its the best bbq in the state, nothing compares in salem. best prices and the owner is super cool

Absolutely the best BBQ I've ever had. If I lived on the west coast/Salem, OR I come here weekly. The service is amazing and the owner is so incredibly kind and welcoming. (please try the jalapeño/spicy mac and cheese as a side) read more

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Great bbq spot in west Salem. Food was excellent aswell as the value you receive. Establishment was clean and welcoming. If your craving great bbq this place is a must. read more

I Miss Texas Where to start? It was a warm Saturday afternoon in Salem, Oregon, and I was craving barbecue. Being from Texas, I admit my standards are high. I wasn't expecting Central Texas perfection, but I was hoping for something that at least resembled good BBQ. Unfortunately, this wasn't even close. I ordered four slices of brisket. When the server asked how many slices I wanted, I said, "Four." They cut them so thick they looked more like pot roast than brisket. I also ordered the pulled pork, although I'm still not convinced it was pork at all. It looked--and tasted--more like chopped brisket. Next came the onion ring mystery. I was told they were out of onion rings. Fair enough...except I watched baskets of onion rings leave the kitchen and get served to people who were behind me in line. That was puzzling. Then there was the beverage situation. Since we were dining in, we were offered bottled sodas and alcoholic drinks. No diet sodas were available. We don't drink alcohol. We asked for water and were told they were out of cups. Oddly enough, there were stacks of cups sitting on the shelf for to-go orders. The self-serve soda fountain was available, but apparently only if you had somehow brought your own cup. We noticed that folks did. Think about that for a minute. The brisket itself was the biggest disappointment. It reminded me of a dry Sunday pot roast that had been sitting out a little too long. There was very little smoke flavor, no moisture, and none of the tenderness that makes brisket worth the wait. As for the "pulled pork," I honestly don't know what to say. If it was pork, it certainly didn't taste like it. Barbecue isn't complicated. It's seasoning, smoke, heat, and time. When those four things come together, magic happens. When they don't, you get a meal like this. Maybe I'm spoiled by growing up in Texas. I miss Texas. read more

This was the absolute worst bbq/food I have had. It tasted like the meat was precooked and maybe heated up. The brisket we received had a funky color and texture. We will NEVER be going back here The girls at the window were rude and the atmosphere is not super family friendly read more

Great smash burger and fries. Very affordable and great food. Will define make it a 1-2 times a month habit

Food was not edible, cold and way overpriced. We've eaten barbecue at several different barbecue joints throughout the Willamette Valley and this one is by far the worst I've ever eaten at literally everything was cold. Plus it took forever to get the food. It's a very unfortunate because I have heard good things about this place so figured we would give it a try. But we definitely will not be going back. I highly recommend you explore different options. when you spend over $63 for 2 2 meat plates, a Texas link and two drinks I expect to be able to use real silver silverware not plastic, fork, and knife and not sit on a picnic table with other folks. read more

Picked up dinner for two. Heard many positive reviews. Got the chicken breast that was beyond dry. I choked on it. The Mac & cheese was extremely chalky. Inedible. As was the coleslaw. The wings were tasty though. read more

Amazing service, food and atmosphere!!! 100% will be back!! Took home leftovers and they didn't last long!!!

Always great food and service. The barbecue is the best in town, and the wings are a sleeper.

Good food and service. What more do you really need to know. A little off the beaten path, was not certain that we were at the right place when we pulled into the parking lot. read more

Excellent food! Best BBQ I've had since we visited the South! The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and juicy, and the sauce was flavored perfectly! Delicious! read more

Order: Boss 2 meats 2 sides--1/2 rack ribs, sliced brisket slaw and fries. Pros: Usually they are on point. However today they were off for me. Cons: the Boss 2 meats and 2 sides are $24 on the menu. However, they add on $4 to the Boss 2 meats if you get ribs. The menu should say that there will be an add on for ribs to the Boss 2 meats to avoid confusion. $30 for bbq is mad crazy especially since Ive been to bbq places where I could get the same amount for less. This time around the coleslaw tasted old and sour. read more

Roger That BBQ - Ribs, Brisket, coleslaw, & baked beans - Barbeque Near Me - Salem, Oregon

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This place has a lot of hype, so I was very optimistic about getting a great meal here. Two of us spent $50 and there just wasn't a whole lot there. We ordered the dinner for 2, pick your meat, and because we both wanted the beef brisket, we got a $4 upcharge for doing a double brisket. We added a 1/2 slab of ribs ala carte, and added a banana pudding. Our sides were baked beans and coleslaw. Brisket was okay, but just not a whole lot of it, especially since we were upcharged. There were about 3 slices per person, not huge ones, mushy, no crust. BBQ sauce was very good. Sorry, but the ribs tasted really off. Like liver. We didn't finish it and left it. Coleslaw was really great, as were the beans. Banana pudding was great. This one is just not a repeater for me. read more

I thought I had good BBQ before. I suppose I had... but nothing compares to what I experienced at Roger That BBQ! I watch a lot I mean A LOT of BBQ content on YouTube and such, and I always thought that those massive trays of BBQ HAVE to be so delicious. Then, I had one of those trays in front of me here at Roger that BBQ. It was everything I imagined it being, taste wise and presentation, and then some. The owner had some awesome young men working behind the scenes and you could tell they were eager to learn and to serve. As you can see in my photo, the inside is simple but sets the tone for a great BBQ dinner. Get here early! We got here an hour before it opened, and not 20 minutes after it opened it started getting BUSY. If you're looking for GOOD, REAL Texas BBQ Roger That BBQ will not disappoint. read more

Roger That BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Salem, Oregon

Best BBQ in Salem, excellent and well worth the money. My husband loves their wimpy burgers, but I love their plates. We always get it to go and enjoy the amazing food at home, but they do have seating inside and out on nice. read more

Amazing grub! Had the Polish link and spicy brisket Mac. Very friendly staff serving up these mighty fine southern dishes. Pre-ordered our Christmas meat. Can't wait to serve it with the rest of our dinner. Gonna be a hit! People will be talking about the barbecue dinner they ate at our Christmas table for years! read more

Rogers meat is uniformly fallin off the bone tender and pretty tasty esp rips and pulled pork. Brisket a bit bland but meat overall 3-4 I'm a little underwhelmed by the sides. All 4 were ok but none a standout. A 3 Staff friendly and efficient with you like it if you like it ambience read more

Decent food. Ordered the family meal which was a great deal for the amount of food. Brisket wasn't fatty which everyone enjoyed. Ribs and pulled pork was good, but a bit on the colder side. Sausage was the least favorite. Slaw and veggies were good. Cashier(younger female) seemed really annoyed that we were there. read more

Roger That BBQ is the best BBQ I have ever had. It is my go to place to meet with friends, great customer service, and friendly staff. The portions are generous, and so many tasty options for sides. read more

Headed over to this place on a weekend. It was a bit hard to find as it is set back from Brush College Road. Ordered two Wimpy burgers (one spicy) with a side of BBQ Beans, and a special Brisket sandwich with Mac and Cheese inside the sandwich, and an order of fries with Cajun seasoning. The space was a smallish room with long, picnic-style tables. You lined up to order at a counter with the busy kitchen behind. Ordering was quick and the food came out fairly quickly even though they were quite busy. The Wimpy burgers were delicious! Juicy, with a hint of smoke, the burgers had plenty of sauce and cheese. And at only $2 each, a bargain! The beans were also great, in a smoky/sweet sauce that contained pieces of tender meat along with the beans. The fries were good, and the Cajun seasoning a nice addition. The brisket was rich and meaty, and the sauce that came with it was delicious, similar to the beans with a sweet/smoky profile. The mac and cheese added some cheesiness, but I think it detracted from the sandwich as a whole. All in all, a hearty and very satisfying lunch! I will definitely be back, both for the Wimpy burgers and to sample more of the BBQ meat offerings. read more

Roger That BBQ - The Brisket sandwich with Mac and Cheese and a side of fries. - Barbeque Near Me - Salem, Oregon

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Love the wimpy burgers and spicy Mac! The onion rings have too much breading making them mushy unfortunately so, we normally go for fries instead. read more

Best BBQ we have had in Oregon so far. The meat was moist and delicious. The service was fast and friendly. Of course we will be back!

I've been going to Roger That for years but I've never reviewed them because they're hard to rate. 5 star food and 2 star everything else, what do I rate them? I used to feel like they didn't deserve anything less than a 4 because of the food, but they're so bad on everything else I'm now fine with giving them a 3. The main foods are great. My favorites are the brisket, wimpys, and pulled pork. My wife loves the ribs and the hot links. Sides are just OK. They have a ton of other things (sandwiches, tacos, cheesesteaks, etc.) that we haven't delved into much. And that's one of the issues actually: - The menu is constantly changing with things coming off, things added on, they're out of this, don't have that today, etc. The actual menu is covered with papers taped on (and handwritten), and you can't see it until you're at the very front, it's annoying. Last time I was there they had loaded baked potatoes on the menu, this time they were gone and when I asked about them the gal acted like I was crazy and she'd never heard of them. - And you can't even look at the menu online because their website is down half the time and they don't have the menu on their FB page or anywhere else. - Some of the food is inconsistent. The amount of sauce on the ribs is different every time. Today the ribs were a little chewy, not as tender as usual. - Service is not amazing, let's put it that way. It can take a long time to get your food once you order (40 minutes today for me), I couldn't get anyone to call me back about a catering job, their hours are short, etc. There's just not a ton of care put into anything. They kind of know people love the food so much they don't have to put the effort into anything else. And that food is so good I keep coming back. Maybe someday I'll get so fed up with all their other nonsense I'll quit driving out there (or maybe hit that new food truck park by them...) but for now I need my wimpys. read more

3.25 stars. Along with Willamette Valley Smokehouse and Briel's BBQ, Roger That makes some of the better BBQ in Salem (as of 3/2024). Currently, my rankings go Briel's BBQ (brisket and elote side), Willamette Valley Smokehouse (all items outside the brisket), and Roger That (brisket). The brisket itself tastes like it has been smoked for hours over Oregon white oak. White oak is a cousin of Texas post oak which is what all the BBQ joints out there have been gravitating towards over the past decade or so. The BBQ usually had a very pretty ruby red ring from the smoking. They honored my request for pure fatty brisket. The brisket is pretty good. I do not believe Roger That is using prime grade brisket. I think a couple of places in Portland do that but again, it's quite expensive to use prime grade. It does mean the brisket is less savory and lacks the velvety consistency I've found for excellent brisket that you would find at the best places in Texas. But just understand this is a different product executed well and you will be happy. I ordered the pork ribs and again, some of it is just my preference of St. Louis style spareribs as opposed to baby back ribs. I like my ribs with the slightest pull off the bone. Seasonings can either be simple (Franklin BBQ in Austin) or more complex (Dreamland's in Tuscaloosa) but the combination here wasn't memorable. The accompanying sauce didn't do much for me but admittedly I tend to prefer more vinegary sauce bases for pork. I wasn't a big fan of the ribs here. Sides were pretty average. I like they add some spice to their mac, but the cheese base itself tasted similar to Kraft. Again, some people will love that as it might make them nostalgic to their childhood. So it really depends on your preferences. Not everyone wants or even likes items like gruyere in their mac. Green beans had a little bit of pork flavor which was nice. What I will say is that Roger That knows how to cook BBQ. Whether or not it is exactly your cup of tea depends on your experiences and subjective tastes. It is worth a visit if you are in West Salem. read more

The Wimpy burger was the highlight but that's a bit disappointing for a place with BBQ in the name. Brisket was lacking smoke flavor and sliced too thick - was a bit dry. We were excited about crinkle fries but they were served cold. My perception is their success has outpaced their ability to execute. read more

I've been here before and I thought I remembered it being better. I'm honestly disappointed. The ribs were horrible. Like way too tender. They had no bite to them. The brisket was mediocre as well. It was the better of the two I suppose. I wish they offered a variety of sauces instead it's just one that seems heavy on the molasses. It's sad that Salem can't seem to get a decent bbq joint here. There wings also weren't anything special. I was expecting some heat from the ghost pepper wings and there was none. Would I go back? Maybe. If I do it will be for a Philly. Nothing special about this place at all. Obviously this is just my opinion so go find out for yourself and try it out. read more

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I am glad I revisited Roger That, as it appears my last visit was indeed a fluke. It's by no means exceptional -- it's still rather low on my list of BBQ joints in town, but they're good folks and they try. Again, starting at the good: the chicken wings are incredible, as others have pointed out. I'm not sure where they get the dinosaurs that produce such massive wings, but the meat is flavorful, the sauces and rubs diverse, and the breading crispy as anything. The wings are served with a buttermilk heavy ranch that cuts the breading perfectly. Delicious. The barbecue sauce is also a stand out plus. The Memphis-style sauce is on the thin side, but just the right balance of sweet, savory, and smoky. The brisket, which can have some quality control issues (see my previous review) is generally good, if not really worth the price tag. Unfortunately, Roger That has a few issues. Least important, and admittedly more a pet peeve of mine, is that their hours / reliability are awful. They've gotten better at preparing enough food to last a few hours, but it can still be something of a crapshoot trying to come here on a weekend only to discover they've sold out. As with my last review, I will note that both the ribs and the brisket run a bit bland. The quality of the meat seems to have gone up, with no more mealy texture -- I'm not sure whether they changed butchers or what, but it's working for them. Unfortunately, the flavor's still the same. The smoke just doesn't really seem to penetrate the meat. And the "spicy mac and cheese" remains the worst mac and cheese I've ever eaten. On my first visit, I noted some hygiene issues -- hair in the food. This time, perhaps due to not ordering the same BBQ sauce, I did not notice any hairs as I was eating. I'm not hugely bothered by the occasional hair in my food, but at this price point, it can be a bit of a slap in the face. I'd still eat with a wary eye, at least for a few more visits. Roger That still struggles to deliver consistent quality, but it's definitely worth a try. For the price point, I'd like a better job at the smoker. If everything were the quality of Roger That's wings, I'd be ecstatic. The owners are lovely people, and very attentive, but for the price, I really need some of that care and attention put into the food, not just the customer service. read more

I finally decided to visit this place to see for myself what the hype is about? I got there around four and they closed at five. I ordered the ribs with two sides Mac and Beans. Boy was I disappointed. The ribs were hard and even harder to cut with the plastic knife provided. I'm use to falling off the bone. Also the two sides never got my attention. Bland and boring. I drove an hour for nothing. read more

We bought ribs and brisket for a family dinner. So we bought our food to go and took it home. The food was delicious, and everyone who helped when we picked up our food was friendly and helpful. The barbecued meat was tender, juicy and delicious. I was impressed by how perfectly cooked it was. The sides were really good. We loved it. read more

I ordered 2 BBQ sandwiches for lunch. I was looking forward to a good BBQ sandwich. I was greatly disappointed. The bread was soggy The onion rings were mushy The french fries tasted like they were a day old The entire meal was cold Not worth the money or the time read more

Great sandwich along with very delicious sides! Some of the best customer service I've had in years! The owner came outside to bring us utensils and asked if our dog would like water! Super experience! read more

I had Roger That BBQ cater my new housewarming party and hands down best BBQ in Mid-Willamette Valley area! The service is great and the food is delicious. Lots of sides to choose from. I especially like the Brisket and baked beans. I also love supporting local and local to West Salem. read more

I wouldn't go here if you're hungry! I've drove three times over an hour drive to get BBQ and I'm always told they are sold out! How do they sell out in an hour after I call! Thanks I would go to a place that serve you and doesn't have people tell you on phone that there is lots of food just come and then 3 times I've wasted gas and my time going here!! Thanks you just lost a customer read more

This is a hidden gem, and I'm glad to finally give it some light. I've been coming here for years, and go out of my way to do so. First off, you know a good BBQ place when you get repeated warnings that they run out of food. Ok, you've got my attention. It appears ran by a family or a family and friends, so you get less of a "corporate" feel, and more of a local feel, which I love. The service isn't fast, but I wouldn't expect it to be. The BBQ is great, I love the menu, and I can never decide what to get. I've had both the Brisket and Pulled Pork, and both are amazing. Got the mac and cheese pork taco last time, and for $4, I got about $10 worth of food. I can't recommend this place enough, and it's well worth the drive. Just get there early!!! read more

Not really sure why this place has 5 stars. A group of friends and I were excited to try this spot given the raving reviews on Yelp - we thought we might be able to get real southern BBQ in Oregon. However, we were a bit disappointed in the quality and pricing. They also added an extra $4 charge for a ribs + brisket combo without telling us, nor was it listed on the menu - this was disturbing. There was also an extra hidden charge for getting veggies as one of the sides. Not cool. The cuts of meat themselves were decent, no problem there. However, the bbq smoke flavor was missing from both the ribs and the brisket. For something that should have been in the smoker for 1/2 a day or more, it does not taste like it. There doesn't seem to be much of a difference between the taste of slow cooking ribs and brisket, versus what we ate here. Overall, $33 for a ribs and brisket combo with a side of Mac in Salem is outrageous. The two hidden charges we only discovered on the receipt after was not acceptable. Service was average. Other notes: - They have their own parking lot, some other street spots nearby if the lot is full. - Expect a wait time of 30+ minutes for your food to arrive after placing an order. - Limited outdoor seating. - Accepts card. read more

Unarguably the best BBQ in town. We've had them multiple times and it's always top tier meat. Roger That puts Adams Ribs to shame. Seriously, they are not even in the same ball park. I ordered in bulk for a 30 person garden party at my house and everyone loved it, the rib meat fell off the bone and the pulled pork was juicy and delicious. Huge hit! And I fed everyone for less than $150. Really there is no comparison. Best bang for your buck! 10/10, highly recommend! read more

I wish I could recommend this place, but the food we received looked nothing like the picture of the Wimpy burger posted on the wall as we walked in. It was smallish, child size. One little piece of processed cheese and a small smear of sauce on the bun, thrown into a Styrofoam Container with no paper wrapping around the burger. We took the burgers home and added a fresh slice of sweet onion, fat slice of tomato, pickles and more sauce, which made it edible. Looks like it was all kids working behind the counter. The strawberry shake which I was told had real strawberries, didn't. It was overly sweet but no tidbits of strawberry could be seen or found. The price is low, I'll give them that, but the quality is not there. I won't be a repeat customer. read more

This is the BEST place for all things BBQ. Hands down, the best. Good food, local business run by really great people.

The best BBQ I've had. I ordered some plates for the whole family and everything was so good. The highlights: - The brisket was easily the best I've ever had. Brisket done poorly can get a little chewy and tough, but this brisket was so tender I didn't even need a knife to cut it. Amazing. - The pulled pork was not hands-down THE best I've ever had, but it's definitely up there for consideration as #1. - Baked beans? Best I've ever had. - The ribs were practically falling off the bone and so tender. The only bad parts were: - The chicken in the chicken sandwiches I bought were definitely dry. - I saw some of the workers putting our food together doing so without gloves. Eww. - I called in the order on the phone, and was told it'd be ready in about 20-25 minutes. I showed up to the restaurant right around 25 minutes later, but the order wasn't ready for about another 20 minutes on top of that. But yea, I will 100% be coming back here soon, since I only live about a mile away. I guess I'm a bit grateful that they're only open 4 days a week, and limited hours at that, otherwise I'd be coming in here multiple times a week! read more