Mimo's Smoke House — Restaurant in Porto

Mimo’s Smoke House in Porto offers a fun, relaxed take on American barbecue that made for a great spot to celebrate the Fourth of July abroad. The setting is casual and open-air, with upbeat music and a welcoming atmosphere that feels distinctly American. It’s the kind of place that works well for a group dinner where the vibe matters just as much as the food.

We ordered the brisket on mac and cheese, boneless ribs, and pulled pork. The pulled pork was definitely the standout. It had a deep, smoky flavor and was cooked just right—tender, flavorful, and satisfying. The boneless ribs were solid, but I found myself wishing they had a bit more punch or spice to them. The brisket unfortunately leaned a little dry, and the mac and cheese it was served on didn’t do much to help—it lacked seasoning and felt more like a filler than a true side dish.

That said, the prices are more than fair for the portions and the clear effort that goes into preparing slow-cooked barbecue. The staff was excellent—friendly, attentive, and eager to help explain the menu and make sure we were comfortable. While it doesn’t quite deliver an authentic Texas barbecue experience for anyone who grew up on that style of food, it gets close enough to scratch the itch. It’s not perfect, but the overall experience makes it easy to recommend for anyone craving a taste of American BBQ in Porto. I’d definitely come back for the pulled pork...

VERY underwhelming food. I got the triple Austin ‘burger’ which is basically a tasteless/dry mince meat sandwich. The bread was SOAKED in margarine(not butter), the meat was tasteless and dry and the ‘triple cheddar’ was what I assume to be three slices of American craft single.

The onion rings were clearly frozen and came with the most comically small dip I have ever seen in a restaurant. The table didn’t have any other condiments to go with anything.

Another strange thing is that you enter through the toilets basically and the place smells like a toilet. I get that this is an old city and this is sometimes unavoidable but it doesn’t help that the space is not climate controlled and has two windows open in the alley outside that stinks.

The waiter was very nice and polite. Food came fast and it was not ridiculously priced for the portions. It is expensive for how subpar it is though. Nice music.

I refuse to believe this place had 4.9* without...

OK, so maybe I was mistaken in ordering the nachos at a barbecue joint. But if you’re gonna serve nachos, please know that the cheese should be cheese and not something freezing cold and the color orange. Nachos are really easy to make, Portugal is full of delicious cheese that melts easily on chips. I was so surprised to see that this place is so highly rated and I most obviously ordered the wrong thing. The atmosphere was very americana, not my bag. The service was very nice. If I ever get a craving for barbecue, I’ll keep this place in mind. Skip the nachos. My friend seemed to enjoy her burger, and the fries were fine, they had some nice...