The Orlando Burger Battle wages on: Smashburger steps into the fray

The Orlando Burger Battle has a new contender in Smashburger. I attended a media preview at the Waterford Lakes location recently, and boy, was I well fed.

Smashburger's claim to fame is, as you might guess from the name, the smashed burger. Each hand-rolled patty is smashed and seared on a buttered grill. The result is a crispy, flat patty of 100% certified Angus beef. Each burger is served on an egg bun, multi-grain or spicy chipotle.

I sampled the whole menu, or at least it felt that way. My favorite was the Classic Smash  with American cheese, "Smash" sauce, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, pickles and onion on an egg bun. A close second was the BBQ, Bacon and Cheddar Burger with BBQ sauce, applewood smoked bacon, cheddar and haystack onions on an egg bun.

On another note, their non-meat alterna-burger wasn't bad. One of the best I've had (not that I've had many). The Avocado Ranch Black Bean Burger is served with fresh avocado, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato and ranch on a multi-grain bun.

On the side I tried Smashfries, Sweet Potato Fries and the Haystack Onions. I'd choose the Smashfries alone on a return visit. Tossed with rosemary, olive oil and garlic, the Smashfries were a standout.

There are at least 11 different burgers on the menu or you can create your own. Yes, there's also a chicken sandwich option and several salads. But whatever you do, save room for the hand-spun Haagen-Dazs milkshakes. Hint: Salted Caramel is the way to go.

So, how does Smashburger stack up against the burger competition. I'd say it's a contender, but not the champ. What's your favorite burger in Orlando?

Smashburger has two locations in the Orlando area:

E. Colonial Dr. and Maguire | 407-286-3390
N. Alafaya and Waterford Lakes | 407-203-6081