Eat Me
30 Finger-lickin', fixin-drippin' masterpieces, from high-end to drive-in that will cure your burger lust
Edited by Kasey Cordell
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The gluten-free, fried in soybean oil, Kennebech potato fry from Deschutes Brewery.
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Inspired by the European and Canadian Frites tradition, Champion Potato’s Quincy Golds from Quincy, WA are fried in rice bran oil because of its high smoke point.
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If you want your Quincy Golds on the lighter side, Champion Potato serves them up with a slough of sauces from pesto mayo to their secret sweet hot mustard.
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These Russet gems are sliced thin as shoestrings then coated in rice flour and fried in rice oil. The flour keeps these fries crisp so you can enjoy them with the usual dousing of ketchup or have one of Kenny and Zuke’s specialties and smother them in cheese and a healthy serving of pastrami.
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North 45 Pub’s potatoes hail from Yukon Golds and are fried in a cottonseed/soy blend. From cajun to curry these frites come in all flavors and go great with a beer.
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Dot’s Cafe uses homegrown Oregon and Idaho potatoes for their fry creations. After being fried in soybean oil, they’re dusted with a shower of spices and served with Hot & Spicy Tofu Sauce on the side.
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If you’re feeling extra daring, try Dot’s Cafe’s famous spiced fries with a hefty helping of cheddar cheese and jalapenos.
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With skin in tact, Vita Cafe’s Western Beauty Russets are full of flavor and served with a vegan, tofu-based ranch sauce.
KOBE
Yakuza
Legend has it that the famously tender Kobe beef comes from Wagyu cows who are fed a steady diet of beer and massaged daily with warm sake by beautiful maidens—all while grazing in the mountains of Hyogo, Japan. Far-fetched, yes, but after a bite of the Yakuza burger ($12), it seems plausible. Nearly half a pound of medium-rare Durham Ranch Kobe beef is set between two Pearl Bakery brioche buns and accented by creamy, piquant goat cheese. Paper-thin ribbons of crispy shoelace fried potatoes are piled on top, then doused in truffle oil and spiced with togarashi (a mixture of orange zest and chili powder). It’s an exquisite beef epode that may well inspire its own tall tale. —Martha Calhoon
5411 NE 30th Ave; 503-450-0893; yakuzalounge.com
Runners-Up
Bamboo Sushi Kobe Beef Burger, $14 Aged Tillamook white cheddar, caramelized onions, house-made brioche bun. 310 SE 28th Ave; 503-232-5255; bamboosushipdx.com
Urban Farmer Farm Burger, $16 extra-sharp Tillamook cheddar, aioli, pommes frites, English muffin, house-made tomato jam. 525 SW Morrison St; 503-222-4900; urbanfarmerrestaurant.com
HAPPY HOUR
Clyde Common
Since Clyde Common opened in 2007, its mixologists have earned a reputation for meticulously crafting potent liquid antidotes to a day spent hunched over a keyboard. And their kitchen counterparts are equally masterful when it comes to building happy-hour burgers. Clyde Common’s hamburger sandwich ($6) is anchored by a tender hunk of Pacific Northwest beef blended with a touch of Carlton Farms pork fat to amp up the flavor. Grilled to perfection, the glistening patty of goodness is set upon a buttery, sweet, and lightly charred brioche bun from Pearl Bakery, then crowned with a cuff of seasonal lettuce, a tangle of pink pickled onions, and, arguably the most seductive ingredient of all, a saucer brimming with a house-made tomato jam of sun-dried tomatoes, dried apricots, and vinegars. This surprising stroke of acidity elevates the hamburger to close-your-eyes-and-take-a-moment heights. —Rachel Ritchie
1014 SW Stark St; 503-228-3333; clydecommon.com
Runners-Up
Saucebox Miyako Burger, $4 Cascade Natural beef on a toasted brioche bun with sliced avocado, fire-roasted red jalapeños, house-made teriyaki sauce, and wasabi mayonnaise. 214 SW Broadway; 503-241-3393; saucebox.com
Serratto Burger, $6 Strawberry Mountain beef served on a lightly grilled brioche bun with Zenner’s bacon, extra-sharp Tillamook white cheddar, crispy fried white onions, garlic aioli, and house-made barbecue sauce. 2112 NW Kearney St; 503-221-1195; serratto.com
Published: August 2009