A hot flattop
and a firm hand

A smash burger is a technique before it is a menu item. Loose ball of beef, griddle hot enough that it complains, and enough pressure in the first ten seconds to force the whole underside flat against the steel. That is where the crust comes from, and the crust is the entire point.

Cheese goes on while the edges are still crisping so it slumps into them rather than sitting on top. The bun gets toasted in what the patty left behind. Nothing waits under a heat lamp — everything is built when you order it, which is also why ordering ahead is worth doing.

Beyond that there is not much to say. We are not doing anything clever. We are doing a simple thing carefully, three times a day, in three neighborhoods.