The best smash burgers in the Southern Suburbs of Athens

There’s a good chance you’ve already spotted the small pink shop on Giannitsopoulou Street, where the smell of smash almost forces you to make a stop. The pink theme continues on the paper wrap, and what’s inside is Epos indeed—name and essence.

Thanasis Panourgias, Leon Oikonomidis, Giannis Sapountzis and Filio Bourna met in Antiparos. On the beloved island, the first two run Bardot and the others run Epos—uniting their strengths to bring it to Glyfada. Here you won’t get lost in endless options, since the smash burger comes in two simple yet soaring versions.

The classic cheeseburger with ketchup, mustard, onions and house pickles fits in one hand. Its flavour takes you back to old-school cheeseburgers, but in much better quality. The second option is the House Special, with spicy mayo and pickle relish. Pair it with fries and two sauce options (truffle mayo and sweet chili mayo). Add a beer and you’re good to go.

Glyfada just gained another spot for true smash burgers. Junk Eat, which recently opened at 15 Lambraki Street, enters the street-food scene with a strong emphasis on quality ingredients and clean, targeted flavours.

Among the highlights, the Junk Eat Cheeseburger raises the bar with double 100% beef patties, junk sauce and cheddar—one of those minimal yet powerfully executed recipes that need nothing extra to stand out. The Grillz n’ Beef Burger comes with a potato bun, bacon and metsovone, offering a more “smoky” direction, while the Chicken Bun B Burger proposes buttery chicken with jalapeños and Caesar’s sauce for those who prefer something spicy.

For the initiated, the Rack Attack is the kitchen’s signature: two black angus patties, truffle mayo, mushrooms and bacon with truffle cream—a full, almost comfort-style flavour bomb.

The space follows a casual urban-industrial aesthetic, ideal for friendly meet-ups and after-work stops. Every Monday, the Monday Hangout adds yet another reason to visit: burgers, cocktails and DJ sets in a relaxed evening vibe.

Just Burgers is a name, a story in Glyfada — and rumor has it that once you try it, your burger standards instantly become much higher, and it’s hard not to go back.

The shop opened in May 2012 in the heart of Glyfada, and soon won over the hearts of the Southerners (and beyond). The owners’ vision is to offer homemade burgers, always using quality raw ingredients, fresh produce, and fresh handmade patties that have (by now) become their trademark.

Here, you’ll find smash burgers in six different versions, all made with Black Angus patties and potato buns — although I personally don’t easily stray from the classic Just Smash, with a potato bun, double Black Angus, American cheese, pickles, grilled onions, iceberg, and Just Smash sauce. I pair it with crispy sweet potato fries. I also highly recommend the Cherry Blossom Smash, with brie, bacon, shimeji mushrooms with truffle oil, rocket, truffle mayo, and cherry jam.

P.S. You can also find Just Burgers’ mouthwatering smash burgers at Posidonio and Romeo.

“Koutsi Katsika” has made smash its signature and built an entire philosophy around it: ingredients with character, simple but targeted recipes and flavours that linger.

The Truffle Burger takes things up a notch, with the bold touch of goat’s cheese, deep aromatic truffle mayo and caramelised onions composing a clean umami symphony. On the more comfort-focused side of the menu, the Cheese Burger taps into nostalgia—only here the classic recipe returns more balanced, more contemporary, more refined. And of course, the sandwich with rustic panini and slow-cooked mutton has already become a staple.

In just 18 months of operation, the brand counts six locations in key parts of Athens (three of them in the South and Piraeus) with more on the way. Its creators, chef Ilias Sitinas and entrepreneur Apostolis Hasapis, aim for 12–14 locations by the end of 2026, while growing international franchise interest says something clear: Greek smash has global potential.

Beyond its southern spots, you’ll also find Koutsi Katsika in Pangrati, Aigaleo and Nea Filadelfeia.

Dim. Gounari 136, Glyfada
Dioiranis 23, Kallithea
Aitolikou 15, Piraeus
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After its success in the centre of Athens, the four co-owners—Dimitris Tsalas, Angelos Vakrinos, Dimitris Bitsos and Stelios Siolas—decided to bring Starlight’s winning formula to Glyfada, an area that knows good food well. The strong vibe of the shop, with music and dominant green tones, practically “shouts” at you not to pass it by but to walk in for a try. But so does the smell of the minced meat, ground in-house rather than prepared beforehand.

Its smash stands out largely because the potato bun is rested in steam, with no butter added. Another Starlight secret is its vinegar-based pickles, made in-house with a mix of sugar, salt, vinegar, pepper, lemon and herbs.

You must try the House Burger (with double or triple patty), because while it’s simple—with cheese, pickles and sauce—it has grilled onions that crackle and deliver that extra detail that makes the difference. I’d also urge you to look out for the month burger, which changes on the first of every month and is always a surprise. For example, in October, the truffle mayo literally dripping from the burger is the kind of excess you didn’t know you needed.

At TGI Friday’s™, the smash philosophy is straightforward: small balls of beef are pressed firmly onto a hot griddle at around 220°C. The immediate contact with heat creates the signature caramelised crust—that thin, crispy surface that gives the burger unbelievable aroma and umami. Meanwhile, the centre stays juicy, soft, almost melting.

This contrast in textures is the “secret” behind the smash’s popularity. Add melted cheddar, caramelised onions bringing the right sweetness and a chipotle-style spicy mayo for depth, and you get a result that feels designed for comfort-seeking adults. Fast but not sloppy, simple but with character.

At TGI Friday’s™, the Fridays™ Smash Cheeseburger is perhaps the most complete version of the trend in the Athens Riviera: a double patty, perfectly seared, with the flavours coming together without excess. And because such a burger deserves company, pairing it with signature cocktails (like the Spicy Pineapple Margarita or the Passion Mojito) upgrades the experience to a more fun mood.

Marina Floisvou, Palaio Faliro
Lazaraki 43, Glyfada

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One of the first burgers of my adult life was eaten at The Burger Joint. Since then, I tried many, but eventually I shifted to smash. Still, the first ones to bring it to Greece, back in 2019, were the Papakostas brothers—Giorgos, Fanis and Thanasis—of The Burger Joint.

With 100% Black Angus beef, imported by them from the US and Australia, the quality of the meat is non-negotiable and the key ingredient of their success. Chef Giorgos Papakostas wanted to bring to Athens the junk-style approach he discovered in America, without compromising quality. And he succeeded.

The secret lies in the cooking technique, so that the surface caramelises, the bun gets buttered and the smash cheeseburger fills with cheese, pickles, tomato, iceberg and mayo. Paired with potato chips and smoked mayo, it’s the full meal you need. At the Glyfada, Nea Smyrni and Neo Psychiko locations, you’ll find six different smash options, as well as many more dishes—like the brisket menu—served in an environment reminiscent of an American diner.

El. Venizelou 93, Nea Smyrni
Pl. Nymfon 1, Glyfada
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The kitchen at THEDOG Street Kitchen is open, and that says a lot about its philosophy. Customers see everything: how the patties are pressed on the griddle, how the sauces are prepared, how the team works with nothing hidden. Transparency is a core value here, as is respect for the ingredients. The menu blends American street-food culture with quality Greek ingredients, under the signature of Thanasis Petropoulos—the Greek-American chef trained in Boston, who brings American flavours and techniques directly onto the plate.

At the heart of THEDOG Street Kitchen lie its smash burgers. The moment the beef hits the hot griddle and is pressed into a thin disc with a crispy, caramelised crust is the secret behind their flavour. This “Maillard magic” is what gives the burgers their true identity: crispy edges, juicy centre, intense aroma. The Boston Burger has become the ultimate best-seller precisely because it maximises this technique.

The meat comes exclusively from Drakoulis Meat, a collaboration that strengthens the link with Nea Smyrni, since the Drakoulis family’s story begins there. The brioche buns come from Lydia’s, a family-run Greek company known for its soft, reliable brioche. The result? Smash burgers with substance, technique and a clear identity.

The Glyfada burger house that serves juicy smash burgers and knows that a fried egg can fit—and elevate—the result. We’re talking about “The Aftermath,” which includes Buni.co sauce, crispy onion rings, cheddar, bacon and tomato.

It moved from Palaio Faliro to Voula but brought along its now-legendary double smashed burger with cheddar, Burgerilla sauce and a soft potato bun. Pair it with Canadian fries drenched in truffle mayo or baconnaise.

The burger spot you’ll find inside the Sklavenitis supermarket on Amfitheas Avenue has already stood out for its two smash options—one with beef and one with chicken. Pair them with sauces, fries, chicken strips and soft drinks.

In a space reminiscent of a classic ’90s diner, Hanky Panky in Palaio Faliro offers seven smash-burger options. Standouts include the double cheeseburger, “The Moon” with goat’s cheese and the celery-root smash with beetroot ketchup.

The king of oversized burgers that turned burger-eating into a challenge now brings smash options to the table. All burgers on the menu can be ordered as smash—just ask. The Tzousi Lousi and De Amerikanikan remain timeless classics.