There’s A New Smash Burger Joint To Try in Temple Terrace

Haddaburger opened in Temple Terrace as Tampa Bay's first halal smash burger spot. Co-owner Hassan Diab and his partners grabbed the old Abbott's Frozen Custard spot on 56th Street.

Crowds showed up from day one. "We're doing good," Diab said, according to the Tampa Beacon.

Diab built his name slinging Dubai cheese halal burgers and homemade sauces from the SandWishy food truck in Land O' Lakes. Opening a permanent spot was always the plan.

The burgers use beef with an 80/20 meat-to-fat ratio — not just any blend, but halal-prepared meat that Diab calls "clean" fat with strong marbling. Fat brings the taste without dumping oil on the grill.

Thin-sliced onions and jalapenos get smashed into each patty. Cheese tops everything, with beef bacon and mushrooms as extras if you want them. You can order single, double, or triple patties.

Lettuce and tomato don't exist here. The patties use a spice blend you'd find in soups instead of your basic salt-pepper-garlic mix.

Four house-made sauces sit ready: Hadda Special, Hadda Umami, Hadda Heat, and Hadda Ranch. Diab spent years perfecting these recipes — the Ranch leans hard on dill and tastes nothing like what comes in bottles.

Shakes get made with ice cream from a nearby factory. Desert Gold mixes Biscoff ice cream and Biscoff spread. Arabian Classic combines pistachio ice cream and dates. Gulf Sunset blends mango ice cream with rosewater, while Golden Spread pairs saffron ice cream and caramel.

Sides? Fries dusted with cayenne and Cajun corn ribs. Plastic gloves wait for anyone who doesn't want greasy fingers.

Feeding four people with burgers, fries, corn, sauces, and a shake runs about $70.