World's Greatest

Venue: Stanich's

Location: 4915 Northeast Fremont St., Portland, OR

Burger: The Special

Average Score: 8.8
Price Range: $$$$$

Tom: Let me preface this review by disclosing that I did, and always will, approach this burger with a HUGE bias.  Stanich’s has long been one of, if not my absolute favorite burgers… in the world.  For your dollar, I do not believe you can find a better deal anywhere; but, I will always accept challenges thrown down by fellow reviewers.  From the grease stained pendants of nearly every college and sports team known to humanity covering the walls to the ancient and wizened burger yielding staff, Stanich’s proudly totes the old-timey neighborhood bar/diner feel that makes me all warm and fuzzy when I walk in the doors.  To combat my obvious “10/10 burger” rating of their magnificent creation, I decided it was prudent to employ four other burger judges to broaden taste palates for a more accurate analysis.  Five burgers display on the menu, but I highly recommend their flagship burger, the humbly titled “World’s Greatest” or “Special.” The special comes with a fresh ground chuck patty, American cheese, crispy white onions, shredded iceberg lettuce, tomato, ham, bacon, and a fried egg deliciously stacked on a toasted sesame seed bun.  The true brilliance of this burger, besides the perfect blend of flavors that will set your head spinning, is the condiment mix.  There must be some special seasoning or ingredient because I have never sampled a ketchup/relish/mayo blend that tastes so good.  Many times I have kept a covert eye on the open grill to see if there is some undisclosed bucket or a blank seasoning shaker that quickly makes an appearance to dash out bit of burger bliss before scuttling back to the secret recesses of the kitchen.  But alas, I have not uncovered any secret truths and must accept that they have mastered the blend of otherwise common ingredients.  If there had to be a flaw with this experience, it was in the inconsistency of the fries.  They’re cut fresh daily, but it is a complete roll of the dice whether you will get a batch of perfectly browned and tender fries or an under cooked mass of floppy potatoes that I inevitably eat while grumbling under my breath.  In the end there are few burger places that elicit an instant desire to continue eating and completely ignore the rest of my day though my stomach is pleading with me to stop.  Stanich’s IS one of those places!