Ranking the 3 Hottest Jalapeno Smashburgers in NYC

Lately, it feels like jalapeño smashburgers are popping up on menus all over NYC at the same time. As someone who loves both smashburgers and a bit of heat, I decided to try all three and rate them from 1 to 10 based on spice to find out which one brings the most fire.

7th Street Burger- (double for $10) 7th Street Burger, now a staple across New York City, is known for their signature smashburgers featuring American cheese and grilled onions. Their latest twist takes this classic up a notch by adding fresh jalapeños and a spicy version of their special sauce, kicked up with ghost pepper for an extra punch! Even with jalapenos and ghost pepper in their special sauce, the sweetness in their sauce actually balances the heat really nicely! I think you can definitely handle it. 4/10

Gotham Burger Social Club- (double for $16) Gotham Burger Social Club has a brand new off the menu fickle burger that takes everyones favorite smashburger and not only adds their incredible frickles for some real CRUNCH, but also adds on jalapenos and a ghost pepper ranch! Now we are adding some heat! Still now blown away, but i think with the ranch, the heat is coming through much more, but manageable! 6.5/10

NADC- (double for $16) Brand new to the NYC smashburger scene, NADC-short for “Not a Damn Chance”-has just landed in Soho, bringing its cult-following from Texas and Chicago to New York. Founded by professional skateboarder Neen Williams and Michelin-starred chef Phillip Frankland Lee, NADC started as a pop-up and quickly became a must-try destination for burger enthusiasts across the country.

The Soho location features a vibrant backyard setting and a focused menu: just one burger, done one way. The signature NADC burger is a double smashburger made with 100% Japanese Wagyu beef, American cheese, onions, pickles, their signature “slightly tamed” jalapeños, and a secret sauce. The cooking technique is all about building flavor: the patties are seared hard on one side, then flipped with onions to create a caramelized crust while the steam finishes the cook, locking in juiciness and depth. Their jalapenos are purposely “tamed” so you are just getting that flavor from them, rather than the heat! I was so impressed by how juicy they got this smashburger, but the heat, def wasn’t there. 3/10

All great burgers, but I could def go way higher in the heat! So if you know any other spicy burgers in NYC I need to try, let me know in the comments!