Pause: UPDATED 04.10.09

UPDATED: 04.10.09



She wants to be known as BurgerBooty and we will oblige.

I’d just about had my fill of grey wet bone-chilling weekends so this Sunday afternoon I decided to be pro-active about “beefing” up my cheer. I got out my newly compiled Portland Hamburger Wish List and headed out to Pause on Interstate to check off my first PH goal. In the relative quiet of late afternoon, I got comfy at the bar and ordered up their near perfect “Everyday Special” – two sliders, one blue cheese and bacon and the other Tillamook cheddar with a lovely dab of special sauce, fries and a pint of Stone Brewing Company (San Diego) ale or soda all for a mere $7. The beef is amazing. As listed in earlier postings, Pause grinds their own beef daily. And it’s juicy flavorful Strawberry Mountain aged chuck. The plump little 2 oz. sliders were a beautiful medium rare and drippin’ pink juices on my plate - which I eagerly sopped up with soft fresh bun. Yum. Fries are wonderful, hand cut, lots of good potato, nicely crisped and accented with just the right amount of crunchy salt. Homemade pickles and pickled onion garnish add a warm homemade touch. No photo of my meal, I devoured it on the spot. But here’s a photo of my friend’s ½ lb. bacon cheeseburger which was more than I could handle on a Sunday afternoon.

Gotta say it. Before I made it to the second burger on my PH Wish List, I had to go back for a repeat yesterday. It was every bit as luscious as I remembered. They were having trouble keeping Stone on tap, so subbing Lagunitas IPA which is a bit hoppy for my taste. So, I savored my Everyday Special with an lovely glass of Ninkasi Spring Reign (not included in the $7 price). The Pause that really refreshes!

UPDATED: 01.21.09



PattyDaddy likes:

Lunch today was delicious! I hit Pause at least twice a month. Best burger I've found North of Burnside. They still grind their own beef and serve it with a smile. Juicy, flavorful, and still only $8 with very good fries. You can tell this burger is made by someone who cares. Bottomless lemonade was $2.50.

UPDATED: 11.22.07




Burgers, softening up your favorite social lubricant:

WhopperChomper & ToastedBun attempt to counter the effects of a full day of wine tasting with a stop at Pause before the winery trek begins.

WhopperChomper went the traditional route 1/2 lb burger with all the trimmings & Tillamook Cheddar ($8). Massive burger, massive flavor. Glad I went with the big burger, I was able to keep partying well into the night after the wine tasting trip... ToastedBun ate the sliders & didn’t fare so well.

ToastedBun opted for the 2 sliders ($5) with a side of fries (. “The sliders came with a special sauce that was quite tasty!”

Sadly, that didn’t prove to be enough to defend ToastedBun’s full-day onslaught of wine tasting. If you’re going to drink all day, get the regular burger. If you’re only going to drink for part of the day, you’ll be fine with the sliders. :)

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ORIGINAL POST: 9.14.07






"Hamburgler" and "RarePattie" found some delicious hamburgers at Pause in North Portland (that pic might just find its way to Girl's Eating Sandwiches)

"RarePattie" went straight for the gut, a 1/2 pounder with Bacon and Blue Cheese for $10.00. The "Hamburgler" had the "Everyday Special" which was two sliders, one cheddar, one bacon-blue cheese, fries, and a beer for $7.00. Happy stomachs.

The fries were especially good as well. Special Bonus Pickle! (some mustard infused pickle I think like at Castagna).

Pause
5101 N. Interstate Ave.
Portland, OR 97217
(971)230-0705

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Belly

WhopperChomper see some nice red:

The Belly burger ($9 with fries or salad) was a fine attempt at a burger. I get the feeling that this location is somewhat cursed due to the fact that the previous restaurant (Terroir) has already closed and there weren’t many folks at Belly on the night we visited. Regardless, the burger was fine. I got it with some white cheddar (+$2 – making my burger $11). Additional fixings costs additional $ ( Bacon +$2, white cheddar or blue cheese +$1, tomatoes +$1) - so your burger gets really expensive really quickly.

Belly
3500 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Portland, OR 97212
(503)249-9764

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Oba

Sheesh, and you thought you wouldn't see anymore until the 32nd of Never-ary:

BunsOfGlory, Sir Burgers-A-Lot & WhopperChomper hit Oba over in the pearl to take in their new lunch time service and try out the burger. The Oba burger is $10, comes with white cheddar, fresh cut tomato salsa, lettuce, aioli & papas fritas (that means french fries). Bonus pickle! It wasn’t bad... The fresh-cut salsa was an interesting twist and makes you feel like you’re getting some veggies.

Oba only serves the burger in the dining room during lunch, but you can get it on the bar menu as well...

Oba
555 NW 12th Ave.
Portland, OR 97209
(503)228-6161

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Sayler's Old Country Kitchen

WhopperChomper can't be stopped:

I cannot say enough about how much I love Sayler’s. I’ve been going here with my family since I was a kid. Don’t laugh when I say that the steaks easily rival El Gaucho and cost about a quarter of the price... I just put that claim to the test about a month ago where I happened to go to both El Gaucho & Sayler’s in the same weekend and I’ll stand by it.

A place like this does one thing – steak – and they do it well. They’ve got a giant rotating steak for a sign, the menu is in the shape of a steak, and they’ve even got a 72 oz steak that you can have for free – if you can eat the entire thing in an hour. They don’t compete with other fancier joints on atmosphere, and the parking lot isn’t full of European cars... Hell, they don’t even have a Web site. But the steaks are good.

Anyway, I haven’t had the burger here since I was a kid, but I felt it my duty to forego a steak for one trip so I could introduce Sayler’s to the PDX Burger masses. Sadly, I was a little disappointed in the burger, but that shouldn’t stop you from visiting. Like I said, this place does steaks. They do make the burger out of ground top sirloin, and they’ll cook it to order, and it comes with the usual suspects. Unfortunately, on this particular occasion, they overcooked my burger and it was a little sloppy with the house sauce (thousand island). But really – you should go get a steak here..

Sayler's Old Country Kitchen
10519 SE Stark St.
Portland, OR 97216
(503)252-4171

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Country Cat

WhopperChomper reports....we got both kinds here.....Country and Western:

The "Heritage Burger" ($11) comes on a French onion bun with a slice of white cheddar & garlic mayo. It also comes with a HUGE pile of really thin stringy onion rings that are REALLY good. The patty was very thick, which made for a very dense, flavorful burger. All in all, a unique and respectable effort. The onion rings make the whole thing worth the effort. The fried chicken looked very good, but I'm glad I tried the burger. :)

Country Cat
7937 SE Stark St
Portland, OR 97215
(503) 408-1414

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The Dundee Bistro

Traveling around the metro area (I wonder if folks count their currency differently here) WhopperChomper and ToastedBun are suspected of using burgers as a sponge in the wine country:

1/2 pound Painted Hills beef, grilled red onion & white cheddar – ordered medium rare. Came with fries & some lettuce. I had high hopes for the $14 price tag. It was cooked just fine, but I found the grilled onion an uninspiring addition, and the white cheddar was overwhelming. ToastedBun says “it was pretty f-ing good, but I don’t know if it was worth $14”

Dundee Bistro
100 SW 7th St. #A
Dundee, OR 97115
(503)554-1650

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Slow Bar: UPDATED 04.15.08

UPDATE: 04.15.08




Hey, we all know it's time to pay the man, but you really can't stop eating the burger version of architect fish n chips. PattyDaddy and and one of our best photographers HambaghaStakee can't stop:

Bloody Mary with tomato infused vodka was AWESOME! And the burgers... (Slow top, Winter bottom)... just like everyone else says except they forgot to say HOLY FREAKIN' COW these are good. Man. About the best anyone could ever hope for in a hamburger. Really. This is it. This is what it's all about. It's beyond words. Go to Slow Bar and eat and drink. Go there now. Eat and drink. It's so good. So good... t's genius. Honestly. Go there. God it's good.

Cooked to order still only $9 each. Bloody $6.50. Plan on a big tip 'cause it's worth it.

UPDATE: 03.23.08






Folks can't get enough of this burger:

Burgermeister and PattyPusher had an awesome Saturday afternoon burgering date.

Burgermeister decided on the never disappointing Slowburger, which is a towering monster hell-bent on intimidation: Onion rings, Gueyure cheese, and cherry tomato relish. Burgermeister isn't afraid (once again, Strawberry Mountain Beef. Delicious.)

Pattypusher opted for the less daunting, yet brilliantly crafted Winter Slowburger: Cheddar, Blue Cheese, Panchetta, and the Tomato Relish. PattyPusher had this to say: "Cherry tomato relish has succeeded in being what ketchup wishes it was".

Please note the bloody mary, it's heavenly.

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UPDATE: 11.20.07




The Slow Bar has become a Portland Hamburgers favorite. WhopperChomper and ToastedBun give us their take:

WhopperChomper & ToastedBun stopped by Slowbar on a slow Sunday night to watch some football and eat red-meat... Like any good American should.

ToastedBun went with the Slowburger, $9...Good to great burger & fixins. Bun got soggy toward the end which made consuming that last 1/8 lb fairly difficult. Sadly, the fries were lukewarm.

WhopperChomper had the Winter Slowburger, $9. 1/2 lb strawberry mountain natural beef, rogue creamery oregon blue cheese, grilled pancetta, cherry tomato relish. The burger rocked as always, and I particularly like the cherry tomato relish which adds a delicate touch to a not-so-delicate burger. My fries were also lukewarm & the ketchup was ICE cold. Cold ketchup is a weird complaint, but I'm very particular and it’s not good when your fries aren’t hot.

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UPDATE: 11.9.07



DJ Izm gives us a taste of his favorite burger in town.

He also has a taste of his trade. From Uffie to Soul II Soul, to some updated version of the Percolator mashed with The Crystals "Then He Kissed Me". Yep, he has a mix you can download: LINK

The Slow Bar burger is my favorite. $9 (extra w bacon), 1/2 pound Strawberry Mountain beef, lettuce, tomato, Gruyere cheese, and two Onion Rings on a perfect sesame seed bun. Served with either fries or salad.

Also available and really good the Slow Bar Winter Burger

1/2 pound Strawberry Mt beef, lettuce, tomato, pancetta, blue cheese, and a tomato relish, on a perfect sesame seed bun. Served with either fries or salad.

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POST: 8.28.07



Everyone told Hamburgler he should go there, and off he went:

Best $9.45 the Hamburgler has spent in a long time (usually a penny pincher when it comes to burger, but I will be handing them my dollars over and over again.) The "Slowburger" was perfect, juicy, and delicious.

This 1/2 lb. slab of ground beef from Strawberry Mountain, gruyere, onion rings, butter lettuce, pickle relish is unstoppable.

Slow Bar
533 SE Grand Ave.
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 230-7767

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Muu Muu's

UPDATE: 3/20/08




Our first burger anatomy.....next up diorama's (think about it):

WhopperChomper, BunsOfGlory & Sir Burgers A Lot duck into Muu Muu's after a little St. Paddy's Day revelry to soak up the beer with a little Muu Muu burger action ($6).

Luckily, Muu Muu's puts their fries right in the burger so you don't even have to debate whether or not to get fries on the side! The result is starchy, carb-ey goodness. That special mayo or spiced ketchup or whatever it is they put on there really makes the Muu Muu burger a tasty delight. Note to the owners of Muu Muu's – with such a perfectly packaged burger/fry combination that's suitable for walking around with, WhopperChomper suggests opening a window on the street for to-go orders.

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ORIGINAL POST: 9.9.07





Hamburgler:

Don't let those images fool you. Thats a burger. Non-traditional, but a burger none-the-less. Its been cut in half and spread out on that roll.

As you might of noticed there are fries in that burger. Yep, it makes for quite a calorie explosion. American cheese as well. What really makes this thing shine is the roll that has been grilled, some kind of spiced mayo, and what I think is white pepper.

It's different, it's delicious, and it's $6.00.

Muu Muu's
612 NW 21st Ave
Portland, OR 97209
(503)223-8169

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Dea's In & Out

WhopperChomper and ToastedBun take us deeper into the metro:

WhopperChomper & ToastedBun made a surprise visit to Dea’s In & Out in Gresham while visiting WC’s parents – hence the poor camera-phone photos. A childhood favorite of WhopperChomper’s mom (Dea’s has been around a while), Dea’s In & Out has been kicking out rocking burgers on home-made buns in Gresham for a VERY long time.

According to lore (as told by WhopperChomper’s mom) Dea’s used to buy the buns from a local bakery, but they bought the recipe when the bakery went out of business and have been making them in-house ever since. Dea’s specializes in the Longburger ($2.50) and it comes with special sauce, pickles & onions on request. You can add Bacon & Cheese for $1.15. There’s also a Double Longburger ($3.35) or a Shortburger ($1.25 – think ‘slider’) as well as something called a “Ranch Burger” and the “Stumpy” burger ($4.25). Those have some combination of egg & ham.

WhopperChomper & ToastedBun both went for the Longburger w/ bacon & cheese ($3.65). We both love the burgers – the treatment is reminiscent of a giant slider style burger. They come wrapped in a napkin within and a wax-paper bag, and they’re just messy enough that you’ll need to grab an extra wad of napkins on your way to the table. The buns and special sauce make the burger, and the geriatric-esque clientele make the experience. What you won’t find at Dea’s is a fancy 1/2 lb Strawberry Mountain beef hamburger. I love those too – but every once in a while you want a burger that’s a little less pretentious... Dea’s is certainly that.

WhopperChomper vows to make a return visit with the REAL digital camera to document Dea’s in all its glory.

Dea’s In & Out
755 NE Burnside Rd
Gresham, OR 97030
(503)665-3439

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North 45

More fresh burglers. WhopperChomper and ToastedBun enlighten us to enjoying Belgium beer with our favorite American pop culture icon.

I started Friday night with a hankerin for a burger, which brought me & ToastedBun to North 45. The menu is dominated by a wide variety of mussels and above average takes on traditional pub grub. Priced at $8, their one & only burger on the menu is a straight ahead solid effort served the correct way, with bacon & cheese (pepper bacon & aged cheddar) and a ciabatta roll.

As a travel pub, North 45 also makes serious business of pommes frites (that's fancy talk for french fries), and those come with the burger as well. The menu recommends an IPA with the burger, so I felt it a journalistic imperative to order one. The result is an entirely satisfying & nearly pornographic burger experience that outclasses close neighbor Blue Moon by a long shot.

Note - they've got an extensive collection of belgian trappist ales and even though they are fairly pricey at around $8 each, Toasted Bun loves to experiment and they're generally fantastic with the frites. The glass the beer is served in is so fancy, they make you give up your shoe as collateral.

North 45 Pub
517 NW 21st Ave
Portland OR 97209

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