When a food cart earns a 4.8-star rating and draws crowds willing to wait in parking lots, something special is happening. Sure Shot Burger in Portland has mastered the art of the smashburger, creating crispy-edged patties that locals dream about long after their last bite.
What started as a retro-style cart at Oakshire Brewing has become such a sensation that it’s expanding into a full brick-and-mortar restaurant set to open in April 2026.
The secret lies in quality ingredients and careful technique. Each burger features Painted Hills beef pressed into thin patties that develop those coveted lacy, crispy edges while staying juicy inside.
Topped with melty Shriber American cheese and house sauce, then nestled into special France buns, these burgers represent everything great about Portland’s food scene.
The upcoming expansion promises even more reasons to visit, including a spacious patio and expanded menu options that will make Sure Shot Burger a destination dining spot.
Opening a Brick-and-Mortar Location in April 2026
The food cart that captured Portland’s heart is taking a major leap forward. After years of serving burgers from their retro cart setup, Sure Shot Burger will open its first permanent restaurant location in April 2026.
This expansion represents more than just a bigger kitchen. The new space will accommodate far more guests and allow the team to showcase their burger-making skills in a full restaurant environment.
Current fans who’ve been ordering from the cart window will soon enjoy table service and a more comfortable dining experience.
The move signals confidence in their product and Portland’s appetite for quality burgers. Opening a brick-and-mortar location requires significant investment, but Sure Shot Burger has built enough loyal following to justify the risk.
The April timeline gives the team several months to perfect their expanded operations.
For burger enthusiasts across Portland, this news means easier access to those famous smashburgers. No more standing in parking lots during rainy Oregon weather.
The permanent location promises year-round comfort while maintaining the same quality that made the cart a success.
Currently Operating as a Retro Dream Cart
Right now, you’ll find Sure Shot Burger operating from what they proudly call their “retro dream cart” in the parking lot of Oakshire Brewing on Northeast 42nd Avenue. The setup perfectly captures that classic American diner vibe with a modern Portland twist.
Food carts have become an essential part of Portland’s culinary identity. Sure Shot Burger embraced this culture while adding their unique retro aesthetic that makes customers feel transported to a different era.
The vintage-inspired design isn’t just for show. It reflects the owner’s genuine love for classic American diners and the straightforward, quality-focused food they served.
Despite being a cart operation, they’ve never compromised on quality. Every burger receives the same attention to detail you’d expect from a high-end restaurant.
The compact space actually works in their favor, allowing the team to focus entirely on perfecting their core menu items.
Located at Oakshire Brewing, the cart benefits from the brewery’s established customer base. Visitors can enjoy fresh burgers alongside craft beverages, creating a complete dining experience that keeps people coming back week after week.
Crafting Next-Level Smashburgers
Sure Shot Burger has earned its reputation by mastering the smashburger technique. This cooking method involves pressing beef balls onto a scorching-hot griddle, creating maximum contact with the cooking surface.
The smashburger style isn’t just trendy cooking. It’s science-based flavor development.
When beef hits that super-hot surface and gets pressed flat, the Maillard reaction creates incredibly flavorful browning and those signature crispy edges that make these burgers addictive.
What sets Sure Shot apart is their refusal to rush the process. Each patty gets pressed at exactly the right moment and flipped only once.
This patience results in burgers that achieve the perfect balance between crispy exterior and juicy interior. Too many places claim to make smashburgers but fail to get the technique right.
The team has refined their method over countless burgers served from the cart. They know precisely how much pressure to apply, how long to leave each patty on the griddle, and when to add cheese for optimal melting.
This expertise will transfer seamlessly to their new restaurant kitchen, ensuring consistency across more burgers daily.
Crispy Lacy Edges with House Sauce and Shriber Cheese
Walk up to Sure Shot Burger and you’ll hear the sizzle before you see the magic happening. Those crispy, lacy edges on each patty aren’t accidental.
They’re the result of high-quality beef meeting extreme heat with perfect timing.
The lacy edges form when fat and juices spread across the griddle surface during cooking, creating delicate, crispy frills around each patty. These edges provide textural contrast that elevates the entire burger experience.
They’re crunchy, intensely beefy, and absolutely irresistible.
Topping these perfectly cooked patties is Shriber American cheese, chosen specifically for its superior melting qualities. This isn’t standard cheese.
Shriber produces some of the best American cheese available, with creamy texture and genuine dairy flavor that supermarket slices can’t match.
The house sauce ties everything together. While the exact recipe remains secret, it adds tangy creaminess that complements the beef without overwhelming it.
This sauce has become so popular that regulars request extra on the side. Combined with those lacy edges and quality cheese, every bite delivers the complete burger experience Portland locals can’t stop talking about.
Signature France Buns as Tribute to Childhood Memories
Every component of a great burger matters, and Sure Shot Burger proves this with their choice of France buns. These aren’t random buns grabbed from any supplier.
They’re a deliberate tribute to the owner’s favorite childhood diner experiences.
France buns offer the ideal texture for smashburgers. They’re soft enough to compress slightly when you bite down, yet sturdy enough to hold up against juicy patties and sauce without falling apart.
The slight sweetness complements the savory beef without competing with it.
This choice reflects genuine passion rather than convenience. The owner could use cheaper, more readily available buns, but those childhood memories of perfect diner burgers set a standard worth honoring.
When you taste a Sure Shot Burger, you’re experiencing that same care and attention to detail that made those childhood meals memorable.
The buns get lightly toasted on the griddle, adding another layer of texture and flavor. This step seems small but makes significant difference.
That toasted surface provides slight crunch and prevents the bottom bun from getting soggy, ensuring every bite maintains structural integrity from first taste to last.
Expanding Menu to Include Fried Brussels Sprouts
The new brick-and-mortar location brings exciting menu expansion beyond burgers. Fried Brussels sprouts will join the lineup, giving guests a vegetable side option that matches the quality of the main offerings.
Brussels sprouts have earned redemption in recent years after generations of being poorly prepared. When fried correctly, they transform into crispy, caramelized bites with nutty flavor that even vegetable skeptics enjoy.
Sure Shot Burger plans to execute them with the same attention to detail they apply to their burgers.
This addition shows smart menu planning. While burgers remain the focus, offering quality sides encourages guests to order more and creates a more complete meal experience.
Fried Brussels sprouts also appeal to health-conscious diners who want vegetables alongside their indulgent burger choice.
The expanded kitchen space in the new location makes adding items like this practical. The cart setup limited what could be prepared efficiently, but a full restaurant kitchen opens possibilities for side dishes, appetizers, and other offerings.
Expect Sure Shot to announce additional menu items as the April opening approaches, all meeting their high standards for quality and flavor.
Highly Rated Chicken Nuggets as Top Margin Item
Beyond burgers, Sure Shot Burger surprised everyone with their chicken nuggets. These weren’t added as an afterthought.
They’ve become one of the most popular items and, importantly, a top-margin menu item that helps the business thrive.
The nuggets receive the same quality treatment as everything else. Real chicken, proper breading technique, and careful frying result in nuggets that taste nothing like fast food versions.
Customers who order them once typically add them to every future visit.
From a business perspective, chicken nuggets make excellent sense. They use different ingredients than burgers, helping with inventory management.
They appeal to different customer preferences, including those dining with children. The profit margin helps offset the higher costs of using premium Painted Hills beef for burgers.
Reviews consistently praise these nuggets, with many customers admitting they came for burgers but stayed for the chicken. This success demonstrates Sure Shot’s ability to execute multiple menu items excellently rather than being a one-trick operation.
When the new restaurant opens, expect these nuggets to remain menu staples, possibly with additional dipping sauce options taking advantage of the larger kitchen capabilities and storage space.
Offering Impossible Burgers for Plant-Based Diners
Sure Shot Burger recognizes that not everyone eats beef, so they offer Impossible burgers for plant-based diners. This inclusion ensures that groups with mixed dietary preferences can all enjoy the Sure Shot experience together.
The Impossible burger gets the same smashburger treatment as the beef patties. Same hot griddle, same pressing technique, same crispy edges.
This consistency matters because plant-based eaters deserve the same quality experience, not a lesser alternative thrown together as an afterthought.
Impossible meat has improved significantly in recent years, developing better flavor and texture that satisfies even some meat eaters. When prepared with Sure Shot’s expertise and topped with quality cheese and house sauce, the result is a legitimately delicious burger rather than just an accommodation.
Portland has a significant population of vegetarians, vegans, and flexitarians who appreciate having quality plant-based options. By offering Impossible burgers, Sure Shot expands their potential customer base without compromising their standards.
The new restaurant location will likely feature these prominently on the menu, possibly with plant-based sides and additional customization options that the cart space couldn’t accommodate.
New Space Features 100-Seat Patio and Full Liquor License
The upcoming brick-and-mortar location brings major upgrades in atmosphere and capacity. A 100-seat patio will transform Sure Shot Burger from a quick cart stop into a destination where people can settle in and enjoy extended meals with friends.
Portland’s outdoor dining culture makes this patio extremely valuable. During the relatively short but glorious Oregon summer months, patio seating stays packed from lunch through dinner.
Even during cooler months, Portlanders embrace outdoor dining when weather permits, especially with proper heating elements installed.
The full liquor license adds another dimension to the dining experience. While the cart benefited from its location at Oakshire Brewing, the new restaurant will serve its own beverage program.
Expect craft cocktails that pair thoughtfully with burgers, along with NA cocktails on tap for non-drinkers who still want interesting beverage options beyond standard sodas.
This expansion positions Sure Shot Burger as more than just a quick lunch spot. The combination of quality food, ample seating, and full bar service creates a restaurant where people can gather for celebrations, casual dinners, or weekend brunches.
The 100-seat capacity also means shorter wait times during peak hours, making the Sure Shot experience accessible to more customers.
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