Portland's Vibe

No matter how many fancy, foreign and vegetarian restaurants Portland gets, sometimes nothing sounds better than a good old fashioned burger! We are lucky to live in a time where the burger is becoming re-popularized. Restaurant burgers are finally starting to become more gourmet, with many restaurants featuring higher quality burgers than the average burger made at home. Creative Portland chefs make a variety of burger different types, ranging from traditional to exotic.

Little Bird Bistro

Known as Le Pigeon’s slightly more accessible sister restaurant, Little Bird Bistro serves the famous "Le Pigeon" burger on its regular menu. The burger features a thick beef patty, a dressed lettuce slaw, grilled pickled onion and aged white cheese - all served on a freshly made square-shaped ciabatta bun. It is messy, but so delicious that you won’t mind having to eat it with a knife and fork or risk making a mess. Little Bird is one of the best French restaurants in town, and it has a convenient downtown location.

Price: $12
Hours: Monday-Friday 11:30 a.m. to 12 a.m., Saturday and Sunday 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.

BIWA

Interestingly enough, some of Portland’s best burgers are not at American restaurants. The Biwa Hamburger features classic seasoned ground beef along with Asian-influenced kimchi mayo and a cut of delicious char siu pork. Served on a toasted sesame seed bun, this burger is one of the tastiest and most interesting sandwiches in town. Unfortunately, it’s only available after 10 p.m. on the restaurant’s late night menu.

Price: $8
Hours: Open daily 5 p.m. to 12 a.m., burger served after 10 p.m. only

Foster Burger

As a restaurant that specializes in burgers, Foster Burger has several delicious burger options. Besides classic hamburger options, Foster burger also has some slightly more adventurous options. People who love spice will love "The Burner," a burger featuring Sriracha and roasted jalapenos. Another one of the tastiest options is also a somewhat less traditional one, "The Kiwi" - a lamb burger with an egg, picked beet, lettuce, onion, pickles and mayo. These burgers aren’t particularly fancy or glamorous, but they are all delicious.

Price: $4-$9
Hours: Open daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Little Big Burger

As the name suggests, the burgers at Little Big Burger are smaller than most. However, the ¼ pound patty is probably a more appropriate portion size than most restaurants’ gigantic patties. They’re also inexpensive enough so you can buy two if you’re absolutely starving. Made with cascade natural beef, local cheeses, local brioche buns and organic veggies, these are burgers you can feel good about eating. The restaurant also has delicious veggie burgers outsourced to a local chef. Other dishes include fries and floats.

Price: $3.25 - $3.75
Hours: All locations open at 11 a.m. daily. The Pearl District location closes at 10 p.m. and the others close at 9 p.m.

Dick’s Kitchen

Dick’s Kitchen features burgers made from Oregon-raised organic beef in an updated diner environment. The high-quality beef tastes leaner than most burger patties, and the cooks don’t over-salt or over-season their items. This restaurant also has several non-beef burgers, including a turkey burger, a tempeh burger, a vegan Portobello burger, a salmon burger and a lean buffalo burger. Dick’s Kitchen is the best go-to burger restaurant if you want a classic diner feel and menu without the classic diner grease. They also serve sausages, high-quality hot dogs, sandwiches and salads.

Price: $6.75-$8.75
Hours: Open Daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Northwest location stays open until midnight on Saturday and Sunday

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