Okay shoot. The first last thing is unpacking. But the SECOND last thing you want to do after a three day backpacking trip is cook. Yet, you’re so hungry and unbelievably sick of canned beans and freshly caught fish (Okay, we’d never get sick of the latter) that Hoovering a gang of high calorie, hot food is sort of the only thing you can think of.
Just like a fat kid and cake (Except for THIS fat kid. Yay Nike. Yay the Olympics).
Luckily in this great land of America and this even greater planet that is Portland (According to my folks anyway), we’re just a hop, skip or jump away from half a bajillion delicious restaurants. For Jason and myself, we’re fortunate enough to have the 50th and Ivon food cart pod right by our apartment.
Freshly showered, de-grimed and only slightly smelling like fish guts, we walked over in the glorious Sunday warmth to Off The Griddle. Off The Griddle, or OTG, is a pretty cool cart. You see, true to the Portland way of sustainable, healthy living, OTG is run on solar energy, thanks to the panels adorning the top of the bright blue cart. And that healthy living factor comes in with the fact that they serve only vegetarian or vegan burgers. (That said, you can still order french fries!)
From their Facebook page, OTG is a “sustainable SE Portland food cart service up fresh, homemade, vegan and vegetarian burgers using only natural and organic ingredients. Also look for seasonal soup, salads and wraps. The car is 100% powered by renewable energy; with some harvested through solar panels on the roof and the remainder purchased from Portland General Electric. We live and breathe Reduce-Reuse-Recycle, working diligently to reduce our carbon footprint and yours!”
Welcome to Portlandia, friends.
Here’s what we dived into:
Amie: “Vegan Bacon Cheeseburger: Vegan cheddar and house cured vegan bacon slathered with grilled onions, lettuce, tomato and vegan mayo. $7.50”
Jason: “O.T.G. Cheeseburger: Made from scratch Off The Griddle burger, made from leeks, rice, mushrooms and wild and brown rice, topped with melted Tillamook cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and vegan mayo. Served on a Dave’s Killer Bread bun. $6.00”
So how was the natural and nutritious non-beef burger?
Let’s break it down! (Or watch us do it here!)
Bun Quality: Jason (1), Amie (1)
We consistently waffle between Dave’s Killer Bread and Grand Central Bakery for our at-home sammies. As we’re currently in a Dave’s fix, OTG’s choice of bun couldn’t have been better: Dave’s Killer Bread Blues Bun, a 100% whole grain 4.5 inch bun of natural organic deliciousness. It wasn’t grilled but we’re not sure how much better it would be if it was grilled. It wouldn’t have held any better either way, basically because it held up to all the delicious accoutrements and add ons.
Meat Quality: Jason (1), Amie (1)
Obviously we didn’t eat meat here but we can easily rate the quality of the veggie burger. It was, simply put, freaking fantastic. Unlike those highly processed, ⅛” thick Boca or Gardenburger patties vegetarians have been forced to live with, OTG’s burgers are handmade with lots of whole grain love and deliciousness. Seriously, we enjoyed the hell out of it.
Made to Order: Jason (.5), Amie (1)
While we can’t really judge on the ‘doneness’ of the meat like we normally do, we still ordered each burger with specific nuances to appease our likes (And mainly dislikes). Mine was perfect! Jason’s unfortunately, didn’t come with the housemade pickles he ordered, even though we paid the $.50 for them. The worst part? Those pickles were really, REALLY good and I had to be the nice wife and share mine. Siiiiiigh.
Sauces: Jason (1) Amie (1)
Mmmm. Homemade vegan aioli. I felt...so healthy. So...ALIVE! And the spicy tofu sauce served with the ketchup was just like, a tango of vegetarian delight in the mouth. My mouth was still spicy and a bit on fire 15 minutes after digging in. Sauces hit a soft spot with me because that’s where you really get to experience REAL food, not processed sugar and corn.
Quality of Accoutrements: Jason (1), Amie (.75)
Oh Daiya cheese. I love you. Utterly love you. For those of you like Jason, you’re fortunate enough to indulge in real, dairy cheese without fear of irritable bowel bombardments (usually accompanied by projectile puking). I however, am not as lucky as my beloved. After trying cheese alternative after cheese alternative, only to be disgusted, disappointed and often times both, I gave up hope for a viable substitution. Until...ooooooh until I came to Off The Griddle and got Daiya cheddar ‘cheese.’ OTG? Try OMG!! They serve up the BEST alternative to Tillamook’s empire. And I am so grateful for that. That said...the tempeh bacon on my burger didn’t carry the same wow factor. Most of our friends and family understand our obsession with bacon (Hello! We gave bacon molasses cookies as favors at our wedding!), so perhaps it’s my biased love for the porky beast that thwarts my ability to appreciate tempeh bacon. Or it’s simply the fact that I don’t like tempeh. It’s grainy and falls apart, kind of like Skittles.
However, as for everything, I ATE MY WHOLE TOMATO! I couldn’t help it. And I wanted to eat Jason’s, too. It was exactly what a tomato should taste like; slightly firm yet bursting with juicy, sunshiney flavor. In addition, the lettuce was fresh and those caramelized onions were so good!
Add On Options: Jason (1), Amie (1)
You know when you go to a sushi joint and the avocado on your California roll is always absolutely one hundred percent freakishly PERFECT? OTG’s avocados boast the same reputation of being creamy, green and buttery. Then there are the pickles Jason missed out on. Sweet and tart with the most satisfying crunch, making you as happy as you are when you enjoy the crunch of your first Cheeto.
What It Comes With: Jason (0), Amie (0)
Like most carts, OTG doesn’t offer ‘freebie’ add on options. However, for just two bones you can add on fries. That’s a good deal, considering you can share one order between two people AND because, sans burgers, those fries are $4. Seriously, the two bucks are totally worth it. Their fries are spicy, salty, crisp and come with three different sauces.
Meat Flavor: Jason (1), Amie (1)It’s like risotto in a burger, without the cheese. Basically, it’s amazing.
Presentation: Jason (1), Amie (1)
Gorgeous. Nothing to put on. Plus it looks so fresh and awesome that it’s hard to grade down.
Hit the Spot Factor: Jason (1), Amie (1)
The only reason this even got this high of a mark is because we were hun-ga-ray. It was past 10 pm and we had been through a long day of hanging out, day drinking and playing with our kitties. It was rough, obviously. It’s a good burger to get your teeth into but I’m not sure if it is for the price. Maybe opt for the little burger they offer instead and you’ll feel a bit happier about the cost/quality comparison.
Bonus Pickle? Zero.
Goddamn bonus pickle!
Total Score: 8.625
Recommendation:
Well done Off The Griddle. Thank you for being sustainably responsible and delicious at the same time. You’re seriously an inspiration in what Portland cuisine, especially cart cuisine, can be. Also, thank you for being just a few blocks away from our abode. We’ll be back soon! Why? Because it’s a gut bomb meal without being a gut bomb. It’s filling without clogging our arteries. And it’s just so damn good. For our readers EVER EVER EVER in the area, hit this place up...even if you’re jonesing for beef.
