Smash & Shake makes sizzling debut in Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights

For Albuquerque’s newest burger joint, New Mexico pride is a key ingredient for every stack.

Smash & Shake kicked off the new year by making its Albuquerque debut at 12501 Candelaria NE earlier this month. The locally owned restaurant serves milkshakes and flavorful, chile-smothered smash burgers and fries.

“I take a lot of pride in being from Albuquerque and New Mexico, and I love serving my people out here,” said owner-operator Dominic Valenzuela. “Our chile is hot. It’s not for the faint of heart, but everything is full of flavor.”

Smash & Shake is located in the Bridges on Tramway business center — also home to Boxing Bear Brewing Co., The Paleta Bar, The Burrow Cafe and Tako Ten.

Valenzuela also owns Tako Ten. He launched the taco venture in 2020, following a 28-year cooking journey inspired by his grandmother and the culinary role she played in his family.

“I always knew one day that my grandmother would not be able to do all the cooking forever,” Valenzuela said. “I knew that position was going to need to be filled by somebody eventually, so I just kind of took it upon myself to be that person.”

Valenzuela attended culinary school and did some traveling before starting a taco truck that eventually evolved into Tako Ten. It was through Tako Ten that Valenzuela’s burger concept was born. The burger he added to the Tako Ten menu “took off,” prompting him to jump at the opportunity to open a separate burger business, he said.

The Albuquerque cook and his business partners signed a five-year lease for a roughly 1,700-square-foot space next door to Tako Ten in November. The unit, which offers indoor and patio seating, was previously occupied by Thai Street, which closed in November.

Smash & Shake’s opening was met with excitement, especially from Tako Ten’s followers and burger lovers, Valenzuela said.

“They’ve been loving it,” Valenzuela said.

The most popular of the eatery’s burger selections so far has been the classic burger, which is customizable but typically comes with ketchup, mustard, pickles, onions and cheese, Valenzuela said.

The restaurant’s other burger choices are largely New Mexico-inspired, featuring everything from green chile to red chile and jalapenos. One burger, inspired by Oklahoma, features onions that are smashed onto the burger as it cooks.

“They caramelize as they’re cooking, so their flavor gets really incorporated into the patty,” Valenzuela said.

Smash & Shake’s menu also features malted vanilla, chocolate and strawberry milkshakes, as well as fries that Valenzuela said are cooked in beef fat and cut “almost like a Frito chip.”

“Great food for a fair price,” Valenzuela said of the business philosophy guiding his new burger venture. “We’re not here to get rich off you or anything. We’re just trying to be a sustainable part of the community and be here for a long time.”

Kylie Garcia covers retail and real estate for the Journal. You can reach her at kgarcia@abqjournal.com.