Smashburger Reviews

Just ate here. Took forever to be waited on by rude employees. Once we got our food it was wrong. Then we went back to get a shake and we were refused service. Seriously. Don't eat here!

We were looking for a quick lunch while setting up a convention exhibit. I was really surprised by the variety on the menu and the types of choices. Our food was fresh and very good and the service was excellent. It is much more than typical burgers.

I was in the area for WonderCon 2016, and wanted to try this place for dinner. Unfortunately, my only opportunity was right before a L.A. Kings game at the Staples Center, and the whole L.A. Live area was packed with sports fans. It ended up only being a short wait in line to place my order, but a much longer one to get my burger combo and find a place to sit down. I ordered a Truffle Mushroom Swiss Burger, and while the beef was certainly fresh and tasty, there were not much in the way of mushrooms (could barely taste them). The sweet potato fries were good, but a bit unremarkable. Next time, I'll try the Classic Smash, and go on a non-game day, because some fans were a bit aggressive in grabbing my table just as I barely got out of my chair to leave.

Was at a conference at the Microsoft theater and this was very close so I grabbed dinner here a few times. It's a great burger they make here.

I love Smashburger. It is one of my favorite chains. I would normally give it 5 stars based on the food, but this particular Smashburger didn't have some of the items that are typically on the Smashburger menu. When I inquired about them, the girl at the register told me that they were out of those things. It was very frustrating because I tried ordering 3 things and she said they were out of those 3 items, which are my favorite things on the menu. It was very busy there on the day we visited due to an event at Staples Center, but someone needs to plan ahead.

First time eating at a Smashburger. Just picked up something to go and take back to the hotel room. Sevice was great. The crew in there, couldn't have been nicer. Order the club burger and sweet potato fries. Was pretty good. I just felt that the burger patty was dry and my avocados were a bit discolored. Still very tasty.

Went here for a burger since it was close to the hotel I was staying at. but was not impressed. The burgers were so small in comparison to the bun. For the first few bites I was only eating bread and lettuce. Plus, the burgers were overcooked. The sweet potato fries were good. I don't recommend eating here if you want a good hamburger.

Lunch in this LA Live venue was convenient. Felt like a burger, but it's no In-And-Out. Burger menu had lots of different types, I had one with blue cheese. When it (slowly) arrived, the meat was overcooked and dry. French fries were also cold. Waiter replaced the fries, I only ate half the burger. I suspect they can do better. Wish they had.

Loved eating here when I was at the LA convention center for a conference. Enjoyed the chicken club and also went back a second time for a salad. Fresh food and great service!!

Great service, but burger was dry. Nice to have so many add-ons to choose from, including the gluten-free buns. Good sweet potato fries, but the onion rings super greasy.

The food was good and reasonably priced. They have a frequency club which if you sign up for it you receive a free side dish. Vitamin Water on tap! The food tasted very fresh and even my picky child loved it.

They had a $4 triple cheeseburger that they did not skimp on. Fries soda was $12. Good salads and large also. Only thing takes a little time for you to get the food.

Nothing fantastic but for a burger joint it was pretty good!! Service was good and quick. Overall not disappointed and their prices were good.

I was exhausted and hadn't had anything to eat all day and decided to try Smashburger. There are some in the midwest, where I live, but I'd never been. I had a burger the night before so I opted for a chicken sandwich and it was fantastic! I also got the smash fries which are coated in olive oil and have rosemary and sea salt on them. So, so good! Probably the best fast food fries I've ever had. I will positively go back to Smashburger.

We went here for a quick snack before heading to Staples Center. It was incredibly crowded but the chips were very tasty, salty and crispy, and the burgers were also great, except towards the end I found the beef in my Classic Burger was getting a bit dry. Smashburger is a great fast-food joint to go to and I recommend it if you want a quick meal in Los Angeles!

LA Live has many food choices but most of them are rather price forward. Smashburger offers an excellent burger at a fair price. They are always made to order with quality ingredients. I believe that the great taste is because the burger patties are hand formed which always works for me.

Good option on typical burger joints but nothing stand out. Don't believe the spicy option - it's not really that spicy. Can get busy at time and take a while for the order and the staff seem like they would rather be somewhere else.

I went there purely on recommendation to try their haagen daz handspun milkshake. I chose cookies and cream and i was not disappointed.

I love this place. My first visit to a Smashburger did not disappoint. I will definitely frequent this place in the future. The fries were on point also. Decent value in an over priced arena district area.

Just what it advertised. Outdoor seating pleasant. Burger, bun and French fries were very good. Pleasant stop for a quick lunch.

The burger is about as good as any I've had, maybe excepting Plan Check and The Counter. (I said "maybe.") YOu order from the cashier and the food is brought to you. Just steps from the JWMarriott and the Ritz-Carlton.

We were looking online for a quick place to eat at L.A. Live before the Ed Sheeran concert at the Staples Center. The menu posted seemed to have something that would appeal to the three of us so we decided to give it a try. When my daughter ordered a grilled cheese sandwich she was told "we are not doing those today". This was strange to us since they still had bread and cheese for the other orders, but the easiest sandwich to make was not available. Then we tried to order their famous milk shakes and were again unapologetically told "we are not doing those today". To us, it didn't seem like a good business decision to limit their menu items on a busy concert day.... The food we did receive was okay, but nothing special so I don't think we will be repeat customers.

I would have given them excellent if they exceeded my expectation given the number of patrons in the restaurants, but alas they're not miracle workers. They did the best they can and they brought out great food. It was worth the wait and the place is extremely busy when I visited. I visited three time during the week I was in LA Live!, so that tell you about their food. Yummy.

Fast food was the case as it went right through me. Bad experience. Limited menu. Thoughts were disappointing as a result.

The burgers were cooked nicely and the mushroom and swiss burger was delicious! They offer sweet potato fries, too. Those were very good (but maybe a touch salty).

You do not have to look up or down for the menu...just a touch screen...Fast food served fast...usual burger joint fair

We enjoyed these burgers and learning why they were called 'smash burgers'. they start with a ball of ground beef and then smashed flatter on the grill.

I do not eat meat, so it was a pleasant surprise to find that their burgers are made with fresh ingredients using either beef, chicken, turkey or black beans. I had a black bean burger and it was the best veggie burger I have ever eaten. We ordered shakes with our meals, they took forever to arrive and were runny. We complained, they gave us our money back along with new shakes, which were excellent.

If this place were about $3-5 cheaper, I'd have loved it a lot more. I had the black bean avocado burger and it was divine! However, the nearly $14 price tag for what amounted to a burger with fries, and a drink, was BEYOND excessive. It should not break the bank for a family of four to eat but, if you're eating here, you're sure to need a fat wallet! An added bonus is its location: steps from the Staples Center.

Stopped at lunch and got a single smashburger for around 7 bucks. It was OK but not worth the price. I wouldn't come again. There are others that do a better job at similar or lower price.

i am not a big fan of burgers but their menu looked enticing. I went for the Spicy Jalapeno Baja. It was quite good but far from spicy. The service was an honest attempt to be good but the person behind the counter was not sure about certain ingredients they have listed. Other than that it was a pretty good place with an outdoor seating to enjoy a high priced but good quality burger.

Stopped in for a quick lunch. I had the Harvest Salad with Grilled Chicken and for a burger place it was surprisingly good! I was a good portion size and the salad ingredients included blue cheese, raisins, cranberries, sunflower & pumpkin seeds with the balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

This is a great place for a burger, love that you can actually build the burger with the ingredients you like. Worth a try!

We enjoyed a cheeseburger and a chicken sandwich, with sweet potato fries. A very good lunch - the chicken sandwich was probably one of the best I have had (not dry) and very flavorful. Outdoor seating was a plus.

First time I've ever ate at smashburger. I liked the food it was good. Sat outside it was a nice night. People watched while we ate.

The person at the register had a hard time with all of our orders. She kept ringing them up for way more than they should be. Food was good so that compensated for lack of service.

Smashburger is located in the shopping plaza near the Staples Center. The food tasty more like a restaurant than a fast-food joint and came out quickly. Staff was friendly and helpful. If you're looking to pick up a bite and want to avoid the grossly overpriced cafeteria at Staples Center come here instead!

I was surprised how good the burgers were, especially for a chain store. The service staff was very friendly, and the burgers arrived quickly. The salad that my coworker ordered did take longer to come.

I have eaten at a couple of Smashburgers when traveling out West (we don't have a Smashburger near where I live) and it is becoming my favorite hamburger chain. I love the egg buns and especially the Smash fries.

Conveniently located burgers at LA Live. The burgers at In N Out are better at less than half the price.

Wow! Coming from the UK where we still get excited about McDonald's Smash Burger was amazing. The quality of the food was obvious and the cost was surprisingly good. We shall be seeking out the 3 in the UK soon and hope you expand here!

They are fast... that's about it though. I had the Classic Smash burger and Haystack onions. I was incorrectly charged for another meal which I didn't notice until later and had to go back to get it corrected. The haystack onions had a little bit of a funny taste to them. The burger wasn't anything special. I probably wouldn't go there again.

The food is always great. The service is a little suspect. High School kids don't care mush about customer service; and the garbage cans were stufed to overflowing. But, the food is good.

The place is clean and organized The staff is very courteous and friendly. I hate to give a so so rating but I'm forced The burger was tasty but average. Reminded me a lot of Rally's but twice the price. The sweet potato fries were oily and gummy. I'm still drinking tea as I type this. Desperate to get the horrible taste out of my mouth. DO NOT ORDER FRIES HERE.

I had the mushroom and cheese burger as my 1st Smashburger. Next time I'll stick with something traditional. The fries are very thin and mainly broken, at least there was plenty of ketchup and mustard on the tables.

In LA LIVE super close to hotels and events. Basic offerings with lots of add-on options, but always seem to be be dry burgers. Fries are great... and I tried the smash fries with olive oil and rosemary.

We absolutely love Smash-burger and went to this location for lunch (noon). The restaurant was empty but the doors were open. We walked around and found two different employees who saw us, turned and walked away. We went back to the counter and a third employee came out and we said we were not sure you were open. He looked at both of us, made a production out of rolling his eyes and said “mmm hmmm”. We left! Will be interesting to see if this location survives.

I've heard folks just rave about this place and all I could think was "meh.. This is okay". I prefer 5 Guys to this place. I had the smash fries and i found at $2.79 an order that McDonalds has better fries.

Ingredients are fresh and burgers are made to order....Delicious! Service is good for a take-out place, you receive a lighted indicator and it blinks when your order is ready....nice!

The chicken sandwich was delicious. My fiends had the burger and fries. The location to JW Marriott was excellent. The service was excellent😊

Smashburger is a chain. This one is our favorite. Located at LA Live in Downtown LA it is filled with excitement and fun. Now, it is always crowded but the line moves fast and you will be fine. You order your food at the counter and eat there or on their patio. You can also get take away or delivery. We love to eat there before a show at Crypto Arena (their food is awful by the way) which is right down the street and part of LA Live. The prices are fair and they have a good selection. Parking is in a public lot for a fee, there is really no way to avoid that. The service is super friendly and they are pretty quick. They are especially patient considering I have never seen it without a line out the door. The place is very cute with nice seating inside and out. It is kept very clean. The selection is nice. We love all their burgers and they also have great fries. We often get one of their salads and they are always fresh and crisp. I love that they have milk and their hand made milk shacks are super. They have chicken burgers that may grandson loves. I like their crispy brussel sprouts. Their sweet potato waffle fries are good are very good, but who am I kidding, they are not healthy, just get what you love and for me that is their French fries and tater tots. All of their food is good and you will be happy. Have a great time at LA Live and Smashburger.

My wife had told me about Smashburgers. She told me how great the food was. She had previously visited another location. We went to the Staples Center to see a hockey game. We got there early and wanted to get some dinner. So on the advice of my wife we decided to eat at Smashburger. I thought the hamburgers were a little pricey, but when I got my food I was not disappointed. The hamburger was juicy and tasted so great. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone.

The bacon cheeseburger was delicious! You can basically pick and choose what you want on it and it's huge! I really enjoyed this place. Awesome staff and great location, in the middle of LA Live! Definitely worth checking out!

Some time you are in the area for a show but have not made a reservation, We did this for Adele and end up at Smash Burger and would come back again. Great food quick and a value

I dropped in here on a Saturday about 5pm. The line was long, and I expected a 15 minute wait. However, I had a fresh black bean burger with hot sweet potato fries within 7 minutes. The service was not only quick but friendly.

Smashburger offers a fairly inexpensive menu for the location. DW had a very generous-sized salad which she enjoyed. I had the burger and fries. The fries was very good. The burger was good, but small. Principal reason for the downgrade? I asked for grilled onions. When the ticket was printed out it made no mention of onions. So I told the clerk. She immediately agreed it was an error, and went and told the cook. About ten minutes later, the burger showed up with raw onions. I just removed them.

I was in the area for a job interview and afterwards decided to treat myself to lunch, so I figured to give this place a try, since I had never tasted their menu. It was a Friday afternoon, and the restaurant was rather sparse and not busy; ordering was brisk and easy. I ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger Combo, not realizing that these were two separate things (burger by itself $7.50, combo an additional $5.20.) I figured "Cool, first time here, I guess I'll give it a try." I guess because it wasn't busy, the order was ready in 5 minutes. They give you your meal in these metal trays, which I found to be cool. The fries are thinly cut, I suppose there are those who enjoy that, I don't. I prefer my fries to be regular size cut, not super thin. They had an odd flavor to them, I suppose that being due to the fact that they're tossed in rosemary and garlic. Very meh to me. The best part was the burger itself. It had a good flavor to it, and was juicy, not overcooked. The bacon they use appears premium, and not the crappy super thin "faux" bacon McDonald's likes to pass of as 'bacon.' I enjoyed the flavor of the burger and the bun was a solid taste as well. I ate only the burger, and threw the fries away, as they didn't taste good. Having said that, for an almost-$14 meal, I expected more out of this place. LA has a ton of mom and pop places that offer a better value for your money. I two-starred this place because even though the burger was solid, the overall combo I ordered was not up to par to other burger joints across LA that I've ran across. I don't know if the price point is normal of this establishment, or if the meal was more expensive due to it being inside the LA Live enclave, thus needing to charge more to pay bills. At a $14 price point, I expect more and better overall from a meal, and this place certainly did not deliver. I took it as a learning moment, and definitely do not plan on returning here, and certainly advise folks visiting LA to look elsewhere. You can have a better overall experience, for much cheaper, within the immediate LA Live/Staples Center area. Just use Yelp, and you will be on your way!

Juicy, messy, cheeseburgers 30 seconds from Staples Center. Right in the midst of LA Live! Lots to see here including skating.

The only reason I didn't rate this place higher, is their limited menu compared to other Smash Burger locations. One example -- though they have an ice cream company's sign on the wall where you order, they never have milk shakes or any ice cream at all. Still, good burgers and fries. Usually eat here every trip to L.A.

The burgers are great here and made fresh. The staff was helpful and efficient and the overall vibe of the place was fun and mellow.

Prior to my recent visit to LA, I had not eaten at a Smashburger. I loved it. Great classic burger and fries served by friendly, efficient people. There is setting available both inside and out (covered). I would definitely return...in fact, I did!

Good, but pricey, burgers. Nice size burgers and if you order the meal with fries and a drink it is a better deal. Lots of fries come with the meal option.

LA has a lot of food options, esp when it comes to burgers. Snashburger didn't disappoint. Burgers were tasty and juicy (unlike what other reviewers stated). Fries were the thin shoestring type and were also good. The only drawback was the price. $12+ is a lot to pay for the combo, but then again, it is LA Live. I'd return due to the location, but it's no In N Out nor Shake Shack.

I love this place for a quick meal before and after work. Service is great and the food is good quality for the price. There are a bunch of options, so everyone can find something they like. However, they do not serve milkshakes when there are events across the street at the Staples Center or LA Live...which is most days. I really don't understand this policy and it's disappointed me more than once. Truthfully, they could get more stars except for the disappointment of stopping by just for a milkshake and being told they aren't serving ice cream products.

I stayed in downtown yesterday and was in search for a quick bite in the staples la live area. I found a cool spot called smashburger and was happy with their food. Their burgers hit the spot and french fries or shoe strings are very good.

The burgers here are great! I love the casual atmosphere and will keep coming back. We ordered the Mushroom and the Jalepeno burger and both were quite tasty. Our service was friendly and when they made a mistake and brought us fries instead of onion strings they quickly remedied the situation. It's easy to see why this place is a hit. Note: sign up online a day before you go and you'll get a free side.

If you are looking for a great burger - look no further! We ate here twice so good - fresh cooked when you order per your liking.

The menu offers unique takes on burgers and sandwiches. I ordered the SPINACH, CUCUMBER & GOAT CHEESE Chicken sandwich. This is served With tomato, onion & balsamic vinaigrette on a multi-grain bun. Oh my goodness... it was delicious. Service was a bit slow, but I was in no hurry and appreciated the freshness of the chicken sandwich.

Got the bacon cheeseburger and plain fries. Very good. I'm glad we stopped in for a bite. Friendly service also. I would recommend this place.

Great burger and fries and fast service. This is a welcome place amid chains and higher priced restaurants.

Ate here and burgers were nice. Lots of filling in them and the chips were nice as well. Would definitely recommend.

This was the closest restaurant where I could grab a quick lunch. I’m sorry to say the burger meat was awful. Worse than mcDonalds. The young man who served me was really lovely and was good at his job. The place was clean. But I just couldn’t eat the burger.

Discovered this while at the convention center. Great place for a quick burger. Nice outside seating. Quick service. Delicious burgers.

Smashburger at LA Live is just great. We have been there many times now and they never disappoint. Today we were there before a concert in town and the food was as great as always as was the service. LA Live is a fun place and there are lots of places to eat. But if you don't want to go broke and just have a marvelous burger, go to Smashburger. Everything is made fresh and the service is super friendly and kid friendly. The place is just a lot of fun with great food at fair prices. Go there.

Staff was nice. Burgers and fries were good but not special for the price. Shakes were not even that good. Did see Jalen Rose as we were walking there. ESPN is right next door. Fun area. But expected more for the price.

I had lunch here with a group, and everyone was relatively happy with their burgers and chicken sandwiches. I had the SoCal burger. The burger was cooked well and not too thick. The toppings, however, were unevenly distributed; I had a huge mouthful of cilantro in one bite, and it was all gone after that. There were also so many toppings (delicious toppings) that it was a super messy sandwich. If I wanted a burger that I knew would be pretty good, I'd go back here.

This was my 1st time at place and I loved the burger. I was really pleased with the food and the establishment. If time permits I will be at this place again. Once again, GREAT FOOD!

These Burgers are Big, Fresh, very Tasty and a great place to eat. It's also very close to the Staples Center as we were heading there for a Hockey Game right after.

heard good things bout this burger spot. me and my wife split a hamburger avocado club and chicken avocado club. 2 combos came out to about $28 bucks. when i paid i thought 2 burgers n fries for $30, well at least its going to be good! bottom bread was moist, avocado was not ripe(hard dark brown) chicken was THIN to say the least, burger was a burger, and the fries came in 3 INCH CUP! fries were like cotton candy, no matter how many i tried eating at once it still felt like theyd just disolve in my mouth, they werent crispy. Even the soda was flat. me and my wife both said this was the worse meal ever, price+bad food quality = never going back!

This is a great stop for a quick beer and burger before a concert or game at Staples or Microsoft Theater. A bit pricey for the burger but a very good bite.

Service was slow workers weren't the best. Couldn't manage to order an item with something left off so I just ordered a different item that was supposed to come with ranch and mayo. After waiting forever food arrived my burger was dry so had to go get something to put on it that already should have benn there. Food was Luke warm to cold when it arrived fries were greasy which when cold is really gross. My husband got the big burger I got regular and they looked the same. Ordered a beer and soft drink they gave us 2 soft drinks and a beer. The poor girl couldn't manage to do much so we left the extra drink on order.

The buffalo burger just tasted like a dry plain burger with some blue cheese crumbles. It was not the best burger I have ever had for sure. Very dry. Love the flavoring of the smash fries but they were soggy and the fired pickles were also too greased. The container was full of grease and the pickles were mushy. There are many other places you can get a GOOD burger from and not have to spend that kind of money. Family of 5 with no drinks was $70!!! My burger better be perfect in every way possible to have spend that much. Very disappointed.

Finally tried Smashburger. The Smash fries were amazing. The burger was good. It was nice to sit outside and people watch at LA Live which I'd never been to, and have them bring my food to the table.

The mushroom burger was OK but was on the dry side. The onion sticks/rings are thin and very greasy...I would not order them again.

In the L.A. Live area these folks serve up a great burger. Service was quick and we were starving after a trip to Santa Monica--and had not eaten meat for a couple of days--and a burger fit the bill.

Smashburger is a thoroughly modern fast-casual restaurant (where you order at a counter just as you would in a fast food joint but the food is delivered to your table by servers), offering healthy and fresh better-burger chain, using certified Angus beef. Instead of just one bun, it lets customers select from four artisan bun offerings: egg, multigrain, spicy chipotle and even brioche. As the name suggests, the Smashburger kitchen uses the much-talked-about “smashing, seared and seasoned” technique. I happily gobbled a highly laudable Classic smash – American cheese, Smash sauce, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion on an “artisan”egg bun. The egg bun has a texture and robustness that compliment the seared patty. The crust on the patty is truly impressive, adding a significant amount of crunch and snap to each bite. Besides conventional fries, there’s smashfries – shoestring fries tossed in Italian olive oil, rosemary and garlic. As a gourmet burger and at $10 to $12, a meal at Smashburger will typically set folks back $2 to $4 more than a meal at McDonald’s. Moreover, with the TV overhead, you can watch sport channel while eating. The verdict? It is not only good; it’s in the same big-time league as Shake Shack’s. This is the true truth as I still say it as it is… (www.perfyi.wordpress.com)

Smashburger is at LA Live (it is a chain, but this one is the best). The menu choices is varied and large so there is something for everyone. Their fries are great and you will love their burgers. All the food is made to order and at a fair price, unlike much of the eateries at LA Live. They hand form their burger patties and just yum, yum. When we were there, it was crowded by the line went fast. There is seating for you on site. We were especially pleased with the service. The wait staff is just great and very kind to my 10 year old grandson. Have fun.

Went with the avocado club burger and washed it down with a butterfingers shake. This was my first visit to a Smashburger and really enjoyed both my burger and the shake. I was here over lunch and the place was busy, but I had no problem finding a place to sit. My shake came out within a few minutes and my burger arrived within 10 minutes. If you've never been here before, I would suggest looking at the menu online first because if the place is busy, you don't want to hold up the line reading the menu when you finally make it up to the cashier. The menu is a bit hard to read while standing in line. The meal was certainly pricey at $14 for a burger and shake, but I'm sure this in part that this sits in the LA Live area. No game going on, so we had full access to the menu. I will definitely be going to the Smashburger back where I live.

This Smashburger has an extremely limited menu and doesn’t even offer the famous smash fries that they are known for....

Great place to eat at L.A. Live the Staples center. Ingredients seem to be really fresh like a homemade burger. Seem to handle crowds goods. Very affordable.

if you're bored and want something to do while enjoying a good burger, go here! At first glance, it looks like any other burger place. however, the food is good (fries were a bit salty for my taste) and the people friendly. maybe if i asked for no-salt on the fries, it could have been different. menu is plentiful and was hard to make a decision on what to try. but they're all good, so you can't really go wrong! if you're eating solo, there's a place for you too as there is a 'bar' where you can sit, eat, and people watch at LA Live!

The burger and fries I was served were terrible. I took the fries back (didn't even want to try another burger) and asked for fresh hot fries. The ones I'd been served were freezing cold.

Great place to stop for a fresh fast lunch. The avocado chicken club is amazing. The chicken is seasoned to perfection with apple wood bacon on a whole grain bun. The men got burgers that they said were quite yummy. You can not go wrong with the regular or sweet potato fries.

I love these burgers, and I"m totally going to get fat from going here. Thick buns, tasty meat, what's not to love!

Limited menu at this location. The burger was a great quality, the patty was a little small and kind of expensive.

So it shouldn't be a surprise that these are great burgers. I have eaten here only once at this location and the food was right and the service was great and the restaurant was clean, I don't think anything else needs to be said except enjoy..

So I stopped by here last Saturday night to grab a quick burger. There were several events going on around LA Live so there was a 20 minute wait to even get in the door. I waited of course because I have eaten at other Smash Burgers before and they are great. This one was average, but it hit the spot. What didn't hit the spot was watching one of the employees. She was in charge of handing out the food. The kitchen would set the bag up, she would call your name or ring your pager and hand you your bag of food. She was not handling the food directly so was not wearing gloves, but what was DISGUSTING is that she was also the trash girl. She was running around the inside grabbing the trash cans, pulling them back behind the counter, pulling the bags out, putting a new bag in... all while still handing out food. She was pushing trash down into the cans with her hands, then grabbing the bags of food and handing them out and didn't once wash her hands. I saw her put her hands into the sink once when she got something on her hand in the trash, but she rinsed them off and didn't even use soap and then wiped them on her dirty shirt. I was kind of disgusted and it made me wonder if thats how the kitchen staff works as well. I wasn't sure what to do, I asked another employee if a manager was on duty, and she looked around and said "doesn't look like it" . I did make a call to the Los Angeles Health Department and they said that it wasn't code and would reach out. General manager really needs to watch this. I won't go back to this location, but will eat at other locations as the food is normally great.

Quality was premium, fresh burgers very tasty and very well cooked. It is a bit expensive but as expensive as 5 guys or other burger premium brands of burgers. Service was pleasant and quite good.

Nice people Helpful Fast food but great food. Choice of drinks was interesting --not the average slock.

Both the Burger and the Club Sandwich were delicious. The fries were very good. The veggie fries we could have skipped... greasy, too salty, and very limp. But would definitely eat there again.

Burgers and fries and drink some gotten expensive over the years expect to pay 12 to 15 dollars for lunch I would suggest getting the regular fries over the smash fries which had a lot of olive oil on them but it was really good clean fast and pleasant to sit outside

We visited Smashburger before going to a Lakers game. The staff is trained to continually push patrons to buy a combo meal, so they didn't listen very well to what I wanted to order--a double burger without onions. They finally heard what I wanted, gave me a beeper and had me wait about 10 minutes for my burger to be ready. The burgers are advertised as being juicy, but the only thing juicy about it was the excessive amount of sauce on the burger. Otherwise, it was pretty tasteless. A Big Mac at McDonald's would taste the same and cost 60% less. I understand that this place serves some of the cheapest eats around Staples and can get very busy when there's a game. The staff tries hard to be friendly and helpful. But these aren't juicy, or even good, burgers.

I wanted something fast and quick and this place did just that and more. The cheese burger was excellent, however i liked the fries the best

I loved my experience at smashburger! The food was absolutely delicious and the staff were friendly and helpful! Go here if you get the chance!

The salad (I know, I had a salad at a burger place) was fantastic and the staff was friendly. The place was incredibly busy for a Tuesday night.

I like Smash Burger for the fact that you can truly get creative with your burger if you so desire. We just wanted a quick bite, after a long day and they didn't have a long wait. The food was good, it did the trick and I wasn't disappointed. The staff seemed like they could use some help, but that's everywhere these days. They were very friendly and apologetic. I would go back.

I am a fan of hamburger when in a hurry. We came here for fast service and the classic burger was great. Located in the LA live area, it was very accessible from the convention center.

Really didn't think that the burgers were any different than any other burger place. The only advantage is that its close to the Staples Centre, so its a place to eat before going into the arena. If you like fries, look real close, cause they are so small it looks like your eating shoe laces. Probably for the price and quality of food, I'd eat inside the arena.

Smashburger was delicious. The cashier was extremely helpful and really took his time since I'd never been there before. I ordered the Spinach, cucumber, and goat cheese regular patty beef burger. What I loved about it is that the patty felt homemade. It the patty wasn't a perfect pre-cut circle, someone patted it out with love and a lil seasoning. The rosemary olive oil fries were good too.

This was my first time to eat a Smash burger. The burger was good but will get all over you. There are more healthy choices than a burger if that is your thing.

They have lots of burger options, very tasty, quite expensive for burgers but decent quality. Serves beer too!

My husband was starving after the Laker's Game, so we stopped by Smashburger for more food. I was so shocked that Smashburger and other fastfood joints in LA offered gluten free bread, which he got. The burger was great and we were able to quickly eat and get on our way. Busy after a game for sure!

I am very picky about burgers and red meat in general, but this was delicious! The burger was so juicy and flavorful!

Decided to come here for lunch on a Sunday afternoon, although it was full the person taking the order was very attentive and friendly. Although they were out of turkey burgers the regular hamburger was good. We did order a salad but it was missing some ingredients listed on the menu but that wasn't a big deal. I liked the patio setup that faces out to the LA Live are. Overall pleased with the facility I felt it was better then some of the others that we visited.

I keep trying, thinking it will get better, but it doesn't. It's just okay. This time I got a milkshake and it took so long to get sandwich that the milkshake was gone 5 minutes before I even got my sandwich. It was a grilled chicken sandwich and it was pounded so flat and thin you could almost see through it. Def. not worth the $14 I paid for the sandwich and 'milky' milkshake with NO side. Highway robbery!

Stopped in for a quick bite before a Marc Anthony concert at LA Live and wasn't impressed by my $13.00 burger combo. Burger was okay, cold fries and a wobbly table to eat on. Can't say I'll ever visit Smasburger again unless somebody is forcing me to go here.

We decided to visit L.A. Live and wanted a burger so we went to Smashburger. Nice indoor and outdoor seating area, great to people watch. The servers and order takers were pleasant and efficient. You order at the counter and the food is brought to your table. Burgers were good, but nothing great. Their onion rings are thin, but kind of mushy. The garlic fries lacked any real garlic taste. I would go again to hang out, but not necessarily for the food.

There are many restaurant choices adjacent to the Staples Center but very few are affordable and kid friendly. The classic burger was very good but the kid chicken tenders were "not so good" according to my son. Both of us love fries but they were not worthy eating. In fact we left one package in the bag. Also be prepared to be fascinated/horrified by the amount of waste. All the food comes in bags with each sandwich in it's own plastic containers. Family orders seemed to come in giant shopping bags (without request) in addition to all of the other packaging. True handled bags at the ready made it easier for workers to clean the tables but a couple of handy trashcans would have been much more appreciated. They did have milk for kids but standard drinks were huge sodas, ice tea and beer.

Lot's of rich food in the LA Live area so I really needed a salad. I found a great one at smashburger - it was satisfying with lots of chili peppers and spices. And no worries, my colleague had their burger and vouched for the a delicious more hedonistic selection.

You can never go wrong with a trip to Smashburger. We try to visit one whenever we travel to a location with one. Had the Spicy Jalapeno Baja burger. It was awesome.

A great place for a quick casual meal. The burgers are great and the staff is excellent. Highly recommend.

This location is in the LA Live complex in downtown LA. The burgers are really great, the staff are friendly and helpful even when they are really busy-as they were when I visited. Clean and modern facility. Would highly recommend for a quick meal.

We stopped here for lunch with a bunch of great friends from the conference, we were limited for time their were great! Service was fast and efficient and accommodating to my food allergies!

Gluten free or not gluten free? We visited this location after hearing that they had made changes to their menu to make their burgers gluten free and had gluten free buns available for those with Celiac. Unfortunately, the staff and management on-site indicated that the burgers were NOT gluten free despite what we had read online. I have to assume that this is not the case as it would be completely illogical to invest in a gluten free bun supplier if the burger patties weren't also gluten free but we chose to eat elsewhere to avoid the risk. They really need to clear this up and either update their marketing or better educate their on-site staff on food allergies.

Went here for a quick lunch and wasn't impressed. It wasn't terrible just not great. I probably won't return.

I had lunch at Smashburger today and it was all great. I had the SoCal burger with everything except the sour cream. This included chipotle mayo, avocado, lettuce, tomota, and a beef burger. The staff were friendly. The place was clean and busy. I'll go back. My burger was less than $8.

I went to the Smashburger at LA Live - it was a great burger and the onion rings were good, too. Staff was friendly and gave me a sample onion ring when I asked questions. Recommended

No, I did not even bother taking a picture of that sad accident on my plastic tray. There was clearly no love when it was assembled, with the avocado looking like alien innards splashed over the plate after a vehicular manslaughter. The bread so thin that is resembled a piece of cardboard placed over the spilled guts as to prevent bystanders seeing the carnage. I am sure the lettuce knows every corner of the cooling room, because it spent extended time in there with its tomato buddy. Service seemed overwhelmed during lunch rush, too. I think there is no reason to come back...

Ok! My bad! Should have known better! But for anyone out there who’s not familiar with Smash Burger: it’s just highly overpriced fast food.

I'll preface this by saying, "We LOVE Smashburger," and this location did not disappoint! It was fantastic to have a location so close to Staples Center. It's fun eating outdoors on the patio during a warm January day. Consistent with other yummy locations -- food, atmosphere, and service! Wonderful option!

We were walking through LA Live when hit with the most alluring aroma! We weren't craving burgers or fast food but had to try it! The line was out the door, that's usually a good sign. We both had a Truffle Mushroom Swiss burger and all I can say is mmmmmm....! The fries were just ok and it was pricey but I will go back!

I was visiting LA because of work and I met a young USC Student that told me about Smashburger. I walked down from my hotel and had lunch. My first encounter with a patron in line was very pleasant. He was also from Phoenix. The lady at the register could not have been more friendly. I told her it was my first time here and she gave me a menu and told about the food. She had a warmth about her that was big as the sun. My first bite into the burger was amazement. I truly at it and the friend mindfully. It was a very pleasant experience.

So coming from knowing ahead of time that this is a burger Resturant, it is a cut above most Limited menu, but have wheat/multi-grain buns. And sweet potatoes fries as an option. Standard drinks but also a really good, mildly sweet tea... Different You can eat inside of course but have a number of outdoor seating right in the middle of the outdoor plaza, great for people watching. Taste, is quite good for a burger. In fact it might have been as good a burger as I've had, maybe not leaps beyond but for sure can't recall a better tasting burger. So looking for something easy that will not likely disappoint, give me a try

After working a very long and stressful day, this burger hit the spot! The line was long but the food was hot and cooked to perfection.

I had the BBQ salad with chicken and bacon. My chicken breast was woefully thin and the bacon was nonexistent. It was essentially a bowl of greens. The taste however was pretty good.

Just a little on the pricey side for a burger, fries and a drink ($12.95) but it was downtown L.A. after all, and it was worth every finger-licking bit. A great large beef burger piled with toppings and the signature "Smash Sauce" on a bun that was a light and lovely piece of heaven. The FF were crispy and thin and I ate every last one. Atmosphere? Who cared?

Stopped here for a quick bite to eat while sightseeing downtown and was not disappointed! Food was served up fresh and hot, fries were amazing and soda was perfect. Staff was friendly and very welcoming. I sat outside since the weather was perfect that day. One of the best burgers I've had in years. Well worth the visit. Plenty of seating, did not have any trouble finding some place to sit even though it was busy.

This restaurant is located in the LA Live complex. The burger was good but $15 for a burger/fries and drink combo is a bit much, even for downtown LA. The fries were cold and tasteless.

I dropped by the LA Live location of Smashburger before a game at Staples. Supposedly, they have a deal @ $13.75 for a burger (or chicken sandwich), fries and a drink. Too bad it was all myth. My rellie had a bacon cheeseburger combo, while I ordered the chicken sandwich w/ jalapeno peppers and cheese. Salma messed up my order and gave me a burger instead. I didn't bother returning the burger for fear that they would do something nasty to my chicken sandwich. The burgers were so small, I didn't even bother taking a picture. Smashburger's version of a classic is nothing special, and neither are their fries. In addition. the portion of fries was not that large. The ambiance is wack bc the cashier is right in front. There is not much room to stand and wait inside. Likewise, the service was slow despite this being a fast food place. Our food took about 15 minutes and there was not a lot of peeps ahead of us. Smashburger is a rip off!!! No wonder they have closed numerous locations. You can get a bigger burger & fries on a plate at Flemings around the corner for $8. Secondarily, Slaters has a big burger, fries and a beer for $2.24 more vs Smashburger. This is a fast food place w/ sky high prices. I was hungry afterwards, wondering why In-N-Out was not close by...

Service was fantastic and the food was surprisingly good. The milk shakes are a must try and I really enjoyed the burger. It was very fresh and not too big.

It's a very good burger and fries. Rather spendy but I suspect it was the location. Since I don't have a Smashburger at home it was worth giving it a try.

It seems that there is always an event in or around the LA LIVE area and because of this they run a limited menu as to get you your food in a quick fashion. This is nice but they have some great shakes, and bbq meals that are not on the menu. you need to like the basic burger and fries. I would look towards the other offering in the area for a better selection as you never know when this place will have a full menu open to pick from.

Service was excellent, and you can customize your burger but not as much as I would have expected for the price of what you pay. Not to say the burgers were bad, but for all the hype I got from others talking about it wasn't very impressed either. What I did like that set them apart from like a 'Five Guys' was more the other menu items available. They do have the option of chicken instead of a burger or a salad as well, which made my wife very happy. I also liked the fact you could get healthy subs for fries like veggie frites (cooked carrots, green beans and such-quite tasty), sweet potato fries and such if you like, and a beer or shake to wash it down. I heard so much about the burgers, but enjoyed the other items I tried better which was a bit disappointing as I was really craving the burger.

They have some nice burgers in this place very good at serving their clients at the best of their abilities, if you are really hungry and dont have much time! Come here!

The skinny: Parking- various lots, $10 average Decor- fast food, hard chairs Service- clueless Coke- perfectly carbonated Food- eh After the LA Auto show we came here for a quick bite. I don't usually write about chains but I'd never been here before. I asked the girl who took our order if Smashburger was a chain. She had no idea and had to ask the employee next to her. While waiting for our order we looked online and saw there are tons of these in the Orange County area. How you could work for a company and be so clueless? The fries were ok, if a bit salty. The burger was average at best, no real flavor. The cheese was overpowering, the onion haystack too greasy and if the concept is the meat is "smashed" then at least it should be good. The big size was more like average size.

If you need a quick bit to eat, this place is great. All they service is burgers, but an expensive one. Prices are around 12-15 for an item. Service is okay, but the place is always but at lunch hour. They have an LA Live Employee discount offer for $8, just have to your ID.

Living out in NYS, used to Bill Gray's and smashburger is the same type of concept.. I mean its okay, but It is a burger with cheese, lettuce, mayo, onions.. And it's messy! The shoestring fries were lukewarm and nothing exciting.. If you are just looking for a cheap burger joint, this is the place fr you. But don't look high quality or gourmet..

The best asset of this burger house is its location just in front of the staples center. For the rest food is ok but no more

Crowded with lines out the door due to convention traffic. Yet, the service and short wait time were tops. Nice staff as well. One of them even came around to help clean up. And of course, great food. Nice salad choice and black bean burger for vegetarians. Impressive.

Stumbled onto Smashburger while exploring Nokia plaza at LA Live and debated going in; so happy I did. The Classic Smash is delicious, albeit somewhat messy with the sauces and melted cheese. The skinny fries were great. With the combo you get both (burger and fries) plus a large drink for $11.99 ($13.07 after taxes). Not a bad deal for a smashing burger. If you choose to sit out on a beautiful Los Angeles evening you can people watch too (always fun). Only in town for a couple more days, but I am already considering going back before leaving LA.

Burgers were hand made and tasted great. Selection was really good. Could use a spicy green chile burger, but I realize that is more New Mexico than SoCal. Could have their ice cream shakes available after bskball games though.

cold burger and the beef was half the bread, potato cold, they forgot my milk shake. I do not recommend. I was looking for something to eat and left completely frustrated

I ordered the Classic Smashburger on a multigrain bun and a grilled chicken sandwich with an order fries for my son. i thought that they had other types of fries, but I was informed when ordering that they only have regular fries. But it says on the menu that you have all sorts of fries, but mmmkay. We wanted to order a milkshake but felt rushed when ordering so we didn't bother. The burger itself was tasty. The bun was a bit soggy. The chicken sandwich was a thin piece of flattened chicken breast and flavorless. Wendy's has better chicken sandwiches. Don't bother asking for ketchup unless you like being interrogated. I couldn't believe what I was hearing when a patron was handed his to go order and asked for some ketchup and was told there was ketchup on the table. Maybe he doesn't want the ketchup on the table? Maybe he's a germaphobe and likes packets? I asked for some ketchup myself and was asked was this a to go order. Trust me, you need to be freely handing out ketchup for those bland fries. I won't be going again. I think Five Guys is better and they have cajun fries.

Was surprised by the lack of training staff had regarding the menu & how items like the Brussels sprouts are cooked. Very very nice staff, they should be able to answer questions regarding menu. Food was good, fresh

I have had a lot of different items here... I love the burgers of course! The flavor of the beef in these burgers is excellent... for me, its ok to have a ton of toppings and variations of a burger but what makes a burger for me is the quality of the beef, taste... Smashburger is very tasty. Prices are pretty good. Other items of note, the black bean vegetarian burger and the chicken salad. The chicken is a fresh "smashed" filet of chicken breast which is tender and moist.