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    Cindy Lou's Barbecue

    4.5 (76 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

    Cindy Lou's Barbecue Photos

    Business Info

    CINDY LOU'S BARBECUE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Cindy Lou's Barbecue

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    Cindy Lou's BBQ
    Jim C.

    This will probably be the shortest review I've written on Yelp: Eat! Here! For! Perfect! BBQ! Best BBQ I've had in the PNW in...well, possibly ever. Big generous portions, friendly service, GREAT BBQ. OMG I just ate and I still want more...it's that good!

    Mac Daddy with pulled pork on Texas Toast
    Marcus G.

    I have been going to Cindy Lou's for years now. If you're looking for good barbecue, this is the spot. I usually get the chopped brisket combo with double Mac and cheese, but today I tried the Mac Daddy sandwich with pulled pork on Texas Toast. I have seen the light. I had been having a rough day at work and all that stress washed away. That was downright one of the greatest sandwiches ever created. Always check their Facebook page so you know when they are open. If they haven't posted their hours for the day, message them on Facebook and they will get back to you quickly. In sum, this is the only BBQ place I go to in Salem, and you should be coming here, too.

    Breanne W.

    Update: originally 3 stars for poor quality & forgetting an ordered item. New rating: 4 star. Mac Daddy was a good choice, I should have gotten Texas toast because the hot dog bun got soggy. Otherwise the combination of flavors was really good. I'd go back again. Service was friendly & fast. The first visit may have been a fluke.

    Menu
    Leticia V.

    I was in Salem on business and was looking for a lunch spot... was happy to see Cindy Lou's food cart! I used to frequent them when they had a spot at Happy Valley Station. The owner is so friendly and the food is delicious. I could eat their mac and cheese every day!! So stoked to come here again!

    Smoker
    Joe S.

    Went to Cindy Lou's for BBQ. Good news, they had a really busy day, so they were out of some stuff. Good to see local places do well. We order the beef brisket strips with side of mac n cheese, and jalapeno rice. By far, this is better than any bbq restaurant in my hometown (outside of Oregon.) The brisket was juicy and had a great smokey flavor. The bbq sauce is really good, we didn't use it because the brisket didn't need it. I cannot wait to try the pull pork, coleslaw, and potatoes (they were out) and looking forward to sharing more food posts. 3539 Commercial St SE, Salem, OR 97306

    Gene B.

    These folks have moved again to 3539 Commercial St. SE and are located at the west end of the commercial buildings dominated by Ink Daddy's Tattooing. For easiest parking, drive through the chain link gate with the alternating green and white privacy strips. They have a new truck, which is more efficient for catering. There is some basic outdoor seating which will doubtless be expanded. A much quieter location, more agreeable for lingering. The hours are 11-6 M-Sat and they DO deliver now M-Fri, 11-4, $25 minimum order.

    Amy Y.

    Scot and I love BBQ. But we have had a lot of bad BBQ. That will NOT be the case if you go with Cindy Lou's. OMG, the brisket and pulled pork was melt-in-your-mouth. Wonderful flavor, without being overpoweringly smokey. Nice pink smoke rings, moist... I'm so NOT hungry right now but just writing about it is making my mouth water. And the mac!? VERY yummy. I love mac n cheese and appreciated the tender pasta, the good mix of taste/texture in the cheeses and the creamy texture. The best approach is to fork your meat, pile on a bit of mac, then dip that in the sauce for an amazing bite of goodness. Service was fast and friendly, too. Can't wait to try everything they offer.

    Pulled pork and chopped brisket

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    7 days ago

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    1 year ago

    Best Brisket we have had in Oregon. Tender, juicy, perfect smoke flavor and smoke ring.

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    3 years ago

    Super good, and great service. I recommend the pulled pork with texas toast and double macaroni for the sides

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    4 years ago

    Very good. Mac & cheese was the best by far that we have found in the Salem area. Pulled pork sandwiches were great.

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    7 years ago

    Really good!! They had a bunch of different lunchtime options and everything was awesome. The only hard part was finding the location!

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    6 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Cindy Lou's Barbecue

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    Very slow would not allow to order ahead so had to wait after I got there and ordered. Took over…read more20 mins If you go into the store you are not priority only one other person in the store.

    Craving the deliciousness of KFC's Original Recipe chicken, I placed an order on DoorDash a few…read moredays ago. The food came in good time, but that was it. The chicken did not look like Original Recipe, nor did it look like Extra Crispy. It looked like it was something that had been deep fried a second time to heat it up. Thinking I was being picky, I pulled some meat/skin off a thigh piece to taste it. It just tasted like old grease and not a single one of the "11 herbs and spices" it is known for. DoorDash couldn't help me, so I drove the chicken back to the restaurant to see if they could help me out. If they had just said something like "our policy blah blah" I could have dealt with that. Maybe ordered more chicken. But, no, they insisted that this dark brown stuff WAS Original Recipe. I told them to just throw it out for me because it was 100% inedible. They looked surprised by that. I went home and ate two of the biscuits and one bowl of the coleslaw. The next day, I decided to eat the two bowls of macaroni and cheese for my lunch. The pictures below show what that looked like. My husband said it looked like worms. It didn't look like that to me, but it didn't look like anything I'd actually want to eat. Other than the higher prices at this location, I've never had any problem. But, this time was so bad that I'm not letting it go. That was MY money that was spent on food that I could not eat.

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    Starduster Cafe - Light menu Mini Omelette & English Muffin

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    3.9(120 reviews)
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    I've seen reviews that complain about how it's "dirty" here because there are dirty dishes stacked…read morein walkway to the restroom. It's not like they're stacking these dishes in the bathroom or near tables to be used for dining. The vibe here is super pleasant. I love the airport theme with model planes hung about the dining area. There isn't a whole lot of seating, so it gets packed fast, even on a weekday like when I went with my family. There is plenty of parking, though, so no worries about that. The service is fantastic. They have friendly personalities and are attentive. You could tell they got to know their regulars. The food was delicious and plentiful. There were so many options to choose from that I was afraid I'd regret my selection. Having sampled around my table, I can say with confidence that probably everything here tastes great. The hash browns were crisp, and the omelets were cooked perfectly. Definitely worth the prices!

    I just had the best, most decadent, breakfast I've ever had…read more StarDuster Cafe is a small, nondescript blue building next to the Independence Airport. There are maybe ten tables inside, and all have a great view of airplanes right outside the window. There is outdoor seating, as well, but since we were there in the winter time, they were not in use. Service was very good. The staff was quick and attentive. We were there for brunch. My wife picked the Banana Foster Pancakes, and I ordered Peach Crisp Stuffed French Toast. The plates arrived, and both looked delicious. They both came with eggs and choice of meat (bacon, ham, or sausage). The banana foster pancakes were very good. Then, we tasted the peach french toast. OMG! They were amazing! I know what I'm ordering next time we go here. They were so good that we asked the staff to make sure they weren't just a seasonal special.

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    Starduster Cafe - Airfield with chopper coming in.

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    Airfield with chopper coming in.

    Cindy Lou's Barbecue - bbq - Updated May 2026

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