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1. "NICK'S" CHEESEBURGER WITH GRILLED ONIONS PORTLAND, OREGON The Portland burger trip was third out of 30 cities. I was relatively fresh and inexperienced. I didn't know how to plan my days, I didn't know how much of each burger to eat, I didn't know that you should never try and eat burgers on a Monday, (because restaurants are all closed), I didn't know anything. My longtime colleague Andy Kryza recommended I go straight from the airport to Stanich's, and told me he'd pick me up there, so I rolled in around 11am just as things were getting going. A few construction workers sat at a random table, barely paying attention to SportsCenter on the TV above. No one else was in there.What I had at 11am amongst those construction workers and old-school pennants was otherworldly. The sesame bun was griddled perfectly, preventing the somewhat messy burger from leaking through and getting soggy. The ground chuck had a good crisp edge, and the grilled onions, which must sit marinating in something, melded with the American cheese for that perfect diner burger mix. Normally, we'd stop there, but Stanich's does not yield. On the top bun, they use a combination of mayo and mustard while on the bottom, it's mayo and red relish. The end result is a mixture of sweet and salty flavors I haven't experienced anywhere else. In fact, I didn't even see the hamburger dill pickles sitting on the side until after I ate the whole damn thing, but it didn't matter. This burger is a national treasure. This burger at an old mom-and-pop sports bar that's been sitting in a random Oregon neighborhood since 1949 is the best burger in America https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/best-burgers-in-america-burger-quest