Burger Week Profile: Spirit of 77

Burger Week runs August 11-17th

Spirit of 77, the cavernous shrine to the Trailblazers, boozing, and the glories of the gluttonous bar food such pastimes require, threw us a curveball by offering one of Burger Week’s two vegetarian burgers (out of a field of 20). This isn’t one of those factory-frozen gluten pucks that used to define the “veggie patty” — they put together a seriously flavorful, well-textured patty of their own.

• Chris Onstad
• Spirit of 77’s Housemade Veggie Burger. Fries not included.

Their housemade patty (made from black beans, roasted red pepper, spinach, and quinoa) has a deep and earthy complexity, with quinoa rounding out a far more satisfying mouthfeel than most veggie patties offer. The rich flavors of the roasted red pepper aioli add a meaty savor, and classic burger fixings finish it out. It’s served on a whole wheat bun.

You could probably rotate a high school gymnasium inside this place and not hit a rafter, so even if sports aren’t your thing, you can roll in for solid food, the huge bar program, and, get this: skee ball lanes, a basketball free-throw arcade, foosball, and pinball. I may not actually know who the Trailblazers are (they have something to do with a giant red-headed man, it seems), but I can seriously hand a dude his ass at skee ball, so even I get a kick out of this place. Don’t pigeonhole the ’77.

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Read all the Burger Week details here!

The Portland Mercury would like to thank our partners once again this year, world-class meat provider Nicky USA, Widmer Brothers Brewing, and Jim Beam Kentucky Fire!

Important reminder: THESE BURGERS WILL SELL OUT. Last year’s restaurants had one main issue with the event last year, and that was people getting angry and rude when they found out that they are part of a reality where restaurants that are getting slammed run out of food. We have better forecasting numbers this year, but please: go early, be kind, get a drink, and, most importantly, a $5 burger is a privilege, not a right. You know what someone who acts like a horse’s ass is? Hint: It has two enormous buttocks and large poops fall out of the middle.