Merced burger shop owners are smashing their way to Turlock to open second location
It’s not typical you get to try menu items from a restaurant before it’s even begun construction, but since a family-owned burger spot opening in Turlock has a location established a bit farther down the freeway, eager patrons are in luck.
The first location of Smash Bros Burgers opened in Merced in June 2024. A second restaurant bearing the name will open by the time the owners celebrate their one-year anniversary.
It takes guts to open a burger spot directly across the street from an In-N-Out, but the challenge was boldly accepted by Wahab Muheyaddin and his cousins Qais Mohammad and Mohammad Mohammad when they found an available building in Merced.
Muheyaddin, 22, graduated from UC Merced in May with a degree in management and business economics. His theory is that businesses that sell similar products do better when they’re close to each other because it’s a one-stop shop when it comes to picking up food for people who may not want the same thing.
“The funny story is we came here on purpose, because we get that traffic,” Muheyaddin said. “When we first opened, people were like, ‘You guys are so dumb. It’s not a smart business move to come right in front of In-N-Out.’ I’m like, ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about. Just wait.’”
So far, that theory has worked out. Business has been so good, the trio quickly sought help to find a place they could call home for restaurant No. 2. They found that location in Turlock when they learned I Heart Mac & Cheese went out of business.
While Smash Bros sells burgers like In-N-Out does, they’re not the same style. Like the name suggests, the Merced and soon-to-be Turlock restaurants sell smash burgers.
A smash burger is made by rolling high-quality ground beef into a ball and then flattening it on a griddle using a burger press until it’s well done, Muheyaddin said.
“It’s paper thin,” he said. “It’s like eating chips or a Dorito, but it’s not too crispy — unless you ask for it.”
There are five burgers on the menu, and they range from $5.99 to $7.99. Prices may differ at the Turlock location, Muheyaddin said.
He said the most popular burgers are the Bros Classic, “of course,” and the Bros Flat. The Bros Flat has Middle Eastern flavors and the potato bun is smashed as well as the patty.
“Everything is smashed,” he said. “It’s real flat, so it’s called a flat burger.”
Other menu items include Philly’s (cheese steak and chicken), regular fries and loaded fries, fried zucchini, onion rings, ice cream and milkshakes.
Muheyaddin said he and his cousins, who work in the kitchen, brought a guy from Philadelphia to work with them a few months out of the year and teach them the recipe for an authentic Philly sandwich.
Other secrets to Smash Bros’ success are the quality of their ingredients and their community involvement. “Our potato buns — they’re not like regular buns — and our vegetables we get fresh daily,” Muheyaddin said. “If we don’t sell out by the end of the day, we donate it. We take it to the homeless shelter.”
Smash Bros is also the home of the Cars & Burgers event, where a car show meets live music, vendor popups and, well, burgers. Visit instagram.com/smashbros.209 for more information.
The menu items and the hours of operation will be the same in Turlock as in Merced. Smash Bros is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Turlock may be the next location of the burger spot, but it won’t be the last, Muheyaddin said. The cousins plan to continue expanding north — eyeing Tracy, Livermore and Elk Grove as potential places to open.
“Once you go smash burgers, you don’t go back,” Muheyaddin said.
If you’re up for that challenge, you can find Smash Bros at 1459 Martin Luther King Jr. Way in Merced, and come May or June, at 1205 W. Monte Vista Ave. in Turlock.
This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 1:35 PM.
.jpg)