According to a recent article from Everout, MidCity SmashedBurger will soon open an outpost in Southeast Portland at 3423 SE Belmont.
“We will be opening shortly. Customers can expect the same Smashy Bois, Deluxie Bois and Nuggs they’ve come to know and love, but we will add more options such as beer, wine, cider, and seltzers, as well as introduce late-night hours,” co-owner Jeremy Duncan told What Now Portland.
“We were looking to relocate from the Cartside food pods and wanted to get back to our roots in SE Portland. The owner of the new location reached out to us and we decided to pull the trigger. Expect to see more locations hopefully this year in addition to a mobile food truck and catering options!”
MidCity’s website describes its background as, “Mike Aldridge is the founder of MidCity SmashBurger, a nostalgic food cart elevating the classic burger to new heights. What began as a pop-up, the food cart’s meteoric rise has helped to put the classic smash burger on the map.”
“Since opening amidst the pandemic, MidCity SmashBurger has achieved great critical acclaim in publications including The Oregonian and Portland Monthly, sold thousands of burgers, and helped to put smash burgers back on the map. Prepared with 80/20 Oregon beef, the classic Smashy Boi is smashed flat beneath a cast-iron press, resulting in thin and crispy patties. The burgers are covered in American cheese, and Smash Sauce, and served up on Franz Bakery buns, for an accessible for all $6 price tag.”
According to an article from Portland Monthly written in 2021, “What exactly is a smash burger? The chef is asked this question several times a day, and for him, the definition goes back to simplicity. “It’s a simple greasy spoon–style burger that I grew up eating in North Dakota,” Aldridge says. “It’s easy to eat, not a crazy mess.” But diving into specifics reveals a careful balance of elements.”
“This burger fuses two thin beef patties of 80/20 Oregon beef, smashed flat (hence the name) beneath a cast-iron press (check out the Instagram video above to watch Aldridge’s smash in action), resulting in super thin, crunchy-crispy patties.”
“They’re then covered in American cheese slices—“as cheap as possible”—and slathered in the chef’s own smash sauce, a sort of saucified version of every desirable burger condiment including ketchup, mayo, pickles, onions, and spices. Set this all between two fluffy Franz buns, serve it up for the neighborhood-friendly price of $5, and you’ve got a Mid-City Smash Burger.”
“The cart also serves maximally crispy crinkle-cut fries (available plain or doused in cheese and smash sauce), but the burger is the star. Aldridge’s smash burger is both immediately simple yet deceptively complex, a miniature universe of interlocking textures and flavors: sweet, salty, crunchy, crispy, yieldingly soft yet bracingly tart, at once comfortingly sweet and primally savory,” the article adds.
Edit: Updated information was added and/or removed by request after the initial publication of the article.
