Happy Grillmore

We hired Darren and his crew at Happy Grillmore for our annual company summer picnic in July. The food was fantastic and wonderfully varied to suit all palettes and diets, and working with Darren was easy and problem free. EVERYONE LOVED EVERYTHING!
I would use Happy Grillmore again in a heartbeat… and, in fact, I will for our summer picnic 2016.
Thanks Darren!!!

How I heard of this place: A new friend of mine, and (from what I hear) amazing chef mentioned to my husband that he was the grill master at this Portland-​based food truck. He invited us for burgers, and we happily obliged.
Type of cuisine: Burgers. With a miniature selection of sides, all of which end in «fries».
Ambiance: A funkadelic food truck, with a silhouetted sunset logo and perfect street art fonts, and the live, soulful voice of friend and talented musician, Paolo (now co-​owner of Beacon Ave Sandwiches) streaming from under the hutch.
What I ordered: I left the ordering up to the chef extraordinaire, who surprised us with the Happy ($ 10 each): ¹⁄₃ lb Angus Beef Patty, Tillamook Cheddar, Gorgonzola Crumbles, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Spinach, Arugula, Roasted Red Pepper Aioli and Spicy Mustard, topped with a Crispy Onion Ring on Toasted Ciabatta. With one side of extra loaded Garlic Fries ($ 4), we were set for our road trip meal!
What I loved: The spicy aioli served with the fries and the flavorful combination of gorgonzola, smoked bacon and arugula. Yum!
Why I loved it: A delicious meal prepared by a good friend (and, did I mention he’s a chef!) while joyously singing and catching up.
Cost: Average ($ 8 — $ 10 per burger)

I had them cater my wedding last weekend at WithinSODO along with several other food truck vendors, and I could not have been more happy with everything. They served sliders, fries, and green beans, and they were amazing. My guest were obsessed and a lot of them said they are now officially going to stalk their food truck. (I took that as a compliment however creepy it may sound). Both Darren and his wife were so friendly, and had great customer service which unfortunately from my experience in the wedding industry is far and few between, so it was refreshing to be around people that were genuinely happy to be there and serve my guest. I would definitely recommend them for an event.
Two thumbs up for sure.

Really not satisfied with this food truck. A friend and I went to a summer community picnic yesterday at Volunteer Park, and after about an hour we got hungry. Burgers sounded good, so we situated ourselves in line for Happy Grillmore. Just then, one of the cooks shouted out that they were very far behind and had to catch up on orders. At this point, there were already about fifteen people standing around the truck waiting for their food.
We decided to wait. Finally the cook took our order and we payed. I ordered the «Chubs» burger with avocado (a dollar extra) and sweet potato fries on the side. My friend also ordered the «Chubs.» Well, we ended up waiting for over an hour. OVER AN HOUR. Halfway through, they ran out of meat. Then they ran out of buns. Then they ran out of avocado. My friend graciously agreed to have her burger served on a bed of fries instead of a bun, and the cook gave me a diet coke to make up for the avocado.
There was obviously a lot of tension going on inside of the truck, and the three cooks who were running it were arguing pretty loudly. Overall, the customer service was far from stellar. I understand the circumstances and that it was a stressful day for them, but come on. Not very professional at all.
Lastly, the food. Nothing you can’t make at home. Definitely not the $ 9 I payed for my meal. Happy Grillmore advertises their truck as «The Best Food Truck Burgers in Town» but if they really want to use that title then they have a lot of work to do.

THE SALMON BURGER. GET IT.
The moist patty with the honey chipotle aioli and the slaw… is amazing. Even the bun was good. Yeah, the salmon burger was on the «smaller» side. but it was the perfect portion for me. I didn’t feel bloated after eating it, which is important when considering that I still have to do work for a few hours after lunch! I thought it was worth $ 8.
I’ve actually had Happy Grillmore truck food before, and I thought it was nothing special. However, they have since improved their sweet potato fries! The fries that I had this past week were way crispier and more flavorful than the fries I had from them over a year ago.
My only gripe is that the girl who handed me my uncovered food tray had long dreadlocks that draped almost down to her waist. In fairness, her hair did not touch my food. I made sure that I watched carefully. I don’t really want to have to worry about that though, and I think hair should be tied back anywhere near food.

In my book, Skillet is the Seattle food truck to beat, especially when it comes to burgers and fries. With a pretty simple, straightforward menu of flavorful burger options, Happy Grillmore very nearly gives them a run for their money.
Happy Grillmore offers a few delicious burgers with Angus ground beef: the Happy (a steady favourite of mine), a Teriyaki burger with grilled pineapple, and the «You Can Do It,» their spicier choice with red pepper aioli, spicy BBQ sauce, and crispy onion rings. There’s also a salmon burger and a vegetarian «shooter,» though most of the burgers can be done veggie-​style if that’s your thing. The burgers are thick, and loaded with spinach and gorgonzola cheese and bacon — you can also add avocado or a fried egg. All in all, with the spicy mustard and aioli, they’re a zingy, satisfying treat.
Sides are limited but also delicious — salt and pepper fries, sweet potato fries, or garlic fries. The regular potato fries are crispy and so, so good, and seasoned with just the right amount of salt and pepper.
That’s about all there is to the menu — pretty basic, but if you’re in the mood for a burger (or burger-​like concoction) with a gourmet twist then it’s enough. I’m lucky that HG makes a weekly appearance near where I work — if you can track them down they’re well worth the effort!

Burger was amazing! What’s not to like about a burger with spinach and avocado! Not to mention a spicy mustard and chipotle aioli sauce?! I ordered a side of salt and pepper fries and OMG the fry sauce blew me over the top! Perfect sweetness to it. Fries were perfectly fried with a crunchy outside and soft inside! Great truck!

I got to eat at the Happy Grillmore food truck a lot this spring as the Cafeteria was being renovated at my work and they were often there to pickup the slack. Of the various food trucks available they were by far my favorite. I loved the arugula on the burgers and the bacon cheese fries were so good I couldn’t resist no matter how fattening they were. The only downside was the price, it does get spendy quick. But the burgers must have been worth it because I kept coming back for more. :)
–rant– I also have one general beef that applies to almost all food trucks. Their menu’s. Almost everyone of the trucks menus are hard to decipher. They are often written on a white board and it is not always clear what the sides are and topping options etc. When I first ordered from Happy it was a bit challenging as well. Once I was a regular it made sense. The staff were always nice and helpful and willing to answer questions but I hate asking a bunch of questions and having to make a decision about what I am going to order while there are people behind me in line. -/​rant–
Overall I would highly recommend giving Happy Grillmore a try.

It was fine — I think 8 Oz in Cap Hill has ruined other burgers for me, because as I ate it I was just sort of lamenting paying $ 9 for a burger (added bacon). Couldn’t bring myself to pay $ 4 (?) for the fries.
The spicy mustard was a great touch, and the entire thing held together nicely and wasn’t too messy to eat. It just wasn’t… great, which is sort of what I was expecting after reading all these other reviews.
The actual burger patty I think was the weakest part — a little chewier and more well done than I like.
Wouldn’t mind eating here again, but not as a first choice.

The food is good, but there is nothing really remarkable about the burgers for them to cost $ 8 – 10. The truck comes over to South Lake Union where I work. Today I had the Chubs, which is their most basic cheeseburger. It runs $ 8 I have gotten the Happy (the with bacon) at $ 10 previously. Drinks are $ 1, which is reasonable, but if you start adding fries then you are talking about a $ 13 – 15 dollar lunch. Example: a Happy ($ 10), garlic fries ($ 4), and a drink ($ 1). Burgers aren’t even that big.
In sum: Eat here if someone else is paying. Otherwise, there are better places for the money.

Burger was good… but it wasn’t anything too different than other burgers I can get elsewhere. The truck is awesome looking and the people working at it were pretty friendly.
My main gripe was that it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for a burger, but it cost $ 8 and doesn’t come with anything other than the burger… so for that price, there are a lot better options.

New truck in Tukwila near the Duwamish River.
I had read great many things about happy grillmore, voted best burger in Portland, and best food truck burger by Seattle Magazine.
There is a reason why, I had the kalua pulled pork on ciabatta roll. It was delicious, nicely sauced kalua pork, with a very tasty slaw on top, and arugula and spinach on top of that. It smelled and tasted great.
One gripe, this is not a Waldo’s food truck where you get pre cooked hot dogs and burgers, expect to pay 8 – 9 $ for a burger from a gourmet food truck. You are paying for the convenience and taste that some of these tricks bring

Im not a huge fan, burger lacked flavor and was over priced. Food took a while to come out. Maybe it was because it was in a new location? Either way i would not go back.

woooooooooooo hoooooooooooooooo!
Yes, this was a damn fine experience. damn fine, I say.
Did I mention I’m the Hamburger Pimp? Well, I am. And for someone who just a few years ago said «I don’t really eat ground beef much» I’m now the reigning Hamburger Pimp of Seattle.
Ask me, I’ll rate the burger and tell you WHAT’S UP, my friend.
This place has it down! Now, we know I’m still married to Skillet truck, and that will never die, but… I have to say these guys are also making one AMAZING burger, and I can’t deny it’s a close race for best.
I got the «Happy» for $ 10: ¹⁄₃ Lb Angus Beef, Tillamook Cheddar, Gorgonzola Crumbles, Applewood Smoked Bacon and roasted red pepper aoli on toasted ciabatta for me, baby. (I skipped the spinach, arugula and mustard that’s how I am)
And damn if it didn’t make me happy indeed. almost delirious, I laughed the way only a pimp from a 70’s film can, loudly and a bit over dramatically but hey, this thing was damn good. The bun… the thing that can make or literally break a burger… well, it was… PERFECT. Who knew ciabatta could really move to those heights? Not too chewy, perfectly firm to keep that bad boy in line all the way through the last bite, it was… dare I say… a perfect bun.
My date got the kahula pork with spicy mac salad, it was also really damn good although I was totally making out with my burger and didn’t really get too much into his sandwich, I was BIZZY, bitch!
The flavors across the board on all items were amazing, straight forward BAM! They kicked my ass and didn’t even take my name.
I also got the deceptively simple but DELICIOUS salt and pepper fries, my date got the sweet potato fries., both winners. I think I liked mine better, but hey, again, I was FOCUSED.
I’d recommend any aspiring burger pimp to rush out and try this place, you’ll soon come around to my way of thinkin’, baby.

So many positive things to say about this truck!
–truck itself is a weird combo of pretty and gritty and i loved it
–the staff were incredibly helpful and friendly
–the burger bun is great! it holds up nicely to the meat with its thick and chewy and slightly crusty texture
–burger was good, not greeeaaaaaaat but totally good
–the Happy is the way to go with the most delicious melding of flavors
–THE SALT AND PEPPER FRIES omg the salt and pepper fries. just go there for these reasonably priced babies ($ 2)

Best black bean burger ever from this Pdx-​based food truck.
Had the Shooter. Happy Grillmore’s chipotle black bean burger with Tillamook cheese (cheddar, pepperjack and Havarti available), with perfect proportions of fresh spinach & arugula. The black bean is savory and flavorful, lightly dressed with red pepper aioli and spicy mustard — the mustard complements the burger especially well. Served on brioche, expertly wrapped.
Well-​constructed, tasty and fresh. Will return to try the other offerings. Recommend!

So I consider myself somewhat of a food truck junkie. I’ve made it a personal mission to experience as many of the delicious diners on wheels in the Seattle area as possible. I was super happy today when I saw that Happy Grillmore was going to be in West Seattle. My time for lunch is limited so trekking to Redmond to their usual spot to try them would have been to far… well that was before I tried them. Now that I know how tasty their food is the Redmond trip might just be worth it.
I tried the Shooter (¼ lb black bean chipotle patty) and it was all I could do to not inhale the thing. I’ve had my share of burgers so I wanted to try something a little different and the Shooter did not disappoint. The ciabatta bun was perfect — not too tough to where you were left just chewing bun. The havarti cheese that the girl who took my order recommended was lovely and the spicy mustard and arugla hit the spot. I also tried their salt and pepper fries which fit with the burger perfectly. They were crispy, but still soft in the middle and the sea salt and pepper mix they put on them was not over powering even though when I first looked it seemed like a lot. Don’t even think about getting ketchup. The honey chipolte is a must — I’d buy that stuff in stores.
All in all it was a great experience — the people working there were really friendly and the food definitely just moved them in to one of my top 3 places now :).
PS the picture posted of the truck must be a little old. It looks much different now. Kinda has a graffiti thing going on and is super bright and colorful if you go looking for them.

I recently experienced this treat as I was in SLU and looking for lunch. They had a big promotion that day with a company called LevelUp and basically lunch was free so I decided to give it a shot.
Normally I wouldn’t have tried it as their prices are decently higher than their nearby competition, but it was well worth it. I ordered the Happy. The patty was very high quality, much better than one would expect from a food truck. The gorgonzola and bacon are what really made it though, it’s a great combination.
I would definitely eat there again, and I would advise giving this place a shot if you happen to be in the vicinity.

One of the best food truck lunches I’ve had so far, and I’ve tried many while working in SLU! I had the sweet potato fries with their aioli. SO good! And their Wild Alaskan Salmon burger had a hint of sweetness from the pineapple slaw and the salmon was cooked perfectly. Yum!

These guys are out of Portland… I’m really glad they decided to motor up here and bring their delicious burgers to our respective doorsteps! This burger truck clearly believes in quality over quantity when it comes to menu options (there’s plenty of quantity when you’re talking about portions).
If the Happy Burger I had is any indication, the rest of them are probably delicious too. It features a sizable 1/​3lb beef patty, Tillamook cheddar and Gorgonzola crumbles, applewood smoked bacon, spinach and arugula. I could do without the deli mustard, but otherwise I loved it. The ciabatta bread is great too… better than some other places. Had a side of sweet potato fries, and they were great, especially with the dipping sauce. Skip the ketchup and get the other one (forgot what it’s called).
I’ll def be back again before they pack up and return home to PDX!