I have been wanting to try this place for a long time and finally got there one day for lunch, but was very disappointed with the food. the Chicken burger that i had was worse than what you get at a Burger king. I could have saved some gas and had a better burger at a Wendy's or Burger King. The Burger was too soggy with plenty of Mayo in it and there is nothing good to write home about and they charge a hefty $8 for this awful burger which doesnt even come with a side of fries for that price. They give you a small bag of Lays chips as a side. Common..this is not a sandwich to serve it with chips. Who are you kidding.
I will definitely not go back to this place and would avoid it. Save the long drive and visit the nearest Wendy's, McD or Burger king. :)
Here's the thing, if you are used to Burger King and McDonalds then you might like this place. It'll have a backyard BBQ feel. However if you are the type of person who is grossed out by fast food and tries to eat remotely healthy, then you'll never want to go here. My jumbo burger had no taste and was loaded with goopy mayo. The buns were cheap and cold. My wife had fish and chips which tasted like burnt fries. The fries were soggy and limp. They only have one style of burger. My daughter had a grilled cheese and said it felt like she was wearing lipstick due to all the grease. They also messed up our bill.
Get this: my $10 so-so burger came with.... a "fun-size" bag of lays chips. The kind you buy for kids lunches.
For the price, we wished we would have gone to McMinamens. Rock Creek is close to here and is a million times better.
What a delicious burger. The regular sized burger is big enough for me, and I was quite hungry! The fries were a great big beautiful pile, and tasted like real potatoes. You can bet all the hats on the ceiling that I will be back! :)
It was tasty and a great value - what more can I ask for?
Due to the all of the good reviews this place racked up I decided against my better judgement to venture out to the middle of nowhere in high hopes of a delicious burger and onion rings. So I ordered said burger and onion rings and was not in anyway wowed. The burger came out and looked rather large at first. But then I realized it was just a thin patty on a large bun. The onion ring batter was nothing special either. Also, they don't serve liquor at their bar. So that sucked.
The most I can say for this place is that has a decent atmosphere with some nice views of things like fields. I would not make the drive to eat out here again, but maybe if I was lost and starving in Hillsboro I would give it another shot.
Here's the deal, all I have heard is that you "HAVE to try the Helvetia Tavern Burgers", and they are "the BEST in town."
So, I finally went, and while it was a good burger, but in my informed palate, it was not the best in town. Don't get me wrong, it was excellent, and far better than any fast food burger you can find, but it is not the best. The best is a little place on the East side of 217.
I was stuffed with double bacon cheeseburger and really good fries, and I am most certainly glad I went, and will no doubt recommend other people come. As I drove away though, I thought about how I would have been equally stuffed with a better burger for less money if I had gone elsewhere.
With that said about the burger, I love the setting and the scenery, so there are perks to the place, and I would not say no if asked to meet someone there for lunch or dinner.
Based on how popular a place this is, I was surprised that I just could not go 4 stars. I had heard so much about it over the years and finally had the chance to go in for dinner just a couple of weeks ago. We went in on a Saturday night and got a table right away, over by the bar.
There were four of us and the waiter came over not too long after we sat down. He was not friendly at all, and seemed kind of put out. Okay, so you are busy and fussy, we get it, but don't put your fussy mojo all over my evening. After we got our drinks, we had checked out the small menu they keep on the table. I ordered a double burger, no cheese, to the horror of my son, how can I get the true burger experience here without cheese?
The waiter being fussy and the burger being just okay, nothing that warranted the hype that surrounds them, it just was a, meh, experience. You know how you have places that set the standard for a particular food? Well, mine is Pilot Butte in Bend. The burgers really are fantastic there and this one just fell short. It was good, don't get me wrong, but not raving good.
I would not make the drive out there, or fight what I hear is a crowded place most times for it.
Hubby and I have eaten here many times and always think the food is pretty good. It is typical pub fare, but definitely good for what it is.
Usually, the service is spotty though. But not this time. I wished I'd gotten her name so I could add it to my review but she was great. She came right over to us when we arrived and took our drink order. Then, she gave us a few minutes to look over the menu and came right back over to take our food order. Food was brough to us about 15 minutes later and was delicious. We love their fresh-cut french fries. They are well-drained and perfectly cooked. I always get some onion rings (these might be of the frozen variety, but they are well-cooked and drained and I love them). We both got cheeseburgers and devoured them. They are made with what appears to be fresh beef and the sauce is wonderful. Toppings are generous, too.
Refills came quickly too. This girl was on top of her game deserving the 20% tip we left her.
3.5 stars-
This place feels as if it's in its own zip code, but once you get here you definitely feel as if you have found a Destination. Â The tavern is a tavern on all accounts, bar food, bar drinks, kitsch/slightly divey interior, collections (in this case, hats) accounting for 90% of the interior embellishment, but the overall vibe and atmosphere delivers. Â The TVs aren't the best for watching the game necessarily, they're a little small and out of the way from the seating. Â That being said, the vibe is definitely friendly, happy, and...taverny, what can I say. Â Just what you hoped for.
The burgers we got were pretty great for bar food, flavorful and big albeit a little skint on the beef, I got a basic cheeseburger and I'd guess they're about 1/4 lb. Â The sides come in massive quantities and are tasty, the fries are ace and the onion rings aren't bad at all. Â We never saw a menu, so I can't comment on their offerings overall. Â Two burgers, drinks and a huge side of rings/fries and we were out for ~$20.
The place was jumping on an early Sunday afternoon, in the rain, in the boonies, and that says a lot. There's a reason folks come here, be it for the great atmosphere, the nice service, or the view of the vineyard.  We were quite  satisfied when we left.
Helvetia Tavern, since making the 2001,2002 Citysearch best burger list, the Jumbo Burger has been one of the few Hillsboro famous foods.
It is a delicious big burger. The high price keeps me from making it a regular on my list. A jumbo Burger starts at $8.75. Then the nickel and diming ensues: $9.25 with cheese, +$1.25 with bacon. And this still doesn't include fries. a basket of fries is $2 and onion rings are $3.50. I'm pretty adamant that any $10 burger BETTER have fries included. Even the famous joints in the city offer fries with their (slow)Burger. The Jumbo burger is a great simple burger.
They have added an awesome patio that has plenty of seating, covered outdoor seating is offered as well. You have a view of the rolling north plains. It is a relaxing atmosphere that goes well with their Jumbo Burger. Relaxing on their patio with a 1/2 pound burger and a beer needs to be on everyone's Summer to-do-list.
OMG GRIMM!!! I am such a geek when it comes to any type of celebrity, or famous location. One would think after growing up in L.A. I would be used to seeing famous people, or sites, but no. Now, to some, Helvetia Tavern may not have celebrity status, but to me it does. They frequently shoot scenes of Grimm there! What could be better?
Well, their delicious home-style burgers and funky atmosphere. That's what!
Cash only, and this place is popular so expect a wait.
Stopped here the other night to grab a quick bite to eat. Â The location is a bit off the beaten path out off a country road. There are two sides to this place a family dining side and adult/bar side. We sat on the bar side, it's not really a typical bar though it felt like more of a diner style where they have a few beers on tap. The menu is pretty small just burgers, fish and chips fries and onion rings basically. The cheeseburger was very good as were the onion rings. It's cash only but there is an ATM on site. I'd go back if out in the area again, good place for a burger.
Review Source:The first time I came here I was with some friends and feeling ill so I couldn't make a proper review of it. This time I felt perfectly fine and happily ate my burger. Â Hubby ordered a half order of onion rings. Whoa nelly! It was a huge order. Not sure if they mixed our order up but it was more than plenty for two people. Â The burgers were good, not the best I've ever had but still good. Â I would go back again when we visit our friends out there.
Review Source:Good burgers...not best in Portland. Not sure what was special about them...quite honestly, I think the burgers at Red Robin are more substantial and flavorful, not worth a special trip to Helvetia just for that. Great fries and onion rings. Good food, not great.
The place itself is great. Beautiful outdoor seating...especially nice on a summer day. Great indoor tables for families. Good time. Sorry HT...there are tastier, better versions of this type of food in this town.
So I may have had my expectations a little too high before coming here.
The drive out was beautiful and the location was awesome, it made me feel like I was back in Western Sonoma County and the beer was cold and perfect for the warm day.
However the burgers really weren't very good especially for $8 dollars. Thin patties that didn't have much flavor to them and a fairly pedestrian burger sauce that left much to be desired. The fries were o.k. Nothing special, just o.k. The onion rings were the only stand out item. They weren't to thick and had been fried perfectly so the batter doesn't slide off of the onion when you bite it. Â The batter was perfectly amber and had a really nice flavor to it, not overpowering but subtle and very tasty.
The service was very lack luster and I can see this place relying on it's die hard customer following to make up for slow, inattentive service. Over all kinda a "meh" meal at a "meh" establishment that we won't be rushing back to.
I had quite the surprise pulling up to this place. Â They now have outdoor seating. Â Maybe they always did, but I've never noticed it. Â Its far enough in back, its safe for a family to eat in without worrying about a kid dashing into the country road. Â There's an upper section for over 21 and a big t.v. up there. Â
Two bathrooms are in back, but the doors were swung wide open on my visit. Â A little gross to look at.
The garden burger was on the mushy side. Â The sauce and buns more than made up for that. Â The burger also comes with a bag of lays chips and a few pickles.
We had a group of 5, so we all split a tray of hot fries.
Service was good and we received our drinks and food quickly.
Cash only at this place. Â I'd definitely eat here again, but only on a nice day. Â Food tastes way better outside. Â Also some cool donkeys and sheep across the street that wander over to the fence to get petted.
Total Jekyll & Hyde joint which I think explains all of the high and low ratings:
Jekyll:
I've had it on several occasions and I agree that the Jumbo Burger is by far one of the best burgers I have ever had. The "goop" on top is fantastic. On our previous visits the service was generally good, and this last visit our server who first came to take our order was friendly and polite, he brought our drinks quickly, and the food arrived hot and fast. The bucolic setting really adds to the experience as well.
Hyde:
The fries have some nerve sharing the same plate with the jumbo burger. They're oily and mushy and clearly have been cooked in multiple-day-old oil. The halibut (in the fish & chips) is perfectly paired with the fries because it's really quite nasty. The friendly server who took our order disappeared after bringing us our drinks. I had to flag down another server to ask for the check and a few boxes to take home the remains of our jumbo burgers. After 10 minutes or so server #2 dropped off a few boxes and when he asked if I needed change (the bill was $41 and I gave him $60--I had planned on leaving 20%--but did he really think I was going to leave a 46% tip?) he stormed off, returned a few minutes later, and tossed my change on the table.
If you get the Jumbo Burger, skip the fries, and get Dr. Jekyll as your server throughout your meal, you won't be disappointed.
This is not your Mama's burger joint. Â Wait, maybe it is because my mother-in-law loves this place. Â In fact my entire in-laws want to come here when they are in town.
The burgers are fantastic. Â But what makes them special is the goop they put on the burger. Â Then add the great fries and onion rings to round out the meal. Â Of course you can get more goop to dip your fries and rings in to make it even more awesome.
The seating is community style, so don't expect an intimate meal. Â We often have to share one of the big picnic tables with other customers, but the environment is friendly and social so you feel like the more the merrier.
There is a family side and an adult/bar side. Â And during the nice weather they have patio seating in front and in back.
It is not an easy spot to get to, but definitely worth the drive. Â And bring cash because they don't take credit cards
cool spot off the beaten path in Hillsboro. It's a roadside bar with a simple menu. Burgers, fries, onion rings and beer.
It's quite neighborly, you see people saying bye to random tables on their way out, or being greeted by the staff on their way in. It was also on an episode of Grimm, Monroe comes in to have a chat with one of his buddies.
You should get here before those Portlandia guys show up.
Jumbo Burger is super good and onion rings were spectacular. Â Fast and friendly service. Â Only thing that keeps it from a 5 star is the no cards policy. Â Feels like they are intentionally milking me for an extra $1.50.
However, I cant wait to come back and try the huge outdoor patio.
Simple food. Simple menu. Â A step back in time, with hearty burgers without PC food choice police whispering about healthy choices.
Perfect cheeseburger with delicious sauce. And what incredible onion rings, crispy, hot, with great taste. Â Best burger I've eaten.
Ceiling covered with baseball hats. Â A great eatery tucked in the beautiful Oregon countryside.
Caution: Â Cash only like in bygone days!
I realized when I referenced their onion rings in another review, that I should have reviewed this.
I like this place. Maybe it's the drive, maybe it's the illegal cheeseburgers ( long story, but I am not supposed to eat beef per familial obligatory agreement), maybe it's the onion rings and fries combo ( good and greasy)... I don't know.
It's a great place to sip beer, eat junk, and hang out with a cool companinon. Not classy or hipster or anything, go elsewhere for that, but not bad.
We go here for lunch from work all the time. Â They have good burgers and there is always parking.
If you are going around lunch time, I recommend calling your order in. That is what we do from work and it saves a lot of time. Â
The burgers come with a bag of chips so I you like fries, you need to order a side order. Â
Another thing that makes it good is that we do not have to drive down the more congested parts of town. Â It is just another good option for us.
I've heard that the burgers here are some of the best around. The place is way outside the parameters of my regular travels but we decided to take a country drive this past weekend and ended up in the area. I'm glad we stopped in.
The dining room was filled with old-timers. It's definitely not a fancy joint. They have some big communal tables, a few smaller ones and about a million baseball caps thumb-tacked to the ceiling. (Things like that send me into OCD overdrive--I kept thinking a tack would pop loose and land in my burger, or my eye.) The only small tables available were butt-up against the restroom doors, so we opted for one of the gigantic ones.
The menu in minimalist--mostly burgers and fries. I also saw chicken sandwiches and fish and chips. I ordered a Jumbo Cheeseburger with the works and onion rings. I got a Black Butte Porter to wash it down. My wife got a regular cheeseburger and fries.
That looked like one helluva monster burger when the server plunked it down in front of me. The onion rings were piled high on top of it and the whole platter was big enough to feed a family of four--or one of me.
That was a tasty burger. Absolutely not a fancy gastro-pub type burger. This is a real, old-fashioned beef patty on a sesame seed bun type burger--but on steroids. The onion rings were perfect. Hot, crispy and crunchy. I got bacon on my burger, of course, and it was thick Applewood bacon. Nice.
If you want a delicious burger and an ice cold brewski in a quaint country setting, this is the place to go.
My brother, sister in law and I lunch together pretty often when I'm home. I love them! Aw I'm the sweetest. Winkey face! Where to this time? Helvatia. My sis in law insisted that these were the best burgers in the area. For simple burgers. The key is simple people. As the sign says inside: you don't get it your way BIOTCH. .... Minus the biotch but it does say son of a bitch. Scary! They cursed on their sign! You better listen now and comply. Can't be a diva and demand all kinds of fancy stuff  on your burger. The menu is short and makes ordering pretty easy. Cash only or you will be beaten. With your visa. Extreme Shame.
What did I get? A regular burger with everything. Also we shared a half and half order of fries and onion rings. The onion rings are a fail in my book. The breading batter hybrid thing they've got going on- mama don't like. It's borderline grainy. The fries on the other hand are outrageous. Hand cut, Â just plain potatoes with skin, fried, a lil salt. That's it. No batter, no meth smuggled in there, no nothing extra to it. I loved it even more because they were a tad soggy too. I. LOVE. THAT. It's freaking perfect! Yay to their fries, NAY to the onion rings. During summer you're better off with awesome, seasonal walla walla onion rings at burgerville instead.
The burger was really good and satisfying. There's a special sauce on it along with your typical onions, lettuce, tomato and pickles on the side. I was into it. Good portions because I was stuffed, barely being able to finish and I can always finish. Always.
Reasonably priced, kinda divey, out in the middle of nowhere. There's outdoor seating, it can be a tad busy during lunch but worth it if you're craving a fulfilling no frills burger. Bonus that it's not too far from  the Roloff family farm of little people big world fame. Kinda cool little factoid, not that you can drive up there and pet them.
Beer for breakfast? Â Check.
Burgers as big as my head? Â Check.
Onion rings that would inspire a quest to Mordor? Â Check.
Eye candy bartender? Â Check.
This place offers good ol' fashioned pub fare in a positively divey little tavern. Â Basic selections of monumentous size and flavor, alongside a short and sweet selection of beer on tap. Â My friend and I meandered in here on a late weekend morning for a tavern brunch of burgers and beer.
I ordered the basic hamburger and didn't have a shred of hope that I might actually finish it. Â It was big, juicy and probably housed more calories than the average person needs in a day. Â It was smeared in a house sauce that would rival Burgerville Spread, and came with a stack of fries that was enough for two or more people. Â Eric C. ordered the Jumbo-Burger, which was easily twice the size of my monster and loaded to the hilt in cheese. Â We also grabbed a side of onion rings to share, which made our side of fries a bit superfluous.
I washed my burger down with a huge glass of MacTarnahan's Amber beer, which as everyone knows is totally legit for breakfast on the weekend, or maybe just days that end in Y.
I'll be back soon to enjoy this divey little tavern. Â It looks like a great place to enjoy the sunshine in the outdoor seating or warm up with a brew inside in the winter.
*As a note, remember to bring cash. Â They do not accept cards, although I believe they have an ATM on premise.
Helvetia Tavern...the fun place in the middle of nowhere where people of all walks gather to drink beer, eat good fried sides and endure mediocre "gut bomb" burgers.
If you are driving, riding or biking on Helvetia Rd north of US 26, the Tavern is about the only place to grab a solid bite unless you double back to Hillsboro or head East to McMenamin's Rock Creek Tavern. The tavern is a stopping point for many cyclists and bikers hitting the back roads and the food and drinks are cash only.
I have eaten the hamburgers here several times and each time I sort of regret it. The Jumbo Cheeseburger is massive and messy, with two grilled patties covered in gooey cheese, the standard fixins and a special sauce. I always devour the burger because it tastes pretty good and I am usually hungry when I am there, but...about 10 minutes later, my stomach is angry with me because of the grease. It is what I refer to as a "gut bomb."
I don't feel this way at the other popular burger places in town, so I have to believe it is because of the quality of the food or the preparation.
The fries and onion rings are decent, the beer is plentiful, the back deck is great and the patrons are always varied and interesting. However, I just can't give Helvetia any more than 3 stars since I have had much better burgers in Portland - in more than a few places.
A friend of mine was eating at Red Robin one time when the kids from Little People, Big World came in to eat at a table near my pal, camera crew and all. With the exception of the Washington Square Mall location, I like Red Robin just fine. But I can't help to wonder why these kids would go there when just around the corner from their beautiful farm is a burger joint that so many people drive (or peddle) many miles to enjoy.
Helvetia Tavern serves up really good burgers. Nicely seasoned, and huge. And I am talking about the standard burger. The Jumbo is too big for this jumbo to handle. I must say, though, in addition to the shredded lettuce (would prefer the whole leaf) the juicy tomato, and cheese, adding bacon or ham is always a good choice. Especially the ham. Too bad they don't also offer a fried egg.
The fries and rings are extremely oily and overly salted, which makes them completely delicious. The fries are pretty limp, but if you like them crispier, they will double dip 'em if you ask.
The atmosphere is great! Nice and cozy, a hat covered ceiling, great service, surrounded by pretty farm country.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
