A Yank's Franks Restaurant Review ~ Smashburger

Hot Diggity and I passed by Smashburger on a trip to Texas in November. While we didn't have time to try them out then, the thought of this new burger joint has been swirling around in my head ever since.

Today I was sporting a smile almost as big as the guy who, when asked how often he has sex, replied "once a year" Then why the big smile? "Because tonight's the night!"

Well, tonight's the night for Smashburger. Pictured here is Hot Diggity's Smashburger Classic with American Cheese on an egg bun. The Smashfries are shoe string russet potatoes tossed with olive oil, rosemary and garlic. Hot Diggity also had a Haagen-Daz milkshake as did I, but more on that later.

Joining in our review today were Spicy Salsa Marjan and The Hot Dog Cowboy. Spicy Salsa Marjan had the exact same lunch as Hot Diggity, but The Hot Dog Cowboy preferred the Smashburger Kid's meal with Veggie Frites (flash fried carrot sticks and green beans).

For me, it was a Create Your Own Burger. It had cheddar cheese and a bunch of other stuff. I opted for the Chili Cheese Fries (surprise, surprise).

We all had Haagen-Daz Vanilla Milkshakes. I haven't had a milkshake that was that good in many, many years.

As for the food...Hot Diggity, Spicy Salsa Marjan and I all agreed that these were spectacular burgers and amazing fries. The Hot Dog Cowboy let his empty plate do the talking. He loved the burger and really appreciated the Veggie Frites.

Smashburger received eight thumbs up on this trip! If you have the opportunity to visit a Smashburger it's worth the trip.

Frankly, Yank loves hamburgers and chili cheese fries!

A Yank's Franks Restaurant Review ~ Einstein's Bagels

Einstein's Bagels??? Has Yank gone crazy? Doesn't he have anything else to write about?

The truth is, I love bagels. Believe it or not, I even eat those sesame "rolls with a hole" in the middle that Dunkies sells. I don't love those, but I'll occasionally eat them. The best bagels I've ever eaten are, hands down from The Bagel King in Fairfield, Connecticut. The worst, that's easy, Lender's bagels.

Einstein's falls somewhere in the middle. Certainly a cut above Dunkin Donuts "rolls with a hole" but with a first name like Einstein's and a last name like Bagels, they should be much better.

Having said all that, this isn't so much about the bagels at Einstein's as much as it is about their Bagel Dogs. Yesterday's breakfast was an Asiago Bagel Dog. I had every intention of enjoying one of Einstein's toasted sesame bagels with plain cream cheese, but I spotted those bagel dogs. Even at 9:00 in the morning those dogs were screaming my name.

A hot dog surrounded by an Asiago Cheese bagel roll! Maybe you could resist, but I didn't have a chance.

The Asiago bagel roll was a little soft. It was packed in a foil bag to keep it warm and that lends itself to steaming the bun. Not a big issue as the taste of the bun was still very good. If I had eaten it at Einstein's perhaps the roll (bagel) would have been crispier. No biggie.

The hot dog was split, but I was unable to tell if it was griddled or heated in an oven. I suspect it was the oven, but again, no big deal either way. The only issue I had (and it is a big one) was the taste of the dog. It was very strong and heavily seasoned. I don't mind an all-beef strong hot dog (in fact, I like them), but their seasonings were over the top for me. Not a bad flavor, just a whole lot of it. In all fairness, it was breakfast time and perhaps my taste buds were not fully awake.

All-in-all, I would say I wouldn't have it again, but I did eat the whole dog. If someone bought one for me, I'd eat it, but this time I'd put mustard on it. I should have added mustard for this one, but heck there are times I don't even get a photo because I'm so anxious to eat.

Frankly, isn't it amazing that hot dogs are showing up everywhere?