Brisket and Caesar at the Smoking Jay. | Ben Coleman/Eater Portland Over the last decade or so, Portland developed a thriving barbecue scene, with a good mix of restaurants and food carts offering smoky, seasoned meats like ribs, brisket, sausages, and pulled pork coated in (or accompanied b y) sweet, spicy, and tangy sauces. Despite being far from the traditional heartlands of American barbecue, Portland gained recognition from Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn in 2019, who claims that the city is home to some of the best Texas-style barbecue outside of Texas. More recently, legends like Bark City have reopened, and Texas imports like Lil’ Barbecue — the spinoff of Austin’s famed La Barbecue dynasty — have moved in. Meanwhile, in 2026 Georgia’s celebrated barbecue pitmaster Bryan Furman is knee-deep in a three-month residency at below Kann. In this March update, a few further afield but still worth-the-trip spots depart the map (lookin’ at you Grasslands Barbecue), while new blood joins the fold, including the aforementioned Lil’ Barbecue, Bark City BBQ, the Smoking Jay, and Har BQ Smoked Meats. Don’t forget to check out Portland’s equally dynamic Korean barbecue scene. — Additional reporting by Ron Scott ...read more read less