PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Barbecue is comfort food to many — so which restaurant can boast of having the best in Oregon?
The Food Network had declared Podnah’s Pit BBQ in Northeast Portland the best barbecue joint in Oregon. The title was given as part of the Food Network’s list of the best barbecue restaurants in every state.
Podnah’s Pit BBQ, located at 1625 Killingsworth Street, has been owned and operated by Portland local Rodney Muirhead for the last 17 years. In an interview with KOIN 6 News, Muirhead said that he wasn’t aware his restaurant made the list, but that he is grateful for the consideration.
“There’s a lot of good barbecue in Portland,” Muirhead said.
Podnah’s cooks traditional, Central Texas-style barbecue inspired by Miurhead’s childhood in Waxahachie, Texas, where he spent time with his grandfather J.R. “Podnah” Muirhead, a butcher and expert pitmaster. The restaurant’s most popular dish, Muirhead said, is the brisket, which is dry rubbed with salt and pepper and smoked for 12 hours.
“We just try to keep it as old fashioned as possible, not putting any twists on anything,” Muirhead said. “Same with the ribs. We use simple rubs and try to rely mainly on the smoker doing most of the work without any fancy ingredients.”
The restaurant’s original location was opened at the intersection of Prescott Street and 15th Avenue in 2006 and could house up to 30 customers. After a successful launch, the business expanded to its current location in 2011, where Muirhead can now host close to 100 customers at a time.
“Pitmaster Rodney Muirhead slow-cooks 30 tons of meat a year,” the Food Network states in its “50 States of Barbecue” list. “That’s equivalent in weight to a small humpback whale. It’s because Portlandia locals can’t get enough of Podnah’s Central Texas-style ’cue.”