Grasslands Barbecue
Barbecue restaurant · Hood River ·
Oak-smoked brisket, hatch chile sausage, ginger-soy pork belly
Oak-smoked brisket, hatch chile sausage, ginger-soy pork belly
"A Hood River barbecue truck known for Texas‑style, oak‑smoked meats—think brisket, hatch chile‑cheddar sausages, pulled pork—and hearty sides like macaroni and cheese; it operates only a few days a week and routinely sells out, so planning around its limited schedule is essential." - Travel + Leisure Editors
"This barbecue truck 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 truck is only open on the weekends and tends to sell out by early afternoon. Keep in mind, they do move around for events throughout the summer, so check the calendar before heading to Hood River." - 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. Get it when you can, for 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
"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. It’s best to get a heaping tray of everything on the menu — including the brisket, Hatch green chile and Tillamook cheddar 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 standard fixings like sliced white bread, BBQ sauce, and house pickles, with essential add-on sides like macaroni and cheese with roasted green chile and Tex-Mex slaw you’ll want to eat every weekend." - Molly Allen
"I found Grasslands Barbecue at Waterfront Park in Hood River, about an hour from Portland, to be absolutely worth the drive. The weekend cart serves Texas-ish barbecue smoked over neutral-flavored Oregon white oak so the proteins really shine: an 18-hour brisket on Saturdays, tri-tip on Sundays, pork belly burnt ends glazed with a ginger-soy-serrano vinaigrette, black pepper-and-lemon chicken, and a house-made hatch chile-and-cheddar sausage; in summer they add a Friday lunch of smoked burgers. Customers build meals by ordering meats by the half-pound and choosing a la carte sides — think a Tex-Mex slaw (cabbage, kale, Cotija, and pumpkin seeds), roasted green chile mac and cheese, and rotating, lighter sides that showcase Hood River produce from farms like Costarossa, Killer Tomato, and Saur, such as a tomato salad with colatura di alici and a salsa-verde potato salad with sugar snap peas. The tight-knit team of Drew Marquis, Brendon Bain, and Sam Carroll share all duties (manning the smoker, hand-making sausage, prepping sides) and trace the project from Bootleg Barbecue pop-ups through farmers markets to their truck opening in 2021. The experience feels like a lawn party — long lines, music, kids and dogs running around, and a Ferment Brewing Company beer cart on the lawn — so round up friends if you want to tackle the whole menu; with everything made in-house and a Pacific Northwest flair applied to a Texas-style foundation, the result is consistently delicious barbecue and a perfect day-trip destination." - Janey Wong
