Calamity Jane's

GrillMarks finds a local pizza-burger:

The Pizza burger post from a few days ago made me think of Calamity Jane's. Two locations, One in Newberg and the other just east of Sandy on 26. This self stylized burger parlor has something like 30 different burgers not counting the 10 different pizza burgers. Being on the wrong end of a rain storm that canceled my hike I found my self out past Sandy and decided to swing in. Having been in the past I can say in spite of what you see and what I am going to write you should go. Many of their burgers, excluding the one I just had on my ill fated journey, are tasty, and while the place is ultra kitschy nothing beats shoveling down a monster burger after a day on the mountain. Burgers are in the $8-10 range and you get pile of fries and they are open till 9 on weekends.

Anyway back to the story. This is a bigger is better place and their burgers come in 1/3, 2/3, and full pound denominations. I was feeling demure so I ordered the city slicker sized (1/3 lb) Pepperoni pizza burger. This comes with a bun, burger, pepperoni, olives, mozzarella cheese, and tomato sauce. Already sensing a challenge to my girlish figure I get the salad side and their refillable jumbo diet coke. While I get my salad and diet coke there is a mix up in the kitchen that would prove to be my undoing. Somewhere between me saying I wanted a small burger and that burger getting made I ended up with the Ranch Hand (full pound). As you can see from the picture this thing is a monster. That is a full size steak knife sticking out of it and all you can see is the handle.

Slightly stunned I start to dig in. There is a layer of cheese between each 1/3 pound patty which converts this from a large but tasty treat to a gut bomb. Three 1/3 pound patties done to the other side of well done that appear to be straight out of a freezer. Good thing I have the super tanker diet coke. After making some little progress I realize if I have any chance of getting out alive I am going to have to jettison some of this meat. Ripping out the two most over cooked patties I am left with a reasonable burger which actually tasters pretty good when my mouth is not full of burger patty. I like to think I limped out of their with my dignity but I am afraid that is a sham.

Calamity Janes
42015 SE Highway 26
Sandy, OR 97055
(503)668-7817

Calamity Jane's
1111 N Highway 99W
Dundee, OR 97115
(503)538-9407

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Yur's

GrillMarks keeps it cookin':

My own personal pdx burger tour took me to Yur's. One of those portland booze landmarks that my parents could have drank in back in the day, yet somehow I had never been. Also suppose to be a cabbie bar thanks to the good old Radio Cab HQ down the street. I understand that Joe's Cellar is actually the cabbie hang out but this place is not too be missed. Misrepresented as a dive bar by the masses but really more of a good solid local than a dive bar. You may argue with me but I don't get the feeling that 50 plus percent of the crowd is there every night drinking them selves into the next life as one sees in a proper dive bar. Lots of regulars sure but they all look like they got them selves a life outside those walls. Place was friendly, decent tap selection, and if my companions mixed drink was any indications they pour stiff drinks. I get the impression they are also not the kind of place to cut one off after you had one or five too many.

On to the burger:
They have your normal selection (with or with out cheese, with bacon, with a fried egg) and are in the 1/3 range. Sides are fries, tots, or the soup of the day. They also sell all their burgers in 1/2 pound monster sizes and have one with blue cheese. I wussed out and asked for a normal size blue cheese burger with tots. Everything was pretty good. Tasted like most of the products came from sysco but the burger was juicy and the blue cheese was a nice touch. Solidly in top range for must bar burgers.

Bonus: If you get super trashed a cab ride is but a few moments away ....

Yur's
717 NW 16th Ave.
Portland, OR 97209
(503)224-0160

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Morrison Hotel

Now with hamburgers. GrillMarks gets the waistline:

The Morrison Hotel is suppose to have a new menu to go with one of the best bottle beer lists in Portland so we ponied up to the bar to check it out. Focus seems to be on Med inspired food. Looks fairly decent, my co consistories had a chicken skewers and a Greek salad respectively. Both were reported to be good although I was not cut into a share cause they are greedy types.

Since this is Portland Hamburgers I was focused on the the MoHo burger which is $7.50 and for $1.5 more you can get brie and sauted mushrooms. I opted for the plain burger which was nice, well seasoned, and meaty. Good toasted bun and decent produce, over all a very solid burger. Options for sides were a salad or fries. My choice was for deep fried goodness and I ended up with quite a heap of fries which were respectable but not mind blowing.

As we were taught in high school English now is the part were I say, "In Summary ... the primary reason to go to the Morrison Hotel is still for a its long and well put together beer list. The food is by no means and after thought and I would have no problem ordering this burger again but I would not travel out of my way to reintroduce this burger to my stomach."

Morrison Hotel
719 SE Morrison St.
Portland, OR 97214
(503)236-7080

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