If you’ve been here a while, chances are you’ve eaten at Skyline Restaurant up in the West Hills where NW Skyline meets Cornell Rd. Though the vibe is straight out of the 50’s, Skyline started in 1935 as a destination for folks looking for a long drive. In the old days, they were known for having carhop service. Though the burgers probably won’t blow you away, they have a large group of followers. There aren’t many details as of yet, but a reader says that Skyline Burger will open a second location in the old Chez Jose spot on NE Broadway.
Time will tell whether this is a success or not, but I can’t help but think a big part of the draw of Skyline Restaurant is the location and the old building.
It is located at 1313 NW Skyline Blvd, Portland 97229
Andrea says
That will compete with the NE Stanich’s for the old-school was once good but now meh burger category. Tough decisions!
djonn says
Heh. In Skyline’s case it isn’t that the burgers used to be better, it’s that burger standards have changed…because Skyline’s burgers really are pretty much exactly what they were 40-odd years ago. And I can say that because (a) I ate one Sunday night, and (b) our family has been eating at Skyline since I was three (which really is that long ago).
The current ownership has been pretty smart, IMO, in their gradual updating and expansion of the menu; they’ve kept the burgers and shakes just as they’ve always been while adding options and slightly extending their range. I won’t disagree that some menu items are “meh” (both from the old staples and the new additions), but we’ll always go back for what they do best. Assuming the report is accurate, I wish the new satellite well, and hope it proves as durable as the original outlet.
MM says
Skyline is a family favorite of ours. One thing I always thought would be cool would be to bring back the original look of the place. They have a picture on their menu of the restaurant from probably the mid 50’s and it is all lit up in neon. Very cool looking. Along with that maybe reintroduce the car hop service on occasion. They already have the space for it. I would guess a cap ex of less than 20 – 50k could really make that place look incredible and generate a lot of buzz and increased business if done right. It would also make the brand that much more recognizable which would only help a potential second location.
Devilchef says
The burger, like the rest of the menu, is just good enough to get me to take what used to be, as FD says, “a long ride”. After a late afternoon burger at Skyline, I drive up the road a bit for a beer at the Skyline Tavern and watch the sun go down and wonder what Portland must have been like back when.
Textbook definition of a “destination joint”.
djonn says
And per this morning’s Oregonian, the new Skyline outlet is in fact up and running in precisely this location.
Michael T.Schneider says
We’ve visited the new Skyline on Broadway twice in the last two weeks.The first visit with mixed results, my chicken burger was good but my GF’s Chicken Fried steak was overcooked and too crispy. On our second visit, we both ordered one of the multitude of burgers available (all come with fries, which were good). The burgers were quite good and almost too big to take a bite of. We both ended up bringing half of our burgers home to eat later. We will plan return to this pub.