Grain and Gristle Is a Sanctuary Devoted to the Shameless Worship of Meat

The math behind Grain and Gristle’s greatness is simple: With the best burger and best beer in town, it is simply one of the best bars in town.

(Thomas Teal)
By Matthew Korfhage

1473 NE Prescott St., 503-288-4740, grainandgristle.com. Noon-midnight Monday-Friday, 9 am-3 pm and 5 pm-midnight Saturday-Sunday. Happy hour 3-5 pm daily: modestly cheaper food specials.

Established: December 2010

From its world-beating burger to the various butchering implements decorating its blond wood walls, Grain and Gristle is a sanctuary devoted to the shameless worship of meat. That impossibly rich yet elegantly humble burger—a half-pound patty of Hawley Ranch beef topped with lettuce, housemade pickles and aioli—was our pick for the best in the city back in March 2017, and chef Greg Smith's near-exclusive access to such premium ingredients is what amplifies the most vital aspects of the bar. On account of being co-owned by Upright Brewing founder Alex Ganum, Grain and Gristle is the only bar in town where one can count on getting a pint of Upright's Engelberg Pilsner, our 2015 pick for Beer of the Year, outside the modest windows of opportunity offered at the brewery's diminutive digs in a basement near Moda Center. The math behind Grain and Gristle's greatness is simple: With the best burger and best beer in town, it is simply one of the best bars in town.

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