The space along Brook Road was formerly home to Brook’s Diner. (Mike Platania photo)
After years of flipping burgers on temporary grills to diners at folding tables in parking lots, a local pop-up restaurant is making the jump to brick and mortar.
Smashed RVA is preparing to open its first full-service restaurant at 1600 Brook Road in the city’s Northside.
For the last three years, Smashed could be found outside breweries and other events as a pop-up, offering “big, juicy, messy burgers done the right way,” as owner Michael Marshall puts it.
Michael Marshall (Photos courtesy Smashed RVA)
Marshall, a Caroline County native, has been in the restaurant industry for years, most recently working at Lemaire in The Jefferson Hotel before starting Smashed as a pop-up.
“The chef-y side of me always wanted to do something a little more fine dining but then I realized I don’t want to do that, I like the fast-casual,” Marshall said.
Smashed’s burgers start at $10 and Marshall said he uses local beef, vegan buns from The Flour Garden Bakery and a custom, homemade sauce.
“Everything (about the burgers is) done for a reason,” Marshall said.
Smashed caught on and has done well, sometimes selling out at pop-ups and leading Marshall to keep an eye out for a brick-and-mortar space.
“Some weeks it seems like we can’t patty enough burgers,” Marshall said. “It’s always been the goal to go brick-and-mortar. I’ve been looking for a few years.”
The Brook Road building, which formerly had been home to Brooks Diner, gives Marshall 2,100 square feet to work with. The dining room will have seating for around 30, plus a bar.
The new restaurant has Marshall thinking of expanding Smashed’s menu from four types of burgers plus a special, to seven or eight burgers, and perhaps more.
“Hopefully down the road we can do some different things along the lines of chicken sandwiches, maybe banh mis – something to mix it up,” Marshall said.
Smashed debuted as a pop-up in 2020.
Marshall said he’s leasing the space from Seven Hills Holdings. He said the space is pretty much turnkey and that he’s hoping to open this summer. Until then, he said Smashed will continue to run as a pop-up, though Marshall said he’s excited to start cooking out of a full kitchen.
“Being in a kitchen is going to really open our eyes as to what we can do. Being in a parking lot operating out of coolers, you have to limit yourself,” he said, laughing. “It’s a whole different ball game when you go from a kitchen to a parking lot to cook.”
The space along Brook Road was formerly home to Brook’s Diner. (Mike Platania photo)
After years of flipping burgers on temporary grills to diners at folding tables in parking lots, a local pop-up restaurant is making the jump to brick and mortar.
Smashed RVA is preparing to open its first full-service restaurant at 1600 Brook Road in the city’s Northside.
For the last three years, Smashed could be found outside breweries and other events as a pop-up, offering “big, juicy, messy burgers done the right way,” as owner Michael Marshall puts it.
Michael Marshall (Photos courtesy Smashed RVA)
Marshall, a Caroline County native, has been in the restaurant industry for years, most recently working at Lemaire in The Jefferson Hotel before starting Smashed as a pop-up.
“The chef-y side of me always wanted to do something a little more fine dining but then I realized I don’t want to do that, I like the fast-casual,” Marshall said.
Smashed’s burgers start at $10 and Marshall said he uses local beef, vegan buns from The Flour Garden Bakery and a custom, homemade sauce.
“Everything (about the burgers is) done for a reason,” Marshall said.
Smashed caught on and has done well, sometimes selling out at pop-ups and leading Marshall to keep an eye out for a brick-and-mortar space.
“Some weeks it seems like we can’t patty enough burgers,” Marshall said. “It’s always been the goal to go brick-and-mortar. I’ve been looking for a few years.”
The Brook Road building, which formerly had been home to Brooks Diner, gives Marshall 2,100 square feet to work with. The dining room will have seating for around 30, plus a bar.
The new restaurant has Marshall thinking of expanding Smashed’s menu from four types of burgers plus a special, to seven or eight burgers, and perhaps more.
“Hopefully down the road we can do some different things along the lines of chicken sandwiches, maybe banh mis – something to mix it up,” Marshall said.
Smashed debuted as a pop-up in 2020.
Marshall said he’s leasing the space from Seven Hills Holdings. He said the space is pretty much turnkey and that he’s hoping to open this summer. Until then, he said Smashed will continue to run as a pop-up, though Marshall said he’s excited to start cooking out of a full kitchen.
“Being in a kitchen is going to really open our eyes as to what we can do. Being in a parking lot operating out of coolers, you have to limit yourself,” he said, laughing. “It’s a whole different ball game when you go from a kitchen to a parking lot to cook.”
Location, Location, Location………
Yea. Happy for them, but that’s an inconvenient spot. I probably won’t drive that far for a burger.
I was thinking the same thing. They do have those condos that were just finished next to the PO, it’s still a thinly populated area with little walking traffic. You’d really have to want to go there. I will give them a shot when they open!
Inconvenient for YOU maybe. Good lord it’s surrounded by working class guys, HVAC companies. They will crush lunch with that demo. Walkable for VUU, but for some REASON that seems to be a blind spot for some people. Enjoy the burger chains in Chesterfield and let people LIVE.
I used to go to Brooks Diner and it was always bustling with blue collar workers in the morning and at lunchtime. I think that was actually before The James opened a couple of blocks away over on Chamberlayne. And now that area has been seeing a lot of development of student apartments in recent years and the city wants to encourage more of it. There might not be a ton of foot traffic today but it does have a big parking lot and it’s right off of 95/64.
Where do you live…?
It’s 0.7 miles from the Kroger on Broad/Lombardy. Do you consider that to be an inconvenient spot?
Yeah, it’s a great location with lots of parking and businesses nearby. They’ll do well.
If there are sweet potato fries on the menu, I’ll be there once a week
To the people knocking the location – you do realize there are three big apartment complexes within 1-3 blocks? VUU and Battery Park are also close by and the business has plenty of parking. I went to the old diner a couple times for breakfast with friends – there aren’t too many competitors in the area, so this should do well.
I hope they do well, Brooks Diner closed pre-pandemic and was sold (I think it was the same name) and new owner never re-opened. We stopped by during renovation (and walked in) in June 2020 to be told they were not open yet. But boy his burgers are GOOD!
That burger looks pretty good! Will have to give them a try!