HOT OF THE PRESSES

"Arguably the most famous local smashburger is from Bobby Meader’s Stay Tuned Burgers, nestled inside the rustic but recently remodeled Hard Hat Lounge. A Vegas native, Meader developed a passion for smashburgers while hunting down LA’s best renditions. After he relocated back to the Valley, what began as a literal backyard pop-up at the end of COVID landed him at Vegas Test Kitchen via a recommendation from the Yukon Pizza crew, and eventually to a permanent home at Hard Hat.

As for his burger, it’s a $9 charred classic. Meader uses shoulder clod ground and smashed in-house. The patties are topped with a paprika-infused secret sauce, American cheese, house-made pickle chips, and copious chopped white onions—although grilled onion jam is also an option—in between a butter-griddled potato bun, delivered with remarkably delicious consistency. And the vegan version is almost indistinguishable and made on its own vegan grill."

"What started as a pandemic-era backyard burger joint has since evolved into a residency inside one of Las Vegas’s best dive bars. Now a destination in its own right, Stay Tuned Burgers at the Hard Hat Lounge offers a tight menu of just the one smash burger — and one vegan alternative. Smash burgers here have hand-ground patties, pressed to cook in their own juices until they develop a caramelized lacy crust, and then layered with sauce, pickles, and diced onions in a warm potato bun. Go ahead and make it double, plus add a side of crispy, craggy tater tots. The burger-tot combination keeps its heat and structural integrity whether diners order a meal to go or sit barside inside the 60-year-old Hard Hat Lounge."

"​Hard Hat is also home to Stay Tuned Burgers – a company that made its name at the now defunct Vegas Test Kitchen. Their smashburgers were cited as some of Vegas' very best burgers by Chefs James Trees, Nicole Brisson and David Varley as well as cookbook author Alicia Shevetone, and veteran food writer Al Mancini."

"Located inside the classic Hard Hat Lounge, Stay Tuned Burgers makes classic smash burgers with hand-ground patties slathered in sauce, house-made pickles, and diced onions. The result is a juicy burger with a crispy lacy crust, all sandwiched between two toasted buns. Order it to go or at the bar."