Pacific Sushi & Grill Brookings

------I just ate the best burger in southern Oregon.

Anyone who is familiar with the mostly remote southern coastline of Oregon will tell you it is not exactly a food-lover’s dream location. It is filled with B-grade diners serving mediocre burgers in dreary settings. They are all the same to. They have overbearing almost roll-like buns.  The patties that are still frozen from the drive home from cash and carry. This comes along with a sloppy garden section and an improper bun-meat-veg ratio. You eat it because you know there’s not much else and you decide to frequent the place that soaks the bun in butter, so you at least don’t taste the garbage you’re being fed…

Today, for the first time in a long time, I ate a real burger that was made by a craftsman. I acquired it at a local spot known for its sushi. After browsing the unique and impressive sushi menu, I noticed they served a Kobe beef burger with a slice of Tillamook. I ordered it and they said it would be 20 min. In exactly 20 min, I received my order, and there it was. A generous serving of the most tender, tantalizing beef hand-pressed into a perfect patty. Its top adorned with a fully melted thick cut slice of Northwest cheese. The garden section was perfect. A thin (not too thin) slice of eye-watering red onion, a slab of crisp green lettuce and vine-ripened tomato. Each flavor only complimented the meat, not a single one stood out or overpowered it. The slice of what I consider Oregon’s finest and most flavorful cheese complimented the perfectly-seasoned meat and together made a creation any artist would be proud of. The bun had grill lines and was warm. Slight crisp, but not firm or dry. It wasn’t covered in butter either. It was not an overbearing, ridiculous, border-line-roll either. It was just the perfect size, not too thick and just the right texture, obviously freshly baked just for this menu item. This made the burger sleek, and it was a fitting look for a meal of this caliber. As I bit into it I couldn’t believe what I’d tasted. I wanted to put it down to call my wife, or take a picture of it, or call somebody! I could not put it down. I had to keep eating it. Each bite more flavorful than the last, my mind was ringing from sensory input overload. The fries were equally as good, and had as much time, thought, and care put into them. I found myself in a rhythm between bites of fry and burger. I could not stop for anything, I was helplessly addicted. The meat-bun-veg ratio was spot on, the textures were perfect, the meat was incredible.  I could tell my fries went into the fryer the minute I ordered, they stayed warm and crisp for my entire meal. The potatoes had been meticulously cut into squares, and then cut long ways to make French fries thus making a perfectly rectangular fry. This is the same way I like to do it and it takes time.  It takes a special kind of person to understand the difference it makes when you care about your ingredients and are meticulously assembling each piece perfectly. This is a level of quality and craftsmanship you will see nowhere else in southern Oregon.  What was even better than the amazing flavors of the dish, was knowing there are still artists out there constantly refining their craft and pushing the limits of our taste buds.  

Thank you so much for the experience,

Your friend and food enthusiast

Noah Levor

Fantastic Sushi Restaurant
Real Japanese Chef
By far the freshest highest quality I've had.
We stopped in for lunch while traveling and ended up coming back on our return trip.