Ground Burger, Saldanha

We attack shopping at El Corte Inglês like it’s a major international expedition, which it is: We’re strangers in a strange land. It’s going into foreign territory to leave our quiet town and subject ourselves to the Mall. It takes planning, fortitude—and surely a reward at the end. For me, that’s twice now we’ve landed at Ground Burger, just down the street, on the edge of Lisbon’s Saldanha neighborhood.

“Do you have a beer menu?” I ask in Portuguese, mostly. I must still be shell shocked from being mall-ed across the street, because the bartender gestures slyly up to the board behind my head. Well, then. I pick out one of the Portuguese brews I’d not yet tried—the rest comprise a nice selection of local craft beers mixed in with a couple from Sweden, Denmark, and the United States.

This first one, the 5e Meio Mango No. 5, tastes of dried mango and a bit of five-spice powder—and it’s a bit more bitter than 45 IBUs indicates. But I enjoy my 20 cl pour, at 6% abv.

I get nostalgic next, and go for a Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA—more bitter by IBUs but very smooth. Cold stone fruits and 7.2% abv for this one. It felt balanced, not enough to blow me away.

We annihilated a basket of homemade fries, topped with slices of garlic and fried rosemary leaves, and served with a garlicky mayo. We can vouch for the burgers from our previous visit.

The bottle list is expansive, and prices reflect that you’re in a nice part of Lisbon, but a less-than-touristy part, which bodes a little better for your pocketbook. It’s not hard to keep happy hour under 20 euro for two people here.

Fortitude, served up with a smile and a foam mustache.