About 38 minutes by car from Naha Airport. It is a hamburger restaurant located in Okinawa City in the central part of Okinawa Island. It is a popular hamburger restaurant in the U.S. that uses a unique cooking method of crushing (smashing) the patties to bring out their flavor and is the only one of its kind in Okinawa.
Point 1: [Central Okinawa City] “A-side Smashburger” What is its origin and location?
A-Side Smashburger is a hamburger restaurant located in a shopping district called “Sun City” in Okinawa City, central Okinawa Island.
A-Side Smashburger“ is a burger restaurant located in a shopping district called ”Sun City” in Okinawa City on the central mainland of Okinawa Island.
The term “smash burger” is a generic term for a hamburger that features a patty that is smashed and cooked with a special device (smasher), but its origins are obscure.
Smash burgers are now so popular that they have taken the United States by storm, and in fact, “Shake Shack,” which was established in 2004 and has landed in Japan, is also said to be of the Smash Burger family.
In Okinawa, “A-Side Smashburger” is the only one so far, but in Japan, Smashburger-type restaurants have been popping up in Tokyo and Yokohama, and even fashion-conscious gourmet magazines such as “Elle Gourmet” have picked up on the trend.
Until then, patties were cooked like hamburgers, thick and placed between buns, making them tall.
It takes about 38 minutes from Naha Airport via Okinawa Expressway.
By bus, take Naha Bus No. 117 and get off at “Okinawa Minami IC”, which is also via Okinawa Expressway, so it is convenient to get there in 45 minutes. (about 17 minutes on foot) Or take Ryukyu Bus No. 190 and get off at “Goya”, which also takes 1 hour and 15 minutes, but you can get there without changing buses (2 minutes on foot).
Point 2: [Central Okinawa City] What is the recommended menu for “A-Side Smashburger”?
A-Side Smashburger” offers a variety of burgers, including the basic cheeseburger.
The Smash Burger, in which the patty is pressed down from above with a smasher to evenly heat the patty and trap juices and umami in the patty, has a reputation for its savory patty and great flavor.
The basic items are the “A-Side Smashburger” (950 yen) and the “Cheese Smashburger” (1,150 yen), but if you can, you may want to order a “custom” burger where you can customize your bun and patties. (Only what you add counts toward the price.)
The price is set from one bun, and you can freely add butties, pickles, jalapenos, aurora sauce, etc.
The advantage is that you can add only what you like.
Even the most basic “cheeseburger” contains two patties and two pieces of cheese, caramelized onions, pickles, and mayonnaise, but no tomatoes, lettuce, or bacon, so if you don’t have any likes or dislikes, this should be enough for you.
If you like spicy food, we also recommend the Mexican Smashburger (1,450 yen), which comes with salsa sauce and jalapenos by default.
Point 3: [Okinawa City Central] “A-side Smash Burger” The “white powder” that comes with the fries is bad!
The fries at A-Side Smashburger are stick-shaped fries that are cut thicker in a special machine and seem to be served at other restaurants.
The fries are of course crispy and delicious even when cold, but they become unbelievably delicious when served in a small container with the “white powder” that comes with the fries!
The salt that looks like natural salt and the black specks. I asked the waitress what it was, and she told me that it was a “truffle”.
Normally, this “truffle salt” is sold for 100 yen, but during the pre-opening period, it was sometimes offered for free.
I used to think that truffles were something that gourmets who go to Michelin restaurants eat and are not related to them, but it is nice to see them casually used in a casual hamburger restaurant like this!
A-side Smashburger,” located on Gate 2 Street in Okinawa City, central Okinawa Island, is a place where you can enjoy the very popular American Smashburger, a hamburger that features two patties that are crushed with a special smasher to concentrate the flavor.
The burgers are shorter and easier to eat than regular hamburgers and even the buns can be customized to your liking. Please come and try it for yourself.
