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    Smash Buddies

    4.8 (53 reviews)
    ModerateBurgers, Sandwiches
    Closed 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    Order Smash Buddies Takeout or Delivery

    Smash Buddies Photos

    SMASH BUDDIES ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Smash Buddies

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    Reviews With Photos

    All American Smash Burger
    Erin C.

    My dad and I try burger places and rate them from 1 to 5. It's rare to give a 5 but this place earned it. Simple burger done very well. I got the All American with the potato skins. Secret is to get the blackened ranch with the potato skins. This place will more than satisfy a burger craving. Vibe is kind of retro. Not the kind of place you sit and hang out long but more of get in, eat, and go.

    Seating view/exit to patio
    Sasa V.

    This burger was top notch! Soft, beefy, gooey, and filling! The service was efficient and pleasant. Love the all black interior with the grayish floor! Food came out quick and was delicious!

    Sabrina S.

    Location/Restaurant; tucked away within Brewery District, but a must try I stumbled upon this for lunch with co-workers. Décor is retro 90's with neon. Food; Probably one of the best smash burgers I have had, and tots were cooked to order. Everything was fresh. Service; You can order on your phone, and at the check in, very easy for the lunch rush.

    Menu. Small but to the point
    Barry H.

    Update: Decided I was going to hit these guys up again today. I was greeted by Kohl when I entered. I ordered a double which had super fresh lettuce, tomatoes and onions on it. The burgers were cooked perfectly with a little crisp on the edges. Nice N Juicy. All held together with a Brioche Bun. The Tot's were nice n crispy which you get with fresh oil cooked perfectly to a nice light golden brown. One last thing, get the sauce, off chart. Made with mayo, honey, mustard , lemon juice and several other ingredients. You will definitely love it.

    Mark K.

    Stumbled on this in my quest to try all the restaurants in the area. It is tucked down a walkway, just south of Livingston and off High Street. There is street parking available, and a parking garage, but you're going to have to walk a bit to the entrance. Once inside, I swore that I had been there before. I think it used to be a Thai place. Anyway, now it is dark and somewhat barlike, but with some big windows, and it looks like they have an enclosed patio. Order at the counter or with the code on the table. Menu is pretty basic. And since they clearly specialize in smash burgers, that's what I got. Their standard, double, comes with cheese and their house sauce. Plus some regular tots, which also comes with a little bit of their house sauce. And of course you can ask for ketchup or whatever else. Wait a few minutes for them to make it; they will bring it to the table. Super friendly and efficient staff. And OMG the burger! I usually like thicker burgers, but I like a good smash burger once in a while. And this is a great one. Two thin patties, so incredibly thin around the edges that they are almost lacy. Good tasting meat, some good cheese, and their sauce. I think it is a beer-honey-mustard sauce? Anyway, it works on the burger. Also, a very good bun. The whole thing is amazing. And fair sized. Plus, the portion of tots is huge. I wasn't able to finish that. And they are excellent. I never used to think I was a tot fan, but the last couple years I have had some excellent ones in town. If they are done right, they are better than fries, honestly. They did not need the sauce; they have some seasoning on them. But the sauce and ketchup made for a nice variety. And all that (the food portion of the meal, not tax and drink and tip) was $12. An excellent $8 burger? Yes, and we need more of those. I was in and out in half an hour on a Thursday night. Canned drinks, and since I was trying new places, I tried a new thing, the Sprite Zero. I had had Coke Zero and it's not bad, so why not? And it was pretty good. Almost could pass for regular Sprite. I'll probably be back. I bet it gets busy on the weekends. It's nice to have some more variety in the area.

    Loaded Tots
    Michael B.

    If ever looking for a smash burger in downtown Columbus, this place has to be near the top of your list! From the overall service which was fantastic, to the food as a whole, this was a great experience! First off, the front of house was amazing - being our first time to Smash Buddies, he explained the menu, top options, his personal recommendations of ways to spice up even the normal menu offerings, and was extremely patient with gathering our order. They have a full bar with pints of beer being only 2.50 all day on Sunday (Don't worry wine drinkers - they have that for you as well!). Everything came out hot and fresh, and the edges of the smash patties were perfectly crisp to add that texture element everyone dreams of. The loaded tots could have been a meal on its own with the sheer amount of it - my one recommendation here would be to have the beef on top be a bit more chopped up instead of just 2 patties basically put on top of the tots. However, their yacht sauce (house made) is amazing and should be put on every single menu item no doubt! It has the main flavor profile of Chick-Fil-A sauce with a bit more sweetness to it which goes extremely well with the seasoning on the crispy tots. Would definitely suggest trying them out if ever having a craving of a burger. There is street parking around the neighboring blocks, as well as a parking garage on the same block, with the location being in between the block, not directly on high street, and there is good signage on the streets/sidewalks to direct you to the door.

    Tater Tots, the Original, and a Patty Melt. Not pictured: 2 puppy patties.
    Sarah M.

    My husband and I just stopped in here for dinner on the way back to Indy with our two dogs. The service was exemplary and the food was even better than we had hoped it would be! We saw online that they had outdoor seating, so my husband went inside first to see if they allowed dogs on their patio. He came back out and said yes, and that they said we could walk through the restaurant and onto the patio because it didn't have a gate. It had a couple areas for a few people to stand and eat or have a drink and then two big, round picnic tables. We sat at a picnic table and let the dogs stretch their legs after we ordered and waited for our food. The food came out quickly and was cooked to order. We shared the tater tots because they are a large portion size and they were so crispy and seasoned perfectly on the outside, but soft and cooked through on the inside. Perfect pairing with their special sauce and/or ketchup! I got an original double with mustard and the special sauce on side, while my husband got the patty melt. The special sauce was really tangy and had a slight reminiscence of chikfila sauce, but better and more flavorful. Both were cooked perfectly and were exactly what we needed to fuel up for our 3 hour drive back home. After they brought out our food, they told us they had "puppy patties" for dogs, so I went inside to get some napkins and order one puppy patty each for the dogs. They were super affordable (I think $2 each) and came out freshly made and super quick. The dogs loved every bite (obviously). All staff members were so nice and friendly, came out to check on us, and even cleared off our table when we were done eating. Everyone thanked us for coming in as we left and it was such a friendly atmosphere. We are so glad we stumbled across this burger joint while searching for lunch/dinner spots on Yelp and will definitely be back when we are in Columbus!

    Adam L.

    Super impressed with the flavors of Smash Buddies. I did not expect the loaded tots to be that good!

    Double and Tater Tots
    Ashley K.

    I really hope the brewery district on the S Front side comes back to life and maybe Smash Buddies can help with that. The place is super cool and the staff is super friendly. Loved the neon look against the black walls. However didn't love how you could clearly hear everyone's conversation inside the space or when no one was talking it was too quiet. It felt a bit awkward took a lot away from the "dining experience" for us. We got the party melt, a double, and some tots. I've never had a smash burger so thin and crispy. The tots were perfectly cooked. The sauce was good - very sweet and honey mustard based - but next time I will ask for it on the side for my burger because I bet it stands well without it too. Can't beat the price nor the fact that they serve beverages in a can! Great neighborhood spot, will be back for sure.

    Teriyaki burger and tots
    Tonya W.

    I would definitely recommend trying smash buddies don't set your expectations high on getting a normal burger. The name says it all smash. It's two very thin patties with cheese. image 1 is the teriyaki burger with tater tots first time having a smash burger it wasn't too bad definitely could have done without the teriyaki. the overall location, a pretty good vibe contemporary, enjoy the option of ordering directly from the table without the need for a server.

    Double Smash Burger w/onions and Tots

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    11 months ago

    The food - amazing. The drinks - solid. The Yacht Shot - a soon to be local legend. Reno - Mr. 5 Star.

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    3 years ago

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    4 months ago

    Amazing burgers, but the potato skins are very good, I could make a meal out of them.

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    9 months ago

    Great burgers, excellent tots! Just be sure to ask for an extra sauce. I have lunch at least once a week. Need I say more? Just Go!

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    9 months ago

    One of my favs in the city! Great place with great service. They always have new specials each week

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    10 months ago

    The best burger I've ever had in my life, the yacht sauce is a must. Service is 10/10

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Smash Buddies

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    The Thurman Cafe

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    Somehow, after all this time, I finally made it to Thurman's and I'm already wondering why it took…read moreme so long. From the moment we walked in, the staff made us feel right at home. Kind, personable, and genuinely warm exactly the kind of energy that makes a meal feel like more than just a meal. If you've seen The Menu, you know that scene where all anyone really wants is just a perfect, unpretentious burger done right. Thurman's is exactly that. The burger was everything it needed to be no gimmicks, no shortcuts, just a beautifully made sandwich that delivers on every level. The fries? Equally on point. Honestly, I have no notes. None. This is the kind of place that reminds you why simple food, done exceptionally well, will always win. If you haven't been, go. If you have, you already know.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

    We walked in at 2:30pm on a Saturday with a party of 4 to a packed waiting room and we were told…read morethe wait was an hour long. The beauty of a Saturday afternoon is there were sports on and TVs hanging on the walls. That made the wait easy. Boy do they know their stuff bc it was pretty much one hour to the minute when they called our name and escorted us to our table. We sat in a booth and took in on the collection of various items around the bar that have been gathered through the years and had some laughs at some of it. It was almost like a fun game of eye spy! They came to take our drink order and by the time they returned we were ready to order. We chatted for a bit and our food came out in what seemed to be a good time. I ordered the Patty Melt with onion straws. My husband got the Thurman Burger. We were surprised by its size when they came carrying it out to our table. Believe it or not he ate every single bite. Said it was delicious. Mine was equally as delicious. Maybe not quite as big but that was fine by me. I actually quite enjoyed that they served the 1000 island on the side. It made it way easier to eat. The cheese was nice and gooey. Just perfect. The onion straws were good too. I shared those with my husband. They were actually just as good on their own as they were dipped in any kind of sauce. That's big coming from me bc I love dipping! We got a box for our leftovers and headed out happy with a great first time experience here.

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    Urban Gourmet

    Urban Gourmet

    4.6
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    I had the hankering for wings. As always, open up Yelp and look for suggestions. Urban Gourmet…read morepops up only 1.5 miles away. Located in the East Market, there are lots of food choices. Wanting wings, I ordered the Garlic Parmesan and tots. They offer grilled or fried and I thought I ordered fried but these tasted more like grilled. I was wanting that fried crunch but got more of a well cooked bite with a creamy garlic white sauce, then sprinkled with Parmesan. It was still good but when you're expecting crunch, it's slightly disappointing. Still a good wing but I wouldn't put it in the top 5. The tots, now they made up for the crunch. The Blue Cheese was exactly what I like, sweeter with a little funk. Maybe I should've specified fried. Wings are an indulgence to me. I don't want the healthy version. I want that crunchy-Lipitor sponsored-defibrillator on stand by-I can see my blood flowing-We'll start the diet Monday goodness that only a perfectly fried wing can offer. Still good tho.

    I originally ordered food from another spot in East Market, but recalled seeing a TikTok about the…read morechicken Parmesan at Urban Gourmet, so I had to give it a try. No exaggeration, this was one of the best chicken Parmesans I've ever had, and that includes versions from legit Italian restaurants. The chicken cutlet was super crispy and perfectly seasoned, with a coating that was flavorful and satisfying without being too heavy. The portion size was just right, not too big, not too small. I appreciated that the mozzarella on top was fresh and sliced, not the usual shredded kind. The sauces (yes, plural!) were rich and full of flavor, tying everything together beautifully. The only thing I think it was missing? Some garlic bread of some sort to go with it. That would've made it perfect. But honestly, it was still a fantastic dish on its own. Highly recommend giving it a try if you're anywhere near East Market. I'm already looking forward to going back and seeing what else is good on their menu.

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    Pat and Gracie's

    Pat and Gracie's

    4.0
    (66 reviews)
    0.5 mi
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    We were here with a large party (roughly 20 people) and was surprised to be waited on by a woman…read morewho said she'd been there less than a week. (It was clear she had serving experience though). She began by counting off numbers to match the bill with parent/child. I opted for the grilled walleye and was excited to see they had gluten free fries. The fried walleye was a HUGE serving that was definitely meant for sharing. The mozzarella sticks were a huge hit. The salads looked phenomenal and my daughter loved her burger. Now, when we got the bills it was mass chaos! The manager was very gracious in helping our server. I felt bad since she was so new. She really did a great job at handling so many orders among our 2 tables.

    I've had this place bookmarked for a while but never found ourselves in downtown cbus until today…read more We saw a matinee show at the Ohio Theatre (highly recommend) and then walked over to Pat & Gracie's for a late lunch. Arrived approximately 3:30pm - restaurant basically empty (maybe 5 tables total occupied). Went to check in for 2 and the host said he had reservations at 5. Huh? So I asked do you mean you can't seat us until 5? And he said no, that we need to leave by then because other people are coming. I thought that was very weird and unprofessional. I've never had an experience like that before. It's a basic sit down place, why would you think we'd linger for more than an hour and a half? Whatever, weird feeling, but we were seated. Seated in the walkway. Not like in a path but literally blocking the walkway where you step down. Why do I say this? Because people walking by kept banging into me. Not their fault. Why is there a table there? And why were we seated there when at least 80% of the restaurant was empty???? Ok whatever. Ordered food including their signature made in-house tots. Waitress comes back and says they were slammed in the morning and they're out of tots. (Man I feel bad for the people coming at 5. LOL) whatever except the people at the next table appeared to be served tots. Food was tasteless. The Mac and cheese had a weird texture like the roux wasn't cooked properly. My patty melt was mostly bread as the patty was too small for the bread. My husband had the signature chimi burger and it completely lacked any chimichurri flavor. Like at all. We were out by 4ish (plenty of time for them to prepare for their expected onslaught) and needless to say I've unbookmarked this place from my yelp. Maybe we'll try the Mexican place across the street next time. ‍

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    Women's Bathroom
    SPICY CHICKEN SANDWICH
    SPICY CHICKEN SANDWICH
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    Smash Buddies - burgers - Updated July 2026

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