MidCity SmashBurger

Last updated
MidCity SmashBurger
MidCity SmashBurger logo.png
Restaurant information
Established2020 (2020)
Owner(s)Cascadia Hospitality
Previous owner(s)Mike Aldridge
Manager(s)Zach Sharp
Rating4.7
StateOregon
CountryUnited States
Website midcitysmashedburger.com

MidCity SmashBurger is a small chain of burger restaurants based in Portland, Oregon. Mike Aldridge started the business as a pop-up restaurant in New Orleans in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, before relocating to Portland and re-launching the business as a food cart in early 2021.

Contents

There are five MidCity locations, as of 2024, including four in Portland and another in Bend. The business has garnered a positive reception and has been praised for having some of the best burgers in Portland, the U.S., and the world.

Description

MidCity SmashBurger is a small chain of restaurants in the U.S. state of Oregon, operating in Portland and Bend. In addition to burgers (with a vegan option), [1] the menu has included a fish sandwich, [2] chicken nuggets, [3] French fries and milkshakes. [4]

History

Chef and owner Mike Aldridge started MidCity as a pop-up restaurant, selling burgers from his porch in New Orleans, during the COVID-19 pandemic. [5] [6] He moved to Portland and re-opened MidCity SmashBurger in January 2021, [7] operating a food truck on Stark Street at the intersection of 11th in Southeast Portland's Buckman neighborhood. [2] [8] Approximately 1,000 burgers were sold in the first eight days, and the business quickly built a social media following. [4] Averaging 300 burgers per day, [7] MidCity had sold tens of thousands of burgers by September 2021. [9]

In 2021, Brooke Jackson-Glidden of Eater Portland reported that Aldridge hoped to open a brick and mortar location on Lombard Street in north Portland's St. Johns neighborhood, in a space that previously housed a Bernstein's Bagels shop. [10] Eric Nelson of Eem and Langbaan would collaborate with Aldridge to create a new menu with burgers, hot dogs, and margaritas. [11] [12] The St. Johns location did not come to fruition. [13] Instead, Aldridge opened a second food cart at a pod on North Williams Avenue, near the Moda Center. [14]

In 2022, MidCity expanded outside Portland. Aldridge opened a food cart next to the Boneyard Beer taproom on Northwest Lake Place in Bend. [15] [16] [17] The Lil' America food cart pod moved into the space previously occupied by MidCity's original food cart. [18] Aldridge declined the nearby space that was offered, instead relocating the cart to the Level Brewing taproom on Sandy Boulevard in northeast Portland. [19]

One of the Portland locations features an illustration of a cheeseburger and pointing finger guns by local artist Mike Bennett. [20] The cartoon burger, named Smashy, [21] has become MidCity's mascot. [22]

There are four MidCity locations, as of late 2022. [23] In March 2024, the business announced plans to relocate the Belmont location. [24] The cart opened at Ship Ahoy Tavern, in Southeast Portland's Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood, on March 27. [25]

Reception

In 2021, Michael Russell of The Oregonian said MidCity had Portland's best smash burger. [26] He also included the business in an overview of the city's best new food carts. [9] Karen Brooks and Katherine Chew Hamilton included MidCity in a similar list published by Portland Monthly . [27] Alex Frane included the business in Thrillist's late 2021 overview of "where to eat in Portland right now". [28]

In 2023, Eater Portland's Katrina Yentch included MidCity in an overview of twenty "knockout spots for affordable dining" in the city, [3] and Ron Scott included the restaurant in a list of twenty "mind-blowing burgers in Portland and beyond". [29] Jashayla Pettigrew included the restaurant in KOIN's list of the seven best smash burgers in the Portland metropolitan area, based on Yelp reviews. [30]

MidCity has been recognized for having some of the best burgers in the U.S., [31] and the world. [23]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Wu, Waz (2023-03-16). "Meet Portland's Glittery, '90s-Themed Vegan Smash Burger and Wings Pop-Up". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-06-24. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  2. 1 2 "These Four Portland Eateries Finally Give Fish Sandwiches the Spotlight". Willamette Week. 2021-09-22. Archived from the original on 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  3. 1 2 Yentch, Katrina (2015-07-17). "20 Knockout Spots for Affordable Dining in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-03-05. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  4. 1 2 "Mid-City Smash Burger Is Portland's New Orleans–Born Burger Cart". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-06-01. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  5. ↑ Russell, Michael (2021-03-16). "Smash burgers, everywhere: 2 new Portland carts make 2 of our favorites: Takeout Diaries". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2023-02-06. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  6. ↑ "The New Orleans economy is bad now. Come August, things could get much worse". NOLA.com. 2020-06-13. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  7. 1 2 "Are $5 Cheeseburgers Gone for Good?". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  8. ↑ "Portland Smash Burgers - oregonlive.com". The Oregonian . Archived from the original on 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  9. 1 2 Russell, Michael (2021-09-22). "Portland's best new food carts of 2021". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-01-12. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  10. ↑ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2021-08-13). "Portland's Destination Thai Restaurant, Langbaan, Is Moving to Northwest Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  11. ↑ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2021-09-14). "The Most Anticipated Portland Restaurant Openings, Fall and Winter 2021". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-10-11. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  12. ↑ Russell, Michael (2021-08-12). "MidCity SmashBurger is expanding with new North Portland restaurant and bar". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
  13. ↑ Russell, Michael (2021-11-07). "12 new Portland restaurants we can't wait to try this fall". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  14. ↑ Frane, Alex (2021-11-12). "Loyal Legion's New Tap Room Opens in Beaverton Tomorrow". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  15. ↑ Russell, Michael (2022-06-03). "MidCity SmashBurger expands with new Bend cart next to original Boneyard Beer taproom". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  16. ↑ Wong, Janey (2022-06-10). "Buzzy Food Cart Mid City Smash Burger Expands to Bend". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-01-31. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  17. ↑ Vulcan, Nicole. "From Portland to Bend, Smash Burger Location Opens". The Source Weekly - Bend. Archived from the original on 2023-03-28. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  18. ↑ "New, BIPOC and LGBTQIA+-Focused Food Cart Pod to Open in Southeast Portland". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-04-25. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  19. ↑ Russell, Michael (2023-04-01). "Meet Lil' America, Portland's new BIPOC/LGBTQ-focused food cart pod". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2023-09-08. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  20. ↑ Wong, Janey (2022-10-18). "Portland Artist Mike Bennett Opens Fantastical Cafe Wonderwood Springs". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  21. ↑ "Smash Burgers Are on Trend in Portland, and Two of the Best Can Be Found Just Blocks From Each Other On Southeast Stark". Willamette Week. 2021-05-05. Archived from the original on 2023-02-20. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  22. ↑ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2023-08-30). "Artist Mike Bennett's Guide to Dining in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  23. 1 2 "FOLLOW THE BEEF: The top 20 best burgers in the world have been revealed". The Irish Post. Archived from the original on 2023-01-30. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  24. ↑ Wong, Janey (2021-01-20). "Portland's Restaurant, Bar, and Food Cart Closures". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
  25. ↑ Wong, Janey (2021-01-20). "Portland's Restaurant, Bar, and Food Cart Closures". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  26. ↑ Russell, Michael (2021-03-30). "Portland's 13 best smash burgers, reviewed and ranked". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-06-09. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  27. ↑ "Portland's 9 Greatest New Food Carts of 2021". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-12-16. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  28. ↑ Frane, Alex (2020-09-11). "Where to Eat in Portland Right Now". Thrillist . Archived from the original on 2023-04-07. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  29. ↑ Scott, Ron (2017-05-09). "20 Mind-Blowing Burgers in Portland and Beyond". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-10-11. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  30. ↑ "Where to find the Portland's best smash burgers". KOIN.com. 2023-08-25. Archived from the original on 2023-08-31. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
  31. ↑ "The No. 4 best burger in America is in Portland". The Oregonian. 2023-10-09. Archived from the original on 2023-10-10. Retrieved 2023-10-11.
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