Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Old Town

Old Town, located on SE Belmont St. in Portland, Oregon, serves burgers, hot dogs, and gyros.




Old Town is heavily Chicago-influenced, from the decor to the food. They make their own burgers, using 100 percent Angus beef. The Italian Beef sandwich and their Chicago Dog are among their most popular menu items, with their Philly Cheesesteak and gyros also selling well. Old Town also may have a couple of specials each day.

I inquired about their Chicago Dog, and was told (presumably by the manager/owner) that they use poppy seed buns, the neon green relish, pickled sport peppers, etc. The poppy seed bun alone sold me, so I got the Chicago Dog ($4.99).

Hot dog portion of their menu
Chicago Dog...so colorful, so delicious
The presentation of the Chicago Dog was amazingly colorful and just screamed "Chicago Dog!" Just a burst of lovely flavors just hit every taste bud. Tangy mustard; the bite of white onion; sweet relish; mild sport pepper heat; the salty, meaty wiener; and the refreshing tomato. What can I say...it's a classic Chicago Dog. Just having that poppy seed bun was a bonus. I've seen establishments that try to sell a Chicago Dog without the poppy seed bun; I just shake my head at that.

I did not detect celery salt in my Chicago Dog (it's also not on the menu description). While it's true that there are several variations of the Chicago Dog, I feel celery salt should be a part of that Chicago Dog experience. Ultimately, this Chicago Dog was worth the $4.99.

While the service was good, there wasn't much activity at peak lunch hour on a Saturday. The workers were busying themselves by texting on their cell phone or reading, which just looks unprofessional. The decor reminds me of an upscale Chicago-influenced sports bar (but there's also a banner for the Portland Trail Blazers in there, too). It's a very bright and inviting place. Old Town seems like a good place to go to watch a sporting event. Overall, a positive experience. 6.5/10

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