This year’s biggest burger trend is about to hit East Hampton. Smashburgers are everywhere, from TikTok to nearly every neighborhood in Manhattan, and the thin, crisp patties topped with gooey cheese are finally making their way Out East, a region consciously lacking fast food and quick serve burgers.
Smokey Buns is slated to open in East Hampton Village, offering innovative and customizable burgers, plus an extensive whiskey collection, ice cream, and shakes. The small restaurant offers 16 seats indoors, plus 25 outdoor seats in a secret garden.
Founded by Tip Top Hospitality, Smokey Buns is the latest project from the Hamptons-based restaurant group. The local team has recently opened Sag Harbor’s K Pasa (Tacos & Tequila), East Hampton’s Kizzy T’s (Global Asian and American Sports Bar fare), and Kumiso, which vends ramen and sushi roll steps from Smokey Buns. Tip Top Hospitality aims to create affordable, year-round restaurants for all ages.
Smashburgers at Smokey Buns
Smokey Buns serves traditional smash burgers and blackened fishwiches, plus flavorful vegetarian options like mushroom smashburgers and grilled halloumi wraps. Guests can personalize their meals with an array of patty, topping, and sauce combinations. The Smokey Classics section of the menu includes a Classic SmashBurger, All-American Smash Cheeseburger, Double Smash, Double-Cheese Smash, a Mushroom SmashBurger (made with a proprietary, in-house vegetarian recipe), and Spicy Chickenwich.
On the side, choose from Naked Fries, Cheese Fries, or Loaded ‘The Works’ Fries. The Burger D.I.Y. section allows customization with different patties like Classic Smash, Blackened Fish, Mushroom, and Crispy Chicken, along with various toppings and cheeses. A variety of sauces include a signature Smokey Sauce, Harissa Mayo, Garlic Mayo, Baconnaise, Truffle Aioli, and Pineapple Relish. There’s also a Handhelds and Pots section featuring options like Grilled Halloumi Salad, a Chilli Pot, and more.
For dessert, Smokey Buns offers a dozen hard-scoop ice cream flavors, plus two soft serve flavors, with options to make the soft-serve flavors into shakes or boozy shakes.
Smokey Buns will also cook up daily specials including The Bourdain on Mondays (mortadella, pickles, Swiss, toasted focaccia), The Tuesday Jerk (pulled jerk chicken, slaw, avocado, pineapple relish), Hamptons Hippie on Wednesday (hummus, cheddar, carrots, sprouts), Thanksgiving Thursdays (turkey, stuffing, cranberry, gravy), Fish on Fridays (crispy fish, crispy potatoes, tartare sauce), Pat & Gino’s on Saturday (steak, cheese, roasted peppers, garlic mayo) and The Piggy on Sundays (pulled pork, slaw, pickled jalapenos, apple sauce).
The dining room at Smokey Buns
To drink, Smokey Buns will offer over 50 types of whiskey, to drink straight up or in cocktails. The Tokyo Twist features Hibiki whiskey and yuzu, and the Fir-Fashioned is made with Makers Mark and fir tree liqueur. For those who enjoy classics, the Manhattan is stirred with Buffalo Trace and sweet vermouth, and the Boulevardier mixes Woodford Reserve and Campari. The restaurant’s eponymous cocktail, Smokey Buns, is made with Misguided whiskey, maple syrup, and orange bitters. Non-alcoholic options include a Citrus Fizz with lemon and orange juice, the Blueberry Delight, and an N/A Marg. To complement the East End’s most diverse range of American, Japanese, Irish and Scotch whiskeys, all types of wine will be served as well.
Smokey Buns will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, Monday through Thursday from 12pm – 10pm and Friday through Sunday from 12pm – 11pm.