Mijas searches for Spain's best 'smash' burger starting this Thursday

The technique is so simple that it's probably impossible to know which kitchen it originated from, but what is known is where the smashed burger patty was first commercialized. It happened over 60 years ago in a popular American diner in Ashland, a small town in Kentucky that today barely exceeds 20,000 inhabitants. One of the employees had the idea to press the meat with a bean can on the grill. The result was a burger that was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, delighting the local patrons and named by its owner with a name as simple as the technique used: 'smash burger'.

With that name, it continued to make history in the United States and took decades to jump to Europe and Spain, but its popularity has grown so much that a contest has even been organized to find the best 'smash' burger in Spain. The event, called 'The Champions Burger Smash Edition', has already gathered more than 600,000 people this year in Mallorca, Seville, Lleida, Badalona, Castellón, Alicante, Granada, and Jaén, and Mijas will be its ninth stop. The event starts this Thursday at 19:00 hours at the Las Lagunas fairgrounds and will continue until Sunday the 31st. On weekends, the schedule is from 12:00 to 00:00 hours and on weekdays from 18:00 to 00:00 hours.

At the event will be the Malagueños Gottan Grill, who won the best burger in Spain in 2024, and the new project from the popular YouTuber Joe Burger

In the Mijas edition, 17 burger joints in 'food truck' format will participate, including that of the Malagueños Gottan Grill, who won 'Best Burger in Spain' and 'Best Burger in Europe' in 2024; and Faakin Smash, the new project from the popular YouTuber Joe Burger.

Voting and More Than Just Burgers

Those who try any of the burgers can participate in the voting to select the top three burgers of this event, which will then compete to be among the top 20 burgers in Spain and subsequently for the national title. Neither Gottan Grill's, Joe Burger's, nor another from Cheeck's will be among them, as these burgers are already part of the Hall of Fame of the event. However, Dak Burger from Mijas, winners of the Malaga event in 2024 and creators of the third best 'smash burger' in Spain last year, will be present, along with winning proposals from previous stops of the 2025 event.

At the Mijas event, the organization expects to gather up to 100,000 people and promises original proposals and gastronomic experiences that will surprise. In addition to the 'food trucks', an information bus, bars for beverage services, several photocalls, and benches and tables will be set up, as well as a children's area for the little ones. The public will also enjoy other gastronomic offerings such as Ybarra Truck (french fries), Cheeck's (fried chicken), Sandgüix (artisanal ice creams), and Say Cheese (cheesecakes).