For the third year running, Burger Week brings you limited edition, $5 burgers from your favorite Portland bars and restaurants, for one week only! This year the promotion will run Aug 10-16, giving you just one week to try as many burgers as you can from over 30 participating establishments! To get you prepared, we'll be previewing each Burger Week burger over the next couple weeks so that you can prioritize your game plan.

THE VENUE: North Light

THE BURGER: Smokey Joe

THE MOUTHWATERING DETAILS: Burgers are naturally mouthwatering, but before you sink your teeth in, appreciate that Smokey Joe looks like a work of art or possibly the flag of a country I’d want to emigrate to. The lightly toasted Grand Central bun frames the creation with a thick, visible layer of smoked onion cream cheese, then the char-brown Painted Hills patty, with a vibrant mixture—and crunchy texture—of house pickled slaw featuring brilliant orange carrots and yellowed cabbage, with some more of that creamy mix that replicates French onion dip. To clarify, the cream cheese is blended with smoked onions rather than onions in smoked cream cheese, but it deserves to be the new standard for cheeseburgers.

Once again, the Portland Mercury would like to thank our generous partners, world-class meat provider Nicky USA, Widmer Brothers Brewing, and Jim Beam!

Important reminder: THESE BURGERS WILL SELL OUT. Last year’s restaurants had one main issue with the event last year, and that was people getting angry and rude when they found out that they are part of a reality where restaurants that are getting slammed run out of food. We have better forecasting numbers this year, but please: go early, be kind, get a drink, and, most importantly, remember that a $5 burger is a privilege, not a right. Don’t ruin it for everyone! Please be kind and respectful, exercise the golden rule, and treat our restaurants the way you want to be treated (unless you’re a masochist).