MidCity SmashBurger serves the best smash burger in Portland, and it's only $5.Michael Russell | The Oregonian
From the moment he arrived back in Portland, Mike Aldridge had expansion on the mind, dreaming of bringing his popular MidCity SmashBurger cart to “Beaverton, Eugene, Sandy and Bend” — the closer to the mountains, the better.
Starting this month, that vision will start to become a reality, when MidCity opens a new cart next to the Boneyard Beer taproom at 37 N.W. Lake Place in Bend, its first outside of Portland.
“One of my really good friends owns Boneyard CBD elixir, he got me in touch with those guys,” Aldridge said. “It’s a great chance to have a change of scenery and spread the good word of the smash burger.”
After starting life as a burger pop-up on the porch of Aldridge’s New Orleans home, MidCity moved across the country and reopened as a food cart parked at 1015 S.E. Stark St., with Aldridge often spotted standing out front advertising his $5 cheeseburgers with a cardboard sign. The cart’s signature “Smashy Boi” cheeseburger features a Painted Hills beef blend smashed flat with a cast-iron press, coated in American cheese and house sauce on a griddled Franz Bakery bun. The cart also serves milkshakes and crinkle-cut fries.
In 2021, MidCity was named Portland’s best smash burger after an exhaustive search. Later that year, Aldridge opened a second Portland cart inside the Cartside pod at 1825 N. Williams Ave.
MidCity’s arrival marks the beginning of an outdoor expansion for Boneyard’s original taproom, which opened in a former auto shop near Oregon 97 in 2010. The brewery, which was bought by Deschutes last year, also operates a full-service pub at 1955 N.E. Division St. in Bend.
MidCity Smashburger’s Bend location will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday starting June 22, with a grand opening celebration planned for June 25.
— Michael Russell, mrussell@oregonian.com @tdmrussell
Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.
Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 5/1/2021).
© 2022 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local.
Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site.