Russell Street Bar.B.Que

07/17/2008 Posted by mmmmgoodie

Great food! I love it all, but have a real place in my heart for the brisket sandwich with slaw, or a chicken sandwich with pimento cheese. My favorite must have sides are: mac and cheese, greens, and beans! Kids get perfect sized portions, and love the mac and cheese. The cocktails are great, and they are always coming up with something new to try. My husband enjoys the beer selection, because there are so many great local beers on tap. The service is friendly and prompt, and we always feel welcome at Russell Street!!!!!

Pros: food, service, beer, cocktails

06/09/2008 Posted by rickspncr

I've been to this restaurant I guess 25+ times in the past year. It has always been consistently good. Everything from the brisket to the pulled pork sandwiches. I think they are very reasonably priced. It doesn't get any better than this..when you can go in..sit down to good music, good bbq, sweet tea and home cooked deserts. My brother, couple friends and I make a point to visit frequently. Two thumbs up.

Pros: Great Food, Music, Customer Service,Sweet Tea!

Cons: Parking on Friday nights (understandably)

05/26/2008 Posted by angsgirl

I read about this place about a year ago and always wanted to go. Im not too familiar with that part of town so I didnt rush into it, besides, nobody can get EVERYTHING right. Either the bbq is good but the side dishes are horrible, or vice versa. (IE Campbells, pahdnas, etc) I have learned to just bbq at home so I know it is good. Found ourselves in that part of town and decided to try it. Absolutely the best! The meat is all organic, grain fed, non fatty, not stringy. The mac n cheese was just like Moms, maybe better. Cornbread was good, everything was home made. The to go menu is great, cocktails, friendly service. I cant say enough good!!

Pros: Food, service, cleanliness, ambiance, actual parking spaces!!

Cons: That I dont live upstairs

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

05/08/2008 Posted by winter8

It is a cute bbq spot, however.... poor food!!!!!!!!!!! pulled pork- more like gross jerky with tasetless bbq sauce on bun that turns into mush. Sides- uh yuck!! yams were ok only because yams are great- it doesnt take a chef to nuke them in way too much butter and some brown sugar. Mac n cheese- i've had a better experience from out of the box. The fried chocolate pies were good, but I have a hard time believing that they were from scratch. I would reevaluate the recipes!! Good beer, the music- blues- oh god gag me!!! If you want a great Portland BBQ experience try Clays Smokehouse!!!

Pros: clean/ good beer

Cons: all else

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

04/10/2008 Posted by HeavyEquipmentSales

I agree with some of the comments that it could use more hickory smoke flavor like some of the barbeque that I have had in the south, but overall I have enjoyed it very much in each of my return visits. The Carolina barbeque needs some work though, it is pretty weak compared to what I have have had in NC.

02/26/2008 Posted by briand97

I was really impressed by Russell St. - the staff was friendly and we were promptly seated. I ordered the meatapalooza - including three meats, two sides and corn bread. Overall the meal was very good - the three choices I made for meat were brisket, pork ribs and beef ribs. I would have to say my least favorite was the beef rib - it was still good but paled in comparrison to the brisket and pork rib. - both of which are fall off the bone moist with a wonderful mix of spice and heat (I ordered mine hot). My only other wish is that the brisket was sliced instead of chopped but c'est la vie. The sides were some what mixed - I ordered the collard greens, mac and cheese and also had the side of cornbread. The greens were great - truly flavorfull and I needed to fight my girlfriend off to maintain control of the dish. The mac-n-cheese was a little unremarkable. I really thought that the cornbread was pretty below average - kind of dry and very little taste. Overall it was a great experience and I will go back many times Pros- excellent BBQ, huge portions, great sauces, clean tables, fast and friendly service Cons - so-so sides, prices a little high.

Pros: main dishes, portions, service

Cons: side dishes

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

02/20/2008 Posted by JuliaCecil

The bbq was so good, especially because it doesn't leave you feeling overly full and gross. They put a lot of healthy options on the menu, which I really appreciated. Great food, decent wine selection, and really fun atmosphere. Definitely go!

Pros: Easy parking, good service, great food

Cons: None that I can think of

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

02/17/2008 Posted by slooje32

Seriously, how did this place get 5 stars? The portions are small, the food is bland and the atmosphere is that of an upscale mcdonalds. The chicken was grey and the ribs were dull. Maybe I just had a rare bad experience, but nothing we saw on any of our plates made us want to come back. It just wasnt as good as everyone made it out to be.

11/15/2007 Posted by mheidebrecht

A little more expensive than I like for a restaurant I want to frequent often, but their bbq has never let me down!

Pros: Great BBQ

Cons: A little expensive

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

08/23/2007 Posted by sylbert

Russell Street BBQ is one of Portland's jewels. It started with a friendly welcome from the hostess and fresh water served to your table right away. The ambiance is well balanced: warm from the wood furniture and floors (no more red and blue plastic table cloth) but also fresh and clean with lots of sunlight and cute deco. My previous experiences of BBQ restaurants were in Texas, where the places were always too dark, smoky and far from spotless. Pretty bad first experiences that made me think I knew, and didn't really like BBQ. I think Russell Street BBQ could turn anyone into BBQ lovers for many reasons: - the meat is out of this world. I think the tenderness is what strikes you first. You can tell that it is quality meat. The smoky flavor is not over powering and the right amount of sauce is put on it (you can always add more). So many restaurant use spices and sauces to cover the lack of meat taste but it is not the case at Russell St. The meat is truly spectacular. - the sauces are so good. I loved the fact that we had choices because not everybody likes the same flavors! The server helps you decide and in doubt, go for the classic (in all logic, it has to be their signature sauce so it must be perfect for the food they serve = tip for reviewer arkrube). My personal favorite was the mustard seeds one as it was less sweet to me. - the prices on the menu are like a cherry on the cake. For the service and quality food you’re getting, this is a bargain! $12 for a 1/2 order of ribs, fries, 2 sides and corn bread. It was so much food that there was sadly no room for anything else that day. The also have a full bar, with cocktails and beers on tap. Unfortunately, I’m not a drinker so I can’t recommend anything there. To conclude, I recommend you start with a strawberry lemonade and pimento cheese. Then, ribs or brisket with mac and cheese (made with real cheeses, no yellow box stuff) and potato salad. If you still have room, try their floats.

Pros: great service and food, clean and spacious restaurant, easy parking.

Cons: need to open a branch in LA

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful