Portland Burger Week; What Happened?? The Week In Review

Portland Burger week 2014 was just too damn much.  Too many people clamoring to get tables, too many exasperated servers, and just too many damn burgers. That being said, there were some true highlights. The Hop and Vine's venison burger was absolutely fantastic, and North Light's stuffed cheese curd burger had great potential to be a PDX fave (here's to hoping it's they make it a full size menu burger).

I had to enlist help for this burger week , because DAMN- that's just too much beef for one lady to ingest in a week. After day four I had all but thrown in the towel. So here's what Mr Bryan Escalante of The Jammery (delicious artisan jams made locally) had to say about some of his burger week faves:

TILT
This mind blowing monstrosity of meaty magnificence was brought to your eyes courtesy of the good folks at Tilt.

EASTERN BLOCK
Locally sourced natural chuck patty, American cheese, hand-carved pork belly, fried onions/peppers and a tasty house recipe sweet pepper & dill yogurt sauce, all perfectly nestled on one of Tilt's giant, house recipe fresh baked biscuits

Verdict - WOULD EAT AGAIN - OMG THAT BISCUIT - SO FLAKY

MI MERO MOLE

Such an amazing force of burger nature. The bacon wrapped chile relleno was the star of the first few bites, but as I was about to reach the core of this monster, the chorizo patty hit me like a spicy punch to the mouth. Luckily the refried black beans, guacamole, and especial sauce held the heat down and kept the flavor up. The pickled onions didn't really add much to this behemoth, with everything else going on they took a sidecar to this Harley of a burger.

VERDICT: MAJOR NOMS

DOUG FIR

A wagu beef thick chunk of chuck on a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce and smoked and candied jalapeno aioli. Topped with mozzarella and candied bacon on local sesame bun.

A good showing, although the wait for seating was a bit ridiculous considering they were in no danger of selling out.

VERDICT - CANDIED BACON - WE VOTE YES

Portland Burger Week; The Rialto

The Rialto has been after me for ages to write about their burgers. Somehow, it always just seemed a little too out of the way, or little too noisy or a little too, I dont know, full of neon beer signs and sports fans. If that makes me a snob, I'm okay with that. Luckily, the sweet spot in the deep dark underground below the Rialto houses the Jack London Bar, a complete 180 from the upscale-ish sports bar above. It's sticker covered walls, dusty old couches and little beatnik-esque stage are straight out of a 90's grunge rock themed rom-com.  That is very much a scene I can get down with.

Burger: This was my first full size burger of burger week. And it was also the first burger I wished was half the size. All of Rialto's burgers are a half pound of fresh ground chuck, and this basic fella was smothered in white cheddar, sloppily dressed with ketchup, mustard and mayo and topped with romaine, tomato, red onion and pickles. All of it was held together by a serviceable potato bun. The burger was about as basic as they come, and cooked a little hard for our taste. Bottom lime, it's should always be a five dollar burger. But if Rialto or Jack London is your favorite kind of bar then this burger will do you up just fine. Side note; best damn onion rings I've had in a long, long time.

Portland Burger Week: North Light

North Light is part of the newest wave of Mississippi /Williams development; tucked into the ground floor of a shiny new tower of condos. If you happen to be a resident in of one of these shiny new condos, then North Light is a really convenient place to do some midday patio drinking. The menu is that "new twist on Classic American" menu that seems so popular in or near new condo developments. It fits well within the changing landscape of the Mississippi/Williams 'hood. Feel about that however you will.

Burger; North Light's burger week contribution was stuffed with Wisconsin cheese curds and topped with what was intended to be kimchi aioli but was really just a scant tablespoon of a tolerably dry kimchi. The burger was a bit more medium than we love, and the first bite divulged a tart snap of molten curds that were just short of enough to balance the burger. My hope is that North Light will recreate this as a full size burger for their everyday menu, with enough cheese and kimchi to live up to it's potential. This city might not need another frigging luxury condo but it sure as hell needs a decent Juicy Lucy.

Portland Burger Week 2014

Portland Burger Week is back! The Portland Mercury sponsored event is looking bigger and badder than last year, with nearly twice the burger contributions! This year's participants are:

Ate-Oh-Ate  2454 E Burnside Daily 11am-9pm CHAR SIU BURGER Ground Laurelhurst Market beef patty on brioche, with shaved char siu pork, spicy Chinese mustard, and crunchy Asian pickles.

---

Bar Bar  3939 N Mississippi Daily 11am-2am STATE FAIR BURGER Tender Alessio bun, griddled onions, beef patty, thick cheddar, ketchup. Boom. The stone classic archetype.

---

Burnside Brewing 701 E Burnside Mon-Tues 3pm-10pm ,Wed-Sat 11am-12am , Sun 11am-10pm CLASSIC CHEESEBURGERClassic American cheese cheeseburger, special sauce, sesame seed bun, lettuce, onion, pickle, tomato.. No thrills, just good eats. Make it a double or even triple if you like, and add on a can of Couch Lager for $2, a shot of Beam for $3.

---

Club 21 2035 NE Glisan Daily 11:30am-2:30am SHADOW BURGER Painted Hills ground chuck, bacon, smoked Gouda, lettuce, tomato-bacon jam, & topped with an onion ring.

---

Double Barrel 2002 SE Division Daily 2pm-2:30am BURNIN' LOVE BURGER Painted Hills ground chuck, southern pimento cheese, fried jalapeños, tender bacon.

---

Doug Fir 830 E Burnside Daily 7am-2:30am SPICY CANDIED BACON CHEESEBURGER / BURGER DFX Candied bacon, mozzarella cheese, smoked and candied jalapeño aioli, shredded iceberg, 6oz hand-formed Wagyu patty, Portland French Bakery bun.

---

Foster Burger 5339 SE Foster Daily 11am-10pm PEPPERJACK BACON BURGER 1/4-lb beef patty with American cheese, pepperjack cheese, fat and tender bacon, sharp house pickles, and crisp, raw, white onion.

---

Hop & Vine (click for review) 1914 N Killingsworth Mon-Wed 3pm-11pm, Thurs-Fri 3pm-12am, Sat 10am-12am, Sun 10am-11pm *Available after 3pm every day. VENISON FOCACCIA BURGER Housemade focaccia, house-cured pork belly, house pickles, tomato jam, fresh aioli, and a char-grilled Nicky USA venison patty.

---

Mi Mero Mole 32 NW 5th Mon-Thurs 11am-9pm, Fri 11am-10pm, Sat Noon-10pm *Offer begins at 2pm each day. Available at downtown location ONLY! SONORAN CHILE RELLENO BURGER Chorizo patty on brioche bun with refried black beans, guacamole, pickled red onions, especial sauce, and bacon-wrapped Hatch chile relleno.

---

North Light 3746 N Misissippi Mon-Fri 4pm-12am, Sat-Sun 9am-12am STUFFED CHEESE CURD BURGER Painted Hills 6oz hand-formed patty (cooked rare or to order and drizzled with brown butter), stuffed with Wisconsin cheese curds, on brown-butter-griddled housemade brioche bun. Topped with garlicky housemade kimchi aioli.

---

Rialto 529 SW 4th 11am-2:30am THE RIALTO CHEESEBURGER Hand-formed fresh beef patty, with extra-sharp white cheddar and all the classic trimmings, on a fresh potato bun.

---

Rockin' Robyn's Sassy Burger  3423 SE Belmont Wed-Thurs 12pm-7pm, Fri-Sat 12pm-10pm, Sun 12pm-6pm BUFFALO BURGERGround buffalo patty w/Robyn's signature seasoning blend, peppered bacon, roasted red peppers, smoked Gouda cheese, tomato, a thick slab of white onion, pickles, on a Portland French Bakery brioche bun.

---

Slowburger (click for review) 2329 NE Glisan Daily 11am-11pm BANH MI BURGER (Same as Slow Bar) Pickled daikon and carrot, fresh jalapeño, cilantro, Sriracha mayo,Grand Central brioche bun, thick Painted Hills beef patty.

---

Slow Bar (click for review) 533 SE Grand Daily 11:30am-2:30am BANH MI BURGER Pickled daikon and carrot, fresh jalapeño, cilantro, Sriracha mayo, Grand Central brioche bun, thick Painted Hills beef patty

---

Smallwares 4605 NE Fremont Daily 5pm-10pm THE SMALLWARES CHEESEBURGERFresh ground beef griddled in bacon fat, potato bun, Swiss cheese, tomato, shredded iceberg, shiso, cilantro, crispy fried shallot, sweet chili-ginger special mayonnaise.

---

Spirit of ’77 *Veggie!* 500 NE MLK Mon-Fri 4pm-12am, Sat 12pm-12am, Sun 12pm-10pm HOUSEMADE VEGGIE BURGER Housemade veggie patty (black bean, roasted red pepper, spinach, quinoa), roasted red pepper aioli, served on a whole wheat bun.

---

The Station 2703 NE Alberta Mon-Fri 4pm-Late, Sat-Sun 12pm-Late OUTLAW BURGER Sing it: "(One) all-beef patty, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickle, and onion on a sesame-seed bun."

---

Tilt 1355 NW Everett Suite 120 Mon-Thurs - 8am - 11pm Fri-Sat 8am - 12am Sun - 8am - 11pm *Burger Available after 8am. EASTERN BLOCKLocally sourced natural chuck patty, American cheese, hand-carved pork belly, fried onions/peppers and a tasty house recipe sweet pepper & dill yogurt sauce, all perfectly nestled on one of Tilt's giant, house recipe fresh baked biscuits.

---

Tilt 3449 N Anchor Mon-Thurs 11am-8pm, Fri 11am-9pm, Sat 9am-9pm, Sun 9am-3pm EASTERN BLOCK Locally sourced natural chuck patty, American cheese, hand-carved pork belly, fried onions/peppers and a tasty house recipe sweet pepper & dill yogurt sauce, all perfectly nestled on one of Tilt's giant, house recipe fresh baked biscuits.

---

White Owl Social Club *Veggie!* 1305 SE 8th Daily 3pm-Late WHITE OWL SOCIAL CLUB HAZELNUT BEET BURGERHouse veggie patty (garlic, almonds, brown sugar, red miso, kosher salt, black pepper, peanut butter, wakame, hazelnuts, quinoa, beets, potato starch, white onion, olive oil), served on a toasted bun with Misonaise, Heidi Ho Monterey Jack, carrot ramps and pea shoots.

---

Widmer Brothers Pub 929 N Russell Sun-Thurs 11am-11pm, Fri-Sat 11am-1am *Offer begins at 2pm each day. AMERICAN KOBE CHEESEBURGER 6 oz Snake river farms American Kobe beef, American cheese, grilled pickled onion, iceberg slaw, fennel-tomato ketchup, grand central potato bun. All images on this post courtesy of The Portland Mercury.

Portland Burger Week: Slow Bar

Slow Bar is the first place I think to recommend when anyone asks me where to grab a burger. And bahn mi is a Vietnamese sandwich I used to get in Anaheim, CA that I dream of to this day. Naturally the combination of these two things had my salivators salivating. I mean, Slow Bar kills it every time, right? Right? RIGHT?

Well, not really. The savory signature Slow Bar beef was significantly less savory than usual, the heavy slaw mixture that is probably the most recognizable feature of the bahn mi (beside the namesake bread) was conspicuously light. And the sesame brioche was far too sweet, it quickly became cloying. This was a very obvious attempt at a simple, easy to churn out burger-week burger, and the unfortunate result is the best burger in town phoning it in. Hold up though, Slow Bar crushed burger week last year, so they get a pass this year.  I still love Slow Bar and I will continue to tell everyone to always go there. They transcend burger week.

Portland Burger Week is an annual event that showcases some of Portland's favorite burgers. Participating bars, restaurants and cafes offer specially crafted burgers for $5 each. You can see a full list of Burger Week offerings here

Portland Burger Week; The Hop and Vine

Hop and Vine is a little tap room/bottle shop on North Killingsworth. It's the kind of neighborhood place that's popular with the locals and kind of happened upon by everyone else. It's gorgeous, with a sunny back patio and a draft list to write home about, but what's really up is this burger week contribution. If this is any indication of their everyday burger making prowess, this is not the place to sleep on. I'm talking to you everyone who does not live in North Portland.

Burger: This venison burger was cooked so rare it practically walked into my mouth. And I loved it. The thick slab of pork confit, the zucchini pickles, the fresh frisse and house made focaccia were all so well thought out. Given the savory weight of the confit and the buttery, rich, rare-as-rare-can-be venison, Hop and Vine constructed a complete burger that was pleasantly smaller that what you would normally see outside of burger week. I walked out with a spring in my step, rather than a 10 lb dumbbell in my colon. Thank you Hop and Vine, it's like you predicted the havoc we all intend to wreak on our bodies this week and you planned accordingly.

Portland Burger Week is an annual event that showcases some of Portland's favorite burgers. Participating bars, restaurants and cafes offer specially crafted burgers for $5 each. You can see a full list of Burger Week offerings here

Average Burgers and Above Average Zombie Programming at Hilt

Every bar in this city thinks it has "The Best Happy Hour Burger" or "Portland's Best Late Night Burger" or some other unregulated nonsense. I assure you, I am here to weed through the free wheeling claims of burger superiority to give it to you straight up. They wont all be winners, and they wont all be losers. Most, like Hilt, will fall squarely in the middle of the road. And there's no shame in that.  The mediocre is necessary. Without regular, boring stuff there's nothing to put spectacular stuff in context. If everything is fabulous then nothing is fabulous- you feel me? Hilt may claim to have some kind of impressive burger situation, but it's really just a regular old bar burger, and there's nothing wrong with that. Yeah, I would eat it again, but I wouldn't brag about it.

Burger: Aside from the heavy handed schmear of mayo, very average. I've noted before that I will typically review a kitchen's basic burger before I review any tricked out chef creation style burgers. My logic is that if a basic burger cant be made compellingly why should I or anyone else give some fancy dagwood-esque burger the time of day? There are some impressive looking burgers on the menu at Hilt, and if their basic burger is any indication, they probably wont suck. The basic burger boasted a fluffy sesame seed bun, fresh butter lettuce and ripe red tomato slices and a luscious, if skimpy, patty. Also, sorry about that picture, it was dark and everyone in the bar was really getting into The Walking Dead so I felt like an asshole blasting my flash.

Fries: Our party did a lot of plate sharing and one of the favorite's was the kasseri fries. These were hand cut and covered in kasseri cheese with some type of lemon pepper situation. Good for sharing, great for choking on when a Walking Dead scene scares the crap out of you.

Service: Very fast and friendly. I think that Portland is shaking off the whole uppity server reputation in favor of personable, more laid back service. I like that much better and Hilt's got it.

Where: 1934 NE Alberta Street www.thehiltbar.com