Huge Chain Smashburger Returns to D.C. With a New Shop in Chinatown

Smashburger, the fast-casual cheeseburger brand from Denver that boasts hundreds of locations across the U.S. and Canada, is taking another stab at D.C. After a short-lived stint in Dupont Circle that ended in 2014, the chain is returning to the District with a new location (804 Seventh Street NW) that opens across the street from the Chinatown Metro station on Wednesday, July 28. For the first two days, customers can get a $5 combo of a classic burger and fries for $5. The Chinatown location will also offer free delivery through Monday, August 8. The menu also includes fried and grilled chicken sandwiches, turkey burgers, black bean burgers, salads, and Häagen-Dazs milkshakes. Breakfast sandwiches bring another morning meal option for a neighborhood that just snagged a location of Baker’s Daughter, the casual cafe from Michelin star chef Matt Baker that sells breakfast tacos, pastries, and ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches.

In other news ...

• Contemporary French newcomer La Bise, restaurateur Ashok Bajaj’s replacement for the Oval Room downtown, has been open for a month and already has a favorable review from Washington Post critic Tom Sietsema. [WaPo]
• On Saturday, July 24, the Ballston district of Arlington, Virginia, is hosting Bands and Brews on the Boulevard. The free event will host six bands on Wilson Boulevard and includes a 200-foot “street pub” with ticket bundles for beer, wine, and cocktails.
• Logan Circle just got an Amazon Fresh grocery store (1733 14th Street NW) equipped with “Just Walk Out” technology. Customers scan a QR code through the Amazon app when they enter the store, and it will automatically charge them for anything they put in their cart before exiting the store.
• Washingtonian reports the partners behind Bun’d Up in Arlington are opening an adjacent cocktail bar called the Sparrow Room that will serve dim sum dinners and host mahjong. [W]
• The owner of Leesburg’s new bubble tea shop has some impressive chops, Northern Virginia Magazine reports, including experience working for José Andrés, Michelin-starred Cosme in New York City, and renowned Pujol in Mexico City. [NVM]