Tabor Food Cart

I am really beginning to like PDX Gwailo's Philosophy on Hamburgers:
(edit: I see some are criticizing this comment. Hey, it's a personal opinion, let's all get along and share our burger love!)

Hey, in my mind, if it’s cooked meat in a bun, it’s a burger.

Being as it was “National Schnitzel Day,” I went for the Schnitzelburger, ok, they call it a SchnitzelWICH, but it’s cooked meat in a bun, so it’s a burger to me.

A lightly fried (HUGE) breaded pork cutlet, on a ciabatta with generous toppings of lettuce, a unique paprika spread, sauteed onions and horseradish. Usually I order my sandwiches plain, so I can see what the meat of the matter tastes like, but today I went with it loaded up the way they sell it. And it was grand.

It was almost 11AM and the lines were already starting to form at the hunk of food carts that sits between Stark and Oak, so I am glad I was early, the first customer at Tabor, and the wich was cooked to order.

Tabor Food Cart
5th and Stark

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Lew’s Drive In

PDX Gwailo Drops by with some more Beef Wisdom:

“Drive-In.” “Coney Islands”. “Hamburgers.” I’m so there.

My seating choice was outside, but they took my order at the inside counter after answering a few relevant (to me) questions: “Are the tots fried or baked?” “Fried.” “Does the “Coney Island Hamburger” have a hot dog on top, or just the sauce?” Just the sauce.

I overordered. Or as a drinker might say, “I was overserved.” The burger was dressed with lettuce, tomato, mayo, pickle, and the coney sauce, and was pretty darned tasty.

The HUGE dog has an ashen appearance, boiled or steamed too long, they turn gray before yellow (ever had a hot dog under the Eiffel Tower?). But I ate it, the coney sauce is thick with meat and (mostly) onion, but soaks into the bun a little too much (on the burger too), making it difficult to perch this sausage to ones lips without some part of it falling back to earth. No sweat.

Lew’s is a treat, I’d like to explore the rest of the menu sometime, the waitress said they have killer biscuits and gravy. We’ll see!

Lew's Drive-in
14911 SE Mcloughlin Blvd
Oak Grove, OR 97267-2824

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Fresh Grill

New Hamburgler Brutus the Burger Beefcake writes in on a new entry to the "Strip Mall Burger" Phenomenon:

Fresh Grill is a little known burger destination hidden in a Beaverton strip mall. They claim to have "The American Dream Meal", which must be some kind of food philosophy because it isn't anywhere on the menu, or I totally would have ordered it.

Here's The Blue Moon burger. For $6.50 you get a quarter pound of fresh ground Angus beef, super crispy bacon, and an impressive spread of blue cheese. An extra buck-fifty will upgrade to a half pound burger. Might as well get the fries and coke too. You get the choice of regular french fries or their waffle fries, and be sure to ask for the fry sauce (not as good as old school Arctic Circle fry sauce, but really what is). Sadly, no pickle. But bonus points for the meat juices that ran down my arms and threatened the integrity of my sweatshirt.

Fresh Grill
Daily 11AM-8PM
16300 SW Hart Road,
Beaverton OR 97007
503) 591-5719
Fax An Order: (503) 591-5715
Email: business@fresh-grill.com

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Tokyo: Where to get a burger?

Getting a burger in Tokyo is surprisingly easy. Will it be good? Maybe, but with this guide you are sure to find the better of them. Delicious.

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Grilled Cheese Grill

Huh.....What the hell is PDXGwailo trying to get at

Oh, wait. Is that....A Burger.....on GRILLED CHEESE???!!?

I'll let him tell the rest:

Who can pass up a restaurant that only features grilled cheese sammiches? Not I. Especially when one choice is the Cheesus Burger, a 1/3 pound burger with two grilled cheese sammiches in lieu of buns? Now that’s a mouthful! Also sampled, the “Gabby”, four different cheeses on white, and a cup of creamy tomato soup………as the menu says, “What else would you dip your sandwich in?”What else indeed? The Grilled Cheese Grill is located in a trailer and a school bus (where you can sit, eat, and play boardgames), at 1027 NE Alberta Street. Small aside to those bringing tots. No bathroom on site. Or within walking distance. This is Portland “cart food” taken the to the next level! Bonus pickle spear!

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Seattle: Mike's Chili Parlor

So after some computer issues, let the blogging commence...

PDXGwailo hit's the road again and sends us in some awesome burgers.

Now in the hands of the 4th generation, Mike’s Chili Parlor has been serving their “secret recipe” chili solo, or with burgers, dog since 1922. I saw this on “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” and it seemed worth checking out. A modest place, a little north of downtown Seattle, Mike’s appears to be the last building standing in a big to-do of urban renewal. I’ll bet there was a fuss about that when the developer wanted that whole block!

In any other city, Mike’s would just be the friendly neighborhood bar, and it appeared the customers today (tho they were few) were “all the usual suspects”. I walked in, read the menu board, and the printed menu, and a waitress told me to sit down and she would take my order. I asked if I could go outside on the patio, and she said she didn’t think it was open, but then she unlocked the door for me and led me outside.

I ordered the “Chili cheeseburger combo” for $7, and a Sprite to wash it down. It was a massive serving, a fork affair, a large burger and bun covered with chili, cheese, and onions, the sandwich almost happily floating in the soup. While the patty itself was indistinguishable in its own right, the great chili and the experience was enough to overlook that.

Mike's Chili Parlor
1447 NW Ballard Way
Seattle, WA 98107
206.782.2808

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Japan: Freshness Burger (Tokyo)

Hamburgler has some more tokyo burgers for you:

So heres the thing (and yes, I have only had three burgers in Tokyo).  It would seem that what Americans consider a hamburger patty wouldn't be considered a hamburger patty here (and its not fair too say because I have only eaten fast food and chain restaurant burgers in Tokyo), but the trend is that the burger patty is more like a sausage patty in look, texture, and taste, sans the sausage seasoning. So its all about how you dress it up. Freshness burger dresses it up well, and 380 yen (probably around 4.10 USD) it does the job.

Still sticking with Mos Burger though.

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Japan: First Kitchen (Tokyo)

The Japanese Hamburgler tour continues:

This place is great for their selection of french fries and right next too Ueno Station. BBQ, Basil, and a mess of other fries I don't know.  The burger is one of those sausage type patty's, so add the bacon and the egg and its just like a breakfast sando, which it was at 11:00 am (and yes thats one day in the future because I time travel).

I think it was all about 750 yen, but worth it for the air conditioning (excuse for buying anything here).

Now where can I get me some "Flavor Potato"

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Japan: Mos Burger (Tokyo)

Hamburgler writes in with the first stop in his Japan adventure:

Hey hamburger, Come-here-che-wa.  You could use a break from stuffing your face with delicious cream-filled spongy cake treats and get some food.  

At first you think you ordered wrong (or pointed at the wrong thing) cause the Mos Burger looks like a Bon Jovi sized sausage patty from McDonalds, but makes up for it with interestingly folded lettuce, gobs of mayo, and a teriyaki style sauce.  The french fries are great, and the cola comes with mini-cubes for maximum ice exposure. It's 710 yen (thats about 8.00 USD right now).

You can even get in your private air-conditioned smoking room, eat beef, and drink at the same time. I'm free again.  

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Rontoms: UPDATED 7.31.2009

Before his big trip to Japan, Hamburgler (the original) fuels up:

Oh my, one last burger. This was fantastic. Praline Bacon and fried heirloom tomatoes, and some fancy natural ground. $9.00. Will look forward to having that again.

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ORIGINAL POST: 5.27.2008




Hamburgler:

This one surprised. $9.00 Cheeseburger with potato salad or house salad. Natural Misty Ilse ground angus beef with herb aioli, pickled red onions, sharp cheddar, on brioche. Add bacon $1.00.

It was cooked perfect to order (medium rare of course) and the herb aioli shined.

Nice summer patio.

Rontoms
600 E. Burnside St.
Portland, OR 97214
(503)236-4536

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Five Guys: UPDATED 7.31.09

PDX Gwailo is back in town and the feast continues:

Stopped in at one of our local “Five Guys Burgers and Fries” outlets. According to their website, Five Guys started in Arlington, VA, in 1986, and now has over 400 locations.

The menu is simple, hamburgers, hot dogs, and french fries, with an abundance of “free toppings” that enables one to have their sandwich served in any of “over 250,000″ toppings.

If one is to believe the posted sign endorsements, as well as repetitive statements on their website and menus, this burger is the greatest thing since sliced bread, having won numerous awards from various newspapers, websites, and magazines.

One curious category that these awards fall into is “Cheap Eats”, and I’m not sure north of $10 for a hamburger, fries, and drink fall into the genre. The small order of fries is 2.79, though the descriptor of “small” is probably misleading. The order comes in a small foam drink cup, but the server then pours a second serving in the bag, much like the old days of when you ordered a milkshake, got the serving glass as well as the mixing cup delivered to you.

Burger toppings, as I said, are abundant, “free”, and your choices include Mayo, Relish, Onions, Lettuce, Pickles, Tomatoes, Grilled Onions, Grilled Mushrooms, Ketchup, Mustard, Jalapeno Peppers, Green Peppers, A-1 Sauce, Bar-B-Q Sauce, Hot Sauce

The standard burger is two patties, and they also offer a “little hamburger” which one would assume is a single patty. Patties appear to be hand-formed, and, I have to say, are rather good. Fries need no extra seasoning, but a “cajun version” is offered along side the standard fries as a choice at no additional charge.

Five Guys
2606 Cedar Hills Blvd
Beaverton, OR 97005

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ORIGINAL POST: 12.28.08






Looks like Hamburgler is moving belt notches this holiday season:

Hopped in a urban camouflaged Grand Caravan to remain inconspicuous in route to the strip mall where Beaverton got its own Five Guys.

For fast food this is pretty much as good as it gets, and since we are from Portland should we bedwet about the Styrofoam cups? (we wouldn't, it would be disrespectful when visiting other cultures....besides, have you ever drank beer from a Styrofoam cup on a really hot day, its ice cold top to bottom!...going to fan on it more later).

Anyhow, they got the usual suspects. Its worth the trip if you are burgering, plus they have bacon and cheese hotdogs., HEY, they have bacon and cheese hot dogs. Get some problems already.

Five Guys
2606 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Beaverton, OR 97005

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The Spot 79

Bringing us all back to Portland, new Hamburgler Burger-Tronic brings us to Spot 79

The burger was massive, stabbed through the heart with a steak knife to keep it assembled. Slathered with a solid layer of jalapenos, thousand island dressing and cheddar cheese with both grilled and raw onions, which a masochist like me loved. The beef was tasty and even though I know it was almost too much for me at the time of consumption, I'm drooling again looking at the photos.

The atmosphere smells like a casino and they had
kids singing karaoke before 9. After 9, it was an equally weird
selection of karaoke lonely hearts doing a string of 70's tunes I'd
never heard before.

The Spot 79
7944 SE Foster Road
Portland, OR 97206

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California: Rosti

I think PDX Gwailo's calling all of us out!

Who goes looking for a burger at a classy Italian place? Who actually orders one? PDXGwailo, that’s who. While you guys are safely hidden between your screens vicariously eating, I’m taking one for the team. Or two. Or six. Mmmmmm, burgers.

Rosti offers meatball sliders, 3 to an order, on fresh baked in house ciabiatta’s, some nice mozzarella, and a dab of homemade red gravy, on the burger, and on the side. The also make a full-size version. With the minis or the biggin’, you can choose beef or turkey for your grind. The beef mince was fine, no noticeable presence of additives or fillers, soft in texture, mildly-spiced. My personal palate would have preferred a heavily noticeable dose of fennel and garlic, but that’s not their recipe.

Alright Hamburlgers, to arms!

Also, for those confused on PDX Gwailo's nation hoping tour, the order of submission was lost during the blog transfer. I apologize for the confusion, and suggest you do as I do and just imagine he has a magic flying hamburger...

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Illinois: Palatine Inn (Suburban Chicago)

PDX Gwailo seeks out the Queen:

It’s not the Billy Goat (someone already posted about), but then nothing in Chicago is. But Chicago is full of good burgers, and one of the few, if not only, places I have ever been that serves the “Queen Burger” virtually everywhere. Too lazy to look up the origin, I am going to take a stab here at saying the Queen Burger is so named because it is covered with a mound of sliced (queen size) green olives, one of my three favorite things in the world to eat.

This one, at the Palatine Inn was done perfectly as requested, medium rare, served dry, with tomato, lettuce and pickle on the side. They will offer you a choice of self-applied condiments.

Bonus Pickle, and (drumroll).....Free Matzo ball soup!

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Texas: Culvers (McKinney/Dallas)

PDX Gwailo keeps going like a man obsessed (aren't we all?)

I wrote about wishing I could hit a Culver’s a couple weeks ago. Got my chance this week in McKinney, Texas, a suburb of Dallas within spitting distance of Oklahoma.

The sign outside of Culver’s says “Home of the Butterburger”, but the butter has nothing to do with the patty, but rather the fact they butter the buns, before toasting them. I don’t know whether it actually makes a difference or not, but the holy two B’s (butter and bacon) make anything better for me.

Culver’s is also known for fresh custard, whatever that is, sounds too healthy for me, and, being a Wisconsin based chain, are in the unique position to offer a side of deep-fried cheese curds.

Hand-formed patty, cooked to order, bakery buns, hot fried cheese curds and a butter burger? Heaven on a sliver of wax paper.

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Wisconson: "I Divides" adventure (Tomah)

PDX Gwailo impresses us all with and iron constitution/stomach:

A Burger where the I Divides
If you've ever driven Chicago to Minneapolis, you know where the "I" divides, it's Tomah, Wisconsin, where Interstates 90 and 94 split and go their merry ways west ward.

I only had a minute here, too damned bad, because Tomah is a cranberry mecca, and offers at least two shops full of cranberry Tschostkes. OK, I am kidding, I didn't want to hit those, but they are there. I also did not have time to visit the most excellent Midwestern burger chain "Culvers", which is home to the extremely tasty "Butterburger". Hit one of those as soon as you can.

No, I was reduced to the heat and eat 99 cents cheeseburger @ the Kwik Trip truck stop. But note that I opted for that before I would eat at the clown restaurant.

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California: Cinco De Mayo (Culver City)

Proving right his massive investment in Pepto Bismol, PDX Gwailo continues

Cinco De Mayo, Culver City, CA
Formerly “Lucy’s #2”, Cinco De Mayo is a place I have been eating burgers in the middle of the night for over 20 years. Located on Sepulveda Blvd, between Venice and Washington in Culver City, CDM is a late night hang-out for fans of fast, full-menu, cheap entrees. I’ve always had cheeseburgers there, they offer a choice between regular and jumbo, and are able to make an ordinary institutional food service burger into something rather special. The griddle-friend 3 oz patty is placed on a well-toasted bun and served with the whole range of salad condiments, pickle, onion, mayo, salad, chopped lettuce.

As you know, I prefer mine simply with pickles, onion, mustard, but in my excitement at being back at CDM for the first time in ten years, neglected to tell them. They have incredible fresh squeezed juices, as well, if you are into that kind of thing.

Cinco De Maya
11204 Washington Pl
Culver City, CA 90230

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Wisconson: Anchor Bar (Superior)

The PDX Gwailo tour continues...

The Anchor Bar, Superior, Wisconsin:
One would hope for two things: 1) the name of the town also describes the upcoming burger one is planning on consuming, and 2) in Wisconsin, one had better find some pretty damned fine cheese, even if their cows are pissed off, instead of contented like in California.

We went in search of the “Gallybuster”, which, although they couldn’t spell it correctly, promised a solid pound of ground beef and three slices of (your choice) of real cheese. Diners in close proximity to us heard us talking over the proposed entrée, and upon hearing from them that we should try the “five pounder” at a place down the street, we thought, maybe we’ll save some capacity, and go for that tomorrow, instead of this paltry 16 ouncer!

So we ordered from the menu, which had some “different” combinations, like the Green olive and Crème Cheese burger; the Sour Cream and Mushroom, the Cashew and Swiss.

I ordered a combo I have never seen anywhere, despite having traveled the globe and having consumed hamburger sandwiches for the past 116 years.

“The Reuben Burger” - a heaping mound of sauerkraut and gooey real swiss cheese atop at finely grilled burger on a fresh bakery roll, accompanied by perfect hand-cut fries. The burger was served naked, and I ordered a nice chilled bottle of IBC RB to wash it down.

It was great. Better than great. This joy is easily in my top five for the week. Worthy of “Superior.”

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Jody's Drive In

Fellow Oregon Burger-blogger AceBurger shares a plate of Jody's Drive-In over in Redmond, Oregon.

This is a really good tavern style burger that costs only $7.50. It is not too big, but no pushover either. It's a 1/3 pound burger with grilled ham, bacon, cheddar and jack cheese, and all the trimmings (except tomatos which I don't care for).

Check out his site, the Oregon Hamburger Review

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Burger Skills: Hamburgers that pay you!

Bur-Geek writes in:

Took a fancy-shmancy cruise up to Alaska with the wifey recently, and guess what I found on the ship? Well, some REALLY TERRIBLE BURGERS! I mean, they were disgusting! Pre-cooked patties just heated up for about 30 seconds after you ordered them. A big disappointment! But... wandering though the ship's casino, what else did we find? A BURGER-THEMED SLOT! I about laughed my butt off and ran back to our stateroom to grab the camera. I had to document this! And NO, I didn't play it. It looked way too complicated!

In all fairness this machine should be rigged so a Hamburgler always wins!

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