Mike's Drive-In
Mike's Drive-In is an Oregon-based regional drive-in restaurant chain known for burgers, fries, and soft-serve desserts.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Mike's Drive-In is a regional restaurant brand based in Oregon, United States. It operates a small group of drive-in-style restaurants serving a classic American fast-food menu centered on burgers, fries, and soft-serve desserts. The business is associated with the traditional Oregon and Portland-area drive-in format: relatively compact neighborhood restaurants, a long-running local identity, and a menu positioned around familiar, uncomplicated comfort food rather than a broad national fast-food system. The original Mike's Drive-In was opened by Mike Martin in Portland in 1971 at the intersection of 47th Avenue and East Burnside Street. A second restaurant followed in Milwaukie in 1973, establishing the brand's presence in the Portland metropolitan area. Todd Freeman purchased the business in March 1984. Under subsequent ownership, the chain continued to develop in the Portland region while retaining its local, independent-chain character. The brand's Portland-area footprint expanded with a Sellwood restaurant at Southeast 17th Avenue and Tenino Street, which opened in 1986. That location was later closed and demolished around 2016. Mike's also opened a restaurant in Oregon City on August 10, 1989; that restaurant underwent renovation in 2016. The chain later added a Tigard location in 2022 and a North Portland location in 2023. The referenced locations include Milwaukie, Oregon City, Tigard, and North Portland, while the earlier Sellwood site is no longer operating. Mike's Drive-In has experienced operational disruption as well as expansion. The Milwaukie restaurant was damaged by a fire in 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Milwaukie and Oregon City restaurants closed indoor dining and continued operating through takeout service. These events illustrate the brand's reliance on local restaurant operations while also showing its continuity through changes in service conditions and physical locations. The chain has received recognition in Portland-area food coverage. Michael Russell placed Mike's at number four in The Oregonian's 2011 ranking of the metropolitan area's best classic burgers. Portland Monthly writers included Mike's among old-school restaurants in a 2020 ranking of Portland's 20 best cheeseburgers, placing it at number 16. Eater Portland writers have characterized the restaurant as an iconic Oregon destination for burgers, fries, and soft serve. Its competitive identity therefore rests primarily on regional familiarity, longevity, and classic drive-in food rather than national scale or international expansion.
History
Mike's Drive-In began in Portland, Oregon, in 1971 when Mike Martin opened the original restaurant at the intersection of 47th Avenue and East Burnside Street. The business entered the Portland metropolitan area's established drive-in and burger culture, offering a compact, familiar restaurant format built around burgers and other classic fast-food items. Its second location opened in Milwaukie in 1973, giving the young brand a foothold beyond its original Portland site. In March 1984, Todd Freeman purchased the business. The change in ownership marked an important transition from the brand's founding period to its later development as a persistent regional chain. Mike's expanded again in 1986 when a restaurant opened in Portland's Sellwood neighborhood at Southeast 17th Avenue and Tenino Street. The Sellwood location operated for many years before closing and being demolished around 2016. The company added an Oregon City restaurant on August 10, 1989. That site became one of the chain's continuing locations and was renovated in 2016. The renovation reflected the brand's ability to maintain and update established restaurants while preserving its traditional drive-in positioning. By contrast, the loss of the Sellwood site showed that the chain's local footprint has changed over time rather than expanding through a uniform national rollout. Mike's faced a significant operational setback in 2020 when its Milwaukie restaurant was damaged by fire. The same year, the COVID-19 pandemic led the Milwaukie and Oregon City restaurants to close indoor dining and continue service through takeout. The response allowed the restaurants to keep operating while adapting to public-health restrictions and changing customer behavior. After this period of disruption, Mike's returned to expansion. A third location opened in Tigard in 2022, followed by a fourth location in North Portland in 2023. The currently referenced operating locations are in Milwaukie, Oregon City, Tigard, and North Portland. The chain remains concentrated in Oregon, particularly in and around the Portland metropolitan area. Mike's Drive-In has also developed a durable local reputation. Michael Russell ranked it fourth in The Oregonian's 2011 list of the Portland metropolitan area's best classic burgers. In 2020, Portland Monthly writers placed Mike's and other old-school restaurants at number 16 in a ranking of Portland's 20 best cheeseburgers. Eater Portland writers have described the brand as an iconic Oregon restaurant for burgers, fries, and soft serve. These references position Mike's as a long-standing regional institution whose importance comes from local recognition, continuity, and adherence to a classic drive-in menu.
- 2023
North Portland location opens
[1]The chain opens a fourth operating location in North Portland.
- 2022
Tigard location opens
[1]Mike's opens a third operating location in Tigard, Oregon.
- 2020
Fire damages Milwaukie restaurant
[1]The Milwaukie location is damaged by a fire.
- 2020
Indoor dining closes during COVID-19 pandemic
[1]The Milwaukie and Oregon City restaurants operate through takeout after closing indoor dining.
- 2016
Oregon City renovation and Sellwood closure period
[1]The Oregon City restaurant undergoes renovation, while the former Sellwood site is later closed and demolished around this period.
- 2011
Recognized among Portland's classic burger destinations
[1]The Oregonian ranks Mike's fourth among the Portland metropolitan area's best classic burgers.
- 1989
Oregon City restaurant opens
[1]The Oregon City restaurant opens on August 10.
- 1986
Sellwood restaurant opens
[1]A location opens in Portland's Sellwood neighborhood.
- 1984
Todd Freeman purchases the business
[1]Todd Freeman acquires Mike's Drive-In in March.
- 1973
Milwaukie location opens
[1]The brand opens its second restaurant in Milwaukie.
Products and positioning
A locally rooted Oregon drive-in restaurant brand focused on classic burgers, fries, and soft-serve desserts, with an identity built on longevity and Portland-area recognition.
Main dishes
Burgers
Burgers are the central product category associated with Mike's Drive-In and form the basis of its classic American drive-in positioning. The brand's reputation in Portland-area food coverage is particularly tied to its burgers and cheeseburgers.
Main dishes
Cheeseburgers
Cheeseburgers are a prominent part of the brand's traditional menu identity. Mike's was included in Portland Monthly's 2020 ranking of the area's best cheeseburgers, reinforcing the product's role in its local reputation.
Side dishes
French fries
French fries are a standard accompanying product associated with Mike's Drive-In. Together with burgers and soft serve, they represent the simple, familiar menu that supports the chain's old-school drive-in identity.
Desserts
Soft serve
Soft-serve desserts are part of Mike's Drive-In's recognizable offering and are frequently mentioned alongside burgers and fries in descriptions of the brand. They broaden the classic drive-in menu beyond savory items.
Brand decisions
2020
Shift to takeout during the COVID-19 pandemicStrategyBackground
Public-health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic led the Milwaukie and Oregon City restaurants to close indoor dining.
Action taken
The two restaurants continued operating through takeout service.
Aftermath
The locations remained part of the chain's operating footprint, which later expanded with new restaurants in Tigard and North Portland.
1984
Sale of Mike's Drive-In to Todd FreemanM&ABackground
The business had operated since its founding by Mike Martin in 1971 and had already added a Milwaukie location in 1973.
Action taken
Todd Freeman purchased the business in March 1984.
Aftermath
The brand continued operating and later expanded through additional Portland-area locations.
Sources1 sources
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