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    Uncle Earl's BBQ Bistro

    4.2 (46 reviews)
    Closed • Closed
    Updated 1 month ago

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    Brisket

    Got the pound of brisket & this is what's left after eating the meat around the fat. $29 for a pound of "brisket" plus 22% tip gets you this plus two slices of white bread. IMO not worth it. But this is the only thing I tried on the menu. The brisket was not great, as you can see I really ended up getting 1/2 lb Meat & 1/2 lb Fat. I was really hoping to find a spot that had some decent brisket. Disappointed and dissatisfied. Won't be returning to this spot.

    Uncle Earl!
    Lois M.

    Oh my goodness... the best brisket ever! Uncle Earl's BBQ's extensive menu makes it so hard to even choose what to order but I think brisket is a good way to determine how good a BBQ place is. So of course, that's what I went with. Truth be told, though, I was so hungry that I went with the same thing my son ordered, which was The Arnold - a 1/2# of brisket, a side and a corn muffin. We both chose mac 'n cheese as our side and I gobbled it right up, along with the corn muffin. We were very impressed with how tasty and tender the brisket was - and that sauce? Holy BBQ sauce! What a delicious sauce! Uncle Earl is delightfully charming, serving up a big huge smile along with his food. He personally delivered our meals to our table inside the building and insisted on taking a picture with all of us. He is wonderfully happy and his laugh is so infectious! Not only is his food fabulous, his presence makes the entire day that much better. Oh yeah, he even had doggie treats for Penelope, the little pug we had with us. I can't wait to go back and try something else from his menu; I'm sure everything is beyond delicious! I'm thinking it might be hard to pick something other than that brisket because it has to be the best brisket ever but I'm sure gonna try!

    BBQ ribs and cornbread
    Jerry P.

    I can't comment on the restaurant because I used DoorDash to get my meal. However, it was delicious. The ribs were nice and tender, the sauce was extremely balanced and good and the cornbread muffin was moist. I'm going to have to visit the restaurant itself one of these days soon. But the food was excellent.

    Jennifer L.

    When our nearby go-to wasn't accepting delivery orders we decided to order from here. I hate to say it, but this has to be some of the worst BBQ I've had. The price for the amount you get does not compare to other places. I was excited to see how it was but it was dry and pretty flavorless. You get a little cup of sauce which is honestly just not enough, plus you get a little soggy corn muffin. We ordered extra sides and they were bland and overpriced for the very small portions. And the burnt ends beans really had no meat. None of us will be back and I can't recommend this place.

    Best barbecue in Portland! Come get you some! The flavor don't lie amazing Service, and in a great spot!

    Uncle Earl's BBQ Bistro Cart
    Gary Q.

    Uncle Earl's BBQ Bistro There's a food cart pod just off of SE 82nd Ave in Portland, Oregon. A side street called SE Lafayette heads off at a right angle just before SE Powell Blvd heading north. I happened to see it on my way home from Pensey's Spices and a restaurant supply store where I bought a cast iron tortilla press. Tacos may ensue. The cart pod, called Collective Oregon Eateries, seemed inviting enough, so I parked, and got out of the car. That's when the sweet smell of smoked BBQ hit me. I find it hard to resist that smell, so I made a bee line to the source, which is Uncle Earl's BBQ Bistro. Uncle Earl gave me a wave when I took a picture (included here) of his cart to send it my wife to let her know that there was BBQ afoot. She was agreeable, so I ordered. Brisket was the obvious starting place. Brisket is key to knowing whether a BBQ joint knows its business. Rounding out the meal were pulled pork, and a half a chicken. Our sides were mac and cheese, and corn bread muffins. After a ten minute wait, I had a bag of BBQ to take home. Which I did. This is where it gets complicated. Fear not. The outcome was satisfying. I don't answer phone calls while driving, yet Uncle Earl tried to call to tell me that he had forgotten the pulled pork. I got the voicemail when I got home. I called back, and I made arrangements to pick it up later. So, missing the pulled pork, we dove in. The Brisket: Cut-it-with-a-fork tender, juicy, and smokey, it really was the star of the show. There is no doubt that Uncle Earl knows brisket inside and out. There really is not much more to say about it. Gather your best superlatives in a basket and fling them at it. See what sticks. The Chicken: Chicken is a demanding bird. Prone to dryness, and yet hard to cook all the way through without becoming dry, it's easy to cluck it up. This chicken was midrange moist, but not dry. The rub was nicely spiced with a satisfying amount of smoke, and it went well with the BBQ sauce provided. Mac and Cheese: Much better than I have gotten from other BBQ places. It is not an afterthought. It even has a little smoke to it. It is not the gloppy style. The macaroni had a good coating, enough to hold everything together, but not too much. Some types of mac an cheese demand a lot of sauce, but I think that Uncle Earl's would suffer from too much. It had a fairly intense flavor. Too much sauce could overpower the noodles. Corn Bread Muffins: Corn bread tends to be dry, and this was no exception. It was, however, moister than most, and I could eat it without butter or honey. In the South, there is a distinction between corn bread and what is derisively called "Johnny Cake", which is Sahara Desert dry, and requires copious amounts of butter to make it palatable. This was not Johnny Cake. Lighter in color than many an inedible corn bread muffin that I have had in the past, it had a fresh, corny (not corn-mealy) flavor, with what looks like a small amount of diced red peppers inside. Pulled Pork: After finishing the meal, we drove back out to the cart to pick up the pulled pork. I know that mistakes happen, but Uncle Earl wasn't giving himself any slack. He apologized a number of times, and threw in some ribs to sweeten the deal. Like the brisket, the pulled pork was a masterwork of smoked meats. Tender and juicy with all the appropriate superlatives flung at it, it shines brightly between the teeth. Ribs: The bonus ribs were likewise excellent. Not wanting to be too repetitious, I will leave it at that. If you are in the area, follow your nose from 82nd and Lafayette Street, and settle in for some excellent BBQ. Try not to notice the self-inflicted boot print on Uncle Earl's back side. He won't be forgetting your pulled pork.

    Epic Mac n' Cheese with pulled pork!  Yum!
    Mark M.

    Uncle Earl's BBQ always hits the spot! The brisket is melt-in-your-mouth, and the Mac n' Cheese makes you want to slap your Auntie. Best BBQ in town

    Uncles Feast at Uncle Earls BBQ

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    1 year ago

    Great meat and great service. If you're lucky, you'll get to try their mustard bbq sauce.

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    1 year ago

    The nicest man and family. Amazing bbq. If I could give him 10 stars I would. Oh and the sides are the best around.

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    Thank you Janice. It was a pleasure sjrving you

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Uncle Earl's BBQ Bistro

    Is the Mac n cheese vegetarian?

    Hello, Yes it is

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    Lawless BBQ, a great stop!…read more There's a bunch of places to choose from in Portland for your next bbq trip. Lawless was an amazing bbq place that I really recommend. I got the Brisket, Burnt Ends, Potato Salad, and Mac N Cheese. Service was awesome, with plenty of seating around. The brisket was nice and tender and had great flavor, and the burnt ends had this glaze that paired with the meat really well! The sides were just ok in my opinion, as I would like them to be a little more flavorful. But not bad by any means. I didn't get a picture but the Banana Pudding was phenomenal. One of the best banana puddings I've ever had! I still talk about it to my friends. Overall I really think you should give Lawless a try, great bbq and great people.

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    Was intrigued to try Eem because I saw that they have a burnt ends curry. Hubs & I dined in for…read morelunner, and there was a small wait at around 4:15pm already & a line was forming outside before 5pm! We were glad we came when we did...anyway, onto the food+drink! -Life of Luxury Cocktail, this thing was served in a HUGE fish cup, lol! Bigger than my hand/as big as my face. It's on the sweet side, but I needed something sweet as a buffer since some of the dishes we ordered were a bit too salty. -Thai-Style Ceviche, 11/10. No friggin' notes. I highly recommend. Portion is a bit small, because I could have eaten MORE. -Sweet & Sour Fried Chicken was decent. We ordered the Small and it was about 5-6 boneless pieces. Very unique. I recommend to try if you like fried chicken. -Wok-Fried Yu Choy was wayyyy tooooo salty. Hubs & I wanted some greens and it was fried with generous amounts of garlic, but it just got saltier and saltier as we ate it. -White Curry w/ Brisket Burnt Ends, this dish was a little bit of a mixed bag. The white curry (roasted cauliflower + coconut cream) was delicious, but did it pair well with the Brisket Burnt Ends? Not really IMO. I don't think the flavors match. I'm not exactly sure what would pair well with the white curry, maybe some veg or tofu...but BBQ fusion with the curry wasn't the best. 2 unisex restrooms available, the one I used was clean. Service was a little scattered. We got the Yu-Choy first, followed by the ceviche a few minutes later. But the Fried Chicken and White Curry took a while to come (about another 10-15 mins. to come). We were lucky to find some street parking in the neighborhood nearby.

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    Uncle Earl's BBQ Bistro - foodtrucks - Updated October 2026

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