tucked into a potato bun with a few pickles thrown in.
The scene has grown exponentially since. In the spring, Supra Burger started a long-term pop-up in Queen’s Park with bacon-cheese and, more controversially, Spicy BBQ options. The proliferating Honest Burgers chain added a smashed burger to its rotation.
And the trend has spread beyond burger joints. In early July, west London hangout restaurant Sam’s Kitchen launched a series of three-night smash burger pop-ups. Demand was so high that owner Sam Harrison estimates burgers were flying off the grill at the rate of one a minute (a lot for a place not built for the business) and quickly sold out. Now they’re going on Sam’s menu: Starting September 19, the smash burger in a couple options, including single or double bacon cheeseburgers and chorizo jam double cheeseburgers, will be served Thursday through Saturday nights.
Star chef Jason Atherton has taken the trend a step further. At the back of the new Mayfair restaurant Mary’s, an 8-seat tasting menu counter has been transformed into a no-reservation burger spot, decorated by a neon burger sign and bottles of house fermented hot sauce. The smash burgers here, which have been in development for six months, are superb starting with the notably juicy patties. (The curse of the smash burger is that in an effort to make very thin patties go from pink to glorious dark brown, the meat quickly gets overcooked and tough.)
Here it’s made with a mix of ribeye and chuck, plus bone marrow to keep it juicy. The patties are layered on the squishy-sturdy potato bun with squares of melty orange Cheddar-style cheese, caramelized onions and a blob of house secret sauce; the whole enterprise is topped with a deep fried pickle and goes for £16.50 ($22). Demand has been high; later in the year the prep kitchen downstairs has been turned into a “secret” burger bar with a few more offerings on the menu, says executive chef Alex Parker.
Still, London is making way for even more smash burgers. In early October, the uber popular French concept Junk Burger will make its highly anticipated debut on Old Compton Road. The brand is renowned in France for its burgers that come in sizes from S (one patty) through to XXL (five of them, stuffed into a bun).
“Burgers are one of the most popular food categories in the country—holding a 42% share among all foodservice outlets and thus dominating the UK food industry,” says Majed Mansour, who co-founded the brand with Wissem Ben Ammar in 2013, about the decision to enter London’s crowded burger arena. “This segment is currently experiencing significant growth, as traditional burger enthusiasts are increasingly converting to smash burger consumers, while new entrants, particularly younger audiences, are choosing smash burgers from the outset due to their innovation, quality, and simplicity.” Another benefit Mansour sees: “There is no dominant player in the smash burger category, which presents a substantial opportunity for emerging brands to establish themselves.”
And if you think you’ve already seen it all with smash burgers, here’s something Junk Burger will have that’s hard to find elsewhere: A veggie smash burger. It is not, acknowledges Mansour, “one of our best selling items.”
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