Smash burger tacos hit the shore at NJ grill

Boy was I the last one invited to this party. Apparently, I’ve completely missed all the hype on social media this summer about a little dish called smash burger tacos.

It’s a fairly simple concept. You’re forming a ball of ground beef on a grill and throwing a tortilla on top and ‘smashing’ it down which will flatten out the beef and meld the two. Typical burger toppings are involved. There’s a full recipe in this article. 

People who try it swear they’re addicted to it. I didn’t hear anything about this until it made news this week that this viral recipe sensation has now been picked up at the shore by Jersey Girl Grill on Long Beach Island.

The LBI eatery has been making them since May. Kristen Brown owns the place and says people are all about the smash burger tacos and they’ve become an enormous hit.

They’re not made exactly as they are on TikTok or Instagram.

We redesigned it and chop up the pickles, and put ‘secret sauce’ on it,” Brown explains. “I taught the staff how to do it, and they love making them now. They’re pretty easy.

They’re also going less in the smash aspect and instead they start the burger on its own and add the tortilla later. Whatever variation on the theme they’re doing is working. People can’t get enough.

Now is it a burger or is it a taco?

This could become as hotly debated as pork roll or Taylor ham. Sprinkles or jimmies. Self-serve or full-serve. I’ll stay out of this one. Heck I was late to the party to begin with.

But I will tell you this. Jersey Girl Grill’s menu lists the smash burger taco under tacos, not burgers, along with fish tacos, bang bang coconut shrimp tacos, pulled pork tacos, etc.. So you can let that be your guide.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

You can now listen to Deminski & Doyle — On Demand! Hear New Jersey’s favorite afternoon radio show any day of the week. Download the Deminski & Doyle show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now.

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.