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Portland's Biggest Guilty Pleasure Restaurants, Mapped

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Image of the Original Pancake House courtesy mattlemmon via Flickr

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On Friday, Eater asked readers to name their restaurant guilty pleasures, and the responses revealed that Portlanders largely fall into two camps of shame. There are those who feel guilty about restaurants that might elicit ire from foodie friends (conveyor-belt sushi and fast food chains were the recurring themes); and there are those whose guilt lies in consuming fat-filled gut-bombs that certain restaurants serve (Portlanders, it seems, feel particularly guilty every time they eat a burger).

With those different definitions in mind, we now present this map of the commonly named favorites (or representative guilty dishes). They're here in random order; and the complete list of guilty-pleasure dishes is at the end of the post. If your favorite is still missing from the party, do add it to the comments.


The complete list of guilty pleasures:
Thin crust Domino's Pizza · burgers at Little Big Burger · anything fattening at Le Pigeon · anything fattening at Tasty N Sons · non-ice cream offerings at Dairy Queen · a cheesesteak with potato chips at Shut up and Eat · Du's Grill · Dutch tacos at FlavourSpot · lobster agnolotti at A Cena · burgers at Humdinger's · burgers at Skyline Restaurant (with a malt) · anything at Taste Tickler · ice cream at Salt & Straw · slurpees at 7-11 · cheddar biscuits at Red Lobster · fried chicken and waffles at Screen Door · hot dogs at Gil's Speakeasy · egg and sausage sandwich at Bunk Bar · nachos at Night Light Lounge · burgers at Hollywood Burger Bar · burritos at Cha Cha Cha · burgers at Cassidy's · the burger at Bar Bar · Burgerville · Javier's Taco

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Acapulco's Gold

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NW Mexican dive Acapulco's Gold is best known for its potent margaritas, but a few readers admit to craving its "greasy, cheesy" gut-bombs after a drink or two. Writes one, "Cheesy, meaty, creamy Tex-Mex is something we rarely indulge in but when we do, we go all out."

The Original Pancake House

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One reader spills his/her love for a boozy crepe at a Portland institution: "I confess it's the the Tahitian Maiden's Dream at the Original Pancake House on Barbur." For the uninitiated, the oddly-named entree fills a crepe with bananas and sour cream, tempers it with Triple Sec, sherry and brandy, and finally tops the thing with more bananas and apricot sauce.

Taco Bell

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Of all the fast-food joints available in the Pacific Northwest, Taco Bell is by far Portland's biggest guilty pleasure. Both the late-night drive-through (apparently open for drunk eating at 2:30a.m.) and its Crunchy Taco Supremes get props. (No love yet, though, for the Doritos hard shell.)

Sushi Hana & SushiLand

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Conveyor-belt sushi was a recurring "guilty pleasure" theme, with one vote each for the tracks at mini-chains SushiLand and Sushi Hana. Writes one reader of the latter, it's "mediocre at best, but I keep going back."

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

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Along with Taco Bell, Popeyes Louisiana Chicken is the other chain readers confess to craving, with varying degrees of shame. Writes one, "Popeye's with no close second. I really don't feel that guilty about it either."

Foster Burger

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For a guilty pleasure of the gut-busting variety, fries topped with gravy does the trick for one reader, who heads to Foster Burger for its "poutine with all of its cheesy, curdy, gravy, carb, salt goodness."

Original Hotcake And Steak House

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One commenter admits to loving a particular experience at SE Powell's Original Hotcake House, suggesting the best time to go is at 3a.m. The ideal? "Listening to 'I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)' on repeat until the fry cook unplugs the jukebox."

The Old Spaghetti Factory

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Featuring a dining room laden with railway cars and stained glass, the Portland outpost of the Old Spaghetti Factory chain is better known for its kitsch decor than its food. But one reader admits to regular visits thanks to its kid-friendliness: "When I'm lazy it's close, cheap, quick/easy, and my kid loves it."

Lardo East

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Another entry in the "fries topped with things" guilty-pleasure canon: fries that meet meat at Lardo. One reader pines for the spot's fries topped with pork scraps: "My stomach still hurts from the last batch I ate weeks ago but oddly I'm craving them."

Overlook Restaurant

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This true greasy spoon provides the classic Greek diner experience: a well-worn lounge, video poker, and massive portions. (Not usually part of the diner experience: the restaurant's massive indoor fireplace.) One commenter reveals the spot's chicken-fried steak as his guilty pleasure — probably for good reason. According to the menu, one portion includes two steaks (with eggs), topped with sausage gravy.

Voodoo Doughnut

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Because a frequent topic of conversation amongst Portlanders is the touristy nature of Voodoo Doughnuts, the land of pink boxes has been relegated to the "guilty pleasure" zone. But some folks admit to craving the treats, particularly Voodoo's famous bacon maple bar.

Pine State Biscuits

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A couple votes came in for Pine State Biscuits' most famous breakfast sandwich, presumably because it's a "breakfast sandwich" that can serve as several meals: the Reggie Deluxe features fried chicken, bacon, a fried egg, and cheese on two biscuits, topped with gravy.

Fong Chong

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While foodies flock to the restaurants lining 82nd Avenue for dim sum, one reader calls "greasy dim sum in rundown Chinatown" his guilty pleasure. Tip: "Go for the baked bao and fun gor at Fong Chong!"

Michael's Italian Beef & Sausage co

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Here's a guilty pleasure that isn't a burger: Michael's Italian Beef and Sausage Co. serves up Chicago-style sandwiches with two kinds of meat (beef and sausage, if that wasn't clear), on top of which you can add chili for an extra $2. One reader says it's his gut-bomb pleasure "...with a side of fries."

Fred Meyer

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Fred Meyer's Hawthorne location has a sushi track? Apparently it does, and more than one reader admits to sitting down for sushi in the middle of a shopping trip.

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Acapulco's Gold

NW Mexican dive Acapulco's Gold is best known for its potent margaritas, but a few readers admit to craving its "greasy, cheesy" gut-bombs after a drink or two. Writes one, "Cheesy, meaty, creamy Tex-Mex is something we rarely indulge in but when we do, we go all out."

The Original Pancake House

One reader spills his/her love for a boozy crepe at a Portland institution: "I confess it's the the Tahitian Maiden's Dream at the Original Pancake House on Barbur." For the uninitiated, the oddly-named entree fills a crepe with bananas and sour cream, tempers it with Triple Sec, sherry and brandy, and finally tops the thing with more bananas and apricot sauce.

Taco Bell

Of all the fast-food joints available in the Pacific Northwest, Taco Bell is by far Portland's biggest guilty pleasure. Both the late-night drive-through (apparently open for drunk eating at 2:30a.m.) and its Crunchy Taco Supremes get props. (No love yet, though, for the Doritos hard shell.)

Sushi Hana & SushiLand

Conveyor-belt sushi was a recurring "guilty pleasure" theme, with one vote each for the tracks at mini-chains SushiLand and Sushi Hana. Writes one reader of the latter, it's "mediocre at best, but I keep going back."

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen

Along with Taco Bell, Popeyes Louisiana Chicken is the other chain readers confess to craving, with varying degrees of shame. Writes one, "Popeye's with no close second. I really don't feel that guilty about it either."

Foster Burger

For a guilty pleasure of the gut-busting variety, fries topped with gravy does the trick for one reader, who heads to Foster Burger for its "poutine with all of its cheesy, curdy, gravy, carb, salt goodness."

Original Hotcake And Steak House

One commenter admits to loving a particular experience at SE Powell's Original Hotcake House, suggesting the best time to go is at 3a.m. The ideal? "Listening to 'I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)' on repeat until the fry cook unplugs the jukebox."

The Old Spaghetti Factory

Featuring a dining room laden with railway cars and stained glass, the Portland outpost of the Old Spaghetti Factory chain is better known for its kitsch decor than its food. But one reader admits to regular visits thanks to its kid-friendliness: "When I'm lazy it's close, cheap, quick/easy, and my kid loves it."

Lardo East

Another entry in the "fries topped with things" guilty-pleasure canon: fries that meet meat at Lardo. One reader pines for the spot's fries topped with pork scraps: "My stomach still hurts from the last batch I ate weeks ago but oddly I'm craving them."

Overlook Restaurant

This true greasy spoon provides the classic Greek diner experience: a well-worn lounge, video poker, and massive portions. (Not usually part of the diner experience: the restaurant's massive indoor fireplace.) One commenter reveals the spot's chicken-fried steak as his guilty pleasure — probably for good reason. According to the menu, one portion includes two steaks (with eggs), topped with sausage gravy.

Voodoo Doughnut

Because a frequent topic of conversation amongst Portlanders is the touristy nature of Voodoo Doughnuts, the land of pink boxes has been relegated to the "guilty pleasure" zone. But some folks admit to craving the treats, particularly Voodoo's famous bacon maple bar.

Pine State Biscuits

A couple votes came in for Pine State Biscuits' most famous breakfast sandwich, presumably because it's a "breakfast sandwich" that can serve as several meals: the Reggie Deluxe features fried chicken, bacon, a fried egg, and cheese on two biscuits, topped with gravy.

Fong Chong

While foodies flock to the restaurants lining 82nd Avenue for dim sum, one reader calls "greasy dim sum in rundown Chinatown" his guilty pleasure. Tip: "Go for the baked bao and fun gor at Fong Chong!"

Michael's Italian Beef & Sausage co

Here's a guilty pleasure that isn't a burger: Michael's Italian Beef and Sausage Co. serves up Chicago-style sandwiches with two kinds of meat (beef and sausage, if that wasn't clear), on top of which you can add chili for an extra $2. One reader says it's his gut-bomb pleasure "...with a side of fries."

Fred Meyer

Fred Meyer's Hawthorne location has a sushi track? Apparently it does, and more than one reader admits to sitting down for sushi in the middle of a shopping trip.

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