Red Coach Restaurant
Looking for a new (old) place to have lunch? Check out the Red Coach Restaurant, a family-run and owned joint which has been in the same (nearly hidden) location in the Charles F. Burg Building downtown for 23 years! And has been a mainstay of Portland for even longer than that.
And yet, were it not for an old-time Portlander who took me there a few weeks ago, I most likely would have continued to walk right by it in search of lunchtime vittles for ages to come. It’s set back from the street enough that it’s easy to miss if you’re just focused on the concrete in front of you.
The menu is simple but good: burgers, shakes, and fries; no muss, no fuss. While I wasn’t a big fan of the crinkle fries, the burger was supertasty and quite cheap ($6 gets you a burger, fries, and a drink), and the table service was spee-dy; our party of six was in and out in less than 45 minutes.
They have the perfect hours for us downtown office-dwellers as well: 11am-3:45pm, Monday-Friday only. Highly recommended for a quick lunchtime bite.
Update from the comments (thanks, Rusty!): This is a cash-only establishment, which may turn some people off, so be prepared with the greenbucks.
Red Coach Restaurant
615 SW Broadway
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I try to go there on the regular and it never disappoints.
Just a bit of advice from an experienced Red Coach diner: When you walk in the door, be prepared to tell the owner EXACTLY how many people you have in your party, and be prepared to be seated RIGHT THEN.
Any hemming, hawing, or delay of the almost ballet-like exchange of customers coming and going will result in you getting a very dirty look indeed.
And for God’s sake, don’t bother looking at the menu. Your only reasonable options are
Carl’s Special
Carl’s Special with bacon
Double Carl’s Special
Double Carl’s Special with bacon
CASH ONLY! Don’t get caught unprepared.
And, yes, it’s deeeeeee-lish!
I forgot all about that place. I haven’t eaten there in years, and I’m glad to hear it’s still around. Do they have wifi?
i would guess that they’re too old-school for wifi…