Eigth Stop: The Great Lost Bear, Forest Ave

We had to go here because it had won the very serious award of "Best Burger" by the Portland Pheonix. You know that we members of Brilliant Burgers do not take this title lightly, and we're bound to need to cast our own opinion. Unfortunately, it did not win the same award from us.

Going to the Great Lost Bear is never a wasted trip, and we're always pretty much satisfied from the second we sit down because, let's face it, they have the best selection of beer you can ask for. So far be it for us to complain too much. But the food and the service seemed to be a little hit or miss. Some of our burgers were cooked perfectly to order, some were so dry it was chewing on an old flannel shirt sleeve. Sometimes our waitress smiled, sometimes she seemed a little pissed that we were there. Any changes that were made to the basic menu items were really not handled with any sort of ease. The Super Burger was kind of hard to eat, sloppy and messy. There was no yellow mustard available in the whole restaurant. There was no onion, lettuce, tomato served on the burgers. Also, there was no option of onion rings (now we're just being picky, but hey.)

The worst part of the whole experience was that they refuse to separate the check. Which, on one hand, I get, but on the other hand...we did prep her as soon as we ordered our first drink, and the fact that she was completely unable to work with us at all (like so many waitstaff members have been overly kind about) made for the most terrible experience for us at the end of the meal. We had not had the most amazing meal, and having to spend so long deliberating over who had what definitely did not help the cause.

Ok, now that that's out, there were some good parts. The meat that was tender enough to enjoy was seasoned really well, and the menu options for burgers are fantastic. Nice bacon. Soft, runny yolk eggs, and even a burger sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches. I can forgive them for our below-par experience because I think the potential is there. There were enough signs that this place could deliver a good burger experience to give it a second shot. But if you do, please heed the following advice. Go with a very small group, 4 or less, and don't expect to split checks. Ask for your burger by color. Like, "I'd like mine bright pink in the middle." Don't expect them to make exceptions for you. And make sure you take advantage of the fabulous beer selection, so that even if the kitchen is having an off day, you're bound to leave there a little happier than when you went in.

Scores out of 100

Taste: 70

Atmosphere: 78

Overall Experience: 70