Nestled by Hood River's waterfront, Grasslands Barbecue serves irresistible Texas-style smoked meats, making it a top destination for mouthwatering brisket and inventive sausages.
403 Portway Ave Ste 300, Hood River, OR 97031 Get directions
"It’s worth getting up early to snag some of this Waterfront Park food cart’s knock-out Texas-style barbecue — but note that the operation is only open on weekends and usually sells out by the afternoon. The headlining beef brisket, slow-smoked over oak for more than 16 hours, puts Grasslands firmly on the list of destination barbecue joints around the Pacific Northwest; the spicy Hatch green chile and Tillamook cheddar sausage is just a bonus. It’s best to get a heaping plate of everything on the menu — including the brisket, sausage, and slow-smoked pulled pork rubbed with Cajun tasso — to eat on its own or as a sandwich. The barbecue meats come served with all the standard Texas fixings on the side like sliced white bread, with essential add-on sides like macaroni and cheese with roasted green chile. If weekends are a no-go, they’re also open on Fridays just for smoked burgers." - Zoe Baillargeon, Molly Allen
"Though Grasslands is based in Hood River, it regularly travels even as far north as Seattle, with regular pop ups in Portland and other parts of the Columbia River Gorge. This is masterfully cooked barbecue, with Oregon white oak smoke permeating every brisket, beef rib, and black pepper chicken thigh with a taste of the Pacific Northwest. The pork belly burnt ends get a little twist in the form of a ginger soy vinaigrette, while the cheddar sausage benefits from the bright zip of Los Roast hatch chiles, rounding out platters with great complexity and obvious attention to detail." - Ron Scott
"This barbecue cart near Hood River’s waterfront is easily the best barbecue in the Gorge, with a Texas-adjacent style and plenty of oak in the smoker. Find beef brisket slow-smoked for 16 hours, as well as tasso-rubbed pulled pork, ginger-soy pork belly burnt ends, and juicy Hatch-chile-and-Tillamook-cheddar sausages that ooze gooey cheese with each bite. The cart is only open on the weekends and tends to sell out by early afternoon — the cart does close/move around for events through the summer, so check the calendar before heading to HR." - Melissa Haskin, Molly Allen
"Grasslands Barbecue is a Texas-inspired barbecue cart located in Waterfront Park in Hood River, about an hour drive from Portland. It serves Texas-style barbecue smoked with Oregon white oak, offering items like pork belly burnt ends, black pepper and lemon chicken, and house-made hatch chile-and-cheddar sausage. The cart is open on weekends with specific offerings each day and additional Friday lunch service in the summer. The chefs, Drew Marquis, Brendon Bain, and Sam Carroll, share all duties evenly, from smoking the meats to prepping sides. The venue incorporates fresh local produce into its dishes and maintains a high standard of quality, making it a worthy destination." - Janey Wong
"Texas-style Grasslands Barbecue in Oregon is run by Drew Marquis, a renowned chef in the Northwest barbecue scene. It is considered 'easily the best barbecue in the Gorge' by Eater Portland. Known for its brisket, pulled pork, and pork belly burnt ends, it attracts long lines and often runs out of meat quickly. Marquis occasionally returns to Seattle with pop-up events at Holy Mountain Brewing." - Harry Cheadle
