MidCity SmashBurger is a small chain of burger restaurants based in
Portland, Oregon. Mike Aldridge started the business as a
pop-up restaurant in
New Orleans in 2020, during the
COVID-19 pandemic, before relocating to Portland and re-launching the business as a
food cart in early 2021.
There are five MidCity locations, as of 2024, including four in Portland and another in
Bend. The business has garnered a positive reception and has been praised for having some of the best burgers in Portland, the U.S., and the world.
Chef and owner Mike Aldridge started MidCity as a
pop-up restaurant, selling burgers from his porch in
New Orleans, during the
COVID-19 pandemic.[5][6] He moved to Portland and re-opened MidCity SmashBurger in January 2021,[7] operating a
food truck on
Stark Street at the intersection of 11th in
Southeast Portland's
Buckman neighborhood.[2][8] Approximately 1,000 burgers were sold in the first eight days, and the business quickly built a social media following.[4] Averaging 300 burgers per day,[7] MidCity had sold tens of thousands of burgers by September 2021.[9]
In 2022, MidCity expanded outside Portland. Aldridge opened a food cart next to the Boneyard Beer taproom on Northwest Lake Place in
Bend.[15][16][17] The
Lil' America food cart pod moved into the space previously occupied by MidCity's original food cart.[18] Aldridge declined the nearby space that was offered, instead relocating the cart to the Level Brewing taproom on Sandy Boulevard in
northeast Portland.[19]
One of the Portland locations features an illustration of a cheeseburger and pointing
finger guns by local artist
Mike Bennett.[20] The cartoon burger, named Smashy,[21] has become MidCity's
mascot.[22]
There are four MidCity locations, as of late 2022.[23] In March 2024, the business announced plans to relocate the Belmont location.[24] The cart opened at Ship Ahoy Tavern, in Southeast Portland's
Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood, on March 27.[25]
Reception
In 2021, Michael Russell of The Oregonian said MidCity had Portland's best smash burger.[26] He also included the business in an overview of the city's best new food carts.[9]Karen Brooks and Katherine Chew Hamilton included MidCity in a similar list published by Portland Monthly.[27] Alex Frane included the business in
Thrillist's late 2021 overview of "where to eat in Portland right now".[28]
In 2023, Eater Portland's Katrina Yentch included MidCity in an overview of twenty "knockout spots for affordable dining" in the city,[3] and Ron Scott included the restaurant in a list of twenty "mind-blowing burgers in Portland and beyond".[29] Jashayla Pettigrew included the restaurant in
KOIN's list of the seven best smash burgers in the
Portland metropolitan area, based on
Yelp reviews.[30]
MidCity has been recognized for having some of the best burgers in the U.S.,[31] and the world.[23]