A New Jersey-based smashburger and Nashville hot chicken spot just opened by USF

We don’t know when Tampa became the smashburger capital of Florida, but we’re all in for the ride. The newest spot just opened around the corner from USF with the debut of Slap Burger, a smashburger and Nashville hot chicken concept that got its start in New Jersey.

The menu at Slap Burger (14915 Bruce B Downs Blvd) is as straightforward as it is tasty, with four items essentially making up the entirety of the dining options: burgers, fried chicken, mac and cheese, and fries. You can choose from single, double, or triple patty burgers. You can get the fried chicken with your preferred level of spice as a sandwich or tender plate. And you can incorporate fries and mac and cheese into all of it, either as sides or as part of a platter.

The result is a salty, cheesy, and hot plate full of tasty meat and starches that will stick to your ribs as much as it will your shirt. To wash it down, Slap Burger has a wide variety of lemonades (dragon fruit, orange curacao, strawberry and more), and banana pudding-based desserts.

The concept started as a family-run burger joint in New Jersey just a few years ago, and it has rocketed in popularity since that 2023 debut. Slap Burger rapidly expanded to six locations across New Jersey and New York, and Tampa marks its seventh location and first in the Southern U.S.

You can follow them on Instagram to see more.