Flat Iron signature double smash cheeseburger — dramatic side view with cheese dripping and dark sear crust
Est. 2021 · Downtown Los Angeles

Flat Iron.

Hand-pressed on a screaming-hot flat iron griddle. Fresh beef, toasted brioche, and a crust you'll dream about. Downtown LA's best-kept secret.

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Black-gloved hands pressing a chrome burger press onto a sizzling patty on a flat iron griddle, steam rising
The Press. The Crust. The Craft.

The smash technique isn't a shortcut. A 120-gram ball of fresh beef hits a 450-degree flat iron griddle and gets pressed down hard in the first 30 seconds — before the crust has a chance to form. That creates the lacy, crispy edge (the smash skirt) and a surface-area-to-flavor ratio that a thicker patty can never match.

Marco Reyes, founder of Flat Iron, standing at the truck service window in black apron Marco Reyes, Founder
Our Story

Two cooks.
One truck.

Marco Reyes spent ten years working lines at three different restaurants across Los Angeles. When the pandemic closed every kitchen he'd ever cooked in, he spent six months in a borrowed parking lot perfecting the smash technique on a second-hand flat iron griddle.

"I wanted to make the best cheeseburger anyone in this city had ever eaten. That was the whole plan."

Marco Reyes, Founder

Flat Iron launched in March 2021 with a line of eleven people. The following Friday there were forty. Now the truck parks at a new Downtown LA spot every weekday, and Marco's original recipe hasn't changed once since opening day.

What People Are Saying

1,200+ five-star reviews.

We don't run ads. We don't need to.

★★★★★

"Best smash burger in LA and it's not even close. That lacy crust on the patty is something else."

@dtlafoodscene
★★★★★

"Drove across town, waited 35 minutes in line, and I would do it again tomorrow without hesitation."

@eatLA.official
★★★★★

"The Bacon Melt will change your relationship with cheeseburgers. I'm serious."

@hungryinla
Marco pressing a smash patty with a heavy burger press on the flat iron griddle, steam rising
Group of customers laughing and eating Flat Iron smash burgers at an outdoor table, red food truck in background
Follow us for daily spots @flatiron.la
Overhead bird's-eye view of a Flat Iron double smash cheeseburger — patty overhang and cheese visible around the bun edge
Loaded cheese fries in metal basket
Patty being smashed on the flat iron griddle, steam rising
Available for catering

Corporate events, private parties, film sets, weddings. Flat Iron handles groups from 30 to 500. We bring the truck, the griddle, and everything else. Minimum 48-hour notice.

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Find the Truck

We come to you.

Flat Iron rotates between Downtown LA locations. Follow @flatiron.la for the exact spot each day, posted every morning by 9am.

Primary Home Base
Grand Park, DTLA
350 S Grand Ave vicinity
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Hours
Monday – Thursday11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Friday – Saturday11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
SundayClosed
Contact
(213) 555-0147
catering@flatiron.la
Location changes daily. Follow us on Instagram @flatiron.la or check back here each morning. We post the exact address by 9am every day we're open.

Street parking and public lots throughout DTLA. Check the daily Instagram post for the exact corner.