Portland Hamburgers: October 2009

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

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

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

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