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The Ultimate PNW Burger Hunt with Burger Boy Jon · The PNW Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Do you notify the establishment that you're at that you're doing a burger review?
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_01: No, I do not tell anyone that I'm gonna come in.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_01: I, for one, want it to be like the most authentic experience that everyone else would have.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_01: Lately, I've been having to have someone else go in and order, and then I can just pop in right when the meal shows up, you know?
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_01: Uh that way, you know, there's some people that notice me.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_01: And uh and I just want it to be the most authentic thing.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_01: Uh no, I've never told anyone that I'm gonna film there.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: I've never I I try to keep it low and keep my voice down and find a right spot for me to sit in, that I'm not gonna interfere.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_01: And if that interferes, or if I feel that it's gonna interfere with anyone, I'll just go outside and do it in the parking lot.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: All right, welcome in to the PW podcast.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Drew Titeman, and we are at the Stafford Hills Club where uh work meets play for me up here in the studios.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: It is ranked the number one health and wellness facility in the Portland area, and for good reason, at that saltwater pool, indoor and outdoor tennis.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you can pump some iron here, or you can just go sit in the sauna and call it a day.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: See dudes doing it all the time with a towel over their face, hiding from whatever responsibility they possibly can.
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: And I gotta say, it's just relaxing to do so sometimes.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: So hit them up at staffordhills.com, tell them Drew sent you for half off your initiation.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: I'm super stoked to be talking to this guy here, um, who I actually started following along with his journey a couple of months ago, I think maybe even three months ago or something, where I saw his content, started to follow, and then I realized that I was really recognizing some of these locations that he was at, and then found out that he was in my home away from home.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: For those who don't know, I spent 16 years living in beautiful Eugene, Oregon, after going to the University of Oregon and having a radio show down there for 12 years.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, right now, welcome to the studio.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, a guy that I'm just stoked to see.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Burger Boy John.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the show.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, you know, uh I uh I'm I'm I'm thrilled to be here.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it's uh it's an honor, honestly.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: Well, for people who don't know you and how you are Burger Boy John, he goes around and he reviews burgers at all the places, not just in Eugene and Springfield, but I've seen you up and down the i5 quarter.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: I've even seen you in other countries trying out burgers.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: And um, I will say my oldest daughter, who just turned 11, thinks the world of Burger Boy John.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: I've done a ton of interviews with people who've done just crazy things and overcome the odds and you know, Dave's killer bread, and and um, you know, a survivor of Sandy Hook, like these wild stories, and all she cares about is when is Burger Boy John gonna be on the schedule?
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: So uh here we are.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: Now I've scratched that itch and she doesn't have to ask anymore.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: Uh John, I gotta ask for a guy who does these burger reviews and and you gotta follow him on all the platforms.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: I know you're on TikTok, I know you're on Facebook.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: Can they find you on the gram as well?
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah, I'm on the Instagram, yeah.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_00: And uh all those, are you on YouTube or just those three for now?
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_01: Uh YouTube and Facebook, yeah.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: So nice, he's got it all.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so you started this journey, what, about a year ago?
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yep, it's uh it's been a year, and uh just actually coming up on a year, uh it's been a really fun journey.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it was it was one of those things that I really wanted to do for a long time, and uh and finally I I got a girl that when I told her I wanted to do something, she's like, okay, then let's do it.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_01: And uh and it was like, uh-oh.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_01: Now I gotta put my money where my mouth is.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_01: So um we went to a burger joint in Eugene and and uh filmed the first one.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_01: It was like a one shot, one kill.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_01: Like we both really didn't know what we were doing, like editing-wise, or or talking about the burger.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I I know I I could talk about burgers all day, but I was trying to describe the burger and do the stuff, and it was it was hectic.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_01: And uh and and and then it was like, okay, this could get easier, and um it's uh it's not easy, but it's it's probably the most fun thing I've done in my life.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: So where was that first where was that first review that you did?
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: What what burger place did you go to?
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Xando's, uh over in the Whitaker.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_01: Uh okay.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_01: And uh it was uh they had like a little tiny seating area because I didn't want to be seen.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't want someone to like watch me do a film because I'm already embarrassed enough about myself.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: And then, you know, to have a camera in front of me.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_01: So like I was in this back corner of this area.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you know, there was a janitor guy that walked by and I was all scared, you know?
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_01: And and now like I've kind of figured out like uh I I have a really I have a small camera that's really incognito.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_01: I don't walk in and and make myself known or do anything that like I I don't want to interfere with anyone else's dining experience, you know?
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_01: I don't want to be the guy.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: So that's a good question because you know I I showcase different places and sometimes that requires me having my camera out.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, I I always tell people this story about me having to uh do a video of myself in a grocery store, and people are looking at me like I'm out of my mind, right?
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: So for you, did you how long did you continue to hide the camera?
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: And the second part of that question is do you notify the establishment that you're at that you're doing a burger review?
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_01: Uh no, I do not tell anyone that I'm gonna come in.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_01: I for one want it to be like the most authentic um experience that everyone else would have.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um lately I've been having to have someone else go in and order, and then I can just pop in right when the meal shows up, you know.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_01: Uh that way, you know, um there's some people that notice me.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_01: And uh and I just want it to be the most authentic thing.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: Uh no, I've never told anyone that I'm gonna film there.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um I've never um I I try to keep it low and keep my voice down and find a right spot for me to sit in that I'm not gonna interfere.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_01: And if that interferes, or if I feel that it's gonna interfere with anyone, I'll just go outside and do it in the parking lot.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_01: But I I'd love people to see it kind of like where it's at, and you know, um I mean it's a it's an experience to be inside at a you know at a bar that you've never been inside before.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_01: You know, you can be out in the parking lot and eat a burger, but you they want to see the inside too.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the ambiance really does add something to it, you know, and and one thing I like about the fact that you don't tell them what you're doing, and and with me, I often have to tell them because there's there's a bunch going on and I'm I'd be distracting people or or whatever.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: But with you, what I love about it is when you get the burger, your burger is presented the exact same way it's gonna be to a standard patron.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: I've had many times where I've gone to a place to showcase their food, especially back in my like terrestrial radio days where they make that burger special for you.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you could go and don't want that.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_00: I don't go into a Carl Jr.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: and if they know you're coming, they'll make it look like a restaurant burger.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: I want it to look like the way it gets slammed into the next guy's back.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_01: I know.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: And because uh like if they watch my video and that happens, what are they gonna do?
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_01: They're gonna go there and they're gonna be like, What is this?
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: You know, like he got something completely different.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_01: And I I want the establishment to to make money for one.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_01: I want the establishment I mean, it's hard enough out there right now with money.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, like things have gotten so expensive, it's not their fault.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_01: We don't know whose fault it is, but I mean, like, it's an awesome experience to go out to dinner or lunch or whatever it is, and and it's expensive.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_01: And I want that to be fun, you know, and you're gonna have the same experience.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, 100%.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_00: And you're in a tough position because one of the things I absolutely love about Eugene Springfield is also one of the things that can be a pitfall, and that is when you do get a little bit of notoriety or people see your face, it's not a small town.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: It's the third biggest, or actually the second biggest city in the state.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but it's just small enough to where you get recognized and people are willing to come up to you about it.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: I was on the radio in that city for many years, and to this day, when I come back for duck games, I'm not joking, and this isn't bragging, this is just the truth of it.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: The last time I walked through the front door of Odson Stadium for a night game, it was pitch blackout.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_00: The guy in the blue coat who was taking my ticket, he gave me a belly-to-belly man hug.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: Whoa.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I hadn't I hadn't been on the radio there in 10 years.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't matter.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_01: You're you're like your history, dude.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_01: Like, I don't know anyone that was alive that didn't listen to you, dude.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: So, like, I mean, you know what I mean?
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_00: Well, it it was a great time, but for you, I think it's it's you're the more you do this, and you know, now and and what I also love about uh Burger Boy John is he doesn't care about the followers and flexing about the count and and all this other stuff.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: He's doing it for the love of the game.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_01: I really can't talk about the count.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I'm just I'm small potatoes, like, but but it doesn't matter.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_01: People just need to see what's all what's available in Oregon, man, just around the random spots, you know?
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: So are are you getting to a point where because you've been doing it for a year and you're very consistent, I I appreciate that as well, because I I never see the same burger popping up in my feet.
• 10:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's always something new, always something fresh.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: Are you finding that you're running out of spots or how's that going?
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: No, like I I do four a week.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_01: And um and four a week is pretty four videos a week.
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_01: Uh sometimes more videos, but four I post four a week, and there's no way it you could get a burger anywhere.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, if there's a kids menu, there's usually a burger on there.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: So I mean, every place will have a burger, and it's like I mean, at the beginning, like I was so excited to get uh a place to go to, and then now it's like you know, 15 and in a couple hours, and I'm like, yes, like and then I have to consolidate, and then and then now I'm figuring out like you know, sometimes there they're there are great websites to look for to find good burgers, but you know, sometimes you go there and you're like, hmm, you know, how did that come about or what is about?
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_01: And so by hearing from folks and wow, I've gotten five requests for this place, but their Yelp review is not that great.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_01: Hmm, oh okay, but it's awesome, you know?
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: I don't it's fun, it's fun finding them.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I think it's awesome to have you there too, because a Yelp review is often jaded.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: I always say that how often do you go when you enjoy a food item and go and and put a Yelp review?
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: Almost never.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: It's always the person who gets jaded goes to put the Yelp review because they want to be heard.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: I don't remember the last time I finished dinner and it was delicious, and I was like, I'm gonna get myself home and I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna tell them what happened.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: You know, because you just don't do it.
• 12:30
  SPEAKER_00: Like you expect it to be great.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_01: You have that moment and it's an awesome moment.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_01: Uh you know, I've I don't think in my lifetime I've I I waited tables when I was younger.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um I worked in restaurants, you know, and and uh and I've never complained about an experience ever in my life.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: I just happen.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_01: Things happen.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_01: Things are bad some days, and it happens.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: So here's the here's another question for you, and this this is going to sound it this is tough to even come out of my mouth.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: You eat a burger so often that are there times because you have to keep up the content, are there times where you just don't want a burger and you've got to go eat burgers?
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_01: Well, no, I don't I don't I don't think a man should ask another man that question.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: It felt weird to ask, I'll be honest with you.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_01: But uh we'll we'll move on from that one.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so you're all right, you're alright, Chris.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_01: Uh yeah.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, I've I've eaten a lot of burgers in my life, but uh I could eat many more, and I and I there are times where I'm like, okay, like maybe not a burger, and then I wake up the next morning and I'm ready to go.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know, it's odd.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_01: I I love burgers, so so Yeah, I do.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_00: I also love a burger.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um, like one time we went to Las Vegas and when I was getting on the airplane to come home, I think I was having like a I was having like a health event.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: I was so salted, and I realized that well, not a real halt event, but I I realized that I had had like eight burgers in a three-day span in Las Vegas.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: That's a record, that's good.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: Well, because it's like every time you go somewhere, you know, it's like a bunch of obscure things I just want to eat and get going.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: It's like berg, berg, berg, and then I had had eight berg.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, well, I mean, that's how you do it.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: That's how you look.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's that's how you fill your legs full of water and get on an airplane, I'll tell you what.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that's the that's it.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_01: Dehydration is fries and burgers have a lot of salt.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: They're actually not that calorically dense.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, if you look at it, you know, yeah, it's just a piece of bread and meat.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_01: Got the vegetables.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, you know, it's not bad for you.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_01: You get your protein if you work out and stuff, you know.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_01: All I do is work this out, you know?
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, exactly.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: Hand of mouth.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: That's a one strong right arm you got there.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: Now, uh, I saw that you were in Italy recently and you were you don't normally sample McDonald's, obviously, here, but you went there to try out some of their menu.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: They had teramasu on the menu, the whole deal.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: Was it Mickey D's burger?
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: Was that uh just like here, or did it feel like a different experience?
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, it honestly tastes exactly like here.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think that uh what was really odd though is the fries.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_01: They got really cold fast.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_01: So I don't know why that happened.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_01: I was outside in the sun, you know, it's not like I was in a cold lobby or something, but uh yeah, it was kind of odd.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_01: The fries got cold really fast, but the burger tastes exactly the same as the United States.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um I just had to show something that I mean, who has uh who has cappuccinos, you know, with the you know, with the heart in it at McDonald's?
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_01: I mean it's impressive.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_01: It would be like uh, you know, a three-week class, you know, teaching that thing.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_01: But no, it's um I don't know, it was just kind of fun, but uh yeah, with airline miles, you can do anything, you know?
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's true.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: So have I know you did Mc you did McDonald's, but did you were you able to, and I could scroll through your page, but just on the hurry up, did you try an Italian burger from a restaurant to see how that compares?
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_01: Uh well, I I before, okay, well, uh, I don't know, about six or eight months ago, I was in Italy and I had a couple in Venice and I had a couple burgers in Venice.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_01: I tried five guys and then I tried one that was a local burger joint.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, yeah.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I would rather stick with chiquette and pasta and and uh and pizza and stuff like that.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_01: Well, let's just say that, you know.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: But I agree.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's the best food I ever had in my life, is in Italy.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not a pasta guy, but uh yeah, I became one.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_01: I became one, and uh yeah, uh I don't know, food is food is so fun, and and yeah, I know I'm like kind of like cornered in with the burger thing, but man, on my days off, man.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_01: I do whatever.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I love food, but I love a burger more.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, this man does love a burger, and what we're gonna do is we're gonna take a quick break, and when we come back, we're gonna find out a burger that he thinks that you could go check out, and uh we'll discuss what it's like uh maybe when you're trying to film content in a restaurant and how sometimes that doesn't go to plan.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_00: We'll be right back.
• 17:54
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• 19:53
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• 19:56
  SPEAKER_00: We're back here with Burger Boy John.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: If you're not following him on all the social media platforms, you're missing out on something, especially if you travel up and down that I-5 corridor and you f you find yourself stopping off in the Eugene Springfield area.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_00: I will be there for a bunch of duck games.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm going to be taking his advice on the regular.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: Just think about it.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: You follow the guy, scroll through his page.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: You've got hundreds of burger reviews right there.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_00: He'll tell you the good, the bad, and the ugly, so you don't have to worry about it yourself.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: Um John, how many burgers do you do you know how many you've reviewed?
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_00: I know you're at a year.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: Do you have a guesstimate of how many of these you've done?
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_01: I think we're at like 200 videos.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_01: Woo! It's huge.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_01: I think we're at 200.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, yeah.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um yeah, it's uh it's been a trek, but it's uh it's been so fun as you go.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_01: You know.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_01: There's there's so many places in Oregon, you know, you you know, you would say Brownsville, and I was like, oh yeah, okay.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_01: And then you go there and you're like, wow, this place is cute.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_01: And you can get a burger, you know?
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_00: So exactly.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: I I love small town America because you can get the truly authentic burger in those places.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you get into where I live and and you go to some restaurants, you're only gonna get the hoity toity burger, which I like it a little bit down in the dirt.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: So you're living in Portland then.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_00: I live in a suburb outside of Portland.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, all right.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_01: You know, hey, Portland's rad.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_01: They have all kinds of food available.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_01: And like cities, man, they have everything.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_01: They have everything.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_00: Mm-hmm.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_00: But you're at a lot of the places that I like to go to, and they're not all dive bars or whatever, but I love sometimes where, you know, the only three guys are the back of three regulars up at the bar, and it's just me sitting in there, they half don't know why I'm there.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_00: And that's how I know I'm gonna get a good burger.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_00: Like the the last time I went to Sweet Home, Oregon, I went in, uh To order some food and they were about to run me out of town.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_00: But after I talked my way into staying, gosh, the food was delicious.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: The I've been to a couple places in Sweet Home and yeah, I wore a cowboy outfit.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_01: Nice.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_01: Uh yeah, I ain't no cowboy.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_01: You blend it in though.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_01: I I think I got some looks.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_01: My hat looks real bad.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_01: I really try, you know.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_01: But my hat, I got it too small, so I could ride my motorcycle with the cowboy hat on, because I don't like to ride with a helmet.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_01: But you know, just so I can, you know, with my dirt bike and you know fair enough.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_00: You know, but we could we could talk to you about your safety later.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I I give enough I give enough um conversations about helmets with my three kids on bikes.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_00: Oh well but that's important for kids.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure that you've got that thing on nice and snug, so any small fall, you'll be okay.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_00: Chin strap too.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_00: See, there you go.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um so when it comes to burger reviews, I do got to give you credit.
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_00: The fact that you don't ask them to make you a special burger.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_00: It looks like they're not paying to play, so they're not asking you, you're not asking them for money to give their place a review.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_00: No.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um when I go to showcase places, the first question I always get asked is what's the cost?
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm just showcasing the places so that others, kind of like you, can enjoy the same things without the headache of a place they don't like.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_00: Um but I think a lot of people, especially influencers, are doing that these days.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but for you, you you seem to have been very authentic.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's uh uh I think there are there are a lot of comments of folks that that believe that I'm paid.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_01: And um, you know, I've been offered to get free food sometimes, and you know, uh yes, I've had a couple beers bought for me, um, things like that, but uh, but really like uh I've paid for every burger.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I I don't want to get paid for uh an event like, you know, to like I said, money's hard out there for folks, and and to see an authentic visit to uh uh any sort of establishment is is I think what people are looking for.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_01: You know?
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_00: I agree, and I but I do feel like there's a little piece of me that's like you're putting in all this work, right?
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_00: And you do it over and over and over, and and I'm not saying to accept, you know, bribes from people to to fudge a review or anything, but I mean, what is the end game?
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_00: Like what what does success in this look like for you on down the road?
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_01: Uh success down the road, yeah.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_01: Another another ding.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_01: Sorry.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_03: Walmart delivery.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_00: Well, here, I'll I'll I'll just ask it again.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_00: Uh okay, one sec.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry.
• 24:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, what was that?
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_00: I was just gonna say, um, you know, not that I am like want you to fudge review or that I want you to be in a situation where you're not being authentic, but what is success in this look like for you?
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_00: Because you are starting to amass followers now, and it it seems to be snowball, snowballing for you in a in a good way.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um what what is the end game?
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_01: I think my mother's asked me the same question.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_01: Uh she doesn't understand this either.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I don't really understand it.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I I think uh, you know, uh people say once you get over 10,000 followers and stuff that uh, you know, uh you will start getting paid, I believe.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_01: Uh there there has to be a product or you know, I I when I use my airline miles and go on vacation, there could be a hotel or something that uh, you know, might want to sponsor me or something like that.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_01: I I'm not sure what the future holds.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I've got a day job, I work in a mill.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_01: I have four days off, four days on, my four days off, I I go out and that's when I do my burger reviews.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_01: And uh and that's that's how I fund it.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_01: And uh and I think uh it's just so fun.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's I think it's great what you're doing, and you know, keep it up because you make me laugh all the time.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_00: And like I said, my my kids like you more than they probably like me, uh but they are they're in a scenario where they're they like what you're saying about the burgers and then just like your reactions.
• 26:31
  SPEAKER_00: And so like when you take a burger bite, don't you take a bite and then you put it down and then you pick it up upside down?
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I've done it both ways.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, so sometimes like the way a burger is constructed, like like you if you eat it the the the top way, right?
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_01: And then a lot of good beef flavor.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_01: And then sometimes if you try it the other way, you might get the creaminess from the cheese and more beef than you do because you have a lot of stuff on the top.
• 27:02
  SPEAKER_01: So it's just a different way to try it.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, and I you know, some people don't like it.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_01: I I saw someone do it once and I I kind of discredited them, then now I tried and I was like, okay.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna be honest.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_00: I've never I've never tried it, John, but I'm going to do it.
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna I'm gonna videotape myself flipping that burger for you.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_00: Oh no, okay.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_00: Well, so here so what do you think the chances are that and I don't wanna I don't wanna uh invade your space, but if sometime when I was in Eugene, if I came and did a burger review with you, or at least sat in and and watched it go down.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, let's do it.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, why not?
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, uh the more the merrier.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_01: I think it'd be fun.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_01: You'd probably have a bunch of fangirls with you or something, but yeah, I don't know.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_01: You never know.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, just you know, just don't bring a crowd, you know.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_01: I mean No, no, just me.
• 27:56
  SPEAKER_00: We gotta do it.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, 100%.
• 27:58
  SPEAKER_00: I I would come in, I would come in incognito.
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_00: When it comes to these places, though, you've tried 200 burgers, John.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_00: That's impressive.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um, do you have I don't even necessarily need your favorite because I'm not trying to put one at the top of the the spot unless you have one.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_00: What is a what is a burger if someone's like, well, if they're jumping onto the Burger Boy John train, where's the place they've got to go try a burger?
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, place they gotta go try one.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, so I'm from Eugene Springfield.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_01: So um I like uh Squatchos, I like uh the BB Burger Hut out uh Wesley or Barger, I like uh let's see, what else?
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_01: Man, I mean there's so many burgers.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um Yeah, no, it's hard to discriminate against your other loved burger.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_01: If you like a thicker burger, like there's all kinds of different burgers, giant burger in Springfield, Finn's driving in Springfield if you like, you know, Diner Burger.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_01: Uh if you like uh, you know, just a fancy burger, go to Marche.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_01: Like uh there's so many places, you know, like it just depends on what kind of burgers you like.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I can say, hey, go to this Smash Burger place, and people be like, ah, it's too thin.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_01: You know, like I want the thick one.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_01: I'm like, okay, well, here's where you need to go, you know.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, it's different for everyone.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_01: I need to maybe um you know, make my my scoring and or like, you know, explain, hey, this is this is the the smash burger, and this is the thick burger, this is the picnic burger, this is you know, whatever burger, but I don't know.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_01: Burgers are fun and everyone loves them.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_00: So the j so the giant burger out in Springfield, um, many years ago, they had a burger challenge there.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_00: It was like a five-pound burger with like a tray full of fries that you'd have to try to eat.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_00: And we actually were on the Food Network.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, okay.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_00: It was either Food Network or Travel Channel, it's this show called Meat and Potatoes.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_00: Where we brought our whole we brought our whole radio show down there, and our stunt guy named Man Yams tried to eat a five-pound burger.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_00: Um, on television.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_00: He got rocked.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_00: It didn't work, but forever that giant burger will be will be entrenched in my mind because we filled it full of, you know, people for this glorious moment before he got rocked.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, a five-pound burger is on another level.
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_01: You know, a lot of folks think that I'm like a competitive eater or something.
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_01: I really ain't.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, you know, like two or three like good sized burgers in a day will, you know, give me a couple, you know, couple uh hours to think about it.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_01: And so Yeah, and me too.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_01: And like, and I know people like big burgers, you know.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_01: People like a big meal.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, that's not me, but I will still enjoy one.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, I think the third pound burger is probably ideal for me.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, though you get to the you get to the half pound, and I I didn't order a meatloaf on a bun.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, like that's not what I'm here for.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_00: I'll eat a lot of meat.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_00: It is.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_00: What is the size burger that's perfect for you?
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_01: I think a quarter to a third, yeah.
• 31:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think that's I think that's perfect.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, agreed.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_00: And uh quick opinion on the Smash Burger Craze.
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_01: I like it.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_01: I like the crispy meat on the outsides.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's the most fun thing ever.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, when I was a kid and like the pizza came and like the pizza box, like you know, they have me in the backseat holding this pizza box.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_01: I just kind of slip it open.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_01: If there are those little pieces of crispy uh cheese in there, oh my god, they were all gone before we got up.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_00: I'm with you right there.
• 31:51
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's the goods for sure.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_00: Uh before we go, I wanted to ask you, you know, you've done all these reviews and you do them without asking, which goes with a little bit of risk, or just that it could go w a certain way.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_00: Has there ever been a review that has not necessarily bad, but has gone um against what you thought was gonna happen?
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, okay.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, uh well, I showed up to a place.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_01: I don't really want to say names, but uh That's all right.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_01: I showed up to a place, and as I walked into the place, a big dude, big dude, you know, I'm just kind of standing there and said, Are you sure you're in the right place?
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_01: Oh yeah, that's how they treated me in Sweet Home.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_01: Oh and uh and I said, Well, uh, I believe so.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_01: Uh you got a burger, right?
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_01: And they're like, Yeah.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_01: And so we, you know, sat down and and I got my burger order and I was like, you know, it's just really odd in here.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_01: And we went felt icy.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it just it just felt a little, I don't know, there's some static in the air that I didn't know was going on.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_01: But I had a fabulous burger.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it was just kind of like, what happened?
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_01: And so like after after my review went out, uh I was contacted by the business and they said, you know, we're sorry.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_01: And I said, you know, uh the the problem was is the business has like three other businesses in one little area, and so they were just wanting to make sure that we were in the right place.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_01: So they're doing the right thing.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_01: It just you know, it was just like one of those things where um it just you know came off in the wrong way sometimes, you know.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_01: I put that in my mouth all the time.
• 33:33
  SPEAKER_00: Well, the good thing is is um a delicious burger is easier to eat under duress.
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah.
• 33:40
  SPEAKER_00: If it was if it was disgusting, then you you're having a bad day.
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_00: But you know, you left the place at least after having a delicious burger, which it was great, yeah.
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, which if it was a little more warm at the entryway, then more people would have a chance to enjoy such a great burger.
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_01: They'll still enjoy it.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_01: It was just I think I think it was just a learning experience for all of us, you know?
• 34:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 34:01
  SPEAKER_00: How often how often does uh business after they see that your video is up contact you?
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it's usually when the video goes up.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes uh uh I would just throw the video out to begin with, and then uh and then it circulate, and then you know, within an hour or something, someone would say, you know.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, you know, uh either positive or negative.
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_01: I've I think uh I met a lady today um uh that owned a couple bars, and she, you know, one of one of her bars wasn't the greatest review, the other one was a better review.
• 34:39
  SPEAKER_01: And she said, you know, hey, thank you for that great review.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, uh I'm not here to hurt a business, I'm here to promote.
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_01: And uh I uh yeah, that's that's that's a goal.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you do a great job, John, and you gotta follow this guy, Burger Boy John.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna get him to that 10,000 followers so that he can have his own burger sauce or something.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_00: Wouldn't that be great?
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_00: You go into the grocery store and you're I'm gonna need that Burger Boy John sauce.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that would be an interesting one.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_00: I can think Yeah, you got the experience.
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_00: Somebody wants to partner with this guy.
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_00: Well, hey, thank you so much for taking the time to come on to the PNW podcast where it's all about celebrating the Pacific Northwest, and you are doing that one burger at a time, John.
• 35:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm gonna have to I'm gonna have to tap you at some point to give me some information if uh we hear about some epic burger in the future that you've likely tried.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_00: And you and I, I'm telling you, we got to do a burger review together.
• 35:39
  SPEAKER_00: We will.
• 35:40
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna go I'm gonna be down there a bunch this fall for football.
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 35:44
  SPEAKER_00: My daughter's gonna hold you to it.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_00: And I see you've got a golf hat.
• 35:48
  SPEAKER_00: Are you a golfer?
• 35:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I try.
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_00: Well, uh, I in our little pre-meeting, I heard that you uh that you know of the same Oakway golf course is where I used to golf every single day.
• 36:00
  SPEAKER_00: I'd get done with my radio show, and I we were all buds, and so it's years ago.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_00: Hopefully they don't get in trouble for this.
• 36:07
  SPEAKER_00: They would leave me a golf cart out, and I would haul over there from the radio station that was over by the Valley River Center Mall, come to Oakway golf course, I would get out of my car, I would jog over there, I'd get myself two cold uh ciders and get in my golf cart, and then at the end of the round at twilight, they would let me put it away myself and plug it in and close the garage.
• 36:31
  SPEAKER_00: It was the greatest thing.
• 36:32
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I'm not saying anyone else is gonna get that treatment, but that's the nice thing about going to a mom and pop.
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I've always said Oakway Golf Course the most bang for your buck.
• 36:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 36:43
  SPEAKER_00: Every day, baby.
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, every day.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_00: I love that course.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_00: That's right.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_00: All right, well, maybe we'll play some golf when we're down there as well.
• 36:50
  SPEAKER_00: We'll do a burger, we'll do some golf.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_00: Great talking to you, John.
• 36:53
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for taking the time, and and uh we'll talk to you soon, bud.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, thank you.
• 36:57
  SPEAKER_00: Cheers.
• 36:57
  SPEAKER_00: Cheers.