Smash Burger Co. (Wagyu) – Wembley, London

THIS PLACE HAS SINCE CLOSED DOWN!

As dark kitchens continue to shine brightly during the hospitality industry’s darkest hour, Smash Burger Co is one that’s seeking to carve out a reputation within the Halal food scene.

Located in London Wembley’s Abbey Industrial Estate, and describing themselves as “the home of smashed wagyu burgers”, this new business only just launched last week.

HMC-sourced Angus beef!

Having diligently sourced both Angus and the more sought-after Wagyu beef, Smash Burger Co have mixed things up by offering both the classic brioche bun as well as the more colourful charcoal- and beetroot-seeded buns.

Their burgers are loaded with caramelised onions, American cheese, tomatoes, gherkins, jalapenos and a special homemade burger sauce.

But you also have the option of going one better with the Triple Stacker, which adds an extra patty on top of the default two 3oz smashed patties.

While you can upgrade to a meal for an extra £3, their Premium Deal for £5 includes a freshly-made shake and any one of the following fries: curly, cajun, sweet potato, or hand-cut skin-on fries.

With onion rings making up the final option of Sides, Smash Burger Co also serve up homemade Milk Cakes for dessert, which come in a variety of flavours.

The good thing here is that not only can you come down to collect, but they also deliver via their own driver, with back up from Deliveroo and Uber Eats.

Classic Burger (Brioche Bun) – 2x3oz prime wagyu beef patties, £10.00

Here is truth: we simply were not expecting a dark kitchen to pull out a burger as flavoursome and as well conceived as this.

With that attractive sheen that signifies a light and fluffy, freshly-made brioche bun, this Classic Burger knocked the concept of smashed burgers side ways.

While this is the latest trend to be taking the Halal burger scene by storm, Smash Burger Co have taken that extra step, nay, giant leap in a bid to stand out from the crowd.

The umami-flavour of these gorgeously caramelised twin patties of Wagyu goodness was unmistakable, boasting as it did that succulent-buttery richness, all topped with dollops of a rich and vibrantly-orange inhouse sauce interspersed with red streaks of ketchup.

Classic Burger (Charcoal Bun) – 2x3oz prime wagyu beef patties, £10.00

To our surprise, we picked up on the light piquancy of mustard therein, which eventually made way for the spicy-sweetness of the sauce and caramelised onions, followed by the lingering heat of the jalapenoes.

It all worked in tandem to deliver one of the best smash burgers we’ve ever had, and one of the better burgers in general, for quite some time. This is going to take some beating people!

And though we also tried this with the charcoal bun, we were unanimous that the cushiony softness of the brioche bun worked better with the tender richness of the wagyu than with the firmer texure of the former.

Fully Loaded (beetroot bun) – 2x3oz Angus beef patties and maple glazed beef bacon, £9.50

Fully Loaded indeed; just take a look at that cross-section and tell us that doesn’t make you swoon!

A cross-section to make your swoon!

Now, they could have gone with the ubiquitously mediocre turkey bacon; but it quickly became apparent to us during this review, as we watched them diligently go about their business, that these guys only deal in quality, with maple glazed beef bacon from a reputable supplier (we won’t disclose who; but trust us on this one).

The addition of these chewy-cum-crispy shards didn’t just assure some textural contrast, but also imparted some light smokiness, which we really enjoyed.

Use of the robust beetroot bun too appears to be a good idea given how big and bulky this delicious burger is.

Mountain Burger – 3x3oz prime wagyu beef patties, maple glazed beef bacon and an onion ring, £13.00

Behold, the Triple Stacker, with 9oz of prime wagyu, plenty of American cheese, superbly crisp beef bacon rashers, and lots of that fantastic sauce (the onion ring wasn’t available on the day).

Is there such a thing as too much Wagyu? If it’s this good, the more the merrier, we say!

Milk Cake – vanilla, Oreo, Lotus, or Kinder Bueno, £3.50

Oreo, £3.50

A perfectly made, light and airy Lotus Milk Cake topped with plenty of quality fresh cream.

These are homemade each and every morning, we were told, with four flavours to choose from: vanilla, Oreo, Lotus, or Kinder Bueno.

We also couldn’t go by without trying their milkshakes. It took some time to make, which again indicates the effort and love they expend, but it all culminated in a delightfully creamy Oreo shake.

Turning out thick and luscious, with plenty of crushed biscuit bits to boot, it’s a crime not to pair a good burger with an equally good shake.