Five years ago, “smash” was something you did to avocados. Now it’s the burger world’s battle cry. In London, you can barely walk three streets without catching the scent of beef meeting hot steel – crisp, craggy-edged patties stacked in brioche buns, dripping cheese like they’re auditioning for TikTok.
Supernova has queues snaking through Soho. Junk’s messy, melty creations are going toe-to-toe with the capital’s OG burger joints. Shoreditch’s Dumbo – the Parisian cult hit that landed in June – is turning out the kind of burgers that make people cancel dinner plans. Even SMSH BN is here, hammering home the point: the smash burger isn’t a fad, it’s a takeover.
