All-Way Burger Closes Downtown

When Peter Bro of Broder opened All-Way Burger in the former Red Coach space less than a year ago, he brought his own version of trashy fast food, mostly inspired by the In-N-Out burger chain, to Portland. The result was burgers that reveled in simplicity, with staff doing endless tastings to get the right fast-food flavors out of homemade ingredients. Days were spent trying to determine the order of the ingredients between the buns. Special sauce beneath or on top of the burger? Lettuce on the burger or on the side?

Despite earning a following of die-hard fans, All-Way Burger announced yesterday by Facebook that it has closed. As you can read below, owners Bro and Martin Hulth say that they are not abandoning the All-Way concept.

But what will happen to the Downtown space, formerly home to the Red Coach for 55 years? Will the old-school red booths ever see another round of milkshakes and onion rings?

Here's All-Way's closing announcement from Facebook:

It is with much deliberation that we have decided to close All-Way downtown. We opened on SW Broadway in the Charles F. Berg building last November with hopes of bridging old Portland with new Portland and bringing our idea of what a classic burger can be to our beautiful city. Our focus was placed on real quality and service in a space that we felt evoked a true "burger joint" tucked away in the heart of the city. We wanted to pay homage to our former tenant, the Red Coach, while we paved our own path. The feedback from their customers has been so positive that it has truly warmed our hearts. And the new customers we have gained, both the regulars and those seeking us out for the first time, have given us the kindest words we could ask for. They understand what we were going for and it’s made this decision that much harder.

But know that we have not let go of the concept of All-Way. The burger and all that comes with it will re-emerge in some form or another before you know it. We know we have a good thing going on here - trust us, you’ve made us very aware - so this just the first chapter. Thank you to all the customers who partook in this first incarnation. We hope you stick around to see where our next adventure takes us!

-Martin and Peter