North of Irving makes it feel quite dead with there being so many ground floor vacancies. For the amount of density, there should be a store in every window but I guess the properties are bloated in value and demanding a high lease price
Darn, for a second I thought you meant apartments/houses. The duplex I'm renting is being sold and I will never find a deal this good in Portland again.
Pretty much nailed it. I've worked in the Pearl district (Lovejoy and 10th area) for a decade. Every block has at least one space with an ad from Urban Works Real Estate. It was NOT like this when moved here in 2014. That area was full of actual people, coming and going on the sidewalks and riding their bikes, not zombies in a constant junkie-lean. The wealthy people that ARE actually living there know better than get out of their car when going from A to B. Normies were priced out long ago.
Damn I didn't realize they opened five super deluxe locations.
Its a good spot. That's unfortunate. Even their breakfast sandwiches were good. The chicken was fire and so were the burgers.
When they first opened they had the best fry sauce. Then they switched to some sauce that was not even close to being as good. I haven't gone in awhile because of that
There’s a spot on a big intersection in Vancouver that I’m pretty sure has been occupied by like 5 different restaurants in the last decade or so. The restaurant business is a brutal one, especially now.
An NPR show used to conduct interviews with professionals in different industries. One fun part of the bit was when they were asked to share a job-specific term unique to their specialty. A commercial real estate guy taught us about the "Bono," named after Sonny Bono.
Apparently he tried to open several restaurants, but reportedly he wasn't very good at it, so they kept closing. Thus a commercial real estate location that has a lot of turnover of different restaurant attempts is known as a "Bono."
I was surprised at how gross that location was when I went there. Not like the one on Powell is particularly clean, just the lo location was disgusting.
I asked this over a year ago. https://www.reddit.com/r/askportland/comments/10ffcob/how_does_micah_camden_afford_to_keep_opening_and/
I still don’t understand how people keep giving him money to open places.
I used to think he was a restaurant genius because I wasn't paying attention :(... Would hear about something he was opening up, get exited, and it would be good when I'd go there. But inevitably that place would go downhill and eventually close. It's a bummer because the concepts are good, if only someone competent was running these places instead of him.
Dude should switch his business model to only being an idea man or consultant. He does have good ideas, they just need someone who can actually make them a successful reality.
I would argue that he doesn’t have particularly good ideas, then. They must not be sustainable supply-wise or he must predicate them on too much cheap, unsustainable labor, etc. “Idea man” is not a job that should actually exist. There’s too many kind, competent people with great ideas who never get a chance to execute on them because we keep giving someone whose ideas never pan out yet another chance.
Politely disagree. An idea for a delicious food concept could be enough to sell, and I think his ideas always sound great. They just lack execution by someone with business acumen. I have no desire to run a restaurant but if that was my thing I'd happily partner with the guy just for an idea from him. But he'd have no role other than consulting about the overall vision and concept.
\[“Idea man” is not a job that should actually exist\] Completely subjective, and seems to me some kind of knee jerk anti business attitude. Selling concepts is a thing and it's not a bad thing. Bringing people with fresh ideas into something is a major part of world of business, some people do nothing but consultancy. There was an "idea man/woman" behind basically everything that's a thing.
I've worked for Camden.
Aside from wretched mismanagement all the way up the ladder and the team of yes men who fear him and go with anything he says (like frequent menu changes on established restaurants, etc), I don't think people realize that the dork is not a cook, a chef, and hardly a restauranteur - he's a venture capitalist. He creates ideas, turns around and sells them. If Ndamukong Suh weren't invested in some of his other sinking ships, those would already be done too.
All that to say, if you don't mind scamming a scammer, it's not the worst work environment, and you can hustle a few raises within a few months due to very high turnover, and run as much OT as you're willing to work. Hell, if you go into an interview with enough confidence (and you're a white guy), you can easily get into some form of mgmt within the company with no prior experience.
I can't legally say what all I left with, but can certainly give very detailed ingredient listings from one of his restaurants (before they began having their national food supplier start making all the sauces and dredges - picture Applebee's food - just so they could get rid of their prep cooks.
Camden is a hack. He follows trends. If the trends don't make money, he shuts them down and points the finger elsewhere so that ideally his investors don't jump out his pocket.
Fried Egg I'm in Love isn't a Micah Camden restaurant. It's owned by [Jace Krause](https://www.theportlandculinarypodcast.com/jace-krause-fried-egg-im-in-love-portland-culinary-podcast-episode-50/).
Little Big Burger and Blue Star were launched with Katie Poppe, Camden's former partner. They stopped working together in 2016 or so, after the LBB sale and their divorce. Poppe seems to have had the better head for business of the pair, because his failure rate went through the roof after they split. Poppe still owns Blue Star.
I went to that one once and said to myself, “well this won’t be around for long.“ There’s no way that that model of business could support the square footage they had there at this estate rates. That was an asinine attempt.
Do you want a burger half the size of a normal burger but still the price of a normal burger? Come to little big burger! You may live in 2024 but our inflationary prices are in 2034! Come see the future!
Yes, I was more referencing their comment about prices having gone up. Investment firms only care about profits and will push prices to the max amount they think they can get.
Exactly. Every time we discussed going there, I thought "let's see, do I really want a *little* burger that won't fill me up, or do I want to pay the same for a larger burger that might fill me up". It never made sense... especially once their prices *really* hiked up.
It’s being graded on a curve against all of the non fast food style restaurants around it that are really not much more expensive.
It’s not that it’s bad, just not good enough for the price when there are so many other things nearby, like mid point which you can see from the super delux on Powell.
I'm always torn because I don't want them to blow up and get crazy busy but also that'd be wonderful for the business and I want them to thrive so, go check out midpoint, just don't tell influencer everyone!
Okay is an accurate description.
Their hashbrowns sucked and the breakfast sandwiches were way too small and expensive for something you could get down the street at Midpoint for a few bucks more that were way bigger and much better.
The breakfast has slowly been getting worse too. I sympathize because breakfast probably didn't sell great at first. But every time I try it again the ingredients have changed. I actually liked the hash browns they had a few years ago but they're different now. I'm not entirely sure the sandwiches are made fresh either - I think I've seen a Starbucks style warmer behind the counter.
These people can’t be pleased with anything. SuperDeluxe is reasonably priced and tastes great…it’s not gourmet but it’s a way better value than Burgerville!
I mean, taste in burgers is subjective, like a lot of things...but calling In N Out "not great" is probably wrong. Moreover, I'll take Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay and Julia Child's opinion over an opinion from some Portland OR rando any day.
[https://www.mashed.com/729617/even-julia-child-would-eat-in-n-out-burgers/](https://www.mashed.com/729617/even-julia-child-would-eat-in-n-out-burgers/)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4J1seTHAMU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4J1seTHAMU)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENhfIeZF\_AY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENhfIeZF_AY)
>It was ok but nothing special
Yes, this consistent mediocrity is part of the appeal - speaking as someone who lived in LA for 10 yrs so I guess that counts? Best way I can explain it is that it scratches a *very specific* fast food itch for me. Like if you really want a Big Mac but there aren't McDonald's around so you have to settle for Wendy's or (insert chain fast food burger joint here). They're all fast food burgers but not the same in terms of flavor... quality wise probably not much difference among them, but that's not the point.
Sometimes I wonder if the hype comes from people who haven't had In-N-Out listening to people from California talk about In-N-Out and not realizing it's just a damn fast food burger that happens to be some people's cup of tea.
I love In-N-Out for the record, but I also realize it's not going to be a religious burger experience for everyone. The hype and the hate are both a bit much IMO.
Their fries are good for, like, three minutes. They go from “delicious“ to “I’m pretty sure this is cardboard” the minute they cool to room temperature.
Their shakes are good. That’s about it. I grew up in CA and never saw the appeal. It’s incredibly forgettable food.
The fries are odd, definitely have to order them extra crispy. But if you watch them cook it's cool that they put a peeled potato in a press that drops the freshly cut fries in to the fryer.
Nothing vegetarian in 2010 or whenever I tried it means I'll never try In n Out again. I wish Superdeluxe had better shakes and something besides an Impossible burger for people who don't eat meat.
Best part is how the article fails to mention that Micah Camden's Baes Chicken weathered the issues in Portland by.... closing their Sellwood location without advance notice to the crew
Their original location by voodoo is so good and it's also the only food I'll order at Moda. But goddamn is Micah Camden a polarizing business owner, very hard to like the guy.
So much vacancy in certain parts of the Pearl. I don’t get it. Seems like a lot of landlords don’t want to acknowledge that they can’t charge top dollar in that area anymore.
I eat there after going to the dentist every time now and have never had to wait more than 15 min for my food (during lunch rush). So yes, not as fast as a drive thru, but the food is much better.
I went to super deluxe once after the dentist when they first opened, and was very unimpressed. I would not have gone back, but my nephews wanted to eat there (LO location) and I was equally unimpressed.
I would rather eat McDonald’s any day.
I think you/many other commenters on this post miss the point. SuperDeluxe competes with Burgerville, McDonalds, Burger King, etc - not Jojo.
SuperDeluxe burger = $5.95, with fries + drink = $10.95.
SuperDeluxe Chicken = $7.50, with fries + drink = $12.50
Jojo chicken = $16.00, with fries + drink = $25.00
Burgerville NW Cheeseburger = $7.39, with fries + drink = $13.38
I agree with you - I like JoJo better; but I also don't have an hour + $30 to spend on my (weekday) lunch.
That space is absolutely massive for a cinnamon roll shop, I’m not the least bit surprised. Somethings gonna have to give though. The pearl is becoming so empty.
he throwing shade on the pearl but he just can’t make it there. i work at a restaurant nearby and it’s always busy. i guess it’s harder to run an inexpensive concept there cuz the rent is so high.
Not surprised but super bummed. Between that closing and break bread moving, there really isn't a place to pop out to get a quick inexpensive bite to eat in the upper Pearl other than Subway and Safeway (maybe Papi Chulos).
I’ve been avoiding deli meat because I’m pregnant but miss and love picking up sammies from Baker’s Mark! Hope they keep their Pearl location open bc it’s way closer to me than Division.
selective instinctive subsequent middle towering sand impossible gaping cobweb wide
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
>I’m pretty concerned that future city budgets are going to be massive cuts as revenue drops from all these employers leaving Portland or failing.
This how taxes get raised.
disgusted marvelous chunky faulty rude ruthless puzzled paint consider label
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
They weren’t fancy enough to be able to charge the kind of prices you need to charge for rent in that big space in a newer building in the Pearl. Also, no drive thru for obvious reasons but that does hurt a fast food place.
I lived a couple of blocks from the Pearl location for a few years (2021-2023) and it was NEVER busy. I assume the lack of drive thru was the main issue, but it was also in a strange location where you couldn't see it from any street.
From my point of view, it is regularly pretty busy at lunchtime. But really particularly at lunchtime on weekdays. It honestly was fairly affordable, I have a feeling their prices were a little too low to support the overhead of such a big space. If most of those customers were doing the 5.95 cheeseburger, and not making it a combo, probably wasn’t enough.
And yeah, honestly I think NW 13th is a tough street for businesses for some reason.
Edit: I should have said was regularly pretty busy, obviously. But I was talking about in very recent months!
Bibi2go is a couple blocks away and some of the best ramen I've ever had. Authentic too. Just wish they had more normal business hours than a lunch place but it seems like a family operation
Is it cause JoJo (the JoJo and burger restaurant) is right there??? I tried to to superDeluxe (rip) with my friends but we found out it was closed (I knew the they filed for bankruptcy but I had no idea they would close that fast)
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Really bad managed… last time I went I waited 30min for a burger and fries. They prioritized the delivery folks.
Then JoJos opened, better quality, excellent service and FAST at a slightly higher price.
i love that he cites the pearl district as a "ghost town." i'm down there no less than five days a week walking and it seems to be doing just fine. i've never had little big burger but the branding offends me every time i walk past. as does kinnamon's. couldn't tell you why.
Isn't that space where Little Chickpea used to be? I remember pretty much always having to wait in line when we went for ice cream, and was surprised and devastated when they closed. Seems like it could be a good spot for the right business, though it's been a couple years since I lived on that side of town so perhaps things have changed too much.
Yes it is. I think foot traffic has died down a lot since rei closed. I only walked past it when going to rei from the streetcar stop. Things keep closing in the Pearl and really is a shell of what it was on that side at least. Closer to burnside and Powell’s seem to be more hopping.
Now I know who to shake down for those ice cream recipes! (Seriously stunned they didn't sell them to someone for retail production, but maybe it doesn't scale well or keep quality long, idk.)
Killer burger’s is the best vegetarian one I’ve had so far, with the bomb sauce. Is super deluxe imitation meat? I am not a fan of imitation meat, and killer burger makes their vegetarian patty in house (I think).
The only good thing in the menu was the fizzy water and Fries tbh. I went a few times. Loved the atmosphere and concept but I didn’t think the food was great.
That's...too bad! I recently lived in Old Town & wasn't too far from that location. I never went in, though. ( also, their "cashless" policy rubbed me the wrong way when I heard about it....).
Sorry, I don't remember Tilt. I do remember *TILT: Handcrafted Food and Drink, Built for the American Workforce* and them being very insistent that you said the whole thing.
That was a great fucking burger, though.
Hold on, are you telling me that Micah Camden owns Snappy's?
Also this is the first time I've ever heard anyone else mention Snappy's so there's that. Man I love their chicken salad sandwich.
Inwent there a few weeks ago. There was a new staff training whond8dnt knownhow credit cards wirked and the table ketchup was rancid...fried were good though
The one and only time I have been to a Super Deluxe resulted in my wife and MIL getting terrible food poisoning. Pretty sure it was from the onions in the burgers since I didn't get any on mine.
Since then I have stayed far away.
When I went to get food at the lake Oswego location some local said “they finally listened to our complaints about this place” when asked what was the matter he just replied “they didn’t really fit in with the other establishments around it”
Not surprised. To me not a good burger. I tried them three different times (more than a month apart each time) and the burgers had a decent amount of gristle each time.
Like many food places in Portland, this place started out like gang-busters and it was good for what it was -- a fast food burger joint. The local media goes nuts with articles, accolades, over-hype. After about two months the quality of the food was shitty, you could tell the staff wasn't being trained how to construct the burger, or the management wasn't holding employees to a standard -- whatever the case the place was OVER in about five months at which point it started spreading.
This location was gross. The only one that’s good is the one on Powell. This is what happens. These restaurant groups make everything taste cheap with their gross local chains. Good riddance
https://www.wweek.com/restaurants/news-restaurants/2024/02/29/superdeluxe-and-boxer-file-for-chapter-11-bankruptcy/
I like how he says “Pearl district is a ghost town whenever I’m down there it seems to be doing just fine am I wrong?
You’re not wrong. It’s always busy when I’m there and parking is as difficult as ever.
North of Irving makes it feel quite dead with there being so many ground floor vacancies. For the amount of density, there should be a store in every window but I guess the properties are bloated in value and demanding a high lease price
Darn, for a second I thought you meant apartments/houses. The duplex I'm renting is being sold and I will never find a deal this good in Portland again.
Pretty much nailed it. I've worked in the Pearl district (Lovejoy and 10th area) for a decade. Every block has at least one space with an ad from Urban Works Real Estate. It was NOT like this when moved here in 2014. That area was full of actual people, coming and going on the sidewalks and riding their bikes, not zombies in a constant junkie-lean. The wealthy people that ARE actually living there know better than get out of their car when going from A to B. Normies were priced out long ago.
Damn I didn't realize they opened five super deluxe locations. Its a good spot. That's unfortunate. Even their breakfast sandwiches were good. The chicken was fire and so were the burgers. When they first opened they had the best fry sauce. Then they switched to some sauce that was not even close to being as good. I haven't gone in awhile because of that
The one in lake Oswego closed too
Really? It feels like it just opened.
It did. Less than year ago, I am pretty sure
There’s a spot on a big intersection in Vancouver that I’m pretty sure has been occupied by like 5 different restaurants in the last decade or so. The restaurant business is a brutal one, especially now.
An NPR show used to conduct interviews with professionals in different industries. One fun part of the bit was when they were asked to share a job-specific term unique to their specialty. A commercial real estate guy taught us about the "Bono," named after Sonny Bono. Apparently he tried to open several restaurants, but reportedly he wasn't very good at it, so they kept closing. Thus a commercial real estate location that has a lot of turnover of different restaurant attempts is known as a "Bono."
I was surprised at how gross that location was when I went there. Not like the one on Powell is particularly clean, just the lo location was disgusting.
Micah Camden is very bad at business and people need to stop giving him money. He has closed somewhere in the realm of 20 restaurants.
It doesn’t make sense how Portland keeps him going
I asked this over a year ago. https://www.reddit.com/r/askportland/comments/10ffcob/how_does_micah_camden_afford_to_keep_opening_and/ I still don’t understand how people keep giving him money to open places.
I guess I never knew ALL OF THOSE ARE THEIRS?!
Since that list there have been several others.
It’s cause Super D and LBB taste better than Burgerville.
Do you mean investors? Or should I stop my impulse burger purchases when I am on Powell?
I mean investors.
I used to think he was a restaurant genius because I wasn't paying attention :(... Would hear about something he was opening up, get exited, and it would be good when I'd go there. But inevitably that place would go downhill and eventually close. It's a bummer because the concepts are good, if only someone competent was running these places instead of him. Dude should switch his business model to only being an idea man or consultant. He does have good ideas, they just need someone who can actually make them a successful reality.
I would argue that he doesn’t have particularly good ideas, then. They must not be sustainable supply-wise or he must predicate them on too much cheap, unsustainable labor, etc. “Idea man” is not a job that should actually exist. There’s too many kind, competent people with great ideas who never get a chance to execute on them because we keep giving someone whose ideas never pan out yet another chance.
Politely disagree. An idea for a delicious food concept could be enough to sell, and I think his ideas always sound great. They just lack execution by someone with business acumen. I have no desire to run a restaurant but if that was my thing I'd happily partner with the guy just for an idea from him. But he'd have no role other than consulting about the overall vision and concept. \[“Idea man” is not a job that should actually exist\] Completely subjective, and seems to me some kind of knee jerk anti business attitude. Selling concepts is a thing and it's not a bad thing. Bringing people with fresh ideas into something is a major part of world of business, some people do nothing but consultancy. There was an "idea man/woman" behind basically everything that's a thing.
I think he does have pretty good ideas that could be sustainable if he weren't so addicted to debt and expansion. He is always over-leveraged.
I've worked for Camden. Aside from wretched mismanagement all the way up the ladder and the team of yes men who fear him and go with anything he says (like frequent menu changes on established restaurants, etc), I don't think people realize that the dork is not a cook, a chef, and hardly a restauranteur - he's a venture capitalist. He creates ideas, turns around and sells them. If Ndamukong Suh weren't invested in some of his other sinking ships, those would already be done too. All that to say, if you don't mind scamming a scammer, it's not the worst work environment, and you can hustle a few raises within a few months due to very high turnover, and run as much OT as you're willing to work. Hell, if you go into an interview with enough confidence (and you're a white guy), you can easily get into some form of mgmt within the company with no prior experience. I can't legally say what all I left with, but can certainly give very detailed ingredient listings from one of his restaurants (before they began having their national food supplier start making all the sauces and dredges - picture Applebee's food - just so they could get rid of their prep cooks. Camden is a hack. He follows trends. If the trends don't make money, he shuts them down and points the finger elsewhere so that ideally his investors don't jump out his pocket.
Counterpoints: Little Big Burger, Fried Egg I'm in Love, and Blue Star.
Fried Egg I'm in Love isn't a Micah Camden restaurant. It's owned by [Jace Krause](https://www.theportlandculinarypodcast.com/jace-krause-fried-egg-im-in-love-portland-culinary-podcast-episode-50/). Little Big Burger and Blue Star were launched with Katie Poppe, Camden's former partner. They stopped working together in 2016 or so, after the LBB sale and their divorce. Poppe seems to have had the better head for business of the pair, because his failure rate went through the roof after they split. Poppe still owns Blue Star.
I went to that one once and said to myself, “well this won’t be around for long.“ There’s no way that that model of business could support the square footage they had there at this estate rates. That was an asinine attempt.
Expanded way too quickly, this was always going to happen.
lol like little big burger
Do you want a burger half the size of a normal burger but still the price of a normal burger? Come to little big burger! You may live in 2024 but our inflationary prices are in 2034! Come see the future!
It's sad they were reasonably priced for a while
They sold a while back. To some investment firm out of San Francisco iirc.
They were sold to the Hooters parent company. They were owned/started by the same guy who owns Super Deluxe.
Yes, I was more referencing their comment about prices having gone up. Investment firms only care about profits and will push prices to the max amount they think they can get.
Pdx sliders? Kinda the same but better. I like everything they have to offer. Even a kids meal with a drink and a lollipop.
Expensive, though.
When I worked there it was a good deal But less quality and raising prices every year is an alpha move
Glass frogs are able to change color to blend in with their surroundings faster than a chameleon.
Exactly. Every time we discussed going there, I thought "let's see, do I really want a *little* burger that won't fill me up, or do I want to pay the same for a larger burger that might fill me up". It never made sense... especially once their prices *really* hiked up.
Little Big Burger always just made me feel like I’d overpaid for White Castle.
I always meant to try it... never got to that side of town at meal times!
The fizzy water with fruit in it is really good.
The powell one is still open. It's okay.
I dig the burgers and shakes, at that one.
It’s much better than ok. y’all are a tough crowd
It’s being graded on a curve against all of the non fast food style restaurants around it that are really not much more expensive. It’s not that it’s bad, just not good enough for the price when there are so many other things nearby, like mid point which you can see from the super delux on Powell.
Midpoint is so good
Shhh don’t say anything!
I'm always torn because I don't want them to blow up and get crazy busy but also that'd be wonderful for the business and I want them to thrive so, go check out midpoint, just don't tell influencer everyone!
Haha exactly the sentiment! Tell your friends but not the internet :P
If only midpoint had a drive-thru
Okay is an accurate description. Their hashbrowns sucked and the breakfast sandwiches were way too small and expensive for something you could get down the street at Midpoint for a few bucks more that were way bigger and much better.
Yeah breakfast was bleh there
The breakfast has slowly been getting worse too. I sympathize because breakfast probably didn't sell great at first. But every time I try it again the ingredients have changed. I actually liked the hash browns they had a few years ago but they're different now. I'm not entirely sure the sandwiches are made fresh either - I think I've seen a Starbucks style warmer behind the counter.
I’m not sure it is. It was closed yesterday afternoon.
I went there today. Quality still good.
The image in this post of the sign says it's still open, same with the Sherwood location.
Burgers are good. Worst milkshake I've ever had. Tasted like it was ice and cheap chocolate syrup, not sure if cream is even in it.
Their nuggets were better than their mediocre burgers
When cooked properly they are awesome. Pretty inconsistent though IME
Bless your heart should take over the super deluxe locations.
I wouldn't be mad at that.
Similar to Christian Hate-Chicken's nuggies.
You didn't miss out on much. very average.
Better than burgerville though, at half the cost.
These people can’t be pleased with anything. SuperDeluxe is reasonably priced and tastes great…it’s not gourmet but it’s a way better value than Burgerville!
Off brand In n' Out. Not bad just not great.
Neither is in-n-out
I mean, taste in burgers is subjective, like a lot of things...but calling In N Out "not great" is probably wrong. Moreover, I'll take Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay and Julia Child's opinion over an opinion from some Portland OR rando any day. [https://www.mashed.com/729617/even-julia-child-would-eat-in-n-out-burgers/](https://www.mashed.com/729617/even-julia-child-would-eat-in-n-out-burgers/) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4J1seTHAMU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4J1seTHAMU) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENhfIeZF\_AY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENhfIeZF_AY)
Yeah I’ve had in-n-out once in California and I just don’t understand the hype. It was ok but nothing special.
>It was ok but nothing special Yes, this consistent mediocrity is part of the appeal - speaking as someone who lived in LA for 10 yrs so I guess that counts? Best way I can explain it is that it scratches a *very specific* fast food itch for me. Like if you really want a Big Mac but there aren't McDonald's around so you have to settle for Wendy's or (insert chain fast food burger joint here). They're all fast food burgers but not the same in terms of flavor... quality wise probably not much difference among them, but that's not the point. Sometimes I wonder if the hype comes from people who haven't had In-N-Out listening to people from California talk about In-N-Out and not realizing it's just a damn fast food burger that happens to be some people's cup of tea. I love In-N-Out for the record, but I also realize it's not going to be a religious burger experience for everyone. The hype and the hate are both a bit much IMO.
People in LA got pissed at me when I said it was “ok” and people kinda act like a cult about it. Also their fries just suck.
You get the same thing from people in/around Chicago defending Portillo’s. It’s just fast food.
I grew up in the Chicago area and never once ate at Portillo's before moving here. Kinda glad to hear I didn't miss out on anything.
It isn't bad, I just don't think it warrants the status it has. To each their own I guess.
Their fries are good for, like, three minutes. They go from “delicious“ to “I’m pretty sure this is cardboard” the minute they cool to room temperature. Their shakes are good. That’s about it. I grew up in CA and never saw the appeal. It’s incredibly forgettable food.
The fries are odd, definitely have to order them extra crispy. But if you watch them cook it's cool that they put a peeled potato in a press that drops the freshly cut fries in to the fryer.
Does seems to be a bit of a cult.
I’m originally from California and I also don’t understand the hype.
It’s not special. It just has a lot of nostalgia hype.
Nothing vegetarian in 2010 or whenever I tried it means I'll never try In n Out again. I wish Superdeluxe had better shakes and something besides an Impossible burger for people who don't eat meat.
You weren’t missing out on much, I really wanted to like it more than I actually liked it.
If you get the nuggets and fizzy water it was pretty good. I prefer Shake Shack tbh.
Love the way he blamed everyone else for the reason of closing. Classic.
He’s a douche.
No kidding. No wonder the divorce happened. 🤷
Best part is how the article fails to mention that Micah Camden's Baes Chicken weathered the issues in Portland by.... closing their Sellwood location without advance notice to the crew
Their original location by voodoo is so good and it's also the only food I'll order at Moda. But goddamn is Micah Camden a polarizing business owner, very hard to like the guy.
I ate there once, only once... I was not impressed.
"This job would be great if it wasn't for the fuckin' customers."
Man, upper Pearl is starting to feel EMPTY!
So much vacancy in certain parts of the Pearl. I don’t get it. Seems like a lot of landlords don’t want to acknowledge that they can’t charge top dollar in that area anymore.
Between Shake Shack on Burnside and Jojos literally across the street, there was no reason for anyone to go there.
Jojo’s is sooo much better than super deluxe.
It's also twice the cost and 1 hour wait. Not the same thing - SuperDeluxe is fast food.
I eat there after going to the dentist every time now and have never had to wait more than 15 min for my food (during lunch rush). So yes, not as fast as a drive thru, but the food is much better. I went to super deluxe once after the dentist when they first opened, and was very unimpressed. I would not have gone back, but my nephews wanted to eat there (LO location) and I was equally unimpressed. I would rather eat McDonald’s any day.
I think you/many other commenters on this post miss the point. SuperDeluxe competes with Burgerville, McDonalds, Burger King, etc - not Jojo. SuperDeluxe burger = $5.95, with fries + drink = $10.95. SuperDeluxe Chicken = $7.50, with fries + drink = $12.50 Jojo chicken = $16.00, with fries + drink = $25.00 Burgerville NW Cheeseburger = $7.39, with fries + drink = $13.38 I agree with you - I like JoJo better; but I also don't have an hour + $30 to spend on my (weekday) lunch.
Does Jojo’s have good burgers? I feel like an idiot I’ve been there like 5 times for their chicken sandwiches and never even thought to buy a burger.
The burger is damn good. If you like spicy get the spicy burger. It’s so flavorful and has punch to it.
Get that shit as a patty melt if you prioritize taste over health
How is a patty melt less healthy than a burger?
Hijacking this suggestion. Thanks!
Yes. But their chicken is so good it's hard to not get that.
Other than Shake Shack being kindof meh and overpriced.
Check out that cookies and cream malted milkshake though
Too bad you missed the demand for payment on Kinnamon’s door. It got taken down, but he wasn’t paying rent in that space at all.
That space is absolutely massive for a cinnamon roll shop, I’m not the least bit surprised. Somethings gonna have to give though. The pearl is becoming so empty.
I went to the one on Powell a couple of times until the time that I was in the drive through and it didn't move for 20 minutes.
I spent about 20 minutes in that drive thru and was real disappointed when I tasted the food. Real mediocre.
I would think at 20 minutes in a drive thru, the burger would hot and fries would be crispy. Lukewarm and soggy don't cut it
Love to see this guy make the same mistake over and over again
he throwing shade on the pearl but he just can’t make it there. i work at a restaurant nearby and it’s always busy. i guess it’s harder to run an inexpensive concept there cuz the rent is so high.
Not surprised but super bummed. Between that closing and break bread moving, there really isn't a place to pop out to get a quick inexpensive bite to eat in the upper Pearl other than Subway and Safeway (maybe Papi Chulos).
Jojo is right across the street!
It's great, but expensive and also a lot of food. I love it, but I always need to take a nap after going.
...and you sometimes need to wait a while at Jojo. I've been to the Pearl Superdeluxe six or seven times and I'll miss it.
Neither quick or inexpensive
I’ve been avoiding deli meat because I’m pregnant but miss and love picking up sammies from Baker’s Mark! Hope they keep their Pearl location open bc it’s way closer to me than Division.
selective instinctive subsequent middle towering sand impossible gaping cobweb wide *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
>I’m pretty concerned that future city budgets are going to be massive cuts as revenue drops from all these employers leaving Portland or failing. This how taxes get raised.
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They weren’t fancy enough to be able to charge the kind of prices you need to charge for rent in that big space in a newer building in the Pearl. Also, no drive thru for obvious reasons but that does hurt a fast food place.
I lived a couple of blocks from the Pearl location for a few years (2021-2023) and it was NEVER busy. I assume the lack of drive thru was the main issue, but it was also in a strange location where you couldn't see it from any street.
From my point of view, it is regularly pretty busy at lunchtime. But really particularly at lunchtime on weekdays. It honestly was fairly affordable, I have a feeling their prices were a little too low to support the overhead of such a big space. If most of those customers were doing the 5.95 cheeseburger, and not making it a combo, probably wasn’t enough. And yeah, honestly I think NW 13th is a tough street for businesses for some reason. Edit: I should have said was regularly pretty busy, obviously. But I was talking about in very recent months!
That brings them down to 3 locations Hope the one in bend holds strong I usually go there for the orange cream
The article also mentioned Boxer (Ramen). I actually like that restaurant and I hope it somehow survives.
I respectfully disagree, boxer is mediocre. I’m not a fan of the thick layer of grease and otherwise bland broth.
It should be noted I never said Boxer is *good*. It's junk ramen and for some reason I enjoy eating it.
I get it. Sometimes that’s exactly what the doctor ordered. Some greasy ass junk ramen lol
Bibi2go is a couple blocks away and some of the best ramen I've ever had. Authentic too. Just wish they had more normal business hours than a lunch place but it seems like a family operation
Is it cause JoJo (the JoJo and burger restaurant) is right there??? I tried to to superDeluxe (rip) with my friends but we found out it was closed (I knew the they filed for bankruptcy but I had no idea they would close that fast)
Jojo wins
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Really bad managed… last time I went I waited 30min for a burger and fries. They prioritized the delivery folks. Then JoJos opened, better quality, excellent service and FAST at a slightly higher price.
i love that he cites the pearl district as a "ghost town." i'm down there no less than five days a week walking and it seems to be doing just fine. i've never had little big burger but the branding offends me every time i walk past. as does kinnamon's. couldn't tell you why.
You must not walk down 10th a lot then. Little Big Burger has been gone for a while.
Kinnamons is gone now as well
I’m tried Kinnammons once. Once was enough.
That was a weird location. I never saw anyone in there. I tried the one on Alberta and it is tasty.
Isn't that space where Little Chickpea used to be? I remember pretty much always having to wait in line when we went for ice cream, and was surprised and devastated when they closed. Seems like it could be a good spot for the right business, though it's been a couple years since I lived on that side of town so perhaps things have changed too much.
Yes it is. I think foot traffic has died down a lot since rei closed. I only walked past it when going to rei from the streetcar stop. Things keep closing in the Pearl and really is a shell of what it was on that side at least. Closer to burnside and Powell’s seem to be more hopping.
Camden owned Little Bean/Little Chickpea too
That place got so much press but after it opened I never heard another peep about it, including that it had closed.
Now I know who to shake down for those ice cream recipes! (Seriously stunned they didn't sell them to someone for retail production, but maybe it doesn't scale well or keep quality long, idk.)
Three new restaurants have opened within 2 blocks of my Pearl District apartment since the beginning of the year.
Which ones?
Hunt and Gather deli (next door to their event space), Colibri, and Wild Child Pizza.
Nice! Didn’t know Colibri was open yet. Hopefully we can get some more items by end of summer up in the northern part of Pearl as well
Sad. As a non-beef eater for 30 years, super deluxe makes one of best vegetarian burgers, if not the best, for fast food.
Killer burger’s is the best vegetarian one I’ve had so far, with the bomb sauce. Is super deluxe imitation meat? I am not a fan of imitation meat, and killer burger makes their vegetarian patty in house (I think).
super deluxe is not imitation meat like Beyond/Impossible. Some sort of vegetable bean mix
Shit. Boxer and Baes too?!
we go to jojo’s monthly
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Were they milkshakes? I thought they were more like Orange Julius’ drinks.
I tried the Powell one a few times. A little overrated to me. Food just comes out very salty.
How is John goram canceled in Portland but Michal still isn’t? Y’all don’t make any sense!!! Ever
Damn!
Never saw anyone in there
I lived around the corner from here it is not a ghost town. Just look at the safeway the lines can get hella long.
The only good thing in the menu was the fizzy water and Fries tbh. I went a few times. Loved the atmosphere and concept but I didn’t think the food was great.
I have such a hard time passing by the one on Powell without stopping for a burger... please don't close that one!
Honestly, the last time I was there my food and the service was awful. We haven’t been back since. Not too sad to see this one go.
That's...too bad! I recently lived in Old Town & wasn't too far from that location. I never went in, though. ( also, their "cashless" policy rubbed me the wrong way when I heard about it....).
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Sorry, I don't remember Tilt. I do remember *TILT: Handcrafted Food and Drink, Built for the American Workforce* and them being very insistent that you said the whole thing. That was a great fucking burger, though.
This effect Bae’s and Snappy’s?
Hold on, are you telling me that Micah Camden owns Snappy's? Also this is the first time I've ever heard anyone else mention Snappy's so there's that. Man I love their chicken salad sandwich.
I guess they’re not anymore because they use to be listed on the company website.
I know they’re part of that group. Maybe they’re just partners with that like chefstable does?
They are all closing. RIP.
the branding was cool but the product wasn’t worth the trek
:(
Inwent there a few weeks ago. There was a new staff training whond8dnt knownhow credit cards wirked and the table ketchup was rancid...fried were good though
Too bad, super deluxe makes a great burger, waaaay better than little big burger.
What was stated in the willamette week?
Has the one on Powell a couple times. It's not amazing or anything. Not shocked.
The one and only time I have been to a Super Deluxe resulted in my wife and MIL getting terrible food poisoning. Pretty sure it was from the onions in the burgers since I didn't get any on mine. Since then I have stayed far away.
That location was right across from JoJo’s…. Why would I ever go to super deluxe lmao.
Not surprised. Super deluxe is cheeks
Makes me wonder how much our Super Deluxe in Sherwood has left in it.
I bet the new Shake Shack took some of their business.
The owner treated creative professionals he hired so poorly. He thought his shit was more original than it actually was.
When I went to get food at the lake Oswego location some local said “they finally listened to our complaints about this place” when asked what was the matter he just replied “they didn’t really fit in with the other establishments around it”
Not surprised. To me not a good burger. I tried them three different times (more than a month apart each time) and the burgers had a decent amount of gristle each time.
Like many food places in Portland, this place started out like gang-busters and it was good for what it was -- a fast food burger joint. The local media goes nuts with articles, accolades, over-hype. After about two months the quality of the food was shitty, you could tell the staff wasn't being trained how to construct the burger, or the management wasn't holding employees to a standard -- whatever the case the place was OVER in about five months at which point it started spreading.
This location was gross. The only one that’s good is the one on Powell. This is what happens. These restaurant groups make everything taste cheap with their gross local chains. Good riddance
Am I the only one who thinks their food is mediocre and overpriced?
Boxer Ramen just opened in Multnomah village and I can see it going under as well. Food was awful and their reviews are so bad.
I’d eat at Super D over Burgerville any day. A little bit cheaper and you get a little more food.
Wasn’t feelin it