Jim Dandy

ExtraBacon gives us an update:

After driving by Jim Dandy so many times, my wife and I decided it was finally time to check it out.

She ordered The Works (2 patties, cheese, bacon, ham & egg). The patties were pre-formed and frozen, but they had a really good flavor. The onions were especially good, and tasted great with the egg. All in all, it was a good burger!

I ordered the Pépe Dog... A foot long hot dog, wrapped in bacon, then covered with onion, pepperoncini, tomato, and grated cheddar cheese. I think the bacon-wrapped dog was deep fried. The outside had a good crispyness, and the quality of the dog itself was very good. The pepperoncinis added the perfect amount of spice. One of the best dogs that I've had (outside of my own kitchen)!

The decor inside Jim Dandy's is great. Lots of pictures of old Portland.

Definitely worth checking out!

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ORIGINAL POST 9/4/08









AmericanCheese and CondimentSpreader don't do the gourmet, they like the American classical style:

We went to Jim Dandy. Deep in Parkrose, it's like another world out there.

Right to the point. This is seriously one of the best burgers we've had. Ever.

First pic is the Texas burger. Bacon, cheddar, bbq sauce, and a big ass onion ring. Condimentspreader loved it. I wanted it.

Second is of the "Jim Dandy" burger. American cheese, bacon, mushrooms, and some secret sauce that I think had a hint of bbq in it. Whatever it was, it ruled.

Burgers were not overdone, just right. Buns were tasty, not too spongy.

This place has it all. Hot dogs wrapped in bacon, shakes made to order, crinkle cut fries, old men smoking out on the patio saying that this is the best burger in town, etc.

It really has been there since 1937 as well. It was just in a trailer before (according to the waitress).

Go. Now.

Jim Dandy
9626 NE Sandy Blvd.
Portland, OR 97220
(503)253-2126

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Tonic Lounge

Pickles and Ammo has a sunny afternoon snack:

Pretty decent burger. Horrible fries, but what can you expect for $3.75?

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ORIGINAL POST: 12/3/07




CondimentSpreader has the skills to pay the bills (and doesn't rhythm "commercial" with "commercial"):

If you need to pay your comcast bill and find yourself starving on Sandy, you could do worse than grabbing a burg at the Tonic Lounge.

On the "Chef's Specialties" menu, they've got a 'Stuffed Burger' that's pretty darn good. It looks like they take two really thin patties and grill them together with Bleu cheese, pepper bacon and thinly sliced layered ham between them. They also employ that awesome technique of buttering the bun and then grilling it slightly. Very nice. Really thin and long fries with excellent crunch. At $6.75 a pretty nice deal.

Tonic Lounge
3100 Ne Sandy Blvd
Portland, OR 97232
(503) 238-0543

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Twilight Cafe - UPDATE

UPDATE: 2.11.08




Pickles & Ammo gets a quick update:

I had the "Twilight Texan Burger". It had the normal fixing, BBQ sauce, bacon, and an onion ring. Quite a score for $6.25. It even came with tots.

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ORIGINAL POST: 1.26.08




CondimentSpreader returns from a slumber to find that other Twilight:

Cool, old diner-style spot that serves up Bloody Mary's and benedicts all day. Also moonlights as a rock venue. Cheap beers, good service.

I had the Barbeque burg, with onion rings, cheddar and bbq sauce. It was swimming in sauce, and I'm pretty sure it was KC Masterpiece or some other bargain bin find. Not a horrible experience, but not one to repeat.

My associate kept it simple with a standard cheeseburger with bleu. She liked it, though not impressed. The tatertots, which will accompany any sandwich if you like, were exceptional however.

Bonus Pickle!

Twilight Cafe
1420 SE Powell Blvd.
Portland, OR 97202
(503)236-7668

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Yukon Tavern

CondimentSpreader is keeping up appearances with more brown biscuits and probably getting excited about the North American Handmade Bicycle Show this weekend:

I remember the folks taking me to a lot of baseball games and Seaworld and isht like that....the Yukon tavern burger is reminiscent of every burger my parents bought me at just those sorts of events....straight forward,... diced lettuce and onion,... and you feel kind of bad ordering from the bartender cuz you know she has to make it... but on some level... so good.

It was a little charred, and the bacon way too crispy, but it invoked that childhood nostalgia response...recommended... CHEAP

Yukon Tavern
5819 SE Milwaukie Ave
Portland, OR 97202
(503)235-6352

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Putter's

CondimentSpreader keeps digging into the deeper south:

Pretty crappy sports bar on Woodstock with surprisingly tasty food. I think their patty melt might be my favorite comfort food after some long nights. It doesn't look like much as I had to replate it after having had taken it to go, but don't let it fool you.... greasy in all the right ways.

Bonus Pickle!

Putter's
4506 SE Woodstock Blvd.
Portland, OR 97206
(503)788-1950

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Acropolis

Hamburglers AmericanCheese and CondimentSpreader take on the challenge of getting pics of burgers in strip-clubs:

The Acropolis. It's a legend, whether you go there for the food or the scenery. We went there for the grub, but came back with an appreciation for both.

Regardless, the burger at this place is insane. Of course, we didn't go for the "regular" cheeseburger. Nope, went for the "Colossal" burger, weighing in at a whopping five pounds. Seriously, we did not even know what we were getting into when we ordered this thing. It came on a 14" bun and the thing was as big as a football.

The sign at the door let us know we were NOT allowed to take cameras or cell phones inside. Whatever..., and hungover, we persisted with our search. We brought to the bartender's attention that we were not civilians, and in fact, press members that were reviewing their sandwiches,.... And after much deliberation we were allowed three photos inside, and only three.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO EAT THIS BURGER....Yes, the burger ruled. But, do you eat the Eiffel Tower?

Special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, tomatoes. Just like a regular cheese burger, but 20 times bigger.

But you can't really eat it. It's way too big, and way too hard to pick up. It's more of a spectacle rather then a food item...

We spent the rest of the afternoon trying to find a nice homeless person to gift our leftover to... unsuccessfully...

Acropolis
8325 SE McLoughlin Blvd
Portland, OR 97202
(503)231-9611

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Claim Jumper

CondimentSpreader easily succumbs to peer-pressure. Look at that thing! It's a buckle popper...CondimentSpreader is going to have to go high-flange soon:

I know, I know.... it's a chain restaurant, but I've been hearing my coworker hype up this burger for weeks, (and he eats the Slow Burger all the time).

All the burgs are hand formed, half-pound patties. I went for the "Widow-Maker". It boasts 2 slices of sharp Tillamook cheddar, 4 onion rings, 3 strips of apple-smoked bacon, a half an avocado, sweet relish and is cooked to temperature. I was impressed that when ordered rare, it was seriously rare. I would think that a chain restaurant would have misgivings about doing so.

It was amazing, as promised, but required about three bites of the onion rings and avo to reach the patty. Very messy. Offered with your choice of shoestring fries, a thai peanut slaw or seared asparagus spears. I had the slaw, and liked it quite well. All burgers served with half a whole pickle.

Bonus Pickle!

Claim Jumper
9085 SE Sunnyside Rd.
Clackamas Town Center
(503)654-3700

18000 SW Lower Boones Ferry Rd.
Bridgeport Village
(503)670-1975

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Mike's Drive-In: UPDATED 12.21.07

Hamburgler chimes in:

Not bad. Reminds us of how A&W/Dairy Queen use to be when they were small town diners serving up the soft serve (dipped please). $7.20 on this "basket" of bacon cheeseburger with fries, coleslaw, and drink. Patty is paper thin, but fulfills.

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ORIGINAL POST: 10/4/2007




CondimentSpreader is still out there burgering and eating foreign objects.

Just south of Tacoma St. in Sellwood is Mike's Drive In. Another old-school joint, but no longer delivering curbside on skates.

Extensive menu with no less than 12 burger jump off points.

I had the mushroom with swiss. Have to say it started out as one of the better burgers I've tasted, although somewhat suffering from the 'soggy bun' syndrome, which I can work around. At some point I started wondering about a mushroom that I was having trouble chewing down. Turned out to be a rather large chunk of thick plastic. (see pic)

I really want to like the place, but when I informed the counterperson of my woe, she sorta shrugged it off and said, "oh sweetie, that's probably just from when they take the patties outta the pan....".

Inexpensive and tasty, but still...

Mike's Drive-In
3045 SE Harrison St.
Milwaukie, OR 97222
(503)654-0131

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The Trap

CondimentSpreader continues digging deeper into Southeast Portland:

Foster pretty much blows, but with a nice burger, it didn't seem so bad after all.

The Trap is an interesting little bar with a fair amount of charm. Apparently they cater to the dart-playing crowd with a ton of boards and trophies about.

Eight different burger options with the usual suspects and a few I had to inquire about. Had to roll with the 'Frisco Burger', which I found, was made with wide sourdough grilled and buttered bread, two patties(side by side), and melted swiss. A tiny bit non-traditional but really nice. Suggested.

The Trap
3805 SE 52nd Ave.
Portland, OR 97206
Nice bar staff and a comfy spot.

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The Hutch

AmericanCheese and CondimentSpreader continue their quest through Southeast Portland:

Having been to the original Hutch on Glisan quite a few times it was deemed necessary to peep their new venture on 41st and SE Holgate.

Formerly a restaurant named Grandma's,... the New Hutch is pretty laidback. Full old school digs upstairs, huge woodcarved bar downstairs. Head downstairs.

Large menu, some good burger selection. Really nice bartender. AmericanCheese went straight for the traditional Cheeseburger. They serve it and all their burgers with a house special sauce. No condiments required. Good large steak fries.

CondimentSpreader thought he was tough and opted for the "Hero Burger". Ham, two pieces of soft bacon, a fried egg, american cheese and a half pound of beef. The ham, which is usually thick in burgs of this type, was super thin and layered. Super good and almost overpowered the flavor of the beef. Only 2/3 the way through and it looked like breathing became difficult. Recommended, however.

Bonus Pickle!

The Hutch
41st / SE Holgate
Portland, OR 97213
(503)235-4729

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Lotsa Luck Tavern

CondimentSpreader seems to be self-medicating with beef.

When you find yourself really hungover anywhere near Powell, please consider the Lotsa Luck Tavern...

20 oz Pabst and burgers that they put cheese on BOTH sides of the patty. I don't understand why no one else adopts this practice. Seriously genius. You really have to be in the right state of mind to step to this place. Opt for the mushrooms and swiss. Pretty inexpensive.

My cohort braved the addition of the over-medium egg and required nap shortly thereafter.

Lotsa Luck Tavern
2136 SE Powell
Portland, OR 97202
(503)232-0030

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Caprial's

CondimentSpreader is working his way deeper into the Southeast.

We got a big-un' here....Pretty serious.

1/3lb of that Strawberry Mountain stuff we all enjoy. Grilled to order with crispy fried shoestring onions and a house-baked bun. Pleasant garlic aioli, and I opted for creamy bleu on top. Really nice. Little pricey at $9.50 with the cheese, but not an everyday burg. Served with relish made from Caprial's own pickles (one of which accompanies the meal).

I'd suggest ordering it a little less done than your preference, as mine was medium and not medium rare.

Bonus Pickle!

Caprial's
7015 SE Milwaukie Ave
Portland, OR 97202
(503) 236-6457

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Velour

CondimentSpreader has got the fever. Burger fever that is, and thinks he has found a contender. Got to be curious about that Habanero-Blackberry Ketchup.

If you find yourself near old town after bar close, I IMPLORE you to head to Velour on First and Ash.

They're open til four, allow smoking in their very plush, comfortable balcony, and besides the Slow Bar, have one of the best burgers I've tasted. It is a buffalo patty, but I don't think I could tell in this case, and it comes with the best fries anywhere. I know it seems like an exaggeration, but no...

However they grill the buns, they are served with the slightest bit of crunch with no signs of burning. Really,.. great texture as much as anything with this one. And apparently the fries get rolled in rice flour before the oil, adding extra crunch, and are served with a habanero and blackberry ketchup. Pretty interesting stuff. My only criticism, in my opinion, was that they went a little heavy with the black pepper in the patty, but just barely.

On the more expensive side at nine dollars, but really i would consider it worth it. Check it out.

NOTE: They have a $3.00 happy hour burger from 3 to 6pm.

Voleur
111 SW Ash St.
Portland, OR 97204
(503)227-3764

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Oaks Bottom Public House

Apparently you can't stop CondimentSpreader from eating all the hamburgers in Sellwood.

Right at the intersection of Milwaukie Ave. and Bybee in Sellwood, you'll find the Oaks Bottom Public House.

Not really a pub, but more of a grill with a ton of local beers. Their menu offers six burger options,(basic, with cheese, bacon) and then a few gourmet twists. Having had tried their Jalapeno burger previously, and being pretty happy with it, this time around i stepped to the 1/2 pound chevre burg.

I wasn't given the option of how I wanted it cooked, and I would have enjoyed it a bit rarer, but the sheer amount of amazing chevre cheese piled high really negated any other areas I could find fault. It was a pretty damn fine sando. Recommended.

Also of note was the option to accompany any burger with what I found to be the best tots i've tasted in a long time.

PS: Try some of the Ninkasi brews from eugene.

Oaks Bottom Public House
1621 SE Bybee
Portland, OR 97202
(503)459-4988

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The Semaphore

CondimentSpreader gets offered to have hashbrowns and gravy on the burger....so close to finding the breakfast burger.

You've probably passed by The Semaphore and not noticed it. It sits right in the parking lot of a tiny strip mall in industrial SE, but seems to have been there forever. Another "head straight for the lounge" stops.

Good, straightforward burger. No nonsense. Really Cold Pabst. And they'll put an egg, bacon, sausauge, ham, hashbrowns and gravy on top of it too.

I didn't step to it.

Semaphore
1639 SE Holgate Blvd.
Portland, OR 97202
(503)238-1244

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Gladstone Pub

CondimentSpreader is back on the burger trail and burgering pretty hard. Lots more from him soon.

A new-ish tavern on SE Gladstone that serves craft brews. They don't open until 3pm but seem to have a much better menu than most taverns.

I'd been hearing about this burger for months. Probably five different burger choices here. I went for the Jalapeno burger with fresh peppers and pepper jack. This thing was huge and can be cooked to temperature. Probably more for the "I want a good meal" crowd, and not for the grease mongers.

Gladstone Pub
3737 SE Gladstone St.
Portland, OR 97202
(503)775-3502

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