tilt

my wife and i had a couple of noteworthy restaurant visits during our quick trip to portland. the first comes from tilt, a small local chain featuring handcrafted food with an emphasis on burgers and sandwiches. we visited with some friends who highly recommended this for our first meal of the trip.

we have been dying to go to tilt and have stalked it here for a long time. we finally made it down there and it did not disappoint. we sat ay the bar, and the waitress helped us order. otherwise, you stand in a line, get a buzzer, find a table, then get your food when you are buzzed. we enjoyed burger, beers, and breakfast sandwiches! we also got a slice of key lime pie to finish it off. we went on a friday and there was a dj playing 90's hip hop and stole my heart. he was using vinyl records. look, this is a big deal. i come from florida, and have been a dj; everything is digital. this was really cool to see turntables! i had a great time and recommend tilt.

the burgers were giant, filling, and loaded with toppings. the groundhog burger was great and i hope to go back and try a couple of the others. the regular sized fries is plenty for 2-3 and are absolutely fantastic- especially with the homemade ranch. the building is very dimly light and industrial looking. overall it was a great place to eat- just with a strange environment.

wait in line for a fan favorite burger or breakfast sandwich with and brews. there is no table service here. there are a few tables for outdoor seating and also a side of the place that has a full bar and even an occasional in house dj playing tunes in the background while you pig out. rumor has it they have a bottomless mimosa during brunch on the weekend.

this is not a place i will return.  the food took a very long time to arrive, over 30 minutes for lunch.  then all the individuals at the table became violently ill with 24 hours.  does the manager have a food servers permit?  management will not accept or return phone calls.  i don't live in town.

it would be hard to find a better burger in portland. but if you take advantage of the all day breakfast menu, beware that the biscuit sandwiches are super dry and though it's in the menu, friend prime rib is no longer served. but seriously....the burgers.

with an industrial feel tilt provides a laid back, casual dining experience. you order your food at the main counter upon arrival and staff provides you with a buzzer for when your food is ready for pick up. the staff has a casual indifference that makes you feel like they are doing you a favor by serving you. staff does not check on you once seated so you are on your own for anything you might need such as water, silverware, condiments, etc. my friend and i both ordered the breakfast sandwich which came in a biscuit. the biscuit was huge, flaky and buttery. the bacon on our sandwiches was plenty and the egg was cooked to perfection. overall, it was a great dining experience minus the lackluster service.

nice industrial themed place to meet and down a few brews and get some fine burgers. not a place to sit, chat and hangout all afternoon, since the seating isn't long term comfy. we had the woody royale and the groundhog. both filling and tasty, and they have a decent beer selection. hard to go wrong here.

line was long, expectedly,after waiting 45 min to order i expected great food. ordered the bacon tots and freebird.the first freebird was so dry with the cheese looking like it was nuked i brought it up and asked for another one. 5 min later they brought me a fresh one. still dry, so i'm gonna go ahead and not recommend the chicken. the tots were cold right when we got em. good flavor, but better served fresh and hot. drinks took way too long to make. overall everything was over priced and just off enough to make me not want to try it again.

great onion rings. family friendly which can be a good thing or a bad thing. they have some different tasting craft cocktails that are pretty fun.

the food is really good. super greasy hits the spot after some drinks. the problem is they charge a lot with skimpy portions.

the koolakofsky embodies the irreverence and just plain old fun that is tilt.  if you haven't had a chance to visit these guys, you should. great food, great beer and pie! even with a behemoth sandwich/burger like this, the small thing matter and contribute to overall succes of the sandwich.  i'm happy to report that tilt has it all down! the pastrami was tender and smokey.  the kraut was sour and tangy. the russian dressing had a nice little zip to it. if the reuben portion of the koolakofsky were slid between two slices of grilled rye bread it would make one really terrific reuben,  but we're only half way there.  the buns at tilt are really good. they're soft, pliable and, yet, somehow do a reasonable job of holding a huge sandwich like this together. it was toasted and you know that i'm a stickler for that. the burger patty was well cooked - tender, juicy and had good crust development. atop the burger was a slice of swiss cheese nicely melted. there really wasn't a flaw in the koolakofsky.  it was executed very well.  it killed me, though.  it's a huge amount of food!  this might be one that you want to split with a friend and forget  about the fries!  but that's the way that they roll at tilt really good food, giant portions. they're a great addition to the pearl district! see last week's sandwich here .

in case you didn’t pick it up from the description… tilt is the epitome of made-from-scratch recipes. biscuits, burgers, sandwiches, and salads trump their menu, and can be ordered from the counter or in the bar. it’s a “seat yourself” and “take a number” kind of place, so its a good idea to send someone from your party to keep a table for you and your friends. the wait to order moves pretty quickly, but the food takes anywhere from 10-30 minutes to arrive, sending us straight to the bar, forks in hand.

best burger i've ever had!! the bacon tots, house fries, and tilt sauce are good too.

wonderful! great price for a huge burger. impressive concept and neat atmosphere. will be back for sure.