What started as a bit of a fun food journey quickly turned into a serious mission: track down the absolute best smash burger in East Anglia.
From Norwich to Ipswich, beach towns to backstreets, we tried anything and everything, from all different types of buns, and exotic mixes to a few questionable plant-based attempts trying to see if the new trend of smash burgers can compoete with our belioved pub originals or our classics.
After a three-month quest and more than 30 burgers tasted across East Anglia, we found the winner in Southwold.
Are Smash Burgers Worth the Hype?
Characterized by their thin, crispy-edged patties formed by pressing ground beef onto a hot griddle, originated in the United States, specifically in the mid-20th century. The technique is believed to have been popularized in the 1950s and 1960s by short-order cooks in diners and drive-ins, who sought to create quick, flavorful burgers. The method involves pressing a ball of ground beef onto a hot surface, often with a spatula, which maximizes the Maillard reaction (browning) and creates a crispy crust while retaining juiciness.
We can consider that smash burgers are relatively a new thing in the UK but specially in conservative East Anglia, so we went in the search for the best we could find.
Despite having some serious contenders specially around Norwich we found a hidden gem, created by a Londoj former corporate and operating in the ea side town of Southwold, Suffolk.
The name? Jack’s Burgers The setup is simple: a small, laid-back joint serving burgers and fries with a side of surf-skater energy. The vibe is casual, the staff are friendly, and the food? Genuinely brilliant. Theur secret ingredient is 100% local minced beef supplied directly by a local butcher using mostly Jersey beef (very similar than the trendy Waygu) but with a touch of local produce and delicious home made soauces.
What makes Jack’s stand out isn’t some gimmick or over-the-top menu, it’s the attention to detail. Proper smash patties with crispy edges, soft buns that hold everything together, and house-made sauces that actually have flavour. It’s messy in the best way, and every bite just works.
Suffolk’s Burger Scene Has a New King
We tried over 30 burgers during our East Anglia burger crawl. Some were good, a few were great, but only one place had that “we’ll be talking about this next week”.
Jack’s Burgers has officially claimed our top spot the best burger in East Anglia. No fluff, no PR spin. Just killer food from a place that knows exactly what it’s doing.
If you’re heading to Southwold this summer, skip the fish and chips for once and go grab a Jack’s burger.
Trust us.
