Eat Me
30 Finger-lickin', fixin-drippin' masterpieces, from high-end to drive-in that will cure your burger lust
Edited by Kasey Cordell
DRIVE-IN
Skyline Restaurant
Everyone loves a big, sloppy burger stuffed full of veggies and extras—unless it’s being eaten in the car. For any drive-in burger worthy of a turn off the road, structural integrity is essential, especially if you want to keep that “new car” smell intact. Enter the Skyline cheeseburger ($4.40). Slice one in half and the cross-section looks like burger-fied geological strata, every layer precisely packed. The mayo, dill pickles, and tomato slices serve as a sturdy foundation, bolstered by whole-leaf lettuce and white onions. A quarter-pound freshly ground patty and melted American or cheddar cheese on a butter-brushed sesame bun complete the architecturally sound repast, with not a crumb wasted on your car seat or wardrobe. —John Chandler
1313 NW Skyline Blvd; 503-292-6727
Runners-Up
Humdinger Quarter-Pound Deluxe Hamburger, $5.95 Fresh-ground beef, mayo, pickles, lettuce, onions, and tomato, slathered in cheddar, swiss, pepper jack or provolone on a sesame-seed bun. 8250 SW Barbur Blvd; 503-246-8132
Giant Drive-In Tex-Mex Burger, $4.50 Locally sourced fresh-ground beef, lettuce, tomato, onions, swiss cheese, salsa, mayo, and ranch dressing on an Alessio onion bun. 15840 Boones Ferry Rd, Lake Oswego; 503-636-0255
NON-BEEF
Broder
Swedish culture has given us a lot: Ikea’s mod furniture, Saab’s jet engine–inspired rides, and, don’t forget, Abba. But if you think the Swedes’ culinary zenith was reached with the meatball, you clearly haven’t indulged in the lamb burger ($9.50) at Broder, a tiny Swedish café on SE Clinton Street. Lamb burgers have less marbling than beef (read: they’re lower in fat), and their mild flavor lets your palate pick up on the meat’s subtle interplay with its accoutrements—in this case, the half-pound patty, as juicy as meat loaf, gets a punch from roasted red peppers floating on a cloud of chèvre that’s been whipped almost into a mousse. Smear the toasted sesame-seed bun with chunky homemade curried ketchup made with fresh ginger and chopped tomatoes, and skål! You’ve got yourself a burger! —BB
2508 SE Clinton St; 503-736-3333; broderpdx.com
Runners-Up
Victory Bar Venison Burger, $10 A half-pound venison patty topped with fried leeks, local organic greens, pickled onion, bread-and-butter pickles, Worcestershire aioli, and smoked cheddar. 3652 SE Division St; 503-236-8755; thevictorybar.com
Ten 01 Chorizo Burger, $11 A super-sized slider patty of rich, house-made chorizo topped with pickled shallots, provolone, and fried egg, served on a Pearl Bakery brioche bun layered with bacon-tomato jam. 1001 NW Couch St; 503-226-3463; ten-01.com
Published: August 2009
