There are a lot of places to buy a burger and fries in Bend, Oregon. Today, I’ll feature burgers from three different restaurants.

Americana burger and fries

If you ask a local where to buy a good burger and fries, many will mention Americana first. They used to only serve their burgers from a food truck, but now they have a brick-and-mortar location downtown. They still have a truck at one of our food truck pods.

Americana serves smashburgers. This is a type of burger that’s smashed flat before or during cooking. Their menu is limited to eight burgers, two kinds of fries, soft drinks, beer, and milkshakes. The food truck only serves three kinds of burgers. It kinda reminds me of the ‘Cheeseburger Cheeseburger‘ sketch that was on Saturday Night Live.

Here’s a close up of The Popper burger I ordered. It includes pickled jalapeños, jalapeño cream cheese, white American cheese, caramelized onions, bacon, shredded lettuce, fresh tomato and secret sauce served on a brioche bun. I admit, I like thicker burgers, but I liked this nicely spicey, very flavorful burger.

The fries, shown below, were another story. The pieces were small and didn’t have much flavor at all.

Americana’s restaurant is at 1033 NW Bond St, Suite 100 in Bend. Their food truck is at at the Podski pod at 536 NW Arizona Ave in Bend. Both locations are open from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm on Tuesday through Saturday. They’re closed on Sunday and Monday. The prices at Americana are relatively low.

Killer Burger

Next, I’m showing a burger from Killer Burger. Their menu includes nine beef burgers, including a Peanut Butter Pickle Bacon one. They also serve three chicken burgers, chicken tenders, and eight sauces. You can order three sizes of burgers, Pint, Original, and Double. Drinks include beer, cider, and soda.

I ordered a Classic burger in the Original size. It included bacon, American cheese, crisp lettuce, tomato, grilled onion, pickle, mayonnaise, and house sauce. I’ll have to go back and try something more unique next time. I thought the burger was better than average, but not outstanding.

The fries, however, were great! Nice and crispy and full of flavor.

Killer Burger is at 20789 NW Henry Ave, Suite 180 in Bend. They are open from 10:30 am to 9:00 pm daily. This restaurant is right next to Costco. They have other restaurants in western Oregon, eastern Washington, and in parts of Texas. Their prices are low to moderate.

Bend Burger Company burger and fries

Next, I’m sharing a picture of a burger from Bend Burger. I ordered the Pole Pedal Paddle burger. It included fresh cut charred jalapeños, mango ginger chutney, aged cheddar cheese, bacon, and mayonnaise. This burger was a wonderful combination of sweet and spicy. It does get messy, so be prepared. Do NOT attempt to eat this one while driving.

The fries were thick-cut and the serving size was large. However, they were a bit soggy, not crispy.

Bend Burger Company serves eight beef burgers, two chicken burgers, a tri-tip steak sandwich, BLTs, and a grilled cheese sandwich. They also have three salads. Bend Burger makes three kinds of fries, two kinds of tater tots, onion rings, and seven sauces. They serve the usual drinks plus milkshakes in six flavors.

Bend Burger is at 1939 NE 3rd Street in Bend. There’s also a Redmond location. They are open from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm daily. The prices are on the high end, but I’ve never had a bad burger there.

Best burger and fries?

So which place had the best burger and fries? I can’t really say. One burger was a smashburger, one was a classic burger, and one was a gourmet burger. If I rated just the beef patty, not including the bun or condiments, I’d have to say Americana.

The fries were easier to pick a favorite. Killer Burger’s fries were crispy and flavorful, just the way I like them.

Foodie Friday

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Yokocho Izakaya restaurant serves what it calls “Japanese & Asian comfort food.” It opened earlier this year in northeast Bend, Oregon. The restaurant was created by Kwanchanok Singhakahm (Chef Kwan) and Phanpat Namsr (Chef Nong), both originally from Thailand. A recent article notes that they enjoy serving Tokyo street food-style dishes here because it’s their “passion”, not to make money.

The interior is a work of art. Colorful posters, lanterns, and flags fill the space. Repurposed milk crates serve as seats at some of the tables.

In fact, I thought the interior was so interesting, I used a picture of it in the One to Three Photo Processing Challenge. In that challenge, participants show a single picture processed three ways.

Lines of customers waiting to get in can get long here. Near the entrance, there’s a yellow wall-mounted Pac-Man arcade game to pass the time.

There’s a small outdoor seating area by the front door.

Yokocho Izakaya restaurant food options

Their menu includes skewers, salads, small plates, noodle dishes, rice dishes, and several sides. There are a few dessert choices as well. Yokocho Izakaya restaurant has a large selection of sake, served hot or cold. Drinks include cocktails and mocktails with interesting names as well as beer, wine, tea, soft drinks, and Thai tea.

Bento

On my first visit, I had a bento box and the house sake. As you can see, it doesn’t look like a traditional bento box. This one included miso soup, seaweed salad, gyoza dumplings, karaage fried chicken with lemon aioli, and a yaki onigri (grilled Japanese rice ball glazed with sweet sauce). I especially liked the gyoza and chicken. Though I’m no expert on sake, I really liked the flavor of the sake I ordered.

Side dishes

On my next visit, I ordered several dishes. My first picture shows sides of Edamame and Agedashi Tofu. The steamed edamame beans were nice and salty on the outside and moist inside. The deep-fried tofu had a crunchy thin layer on the outside and silky and soft inside. The tofu is served with a dashi sauce and a topping of scallions and bonito flakes. Both were very good.

My next picture shows a serving of Okonomiyaki. This seafood pancake is covered with okonomiyaki sauce and mayonnaise. The garnish includes bonito flakes and seaweed. I thought it was good, but craved a stronger seafood taste.

Main dishes

The next photo is of the Teriyaki Don main dish. The grilled chicken is served with teriyaki sauce , and veggies, garnished with scallions and sesame seeds. The chicken was moist and tender and I really liked the flavor of the sauce. I preferred this chicken in this dish over the karaage chicken I had on my previous visit.

My dining companion ordered the Karaage Curry main dish. The chicken is deep-fried and served with a Japanese curry sauce. The sauce was tasty and the dish was beautifully presented.

Menu

I’m including two photos of the menu.

Hours and location

Yokocho Izakaya is open six days a week from 12:00 to 3:00 pm and 5:00 to 9:00 pm. It is closed on Wednesdays. This restaurant is located off the beaten path at 1900 NE Division St., Suite 110 in Bend, Oregon.

I’ve liked Yokocho Izakaya so far. However, several people noted how uncomfortable the milk crate seats at some of the tables are in their comments. Perhaps they can address this issue in a creative way.

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Foodie Friday