It hit me just as I walked into Cowy Burger: a heady, griddled beef perfume. Crowding the tables: people drunk from happy hour and people getting ready to get drunk later. On the menu overhead: burgers, along with a few sides and a few beers—and really, isn’t that all anybody needs?
Cowy Burger was once a roaming burger joint that has found a permanent Wynwood home, with casual counter service, a tight menu and a burger that nails the fundamentals.
The signature Cowy Burger is everything you want from a smash patty: lacy, caramelized edges, a juicy center and just nearly too much melty American cheese. But it’s the accouterments that elevate it: bacon jam so smoky it could moonlight as barbecue, caramelized onions that melt into the burger like butter and the Cowy Sauce, which strikes a delicate tangy-creamy balance. The bun is soft but sturdy, managing to hold its fluffy integrity right down to that final cheesy, saucy bite.
Unlike many of the minimalist smash burger joints these days, there’s a good number of options here. They’ve got an Oklahoma burger with a dump truck of onions. There’s a frita-like number with chorizo. And then there’s the Grand Slam, a breakfast-in-a-bun special with bacon and egg. Even though they start at an entirely reasonable 10 bucks, these are substantial burgers—you won’t need two of them, also unlike many of the other smash burger spots.
And sides are no afterthought. I got the loaded waffle fries with bacon and chives and enough melty cheese to pool up decadently on the metal tray below. The tequeños are gooey, golden fingers of cheese-filled sticks that practically demand a second order.
Cowy Burger’s vibe—essentially a brightly lit, teal-and-white fast food joint—isn’t spend-all-night fun. But there’s enough cranking classic rock to keep things lively as you fish fries out of cheese sauce. This is a quick lunch, a stop-off before Wynwood gets going and then maybe one more time before you head home.
In other words, this is an anytime-is-right kind of burger place that’s an immediate contender for the best smash burger in Miami.
The vibe: An order-at-the-counter burger spot ideal for a quick lunch or a pre- or post-drinking binge meal.
The food: Smash burgers, chicken sandwiches and fries loaded to the skies.
The drink: Soft drinks and cheap—for Wynwood—beer that costs about $8.
Time Out tip: The bacon jam is the secret weapon that makes the Cowy Burger something special.