First off... smashed potatoes? These are different from mashed how, exactly? They're mashed. Mashed. Deal with it. Save that extra "s" for an important plural somewhere.

And then... in every restaurant, does it have to be garlic smashed potatoes? Someone's to blame, and I'd like to hunt down whoever it is and beat them severely about the head & shoulders for starting this annoying trend.

I mean, really, I love garlic. A lot. But is it absolutely necessary for EVERY SINGLE RESTAURANT IN THE ENTIRE CITY to serve up garlic in the most basic of all foods? Add garlic to your soups, your stews, your pasta - anything you want. Just leave the goddamn garlic out of the potatoes.

I can't think of anything (except maybe a failing grade from the health department) that makes me want to leave a restaurant before I've even ordered, than someplace that insists on not just "smashed" potatoes but garlic smashed potatoes.

Note to lurking chefs: cut it out. Screw around with whatever else on the menu you feel is necessary, but please, just serve up good old fashioned mashed potatoes. Salt, butter, cream, & potatoes. You can do it, I know you can. Give it a try, you might start a new trend.