When two of my top ten favorites, Gotham Burger Social Club and Smith & Wollensky, join forces for a pop-up, there’s no question: I’m going. I’ve been following Gotham Burger since the early days, from those gritty pandemic pop-ups to their Lower East Side brick-and-mortar, and it’s been a front-row seat to watching a burger empire grow.
These days, it’s harder to catch a Gotham Burger pop-up. Between birthdays, weddings, and all the endless adult commitments, weekends disappear fast. So when I heard about this Smashed and Sloshed 2025 event, I cleared my schedule.
The setup was tight, two grills running nonstop, burgers flying off the flattop, martinis flowing like it was 2020 again. This wasn’t the old-school, one-grill operation where Mike Puma did everything himself; this was a well-oiled, full-scale burger battalion. Perfectly crisp patties, that golden smash sear, buns stacked with attitude, every bite hits right.
And let me tell you, burgers taste better outside. Something about the open air, the crowd buzz, and that whiff of sea in the breeze, it’s magic. Even though I was denied my triple (fat guy dreams die hard), I still devoured my doubles with pride.
The crowd was different this time, more Midtown professionals, fewer LES regulars, but the energy was still high. You could tell everyone was just happy to be there, burger in one hand, martini in the other. Smith & Wollensky’s bartenders kept things classy, shaking and stirring without missing a beat.
By the end, I was full, slightly sloshed, and proudly wearing a free Gotham hat, because if it’s free, it’s for me.
Smashed. Sloshed. Satisfied.
Banana Juice Theory: The Grill Grows Up
Sometimes the best things stay the same; they learn to scale. Gotham Burger went from one guy with a griddle to a whole team and never lost its flavor. That’s the juice right there the balance between growth and grit. You can level up, polish the edges, and still keep the same raw fire that started it all. The secret? Never forget the taste that got you there.
Look, I’m just a Fat Guy from Brooklyn giving you my two cents. If you want more Top 10s—steakhouses, burgers, restaurants, you name it—click the words and keep going.