Russell Street Bar.B.Que
Old-fashioned barbecue with lots of sauces heats up Northeast.
(971) 285-3132
325 NE Russell St
Portland,
OR
97212
45.54092
-122.662244
Neighborhoods: Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, Eliot
Reviews & Ratings for Russell Street Bar.B.Que
72 reviews
What users are saying:
Showing 1-10 of 72 reviews
The Best "Que" I've ever had
by sylbert
August 23, 2007
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
Great Food
by justsomelady
July 01, 2009
Sometimes I find myself thinking nonstop about this place. The urge to go back can ba all-consuming sometimes. The ONLY bad things I've ever experienced here are the difficulty finding parking and the wait that is required for seating (only because they're so busy). When I go, I must have their Stumptown Iced Coffee with Cinnamon. It's better than words can describe!
- Pros: Great food, great service.
- Cons: Parking and occasionally the wait to get in.
NO OUTDOOR SEATING
by chadillac
June 28, 2009
I used to use citysearch all of the time. This is it. Are they high? Do they no longer pay a tiny bit of attention?
I do like Russel Street. This is in no way a bad review of Russel Street, but outdoor dining?
Same with Le Pigeon. Even after a few years of being around Le Pigeon is still one the best restaurants in Portland, if not the country, but under a category of Outdoor Dining?
You should be embarrassed citysearch.
nothing to write home about
by simpsonsbart
June 23, 2009
it wasn't good as I expected like what review said...sauce was like bottled grocery stuff from safeway...meat was tender but not enough of smokey flavor, sides were so-so. Even the bbq from trailers can beat this! lots of choices though, but the price was not worth it. .Campbell's was better and unique,Red's was similar to .Podna's,Reo's is definitely regretable, clay's is rude..Buster's? nah... .so far, Red's and Campbell's are the best in my opinion.
- Pros: it was convenient location
- Cons: not what I expected
not worth the price
by amymusic
June 18, 2009
food is not real BBQ...anyone who knows the BBQ can tell this is not real...vegis are like from cans...meat is like from the electric smoker, doesn't have the evidence of slow cooked with real wood from the pit... these folks should of stayed in italian restaurant business, didn't realize the art of smoking it takes....it's a con! almost anyone can do better on their own backyard with some charcoal....it's like european chef trying to copy soul food.... not going to work.
- Pros: location
- Cons: shabby food
Very Underwhelmed
by lsb123
February 28, 2009
I have heard many times this was a great BBQ restaurant. The service was above average, but not much more. Though the prices were reasonable, we were overall severely underwhelmed with the food .
The pulled pork though tender had very little smoke flavor and no smoke rings. The sauce used on it was very one dimensional and even the spicy sauce had very little kick. The side dishes which included their "signature mac n cheese was grainy and very bland. The meaty beans were even worse, tasting like canned beans with some meat scraps added.
All in all very disappointing as there are many far better BBQ resturants in the greater Portland area
- Cons: food was very bland and no taste of smoke in the BBQ
delightful! by becca o. at InsiderPages
Contributor
January 22, 2009
Some of the best BBQ I've had! The meats are flavorful and well seasoned with a choice of four different sauces. The greens are to die for! They also have peppermint ice cream and delicious iced tea. One of my very favorite restaurants in Portland. Prices are a bit high, but this place is worth the cost.
Not worth the price
by pdx2009
January 19, 2009
It was one of the worst bbq i had, because it wasn't real bbq. Meat tasted like it came out of the electric oven. Portlanders who doesn't know what real bbq is don't know it I guess, as long as it's flavored with hickory pellets and liquid smoke in a GAS-fired oven? It's like someone from Northwest who tries to copy online recipes of southern cuising without ever lived there. I wouldn't recommend this place unless it was last resort. Service was taking too long, and it was not worth it.
- Pros: effort
- Cons: quality
Good BBQ
by tiltrocks
January 13, 2009
I had the pulled pork sandwich and it was tasty! and the portion was big between the sandwich and the fries i was stuffed. They have a good selection on sauces from sweet to spicy. they are all good, I like the spicier sauces.
- Pros: Good food, parking
- Cons: busy most of the time
overpriced for the shabby food
by paulbunyun
January 03, 2009
I've just tried their pork ribs and it was over cooked, too small of volume for the price. Their sauce is not authentic southern sauce, food is more of a fusion southern food...I will not go there again. I also hate the bar that is visible from the restaurant because I wouldn't want my kids to be exposed to that type of atmosphere...
- Pros: none
- Cons: food,service
