Off The Griddle Declares Opening Date on SE Foster

Sister restaurant to East Burnside’s A.N.D. Cafe, Off the Griddle will fire up the burners on April 22 at 6526 SE Foster Rd., owners Ashley Arthur and Dan Harding tell Eater. Their signature lineup of from-scratch veggie burgers with gluten or gluten-free bun options began as a food truck in 2010 and garnered a solid following at the time.

The Off the Griddle food truck was known for its DIY approach—even the griddles were solar powered—and the brick and mortar will continue to offer house-made patties, cheeses, spice blends, and more. “There weren’t all the food artisans making vegan products that there are now,” says Arthur. “We didn’t have a choice but to make everything from scratch. That’s our thing.”

The menu features the same signature burgers, like the jalapeno cheeseburger and the barbecue-tempeh-bacon-and-blue-”cheese” burger. Leeks, mushrooms, wild brown rice, and spices form the house patty, which Aurthor says is not meant to mimic meat. The basic version comes with lettuce, tomato, grilled onion, and vegan mayo, with adds like tempeh bacon, fried egg, and house-made vegan cheeses.

What’s new are appetizers, sandwiches, and an entire vegan mac and cheese menu. “I’m most excited about the fried ‘chicken’ sandwich,” says Harding. “We’re hoping to do vegan fried chicken on gluten-free waffles when brunch starts in about a month.” There’s also a “tuna” melt featuring jackfruit.

The full bar comes with 10 taps and a fleet of signature cocktails that’ll make anyone born in the late 70s or early 80s blush: Don’t Go Chasing Watermelons, Tonic Youth, Mister Tea, and many more.

To kick things off, Off the Griddle will be open Wednesday through Monday, from 3 to 11 p.m. It will be family friendly until 9 p.m. The opening-day celebration on April 22 includes a veggie burger piñata full of t-shirts, gift certificates, and the like, as well as all-day happy hour. Stay tuned for an Eater Inside featuring photos of the interior, fully tricked out with a 1988-to-1993 theme.

• Off the Griddle [Official Facebook]
• All Previous Off the Griddle Coverage [EPDX]