Join me at Podnah's Pit Barbecue, Portland OR, July 5, 2014


 

Chris Allingham

Administrator
Staff member
I will be in Portland for the July 4 weekend and invite you to join me for barbecue at Podnah's Pit on Saturday, July 5. Time is will be 8pm. The barbecue is on your dime, but if you show up, I'll buy you a beer and give you a TVWBB pin. How's that? :)

This place appears to be the real deal. From their website:

All our meats are slow smoked using 100% oak hardwood. Without electric, gas assistance, or charcoal. I start at 5 a.m. every morning to have meat ready by dinner that night.
In fact, my friend Adam was visiting Franklin Barbecue in Austin and when he got to the head of the line and Aaron asked where my friend was from, he said, "Portland...we don't have much good barbecue there" and Aaron said without missing a beat, "You should try Podnah's Pit. They make some good barbecue!". There's no higher praise than that right there!

Look for me, I'll be wearing a Weber baseball cap. Would love to meet some Weber fans, so stop by if you can! Text me at mail@virtualweberbullet.com so we can connect.

Podnah's Pit Barbecue
1625 NE Killingsworth
Portland, OR 97211
 
yea, their brisket is the real deal - Everything is done over oak (as Chris mentions above) For the pork things, that's a bit unique - The only thing that was a bit weak was the sausage - A bit mealy for my tastes, but spicy. Daily specials and good beers and cocktails too - I'm bummed I'm going to miss the hookup - I'll actually be closer to the Pig Pavilion over the 4th than to Rip City - Have fun!
 
I'm sorry we won't be in town this weekend to meet you at Podnah's. Personally, in my opinion, the best BBQ in Portland, hands down. Possibly another time. Enjoy your meal.
 
OK, Bob. Yep, maybe another time. I'm looking forward to having some great Pacific Northwest barbecue!
I'll see if I can make it...I've been to Podnah's twice and both times all expectations were met and then some.

Chris, out of curiosity, what places are you going to visit while in the PNW ?
 
I'm visiting my college roommate and his family who lives just across the border in WA, then visiting another guy I used to work with who lives in Portland. Not a touristy trip, and not a long trip.
 
Visited Podnah's Pit BBQ on Saturday, July 5 at 8pm. I didn't see any TVWBB folks there, but was joined by some Portland friends so we didn't dine alone!

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Left to right: Adam, Eric, me, Annie, Michelle, and my wife Julie behind the camera

The place was hoppin' when we arrived...a 1 hour wait to be seated, with closing time at 10pm. Needless to say, I was worried they'd run out of meat. But we relaxed with a beverage and hung around outside until our name was called. The place had a cool vibe, which sounds odd when applied to a barbecue joint, but this is Portland after all, and there's an amazing foodie/restaurant scene happening there right now. And remember, this place was recommended by none other than Aaron Franklin himself, so I had high hopes as we waited.

Got seated and got the low-down from the friendly waitress. All meats were still available. Yay! The Saturday night special was smoked prime rib. Saw that going by on a few plates and wanted to try that so bad, but decided to go with my tried and true approach of a BBQ sampler plate.

My wife and I shared The Pitboss: 1/4lb brisket, 1/4lb pulled pork, 2 spareribs, 1 sausage link, cornbread and choice of 2 sides. We got BBQ beans and jalapeno mac & cheese as our sides plus an additional 1/4lb of brisket because we didn't want to run out. Brisket is supposed to be the specialty here, and Podnah's uses the same high quality Creekside Farms Brisket that Franklin's supposedly is known for.

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The Pitboss comes piled high on a plate. To be honest, my favorite was the sparerib. Meaty, cooked perfectly, with a spicy rub on it. Freshly cooked, I think, compared to the other meats that I think had been held for quite a while in a warmer. We asked for half fatty and half lean brisket. It tasted great, you could tell it was quality meat, but just a bit too dry, unfortunately. Maybe would have been great at 5pm when they open for dinner, but not very moist at 9:30pm. Pulled pork was also a bit dry. Sausage was nothing special to me, but others at the table really liked it. Cornbread was nice, but a small little sliver of a serving. We didn't care of the beans, but the jalapeno mac & cheese was a winner!

Three sauces were served in squeeze bottles at the table: a mild tomato-based sauce, a mustard-based sauce, and a vinegar-based sauce. You're bound to like one or more of these. Also a squeeze bottle of honey which I used with the cornbread.

Smoked trout and 1/2 chicken are on the menu, plus brisket sammies chopped or sliced and a pulled pork sammie with slaw.

Being in Portland, there was a great selection of beer and wine at the bar, plus mixed drinks and a good selection of whiskey and scotch.

Didn't have room for dessert, but pecan pie and banana pudding were offered.

Bottom line: I've eaten at a lot of bad BBQ joints. Podnah's Pit BBQ is better than average. They're cooking over a real wood fire. If you're in Portland and want to give it a whirl, get there early and go for the ribs and brisket before it dries out.
 
that's too bad - The times we've been there the brisket was the standout. We've only done lunch, and typically go with the 'Pit boss' for 2 - I agree, the ribs are really good , sausage meh, and pulled pork average. It's a nice room and if you drink you'll be happy. I liked the beans!
 

 

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