Big things are happening in the meat on wheels department. In the last several years, Portland has accumulated a quintet of amazing barbecue carts with mind-blowingly beautiful briskets and smoky ribs that peel off the bone.
Just this fall, the tiny Matt’s BBQ Tacos truck on Southeast Hawthorne was named one of Bon Appetit magazine’s Top 10 best new restaurants in America, and Food & Wine dubbed Portland the “unlikely barbecue hero the West Coast needed.”
Here’s the rundown on the five carts any essentialist must hit:
Holy Trinity BBQ
3582 SE Powell, Thurs-Sun 11 am-3 pm, holytrinitybarbecue.com
Since May, Texas-native ’cue master Kyle Rensmeyer has been hawking the “Texas trinity” referenced in his business’ name: pork ribs, brisket, and sausage. Located in the parking lot of the former Original Taco House next to all-star newcomer cart Jojo, Rensmeyer has been selling out of his excellent selections nearly every day. My money is on the ribs, which are totally worth messing up your fingertips while sitting at a picnic table that’s nowhere near any running water. I dig the cheesy grits, but the wise move would be to bring a friend and order jojos, fried chicken, AND barbecue—and then have 911 on speed dial.
