I reviewed some of the items on the menu at Hexham's newest burger joint.
The Smashing Burger on Priestpopple was officially opened on June 12.
Nahil Raja, one of the owners, said the first two weeks they were open were 'absolute chaos' - in a very positive way.
They named it 'The Smashing Burger' as they use the technique of searing the outside of the meat, which locks in all the juices and flavour.
"Feedback has been fantastic, we've been really happy with it and people seem excited," Nahil said.
"We hope to bring good quality, fresh food to the area. The menu is very simple, tasty and everything is fresh," he added.
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I visited the burger joint on August 8 to see how they were getting on and sample some of their food.
My meal order was a classic Smashing Cheese Beef Burger with Garlic & Herb sauce, fresh fries, a Chicken & Slaw Burger and a mango milkshake.
I drank the milkshake first, which was freshly made from Alphonso mangoes, and it was as delicious as they said.
Alphonso mangoes are known for their rich and succulent taste.
The mangoes were juicy, flavourful and sweet - everything you're hoping for in a mango milkshake. No wonder it's their second most popular flavour!
Then came the fries - I have tried plenty of average fries over the years from various fast-food chains, so I was hoping for something special with these handmade, extra-fresh fries.
They definitely didn't disappoint - I had nearly eaten the whole bag in minutes and had to restrain myself so I could actually eat some of the burgers.
Nahil gave me samples of both the garlic sauce and the chilli to try. I am a die-hard garlic fan so naturally that was my favourite, but the chilli was powerful and spicier than I expected. Note to self - don't pour it over your fries before you taste it first.
The burgers were up next - in retrospect, I should have tried those first, but I was too absorbed in the milkshake and fries.
The beef burger was meaty, very cheesy and felt like a whole meal in itself based on the size of it. The buns were soft and there was a good amount of patty to sauce and cheese ratio.
I'm not a huge fan of chicken burgers so the Chicken & Slaw wouldn't be my go-to, but I'd recommend it if that's your preference to beef.
My only regret is that I didn't save more room for the beef burger and I got too carried away with the tastiest mango milkshake and freshest fries. Next time, I'm eating the beef burger before anything else!
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