When I started this project and created this site, I had to give it a name. The Yamhill part was easy, but the second word "flaneur" is a bit of whimsy and a bit of aspiration.
The word carries a number of different meanings, but what I was hoping to do was capture the spirit of leisurely, idle, and unstructured exploration. To become a "connoisseur of the street."
Today, I expected a simple in-and-out mission to Carlton to sample a burger, but instead it turned into an extremely fun windfall of unstructured exploration that will yield two posts, this one about Carlton Corners and the other about a winery in Carlton.
Onto the Burger Quest. Today, I tried out fan favorite Carlton Corners. I had intended to get to this one sooner, but it was closed on Labor Day. It was open today and I am glad I made the trip.
For the uninitiated, the turn to get to Carlton is off 99-W between Lafayette and McMinnville. It is a right turn right before the bridge headed into Mac if you're headed South on 99-W and a left turn right after the bridge if you're headed North on 99-W. Follow the road a few miles straight into Carlton. Turn left on Main Street and go down about a block to Carlton Corners, which is on your right, attached to a gas station, located at the intersection of Main Street and Yamhill Street (The official address is 150 N. Yamhill Street). There are a few spots reserved specifically for Carlton Corners and there is also ample street parking.
I entered with a large group who were also there because they had heard about Carlton Corner's great burgers. We all went through the side door, which put us right by a small bar with around 8 seats. To the right is a section with more tables for seating. You do not have to wait to be seated. Just pick a table or seat at the bar and someone will be by to take your order.
I sat at the bar. There was a TV mounted at the front with the OSU Beaver's game on. The walls adjacent to the bar are covered in ceramic mugs and each mug is personalized with a name. I thought there must be a story behind these mugs and there is. Here is the story: each year the bar orders the mugs from a local artist, each year the mugs are different, and with said mug (cost $85) you get happy hour pricing on beers throughout the year. The mugs up on the wall are for 2023 and new ones will be coming for 2024. The availability each year is limited (governed by the number of hooks on the wall), so if you don't order in time you end up on a wait list. It is clear from the number of mugs on the wall, the existence of a waitlist to get them, and the number of suggestions I got to try this place, that it has a well earned loyal following.
The menu is comprehensive. In addition to burgers, there is all the usual pub/bar fare as well as pizza, and a breakfast menu for the brunch minded. There a number of different burgers on offer, even non-beef options, like bison, but I stuck with the KISS (keep it simple stupid) option, adding bacon and cheese (to try and keep the comparisons on as much of an even footing as I can) to a basic beef burger. I have a fondness for red ales, and there was a 3 Sisters Red Ale on tap, so that was my choice.
The burger comes with the standard toppings of lettuce, tomato, red onions, and burger sauce together with a wedge dill pickle on a Kaiser roll. The bacon is thick and full of flavor and the patty is thinner and is a text book greasy diner burger. There are a lot of fries that come with it and they are awesome, perfect fries. The ale was smooth and will earn my repeat business.
Carlton Corners has won "best burger" before and it's easy to see why. This is a great no-nonsense burger and fries that will leave you satisfied.
Overall, I would give the following grades:
Burger: B+
Beer: B+
Fries: A.
The price is right. The burger and beer together was $21, so is a great value.
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