Russell Street Bar-B-Que: A Southern Retreat in Downtown Portland, OR

Recently I decided to take my husband out to dinner before he leaves for Iraq. One of my husband's favorite foods is barbeque. Another is Southern cuisine. After performing a search online I found several different restaurants that appeared to be great choices. I finally decided to take him to Russell Street Bar-B-Que located in downtown Portland, OR.

I based my decision upon the reviews that I had read through a Google search. Out of the 73 reviews Russell Street Bar-B-Que received it was rated four and a half stars overall. I hadn't actually visited their website before we left the house but their website is very informative and includes a menu with pricing. You can find a link to their website at the end of this article.

When my family arrived at the restaurant it looked like any other small restaurant or cafe in downtown Portland. It doesn't exactly stick out with its black awning with white lettering, the typical outer decor of most places downtown. However when I walked into the restaurant I almost instantly felt the kind of warmth you find when you've finally gone back home.

The decor on the inside of Russell Street Bar-B-Que gives you the feeling of visiting a quaint bed and breakfast in the south. The pig themed decor, tin signs, and openess of the restaurant made it feel very inviting. Though I must say that one of the best parts was the overall cleanliness of the place. I've been into one too many barbeque restaurants where the health inspector should be called in to straighten them out.

We didn't have to wait long to be seated which was nice. Though I noticed the place was begin to pick up quickly after we arrived. Our waitress was very friendly and made us feel relaxed and at ease. She did not make us feel rushed to order or to eat and the best part was that we didn't have to wait for a refill for our drinks.

Upon looking through the menu we found a few southern dishes such as pimento cheese appetizer served with garlic toast and the Grilled Shrimp and Cheesy Grits which is a Tuesday Blue Plate Special. After looking over all of the mouth watering options available I decided to go with the pulled pork sandwich with the north carolina vinegar sauce and a side of fries. My husband decided to go with the pulled pork platter with a side of macaroni and cheese, cole slaw, and opted for the corn bread over the toast. Our children each wanted the three ribs kids' meal with fries. Other barbeque choices were ribs, tofu, salmon, beef ribs, and a beef brisket. There were other choices as well that you will find on the menu.

There were many different cocktails and drinks to choose from at Russell Street Bar-B-Que but we decided to go with the sweet tea. What a treat! The tea was brewed to the perfect strength and was not overly sweetened. It was some of the best sweet tea I have ever had. The glasses weren't tiny either which was a nice touch.

When our food arrived it looked delicious and well plated. The portions weren't over the top but there was enough to fill both myself and my husband up. The cole slaw looked impressive and you could tell that it was handmade and not store bought or pre-made. It tasted great as well. My sandwich came with the cole slaw piled on top and it added a great flavor to the pulled pork sandwich. The sandwich was made with a toasted kaiser roll which was delicious as well.

My husband enjoyed his platter as well. The macaroni and cheese was different than what he was used to but he still enjoyed it. The cornbread was sweet and thick like cornbread should be. His pulled pork was delicious though he did add a bit of sauce from the bottle set at the table.

As far as the kids go they absolutely loved their ribs. I have never seen them eat as much as they did at any restaurant. They actually ate all of the meat off of the bone which they never do. After their dinner was finished they enjoyed a two scoop sundae from the dessert menu which was filled with many different delicious sounding options. Other desserts included handmade fried pies, brownies, root beer float, and others. Their sundaes came out in a tall glass topped with chocolate, caramel, whipped cream, and of course the cherry on top. There were no complaints from either of them. My youngest shared a one scoop vanilla ice cream with me and we thought that the ice cream was delicious.

Our dinner total including dessert, five drinks, and four entrees only came to a little over $50. If we had skipped the extras like we normally do, and if I didn't order the root beer and then the sweet tea, our bill would have been under $40 for a family of two adults, two children, and a toddler. The low price was just an extra perk that will make Russell Street Bar-B-Que a place my family will return to again and again.

Visit Russell Street Bar-B-Que's website by clicking here.