The OG Smashburger Was Created in Kentucky

Smashburgers have become more popular over the past decade, and apparently, we have Kentucky to thank for this craze.

Who doesn't love a good burger, right? Personally, my bonus son, Carter, is obsessed with cheeseburgers. Anytime I ask him what he wants for dinner, I typically get one of two answers: "I don't know" or "burgers". He loves it when I make smashburgers. There's something about taking a regular burger patty and smashing it until it's almost flat, then grilling it to crispy, that creates flavorful perfection. Now, this type of burger has been around for a while, but with the rise of griddles like Blackstone, more and more people are hopping aboard the smashburger bandwagon. Come to find out, this style of burger actually got its start in the Bluegrass State.

Smashburgers Came from Kentucky, Y’all!

Here's a little piece of Kentucky history that you may not have known. Well before the fast food chain Smashburger launched, there was a fry cook at Dairy Cheer in Ashland, Kentucky who got the bright idea in the 1960s to maximize a burger's flavor by smashing it. He didn't use the typical burger smasher that we all use on griddles today. No, he used what he had available to him, and smashed ground beef with a 10-ounce can of beans. Hey, it worked!

According to Daily Meal:

The first smash burger was created in Dairy Cheer restaurant in Kentucky back in the middle of the 20th century. The owner of the hamburger joint, Bill Culvertson, was used to churning out burgers to feed the hungry masses. But when one of his workers elected to apply some pressure to the meat patties when on the grill, using a large bean can, everything changed.

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Culvertson and his cook, which I haven't seen his name mentioned anywhere, found that the meat had a better contact with the griddle when it was smashed, thus leading to a much better flavor. So, they started serving their patties like that, and the smashburger phenomenon was born.

What Makes Smashburgers So Darn Good?

Now, at the time, the cook did not know the science behind what makes a smashburger so good. However, throughout the years, we have discovered the answer. It's known as the Maillard Reaction. According to Yahoo!:

The Maillard reaction is when reducing sugars interact with amino acids to create something called melanoids — a compound that gives browned foods that unique, toasty flavor. By flattening out the raw beef patties, the cook at Dairy Cheer increased the surface area for more uniform browning and crisp, lacy edges.

 

While these burgers were first born at a local restaurant in Kentucky, pretty soon, they became the go-to style for many fast food places like Steak n' Shake and Freddy's, among others. I should mention that the smashburger being created in Kentucky is met with some debate. Some folks claim that the style of burger was created elsewhere. That being said, most sites that I have looked into regarding the history of the smashburger have all credited Kentucky's Dairy Cheer. While the Ashland location has closed, there are still Dairy Cheer locations in Pikeville and Prestonsburg for you to try out the original smashburger yourself!