Platinum winner of “Best Restaurant” by CommunityVotes Bend in 2023, as well as “Best Burger in 2022 and 2023 and “Best Fries” in 2023. Plus 2nd place in “Best Food Cart” in SourceWeekly in 2023. Not bad for Joe Franco’s cart that’s just a few years old.
I’m a fan, particularly of the OG, their basic smashburger. They do put shredded lettuce on it and it can be a little sauce heavy, but it’s a great burger.
Their other burgers, and the specials, tend to go big in a way that doesn’t do it for me (like The Gaucho).
The fries though really take Americana another level up. They are kinda McDonald’s style, which a famous for a reason, but seasoned with something reminiscent of Lawry’s but really reminds me of the Taco John’s Potato Oles seasoning.
From Janay Wright’s review:
While most smash burgers are cooked by continually smashing and flipping the burger, The Americana allows the burger to cook in place on the grill, forming a crust on the bottom.
The two patties flared beyond the bun on all sides like a skirt, dotted with melted cheese. The additional crispiness formed by allowing the patty to sizzle in place on the grill was visible.
Don’t miss it.