Michelin-starred chef Elias Taddesse, who opened Doro Soul Food, an Ethiopian-style fried chicken restaurant in D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood last year, will add a “smash burger” pop-up to the same location next week.
Melange Burger, open for carry-out and delivery only, is a nod to Taddesse’s former Mount Vernon fast-casual restaurant Melange, which closed last spring.
Melange Burger opens Oct. 31, and will serve Taddesse’s take on smash burgers, served on house-baked French milk bread buns. The dry-aged beef is locally sourced from Maryland’s Sassafras Farms.
A smash burger is a style of burger where the patty is pressed while cooking, creating a crispy exterior.
Melange Burger’s menu contains just three burgers, all under $10. There is also a vegetarian burger made from mushroom, onions, herbs and seasonings and pea protein that’s $13.50.
Condiments include jalapeño bacon jam, roasted garlic aioli and butter-chive Dijonaise.
Taddesse was born in Ethiopia but raised in Minneapolis, and fell in love with American fast food as a teen. He said he wants to “give people a top quality affordable burger during these tough economic times.”
Taddesse earned his Michelin Star as head chef at Caviar Russe in New York City. He was also a 2023 finalist for the James Beard Foundation’s Emerging Chef of the Year, and a finalist for the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s RAMMY Rising Culinary Star award in 2022.
Melange Burger will join Doro Soul Food at 1819 7th Street, N.W.
