No surprise here, but the fanciest ingredients don’t necessarily make a dish the best. Sometimes, it’s the elementary foods that make the most memorable impression, and I’m talking straight elementary. Literally. The Grilled Cheese Grill in Portland, OR is one of those places that does it right and SIMPLE. As their name implies, they serve grilled cheese just like mom* used to make.

Located on a street corner in the King neighborhood, you’d think that you just happened upon a junk yard. There’s an old school bus on the lot, a trailer, and some dirt & gravel. NOPE! That colorful school bus is their dining room. Inside you’ll find a diner setup, tables on one side and a bar on the other. The tables are littered with old school pics from way back when (creepy). Think milk carton children shrine.

GCG’s cute menu starts with the ‘Kindergartner,’ a classic grill – american or cheddar on white or wheat, and for the sophisticated, grown-up kid, the ‘Gabby’ offers a cheddar, colby, jack, and mozz on white.

Just like in school, the guys in the kitchen get on the horn when your order is ready and summon you down to their ‘office.’ The only difference is when you get there, instead of detention, you’re greeted with a tasty treat. I opted for the ‘Morton,’ meatball marinara, ricotta and mozzarella on grilled Italian sourdough. So delicious. It was the perfect amount of saucy, meaty and cheesy. The idea of seconds was immediately on my mind. I couldn’t have been more satisfied, especially with the massive hangover that I was fighting off that morning. And in the words of the Cars, “you’re just what I needed.” If I recall correctly, those were the exact words I whispered to my sandwich.

Big high-fives to the Kenyons for sharing the delicious adventure with Matt and me! And for you Portlanders or anyone visiting, the GCG is open until 2:30 am on Fridays & Saturdays, making it a perfect drunken eats spot. EAT IT!

*’Mom’ in this instance implies that your mother was All-American and served you grilled cheese. In some cases of ethnicity, mothers may have served grilled cheese with rice or an alternative side dish or no grilled cheese at all. NOOOOOOO!