Mijas Searches for Spain's Best 'Smash' Burger

The technique is so simple that it's probably impossible to know in which kitchen it originated, but what is known is... which was the first to commercialize that smashed burger meat. It was over 60 years ago in a popular American diner in Ashland, a small town in Kentucky that today barely exceeds 20,000 inhabitants, when one of its employees thought of pressing the meat using a bean can on the griddle. The result was a burger crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside that delighted the local patrons and was 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, Sevilla, Lérida, Badalona, Castellón, Alicante, Granada, and Jaén, and Mijas will be its ninth stop. The event starts this Thursday at 19:00 at the Las Lagunas fairgrounds and will continue until Sunday the 31st. The weekend schedule is from 12:00 to 00:00 and on weekdays from 18:00 to 00:00.

At the event will be Gottan Grill from Málaga, who were awarded the best burger in Spain in 2024, and the new project by 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 the 'Best Burger in Spain' and the 'Best Burger in Europe' in 2024; and Faakin Smash, the new project by popular YouTuber Joe Burger.

Voting and more than just burgers

Those who try any of the burgers will be able to participate in the voting to choose 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 the Gottan Grill burger, 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 Málaga event in 2024 and authors 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, drink service bars, 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 be able to enjoy other gastronomic offerings such as Ybarra Truck (french fries), Cheeck's (fried chicken), Sandgüix (artisanal ice creams), and Say Cheese (cheesecakes).