The Honest Burger

Here are some burger spots which are pretty good, they are of the fast food variety rather than the more uptown yuppie burger which is more common these days. The difference is yellow "cheese" rather than Gruyère, ice berg instead of butter lettuce, yellow mustard not Dijon, and a basic bun not a roll, just a straight forward burger. Make no mistake, I do enjoy a fancy 1/2 pounder with some specialty beef that has a name topped with some house pancetta (which also has a name), I simply like both types for different reasons and acknowledge that each has something to offer.

What we lack here in Portland is a good fast food burger such as the infamous In & Out to set the standard. While visiting family in California I am always impressed with their ability as a chain to make a better burger than most individually run restaurants and bars here. There are other better burgers of course, but no major chains that come close; compare it to Burgerville, yuck! A good honest burger done right with fresh ingredients can give a more elaborate creation a run for its money any day. These are some of my favorites.

Cristopher's Gourmet Grill
3962 NE Mlk Jr Blvd.
Portland, OR 97211

I love the double burger here, steak fries are excellent too, one of the few occasions where the two are together. Soul food menu.


Stop & Go Burgers
4549 NE Cully Blvd.
Portland, OR

Very good burger, extra wide and delicious. They also offer shakes, several dogs, and seafood selections; i cant tell if they are going for a diner theme or Hawaiian twist or both.


Giant Drive In
15840 Boones Ferry Rd.
Lake Oswego, OR 97035

Just what a burger should be, lots of variations; kind of far for us Portland folks though.


Roses Ice Cream
5011 NE 42nd
Portland, Or 97218

Wow! This double burger is in the zone!The fries are solid too. Save some room for home made ice cream and shakes if that is your thing.

Igloo Resturant
3128 E Evergreen blvd
Vancuver, Wa 98661

Proper. Fairly extensive menu. I look forward to trying the fish & chips, milk shakes, and chowder. The reuben sandwich is unlikely for a place like this and makes me wonder.


These are some other spots that are pretty good too.

NW burger
101 NW 2nd Ave
Portland, OR 97209

Good burger. The fries and service suck!


Hollywood Burger Bar
4211 NE Sandy Blvd
Portland, OR 97213

Nice Betty Boop decor. These patties are on the larger side so bring an appetite if you go for the double!


Georges Giant Hamburgers
11640 SW Pacific Hwy
Tigard, OR 97223

A do it your self bar so you better know how you like it!


Mikes Drive In
1707 SE Tenino St
Portland, OR 97202

Pretty good burger. Huge menu with lots to try.


The Observatory
8115 SE Stark St.
Portland, OR 97215

Barely qualifying for the "honest"category, this is a strange place to find a straight forward "Burger Burger". The the option of bleu cheese violates the line of the blue collar burger, but its other characteristics are enough to list it with these others; good fries too.


The issue of fries is a horse of a different color; the best fries seem to pop up in the most random places, and not always with the best burger. We will return to comment on fries, in addition to more elaborate burgers. [Photos to come]