Reviews

Matt’s BBQ is an example of legit Texas barbecue in Portland

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Name: Matt’s BBQ
Date: 9/13/24
Address: 4233 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97217
Order: Two pounds brisket, two pounds of pork spare ribs, 2 jalapeno cheddar sausages, 2 original sausages, mac and cheese, slices of Dos Hermanos potato bread (link)
Pricing: $$

Monk: It’s that time of the year again: the annual gathering of our group of friends who graduated from High Point Central High School (this year was the 18th iteration). And with that gathering, for better or for worse there is usually barbecue. To wit, last year us Barbecue Bros forced the rest of the HPC Bros to check out Wilson County Barbecue in Portland, Maine, which was a great representation of NC whole hog.

This year, we found ourselves in the Portland located on the other coast, and after consulting Daniel Vaughn’s recent Top 50 Texas Joints Outside of Texas list after a morning hike at Wahkeena Falls, we pointed our GPS towards Matt’s BBQ and made our way towards the food truck park off N. Mississippi Avenue.

Little did we know that our lunch at Matt’s would lead to the biggest disagreement on rating to date for the Barbecue Bros. Will we survive? Ok, that’s probably overstating our disagreement on ratings but read and find out…

Speedy: Let’s start with the atmosphere. Matt’s BBQ is situated in the middle of a food truck park, with lots of picnic tables, other food trucks, and most importantly, a beer truck. I thought this was a super cool area, especially with the perfect weather we had. Certainly a cool spot to hang out, have some food, and get your grub on.

Rudy: I thought the brisket was really well done, especially for being that far away from Texas. There was plenty of fat (well rendered) that kept it from drying out. It was easy to pull apart (good for sharing) but was not a bunch of mush. The best bites were at the ends, which led to Speedy’s upcoming complaint about consistency of seasoning.

Speedy: The ribs were quite big and meaty, and cooked well, but unfortunately I thought they were inconsistently seasoned, which I also thought was true of this brisket. While there were certainly some good bites, I want to taste the salt and pepper seasoning in every bite, with full permeation of the seasoning throughout the meat. So, good quality meat cooked well, but could have been better seasoned and probably could have gotten a little more smoke on the meat.

Monk: Personally, I found no issues or inconsistencies with the brisket or ribs being under seasoned, so I was on the more positive end of the spectrum. I was on the other end of the table for our group of 8 and there was nothing but positive vibes there. And if I am recalling correctly, we finished everything on the two platters. That may be on account of my precise ordering abilities, though…

We ordered two of each of the sausages, of course accommodating Speedy’s lack of tolerance for dairy. Both beef sausages came pre-sliced which made it nice for our group but made it hard to gauge the snap in the sausage. Regardless, I felt like it was a well executed beef sausage on both fronts.

Rudy: I loved the jalapeno cheddar sausage and thought there was a good amount of spice (but not overwhelming) and plenty of creaminess from the cheddar. I thought the heat from the jalapenos did not overwhelm the flavor of the sausage but complimented it. 

The sides were also tasty and there was a big variety of options to order. However, my favorite thing of the entire experience was the pickled onions. If I had told you going into a barbecue restaurant that the best thing you’d eat would be the pickled onions, that would pretty much be a huge insult to the meat but that was not the case with Matt’s. The flavor and crunch that they added to each bite (and also by themselves) was great. The acidity of them really cut through the savory fat of the meat and added to the experience.

Speedy: Personally, I went into Matt’s with super high expectations, as I’ve been to several of the joints on the top 50 list referenced above, and left all full and happy. So while I thought the barbecue was good (and would visit Matt’s again), I was not blown away, which is my expectation for the top 50. That may not be fair, as Portland is not exactly known for barbecue, and sans list (and expectations), I would have probably been pretty happy. That said, Monk, Rudy and the other guys really enjoyed it, so I’m open to the possibility that my taste buds were just a little off that day. Hopefully, I’ll find myself in Portland again to give Matt’s another try. 

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 4.5 hogs
Brisket – 3.5 hogs
Ribs – 4 hogs
Sausage – 4 hogs
Sides – 3.5 hogs
Overall – 4 hogs

Lechon Latin BBQ Has the Latin Flavors but is Lacking Any Smoke

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Name: Lechon Latin BBQ and Bar
Date: 9/8/24
Address: 5959 Triangle Town Blvd Ste. 2121, Raleigh, NC 27616
Order: Lechon with crispy skin, Argentine Sausage, elite, plaintains (link)
Pricing: $$

Monk: Sometimes in the barbecue game, it’s a matter of having the right expectations. While I had heard of Lechon Latin BBQ since it opened two years ago in the somewhat forgotten Triangle Town Center mall in North Raleigh, I hadn’t really done much research before I made a recent visit while in town for the weekend.

Despite landing on Eater Carolinas’ 11 Best Barbecue Restaurants in the Triangle list from 2023, had I done a little more due diligence, I’m not sure I would have made the trip. I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum, and it seems as if the Latin flavors are appreciated by folks who apparently have come from hours away to eat there. I will note that this did not seem to be the case on this Sunday, however, with the restaurant just a third full.

The lechon, or pulled pork, had a distinct lack of smoke and was a touch on the greasy side. And the crispy skin (also known as cuero) wasn’t all that crispy. My hunch is that located in the giant carcass of a suburban strip mall, this was roasted pork cooked in an oven.

The Argentine sausages were on the dry side and rather unremarkable. The plantains and elote salad were better than the meats but didn’t nearly make up for the meal.

While I can appreciate the different flavors, simply put I wouldn’t call this place a barbecue restaurant. Lechon Latin BBQ and Bar is for those who crave the Peruvian, Argentinian, Cuban, and Latin flavors, and I’m happy they have a place like this. Unfortunately, speaking as a fan of barbecue, it misses the mark.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 2 hogs
Pork – 2 hogs
Sausage – 2 hogs
Sides – 2.5 hogs
Overall – 2 hogs

Union Barbecue has Burst onto the Charlotte Barbecue Scene with New School Barbecue and Mexican Flavors

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Name: Union Barbecue
Date: 8/17/24
Location: N/A
Order: Carnitas, brisket, Smoky Sweet, Golden Beet Salad, The Big Deborah
Pricing: $$

Monk: In recent years, the Charlotte barbecue scene has seemingly embraced Mexican or Tex-Mex flavors into Texas-style barbecue. Way back in the before times of January 2020, Midwood Smokehouse brought Miguel Vidal of Valentina’s Tex-Mex Barbecue in Austin to Charlotte for a few days for some consultation and their current menu is a reflection of that between the Yucatan ribs, taquitos appetizer, and their updated offerings of “Tex-Mex Tacos.”

There’s also Fumar (which is the rebrand of Smoke Show Barbecue) from Chef Brandon Belfer, who offers “taco packs” with beef cheek barbacoa and home made tortillas alongside specials that can include brisket tortas and Frito pies.

Then, earlier this year a new food truck called Union Barbecue from Chefs Holden Sasser and Chase Young burst onto the Charlotte barbecue scene with “new school barbecue” and “Mexican flavors.” They even got a mention from Texas Monthly Barbecue Editor Daniel Vaughn in a February post on his NC travels that praised their “smoky and spicy” beef cheek barbacoa.

Sasser recently relocated from San Francisco (where he was where he working by day in the food technology industry and spending nights and weekends doing barbecue pop-ups) to Charlotte, but he is no stranger to the city as he is the son of Tom Sasser who owns the Burke Hospitality Group whose restaurants include longtime Charlotte staples such as Mimosa Grill and the recently departed Harper’s. But make no mistake about it, Holden and Young can smoke their version of Tex-Mex barbecue well. At a recent food truck stop at Birdsong Brewing, I finally got a chance to try their wares.

For this stop, their protein menu consisted of barbacoa, al pastor sausage, carnitas, brisket, and a smoked pork chop. Seeing as I was with the wife and kids, I had a hard time picking two that I know would make up a sensible lunch order so I went with the brisket and carnitas. Based on the success of these, I’ll be trying each of their other proteins next time around.

The carnitas came in a boat and were topped with salsa verde and pickled onions. Put this into a homemade tortilla and you’ve got a great taco but its also quite good on its own.

The brisket order came with a slice of both fatty and lean, which I was happy to see was the default. Both slides were perfectly moist with a peppery bark. There was a big vein of fat running through the fatty slice that could have been a little more rendered but by no means was it disqualifying. Magnificent brisket.

Don’t sleep on the sides, as both the Smoky Sweet potato topped with smoked crema, pepitas, sunflower seeds, and tajin and the Golden Beet Salad served cold were some of the best barbecue sides I’ve had in recent memory.

And especially don’t sleep on The Big Deborah if you’re a fan of oatmeal cream pies. It’s the best dessert I’ve had all year and its a great value for just $4.50.

In last week’s review of Resident Culture Brewing’s barbecue program, I noted how it was helping to expand the top tier of Charlotte barbecue. Well, with Union Barbecue, it has solidly displaced some of the top joints in the city. Behind only Jon G’s Barbecue, for me it is the best barbecue in Charlotte. Seek it out and you won’t be disappointed.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – N/A
Pork – 4.5 Hogs
Brisket – 4.5 Hogs
Sides – 4.5 Hogs
Overall – 4.5 Hogs

Resident Culture’s Barbecue Expands the Top Tier of Charlotte Barbecue

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Name: Resident Culture Brewing
Date: 8/14/24
Address: x
Order: Butcher’s Block Sampler with pork and brisket, red slaw, and hush puppies (link to menu)
Pricing: $$

Monk: Resident Culture Brewing made waves last year when they announced they would be hiring pitmaster Edmar Simoes (formerly of Noble Smoke and Sauceman’s) to start their barbecue program out of their South End location. They rolled it out in late 2023 but it wasn’t until summer 2024 that I personally was able to check it out.

And for me, it definitely did not disappoint. While I did initially say it may be in the conversation for best barbecue in town (and possibly in the top 3) more on that in a bit and why that’s not quite the case.

The pork seemingly owed a lot to Edmar’s time at Noble Smoke, and was perfectly smoky with a nice salt and pepper bark chopped in. Of the two meats, I made sure to finish it at that sitting and would be my must-order next time I visit.

The slices of brisket had a fantastic peppery bark you’d want to see on a Texas-style brisket. No choice of fatty or lean was offered, so the three slices were all from the lean side of the brisket. On a side note, the brisket reheated nicely several days later for a leftover sandwich made of the the slices plus some of the pickles and onions offered on the side,

In terms of sides, I appreciated the choice of red or white slaw and the red slaw paired really nicely with the chopped pork and doused in some Eastern Carolina vinegar sauce from the table. The generous helping of hush puppies were also a nice surprise in terms of taste and texture.

Upon further reflection and after getting a little more information in terms of the smoking setup, I would still put Resident Culture Brewing in the top tier of Charlotte barbecue but not quite in the top 3 or even the top 5. Edmar confirmed to me that they use an Ole Hickory gasser that can add wood to get smokiness but in any case I was still impressed by how good the barbecue was. For game days or lunch stops during a South End Brewery crawl, this is certainly some very good barbecue.

Ratings:
Atmosphere/Ambiance – 3.5 hogs
Pork – 3.5 hogs
Brisket – 3.5 hogs
Sides – 3.5 hogs
Overall – 3.5 hogs