Smashburger

Smashburger has all the affectations of a standard QSR operation: counter-ordering and tableside delivery, a fast and easily navigable menu, a simple and easily duplicated decor. But it also has a far-from-standard burger: the namesake "smashburger," a half-pound of ground, nicely fatty Angus beef that's whacked onto the hot steel, producing a flood of meat juice that caramelizes instantly, producing something akin to meat candy. A homegrown concept, Smashburger is now spreading across the country. But when you sit back at any one of the Denver outlets, a burger and beer in front of you, it feels like you're in a great neighborhood joint.