Walk into almost any trendy new burger spot, and you’ll probably hear the same pitch: smashburgers.
That’s why Neen Williams is quick to correct people when they describe the burgers at newly opened NADC Burger in Downtown Las Vegas’ Fremont East District.
“We are not a smash burger,” Williams recently told the Food and Loathing podcast. “We press our burgers so we could get that nice crust on our burger, but we do not overly smash and dry out the meat.”
His willingness to distance himself from the hottest trend in burgers might have something to with the fact that NADC Burger wasn’t created by a traditional restaurateur trying to cash in on a trend. It’s the product of an unusual partnership between Williams, a professional skateboarder with a longtime passion for cooking, and Michelin-starred chef Phillip Frankland Lee of Scratch Restaurants Group. What began as backyard burger sessions and pop-ups evolved into a fast-growing concept that recently opened its first permanent Las Vegas location near Fremont East.
At the center of the menu is a burger built around 100 percent Wagyu beef. Rather than flattening the patties into the ultra-thin style popularized by many smashburger joints, NADC presses its burgers just enough to create a crust, while preserving a juicier interior. Williams says the patties are finished with onions that steam directly into the meat during cooking, adding both flavor and moisture.
The burger is topped with American cheese, house-made sauce, pickles and four “tamed” pickled jalapeños designed to provide flavor and crunch without significant heat. The result is intended to balance the richness of the Wagyu beef rather than overwhelm it.
The restaurant’s name comes with its own story. NADC stands for “Not a Damn Chance,” a phrase Williams popularized on social media while documenting his fitness and cooking journey. When he and Frankland Lee began hosting burger pop-ups, the phrase became the obvious choice for a brand name.
While the burger world continues to embrace the smashburger craze, Williams isn’t interested in following the crowd. Instead, he’s betting that a carefully constructed Wagyu cheeseburger — one that’s pressed, not smashed — can stand out on its own.
Fans in a dozen other cities have embraced the idea. Whether Las Vegas will be next is still to be seen.
Hear Al Mancini’s interview with Neen Williams on the May 29 episode of the Food And Loathing podcast.