It’s Portland Mercury’s Sandwich Week, y’all! Get $8 creative, original sandwiches at Portland restaurants, all week long.
It is summer! And not just drizzly, grey Portland summer but glorious, shorts-weather summer! To celebrate, we are embarking upon Portland Mercury’s Sandwich Week. From June 20-26, different Portland restaurants have a special sandwich for $8. Now I will first admit that sandwiches are not my go-to food. But as usual, Portland restaurants step up their creative game to create fun, mouth-watering temptations to try. I always take these food weeks as opportunities to try out restaurants I have been meaning to go to with my kids.
The first on my list was Big’s Chicken. There are two locations but I wanted to see about the new kids zone outdoor play area in 1st Street Dining Commons. Big’s is offering a smoked and shredded BBQ chicken sandwich with a whisper of heat, topped with crunchy slaw on a pillowy, toasted bun. It was sensational. In addition to the two sandwiches we ordered, we also got a half bird, fried, with a side of jojos and coleslaw, just in case the sauce was too spicy for my kids (it wasn’t). It was some of the best fried chicken in Portland I have had. We got it to-go and walked down the street to the covered play area. There were plenty of seats, and my kids loved the giant Adirondack chairs to climb on, the swings, the huge see-saws, and corn-hole.
I was expecting a line at 6:30 but there were only three people in front of us. It’s very common for restaurants during Sandwich week to be packed and the wait for food very long, but the wait for the food was only about 15 minutes. We were prepared with snacks but the play area makes that wait go by quick. In addition, there is no limit for the number of sandwiches per person, and you can do takeout.
Pay attention to these details at each restaurant—some are only for dine-in, or there is a limited time to purchase the sandwich, and of course, the discounted pricing usually does not apply to deliveries. I always have a back-up option just in case they run out, or the wait is too long. My kids do not have the stamina for long lines yet.
A few other spots I am excited to try out this week: Papi Chulo has an awesome patio and they have a torta de milanesa! If it is too busy, I can get takeout and walk to Jamison Park for a picnic. Another one is Holler with their fried chicken sandwich with apple slaw. The extra fun part is going to Holler Treats next door after dinner because they have the only dessert sandwich on the list—a strawberry basil ice cream sandwich. I might also dabble with everything else on their menu. I have been waiting to go there since they opened!
As always, these restaurants aren’t making much on these specials, so tip well and be extra gracious and patient. Take the opportunity to try some other stuff on their menu, because you might just find your next favorite dinner spot. I look forward to more outdoor dining this summer, starting with Papi Chulo tomorrow!
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