Reverend's BBQ — Restaurant in Portland

(was 1 now 3 stars) Little for a gluten free person, and less when also cow dairy free too. And pretty expensive, in my opinion, at least for what I can order (4 things).

I can see why some people would like the brisket...it's well seasoned (plenty of salt and pepper), not overly dry even on low fat areas, and plenty of good smoke flavor. But half is super fatty (just hate that bouncy, tough texture...like eating straight fat, I'm throwing out more than half) and the other is too thick to enjoy without a sharp knife and a fork. I prefer how Busters asks what type you want (fatty or not) and slices it much thinner. My search for TV (or competition) quality brisket that falls apart with a small tug on a 1/4" slice, like good slow cooked pot roast, continues...

Carolina chopped pork shoulder is pretty good. Yes some fat in there too, but so far little enough I'd still eat it. Wish they had another sauce to put on top, but you can get more of a homemade sweet chili vinegar sauce that they already dress it with.

For sides I'm only able to get collard greens, and chopped slaw. Both are alright. I'm not a huge collard greens guy, so no issue beyond "not my cup of tea". Had a sour flavor, but wasn't overpowering. Was cooked down a bit, but still had some bite while going through it (not mush). (after finishing beef, and returning). There is some sweetness and heat in here. Black pepper maybe? Burning a good while after my last bite. I'm thinking this is better and better

Slaw is tasty, but feels like it should be on top of a pulled pork sandwich. Feels weird to just eat it. (After another bite) I do like the little bit of kick, like wasabi or horseradish there. Nothing too overt, but adds another flavor note on top of the creamy. Has a little variety too with purple and green cabbage, carrots, and maybe more. Good texture with some crunch still left, but you can tell it's sat and...

That feeling of deep satisfaction after a good meal, that's what you get here at Reverend's.

I was here during their happy hour which had great prices. I got the smoked wings, St. Louis Ribs, with a side of collard greens.

The ribs were nice and meaty. So meaty you could see their smoke ring. They had a nice chewy bite like a good St. Louis rib should have. The Spicy BBQ sauce was excellent too. You can definitely tell it's made in house. There's just a fresher quality to it. Same for the pickled onions they pair the ribs with as a garnish. They were bright and vinegary with a hint of sweetness.

The smoked wings were even better. As close to perfect as you can get. They managed to be both perfectly crispy and still moist and juicy. Lightly sauced with a Frank's Red Hot Wing sauce, on the mile side of medium. That way you still got a taste taste of that smoke. Practically, the platonic ideal of what a wing should be.

The collard greens were excellent too. Cooked with the stalks. But tender enough it didn't matter. One of best dishes of collards I've had since Black Cat closed years ago. I'm originally from South Georgia and have high standards for my collards.

It's really cool space with cool vibe too. Lots that Americana kitsch, like a large gilt framed portrait of Kenny Rogers.

Heck, even the music was great and added to experience. Some recent country/blue grass from folks like Chris Acker and Woody Pines I'd never heard before.

All in all I can't recommend it more. My only regret is that was first time coming in. Wish I'd come...

Good bbq spot. I'd recommend it. 4/5 The ribs were super tender. The smoky flavor of the ribs and the wings were top notch. The brisket was moist and flavorful. The appetizers were all good. Those hush puppies & deviled eggs were tasty! In addition, the banana pudding was well executed. It had the right amount of sweetness and the texture was smooth and not overly thick. The wait service was also friendly and attentive.

The ribs were oversalted unfortunately. I have a salty palate and it was still quite noticeable. It undermined the great effort it took to smoke the ribs. All of the ribs on our plates didn't have this issue so this was either an anamoly or the seasoning may be inconsistent. The smoky chicken wings were stellar, but a bit small for the price point. To be fair, many restaurants have had difficulty getting chicken wings because of the supply chain issues so the ones we received may not be indicative of what is served during normal times.

Finally, I was underwhelmed by my collard greens and mac and cheese. The latter felt both generic and pseudo-gourmet at the same time. Don't reinvent the wheel. We weren't fans. The collard greens were fair, but not bad.

Overall, the quality of the appetizers, meats, and the banana pudding makes Reverend's a required stop. Personally, I'd highly recommend the ribs, brisket, wings, deviled eggs, hush puppies and dessert. There was also a HUGE delicious looking bbq salad at our table that lasted all of 60 seconds....