My first encounter with smashburgers was as a young teen, when I watched and salivated as short-order cooks crushed patties with a spatula, smoke spewing from table-sized griddles. The meat came out thin, with a healthy char on the outside.

They weren’t called smashburgers back then. Just hamburgers.

All these decades later, the humble hamburger isn’t so humble anymore. In certain circles, it’s been elevated to near haute cuisine. Thick and juicy became the coin of the realm. Then thin was in, and what was once the province of of cheap-o diners became its own category: smashburger.

This week, we’ll showcase two locally owned, sit-down restaurants that have smashburgers as part of larger menus. Our contestants are: Sesh in St. Pete; Willa’s in Tampa.

SESH

When The Melting Pot at 4th Street and 22nd Avenue finally closed in 2020, after 32 years of charging exorbitant prices to let people cook their own food, I just assumed the funky chateau that housed it would be scraped to make room for something new and shiny on prime commercial real estate.

Turns out the structure was built in the early ’30s and housed one of St. Petersburg’s myriad roadside attractions. So it stayed up. Shortly after the Melting Pot closure, a sign reading “Sesh” appeared — and was there for a very long time. Finally, in April of this year, the restaurant/brewery opened. The folks behind Mad Beach Craft Brewing Company  own it. (By the way, Sesh, is short for “session.”)

We arrived at 6:30 on Monday, curious to see what they’d done with the interior. At first, we thought ownership had gone bonkers with Halloween decorations. But as it turns out, that’s the way the large space has been themed — funny-scary, with images from Ghostbusters, Beetlejuice, It and other spooky hallmarks all over the place. Why? Because the building is said to be haunted, and was even the subject of a serious paranormal investigation in 2021.

We ain’t afraid no ghosts, so had a seat in a booth in a dining room that was done up in black and white. I ordered the Double Smash with cheddar ($12), which came with fries, plus a wedge salad ($9).

Appearance

The service was blazingly fast, a little too fast. I asked that we get the wedge as a starter, and it came out before I had two sips of my ginger ale. We were a little more than halfway done with the hefty salad when the burger arrived. Not a big deal, but not ideal either.

A steak knife stabbed downward into the smashburger, probably a nod to the restaurant’s “horror” theme. I wasn’t afraid.

Texture and Taste

The two patties came out medium, cheddar oozing in between, with lettuce, onion and tomato on the bottom. (For the record, I prefer the top.)

Bonnie and I sawed the thing in half and killed it.

This was a respectable double-stack, but too light on the smash, with only hints of the char that’s so vital to this style of burger-making. The sandwich left a bit of peppery heat in my mouth.

Along with the fries — thick-cut, with a hearty potato flavor — Bonnie and I shared a plentiful meal.

WILLA’S

The owners have transformed a 1920s-era warehouse a few blocks west of University of Tampa into a charming eatery and coffee shop that has served the up-and-coming North Hyde Park neighborhood for two-and-a-half years. The one ivy-colored wall is a beguiling touch.

We arrived just after 1 p.m. on Wednesday, full sun radiating off of West Fig Street. Inside, Willa’s was bright and roomy, with concrete floors, white walls and large windows that let in in ample natural light. Basic four-tops and wicker chairs occupy most of the space. Think urban chic without the pretension.

I ordered the Smash Cheeseburger (with yellow American) and added an extra patty ($2), for a total of $20. The dish included frites. I chose to have the “comeback sauce” on the side.

Appearance

A fetching presentation. Fancy lettuce, tomato and onion laid on a a white plate, waiting to be turned over onto the two mondo-patties, which hung well over the sides of an English muffin.

The frites looked altogether appetizing.

Texture and Taste

I opted for the double because it more closely compared to Sesh and because it was only two bucks extra. Bad idea. Too much meat for the muffin. I picked up the thick beast and considered unhinging my jaws, but that was a nonstarter. So I reverted to the face-first plunge.

The sandwich started to fall apart. My first two bites made an unholy mess. I was so involved with wiping my hands and mouth with the cloth napkin that I forgot to taste the food. Call it eater error.

I came up with a workable solution. Cut the damn thing in half.

Once I gained my equilibrium, I thoroughly enjoyed this smashburger, which was well charred but still moist, if not juicy, and packed a lot of flavor. The English muffin never quite held up its end, and I continued to put in a lot of napkin work, but that only tempered my enjoyment a smidge.

The frites tasted as good as they looked — thin slivers with a firm outer shell that gave way to soft innards.

I tried a bite of burger with the comeback sauce, and was glad I got it on the side. Too tangy for me.

And the Winner of the Smashburger Showdown Is …

Willa’s.

True, it cost 67% more than Sesh’s, but the Tampa restaurant simply had a better handle on the smashburger concept.

A final thought on Willa’s: I should’ve had a single.