Standing out in Portland’s crowded smash burger scene isn’t easy. In the four years since we hunted down and ate approximately 25 local renditions , dozens of new bars, carts and restaurants have started serving smash burgers in Portland.

And to be honest, these days, it takes a pretty special smash burger to get me out of the house.

Champs makes a special smash burger. The pop-up turned Brooklyn neighborhood cart has put serious thought into every aspect of its burger-making process, from the house-baked buns to the dry-aged beef to the specific type of American cheese it melts over its smashed — but not too smashed — patties. Perhaps that’s why there’s often a small crowd milling around the back patio of Away Days Brewing on Thursdays, when Champs opens for the week.

Portland has

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