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Ranking burgers isn’t easy, and with 35 now on my list (including three I’ve tasted twice), I decided I finally needed to develop a better judging system 鈥� one that makes sense.

I certainly won’t blog about all 35, but you’ll see that from now on I’ll have a running top five based on meat flavor, bread, sides and accompaniments 鈥� weighted in that order.

So … as a result of this newly created ranking system, five burgers on my list scored nearly perfect and all tied for second place with tie breakers coming from the side orders (Foster is still number one, by the way).

One of these in the top five is the Paragon Burger at . The ambience at Paragon is special. It’s casual and comfortable, yet trendy and hip. It’s also part of the Moana Hotel and Restaurant Group. I mention this because it certainly doesn’t feel like it’s part of a chain or larger group, but with locations in Berkeley and San Francisco, it is indeed that. Located in the Pearl with First Thursday right outside its windows, it’s a great place to people watch and a great place to have a burger. Rated at No. 5, it includes caramelized onions, white cheddar and amazing aioli and rosemary fries. For an additional $1.50, you can add pepper bacon as well (but I didn’t 鈥� calories, you know).

Two other ones that had near-perfect scores include and , both of which I’ve had twice now. Located in the 鈥淭rendy-First鈥� area for over 25 years, Serratto was the sixth one that I tried and has remained in the No. 2 near-perfect spot. Painted Hills beef on brioche with white cheddar, bacon, aioli, bbq sauce, crispy fried onions 鈥� the only thing keeping it from a perfect score is that the fries, though real good, are just not exceptional. Reviews will tell you that the service here is sub-par at times, though for two burger visits, we never experienced that, so I can comfortably recommend going here. According to research, the building has a little bit of history having once operated as an old factory of some sort, and it certainly has a rustic and historic feel.

Housed in a 104-year-old building is downtown’s hidden secret, Brasserie Montmartre. A 2010 91视频 Newsmaker, building owner and developer Carl Coffman learned that the old building once housed the Calumet Hotel and was in dire need of either demolition or restoration. Encouraged by developer Tom Kemper to restore the Park Avenue structure, there were plenty of reasons it would have been easier to call in a wrecking ball. While the building sat vacant, thieves snuck in one night and hammered away at a brick wall in an attempt to break into a jewelry store safe next door. And six months into the renovation, the building suffered a partial collapse that nearly ended the endeavor to save it. Demolition debris totaled about 200 truckloads, much of it hauled out by hand. Designed for a LEED gold rating, the renamed Esquire on Park Avenue, the building now features five stories of apartments above the ground-level Brasserie Montmartre restaurant. The Brasserie’s new incarnation boasts several familiar features, including framed drawings created by patrons back when the restaurant held coloring contests. Coffman also framed the damaged section of brick wall 鈥� exposed rebar and all 鈥� that the jewelry thieves left behind.

But the Brasserie Montmartre is not just another pretty Portland place. With lots of great food and a true French bistro feel, the burger is not to be missed 鈥� deliciously juicy with grilled onions, gruyere and tomato bacon jam on a brioche bun, including an array of fries 鈥� even duck fat or foie gras ones 鈥� that are definitely worth the calories.

And the one recent burger visit whose praises I am not singing, was from on Northwest Quimby Street. I thought I had just seen it featured on 鈥�,鈥� but it turns out I actually saw it on 鈥�.鈥� In any case, I thought I’d give it a try. Well, this was the worst burger yet. The meat was dried out, flavorless, over cooked and so unbelievably unexceptional, I can’t believe it remains on the menu. I’m sure I’ll get scolded for this and will get told I should have known better to only have breakfast or a non-burger item here, but I’ll say it again 鈥� if it’s on your menu, it should be taken seriously. And the building, well let’s just call it what it is 鈥� a dive.

Running top five burgers: , , , ,

Buildings and Burgers is a quest to find Portland’s best burgers and the stories of the buildings around them. The best burger must be gourmet and worth its weight in calories.聽 Submit your favorite to [email protected].