Smashburger to Open Wednesday in Oak Lawn

By Bob Bong
Southland Savvy

Brace yourselves, Oak Lawn, you are about to get smashed.

Not to worry, though, this smash tastes good and doesn’t leave a mark.

Smashburger will open its fifth Chicago-area gourmet hamburger restaurant on Wednesday at 10 a.m. at 5139 W. 95th St. in Oak Lawn.

"We are excited to bring Smashburger to the southern suburbs and thought Oak Lawn was the ideal place to start," said Brian Beers, Regional Director of Operations.

Some lucky residents have already been picked to get an early taste of the Smashburger during an invitation-only sneak peek today. Among them is expected to be Mayor Dave Heilmann, who is scheduled to welcome the restaurant to Oak Lawn with a ceremonial smash of the first burger at 4:30 p.m.

According to its website, the smash is what makes Smashburger unique among the gourmet hamburger restaurants flocking to Chicago in recent years.

Smashburger says everything starts with a meatball of 100 percent Angus beef that is smashed onto a flat grill when ordered. The smash sears the burger and seals in the juices. Burgers are then customized with a variety of extras including traditional items such as cheese and lettuce and some not-so-traditional items such as fried egg and guacamole.

Aside from its title creation, Smashburger also serves an assortment of chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, fries and salads. There are also dishes for vegetarians, including fried pickles and veggie frites (flash-fried asparagus spears, carrot sticks and green beans).

You can get soft drinks, Haagen-Dazs milkshakes as well as beer and wine.

The Oak Lawn store is the fifth in the Chicago area with another five to open later this year. The Denver-based chain has more than 100 stores nationwide, and is looking for more in the Chicago-area.

"We are looking at several locations throughout Chicago, but do not have confirmed locations for 'southern' suburbs," said Beers.

Smashburger has no drive-through but can seat 65 people in its 2,000-square-foot Oak Lawn location. The company calls itself fast casual, which means customers order their food at a counter and their orders are brought to the table. The store will have 30 employees.

One unique aspect to the Oak Lawn store is its sign.

"The sign outside is one of the biggest in the company and can even be seen from airplanes departing from Midway," said Beers.

Smashburger will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Customers can join the Smash Club to get coupons and food deals sent to them via email.

For more information, visit Smashburger of Oak Lawn or check them out on Facebook.

Hibachi Grill now open
The Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet, which bills itself as a Chinese, Japanese and American cuisine eatery, opened recently at 112 Town Center Road in Matteson (in the plaza with Toys R Us and Chuck E. Cheese). The restaurant is open Monday to Saturday for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and dinner from 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Dinner is served all day on Sunday. They even offer buffet to go. The phone number is 708-679-8905.

Today's "blow-out" deal
Frederic Fekkai luxury hair products is offering free "Blow-Outs" to customers from 3-8 p.m. Wednesday and from 1-4 p.m. Thursday at Ulta stores in Lakeview Plaza in Orland Park and Brookside Marketplace in Tinley Park. Consumers can have either the Silky Straight or Full Blown Volume. The promotion is their way to celebrate the start of summer. The company recommends you call for an appointment. For information, visit http://www.fekkai.com/ or http://www.ulta.com/.