Billy Heartbeats, an outlet of the Restaurants Unlimited empire, is tucked away adjacent to the food court in the Lloyd Shopping mall in Portland, OR. It’s a schnock-0ff of Johnny Rockets, serving a limited, table service menu of hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, and shakes, with the addition of a few standard diner entrees.
I’ve passed by it quite a few times, never in the mall long enough to check it out. Last nite we had time before a movie, so Mrs. BDB and I sampled the wares of the kitchen and enjoyed the (decade appropriate) tunes being spit out by a lovingly restored 1952 Seeburg B-100 jukebox.
They offer a daily special burger and shake. I went with the former, bacon and blue cheese, and our over the top server answered my questions with prescient knowledge. “And the blue cheese are the big crumbles, not that sickly salad dressing stuff.”
Sold.
Service was prompt and the burger at definite curb appeal. Food is served in a basket, and most orders are accompanied by fries. I liked the burger, it’s hand formed and pre-seasoned and suits my palate.
The fries weren’t spectacular but there was nothing wrong with them, either. Mrs. BDB went with a veggie sandwich and a traditional soda, strawberry, which I had a sample of, and enjoyed that very much.
While I have rarely contemplated a shopping mall as a dinner destination, perhaps I should more often. Billy Heartbeats makes a burger worth stopping by for.
Billy Heartbeats
