I'll be straight with you: based on the score you can probably deduce that I basically only have positive things to say about this burger. But there are some... irksome things about the spec sheet I learned by interrogating to the waiter. The only important relevant detail I'll mention here: Cheddar is not listed on their menu's spec sheet but it was in this burger. Not cool, not nice. I added it to my spec sheet accordingly. The rest are minor nitpicks and I'll talk more about them in the review of N.Y.C. Double Smash, Pop's other smash burger.

With that out of the way, let's move on to glazing.

What do I mean by 'they can't keep getting away with this'? Well, Pop's has a record of greatness that is (almost) unmatched. They debuted on the scene during Pivo & Burger Fest in 2018 with a prototype of what would later become one of my favorite burgers of all time, The Boss. It was instantly the best burger at that festival. A few years later, they introduced a chicken sandwich (aptly named Chicken Sandwich) that was the best of its kind I ever tried (and, by the way, replaced it in 2026 with an even better Nashville Fried Chicken Sandwich). California Smash was also introduced in 2026 into an already (very) crowded smash burger market. And - as you might have already guessed - after three bites, this burger instantly shot to the very top of my smash burger ladder.

I'm a big fan of smash burgers in general. But there's one big problem with them: they have a general sameness to their taste, no matter who you order them from. Pop's must have mind melded with me because it feels as if they set out to solve this exact problem. And solved it perfectly.

The burger still has all the recognizable elements of generic smash burgers: potato brioche, fatty beef, melty Cheddar, pickles (more on that later). Of course, in true Pop's fashion, they chose the best possible ingredients for those elements. But what they truly elevated was the sauce. None of that basic ketchup and mayo bullshit - my main complaint against most smash burgers - but proper fucking sauce with some actual depth of flavor. Thank you.

But all of that is not even the most impressive part. The most impressive part is that they somehow managed to engineer a pickle that doesn't annoy me. Compared to its generic counterparts, the acidity has been toned down to acceptable levels. I don't know how they did it. I assume they're pickling them themselves or sourcing them from someone who knows what they're doing. This is the first time I actually liked - and not just tolerated - a pickle in my burger. What a time to be alive.

In conclusion, there are no flaws on this burger. No blemishes, no missteps, no shortcomings. I will not tolerate any dissent from this matter. If I hear someone complain about this burger, I will overthrow the government out of spite and use my newly acquired levers of the state just to shut them up.

For legal purposes, the paragraph above is a joke. Or is it?