PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portlanders don’t have to go to Texas for a taste of the finest Texas-style barbecue — or at least that’s what one expert is saying.
Despite its distance from the Lone Star State, the Rose City still churns out some of the best smoked meats the U.S. has to offer. That’s according to Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn, who works as one of the nation’s few barbecue editors.
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In 2019, he shouted Portland out as the destination with the “best Texas barbecue scene outside of Texas.” The writer for the Austin-based magazine also described it as the “Austin of Oregon,” potentially referring to the “Keep Portland Weird” slogan that was nabbed from the Texan capital.
About seven years later, Vaughn returned to the Rose City to determine whether it had maintained its crown as another barbecue hub. It turns out it did.
“In just two days of exploration, Portland once again cemented itself as a bona fide barbecue destination,” Vaughn wrote. “The new blood is cooking fearlessly; the old guard continues to push toward a higher level of excellence; and the Texan transplant is doing its forbearer proud. Few other places (Raleigh-Durham comes to mind) come close to competing with Portland when it comes to Texas-style barbecue.”
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The editor mentioned a variety of smoked meat joints in the metro, including Botto’s BBQ on 3120 SE Milwaukie Ave., Har-BQ at Von Ebert Brewing’s North Portland location, and the Briel’s Barbecue pop-up. He also highlighted the Woodlawn neighborhood’s Lil’ Barbecue, which is a sister restaurant of Austin’s Michelin-starred La Barbecue, and Bryan Furman BBQ, which opened as a pop-up in the James Beard Award-winning Kann earlier this spring.
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Outside of the city, Vaughn recognized Grasslands Barbecue as the restaurant with the quality “everyone else in Oregon should be aiming for.” He previously named the Hood River spot among the best places to eat Texas-style barbecue outside of Texas.
That list also included Matt’s BBQ and Bark City BBQ, although Vaughn did not recently delve into the businesses due to his focus on newer restaurants.
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