SmashEms’ Burger Bar by SC Lounge now open in Tower Grove South

The smash burger concept is operated by former Stella Blues chef Kevin Haskins

SmashEms’ Burger Bar by SC Lounge has opened inside SC Lounge at 3169 Morgan Ford Road in Tower Grove South. The smash burger concept is operated by Kevin Haskins, who previously ran the kitchen at Morgan Ford Road neighbor Stella Blues, which remains closed following a fire in April.  

SmashEms’ operates inside SC Lounge, the sister venue to soccer pub Amsterdam Tavern, which is located just a few steps away. As well as operating SmashEms’, Haskins will also manage the bar at SC Lounge. Amsterdam Tavern customers can order from SmashEms’ using QR codes on the tables at Amsterdam.

Haskins described his smash burgers as “super simple.” The burgers start with two ground chuck patties, served on a potato bun with white American cheese, mayo, pickle and grilled onions. The onions, Haskins said, are key. “I just cook white onions down in real butter, real garlic,” he said. “It’s a very, very great burger.”

The smash burgers are the menu's signature item, but Haskins said he also plans to offer wings, a few sandwiches and a number of small plates. In the beginning, he said, “I’m going to really just focus on wings and burgers and get rolling, and start developing as we go.” The wings are breaded and double-fried, with a range of sauces available including Buffalo, Thai sweet chile, garlic butter, and Korean barbecue. Haskins said that in the future all sauces will be housemade, and he would also like to start using a smoker to smoke wings as well as all smoke all the meat for SmashEms' sandwiches.

Haskins said his “smashem” concept will also be extended to include a smashed turkey burger, a breakfast sandwich featuring a smashed sausage patty, and flatbread pizzas. “I’m going to call them smash breads,” he said. The sandwiches will be panini-style, with a BLT, a roast beef sandwich and a Philly cheesesteak all either on the menu or in the works.

At the bar, Haskins said you can expect to find around eight “mainly local” beers on tap, with about 30 bottled beers also available. To create a cocktail program, which will start out with six to eight craft cocktails, Haskins enlisted the help of his friend, Hayley AuBuchon, who works on the bar program at Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria. “She won’t be technically working as a bartender, but she’ll be helping me train staff and developing the program for me,” Haskins said.  

SmashEms’ Burger Bar by SC Lounge is currently open from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday. In the near future, Haskins said he hopes to add an industry night on Mondays. Longer term, he hopes to extend service at both ends of the day, adding lunch service and stretching evening service deeper into the early hours, perhaps as late as 4 a.m. "The city is missing the old-school late-night diner," he said. "Everyone is closing by 10 p.m. and I look to change that." For more information, follow SmashEms' Burger Bar on Instagram (@smashemsburgerbar) or call 314.260.9954.