I landed in Denver last Thursday just before the city was covered under 2-4 feet of snow. That did not deter me from the plan at hand which was to get to Bud's Bar for a burger. Owner Mike Steerman was there (above, with me), as well as his wife Mary, bartender Nanc, and longtime grillperson and burger genius Judy. I had some friends with me that were thoroughly impressed with their simple yet perfect double cheeseburgers. There was an impromptu book signing and many beers were consumed. I love being a hamburger expert.
Another burger spot that I had to visit after reading many emails from enthusiastic Coloradans was the newish chain Smashburger. Clearly modeled on the successful Five Guys, Smashburger hit the spot. They use balls of fresh ground beef that are smashed thin on a flattop griddle with a special misshaped smashing tool (that looks a lot like the channeled smasher at Five Guys). The result was a glorious grease bomb that may have actually been too greasy (if that's even possible in my world). Regardless, I'd go back again and again. Unfortunately, the image of the burger on their website looks nothing like the real thing, which in person looks amazing...
