Late-night smashburgers, beignets coming soon to Tacoma neighborhood known for nightlife

Lewis Mageo is something of a burger poet.

“The secret to the burger is: You’re full, but you feel like you could have another one.”

“Tasting what’s there — and that’s the meat, the seasoning and the bun.”

“The sauce has everything you need.”

“We’re going for balance. Everything should have its own flavor.”

“There’s no better cheese for a burger than American cheese.”

That last one might be all you need to know about the chef. Don’t fight the truth. I know it. You know it. Kraft-Heinz knows it.

Starting May 17, you can indulge in Mageo’s perfectly melted cheese and thin, lacy-edged patties — each portioned to precisely 2 ounces — at Radnor’s, a new smashburger joint adjoining Edison Square, the multipurpose event venue in South Tacoma.

Doors open at 5 p.m., and it’s worth getting in line: The first 253 customers will receive a free South Sound Smash. Semisoft, a 3-piece female punk band, will play a gig on the sidewalk, and Tacoma Table Tennis Club will run a ping-pong tournament inside the venue — the winner of which will snag “free Radnor’s for life.”

The flagship burger marries double beef, hand-smashed with a metal weight, two slices of American cheese and “rad” fry sauce. It’s $7, with the option of adding complimentary lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles. For an extra buck, you can upgrade to caramelized onions, and for $2 add bacon.

Not to alienate customers who want a little extra, the Spicy Smash opts for pepperjack cheese and a “sweeter, smoky, tangy” version of the rad sauce inspired unapologetically by Red Robin’s Campfire Sauce.

“I’m cooking for the people,” said Mageo.

It’s true, in the sense that at Radnor’s, you’ll be able to walk away with a smashburger and fries for $11 (or under $10 if all you need is a single-patty snack, which are just $5 a pop). Sub an Impossible plant-based patty or a gluten-free bun for $2.

The menu rounds out with a Chicken Sandy, the Rad Dog (bacon-wrapped link on a Hawaiian bun with caramelized onions) and — out of left field — beignets with caramel sauce. Pair any of the above with a cup of Bluebeard Coffee or a beer from the bar next door (more on that below).

Don’t sleep on the wide array of sauces, including a refreshing spicy green number and a sweet’n’spicy chipotle situation.

LATE-NIGHT BURGERS & EDISON SQUARE EVENTS

The local burger pack will recognize the chef from one still-standing restaurant and one bygone takeout window on the north side of town. After moving from California to Tacoma, he worked at Shake Shake Shake in the Stadium District and then at Beefy’s Burger Shack, which closed to make way for more seating at cocktail bar The Boom Boom Room.

That Sixth Avenue kitchen was “the laboratory where I was refining what I was doing,” said Mageo last week.

After some consulting and a brief stint doing his own thing under a pop-up tent, he was recruited by another Tacoman of note: Casey Catherwood, who for eight years entertained baseball fans at Cheney Stadium with bits ranging from a saxophone-playing gorilla on the rooftop to a celebration of men with beards.

Radnor’s is his first big project as creative director for Edison Square since joining the team last fall.

The addition of an in-house restaurant marks a big change for the venue, which the Miller family, behind Theory Real Estate whose offices are one door north, opened in 2021. The 6,000-square-foot space has primarily booked outside events, which will continue, while its existing kitchen has been a commissary for local food businesses. Its alums include Side Piece Kitchen and Buddy’s Chicken and Waffles.

Catherwood, who lives in the neighborhood, said the Millers have provided him “a long leash” to stretch his many creative muscles.

“I just love this neighborhood. I believe in this neighborhood. It has historic energy,” he said last week.

The name honors Radnor Pratsch, a yachtsman and builder who constructed the original Realart Theatre at 5415 South Tacoma Way in 1919. He also owned the former Idle Theatre at 5411 South Tacoma Way (now The Muttropolitan, a dog daycare) and another at 5432-34 South Tacoma Way (once called the Orpheum Theatre, now Pho V & V). Chris Staudinger of Pretty Gritty Tours will present a bit of that history at the grand opening.

Edison Square also will begin to offer all kinds of open-to-the-public events and activities. Think lawn-game days, karaoke, comedy nights and whatever else Catherwood can conjure.

Of note: Radnor’s, while a counter-serve operation with a few tables and a great open-air counter overlooking the Way, will also serve alcohol from the Edison Square bar. In addition to beer, wine, cider and seltzer, cocktails include the Radnorita, a whiskey lemonade and the Rad Fashioned.

“We wanted to do something that feeds into the venue, and offer South Tacoma Way something it doesn’t have,” said Catherwood, nodding to the late-night weekend hours. “If others see it work … more will follow. That makes Tacoma better.”

RADNOR’S TACOMA

▪ 5415 South Tacoma Way, instagram.com/radnorstacoma

▪ Wednesday-Thursday 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-1 a.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

▪ Details: smashburgers, beignets, coffee and drinks from neighbor Edison Square; all ages

▪ Grand Opening: May 17, 5 p.m.-close