not just a name!. crave grille is a most appropriate appelation for this great little restaurant in downtown portland. while it was pretty slow when we went i'm sure they do a mean business at lunch time!
this place employs a newer business model and that is the "fast casual" business model where you order at a counter, but then your food is lovingly prepared by their kitchen staff then one of their friendly front of the house people brings it to you.
they specialize in burgers, sandwiches, salads, a couple sides, and coffee. i can't vouch for everything, but what i had was most delicious and has me not only glad that i discovered this place, but has me wanting to return and certainly "craving" their food.
i had their "bacon bacon burger" which normally comes with regular bacon, canadian bacon, onion rings, and bbq sauce all lovingly placed between two pieces of extremely soft and fresh brioche that they get from a local bakery. now this sounds fantastic right? i'm sure it is, but i went ahead and kicked up the flavor a little bit by adding a slice of swiss cheese. now what i love about their cooking staff is that they just don't add the cheese sort of as an afterthought, but another important component to the burger and melt the cheese slightly to the burger. when ordering i forgot to tell them how i'd like my burger to be prepared (mid rare,) but they went ahead and prepared it that way anyways leaving the burger that was already well seasoned and flavorful to remain hot and juicy as well. i was in heaven.
the website says that theirburgersnormally come with either their homemade chips or fries, but i'm not sure because even though the gal at the register asked me which i'd like my mother ordered some sweet potato fries (the crisscut kind,) so i figured i'd just share with her which i did and even though they command kind of a high price the portion size proves large enough for two people with normal appetities. these fries also proved to be extremely delectable. they were hot and crispy on the outside with a nice seasoning and hot and moist on the inside just the way they should be.
decor is simplistic and modern at the same time with most seating being in the rear of the store.
parking is on the street, so don't forget to pay that meter!
i simply cannot wait to sate my "craving" for crave grill!