N.J.’s hottest new burger isn’t just a smash hit. It’s halal.

Hazem Asad had faith halal smash burgers would be popular in Paterson. But even he didn’t see this coming.

Asad’s tiny burger joint, Slap Burgers, opened its doors on Crooks Avenue at the end of December, and business was good. Then social media got word of the spot making smash burgers and hot chicken, and business got too good. TikTok and Instagram reviews garnering millions of views showered the shop with praise.

Soon lines were out the door, and foodies were traveling from far and wide to try the picturesque burgers.

“I’m asking customers, ‘where are you guys coming from? How did you hear about us?’” Asad told NJ Advance Media last week. “They’re like, ‘we drove from two hours away, we came from four hours away, my kid dragged me here because he saw you on TikTok.’”

As thankful as Asad, 30, was for the spike in popularity, the shop’s inexperienced staff and tiny 200-square foot kitchen wasn’t ready for the demand. Long lines led to long waits, which led to negative online reviews.

This taught the Slap Burgers staff their first major lesson. Be as transparent as possible with the customer.

“Let’s tell them they’re going to wait 45 minutes for a single cheeseburger with fries,” Asad, a Queens native, said. “But we’re gonna make sure we perfect everything.”

Negative reviews may have been frustrating for Asad and his staff, but they haven’t hurt the shop’s popularity. The line was once again out the door on a recent visit. It took around 10 minutes to get to the counter, and another 25 to get the food after ordering.

But this spot isn’t just all social media hype. The burgers are well worth the wait — among the best in the state.

At first glance, Slap Burgers isn’t doing anything revolutionary. The smash burger style, with beef patties smashed on the griddle until they are thin and lacy before being topped with American cheese, onions, pickles and a “special” sauce, is en vogue across New Jersey and the country alike. Slap Burgers’ offerings (a single burger is $5.99, a double is $8.50 and a triple costs $10.50) aren’t as thin and crispy as Eighty Twenty in Westwood, or as saucy as 7th Street Burger in Hoboken.

But the proprietary spice blend that seasons their beef, as well as their signature “slap sauce,” give the burgers a distinct kick. They aren’t spicy in the traditional sense, but they provide a distinct flavor you wouldn’t expect on a burger. While Asad is tight-lipped on the recipes, a hint of paprika is definitely present.

Burgers aren’t the only thing on the menu. Tender Nashville hot chicken comes on a sandwich ($7.99) but is even better served as a platter over their macaroni and cheese ($12.99) — dusted with a similar seasoning.

Slap Burger chicken — Nashville hot chicken over macaroni and cheese from Slap Burgers in Paterson.Jeremy Schneider | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

What really sets Slap Burgers apart, though, is their quality of beef. The shop uses a blend of beef brisket and shoulder from a nearby butcher that Asad says isn’t only much more expensive than the meat most burger joints are using. It’s halal, meaning it is prepared in accordance with Islamic dietary laws.

“A lot of like these big places sell frozen halal meat and you don’t know where it’s coming from,” Asad said. “They just have a radio playing a verse of the Quran and then a machine is just cutting the animals. We’re all against that, that is not halal. Halal is hand-butchered in a humane way. The blood has to be drained by a Muslim person who cleans his body before doing it.”

As if the social media crush wasn’t enough for Slap Burgers business, the fact that they are halal has made them massively popular in Paterson — home to one of the largest Muslim populations in the country. Ramadan, a month of fasting in the Muslim community, started March 10 and ends April 9 — an event that both helps and hurts business.

Asad says business often gets slow during the day but picks up at night. As soon as the sun sets and fasting is done for the day, the line grows.

“Everybody wants to break their fast with burgers. They’re tired of the rice, the meat, the chicken, the traditional cuisine,” Asad said. “They’re like, ‘let’s go break fast with some Slap Burgers and some Nashville hot chicken.”

Customers aren’t the only ones fasting. Asad says nearly 90% of the Slap Burgers staff is Muslim, and is fasting while preparing burgers during the day — a challenge in its own right.

“Pulling a or nine-hour shift on the grill while fasting is very hard,” Asad said. “The first few days were very tough, we were all over the place. But we’ve gotten used to it.”

Slap Burgers has faced more than its share of challenges in just three months of flipping burgers and frying chicken. But they’ve rolled with the punches and adapted. The kitchen was just expanded to keep up with demand, and Asad is already eying another location in Clifton.

Until then, he’s trying to keep things slapping in Paterson.

“We’re organizing and we’re expanding,” Asad said. “It will get better with time.”

N.J.’s hottest new burger isn’t just a smash hit. It’s halal.

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