A smashburger that's really all about the crust
At Maijard, it's all about that one second when the meat hits the plate: firm flattening, maximum heat, and then not turning too fast. That's the whole smash logic. The outside gets a dark, crispy edge (Maillard), while the inside still remains juicy. That's why "Maijard" is literally their own Dutch twist on "Maillard": it's not just a name, it's the technique they build on.
Founded by friends, with an open kitchen as standard
Maijard began as a project of a group of friends who spent months testing and scraping before the doors opened. In their own story, there's a lot of emphasis on building themselves and wanting to control everything up close: open kitchen, short lines, and recipes they make their own rather than copy. You notice that in how it works: few distractions, lots of focus on grill, timing and assembly.
Limited map, so every part must be right
The menu is intentionally small. This is not "pretend," but necessity: when you offer few choices, bread, sauce, cheese and meat have to be just right every day. Maijard also insists on local sourcing whenever possible and homemade items developed specifically for their burgers. As a result, you come not for variety, but for repeatability: you want the same burger to be right again next week.
From one place to multiple locations
Since starting on Rozengracht (fall 2022), Maijard recently opened a restaurant on Berenstraat in the 9 Streets. Same hot plate, same smash approach, same focus on pace and crust.
Why people keep coming back
It's not in atmosphere-talk, but in the overall picture: you see the kitchen working, you taste that crust, and you sense that the business is built on one idea that is consistently executed. They themselves now claim to have made hundreds of thousands of burgers and have been named "Best Burger in the Netherlands" by Burger Dudes. You only get that kind of credit if your product continues to win the conversation.