Smish Smash: Our New Favorite Burger

Smashburgers, in all their caramelized, crispy glory, have recently taken off in cities like LA, but haven’t gained as strong of a following in the Bay. Smish Smash is here to change that. The new-ish pop-up has been serving super thin, golden-brown smashburgers on squishy potato rolls out of Downtown Oakland’s Cookiebar Creamery since May. Recently, Smish Smash announced that their run at Cookiebar will end on September 27th, and later confirmed to Infatuation SF that they’ll be moving to Neptune’s in Alameda in October - expect outdoor seating, and possibly beer. Until then, you have two more weeks to catch them at Cookiebar. They’re open Thursday to Sunday, 5-9pm.

So what makes Smish Smash worth the wait? (And there will be a wait.) It’s getting your hands on one of their creative specials, which are dropped on Instagram every Thursday. You’ll see things like a decadent uni burger topped with a yuzukosho and ponzu aioli, or a pho-inspired Dac Biet. But even if the specials sell out (and they usually do), Smish Smash has a few permanent standbys on the menu that are just as excellent. Here are some of our favorites.