Hot Cake House

1002 Southeast Powell Boulevard Portland, OR 97202

Hot Cake House is a 24-hour diner in SE Portland at Powell and 10th serving up standard diner fare – breakfast and burgers. They have a tiny parking lot and a fantastic neon sign.

I feel like I should mention the ordering process, as it is somewhat unusual. You walk up to the left of the menu board, directly in front of the grill, and wait in line to order. I don’t like the idea of riff-raff lingering here and getting hair/spittle/dandruff/god-knows-what-else  on the griddle where my food is prepared, but whatever.  You then place your order at the register and pay, and this is where I got lost  – if you’re paying with a credit card, there’s a “tip” section, but I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to tip or not.  The thought of a tip didn’t even cross my mind, as it is 100% counter-service or self-serve, but I left one anyway out of confusion. Then you take a number back to your table and patiently wait.

Here’s a shot of the aforementioned grill.  When I ate there for lunch on a Saturday, there were 2 visible employees.  One cook and one person taking orders, delivering plates, and cleaning tables.  If you eat here, don’t be shocked if it takes 30-40 minutes to see your plate after you order.

They have a bunch of different burgers, as well as specialty burgers and various combos. I went with the cheeseburger and a side of french fries.

My burger:

Again, Portland, what’s with the giant cup of mayo? I’m beginning to see a trend with burgers here..

Anyway. The french fries were totally amazing. Very fresh and tasty, but in no way were they crunchy or crisp. The burger was very mediocre. It tasted like a burger you would make at home if you chose the cheapest and lowest-quality ingredients.  Kind of reminded me of burgers served in a school cafeteria.

I’ll definitely be back at Hot Cake House, but I won’t be having the burger.

Burger Ratings:

Burger: 4

The burger is very low quality, and the beef could very well be soy-based for all I know. It was relatively dry and flavorless, but it looked appealing. I wasn’t expecting much, so I wasn’t too disappointed. For having a giant neon sign hyping up their hamburgers, they should probably up their burger game a little bit.

Side: 7

The french fries at Hot Cake House are very, very good. They are not crispy or crunchy -  traits I prefer in a fry – but they are fresh cut and tasty.  Shockingly, unlike virtually all of the other food served here, they are somehow not greasy.

Environment: 4

The image you form in your head when you think of the word “diner” is what the environment here is like. Everything’s old and dirty, but you don’t care because that’s what you’re expecting.  Also reminiscent of an old Burger King sun room.

Value: 7

I paid $7.50 for a cheeseburger, enormous plate of french fries, and a soda. Hot Cake House offers giant portions at a low price, but quality and timeliness are questionable.

Hot Cake House
1002 Southeast Powell Boulevard Portland, OR 97202
(503) 236.7402

Tags: $DEALZ$, hot cake house, jukebox, mayonnaise lovers, portland, SE

Listed Under: 6 - Good