Humdinger Drive In
| Address: | 8250 SW Barbur Blvd, Portland, OR 97219, USA |
| Phone: | +1 503-246-8132 |
| Rating: | 3.7 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM 11:30AM–9PM Closed |
Location
Photos 89
Reviews 8
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Geoff Gunkler
Let me tell you about my visit to the Humdinger. Upon arrival, a wrinkly old man well in to his 90s poked his head out from behind a stovetop and rather angrily told me that it was just him there and he had this big order to make (the only other customers in the store were a nice young man and his 8 year old son) and that I would just have to wait if I wanted to order. No problem. After a few minutes he poked his head out to double down on the waiting, telling me I would have to be a very patient man if I wanted food today. Okay. After a few more minutes, he served the man and his boy and came around to me. I ordered the 1/2lb bacon cheese burger and some fries . Thats too much food for you, he told me. I told him thank you, but I was hungry and had faith in myself. Begrudgingly, he took my money and proceeded to begin the process of shuffling back behind the counter to make my massive meal. While he was cooking, two more customers came in (separately) and were each given the warning about timing. Both stayed. When my food was done it was placed on the farthest section of the counter from where I was sitting. I was later to learn that the far end is for orders, the near end for ordering, and the middle for waiting. The burger was fine. The bacon was thick and crispy. All in all, about what Id expected for a tiny drive in off the highway. So why the 5 star review? The food was ok, the service was terrible, and the prices were on the high side. But thats OK. Not everything can be McDonalds, nor should it be. If you want to be served an above average burger by a cranky crypt keeper in an odd, even slightly creepy environment, than this is for you. I loved it. Otherwise Im sure theres a Mcdonald somewhere nearby.
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Christopher Hinton
Hmmm.... let me start by saying: its wonderful to see senior citizens and retirees working and running a restaurant. But, they just didnt seem to have the social skills, and certainly not "front of house" management skills, in order to keep this restaurant going. The two tiny hamburgers you can get for $2 were really good. I like small hamburgers. Most of the menu items didnt have a price that would entice me further, and the milkshakes were especially expensive. Why they are charging that much for the milkshakes, I have no idea. (Ok, I do: margin!) The location is so unique, and I think thats why people stop by. It looks like its going to be old fashioned, nostalgic, quaint, and a fun time. Instead, there is almost no room for 2 people to pass each other inside. If you sat at a booth, the incoming customers would be RIGHT at your table. Its small! Small can be a good thing if you use it to your advantage. This restaurant is uniquely positioned in its overall landscape of Portland burger joints. All it needs is some revitalization: new management. I hope this place succeeds.
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Jason DeSomer
If you are a fan of the classic movie, Grumpy Old Men, or have a drunken Uncle you love but he still talks to you like an idiot, then you will love the service at Humdinger. They have tons of menus all over the place with no explicit order of how to order and when its time to order, the old man at the counter gets irritated very quickly. Speak loudly, because hes very old and will get irritated more if he thinks you arent talking, but he actually just cant hear you. Hes like the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld, but with burgers kinda. I brought my good boy dog and my girlfriend and we sat outside and ate. Its a very kitschy place, and if you are from the area, you should at least try it. For 2 people we spent nearly $25 for a burger and fries/tots each. That was a bit hefty in my opinion, but it was a nice day so why not. We would rate the burgers a 7.5 out of 10, and we left very full with just the 1/4 pounders, but they definitely dont skim on toppings. Greasy diner with salty customer service. Ill go back again sometime.
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Venecia Rauls
Im amazed at all the great reviews for this place because weve been there twice and the food is utter crap. Now Im no haute cuisine queen -- I love a good dive... the kind of place where the tables are sticky and the food delicious. This place has only got the sticky. The first time the food was merely mediocre: pre-made frozen hamburgers, cheap canned chili, cheap buns, and a kids meal thats basically deep fried frozen food from Sams club... only with lower quality. The only redeeming part was the milkshake, which was delicious and must have been the reason we decided to try it again. This time the food was inedible. Burned nasty fries, fish much worse than Long John Silvers, and oil that tasted a week old. It wasnt just bad, it was ill-making. Since it was takeout, I called to complain. The owner suggested that we come back and get something else. I declined and his response was "well, Im sorry." Yeah, me too. Sorry I spent $17.50 on a bunch of garbage. AVOID!
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Peter Jacobsen
This place has been around since the 80s owned and operated by the same couple since it opened. The food is greasy and delicious if thats what youre looking for in a new burger joint. The have way more than just burgers also. Its easily 3x the menu choices than ANY mainstream burger joint in town. They easily have 70+ flavors of shakes and Ive had about half of them. They are DELICIOUS! This is definitely not a spotless clean place to eat, does not have fast service seeing as how the food is hand made AFTER you order it (takes me about 15min to bbq a burger at home...), and its extremely small indoor seating (only 4-5 booths indoor and 7-8 tables outside) so if youre looking for a delicious homemade burger topped with tons of hand cut bacon chunks for around $8 this is the place for you!
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A Private User
This place is totally awesome for those of us that appreciate a little adventure and oddity in our lives. Yeah, it doesnt have alot of big comfy booths, the food is not BlueHour burger, the server is kinda grumpy and reminds me of the Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons ("oh, loneliness and cheeseburgers are a dangerous mix"), but it is a place that has made its own dirty little niche in an otherwise vapid area of suburban sprawl. Dont expect it to be more than it is, and bring your sense of humor along too.
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Isaac Reyes
Must admit first time trying homemade fried fast food I absolutely LOVED it!!!!! Customer service was friendly and very generous in serving proportions. Highly recommend If your into fried food. And when you visit in the winter time bring a sweater or jacket with you inside it can be a bit chilly and the wait is about 10-15 minutes tops but its certainly worth every dime if your of course into fried homemade food or just want to eat a burger that will satisfy your mouth watering taste buds
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Nick Akin
Stopped by this place a few months ago and got a decent burger but the old man behind the counter was a curmudgeon. Came by today to give it another shot and the entire place is dirty enough to be mistaken for a quick-lube shop. After the guy behind the counter blew his nose a couple times into a napkin he then set down on the prep counter, I decided not to get food poisoning today and just walked out. Has the health inspector even visited this place?
