{"id":1039,"date":"2009-08-28T18:49:50","date_gmt":"2009-08-29T01:49:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/burgersdogspizza.com\/?p=1039"},"modified":"2009-08-28T18:49:50","modified_gmt":"2009-08-29T01:49:50","slug":"milwaukie-or-lews-drive-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.peterstromquist.com\/?p=1039","title":{"rendered":"Milwaukie, OR – Lew’s Drive-In"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"lews<\/a>I’ve joked before that it used to be my criteria for picking a restaurant was a sign that said “All Major Credit Cards Accepted.” Then I went on to explain in that post that these days, I look for places that are at least 20 years old, and prefer 50. Today I came to understand that’s not precisely true. I am easily swayed by old neon as well, and such was the case today driving up 99E in Oregon, thru West Linn, Oregon City, Canby, Milwaukie. I knew I was looking for something, even stopped in a few parking lots before moving on, and then I saw the Lew’s sign<\/a>, and it sucked me in.<\/p>\n

Doesn’t the sign say it all? “Drive-In.” “Coney Islands”. “Hamburgers.” I’m so there.<\/p>\n

Again my seating choice was outside, but they took my order at the inside counter after answering a few relevant (to me) questions: “Are the tots fried or baked?” “Fried.” “Does the “Coney Island Hamburger” have a hot dog on top, or just the sauce?” Just the sauce.<\/p>\n

They give me my drink cup, I waffle between lemonade and cherry coke, the latter wins. It’s been high on my drink list lately, can’t tell you why, I’ve always said I don’t have sweet tooth, guess it was a lie. Cherry Coke seems sweeter than regular. Maybe I should move back to the deep south where it’s de rigueur to put spoonfuls of sugar in your Dr. Pepper? I’m starting to ‘get that.’<\/p>\n

I overordered.\u00a0 Or as a drinker might say, “I was overserved.”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The burger was dressed with lettuce, tomato, mayo, pickle, and the coney sauce, and was pretty darned tasty.<\/p>\n

The HUGE dog has an ashen appearance, boiled or steamed too long, they turn gray before yellow (ever had a hot dog under the Eiffel Tower?).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But I ate it, the coney sauce is thick with meat and (mostly) onion, but soaks into the bun a little too much (on the burger too), making it difficult to perch this sausage to ones lips without some part of it falling back to earth.\u00a0 No sweat.<\/p>\n

Lew’s is a treat, I’d like to explore the rest of the menu<\/a> sometime, the waitress said they have killer biscuits and gravy.\u00a0 We’ll see!<\/p>\n