Rock 'n' Roger's, Salem. OR

Driving south on Oregon I-5 at lunchtime, I approached Salem and decided to eat at the Burger Basket again. Guess I forgot which exit to take and I ended up on Market Street and quickly spied Rock 'n' Roger's.

It has a more authentic feel than some other 50's style diners like Johnny Rockets, because it's not as slick and has a local feel. Before Ray Kroc bought out the McDonald brothers, all those places were local.

I had their basic burger and it was excellent -- better than the place I had been looking for! Very fresh toppings, and plentiful: sliced onion, shredded lettuce, tomato and special sauce. The fries were hand cut and very reminiscent of In'n'Out. I didn't have a shake, but I think they are popular -- the blender was going the whole time I was there.

Here's my burger plate and Coke:

Schnitzel Schnandwich

Driving through Coos Bay, Oregon, hungry at lunchtime, we were fearful of not finding anyplace we wanted to stop at. Then Sarah spotted this sign:


Perfect! It was the Blue Heron Bistro. She had the bratwurst sandwich and I went for the Schnitzel Schnandwich. It was delicious, and the warm German potato salad was fantastic. One great feature of their menu is 6 ounce beers. I rarely have a beer at lunch, but the short beer was the ideal accompaniment. I had a Spaten Optimator, a dark bock beer.

Burger Basket, Salem, OR

After an exhilarating but tiring hike through Silver Falls State Park in Oregon, my daughter and I headed into Salem for a late lunch.

We happened upon the Burger Basket, which claims to have the best burgers in the world. It was just what we were looking for -- something local and quick.

I don't agree that they have the best burgers, but they were very good, hand-formed patties. The place is filled with retro signs and the like. The onion rings and fries were unfortunately of the machine made frozen variety, but good enough, and the slaw was very nice. While it wasn't outstanding, it was a fun place and the burgers were "real food". I would stop there again.

The Magic Is In the Hole

Sarah pauses mid-donut.

That's the slogan of Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland, Oregon.

I was there recently with my daughter who grew up in Portland, Maine and now lives in Eugene. This is a strikingly weird donut shop, but the stuff is really really good!

The Roadfood review has some great pix.

Here I am enjoying their famous maple bacon donut. It sounds and looks, well, gross, but it is sublime!


And here's the segment Anthony Bourdain did: