Podnah's Pit BBQ Reviews

Stopped for lunch on way to airport because it had been featured on Drive-Ins, Diners, and Dives. Hardly anyone in the restaurant so it was easy to get a table. Staff was pleasant enough. Ordered a shredded brisket sandwich and a sliced brisket sandwich. Both were very tasty with ample servings. The sides of baked beans and kale were also tasty. The drinks were reasonably priced as well. Worth a visit. They have great music, too.

Most of my foodie adventures are one time visits to each restaurants. Not to say that I don't ever visit the area again, some places were worth one visit and one visit only. This was my second visit to the area and my second visit to this Triple-D. On my travels I recommend this place all the time! The smoked lamb is absolutely fantastic!! This is Podnah's Pit BBQ in Portland Oregon. The lamb had a very rich smoke flavor and very tender. It was very flavorful and worth a second try. The mac-n-cheese accented with Poblano peppers, had a fantastic flavor, not spicy at all. The coleslaw, vinegar based, was fresh and a very nice addition to this evening's events. I really enjoyed the cornbread as well, not too sweet, and not too salty, well-balanced. Now, this would be the first time I had dessert. I had a choice between pecan pie or banana pudding. I chose pecan pie. Well, I start by saying, once you specialize in something, stick to what you do best. Hire experts for the other things. Please excuse the picture. The pie came with whip cream, which had a strange flavor, so I scraped it off. The pecans, consisted of pieces only, very small pieces. The filling had a good flavor. The crust was dry and chewy, and just maybe a little burnt. The BBQ, phenomenal! The dessert........

Huge portions and awesome cuts of meat. Macaroni and cheese with a taste of jalapeño was incredible. Was planning on the prime rib but they were sold out of it by the time we were seated. Long wait but worth it!

I had a couple of hours before my flight so decided to stop in at Podnah's for lunch. After debating on where I should go for some quality BBQ, I was extremely happy I came here. Lots of quality items on the menu but heard great things about their brisket and it did not disappoint. Amazing - probably one of the best I've ever had. Went with two sides - Coleslaw & Collard Greens as well as the Cornbread which were good as well. They have a variety of sauces to try with the smoked meats & was a huge fan of the Carolina Vinegar. Great compliment to brisket.

I admit we are "repeat offenders". My husband visits Portland for work and always reports on his visits to Podnah's. This was my third visit and I'll keep coming back as long as they keep up the good grilling and smoking!

We'll keep this review short and succulent. While on vacation in Portland recently, we grabbed some BBQ at Podnah's. my two-word summary of the quality?...that would be their Pulled Pork plate...the best I've experienced in my 50+ year search for top quality BBQ. Really, really tasty! Go there!

Do not let the neighborhood or side street location deter you from this outstanding BBQ place. There is a full bar, fresh fish entrees, and outstanding ribs here.

Food and service were ok, but not outstanding and certainly not worth the mandatory 18% tip that is figured into the bill. As the customer I should be the one who dictates the value of the service, not the restaurant management. They used to be my go-to for bbq...not anymore. I vote with my dollars, and just voted them off the island. Won't be going back.

Outstanding ribs! The pulled pork, sausage was ok. Brisket was dry. We had collard greens a bit vinegary and smoked beans which were good. Service was solid and generous amount of food. You will likely take some home. Its a 3.5 stars experience overall, but if you get just the ribs then 4.5. They also had a fried chicken special that looked really good. Go on a weekday as it apparently gets busy on the weekend.

Stick to BBQ. Have had lunch here it was very good....breakfast, not so much. Had the Chilliquelies, it was kind of tasteless. Large chunks of either green pepper or jalapenos, I'm not sure which, either way not ver spicy. The refried beans were okay, but nothing special. The scrambled eggs looked like they were beat fluffy from a large pitcher of eggs. Our waiter was nice, the spicy bloody Mary was good. Nothing horrible, but nothing remarkable.

I took two amazing women who give a lot to the Native American community and any woman in transit for a fun lunch. This was my second time at the restaurant. Pork ribs are really good. I suggest 1/2 rack to take some home with the left over sides. You'll have dinner from left overs. corn bread is the ral deal. Beans perfect, cole slaw a little too rough and tart via the vinegar and peppers. I had the beef brisket with three sauces, salsa and tortilla. Really good. My guests ordered the desserts. The banana pudding was amazing. I say this not even being that fond of bananas. Homemade and huge. Enough for three to share ... Service was excellent. Expensive but a really good value when you consider the quality and quantity.

Stopped by for lunch today after reading the many positive reviews. My wife and I are always looking for good bbq and this place seemed worth checking out. Let me say we really wanted to like this place but that didn't happen. My wife had a half rack of ribs with bbq beans and collard greens as sides and I had the Pit Boss, which is a kind of sampler plate that had 1/4 pound each of brisket and pulled pork, 3 ribs and a link sausage. My sides were bbq beans and coleslaw. Our main issue was flavoring or spices used. Almost everything had a strong vinegar and/or spicy hot flavor. That included my coleslaw. The dressing was vinegar based and there were peppers chopped up in the slaw. Don't get me wrong, the ingredients used everywhere were top notch and the service was very good too. It's just that all the meats had the same hot spice and was kind of overwhelming, especially when the sides had a strong vinegar or similar hot spice. Other folks may love this joint but it's not our style of "Q".

This is a great place for some BBQ. I had the half chicken which was smoked in pecan wood. It was juicy and the collard greens were awesome. It's is a great place for lunch.

We heard about this place and decided to find it and eat there. It was well worth the travel and scouring for parking.

Great food, great service on a Sunday morning. I had the "Texas benedict" which was biscuits with smoked brisket, two eggs and sausage gravy, served with country potatoes. Amazing! Large portions, reasonably priced. Super fast service too.

Love the restaurant's food and beer. This time in the host was non-attentive. Waited about 10 minutes before the three hosts talked to me. They talked together next to me instead of helping. Lots of empty tables.

Best brisket ever (and we've tried alot of BBQ)! The brisket was juicy and succulent, didn't need a knife to cut. There was a nice bark and smoke present.

To find this place in a secluded area in Portland suburb is amazing....not expecting this when searching for BBQ it took us through suburbs, old town, getto graffiti strewed closed falling down buildings and outside markets, but so happy to find this place. It is busy and full of people so you should call first and make sure they can get you a table especially if you have a large group, we got there at 8:45 pm they close at 9:00 with a party of 7 and they accommodated us gladly. we all had something different so it was nice to sample....BBQ trout was great and unexpected who would have thought about having fish at a BBQ joint. they have the regular dishes as well, RIBS, BRISKET, PULLED PORK, ETC. their beer list is eclectic and some wines, full bar so you can get pretty much what you want. they also have their own sauces and every dinner dish comes with crumbly cornbread and honey on the table for it! The ribs come dry rubbed but those were great as well and if you want the sauce its on the table. The pulled pork sandwich was messy and great, you can always tell when the food is good the conversation stops and this table was quiet, and the plates as empty as can be. There was so much food on the plates that it was impossible to finish. I tried the 1/4 rack ribs with cornbread, beans and mac and cheese I really liked all of it, one thing that we all agreed upon was that the mac and cheese could really do without the jalapeños, it was really a dish on its own as all 7 of us shared it and it was just a side dish on my plate...that's how much food you get here! Now for the service, I understand we came in with a fairly large group close to closing time but we were seated and welcomed into the restaurant but our waiter was not very personable, he really did not go the extra mile to make us feel welcomed or help us enjoy ourselves or make our visit feel special. Most of our table agreed this must just be because we came in late, giving him the benefit of the doubt.

The pulled pork is dry and the sauces are weird. They dont have a classic bbq to offset the dry pork.

We went because we like good BBQ. Podnah's Was good. Would have been happier with more food selections. The beer selection seemed endless, but we don't drink. Huge helpings of tasty BBQ and their sides. Collard greens and corn bread were perfect. Beans were full of flavor. Salads were large and tasty. The beef ribs are only served on Monday,after 5. The biggest beef rib I've ever seen and sold by the pound($12.75 a pound). No sides. I got one rib, which was 1 1/4 pounds and larger than my upper arm. The bone could have been my shin bone. No way to finish one rib! But a must if you like beef ribs. They have several tasty housemade sauces, but rib was flavored enough not to need sauce. You will have leftovers here.

The staff was nice and genuinely engaging but the food isn’t worth the overall effort. Ribs were tender but the blackened skin was too salty and the meat was lukewarm. The cornbread was amazing but the sides were vinegary to the point of almost being inedible. I wanted to love this place but...

Podnah’s has a new concept for breakfast. Order at the front like a cafeteria and grab your number and your food comes out to you. If you’re going to do that, at least make sure the people take in the order know what you’re serving and what comes for breakfast. I specifically asked if the meal came with a biscuit. I was told no, so I ordered one. Lo and behold, here comes a biscuit with my meal so I get to pay twice. In addition it came out stone cold. Food was mediocre. Would not go back ever...

Loved eating at Podnah's Pit BBQ! The food is quality made with some of the best tastes of the south! As a man who appreciates good BBQ, I loved my experience here as I tried the Ribs and Chicken that they made. Their house BBQ sauce is fantastic and has great heat along with just enough sweetness to really make any dish worth getting! Planning on bringing my second half with me to make sure she approves in the near future as well!

We decided to run down to Killingsworth Street to try this restaurant out and really glad we did. We showed up with a sleeping kiddo in a stroller and usually the front desk person is very understanding but this young lady was quite rude & asked if the stroller could be folded up? I wanted to ask " with my sleeping child in it?" Besides her rudeness the food and atmosphere was great. Our waitress came over and was really polite. We split a full rack of ribs and they were by far the best fall off the bone ribs I have ever eaten. AMAZING. The restaurant is located in a pretty ghetto area because the streets were dirty with trash scattered everywhere and a lot of strung out looking people walking around but the restaurant itself was great. Great beers on tap too.

Absolutely delicious food! My husband said this was the best BBQ pork he's ever had!!! We completely pigged out because it was so amazing. Finally, if you eat nothing else here... Eat the banana pudding!!!! My husband is still talking about it and wishing he would have ordered a second one to go.

Large portions of soothing comfort food. I don't eat beef or pork so the menu was limited but I had an excellent smoked whole trout and tasted my partner's chicken. Both were perfect. The main dishes come with excellent corn bread and 2 sides. Sides are generous and yummy. The place is simple, family friendly, and tasty.

Who'da thought you'd find a rustic BBQ restaurant in the city? Being from Texas we had a taste for some good old BBQ beef ! Glad we found Podnah's . . . It was like being back in Texas again. The brisket was to die for! Tender and tasty. Hardly used any sauce. The beans were great too! Finished every drop of them. The potato salad was okay but not up to the quality of their other food items. Definitely worth the search if you're not familiar with the city but well worth the reward. Great staff, fast service, casual and open air dining..

Overall the meal was very good. Service was exceptional! Started with the prime rib special- enough to feed 3 people with leftovers. Great smoky taste! It was ridiculously tender. My nephew had the ribs. They were tender and moist and we ate them without sauce. Get the pinto beans for one of your sides! My nephew raved about them and that's saying something since we're Mexican Americans and have eaten and made beans hundreds if not thousands of times. Pulled pork and sausage were just average. Pork had a weird sweet pineapple juice flavor. Sausage was a hot link - spicy, fatty and not really meaty tasting. Potato salad was chunky and firm with a mayonnaise and horseradish base. Not mustardy and sweet like I'm used to in the South. Dirty rice was spicy and not anything to special. Bbq sauces were weird. One wax runny with a sour vinegar flavor. The more tradition looking bbq sauce had a super strong paprika flavor that made it really spicy and too strong. Great atmosphere, food arrived hot and fresh.

After having spent several days in Portland, we decided to try a Southern BBQ joint. The wait was not nearly as long as they had told us and we were seated at a table against the wall with a long wooden bench on one side and chairs on the other side. By the time dinner was over, we were wishing for some kind of cushion on the bench. The tables are very close together so conversation isn't really private. The menu really looked promising with mac & cheese, collards, corn bread, coleslaw, black eyed pea caviar, BBQ beans, etc. We know both St. Louis style and NC style BBQ very well. We were there on a Monday night which is beef ribs night but by the time we were seated (around 7pm) they were already out. We ordered the brisket and the pulled pork. We're fans of the vinegary NC BBQ sauce that comes with pulled pork but this was way off the chains hot! The sauce totally overwhelmed the pork. In the South, they top their pulled pork with the coleslaw but that didn't help because the slaw was bland with not much sauce itself. Not even the sweet style sauce helped because the pork was so saturated. The server asked us if it lived up to the NC style and we said absolutely not. She said herself that she doesn't even like it and that they soak the pork in this very hot sauce to keep it from drying out. In the South, the pork is not soaked in the sauce because it's naturally juicy and there is always a selection of sauces to put on the pork after it's served. The person at the table next to us ordered the pulled pork sandwich but couldn't eat the meat either. The brisket was tender and not overpowered by sauce. The potato salad wasn't anything special but did help tame some of the heat. The collards were cooked and seasoned well. That night they had cabbage & bacon. It had almost a sauerkraut flavor with a sweet edge and was very good. Another plus, the cornbread wasn't sweet which is a sign of a good Southern cornbread. Topped with the honey from the table, it was the best part of the dinner. We had the banana pudding and pecan pie for dessert because, after all, what's a Southern meal without it? We had a hard time finding any bananas in the pudding and it looked as though it was put together as it's ordered. The problem with that is that the flavors don't blend and the cookies don't soak up the richness from the pudding. The pecan pie was a little dry but the flavor was there. Service was spotty and our server seemed to be having a bad day. All in all it was just okay. Wouldn't go back.

Had the Pit boss platter with the mac & cheese. The brisket was phenomenal! Everything else was really good as well. Highly recommended.

Another trendy place that has been written up in foodie magazines, but personally I find it lacking any real flavors. Just meat and meat, and not much sauce. Usually crowded and over priced and the seating is extremely uncomfortable. Try The coop or Clay's BBQ in SE.

Really good BBQ, and the wedge was the best. My wife loved the green Chile Mac and Cheese. If you love good brisket this melts in your mouth. Podnah's is a great place and a great value.

Solid barbecue spot with generous portions. The poblano mac n cheese is fire. They have live music happening every now and then that sets a nice ambiance

Ate here with friends before a show at the Alberta Rose. Between us we tried all the meat on the menu and everything was excellent. The meat was moist, with just the right amount of smoke. We also tried most of the sides and all but the cabbage were as good as the meat. Good beer selection. Service friendly and knowledgeable.

One of the better bbq in Portland. Staff was friendly and the tables were clean. Nice variety based on the expected meats. The really fantastic items were the corn bread and coleslaw. The coleslaw had quite a kick to it so be aware.

Really amazing food! It was all great down to the banana pudding!!! The service was great too, we will return for sure! Nothing I would not recommend 😃

My son dragged me across town on a Saturday night to eat here. WOW, so glad he did! The wait was short even for a weekend, and the smell made my mouth water. My wife ordered the smoked prime rib, I went for a la carte brisket, and pulled pork. Both very good. I also tried a bite of the chicken and a rib. I LOVED the Brisket and the Rib was a close 2nd place for awesome flavor. The cornbread also good. Staff were all friendly and the prices are what I expected.

When you have had enough baby back pork ribs at other places, try the smoked lamb at Podnahs. Great sides: BBQ beans, black eyes peas with spice, mac & cheese with green chiles.

We ordered the Pit Master as we wanted to try most of our favorite meats...ribs, pulled pork, brisket and sausage. Comes with 2 sides which are large enough for 2 people and cornbread. The meats are well smoked and delicious. The brisket is incredible...nice smoke, fat rendered, and a chew. The ribs had the most smoke but were really moist and a great pull and chew. The slaw was really good as was the potato salad. Really (really) liked the pulled pork and sausage which both had a little spice. Overall, great place to visit...super friendly folks who are proud of their place.

Great BBQ pit food. It's usually bang on or a miss....its bang on in this case. No surprises. Good food, good ambiance but efficient service on the edge of being curt. Overall a success.

We had read some reviews of Podnah's on TA and knew that it would be a really good barbeque place. Podnah's met our expectations and exceeded them by a mile. We had the combo platter that had a sampling of most of the items on the menu and it was superb. I would highly recommend Podnah's for any barbeque lovers visiting Portland.

We had 6 people in our group. The wait time was almost exactly what we were told. We had five different entrees. All were excellent. Best smoked Prime Rib I have ever tasted. The trout was exceptional. Initially thought prices were high but after seeing the amount of food and the quality were very pleased with the value.

Very casual. Great service. The ribs were very good. No need for sauce as they were perfectly seasoned before smoking. Not a great area but looked safe enough. Very busy.

Where to begin? No parking at all, service was poor ar best ( order at the counter and hopefully you’ve been there before so you know everything.). The Food was over cooked and dry, I’m pretty sure the potato salad was from a box and the Mac and cheese was re-warmed in the microwave the noodles were dry on the top and the melted cheddar was like rubber. I ordered the pit boss plate and was not impressed with any part of it, leading me to wonder if northwest bar-b-que is in its own category that the rest of the country doesn’t know. The brisket was just alright, the sausage, I’m still trying to figure out but it was disgusting, and the ribs were over cooked and dry, and everything was over peppered to include all of the sauces not to mention none of the sauces were what most know as sauce, they have nothing that resembles a thinker ketchup or molasses base sweet or tangy sauce. Looking forward to bar b que I was grossly disappointed and would prefer any of the chain restaurants over this. I feel robbed.

Every time my husband and I travel we always look for a restaurant that has appeared on one of the food network shows. Podnah’s came up and we always love a good bbq. So my husband, brother in law and myself came here and OMG we were not disappointed. They serve up so amazing bbq. I’m a huge brisket fan and I have to say that I’m still dreaming of my meal. I will definitely get that again when we find ourselves in Portland again. My husband got a sample of the brisket, pulled pork and ribs and he finished his plate off with a smile. Brother in law got the half rack of ribs and he cleaned those bones dry. The homemade sauces you can add were just amazing. If you’re in the Portland area you MUST come here! Service and staff were top notch too. They offer desert too but we were just way too full to even think about that.

From my first bite, I was hooked! I first tried Podnah's at FEAST in the autumn- I think it was a spicy brisket taco? It had the perfect heat, and I never wanted it to end. Luckily, I've gone into their actual brick and mortar restaurant a couple times since then and my dream is still alive. The ribs are so tender the meat just slips off the bone and right into your mouth. The bbq beans and collard greens are the perfect sides (as long as you request some of those pickled jalapeños to plop on top). If you're a fan of BBQ, you won't want to miss Podnah's Pit.

Wish I had read the reviews in detail vs looking at the star ratings. This review is for what I ordered and minimal service. The good reviews must have been for the BBQ ribs. The chicken fried steak was bland, small, and chewy. I've had a lot of chicken fried steak in and out of Texas. This was the most disappointing one. The biscuit was room temp/cold where it gets dry. You order before you sit, I included coffee in my order but the cashier didn't tell me I had to go to the coffee station myself and get a mug and coffee. If I had been given an empty mug, I'd figure to go to the coffee station myself. Had to ask where my coffee is and got instructed. Nobody checked on me while I was eating either. Would have been good to do it once. Was hungry so I ate what I could out of my order, didn't finish my plate of $15 chicken fried steak and only drank a small mug of that $3+ brewed coffee.

Portland has a LOT of restaurants but not that much BBQ. This was recommended by a friend in Northern CA and by my daughter who lives in Portland. The food was excellent and plentiful. We ordered the Pit Boss and a 1/2 rack of ribs; both came with 2 sides and cornbread. This was enough food to STUFF 3 adults! There are standard sides but also a daily selection of available sides. We had the collard greens, coleslaw, dirty rice, and mac-and-cheese with poblano chiles. They were all excellent! Even though we hadn't "saved room" for dessert, we ordered the banana pudding. A classic dessert with the Nilla wafers and plenty of banana. There is a decent selection of beer on tap which does have some new beers rotating in. There is also a full bar and extensive wine selection.

Having recently been in Shelby, NC and had lunch at one of my all time favorite BBQ spots, Bridges, I wasn't expecting much when my son, who lives near Portland, suggest lunch at Podnah's. One bite changed any preconceptions. The meat was perfect, the sauces exceptional. Who would have ever put Portland, Oregon on the North Carolina trail, but there it us. I had maybe the best sliced brisket I've ever eaten, sorry Austin, and the pulled pork was perfect. I didn't try the ribs but both my son and wife were pleased. The sides stood up well to the excellent meat. Not ovrt smoked abd perfectly cooked, and that covers the whole menu. Of you like good BBQ, you'll find a little bit og heaven at Podnah's Pit BBQ.

Ok I would have never explored this place unless recommended it, so I gave it a try on Saturday night. I must say, I am glad I did because Podnah's definitely is a good BBQ joint. First of all, we went in the peak hour Saturday night and we were seated right away without a delay; second the waitress came to our table right away with a smile and a very welcoming tone. This goes a long way for me. She took the time explain and answer all our questions. We got our food right away and the appetizer was wonderful with chunks of beef and cheese in a spicy sauce on top of a bag of Frito Lays bag of chips. Main entree was awesome and plentiful; we barely were able to bite into and brought most of it back home. Highly recommend

My wife and I ate here recently and enjoyed a spot we had seen on DDD a while back, but had not bothered to make it to until this trip. The service was good. We had lunch on a Sunday afternoon and it wasn't crazy busy. Our servers were all pleasant and helpful. We decided to split a combination platter called the Pitt Boss. Price ($26) was reasonable for all the food and split between us. Since we had a lot of different things, I will rank them by my favorites: 1 -- the ribs were outstanding. Great flavor and just the right texture. 2 -- the pulled pork was excellent. Not too salty, nice smoke flavor, moist. 3 -- the brisket was very good. Not too much fat, still good flavor. 4 -- sausage link was not very good. Very greasy and odd tasting. For sides, we had collard greens and black eye pea salad. Both were good, but not great. I did not try the cornbread, but my wife said it was very good. I tried a bit of their sauces and they were good. I prefer less vinegary sauce, but I completely understand this is the Carolina style and for that, it was just fine. If I go back, I will completely stuff myself with ribs and wash it down with a couple of beers. They were by far my favorite. I would also recommend everything we had except the sausage. They also had a full bar, local wines and about 10 or so beers on tap, mostly good local micro brews.

Great place to find ribs! I had the Carolina ribs, 3 pieces with cornbread, a side of cole slaw and their special mac and cheese with green chilis. Delightful combination. Arrive early before the crowds...we arrived around 4:30 on a Saturday and beat the crowd. My friends had the smoked trout and pulled pork. We were pleased with all our choices. Would return again...too full for dessert and had to take home part of our meals.

The ribs were really good. Nicely seasoned and oh so tender. The sauce selection is nice too. Cornbread and sides were tasty. A little salty but very flavorful. Would've given 4 stars but the brisket was under flavored and a little tough.

It was my last night in Portland so I thought I would get BBQ. This place had a busy, friendly vibe. I sat at the counter and ordered a nice IPA and the "Pit Boss" - a combo of brisket, pulled pork, ribs and smoked sausage, with collard greens and BBQ beans. I have to say the food was amazing. Everything was exceptional from the juicy smoked sausage and super soft brisket even down to the beans. The portion was huge and I couldn't finish everything. It was also one of the most welcoming places I've eaten on this trip. Shout out to Tommy the barman for making me feel at home.

Visited for Sunday dinner as I had heard about the place for years and the one time I tried going, their parking lot was full. They have since moved to new larger quarters and parking was easier to find. The day we went, a band was playing and the place was packed. There was a wait list with no place to sit and wait but two seats opened at the bar so we opted to eat there as the menu is the same regardless of where you sit. We started with Frito pie which we had never tried but had heard about it. It consisted of a good portion of chili with Fritos and we enjoyed it. For out entrees we ordered pork ribs and brisket. Service was very quick and the entrees were served shortly after receiving our appetizer so we had both courses almost simultaneously. The brisket very juicy. Be sure to get the fatty end of the brisket or it can be dry. The pork ribs had plenty of meat on them and the portion was of good size. We both ended up taking food home. Oh yes, I also enjoyed the house Margarita which comes with a spicy salted rim.

Like some have said in previous reviews, the BBQ here is excellent, but some of the service staff are outright rude. The brisket is moist and tasty and the ribs are really good, but pricey. So we decided to go to their Tuesday happy hour which really is all day and it's not that huge of a discount so buyer beware. Some websites that have older reviews of this place state the ribs are $20 for a full rack and $10 for a half, but that was just not the case when we were there. The half rack I ordered was $11.50 and that is just for the meat with no sides or drink. The happy hour, for my order, was basically just a $3.50 discount off the bill for the half rack ribs. Sides are roughly $3-$4 extra each. The ribs were really good and their different sauces at the table were great as well. Their brisket is a bit fatty, but very tasty. The cornbread was so dry it was not edible and it did not help it was served cold. The sides are a mixed bag. The cold black eyed pea salad was very vinegar based and was mediocre at best. The hot pinto bean side was good. My wife got their iceberg wedge with blue cheese and she liked it, but we both agreed the croutons that were served with it were a miss. They just were not quality tasting croutons. The service was attentive, but rude and condescending. That was a classy touch. We questioned the bill because we did not understand it and once explained to us the waitress made a curt and condescending statement of, "Well, I'm glad we had this conversation." Not cool and a big reason we wont be back and we left her a smaller tip because of her attitude. In the end we spent a total of $29 for a half rack of ribs, a blue cheese wedge, two sides with dry cornbread including a 15% tip and no drinks. So were the ribs and brisket worth it? For the discounted price I would say yes. Would I pay their regular full price on a normal business day? Probably not. It is definitely not the best happy hour value going on in Portland and there are many in this town for quality food. The service needs to get rid of the diner like attitude especially at the prices you are paying. No Podnah of mine is going to talk to me that way.

After enjoying half the menu (we ate family style), I can say it is delicious and definitely worth checking out. The only requirement of your visit is that you have the Frito Pie. If you don't, I would argue that you didn't really experience the place. The restaurant features indoor and outdoor seating, a laid back environment, and a straight-forward menu. Daily specials rotate, and we were lucky enough to grab the Poblano Mac & Cheese which was brilliant. The house BBQ sauce has a nice kick and lots of flavor. I threw it on my pulled pork which was already lightly-sauces with Carolina BBQ. The blend was great; vinegary, salty, sweet, savory awesomeness. Check out Podnah's for some awesome BBQ and don't forget the Frito Pie! Really!

Wife, Grandson #6, and myself stopped in today - June 7th, 2018 on our way back to Washington because we had seen Podnah's on Triple D - Wife had the BBQ Sandwich, I had the PitBoss. Wife said her sandwich was spicy / hot but she's not a fan of anything with a bit of heat to it. The PitBoss was typical, but the brisket was good - moist with tasty bark and a bit of fat that melted in your mouth. As for the cornbread - it wasn't bad, but the coleslaw and the potato salad were sour / vinegar-y and I left them right where I found them . The place is noisy due to high ceilings and concrete floors, not to mention the blaring music. Food wasn't anything to write home to Mom about, don't know what Guy Fietti was thinking - same thing for Tippy Canoe in Troutdale, OR and Crockett's in Puyallup, WA - tried them all based on Triple D and have been a bit disappointed. I eat out all the time because I travel for my job and I know great food when I taste it.

We came in for lunch on Labor Day. The restaurant was full, but we were seated without a wait. From the moment you enter the front door you savor the intoxicating aromas of meats being smoked. We ordered the brisket plate with potato salad and collard greens and the pulled pork with BBQ beans and collards. All plates come with delicious and moist cornbread. The pork was very good...made even more tasty with the Carolina-style vinegar sauce on the table. The collards were the best this Atlanta boy has ever had and the same with the beans. Outstanding! The potato salad was good as well. But the standout on our table was the incredibly moist and tasty beef brisket! Absolutely delicious! We can't wait to go back and try more of the delicious offerings. Highly recommend!

This was easily the best BBQ i have had in Portland. The Carolina pulled pork, the brisket, and the black eyed pea salad were all amazing. The potato salad was just average. This restaurant had plenty of room, so you didn't feel cramped. We will be back again soon.

Yes, it is that good. I grew up on Chicago ribs and have dined at Bryant's in KC and they pale in comparison. I go once every couple of months for the ribs, of course, but it is ALL so good. If you are unsure, please try the pit boss, which is the combo platter of ribs, brisket, pulled pork and a hot link. People might overlook the hot link. So tasty. And awesome traditional cornbread just like I'd get at the old Silver Skillet in Atlanta. And thanks to the great, hard working staff who will take very good care of you if you dine in or takeout, as I do. Enjoy!

Friendly staff and amazing food! Highly recommend the ribs, meat fell off the bones, and Mac and cheese!

We live right around the corner from this restaurant which means we get to experience the early morning smell of meat smoking! We recommend Podnah's to friends and family coming from out of town. Be ready for a simple menu but lots of taste choices---pork, beef, chicken and link sausage are the staple meats but there are 'special of the day' variations such as fish, lamb and prime rib. Side dishes are limited but tasty, our favorite being the vinager-based coleslaw spiced with jalapeno chunks and red onion. The bar menu is wide-ranging with local beers, whiskey, wine and cocktails. Warnings about their restaurant services. 1) There is no takeout service for the daily specials (not noted on their online menu)! 2) Be sure to consult the chalkboard at the entrance for the menu items that they have run out of. 3) There can be a long wait for a table during peak hours. If the weather is wet and cold bring an umbrella and warm jacket. There's not a lot of wait room inside.

The smoked beef brisket sandwich had ample beef that was moist, tender and thick slices. Served on a soft bun with a slight crust, perfect for the sandwich. This would be considered by me a Carolina vinegar based style BBQ restaurant, not a Kansas City or Texas style. The coleslaw was vinegar based and the BBQ Beans were good and contained large pieces of meat.

The food's good. The staff and customers make the experience even better. I can't award full marks because it's a BBQ joint and I'm spoiled by having had some of the best BBQ on the planet in eastern North Carolina, Georgia, Texas, and Memphis. Podnah's does a great job for not having BBQ in their DNA. It's the best I've found in Portland or Seattle. Sorry, Dixie's, but you've gone downhill since Gene passed.

Wait was a bit of a bummer but it was really good. Just wish they offered the catfish more than just Friday's !! Super yummy, ribs were cooked perfect and brisket... oh yea ;).

Food was way too salty for my taste. The chicken quarter was a leg and thigh piece that was the size on a Cornish game hen. Just way too much salt. still burping up dinner.

For Portland I would say it's above average which the bar is pretty low as it is. If the brisket is not tough then it's a winner in Portland. This brisket was soft but could have been a little softer. Didn't taste as smokey as it should if any. Not much bark either. But it's above average. Now for the Sauce: Now I know texas is not known for great sauce but if you are going to have meat that doesn't have much smokey flavor then it's going to need some sauce. The Podnah's sauce is below average almost to the point of it being just tolerable. There is really too much paprika or something going on in that sauce. The vinegar sauce is a little better but don't call it a Carolina sauce because it's not even close. The sauce actually pulls down the score for me. I say check this place out for yourself. It's better than most of the BBQ places in Portland but if you are some Texas BBQ aficionado then I don't think you will be satisfied. Compared to Buster's or Famous Dave's this place is almost the best around. Go on a Sunday afternoon when it's not crowded.

We stopped in because Podnah's was on Diners, Driveins and Dives. My husband and I shared a Pittboss platter and we could not finish it all. It probably could have fed 3 people, but we did get to try all the different meats. We had the mac-n-cheese and potato salad. Both delicious. The restuarant was in a cute neighborhood. We sat inside, but there were diners at picnic tables outside too.

We had dinner here with friends and while you can’t make a reservation, the wait was worth it. Pro tip—don’t waste the stomach space on the sides. The black eyed pea salad and the cole slaw sat largely untouched as we gorged on succulent beef, pork, and chicken. The cornbread was amazing and the chili Mac too, but we were ready to explode well before we made much of a dent in either.

My wife and made a trip to Portland this last week and because it was my birthday I got to select the place for lunch. I picked Podnah's for their barbecue as I had heard they were highly rated. Full disclosure I grew up in Mississippi and lived Texas and North Carolina, so I know a bit about barbecue and went in the door with high expectations. I'm so glad I picked this place. My wife and split a Pit Boss plate with 1/4 lb. each of brisket and pulled pork with 2 pork ribs and a hot link with 2 sides and cornbread (excellent - all cornmeal no flour!). We got collard greens and Texas caviar as our sides. We picked pecan pie and banana pudding as our desserts. We left stuffed for about $40. All the food was exceptionally good. The ribs were just right and not too wet. The hot link tasted like it came straight from Gilmer, TX (that's high praise in TX). The brisket was perfectly done and the pulled pork is some of best you'll ever eat. The collards were perfect and the Texas caviar was excellent too. The sauces were South Carolina mustard, North Carolina vinegar, and sweet dark barbecue sauce. All good, but I prefer they sweet dark sauce. The vinegar was good on my greens. To the desserts: the pecan pie was a great rendition of the type I used to get back home; great taste but not overly molasses sweet like some I've had. The banana pudding! Just like my mother used to make. Best I've had in maybe 25 years. I'll be back for it alone. The final surprise for Texas fanatics; they have Shiner Bock on draft! It's a Texas thang! Nuff said! You cannot go wrong here. It's excellent food. Just like down South, without having to get on a plane!

Podnah's moved to a full-service restaurant to a "wait in line to order and carry your own drinks to your table." This was, in our opinion, a horrible mistake. The wait staff was unfailingly polite, knowledgeable, and gave the restaurant its personality. All of that is gone. The person behind the counter simple wasn't trained to do her job. When we asked for advice about a lettuce wedge versus a Cobb salad, we learned that, "the Cobb has more stuff on it." After one staff member tried to give us the wrong order - amazing, really, since the number of our order was on our table literally staring him in the face - we were eventually served the very worst brisket I've ever had. It was virtually so fatty as to be inedible. I'd estimate that our servings were more than 50% fat. We were regular customers, so we were extremely disappointed. We asked a staff member if we could speak to the manager. We were informed that the manager liked to hide next door. Once this staff member managed to retrieve the manager, he was quite polite, but basically said it was our fault because we didn't order "lean" brisket. That would make some sense if we hadn't ordered brisket at Podnah's over a dozen times, and never had anything like the fatty mess we were served. It is a shame that what used to be a reliable and enjoyable restaurant has turned into something so much less....

First of all, Podnah's smells divine when you walk in! We have loved everything we've tried there, but my all time favorite is the giant rib. ( It's actually humungous!). It's smoked to absolute divine perfection and literally falls off the bone. Only served Friday, Saturday & Sunday-so I arrange my Portland visits around that. The best!

First time to Podnah’s and I was blown away. The ribs are unbelievable, the brisket would cut with a fork, the coleslaw was fantastic and the corn bread with honey was delicious. The pull pork was the best. This was a great place to come for late lunch. They even had live music.

Was rated pretty high and featured on Triple D, I was not let down. Very good BBQ, beans were great pulled pork was excellent. Nice and secluded from main Portland.

Here we go! An Excellent rating people! This place has some serious eats! Decided to have dinner. The wait was long however, so worth it! Although the place was packed, the staff was still friendly, courteous and on it! The atmosphere although loud, is fun, and relaxed. Good vibes all around. Then comes the food! Holy Wow of wows! This BBQ is good, most especially the ribs! This is one those places where I won't be able to have BBQ without comparing to Podnah's.

Like nearly every place in Portland, and America, these days, the wine in no bargain, but I was really impressed with the selection, and got a bottle Cameron Pinot Noir to go with my Pit-Boss Platter. Contrary to at least one other review, my brisket was superb, the sausage was very good, and the polled pork just ok. Wonderful vinegar on the slaw and Texas caviare. I sat at the bar for lunch, and my waitress, Felicia was superb.

THE place for smoked meat. Take note of the daily specials schedule - prime rib on Saturdays, individual beef ribs on Mondays are favorites of mine. Why do I not get here more often?

This place used to be my favorite go to BBQ spot. Since they changed the format of walk up and order and sit down. What a crappy way to enjoy a meal. They didn't even roll the price back to make up for the lack of service. My search for another great sit down and order BBQ joint has begun.

Saw the restaurant on Diners Driveins and Dives and figured we try it when we visited Portland. We love trying new barbecue places and this was on our list. We walked in and immediately liked that it was bursting with customers so we added our names to the waiting list. We were told about 20 minutes so we scoped out a tiny corner at the bar and ordered a local brew while we waited. Not 5 minutes later did we get sat! I ordered the brisket sandwich and my husband the barbecue sandwich. For all the fuss, it was OK food. Not great. Not terrible. Just OK. We preferred the chain Lucille's over it. The service was fast and friendly. They had music playing and people were dancing. It was a charming atmosphere and we still enjoyed our visit but the food was not as we expected.

This place is great. All house smoked meats, the bacon is killer. We all ordered something different and it was all terrific.

Excellent food and service. The ribs and the collared greens combo is delicious. The beers that they offer are a good choice.

Stopped in here with hubby and friend before going to a concert on Tuesday night. Popped in here about 5:30 and it was empty, but it filled up very quickly, and the place was full by 6pm. The Tuesday special is their "rib plate" - we all opted for a 1/2 rack (6 huge ribs) each which came with 2 sides and a piece of cornbread. We opted for the baked beans, collard greens, broccoli salad and poblano mac and cheese - home runs on all of these. Cornbread was a little dry, but forgivable. We had multiple sauces to pick from - the hands down winner was the spicy Carolina mustard sauce. We all left fat and happy; I'm very excited to come back and try the brisket!

I like that Podnah's is located in a new area, parking wasn't difficult at all! Came here for lunch and was pleasantly surprised. The brisket was delicious and I liked the vinegar BBQ style. They were doing a special green chili sausage which definitely the winner of the night though!

I had the brisket, but tasted other people's food. It was some of the best bbq I've had. Liked the atmosphere as well.

6 of us met for dinner around 6ish. They wouldn’t seat the 2 of us who were the first so if it is a group you are meeting - know that. It is a small popular place so this is understandable. The service & food were exemplary. Truly. We sat at the bar to wait for the others and the bartender was a delight to watch at her trade. We started with a shared app plate of mixed barbecue which was a good idea because everyone could sample and then decide. The ribs were very meaty & 2 of us shared a half rack order & had enough to take a couple ribs home. The banana pudding is VERY filling & rich. The pecan pie - the same. A great evening!

This little restaurant offers tasty smoked meats and delicious sides. The staff is friendly, but not over zealous in their mission to serve. The restaurant is clean and open with windows that open in the summer to let the breeeze in. There's also tables outside to enjoy the summer heat if you so desire. The portions are generous and we have not had a meal we did not thoroughly enjoy. Always ask for the specials as they do NOT disappoint! We make it a point to visit Podnah's every trip we make to Portland!

Once you get used to the smell of BBQ smoke, and it took me a few minutes, you can enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and excellent service you will receive at Podnah's. It was a very hot day and the server assumed I was waiting for a dining companion, she brought two glasses of water and I kept both! I knew I wouldn't be able to take out any leftovers so I went with a 1/4 rack of ribs and their two side specials - spicy Mac and cheese (wow) and the green beans with bacon. I had planned to head to another place close by for dessert but stayed for some pecan pie, and was not disappointed. I like the different sauce options on the table (there's honey for the cornbread... Yum!) and bought a bottle of house BBQ sauce, I liked it that much!

Then it's a shame I'm too afraid to visit the Southern states. I've seen some people make comments about Podnah's neighborhood. Apparently, the neighborhood is supposed to be spotty? I find this to be utterly hilarious. Like, where do you people live? Cookie cutter subdivisions? If you live or have lived in a major city, you're not even gonna notice anything particularly unsettling about this neighborhood. It's just a neighborhood. Good food, great service, nice and DIVERSE (this is super important) clientele. Seemed like a lot of regulars were there because most were on a first name basis with the server. Ribs were on special so I purchased one Beef Rib $2 | Petite, but meaty rib with a huge pink smoke ring. Pulled right off the bone, but the meat kept intact so it gave your teeth just a bit of a workout. Dark and savory bark. Slathered it in their deep mahogany barbecue sauce they put on the table. Should have bought a bottle of that sauce. Smoked HOT wings $7 | Received half a dozen of some decent sized chicken wings (actual whole wings and not the drumette and nubin separated and what most people try and pass off as wings) that smelled hot; smelled like straight fire. They turned out to be around a four on the heat scale (though our surrounding diners were stating they were a seven on the heat scale) with a lingering cayenne heat on the lips. Delicious. Perfectly saucy and came with celery and blue cheese to cool things down. These were so addictive and delicious. Barbecue beans $3.25 | You could make a meal out of these beans with a slice of cornbread ($1.75). These beans are intensely rich with small chunks of brisket ends and (what I found in my batch) HUGE chunks of pulled pork. Overall, love love love this place. I'm sorry it took so long to come here.

No knife needed. Blades and and teeth are redundant. Meats melt and absorb directly into your brain’s nucleus accumbens.

Located on Killingsworth the food is good. One word HOT!!! I'm not a southerner I think they did and amazing job cooking the meat. But oh my goodness was the BBQ hot my coworker and I ended up putting honey on our food because the season meat was spicy and a bit dry. A bit pricey but they cook the meat very well. I didn't enjoy the slaw. They were attentive filled our water glasses three times. I believe I ordered the pulled pork sandwich. So mention if you don't like spicy food to see their recommendations?

My partner & I went there last night because I rarely get cravings for meat and he is such a meat fan it's kinda nuts. The decor is Portlandia with a southern touch. The host seated us right away (8 pm Wed) and explained the specials. We ordered the large meat platter to split with some extra ribs. Our server returned a few minutes later with a giant pile of food. He explained the various condiments and then we ate. The ribs, brisket and pulled pork were all melt away tender and seasoned to perfection. I'm not a big fan of condiments in general but the spicy vinegar sauce made that pulled pork sing! My husband mowed an impressive portion and we even had enough left overs for his lunch today. Surprise hit was the cornbread...WOW. Yes we'll be going back.

Food is good. They play this horrible music very loud. Disrupts dinner and conversation. I am sure it is bad for neighborhood businesses.

Unpretentious friendly setting with probably the best sandwich I have ever had. The quality and taste of the sliced brisket was absolutely great.My dining mates raved about their smoked pork sandwiches.I enjoyed a corner table where I witnessed 3 people carefully tending meats in a new smoker. I'll definitely return and would like to try other smoked meats but I will be difficult to pass up a repeat brisket order.

The pulled pork sandwich was out of this world, tender and tasty. Jazzed up a little more with some home made sauce, it was even tastier.

Have been here twice for lunch and had fabulous BBQ both times. Relaxed, friendly wait staff and great food at a reasonable price. Go for it!

The pulled pork is served quite rustical but tasted great. Friend had the rips which almost fell off the bone and we're delicious.

Birthday breakfast with my Son and his young family. Seated at a spacious table for 6. The food was incredible, portions, more than generous. Specials every day, and the service was top notch. Our server was back and forth so many times to meet our needs/wants, always smiling and willing to go the extra mile. You might want to pay attention to the buzziest times of day to avoid long waits as we did. It was our 1st time there and we will absolutely go again and recommend to our friends. Value for 6 of us was amazing. If you go, it is unlikely that you will be disappointed.

Ordered the Sliced Smoked Brisket($13.50), another ordered the Pitboss($28.50) & another a 1/4 rack Pork ribs($13.50). All came with sides. It was very good BBQ, lots to eat and enough to take home for second meal. Service was good and friendly.

This restaurant was unbelievably special and I understand why it is always full. It specializes in BBQ. No veggies or salads etc. !! So it's big time comfort food and excellent for what they specialize in. Our table had ribs that were superb, a catfish plate that was good. A pulled pork plate, and a Pinto Tejano ( braised beef, lovely salsa and spicy sauces). They serve 2 sides with each main. Their reputation is that you'll take enough to go boxes to feed you next day. The quality of their food was excellent. Service timely and pleasant, choice of beer and wine good. Prices excellent

We went on a busy Thursday evening but it wasn't long before we were seated and perusing a menu whilst sipping on a local beer. Of course we chose the ribs and although I'm no expert on American style BBQ, we both thought they were very tasty and they literally fell off the bone. Our server was very efficient and the place had a good atmosphere, making it an overall enjoyable experience. Worth the trip.

My guests had the ribs and they obviously had not been on the smoker long enough parts were not done yet falling off the bone like ribs should. Sides were good and service was stellar

I order takeout from Podnah's at least a couple times a month. Brisket is on point and some of the best I've had, but the sides leave something to be desired. None of them wow like the brisket except maybe the mac and cheese.

We used to love Podnah's and go out of our way to purchase their food. We live in SW so we only get Podnah's BBQ when we were near the restaurant for whatever reason. Recently we purchased food to go and were charged an 18% gratuity at the register. The employee ringing up the order said the gratuity was already charged and it was their policy. 18% gratuity for what!? Also, the brisket was mostly pure fat and less meat. Inedible. The fat is what flavors the meat. Not the other way around! Clearly, Podnah's has lost its appeal. We will never be back. Too much good food in Portland being sold in a professional manner by purveyor's that appreciate their patrons.

Got the ribs and chicken. Excellent. Maybe a tad spicy for me, but I go for very mild spices. Lots of meat on ribs and a nice amount. Sauce included, but we didn’t need it. Reasonably priced for what you get. Also got Cole slaw and it was also good. We will go again.

Worth the wait and a little spends, but excellent. PDX doesn't have the best BBQ (I'm from Midwest), but thanks to Podnah's, Ate-Oh-Ate, and Roadrunner, it is getting much better. These 3 places are all fantastic and worth every cent.

I was hooked on the first bite. After ate the next bite, I knew I was in heaven. It is most amazing food well worth the drive across Portland if you’re in town. I will make the pilgrimage again to come to this place. The tenderness and smokiness of the ribs outstanding. The brisket is cut in my opinion 1 inch plus thick and in nice long juices strips. If your mouth is not watering it should be. Or you just don’t know what good barbecue is.

What surprise to find a BBQ pit so far away from the four famous regions - KC, Texas, Memphis & Carolinias! Very, very tasty. I had the Pitboss, a huge sampler of pulled pork, brisket, ribs and sausage - along with two sides AND a big chunk of moist cornbread. The bark on the ribs and brisket was just right and all meats were very tender. Don't miss the "chili", a real bowl of Texas Red!

I am from the south and I am a huge BBQ fanatic. I have tasted BBQ all over the USA and I usually find restaurants that boil their rib to cut down on cooking time. This place is the real deal though. I will definitely be back!

The beer was good sitting outside during our 40 minute wait to get in. The people next to us were friendly and added to a very enjoyable experience. I had the plate of brisket and my son had chicken. The brisket was dry. That's a killer. On the other hand the chicken I tasted was juicy and tender. Very good. The service was top. They must have seen my son try to adjust the table because someone came and put a wedge under one side. Everywhere else they either ignore or say the floor is crooked.

My husband and I shared the fried chicken wings special, brisket plate and ordered 1/4 rack of ribs on the side. Plenty of food with sides as well. Cornbread was delicious as was the mash and the bbq beans. The brisket is the best I have ever tasted, juicy meat with a great crunchy top. The ribs was so tasty and the meat fell off the bones. The chicken was nice but would recommend the ribs or beef over the chicken. Highly recommend Podnah’s BBQ.

They use oak wood to smoke their meat and everything was tender, tasty, and best of all the meats come to you without sauce so you can add your own. Only the pulled pork had some on it which kept it moist and tender. I recommend the Pitboss combo plate with brisket, a couple of meaty St. Luis ribs, pulled pork and a spicy sausage and 2 sides with cornbread. It's really good and a huge amount of food which is OK since I took about half home to enjoy again. The Collard greens and BBQ beans are excellent also. The Tex Cobb salad was also really good as my wife will testify to. They also give Military/Veterans discount of 10% if you ask. There are also specials every day of the week starting at 5 pm. I'll definitely be going back here soon. Our waitress Caitlyn was really good too. The general area is a mix of neighborhoods as much of Portland is.

Portland is not necessary a place I think of for great barbecue, but this was a wonderful find. We had arrived at the airport about 7:30pm on a Saturday night and had a taste for Barbecue. TripAdvisor and Yelp reviews led us here. It's not actually in Portland proper, but in a neighborhood that looks like it's in the midst of redevelopment. By the time we got there, it was almost 9pm and there was still a wait for a table. We ordered the Pit Boss sampler which gave us a little bit of everything. Mouthwatering and delicious, we practically inhaled our food. This was some of the best barbecue we'd had in a long time. Had we been visiting longer, we'd have made a return visit. Definitely worth seeking out.

I had been meaning to stop here since I saw it on Triple-D. Took a work associate from out of town and was not disappointed. Plan on a long wait during the weekend and other peak times. We were lucky and got seated right away since we were only a party of two. I had the Prime Rib special and it was excellent. Just the right amount of smoke flavor for me and tender and moist. My friend had the Brisket which looked (and he said tasted) perfect. It had a good thick caramelized "bark" and a good smoke ring. Also the table beside us had super looking ribs. The wait staff was excellent and very efficient especially as packed as it was on a Sat. night. Definitely a recommended spot to go.

We had a recommendation to check this place out on a Saturday night when we were in Portland. Wow am I glad we went! The bbq aroma hits you before you get to the door. The staff was super friendly and they had a good drink/beer lineup. We both had the smoked prime rib and it was amazing! Great flavor, not too Smokey, there was enough flavor that we found it unnecessary for additional salt. We’ll be back!

We love BBQ in my house. We've been to Kansas City and other places known for BBQ and we really liked Podnah's! I get it....everybody has a different pallet when it comes to food. My entire family enjoyed this place! The service (order at the counter inside) was great and they were very friendly. They bring the food to your table and you clean up your things when done by returning most of it back inside; they will bus your table if they see you are done. I would recommend this place! It's in a nice neighborhood close to other venues if your out on the town enjoying the local atmosphere.

We stopped here on our way to an outdoor event on a fairly chilly afternoon. The place was clean, warm and cosy, and additionally, parking was easy: bonus! We ordered brisket plate, chicken wings and chips and salsa. Everything was delicious, and the wait staff was friendly. What more can one ask for? My husband thoroughly enjoyed his meal, which included beans, slaw and cornbread. Whatever the sauce was on the wings, they should bottle it. Maybe they do. I forgot to ask. The salsa was s-p-i-c-y as all get out (I’m a heat wimp), but coupled with the blue cheese dip, the tortilla chips were really good. The chips were not greasy and had the perfect amount of salt, so they were tasty even without a dip. We both cleaned our plates.

My wife and I frequent Podnahs on Friday night. They have the best pulled pork sandwich I’ve ever tried. The baked beans are heavenly too. They changed the service to a walk up, from table service. It took a little getting used too, but they are very efficient and the food comes fast.

Have both eaten in, and taken out. Have had ribs, pulled pork and chicken. All were excellent. Friendly staff and good service. Nice to be able to eat both inside or out depending on the weather.

The Tuesday special here is ribs, which are $2 per rib ($2.75 on other days). They are the best ribs I have ever had, with a visible smoke ring and very smoky in flavour. There is a choice of house made sauces to choose from as well.

Went on a Monday to taste the beef rib special. Unfortunately 720 pm was not early enough. Sold out before i arrived. Was told needed to get there closer to 500 opening. Settled for pork ribs. Just okay, a little dry and standard sauce was just okay. Corn bread was good but slice was small. Sides of cole slaw and potato salad were just okay too. Service however was awesome. Will come back earlier on a Monday and will try the Mac and Cheese as a side.

I'm a BBQ nut--been looking for a good BBQ restaurant in Portland for 10 years, but none have rated a 5 on my scale. Podnah's doesn't either, but it comes closer than any other I've found. And I was surprised that it did, when I found that the sauces were not at all what I wanted. They all seemed far too vinegar-y; I'm a sweet tomato-based sauce devotee. But when I poured the sauce on my ribs and took my first taste I was really pleasantly surprised--it was G-O-O-D. Plus the ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and super tasty, even without the sauce. The rub they used added much to the flavor without being too spicy. My companion and I also really liked the beans (read: loved the beans in my case) and the coleslaw was really tasty. I've read here that some people did not get good service, but the attention we received was A-1. Couldn't have asked for better. Did Podnah's reach a five on my scale? No, but it came darned close. I will return.

The brisket was tough and chili powder was in the meat and the potato salad. They even had the chili powder on the rim of the margaritas. As a Texan it was the worst BBQ I have ever had.

Be prepared to have an 18% Service Fee added to your order in lieu of a tip! They have removed your right to decide and made it mandatory! How American of them! Must be run by Leftists!!

My wife and I ordered the pit boss combination to share, added an extra side of chicken, and it was more than enough for the two of us. Food was savory, enjoyed it all, the brisket was excellent, pulled pork and chicken were good, sausage was the weakest link for me (no pun intended). Service was friendly and efficient. We waited about 45 minutes for a table.

All of the meats we tried were fatty, greasy, and 0 bbq flavor. The sides were much better than the bbq meats. Very disappointing.

Hadn’t eaten for hours. Checked out TripAdvisor for a good bbq restaurant in the area. Watching baseball makes you hungry. Five minutes from the field I found bbq heaven. Yum. Had St Louis ribs, Mac n cheese and corn bread. Great atmosphere, good service, food and beverages. Great find. Thanks TripAdvisor. Thanks Podnah’s.

Maybe good BBQ to most people but my brisket and pulled pork was fatty and the ribs were overdone. The flavor profile was good and the sauces were okay FYI no free refills

Rated by WWeek "Portland's Best" a few years ago, the usual hipsters took about badmouthing it, but rarely for the food or service, which were both excellent. Whether it did or did not contribute to gentrification is another review. No indigenous species were sacrificed in our meal. Just a solid but varied BBQ menu with a dazzling choice of sides. Worth the trip to the great Northeast..... Oh, and quite reasonable prices and very good service.

Met family there for a birthday. The service was amazing. The food was over the top. Portions were enormous. The food was delicious. A treat for all of us. We have since gone back for another family event. No reservations accepted. Check the website for the least popular times to go and you should not have much of a wait. The place is pretty noisy, in our case that was perfect, since we had two small children with us.

One of my favorite Portland restaurants for Texas style BBQ. All the meat dishes and sides are great, with my favorite being the pork ribs.

The location has table seating inside along with a few seats at the bar -- which can fill up quickly. It looks like seating is also available outdoors (weather permitting). Went for a late lunch and split their Pitboss. We had their BBQ beans and collared greens as the sides. Pairing the meats with their sauces rounds out the flavors and can add a zing if you've a taste for some heat. Adding some honey to the cornbread is recommended. We weren't sure whether the serving size was going to be enough. We went on a Tuesday (when they have an all day rib special) figuring we could add ribs to the order if we weren't filled up. For us, the Pitboss was enough. Bigger eaters may not want to plan on splitting the plate. We see ourselves going again when we have an urge for BBQ.

This was a surprising BBQ find in Portland and the porks ribs were on par with those we enjoyed in Texas. Our whole rack was meaty, great flavor and complemented by their BBQ sauce. The tri tip and sausage similarly were tasty but the pulled pork and potato salad were just ok. We liked the Mac n Cheese with its smoky jalapeño flavors. We liked the restaurant setting which was open and straightforward. Lots of indoor and outdoor seating plus a small bar. Orders were placed at the front and then delivered to our table. Staff was very friendly and efficient. The menu listed combination and a la carte options along with weekday specials. Only street parking was available so could be a challenge during lunch rush hour.

The ribs are alright and one of the better ones in Portland oh, I've had worse. Their brisket was dry cold and tasteless and I'm not a big fan of the Texas vinegar-based sauces. I can't understand why they couldn't give me a single item that was at least warm as I arrived just as they were opening and there were no other people. It's still they couldn't produce a Hotmail to save their life. If I go back, I'll get ribs to go and reheat them with my own sauce

Best bbq spot in all of Portland. The food was amazing and the service was even better. I would highly recommend Podnah's Pit. You gotta try the PitBoss

Love coming down here and going eating with my 94 y/o aunt, the food queen who lives here. Usually we don't do breakfast 'cuz we're still full from the night before, but on this trip we'd be going out for bbq.Bbq for breakfast? Crazy. Oh well, up and out and over to the NE side and Podnah's. Got right in and were shown to a table, checked the menu and our server told us the specials. Wow, and she even did it slowly and loud enuff to understand and hear. Extra tip earned for that. My aunt had gtits,bacon and eggs and I had a little plate called the box. No doubt because at least 1/2 of it went into a doggie box. Awesome fluffy biscuits and super tasty gravy, kinda plain grits and the eggs were just a tad underdone. The coffee was quite good and you just got your own, kinda fun. The meats were all in house and Soooo Goood. 2 nice slices of SMOKED ham, several slices of SMOKED bacon, a large breakfast sausage and a huge hunk of awesome SMOKED brisket. There were those couple of small ticks, but the friendliness and attentiveness of the servers and the great tasting food kept it at a 5.

Good food not to expensive. Parking can be a pain somewhat but that’s pretty much the town. Enjoy the slaw best I had in a very long time. Good sauces to mix up the tastebuds.

We always seem to go back to Podnah's for Barbeque when we are in Portland. We have tried a few other places but this one is really, really good. We went on a Tuesday, which is Rib special night so we had the ribs. We shared a full rack and had two sides each. I always get the black-eyed pea salad and baked beans, they are both excellent! My husband gets the collard greens and baked beans. He says there are two places that he will eat collard greens, and this in one of them. They are that good. The ribs were tasty and you can eat them with, or without sauce, they always have good smoke flavor and tasty dry rub. I like the classic barbeque sauce, but they also offer a mustard sauce and a vinegar based sauce, as well as straight-up honey in a bottle. Cornbread comes with every meal, and it is not a sweet cornbread, but good if you like that. Service is always good, they have a small bar and do offer alcohol. Parking is iffy, at best so you may have to walk a bit if you can't park close. Over all, I would highly recommend.

We enjoyed brunch at Podnah's on a Sunday. WOW, what a great find! Our friends chose this place based on a piece they had seen on Food Network's "Diners, Drive Ins and Dives." I enjoyed a Migas breakfast (scrambled eggs, tortilla strips, guacamole, served with potatoes, refried beans, and tortillas)--it was FANTASTIC. My husband chose Kyle's Breakfast, which is smoked brisket with 2 eggs, potatoes and a biscuit...made me wish I'd chosen brisket! Service is great, and the restaurant is in one of Portland's many cute neighborhood pockets, about 15 mins East of Downtown Portland. A must-try!

This joint adds a mandatory 18% service to the bill for take-out order. That is absurd!!! I reckon this would be the last take-out order for me at Podnah's. Pure and simple.

Just visited this BBQ restaurant as we are visiting Portland. The atmosphere in the restaurant is fantastic. The food was fantastic as well (The green chili mac & cheese and the potato salad were phenomenal!) The brisket and the ribs were delicious. Prices were reasonable for a BBQ restaurant. The service was nice with a smile. All in all great restaurant and I definitely recommend

Friday night we decided to have dinner at our favorite BBQ Pit with our oldest grand daughter. We wondered if Podnah's was still the go to spot for BBQ after I noticed several online reviews talking negatively about their switch to cafeteria style ordering but figured everyone was over reacting. The decision to change to the cafeteria style, according to the person taking our order, was instituted to better reflect the Texas BBQ experience, which made me think...well its all good if it will improve my dining experience...I'm up for that. I have to tell you "Podnah", you are located in Portland, where dining options are very bountiful in all food categories including BBQ. If I want to go to a cafeteria to eat I will go to one, but if I am taking my friends or family to dinner, I am going to seek out traditional wait staff establishments. There are 3 important factors in my dining experience...the food, the service and the atmosphere. We ordered our individual meals, each ordered a beverage and promptly sat down at our assigned table. We barely had time to get settled or start a conversation when the delivery staff...sorry they no longer have wait staff, but just delivery staff...plopped the food at our designated table number and disappeared into the assembly room. There was no time to engage in conversation, relax or enjoy the moment...order you dinner, sit down, eat and you are done. I asked a passing food delivery person if we all could have some water and she pointed to the water dispensers stacked on a rack with glasses underneath and said we could help ourselves to the water "right over there". Yes, I believe the traditional kitchen has been replaced by a room used to assemble the orders, placing them on aluminum baking trays lined with some kind of wax/parchment paper...the traditional dinner platters and plates are a thing of the past...having been replaced by the well used trays. The food was delivered at best luke warm. Granted, the brisket was delicious, the pork spareribs were tasty and the BBQ beans were good, but the mac n cheese was dry and tasteless, the collard greens were watery and lacking flavor, the coleslaw was awash in vinegar and the cornbread was dry. After dinner, I reflected on our experience and decided that if I am spending $75 for dinner for 3, I an going to expect table service. Podnah's has thrown the service experience of dining straight into the trash. Being able to chat with the wait staff, asking for recommendations or simply being able to enjoy superior service are no longer available there. Life isn't perfect, but in my opinion, Podnah's has lost focus on both its food and their dining experience. I think it's time for Podnah's to step aside, as there soon will be a new BBQ king in town.

My wife is from Texas...where they claim to have the best BBQ in the country. She loves this place "because it's got the real BBQ taste. We shared the Pit Master which had sampling of 4 meats and two sides (cornbread??? Had better). Pinto beans, collard greens, and coleslaw were pretty good too! We went in the "tween" hours so we could've order either breakfast or lunch. My pal Mike had breakfast and he was raving about the great food and even had enough to take home. Pecan pie was the bomb...the banana pudding was excellent. Pretty good BBQ for the NW. Going back today😄

Friends recommended we go to podnah's after getting beers nearby. We had to wait about 45 minutes after getting there around 6pm. (fortunately, there is a bottle shop two doors down where got some beers) We were seated and a very friendly waitress got us beers and took our orders. I sampled the pulled pork and the beef brisket.. Each came with corn bread and slaw. I moved here from NC, so it wasn't quite that quality, but it was very good. They also had a good beer selection. It is a fun place with delicious food and we will definitely be back

My niece and I went there for lunch. The portions are so large that we took half of it home and had a great dinner also. They also had some wonderful desserts pecan pie and banana pudding. The service was great, smiley faces all around. The atmosphere was friendly and we felt quite at home there. The food was excellent and delectable.

My wife and I went here for lunch and I'm so glad we did! It was a Thursday afternoon so was relatively quiet and we were greeted with huge smiles all round. My wife struggled to choose a beer so the server recommended a few a brought over tasters which was a nice touch. I had a red beer which was fantastic. To eat we shared 'The Pitboss' which was Brisket, Ribs, Pulled Pork, and Sausage, with Cornbread and 2 sides. We went for Potato Salad and BBQ Beans. Everything was out of this world and the service was fantastic. One of my favourite dinners on this trip! Outstanding!

Excellent BBQ and very good sides. I had the combination platter known as "The PItboss" which gives you beef brisket, pulled pork, pork ribs, and a sausage link, cornbread and my two sides were BBQ Beans and Collard Greens. What a feast! One of the best meals I have had in Portland. I could not finish it all because it was so much food. That is a rarity in Portland where the food quality is great, but most places have minuscule portions. The restaurant is casual and relaxed and the service was fantastic, especially considering how busy the place was. The sauces are home made and fantastic. I really love that spicy vinegar sauce for the pork. Perfection! I wanted to try their famous pecan pie but I was just too full to give it a shot. Maybe next time!

Recommended by friends, and they are still friends. Best BBQ we have had in a long time. Traveled the south recently and this matched many of those. Recommend the ribs, but each day has its own specials. Large portions, enough to share. Save room for pecan pie and "whoop" on top.

The food and atmosphere was great. You can smell the cooking from a block away. Good service. Reasonable prices.

The hostess last night March 16th was so rude with her comments that we just about left. Besides her comments our visit turned out well. The catfish was wonderful the ribs brisket and pulled pork great.

Ate here for dinner while on business in Portland. Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on Food Network. Ordered the PitBoss special, a mix of ribs, pulled pork, brisket and sausage. Enjoyed all of the meats...pulled pork probably my favorite and sausage my least favorite. Different sauce options, including red, vinegar and Carolina mustard. Being from Carolina, I found the mustard a bit too tangy/acidic compared to the sweeter apple cider recipe I grew up with. All in all, a good real-deal BBQ option. Good local beer selection also.

I used to love this place. Now they’ve changed their format (it’s a walk up counter now). We drove 110 miles to have Friday catfish special before going to the Auto Show. They no longer have catfish, you have to wait in line to order, the Frito pie was cold, the ribs were tough, and the prices have gone up. How can you take a great business model and throw it away?

Had brisket and lamb chops. Both where tasting just great. The coleslaw was done.with vinegar. A perfect match.with the BBQ meet.

You can smell the woodsmoke from down the street, which is always a good sign, so our visit started out well and continued that way until we left stuffed and oh so happy. The timing of our visit was outstanding as it was the day that they had beef ribs on special and they are special. Beefy smoky goodness, fall off the bone tender and a crust to die for, my mouth is watering while I’m typing this as I remember how wonderful that rib was and large enough that 1 with some of their excellent beans and cornbread was enough. My wife dove into their brisket and pronounced it “amazing”. If you can’t get down to the Pecan Lodge in Dallas, Podnahs is right up their with them, simply outstanding BBQ.

Great BBQ joint. If you arrive after 5PM, expect a wait. But there are several other shops on the block you can visit while waiting, including Tea Bar, wine shop.

I had heard a lot of good things about them on various shows on the Food Network so I had to try them visiting Portland. They are kind of in a seedy part of town so a daylight visit might be best. We did not have to wait very long to be seated. We got there just before they got busy. The smell of the bbq makes you salivate. We ordered two of the pitboss plates and this was more than enough food for 3 people. This allowed us to sample most of the bbq. The pork ribs and pulled pork were good, the sausage was ok, but the brisket was outstanding. The brisket will melt in your mouth. The corn bread was delicious and a little on the sweet side, the collard greens were the best I have had, the mac and cheese was ok. I did not care much for the potato salad as it was mustard not mayonnaise based. This is not the best bbq place that I have eaten it at but definitely one of the better ones. For Portland this is probably the best you will get. Their bbq sauce is gluten free.

Wonderful place for lunch or dinner. Dinner specials looked great but are only available after 5pm. There was a small band on Saturday afternoon. Great selection of beer and wines. Inviting atmosphere with indoor and outdoor eating area. Delicious BBQ with decent size portions. I recommend the sampler platter for 2 for $28. Lots of meats to try with good amounts plus 2 sides to share. YUM!

We had lunch at Podnah's Pit Barbecue and were genuinely pleased with the food and service. I had to go with the Brisket which is smoked for over 14 hours--and you can taste it! Tender and tasteful. With my Plato Tejano (a tip of the hat to Mexican), they bring extra sauces (in addition to the standard ones on the tables) and it was difficult to determine which one to use (solution--use them all). It came with several sides and it was a generous serving. My daughter had the Pulled Pork Sandwich and it too scored big. They have indoor as well as outdoor seating, the service is good and the price is well within reason for a good experience and great meal.

The BBQ beans were a slam dunk! Brisket was a bit fatty, the Lima beans with bacon was a swoosh! Fried catfish left a bit to be desired but the tartar sauce brought it home! A smidge pricey. Definitely plan to go back and try more!!

Not a huge selection, but what they have is outstanding. Bbq sauces were outstanding. Definitely Texas roots (Podnuh means partner in Texan.) Sides are definitely southern. No fries if you are looking for something 'safe'. Would be glad to come back and bring others.

I travel to Portland every few weeks. I have eaten here many times and find the BBQ consistently great. The kitchen is loaded with some cool BBQ gadgets and they have specials they change up daily. Great ribs and sauces.

The four of us stopped by since on of us had a craving for BBQ and we came to Podnah's BBQ. I was super excited to see that there was a live band. The place smelled great, you could smell it outside as you were walking up so you couldn't help but drool a little. We ordered a HUGE plate of ribs, beans, coleslaw, and cornbread. The chefs board? I think? Anyways it was good and filled to the brim with BBQ. I one thing I was weirded out by, was that every thing had a strong vinegar taste and after taste. Even the extra sauces on the table. IT was good, don't get me wrong but I was just surprised by the amount in everything. The staff looked a little stressed as the place was pretty packed. Plus with the music, at times we had to shout just to get a refill on water. no ones fault just how it is. The place was cleaned and tables bussed quickly. The bathrooms were clean and fresh. We look forward to going back.

My house is 4 blocks from Podnahs. And truth be told, Podnahs is about 25% of the reason why I moved to this neighborhood and now live 4 blocks from Podnahs. However, I have to consciously limit myself as to how much I go to Podnahs...it's so good and I want to make sure I don't wear myself out. Not sure if that can happen - hasn't yet - but need to protect against the slight possibility. Texas style BBQ...the brisket is awesome, as are the BBQ beans and collard greens. Everyone I go with always gets the mac & cheese and rave about it, but I can't bring myself to do that, because if I don't watch my figure, who will? My favorite are their ribs. Have not tasted an equal in Portland. Pretty amazing. Before you douse sauce on them, try eating them without...its way better. Their dry rub and hours of smoking make for a great rib, sauce free. Although if you need sauce, they have some good stuff. Highly recommend. If you can't get into Podnahs, go next door to La Taq and get some brisket tacos and a beer. You will not be disappointed.

Enjoyed dinner here. Nice variety of bar-b-que meats. Sauces on the side, so you can try then all. Also good choices of sides to go with your meal. Fun atmosphere. Would enjoy going back and trying other items.

brisket and ribs smoked on site. Not the wet sloppy BBQ you may be expecting. All done to perfection. great side options too. Several options to scale to your appetite. Great beer selection plus a full bar. Relaxed very comfortable setting. Some outdoor seating. Have desserts but never enough room after meal to have tried one.