#smash-burgers

#smash-burgers

Culver's and Steak 'n Shake are two sides of the same buttered bun. As far as fast food chains go, the two have plenty in common. Both chains take pride in having Midwestern roots (Culver's from Wisconsin and Steak 'n Shake from Illinois), and lean into that old-school diner-like appeal. Both cook the burger patties using a proper, hot-off-the-griddle smash technique, and yes, butter the buns.

"It was crazy but pretty cool," said co-owner Jim Angelopoulos. "It's nice to see a long line around the block."

While the caramelized onion smash burgers she makes in the Youtube video only contain meat and seasonings, she sometimes adds other ingredients. For example, Garten adds egg yolks to her homemade blue cheese burgers and, while her 80:20 ground beef rule ensures a moist texture, the Food Network star will sometimes add a little bit of olive oil to the beef. That way, you can add some fat to the mixture and ensure that everything turns out moist and delicious.

Founded by Josh Kim and Sam Hong in 2022, the pop-up started out as a total experiment after Kim and Hong grew bored by their corporate jobs. Kim was previously in client relations at OpenTable, and Hong worked at a tech company after leaving a management position at Copa Vida Coffee. They decided to cook burgers because it was easier to do than tacos, plus, Roy Choi had cornered the market on Korean-made tacos more than a decade prior.