Iron Strike Smash Burgers — Restaurant in Portland

First things first. I came across this open air food cart while changing buses. I had 20 minutes. I ordered the Iron double strike bacon cheeseburger, no pickles, no onions, add bbq sauce, with chopped bacon smashed into the patty. Cost around $15.83. He said it would be about 10 minutes and handed me a pager device. At the time there were around three orders ahead of me. I saw the slips. I asked for the code to bathroom. The code did not work. His explanation "they are always changing it". It seems to me they should have the current code. What if the employee has to go? There is a tent covered seating area, and they had heaters. However, on a rainy 45° night, they were only marginally effective. 25 minutes later the burger was STILL not ready. The employee simply stated they "had a lot of orders." The slips were up to 8 or 10 in que, which meant he had prioritized later orders ahead of my own. I had now missed two buses. I watched as he poured shake after shake, after shake. Not once returning to the grill. I guess their shakes are really good. I did not order one. I talked to a couple who were drinking one while I was waiting, they commented that the shake was "amazing". FINALLY, my burger came up. The employee apologized for the wait. I grabbed it and headed across the street to the bus stop. I had another 13 minute wait until the next bus, so I decided to eat my burger. When I opened up the container what I found were two charcoal briquettes, with cheese on top. Completely blackened and hard. Only the bacon on top was unburnt. And, unless the bacon dissolves into the patty, there was no bacon in the patties. Since I had already missed now, three busses, I did not have time to take it back to the cart, and I definitely did not have time to wait another 30 minutes for them to remake it. One $16 lesson NOT to order from there again. Perhaps if they are not as busy, the outcome would have been different. So if you are planning to order at around 6 pm on a Sunday night, you might be wise to try a different cart. Keep in mind though, only about half the carts are open on a Sunday night...

I’m calling it now, Iron Strike Smash Burgers is going to win some type of award in the future with how good they are. Haha. Their burgers are made fresh and juicy. Best smash burger I’ve ever had. They’re located in midtown beer garden. There’s a bunch of food carts there and it’s a cool spot to check out. It’s pet friendly too.

I got their pastrami Thor smash box combo. The bun was, I believe brioche, and it was so tasteful and soft. Perfect combination with the 1/3 pound patties. The pastrami was also juicy. I forgot to mention, I got the double too. It all blended amazing together it didn’t make the bun soggy either so that’s another plus. My fries were nothing special, they were fresh and delicious, but nothing to brag about.

My girl got the north western smash box with the garlic parm fries. Which is their bbq sauces burger with an onion ring on it. The sauce was sweet and mixed well with the saltiness of the burger/onion ring. It was on a soft bun too. She loved it and the only thing she would change would be to add some P.B. to it. Her fries were the best and I wish I would’ve gotten garlic parm on mine. Haha.

They have plenty of options too. You can build your own burger and get a bunch of patties if you’d like. They also have yummy sweet treats. We got a frozen cherry lemonade to share and it was refreshing especially given the weather.

We went on a Saturday night around 8pm and they close at 10pm. It was BUSY AF! We ended up waiting about 45 mins from beginning to end so be prepared. We’ll def be back.

Parking is street parking and pay for parking. We didn’t have to pay bc it...

In the eclectic urban sprawl of Portland, Oregon, there lurks a culinary renegade known as the Ironstrike Smash Burger Food Cart. Here, they've taken the audacious step of reimagining the humble burger, and the result is the North Western Burger – a dish that thumbs its nose at convention with a rebellious smirk.Picture a patty that's been smashed with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for smashing atoms or guitar solos. It’s crispy around the edges, yet miraculously juicy in the middle, nestled between a brioche bun that's softer than your favorite pillow and yet surprisingly sturdy. This bun isn't just a bread; it's an architectural marvel.Then there's the special sauce, a concoction so secretive and mysterious it could be the subject of its own conspiracy theory. It's not just a sauce; it's a velvet drape of flavor, cloaking the burger in mystery and intrigue.The North Western Burger is not just a meal; it's an act of culinary defiance. Eating one is like joining an exclusive club of flavor anarchists who scoff at the mundane. It’s a burger that doesn’t just sit in your stomach; it throws a party there.In summary, the Ironstrike Smash Burger is a bold statement in Portland's food scene. It's a gastronomic rebel yell, a delicious snub to the ordinary. If you're craving a burger experience that's as brash and snarky as a comment about the meaninglessness of life, this is where...