Melissa Hom

Smashburger: Just when we thought the city couldn't get any more saturated with artisanal burger places, Denver-based blog phenom Smashburger opens its first New York location in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Priding itself on the "better burger," Smashburger smashes (duh) its made-to-order "100% fresh, not frozen" beef on a flat grill so that it sits in its own juices before it is seasoned and served in a "fast-casual" environment. There are also plenty of Smashchicken dishes and Smashsalads to go around.

Each Smashburger location features at least one menu option to cater to local culture (we're not really sure how this worked at the Montclair, N.J. location). Franchisee Jim Denburg dreamed up Brooklyn-specific burgers including the Brooklyn Burger served on a pretzel bun with grilled pastrami, Swiss cheese, pickles, onion, yellow mustard, the Spicy Baja Burger, and even a "made-from-scratch" Black Bean Burger (here's looking at vegetarian Brooklynites!). Plus, nothing says blending in with the locals quite like offering Brooklyn Brewery beer, wine, Haagen-Dazs milkshake, and Stewart's root beer float options.

Borrowing its "insiders-only secret menu for those-who-know" business model from In-N-Out and challenging its main competitor Shake Shack for the best "fast casual better burger," Smashburger births its New York empire in the "ever-growing food culture" of Brooklyn before plans to colonize the other four boroughs and Long Island. (Elyssa Goldberg)

80 DeKalb Avenue, Brooklyn; (718) 222-1101

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