North Charleston Eatery a Mix of American, Asian, & Latino Flavors, Offers Signature Burgers & Rice Dishes

Jeff Walker, Restaurant Review 

While smashburgers have been around over 60 years, prior to the 21st century you'd pretty much have to exit the highway in middle America to enjoy one at some roadside diner. All that's changed in the past two decades, with chain restaurants and steak houses adding smashburgers to their regular menus, with some going as far as making them the focus of the menu.

Safe to say, smashburgers have become all the rage, and rightly so. If they are prepared right, they are some of the tastiest and juiciest burgers you'll ever sink your teeth and gums into. Although several eateries have added them to their menus, by in large with little deviation they incorporate the same makeup.

Taking the food & beverage road less traveled, Smashley's Burger Bar decided to offer up four variations of smashburgers each with their own signature flavor. Owned and operated by Victor Valdivieso and his lovely wife Ashley, Smashley's is tucked nicely between Urban Nirvana and Accent On Wine, in a business park located at the corner of Netherby Lane and Dorchester Road (directly across from Coosaw Creek). 

Born out of 'Victor's Lab' the couple's former food truck, Smashley's Burger Bar embraces the best menu items from their mobile eatery, combining them with Victor's creative blend of Asian, Latino, and American sides, rice bowls, and 'shared or not' light bites.

In case you're wondering Victor makes just about everything on the menu from scratch except for the ketchup and the French brioche buns. I'll add, if a smashburger is prepared right you don't need extra condiments. I recommend forgoing ketchup and mustard, because at Smashley's the burgers stand on their own. Enough said!

Let's begin our burger journey with their namesake Smashley Burger aka 'the original' aka the OG or in this case 'Outstanding Ground-Beef'. While most use yellow or white American cheese, Victor layers the Smashley with aged cheddar, a slather of his secret burger sauce, on toasted brioche, served complete with Victor's house-made thinly sliced pickles. His pickles are off the freakin' charts! Enjoy your Smashley for $10, or for just $2 more you can make it a twin patty sensation that is sure to satisfy even the heartiest appetite. 

If 'you've lost that lovin' feeling' for a burger than I recommend a burger 'that's so totally righteous', Smashley's Burger Bar dubbed it the Righteous Brother. It's similar to the OG with a nice blanket of lettuce, tomato, and grilled onion added for a little panache. The double is $12.50. Very affordable.

Want to rev up your smashburger than maybe steer your way to the Bleu Corvette dripping with bleu cheese and smoked bacon before being smeared with tomato jam and a spread of truffle burger sauce (herb & spice blend). This zesty delight will set you back $15 if you double up the all beef patties. Worth every penny!

Non-meat eaters (yes they exist) might fancy the Southern Buddha, simply an enlightened slightly grilled cauliflower patty drenched in gouda or without, lettuce, and Victor's famous pickles with a smidge of spicy mayo. It's not a smashburger but it's been received with smashing success by vegans! 

The Sharers (Or Not) menu aka appetizers is a menu selection you're going to want to pay attention too. Here's where Victor puts his nearly 25 years (and he's only 39, so you do the math) of culinary skills to work. Drawing on influences from his Ecuadorian grandmother and Italian grandfather, Victor adds a global touch to the menu.

Among the triple threat lite bites are Smashley's extra thin Zucchini Chips served with dill and tzatziki (a mediterranean yogurt, garlic, & cucumber blend). A pop in your mouth savory sensation.

You can order everyday fries that come with ketchup and spicy mayo off the sides portion of the menu, or you can change up your dining dance card and try the Latin Fries. What are Latin Fries you ask. Simply fried yuca (a starchy root tuber native to South America) that come in a medley of pickled vegetables. Just one of several handheld edibles.

Last but not least on the Sharers menu is the Chicken Empanadas (a savory filled pastry), popular among the Latino and Filipino community. Wrap your taste buds around shredded chicken braised in a marinated mixture of Dr. Pepper and PBR before being placed alongside spinach, parmesan and mascarpone (soft Italian cream cheese) then tucked in lightly seasoned dough that's fried to perfection. 

The kicker for the Chicken Empanadas is Victor's Charred Scallion Mayo. Imagine if you will, char-grilling scallions to a gooey ash then rolling that into a mixture of finely chopped parsley and cilantro, all in a swirl of mayo. An un-describable flavor that thoroughly complements the empanada!

While the aforementioned are all noteworthy, I would be remiss if I didn't give a shout out to their most popular side dish on the menu.

If you weren't in the mood for a burger (it's not a sin), the Japanese Rice is an ample portion of steamed rice with a combination of furikake (mixture of sesame seeds, seaweeds, herbs, fish flakes, & salt), sprinkled on top before being coated in their yummy sauce (condiment based sweet mayo similar to thousand island dressing, but way different). The Japanese Rice will fill you up, and easily feeds two light eaters. 

The kiddos menu plays to the young ones. A choice between a Lil' Smashburger or crispy chicken breast nuggets, with a side and drink for a straight up $10. Not bad.

Make no mistake, while Victor and his team are busy in the kitchen making certain the burgers and every other entree is prepared to his ideal specifications, when she's not busy taking care of her side hustle with Dominion Energy, his very personable wife Ashley is equally active marketing and promoting Smashley's Burger Bar. It's her forte! Ashley is mastermind behind naming the Hot Asian Chick, a spicy crispy chicken sandwich under a honey glaze and spicy mayo. Ooh la-la!

Her feminine flair put a nice pinkish, south beach Miami flair to their eatery, reminiscent to the 1980's hit Cocktail. And, although they have bar in their title, unlike Cocktail, Smashley's is not a bar in any way, shape, or form. However, because a cold brew goes well with a burger, they do offer a couple of beers alongside Coca-Cola products.  A variety of smashburgers, rice bowls, killer lite bites, sides, and cold beverages, Smashley's offers something for everyone.

A few parting shots, in case you hadn't figured it out, Smashley's is a endearing mash-up between 'smashburgers & Ashley'. Hey, it makes perfect sense to me. You can ask Victor or Ashley about this next one. The lone big screen TV in their trendy eatery plays non-stop episodes of the American reality television series 'Vanderpump Rules'. The show does deal with a hip restaurant, so there's somewhat of a parallel. Of course if a big game is happening Victor will have it on. Nice! 

Smashley's Burger Bar offers dine-in and take out options. You can go online and order ahead. If you're nice they offer catering. Find them at 5401 Netherby Ln UNIT 1002 just off Dorchester Road, near Coosaw Creek, Whitehall, Kings Grant, and Westcott Plantation. For more on this awesome burger joint that serves up a few global style edibles visit them at https://www.smashleysburgerbar.com/