Some great food carts have parked outside Belmont Station over the years (The Italian Market, Monk's Deli, etc.), and virtually all of them sold sandwiches or burgers. Monster Smash Burgers is the latest cart to occupy the space.
As one might expect, the menu is very simple: smash burgers and fries. It's all a la carte here, no meal deals. There's even a vegan smash burger option or a salad to fit more of the Portland vibe. Everything is cooked to order, with ticket times around the 10-15 minute range.
I got the OG Smash Burger ($12) with a small side of fries ($4). The fries only get seasoned with sea salt and come with garlic aioli on the side.
The OG Smash has two thin beef patties, American cheese, house-made pickles, and monster sauce on a toasted brioche bun. It's a fairly hefty burger that's well worth the $12 price tag. The patties are smashed very thin, to the point where the edges are borderline crispy. The sweet butter pickles cut through all the heaviness. Excellent Monster sauce. Delicious and well-seasoned, all properly executed.
I wasn't expecting such a large portion in a small fries that took up half the burger basket. Perfectly crispy fries here, some of the best I've had in Portland. Admittedly, I thought they were salted a bit too much, but the garlic aioli was excellent, and the added saltiness made me reach for the beer a bit more. Well played.
Even on a Monday afternoon, typically the slowest time for food carts outside of downtown, there were a few customers that trickled in for a late lunch and a pint.
Monster Smash Burgers was a smash hit in my book. I hope they will be around on my next trip to Portland, because Belmont Station is an automatic pit stop every time I visit. 8.75/10
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