The thing about burgers, killer and otherwise, is that everyone seems to want something different from them. Some people want fat, thick and juicy, some want a delicate smash patty all crispy and lean, others prioritize flavor over texture and toppings, while even others realize that the true secret of the perfect hamburger lies in the bun. If you ask 25 Central Oregonians what their favorite burger in Bend is, you might get somewhere around 20 different answers and no one is really wrong. Burgers are ubiquitous here and I’m here for it.
Almost every week, a new burger spot opens in town, but it can be challenging for locals to latch onto something different. We’re stuck in our ways. Many people who are after that smashy goodness stay true to Americana or Blue Eyes. Long-time Bendites find a little piece of nostalgia at Dandy’s or Bro Jo’s. Locals still mourn the gradual decline and death of Pilot Butte Drive-In. So, with the recent opening of Killer Burger over at the new outdoor shopping area near Costco, it remains to be seen whether the Oregon-based franchise will catch on with locals and become another iconic staple of Central Oregon.
The first Killer Burger opened in 2010 in Portland and now in 2025, there are around a dozen locations across the country. General Manager Logan Miller explains Killer Burger’s humble origins. “Killer Burger is a small business chain of Burger lovers,” says Miller. “We started out in the founder’s garage where he was making each and every recipe from scratch. Then we opened our first location in Portland, Oregon, back in 2010. Since then, we’ve grown tremendously, as we currently have 25 restaurants and plan on continuing our expansion to other states. Such as Washington, Idaho, Utah, and Texas.”
While there are still several items I would love to try on their menu, I definitely enjoyed most of what I was able to try. Their flagship burger, the Peanut Butter Pickle Bacon burger, is pretty tasty if you have a goofball palate like myself. The peanut butter adds a really nice texture and sweetness to the meat, while the pickles layer in a tang that has the whole thing tasting like a delicious bit of ordered chaos that will not leave anyone without a strong opinion.
“Killer Burger is not just about making a burger, it’s about the experience,” says Miller. “It’s about perfect quality and service every time. No matter what time of day you come in, no matter how many people you bring with you. Each and every burger is made to perfection. With our Crispy Bacon and our Carmel crunch sear on every patty, you can’t go wrong with any of our unique individual burgers.”
The other burger I tried that was even better than the Peanut Butter Pickle was the Bender, made with bacon, a spicy BBQ sauce, crispy jalapeños, grilled onions and a house sauce. I ordered the Pint-size Bender, which you can get on its own or as an $11 Killer Box Lunch with small fries and a fountain drink, which is easily their nicest price point on the menu. I would recommend that if you’re famished, get the Killer Box because the Pint-sized burger is fairly small on its own, but with fries and a soda was a solid amount of food. I haven’t yet tried the Double (which looks like a thicc boi), but I definitely found the Original burgers to be well-sized by themselves.
The meat itself also has better flavor than I was expecting. These do not taste like carelessly thrown-together, franchise fast food burgers. The flavor profiles of everything I tasted were slightly more complex than I was giving them credit for and definitely got me excited to try other things on the menu like the Teemah (with Swiss fondue, blue cheese and bacon) or the Mike’s Hot Honey chicken sandwich.
One thing I wasn’t really in love with were the onion rings, which are really lightly fried to a softer, crispy texture, where, in my own personal preference, I love onion rings that are fried into mega crunchy golden perfection. Lots of people prefer a lighter fry on their onion rings than I do, so your mileage may vary. However, I was very impressed with the fat and salty goodness of the fries, which tasted fresh and homemade. These fries are some of the best I’ve had in town and would stand them against all comers.
Newly opened, I wouldn’t be surprised if Killer Burger made quite a few fans in Bend. The grand opening has been amazing,” says Miller. “We didn’t end up advertising, as those who have had the pleasure to dine in with us before shared such amazing stories and memories of our restaurants. This being said, it has been very busy. We not only have friends and family coming from all over Central Oregon, but we also often see families come and dine with us before they head over to Costco, so they can save a little on shopping!”
Whether you’re stopping at Killer Burger before or after shopping, or if you’re making the trip over there to try them for the heck of it, Killer Burger has a lot of interesting and delicious flavors to share. Will this end up being your favorite burger in Bend? The choice is up to you. How do you like your burger?
This article appears in the Source September 25, 2025.
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