Tough Luck & Lil' Barbecue

As a Texas native, I'm always looking for good BBQ brisket in Portland. I was excited to hear Lil Barbecue was opening and finally made a stop. The brisket is probably the best I've had in Portland so far. Extremely tender and juicy. I got the brisket sandwich that was so stacked with meat that I could not fit it in my mouth. The brisket flavor was solid too, but I would not mind if it was a bit smokier. I liked it well enough to get another one to go. I weighted the sandwich meat at home and it was about 9 ounces of brisket! Well worth the $22 price. The sandwich came with coleslaw on

Brisket is very good, as expected. I ordered the platter and got a slice of flat and point. Tendernism; 10/10. Flavor profile 8.5/10. Pork ribs tendernism; 8.5/10, flavor 9.5/10. As a consultant guy, the pork ribs are great on their own. Looks like they use mustard seeds in their rub. The unsung heroes are the chicken, Mac & cheese, and tots. The tots are actually fried mashed potato squares and they are amazing. Other notables, the sausage link & pork ribs. Pulled pork was just ok to me, but I think most pulled pork is really so-so. We got there at 11:30, they open at 12, and had no issues bu

When you think of the Portland food scene, BBQ isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind, especially good BBQ. So when I heard about Lil’ Barbecue, I had to check it out. I moved here from Texas and spent years living in Austin (where their sister restaurant, La Barbecue, calls home). That alone set the bar high. I went on a weekday, early, because it was my first visit and I wanted a little bit of everything. I ordered it to go. The space is roomy with plenty of seating, plus easy street parking. It’s located in the Woodlawn neighborhood in NE Portland, which makes it a convenient s

Finnnnaaalllyyy good barbecue in the PNW! My first visit was for ribs and brisket and they were so good. The brisket was tender with a fantastic crust, and the ribs were also extremely good. They weren't dry and tough but weren't overcooked and falling apart either. I tried a bite of sausage and it was also fantastic, just the right amount of heat. I'll be back to try the rest of the menu!

As a native Texan this is some of the best brisket I’ve had in Portland. The quality of the meat, tenderness of the brisket and smoked flavor reminded me of the many mom and pop shops I would frequent growing up in south Texas. The pork ribs were also super tasty. I’ll definitely be coming back and would recommend this spot for anyone looking to try some Texas BBQ in Portland.