Veteran-owned food truck with 'best burger in Columbus' opens brick-and-mortar spot

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A veteran-owned food truck voted as having the "best burger in Columbus" has opened its first brick-and-mortar location.

Smash Buddies opened its Brewery District shop at 460 S. Front St. on Wednesday. It's in the same building as a hidden speakeasy called The Velvet Room, which opened in July.

The burger joint is owned by Jared France and Kole Nuehs, who describe themselves on the Smash Buddies website as "two veteran buddies" from the Pacific Northwest. They moved to Ohio in 2022 before coming up with the idea to start a food truck.

"After a few cookouts and sharing our unique take on smash burgers, we had the brilliant idea: Let's quit our day jobs and go all-in on a food truck," the Smash Buddies website said.

France and Nuehs spent months working on their recipes to create a smash burger they said they're proud to serve. They finally opened the food truck in June 2023.

The Smash Buddies menu is limited, with just four burger options. Those include the original, all American, patty melt and kids single burgers. It also serves tots -- both regular and loaded -- and ice cream. It's unclear if the food truck's menu will be expanded with the opening of its Brewery District storefront.

In 2024, Smash Buddies was awarded the best burger in Columbus in a competition put on by restaurant supply company TriMark. Over 3,000 votes were cast in the competition.