The restaurant's burgers are created using chopped Angus beef chuck steak cut into thin slices.
Fast food restaurants more typically use ground beef to form burger patties.
It also markets its meat as "fresh, never frozen" and the beef is transported in 10 pounds (4.5 kg) portions from distribution sites to restaurants each morning.
There, employees divide the beef into loosely-packed meatballs by hand.
The burger meatball contains a bouillon-like flavoring and it is also seasoned with a proprietary blend that includes kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic, shortly before cooking.
Meanwhile, the burger buns are made using a compression toaster and butter wheel so that they do not become too soggy once a patty is placed on them.

Burgers are produced in a made-to-order format, with Smashburger's signature "smashing" technique achieved by placing the meatball on a griddle heated to 385 °F (196 °C) and pressing it hard using a special tool for 10 seconds to flatten.
Burgers typically are not further pressed after they have begun to cook, as once the patty is heated to the point that fat begins to melt, pressing the burger will squeeze the juices out and cause it to dry out.
The technique caramelizes the bottom of the patty onto the buttered griddle and locks the juices into the burger, preventing them from escaping and marinating the burger in its own juices.
Smashburger's "smashing" technique also lets it cook burgers in three minutes, where a traditional burger can take up to eight minutes to cook.
During mealtime rushes, this also means customers cycle through the tables in the restaurant more quickly and each table can turn three successive groups of guests per hour instead of two.

In order to avoid the stigma of a restaurant chain, Smashburger crafts local burgers for each city where it is located and markets them extensively.
These burgers are designed after consulting with distributors for the kinds of ingredients that are most shipped to a particular city or geographic area.
For instance, Smashburger's Colorado locations serve burgers with roasted green chiles, while locations in Miami serve burgers with grilled chorizo.
In Minneapolis, the chain has a double-cheese, double-onion variety evoking Scandinavian and Germanic cuisine.
Its Oklahoma variety features locally-popular fried pickles, while Boston locations serve a burger with onions and a cranberry chutney supplied locally by Ocean Spray.
The burgers tend to be original creations as opposed to duplicating local flavors; in the case of Minneapolis the chain deliberately avoided selling a burger that would resemble the locally-renowned Jucy Lucy.
There are exceptions, such as in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids restaurants, where the local burger is topped with olives, a tradition that had once been locally popular.

The restaurant attracted criticism from health experts for the unhealthiness of some of its menu offerings.
A large “BBQ Bacon and Cheddar" Smashburger has 1,050 calories, while a "Chocolate Oreo Shake" has 950 calories.
Initially, the restaurant made only larger burgers and marketed large servings as a value add, but as it grew it began to offer different sizes to appeal to a larger audience.
In order to appeal to people who are health-conscious and people who want more inexpensive meals, the chain now offers burgers in ¹⁄₄ pound (0.11 kg), ¹⁄₃ pound (0.15 kg) and ¹⁄₂ pound (0.23 kg) varieties.
The restaurant's burgers are created using chopped Angus beef chuck steak cut into thin slices. Fast food restaurants more typically use ground beef to form burger patties. It also markets its meat as "fresh, never frozen" and the beef is transported in 10 pounds (4.5 kg) portions from distribution sites to restaurants each morning. There, employees divide the beef into loosely-packed meatballs by hand. The burger meatball contains a bouillon-like flavoring and it is also seasoned with a proprietary blend that includes kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic, shortly before cooking. Meanwhile, the burger buns are made using a compression toaster and butter wheel so that they do not become too soggy once a patty is placed on them. 
Burgers are produced in a made-to-order format, with Smashburger's signature "smashing" technique achieved by placing the meatball on a griddle heated to 385 °F (196 °C) and pressing it hard using a special tool for 10 seconds to flatten. Burgers typically are not further pressed after they have begun to cook, as once the patty is heated to the point that fat begins to melt, pressing the burger will squeeze the juices out and cause it to dry out. The technique caramelizes the bottom of the patty onto the buttered griddle and locks the juices into the burger, preventing them from escaping and marinating the burger in its own juices. Smashburger's "smashing" technique also lets it cook burgers in three minutes, where a traditional burger can take up to eight minutes to cook. During mealtime rushes, this also means customers cycle through the tables in the restaurant more quickly and each table can turn three successive groups of guests per hour instead of two. 
In order to avoid the stigma of a restaurant chain, Smashburger crafts local burgers for each city where it is located and markets them extensively. These burgers are designed after consulting with distributors for the kinds of ingredients that are most shipped to a particular city or geographic area. For instance, Smashburger's Colorado locations serve burgers with roasted green chiles, while locations in Miami serve burgers with grilled chorizo. In Minneapolis, the chain has a double-cheese, double-onion variety evoking Scandinavian and Germanic cuisine. Its Oklahoma variety features locally-popular fried pickles, while Boston locations serve a burger with onions and a cranberry chutney supplied locally by Ocean Spray. The burgers tend to be original creations as opposed to duplicating local flavors; in the case of Minneapolis the chain deliberately avoided selling a burger that would resemble the locally-renowned Jucy Lucy. There are exceptions, such as in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids restaurants, where the local burger is topped with olives, a tradition that had once been locally popular.
The restaurant attracted criticism from health experts for the unhealthiness of some of its menu offerings. A large “BBQ Bacon and Cheddar" Smashburger has 1,050 calories, while a "Chocolate Oreo Shake" has 950 calories. Initially, the restaurant made only larger burgers and marketed large servings as a value add, but as it grew it began to offer different sizes to appeal to a larger audience. In order to appeal to people who are health-conscious and people who want more inexpensive meals, the chain now offers burgers in ¹⁄₄ pound (0.11 kg), ¹⁄₃ pound (0.15 kg) and ¹⁄₂ pound (0.23 kg) varieties.
Smashburger