The Wynwood neighborhood in Miami, Florida, is known for its murals and nightlife, but one particular red and white storefront has become an attraction in its own right. Skinny Louie is a self-proclaimed “smash’d burger” restaurant that quickly drew rave reviews online. The chain credits the quality and freshness of its meat for its success — enough success that within less than two years of its 2023 opening, it’s expanding like a snowball rolling downhill. As of 2025, it has five Florida locations, mostly in Miami, with one in West Palm Beach. Skinny Louie has also expanded with a location in the New York NoMad district. There are four additional New York locations in the works, plus five more new Florida locations planned.
Skinny Louie avoids a major restaurant red flag by keeping a concise menu. This allows them to serve just a few items and serve them well. There are just three burgers on the menu: A classic cheeseburger, and two variations. One of them comes with bacon, and another one comes with grilled onions. Both have the restaurant’s signature ketchup-mayo sauce (which gets some zing from other ingredients that are kept secret). Customers can also request gluten-free buns or an Impossible burger if preferred. You’ll pay around $10 to $11 for a burger, though this may fluctuate based on your location. Beyond the burgers, there are fries and three varieties of shakes, including cookies and cream, choco-brownie, and strawberry.
Why Skinny Louie has been a massive success
It seems to be quality and consistency that has propelled Skinny Louie to success (just one of its locations can churn out 2,500 patties per day). The grill is run by one staffer like a fine-tuned machine — lines of patties are seasoned with a special device that always drops the same amount of salt and pepper. The patties are flattened and heated in their own juices until they’re crisp around the edges — a quality owed to the Maillard reaction, which is the scientific name for meat changing color as it cooks. Additionally, cheese, pickles, and onions (depending on your order) are thrown on at the same stage of preparation. All of these ingredients are served on a brioche bun, which adds a slightly sweet and buttery hit.
On social media, it’s not hard to find people raving about the chain’s smashburger, calling it “perfect” or their “favorite burger,” thanks to its balance of tanginess, grease, salt, and a little sweetness. It’s also not just social media that’s praising Skinny Louie. At the 2025 South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s Burger Bash, the Wagyu Louie (a variation made with top-notch Wagyu beef) earned the judges’ award for best burger. It was made with two patties, plus smoked Gouda, truffle aioli, and pickled jalapeños on a brioche bun…