Skyline Burgers on Broadway

I’m so torn on what to give this place. I want to like it, in fact on my first visit I would’ve given it 4 or 5 stars, but ever since then, it’s been a «Meh» experience.
The burgers aren’t anything special, on par price-​wise with most other burger joints in town though the quality can vary greatly depending on the day. I like that they have customizable burgers, and my favorite is the red pepper and feta burger. The first time I went, I had dreams about that burger afterward, and the fry sauce. The fry sauce is where it’s at there. My third experience, the other week, left me wanting. The burger was dry and the toppings weren’t nearly as good — and they were out of Fry sauce! How do you run out of fry sauce? I’m almost positivie you have all the ingredients for it somewhere in the back.
Everytime I’ve been the same guy has been working the front of the house. He is a nice enough guy and my service has been quick enough (when I go out to dinner, I am in no rush) but here’s the thing: When you go out to eat, you do a certain dance with waitstaff. They seat you and provide you a menu, wait a couple minutes and get situated with drinks. They’ll ask for when you’re ready to order, and come back if you aren’t. When you do order, and are waiting for your food — they may come do a table check if the kitchen is slow (and trust me– here, the kitchen is slow, the last time we came in as 3 groups were finishing up and saw no one else in there ordering food, and we still waited a long time), bring you your food, then ask about desserts, then bring the check. These things don’t really happen here, though the server did anticipate our needs at the end of the meal and bring a box for some leftovers. However, we seated ourselves (which is fine) brought menus, never asked abotu drinks, ordered food, food was brought, fry sauce was declined (and no other options offered such as ranch, etc which would’ve been the appropriate response) then check/​box were brought over.
On our second visit here, a milkshake had been ordered with my girlfriend’s meal, and was never brought over — hence I think our hesitance in ordering anything but water on the third visit.
It’s a little divey on the inside, but that doesn’t bother me. The issues here are, lack of adequate front staff, a slow kitchen, average food and average prices. There’s nothing spectacular. Luckily on our third visit, we did have a groupon so it was a little more worthwile. What’s funny though, is that we were going to provide it with the check, but the server brought the check over with the groupon discount on it already. We still gave it to him to redeem, but even the server knew — at this point hardly anyone is coming in without it.
As my experiences have been on a downward trend, it is unlikely that I will come here without a groupon in the future.

The service was really attentive. I had a loaded hotdog, which was good (kind of hard to mess up a hotdog though). My friend had a Philly Cheesesteak. He thought it a little dry, but overall pretty tasty. Good fries too. Unfortunately they appeared to be remodeling, so they couldn’t make shakes, but had a decent beer selection. Seems like a good place for happy hour or late night (pool tables, etc). We were happy.

I stopped in just after one on a Tuesday. The place was empty except for one table and smelled of old restaurant. The sever didn’t smile once.
The fries were numerous but almost room temperature and flavorless.
The cheeseburger was slightly warmer.
Nothing special.
I won’t be back, because why bother?
But an extra star because they brought a huge glass of ice water.

I gotta say… this place has went a little bit down hill since I was here last year. Came here for lunch and service was super unattentive and lacked communication. Service was very unorganized, food was so-​so, and the décor needed some BANG for sure!
Maybe my memory is a bit foggy? I really liked this place last time so I’ll be back to give them another shot this summer, I just hope they ready!

This poor place is sad. The floors were dirty and ripped up looking. Half the tables had old food on them even though it was dead inside. Crumbs everywhere! Ripped up chairs! It doesn’t look like they put any money into cleaning or updating.
There was only about 4 older sad lonely looking men dining in here by themselves during lunch. They had all the blinds pulled down on their big windows so the sun wouldn’t come in and ruin a projected rerun of a basketball interview blasting on the wall. It made the place seem dim and dreadful. The server was friendly but really awkward. The food was okay but I just felt like if the front of house was so trashed that the kitchen probably has roaches and rats and all the horrible things going on back there!
They should apply to be on kitchen nightmares because I want to know all the nasty things going on in the back room!

I’ve sat on this one for a bit because I thought that time would allow me to feel a little less upset about my experience at Skyline Burgers on NE Broadway.
Sadly, time hasn’t healed the wounds.
Here’s the quick & dirty:
Summary:
Abysmal service, filthy dining area, one of Portland’s worst and most overpriced burgers.
Details:
I have worked in the service industry for years. When you are running a skeleton crew and you’ve just had a lunch rush, you best be kicking ass with the cleanup if your doors are still open after lunch. It’s my opinion that it is unacceptable to leave the dining room in a condition in which it made my wife and I consider turning around and walking out that door without even being seated.
Our server was awful (I’m not expecting to have every server deliver a sunshine rainbow enema but… when a server is a terrible communicator, has awful customer service skills & is generally disinterested in customers and their job it’s time to consider a different line of work).
And then there was the burger.
This was the worst burger I have ever spent money on in Portland… No joke. There isn’t anything nice I can say about it so I will leave it at that.
In a town saturated with burgers and everyone clamoring for burger recognition, you’d best be kicking ass with your burger. I’m disappointed that we had this experience. When an experience is this bad there is simply no chance that I would consider a repeat visit in hopes that I just happened to come in on an ‘off day’.

This is how I wouldn’t recommend this place.,
We came in from their recent Groupon at 12:30pm today for lunch. After seating ourselves and noticing we were the fourth table, and waiting no more than 5mins, to be greeted by someone, I finally walked up to the bar and grabbed two very filthy food covers menus.
Finally after 10 – 12 mins later, a waiter brought our waters. It did take us a moment to look over the menu, because when you finally receive your burger, trust me, it’s not like the pics they have on their site.
Enough said, it took almost 40mins to get our New York & French dip sandwich.
«I could have made the same at home with all the comforts!»
What a waste from groupon!

I’ve not given one star before. Reading other reviews your best bet would be to come after dusk… I was here in the day… My bet is the better staff and cook are afraid of sunlight and wait until dusk to come forth… Much like a vampire.
Food– burger had no flavor. Fries no seasoning and cold.
Beer– half the taps were empty
Waiter– we had to tell him we were ready to order. Had to get our own ketchup even though I asked for it. He didn’t come back to check on us once.

I have eaten from here lots. I will tell you that these guys have one of the best corn dogs I’ve ever had. Their burgers aren’t anything unique but they are extremely good. They know how to cook an egg and put it on a burger. They are awesome at keeping the juices at a nice level so the buns don’t get soggy. And it’s been that way every time.
BUT
There consistency isn’t always a good one. I have consistently had something off on my order or something forgotten. Missing a corn dog, not taking off onions, not adding on avocado, etc… Definitely one of the bigger put-​offs.
Common mistakes when ordering burgers.
I do love this food, but the constant mistakes is very unappealing.

Perhaps it’s that we’re not all that sophisticated .
Or … maybe we accidently came on a «good» day — a Saturday evening about 5:30 p.m.
Based on many of the reviews of Skyline Burgers on Broadway, Sweetie and I were expecting to slide in the door on a sheen of floor grease, be assaulted by fowl odors — in short, we considered dressing in hazmat suits before we entered.
Instead, the place was quite clean looking and smelling. The bathrooms were clean, considering that the place had been open all day long. Our table and chairs were clean. The carpet could use a good deep cleaning, but certainly no worse than many, many other restaurants.
We expected bad service from a surly waitperson. True, one gal had the entire «front of the house» by herself. Nicknamed «Candy Face» (a/​k/​a Candice — she didn’t get to choose it, she said) was tasked with making the shakes and malts, fetching beverages, taking orders and serving meals.
Candice was organized, efficient. She looked serious, but then, she acted like a person focusing of providing good service to the seven occupied tables. All was good in this department.
Sweetie ordered the «The 1935» a classic cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato, and had the fries that came with it. I created a «Build a Burger» adding smoked Gouda cheese and mushrooms with Thousand Island dressing– and opted for the Tater Tots.
Sweetie also ordered a chocolate/​peanut butter shake. It was thick, and tasty she said.
Although we aren’t into team sports, we couldn’t help but watch the giant projection television. We also watched folks dodging raindrops on the sidewalk outside the big plate glass windows.
In about 15 minutes, out came our burgers — on a nice large plate — that also held our fries and tots. The items were hot and tasted fresh. Candice also delivered a stack of napkins with the plates — we didn’t have to ask.
Sweetie asked for some mayo on the side. No problem; Candice delivered with a smile in a couple of minutes.
Shortly after we tucked into our burgers, Candice stopped by to see if the food was okay. This is a hallmark of good service for us.
Both burgers came on a 4-​inch Beaverton Bakery bun — big enough to hold the burgers together, slightly sweet, just right. They were both properly prepared with fresh ingenious. Fortunately, they also give you a big knife to cut it.
One knock — something other reviewers noted: The Tater Tots had relatively strong fishy smell. Due to the increased surface of Tater Tots (all the dimples, nooks and crannies), they probably retain more oil. I didn’t notice the smell on Sweetie’s fries.
Suggestion: Get Frialator Fryer Oil Filter or similar unit. Check the used racks at local restaurant supply stores for a used unit. They really extend the life of the cooking oil. Or, change the oil more frequently than once every couple of months!
Their burgers and shakes are priced at the same level as most other full-​service, upscale burger restaurants. Our food was good. Our service was good. For what more can one ask?

I want so badly to love this place. I have 2 young children who would eat burger or chicken strips and fries every night of the week if I’d let them. I live 5 blocks away. The pricing is very reasonable, the menu is expansive and inclusive for omnivores and vegetarians alike, and the restaurant is comfortable enough. But after 2 visits each 1 year apart, I don’t think I’ll go back unless I’m in a moment of 5:45pm what-​the-​heck-​will-​I-​do-​for-​dinner panic. Two reasons: mediocre food and horrible service.
On both visits I entered a nearly-​empty restaurant, once for a late (2pm) lunch alone, once for an early (5:30pm) dinner with kids. In both cases, although there were at least 2 or 3 staff members milling around, it took several minutes longer than you’d think necessary for someone, anyone to acknowledge me. I’m 6’0 tall and often dress with bright accessories… I’m sure they saw me.
The waiter on both occasions was the same guy, so maybe my beef is with this one waiter, maybe a different waiter would have made it different. On the first visit he came back eventually to take my drink order and then my food order. On the second visit, with my 2 kids, he dropped 3 full menus on the table and ran off. When he finally came back I asked if he had any kids menus and he said «Oh, i think we’re out of them. The kids menu has on it…» and he quickly rattled of 5 or 7 things like burgers, chicken strips, mac and cheese and whatnot, I’m not sure he was talking so fast and seemed so annoyed. I don’t think I heard all the options and I know my 7 and 9 year old didnt. Geesh, sorry to bug you for something that is more than standard at every other family-​friendly burger joint.
Placed orders. The first time, the food took about 15 minutes for a veggie burger, fries, diet coke. The second time it was closer to 25 minutes for 2 kids orders and my order, at which point my kids were nuts with hunger and boredom. Let me point out that on the 1^st visit I think I may have been the only patron, and on the second one there were only 2 other tables filled.
The food, when it eventually came, was not hot, the fries were hardly warm. I would have said something to the waiter, but he disappeared so fast and never checked back on us except to drop off the bill. Also, given the wait for food I was starving and would have eating the straws if that’s all they had.
Sorry Skyline, I want to love you, but you need to seriously upgrade your service if you want my business back. We’ll be going to Burgerville instead.

The cons definitely outweigh the pros at this place. I’ll start with the pros because the list is short: the fries sauce is delicious, the cheap beer is cheap, and the french fries were crispy. Now for the cons! Do not look in the kitchen! It was filthy dirty and turned my stomach. The bacon on my sandwich was burned, the lettuce was wilted, they messed up ³⁄₅ of our orders, and the wait staff was surly. I’ll never go back, especially when Killer Burger is just up the street and 100x better.

My Son as we walk down NE Broadway looking for a place to eat: «Mom, I will only eat lunch at Skyline Burgers.»
Me: «But look at the windows. They are so dirty. That is a bad sign.»
We go anyway because he clearly controls me. We sit down. The place fills up. A guy comes and cleans the windows (look at that!). There is only one server so the service is slow. The burgers taste pretty good.
If the guy didn’t come clean the windows and the server didn’t have a nice smile, this would be a 2 star. I am in a good mood.

Tonight marks my 3^rd and final trip to Skyline burgers. Granted, the burgers are good, the service is some of the worst I’ve ever seen. We waited nearly 15 minutes just for the waitress to come and take our order. We actually stood up to leave, but as we were approaching the door she asked us if there was anything that we need.
In my other two experiences, the service was just as terrible. In fact, the first time we came here spent 35 minutes waiting in our burger… And the place was empty!
I kept hoping that my two previous experiences were just a fluke, but tonight has sealed the deal… We will never return here.

So far not impressed. We have been here for 20 minutes and no waters after asking three times. They seem to be Very under staffed. Let’s see how the food is…
30 minutes, waters arrived. No food or napkins.
40 minutes. Food finally came. Burger was great. Fries had a slight fish taste.
Sorry not a fan.

Had a Groupon to this place. Never been before. More than likely will never come again. The burger was good, I will admit. I built my own and it was tasty. However, the service was absolutely horrendous. One server working the entire restaurant? Not only that but the guy was slow, lazy, and clearly gave the impression that he didn’t care. No refills. Screwed up my order. Slow slow slow.
Stay away.

Skyline ain’t nothin’ fancy. But with that in mind it’s a solid burger joint.
I’ve tried a few things on the menu and have always been pleased. My favorite of which was the New York Burger which has pastrami and swiss cheese. Fatty and delicious. The whole thing is very rich but it truly begs you to keep going. This isn’t typically something I would order — it was the burger week special — but I’m so glad it ended up in front of me. I’ve also tried the Chipotle Mayo/​Avo Burger. This was also good and has a kick, which was rounded out nicely by the avocado. The buns are nothing to speak of, more of a simple vehicle to get the patty in your mouth. Fries are awesome, nice and crispy just like fries should be.
You can get any of the burgers with turkey or a veggie patty. I went with a friend who enjoyed the turkey burger although I can’t speak for it personally. Skyline isn’t the type of place I’d experiment with a salad but they are on the menu.
They also have a full bar with a decent tap listing. I had a whiskey ginger which was nothing special but also pretty standard as far as dive bars go. Plus — it was happy hour on a Saturday so it was cheap!
There is huge patio in the back but alas I’ve never gone when it’s nice enough to enjoy it. You can also place pinball or big buck hunger while you wait for your food. The wait is never too long though… most of the times I’ve been it has been pretty empty.
My husband and his pals did the Quadzilla Challenge. It’s 4 Patties (32oz of meat), 4 slices of bacon, 4 onion rings, MEGA mayo (eww), onions, pickles and lettuce, buns, a large soda and a pound of fries! All of it in 30 mins! Our kind waiter said only about 10% of people are successful. The meal is $ 25 unless of course you’re victorious and then it’s on the house. Pictures do not do this monstrosity justice. 3 food loving men were humbled by this beast.
Skyline is the sort of greasy spoon place where you want to stick of the basics. Since Burger is in the name of the restaurant I figure it’s what you should go with right? So far I haven’t been disappointed.

This had better been worth it I was thinking. I traveled from Denver to Seattle and to a Short Train Trip to Portland.
I walked in around Mid Day. Was promptly greeted. And I sat at the bar. Looked over the menu and ordered a Strawberry Shake with Malt in the mean time.
Then ordered the Tomb Stone burger with its BBQ sauce. The Burger was big and I definitely used the Knife to cut it into ¼ Slices so i could manage to eat it. It was medium well and not to much red and still juicy and delicious. I opted for Onion Rings instead of fries. And I could tell they weren’t the frozen variety. Its easy on the pocket book and filling.
The Bathroom was clean, but its shared with a few other business’ so if its dirty don’t put blame on Skyline Burgers. And they have Huge Screen TVs inside and a few pinball games.
Its definitely worth a trip again.

Meh. That is the perfect description for Skyline Burgers. The food is meh, the atmosphere is meh, and the service might be slightly above meh.
There are so many other places nearby with better food, not quite sure how this place has lasted so long.
I do hear that their Malts and Shakes are really great but I’ve yet to try one.

This place is alright. It’s kind of a «malt and fries» burger place, rather than a «gourmet» burger place.
You know, the type of place that is all about having all sorts of burgers, with all sorts of names. How are they different? In the ways they mix and match toppings. This is NOT the kind place that will ask you how you want your burger cooked. They likely cook ‘em one way, if you know what I mean.
Having said that, they are pretty decent if you’re in the mood for this sort of burger.
The interior looks very out-​of-​place for the neighborhood, that’s not necessarily a *bad* thing, mind you. It vaguely reminds me of «Steak and Shake».
They also had Boneyard IPA on tap when I was there, which may or may be my favorite beer.
This review may have even got bumped a star because of this…