Wowza! Winning burgers! Amalfi Smashburger served up one of the best burgers I've eaten in a very long time. My wife and I came here for a lowkey dinner date and were blown away by the experience. Tucked alongside the Lake San Marcos Gold Course, this clubhouse style restaurant has a comfortable casual vibe with great quality food options. The staff was very friendly and attentive, which set the evening off positively from the start. I ordered the California Smashburger which came with bacon and avocado (I nixed the cheese since I don't eat dairy). Paired with a good Italian red wine, it was a perfectly balanced, juicy, caramelized beef patty with a warm bun. As for sides, try the side salad which comes with a house dressing, and the beef tallow fries. As for a side of the truffle mayo for dipping if you really want to crank things up a notch. It takes the fries to another level! We will most definitely be back for more burgers sometime soon. Two thumbs up in my book. read more

Amalfi Smashburger - CALIFORNIA, Side Salad, Beef Tallow French Fries - Burgers Near Me - San Marcos, California

I always love seeing another burger place in the north county area as myself and my coworkers on a quest to find and rank the best in this area. For this weekly installment, Amalfi Smashburgers made the list of must try. Located near Lake San Marcos on the par 3 golf course is Amalfi Smashburgers. An open spacious restaurants with seating both outdoor and indoor and varying table sizes from bar to large party seating. The menu had all smash burgers in varying toppings all with unique names. All burgers are a la carte so fries are extra. I went with the Classic burger which consisted of a 100% USDA 2 Prime patties, cheddar cheese and pickles. First bite impression were ok with the some crunch to the edges but as you got in a few more bites the patties just felt overcooked and dry with little to no juice. I kept having to add their special sauce on each bite to give it some juice. The bun bread lacked any flavor and just held the meat in place. My side of fries were beef tallow but didn't possess any flavor and just tasted like regular shoestring frozen fries with no seasoning. My overall experience was ok and a great place to grab a bite after a round of golf on site. Service was great and friendly and there is plenty of parking on site. read more

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My father and I are both avid Yelpers. So, when we get together for the occasional meal, there's a certain amount of research and discussion that goes into deciding where we go to eat. After looking at several 4-star+ averages for a number of different places, arguing over the merits of whether or not loaded fries can constitute an actual lunch, we eventually agreed that our Friday afternoon called for smashburgers and we chose Amalfi Smashburger here in San Marcos to dine. And man, did it suck! Four burgers hit the table, coming to a grand total of eight hamburger patties served all around, and not one of them was remotely cooked properly. The meat that was touted as "100% USDA Prime, all-natural Mishima Reserve Beef" had been fried into nigh dessication. Apparently, the chef was under the impression that the crispy exterior normally created by a smashed sear on a scorching hot griddle, was better made by frying their ground beef until dried out into pemmican slices. My daughter took one bite of hers and didn't touch the rest. My son, who has just started Yelpi'ing, was quick to note that the sunny side up egg on his Amalfi Smash was incorrectly cooked through so there was no rich yolk to coat his burger. My father's Estate 2026 was missing some key ingredients which could have elevated his burger to become slightly more edible. And my wife and I had split the Golf Burger, which neither of us was keen to finish our halves. "No, you eat the rest of mine, I couldn't possibly have another bite ... are you gonna finish those fries?" And speaking of those Beef Tallow Fries, they were served room temperature and a bit stale. They had obviously come frozen out of a bag and there was no hint of that beefy flavoring in the potato. You might as well have just air fried these things with how they turned out. I imagine that most of the clientele here are golfers that are too drunk to finish that back nine, so the food doesn't have to be top notch to impress. But, for the rest of us that are looking for a juicy, flavorful burger framed in that crispy Maillard crust ... this place is NOT for you. On the plus side, their grilled mushrooms are tasty and the seared logo onto their top buns was cute. Going back to my father, when we both end up enjoying our food, there's that playful back and forth over who gets the honor to pay the bill. Amalfi Shmashburger was so bad, I had to bite the bullet and shamefully pay without arguement, all the while apologizing for having suggested we come here in the first place. read more

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intrigued by the menu and Yelp photos, I was looking forward to eating at AMALFI SMASHBURGER. however, after editing out the swear words the restaurant so richly deserves, my dining experience would kindly be characterized as an epic fail. I almost never post one-star reviews, but this place REALLY has it coming. my ESTATE 2026 (100% USDA Prime, All-Natural Mishima Reserve Beef, fig, crispy bacon, and gorgonzola) was no bueno. you can buy jerky at Costco that's less dry. the fig (slices? jam?) was conspicuously absent. would have been a much-appreciated sweet counterpoint to balance the tartness of the blue cheese if the kitchen had been more generous with the gorgonzola. the ALMAFI SMASH (100% USDA Prime, all-natural Mishima Reserve Beef, Italian sweet provolone, fried egg, butter lettuce, and truffle mayo) was also disappointing. check the photo and see how badly the fried egg was scorched. no lovely yolk gushed out at first bite. will somebody please explain the point of wasting 100% USDA Prime, all-natural Mishima Reserve Beef (which appears in the menu description of EVERY burger) on ground meat that's so grossly overcooked the patty is no longer a flavor but only a gritty, greasy texture? served at room temperature, the BEEF TALLOW FRIES had been "resting" so long that the lard they were cooked in had congealed on the outside. here's a hint for the kitchen: fries in general, and BEEF TALLOW FRIES in particular, do not age like a fine wine, and the day before is NEVER a good vintage. successfully resisted the urge to drive thru a Jack in the Box on the way home just to get the taste out of my mouth. read more

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Came here with family and had a good time. the vibe i get from this restaurant is that it's more for social gatherings and drinking (wine, cocktails, draft etc.) than it is the food. I got the amalfi burger and it was ok nothing mind blowing. seemed well prepared, flavor was slightly lacking and the fries were kind of a disappointment but nothing was inedible. this establishment is near a golf course that seems to get moderate traffic and a lot of the business here seems to mainly be golfers which makes sense no shame there. Service was excellent our server took good care of us. I can't say i'll be back but i won't say this place is bad. if you're looking for a nice cool place to get drinks this place may be for you. read more

Amalfi Smash Burger is a hidden gem in San Marcos. Sitting right on the golf course, the atmosphere alone makes it worth the visit. It's just a cool spot to grab food and hang out. The Golf smash burger is unreal. Perfectly smashed, great flavor, and honestly one of the better burgers I've had around North County. I've gone back more than once just for that. Staff is always friendly and the energy in there is good. It's one of those places that gets everything right without trying too hard. read more

Amalfi Smashburger - GOLF - Burgers Near Me - San Marcos, California

Holy Smashburger this place is GOOD!! We came here for a belated Mother's Day dinner with our newborn and this meal was everything I ever dreamed of. I got the toscanacho burger and it was amazing! I did order it with one patty bc double is just too much IMO. My husband got the California - both were cooked to perfection. I loved how mine was unique - it came with Parmesan cheese, arugula and caramelized onion. The bun was fluffy and flavorful. I could eat that burger on repeat! We also go side salads and fries. The fries were to die for. Make sure to get a side of the truffle aioli - we dipped our fries in it and put it on our burgers. Service was excellent. Our waitress was friendly and food came out fast! Chill environment, we came closer to closing time so not sure if it's much busier in the day but we brought our newborn so we were hoping for a quieter spot :) read more

Amalfi Smashburger - TOSCANACHO and side salad - Burgers Near Me - San Marcos, California

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This place is a great place for kids. I hear kids eat free, which I know is great for families! We don't have kids and weren't aware of that special family deal. The Great: Easy Parking The Good: The burger was ok The Bad: The service was so slow and the server couldn't even keep our drinks refilled while we waited The Ugly: While we waited 40ish minutes for 2 smash burgers, the fries came out luke warm at best. We were really excited to try this smashburger place, but we won't be coming back. The service and the foods are just ok. They have tons of wine, but was bummed to find they did not have a full bar. The spot is good for families, but is wide open and becomes a sound chamber of yelling and running children, which can kind of be overwhelming. read more

Amalfi Smashburger - Burgers Near Me - San Marcos, California

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This place is so much fun! They have Wine Wednesdays with all bottles ($60 and under) 50% off and LIVE Music! On Saturdays it's Trivia Night-reserve a table for your group and have a great night! The burgers are delicious plus they have THE BEST people working there...Olga and Jesse will do everything possible to make your dining experience 5 star! read more

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Great burgers in a casual setting. We each had the pear and blue cheese smashburger which was so well balanced and tasty. It was also great that the kids were free (and welcome!) - their double cheeseburger smashburger and fries were well loved as well. read more

The view overlooking the golf course was very peaceful. The server was attentive. The smash burger was very filling. Unfortunately, the description of the burger on the menu was not what I was served. I had chosen the Estate 2026 with fig. Next time, I will not order a smash burger with gorgonzola, as it was overpowering in taste. The fries were nothing special, but they served a large portion of fries. read more

We love the food here. Great smash burgers and atmosphere. Really good prices, too. This is definitely one to put in the dinner rotation. read more

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Great spot on the golf course, we got the beyond burger and the Swing smash burger with fries and a beer Excellent burgers, great flavor. The service was excellent and great atmosphere, prices were great for the food we received, definitely recommend going. read more

Amalfi Smashburger - Beyond Burger and Swing Burger - Burgers Near Me - San Marcos, California

I ordered a couple of burgers from this place and they did not disappoint. They have unique combinations that I'd never heard of before. Juicy and flavorful burgers. Delicious! read more

This was a hidden surprise, we just happened to be in the area. There was only one waitress and the bar tender and they did well to serve everyone. I ordered the California burger and my wife had the margarita pizza. Both were amazing and didn't break the bank! read more

Okay, I have had some nice lunch experiences but this takes the proverbial cake. Olga and Riley are phenomenal servers, and the salad was truly delightful! The chef even put little edible flowers along with delicately sliced cucumbers, carrots, capers, diced purple onions, super flavorful salmon, and radishes; oh my Tuscany Sauvignon is a perfect pair, as is the view overlooking our Lake San Marcos golf course and at least four big screen televisions playing the Soudal Open. This place is an all around treat‍ read more

"Open every day 10-8PM." We saw that the executive restaurant was rebranded to a smash burger place and wanted to go try it. We showed up at 6:25 PM to find that the doors were locked. They were active on Instagram 6 hours prior with no mention that the restaurant would close early. No sign posted on the door except what is pictured. Waste of a drive. read more

Amalfi Smashburger - Open sign for restaurant that isn't actually open - Burgers Near Me - San Marcos, California

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Olga is a delightful server. She was attentive and very accommodating to our idiosyncrasies. The food was delicious and the ambiance was laid back and comfortable. read more

It's a great burger and the flatbreads are exceptional. It's a little hidden gem. I almost don't want to give it a good rating just to keep it a secret so there's always availability for me and my family to walk there on any given day. read more

Burgers were DELICIOUS! We went on bingo night & it was super fun for all ages. The host was personable .We will be back for sure

Best burgers ever. Ever. Truffle mayo is the end of me Staff is always friendly and great at re-welcoming regulars