Finding mouth-watering smash burgers all over town
A boxful of Hugh-Baby’s.
Hugh-Baby’s BBQ & Burger Shop
Barbecue legend Pat Martin has quickly found a legion of fans in West Ashley for his no-frills barbecue and burger spot—the first location outside of Nashville. The menu doesn’t claim the burgers are smashed, but the custom-ground patties have the signature thin style with crispy edges. What sets Hugh-Baby’s apart is its comeback sauce, a quintessential Southern condiment made with Duke’s mayo, ketchup, hot barbecue sauce, sweet pickle relish, cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and spices. Level up your order with add-ons such as bacon, extra patties, or even pulled-pork barbecue and slaw. Into veggie burgers? Try the smoked black bean and mushroom patty blended with cashews and topped with Swiss. 1028 St. Andrews Blvd., West Ashley; hughbabys.com
Heavy’s Barburger
The go-to at Heavy’s on Morrison Drive is the Original—two beef patties seared to crispy perfection and layered with melted American cheese, sliced tomato, red onion, shredded lettuce, and thin pickles. A zesty sauce brings it all together. Other options include the Luten’s, which skips the lettuce and tomato and adds Duke’s mayo and French’s mustard, and the Uncle Gene’s Ranchero, topped with bacon, pepper Jack, grilled onions, pickled jalapeños, sweet and spicy barbecue sauce, and a fried onion ring. 1137 Morrison Dr., heavysbarburger.com
(Left to right) The triple-patty Chucktown Smash Burger; Rocket Burger.
Rocket Burger
The team at Red Drum loves smash burgers so much they opened a food truck in front of their popular Mount Pleasant restaurant to serve them up, as well as hot dogs, fries, and shakes. A custom meat blend gets mashed, seared on the griddle, and served on a toasted sesame seed roll. The signature Rocket Burger comes with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, diced onion, pickles, and rocket sauce, a tangy complement to the beef. Get the double! And don’t forget a handmade vanilla shake. 803 Coleman Blvd., Mount Pleasant; rocketburgercharleston.com
(Left to right) Sesame Burgers & Beer; Heavy’s Original with fries.
Chucktown Smash Burger
Not to be confused with the national chain, locally owned Chucktown operates out of the Port of Call food hall on the Market. The menu is limited to four items: the Signature Smash, the Smash Burger, a kids’ version, and French fries. By staying laser-focused, Chucktown knocks it out of the park. The Signature Smash boasts double patties, American cheese, pickle chips, onions, and garlic aioli served on a toasted potato bun. You can also build your own. Only the brave (and very hungry) go for the triple patty. 99 S. Market St. portofcallchs.com/chucktown-smash-burger
Sesame Burgers & Beer
Both Sesame locations (Mount Pleasant and Park Circle) have a wide selection of burgers, so you may have overlooked their Double Smash. But if you’re a fan of the genre, theirs is a must-try. Two slim patties are flattened, seared, and topped with gooey American cheese, tomato, red onion, their house-smoked ketchup, and mustard and served on your choice of bun—go for the toasted sesame brioche, unless you prefer gluten-free. Miss the pickles? Ask them to add a couple of their special dills. Those avoiding red meat can opt for the turkey or black bean versions. 675 E. Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Mount Pleasant, & 4726 Spruill Ave., North Charleston; sesameburgersandbeer.com
