Screen Door to Burger Heaven

Venue: Screen Door

Location: 2337 E. Burnside St., Portland, OR

Score: 9.4
Price Range: $$$$$

Tom: One may easily find the Screen Door restaurant, located in NE Portland, by the colorful line of hungry patrons willing to stand for over an hour in the cold and wet that makes up the majority of Oregon weather, to briefly partake in the savory-sweet celebration of southern cuisine.  The Screen Door serves local and organic produce and meats everyday which is an added bit of environmental, and fiscally intelligent, flavor that tips this burger into the ranks of legend. The Screen Door’s menu is “a survey of the south, from South Carolina Low-country cuisine to soul food and Cajun one-pot cookery to the refined Creole and French preparations found in New Orleans.”  But, I was here for one item… the burger.  Some may rate it as too big, at a whopping 8” tall, and others too greasy—thank you pimiento cheese (Holy $#!† it’s good!)  But for me, the failing was the inability to capture this majesty on film.  The patty was a 10 oz. cut of Cascade Natural ground sirloin cooked to mid-rare, fresh butter lettuce, onion, a touch of mayo and a homemade pickle with the option of adding bacon, fried egg, crispy fried onions, and pimiento cheese… of which I added all culminating in a perfect blend of squish and crunch!  The two standouts to this burger were the crispy fried onions that had a wonderful pepper seasoning that helped cut the richness of the burger and the pimiento cheese (3^rd time I have mentioned this!).  For those of you readers who have never experienced pimiento cheese, I strongly recommend calling all of your local diners and dives looking for it.  This staple from the South is a blend of sharp cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, pimientos, salt, and pepper.  But chefs will typically put their spin on it, adding a variety of delicious ingredients such as cream cheese, Louisiana-style hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, paprika, jalapeños, onions, garlic, or dill pickles all blended into a mouth-watering chunky golden paste.  If you find yourself in the NE Burnside neighborhood of Portland, make sure to plan a few extra hours for a delectable trip to scrumptious paradise.