If Plaza Cafe’s frightening excuse for beef gives you a food-poisoning hangover the size of Milwaukee, head to the corner of Prospect Street and Girard Avenue to satisfy your cow cravings. There’s a new burger joint in town: It’s called Smashburger and it’s the latest in a long line of Smashburgers known for their customizable options, cold beers and designer selection of savory meat.

With a minimalist aesthetic — as the shop is too cramped to be decorated — Smashburger’s ambience screams high class In-N-Out. If it weren’t for the “smash” and “sizzle” boldly painted red on its nondescript walls, we would almost be dining in a dimly lit Abercrombie and Fitch.

Smashburger’s clientele, however, quickly pulls us from the delusions of VIP dining. A Mecca for La Jolla families, the shop’s red polyester booths are usually crawling with whiney high-schoolers or snotty five-year-olds.

First impressions and callow clientele aside, Smashburger’s juicy patties never fail to hit the spot.

By slamming and smashing the beef patties onto the grill, chefs keep all savory flavor locked inside, await release at first bite. The fact that it’s Angus Beef makes the experience even more divine — if only because of its reputation for off-the-charts fat content.

When ordering, customers can either design their own burger or try one of Smashburger’s specialties. If you need a fiery kick, try the Spicy Baja, topped with chipotle mayo and fresh, thick slices of jalapeno. Another top option is the San Diego Smashburger: a pile of fresh avocados and veggies, covered in pepper jack and slathered in sour cream.

The Smashchicken is a healthier (yet still delicious) choice, in which the chicken is literally smashed into a quarter-inch thick slice — making the flavor as concentrated as can be. Although side dishes are fairly pricey— an extra $2 to $3 with the purchase of a sandwich — most are hard to resist. The Smashfries, seasoned with olive oil, rosemary and garlic, taste exactly like Mom’s oven-roasted potatoes on Thanksgiving. But skip the haystack onions and fried pickles: Though the creamy dipping sauces that come with these sides are delicious, they do little to overpower an over-whelming saltiness. And unless you like your asparagus, carrots and green beans drenched in a shower of oil, pass on the veggie fries.

At the end of the day Smashburger is best known for its milkshakes, made from real Haagen-Dazs and served in tall ice cream glasses with whipped cream on top. The post-meal staple lets us fee like all we need on a Friday night is a jukebox and a maraschino cherry — a little taste of simpler times in a land of lavish modernities.