From what we see in movies and series, good things are hardly ever found when you find yourself walking into an alleyway.
In a lane tucked away within the bustling street of Belvedere Road in Cape Town’s Southern Suburbs, however, you’ll find a literal hidden gem serving some of the best smash burgers you’ll sink your teeth into: Smasht.
Coming from a legacy of foodies where food forms the focal point of family get-togethers, Smasht owner Tameem Jakoet experimented with meat mixes and textures, seasonings and sauces, ‘using [his] family as guinea pigs’ in a bid to create the ultimate smash burger.
A year later, Smasht was finally born.
Having started out in a humble residential setting, Tameem and his team quickly became the go-to ‘weekend special‘ with many lining up in front of their garage in Crawford on a Friday and Saturday.
A little while later, Smasht moved house to its newly-launched Belvedere location, adding a larger grill and contemporary shed-style seating areas without compromising the cosy family feel that their former base exuded.
Much like the minimalistic white decor and simplistic black branding, Smasht’s menu holds a humble offering of two burgers that pack a punch:
First on the menu is ‘The Classic’: Paying homage to the classic American-style burger, ‘The Classic’ sees a homemade 100g grass-fed ground beef patty ‘smashed to t’, topped with a mandatory slice of cheese, onions and pickles, and slapped with a mix of mustard and ketchup on a toasted brioche bun.
Next, ‘The Chilli Cheese’: Adding a kick to ‘The Classic’, ‘The Chilli Cheese’ swaps the mustard-ketchup mix, pickles and onions for jalapeños and a secret Smasht spicy sauce for those looking for a bit more heat. Both burgers are available with the option of having a single, double or TRIPLE beef patties.
On the side, the smash burgers can be complemented by thinly-cut spiced fries or an extra-mile helping of loaded fries to suit the big eaters. For the early birds, there’s also a Smasht Muffin option to kickstart the day and for on-the-goers, there’s a WhatsApp order line for takeaways.
Having popped in to see if the highly-hyped burger lives up to its name, Cape {town} Etc asked Tameem which of the two is his go-to. ‘I’m definitely a classic man. But our most popular seller is the chilli cheese,’ was his response.
So, of course, we tried both, and suffice it to say, our expectations were ‘smasht’.
@capetownetc Burger lovers, unite! 🍔 SMASHT has arrived in Rondebosch, offering mouth watering smash burgers that hit the spot! 📍 54 Belvedere Road Rondebosch ⏰ Tuesday – Sunday, 9AM – 10 PM. @smashtburgers ♬ Lady – Hear Me Tonight – Modjo
With its fresh ingredients, juicy patties, meticulous packaging and ‘extra lashings of pure love’, it’s clear to see why Tameem told us that Smasht makes its burgers ‘to see [their] customers smile and enjoy’.
When asked if his culinary experiments are over, Tameem added that burger lovers should start building up their appetites as their ‘southern fried chicken burger will be landing soon’ alongside a range of milkshakes, which will also be launching shortly.
Will we be back to try the southern fried chicken burgers and milkshakes? Absolutely. Would we go back for the already-existing options? Again and again.
Details
- Location: 54 Belvedere Road, Rondebosch
- Times: Tuesday to Thursday, 10 am to 9 pm | Friday 10 am to 1 pm, 2 pm to 10 pm | Saturday 10 am to 10 pm | Sunday 10 am to 6 pm
- WhatsApp: 082 422 1491
- Instagram: @smashtburgers
ALSO SEE: Burger & Lobster – A Capetonian favourite
Article originally written by Tauhira Ajam for Cape {town} Etc.
Feature image: Smasht/ Instagram
