The Last Rodeo & Matt's BBQ Tacos

Portland Bar the Last Rodeo Saddles Up With Barbecue Tacos and Cowboy Boot Cocktails | Eater Portland

"“The theme we were jokingaround about is ‘depressed Palm Springs cowboy,’” says Ezra Caraeff, one of the co-owners, adding, “We didn’t want the macho kind, you know? F-250 cowboy. We wanted the cowboy contemplating the decisions he’s made.” The Palm Springs comparison matches the airy, casually elegant space awash in teals and blonde wood, while the “depressed cowboy” element appears in an impeccably curated playlist of mournful honky-tonk and paintings (most by Fort Worth artist Kevin Chupik) that evoke the disappearing West from films like Lonely Are the Brave and No Country for Old Men. Caraeff, along with Chip Addabbo and John Naekel, form the core of Three on a Match (which also operates Paydirt, the Old Gold, and Hi-Top Tavern), and the new spot fits their ethos of being “classy enough for date night, casual enough for a $3.50 tallboy after work.” Housed on the first level of a 1920s Spanish revival building that was once the Woods music venue and, before that, a funeral home, the project comes with a few haunted anecdotes—“I’ve been here late at night by myself, and it does not feel remotely haunted,” Caraeff assures, though he notes the basement still has remnants of its former trade: “I was like, ‘Why does this office have a floor drain?’” The newly remodeled interior is deliberately light and open, with an expansive, slightly elevated patio that wraps around two sides of the building (almost entirely shaded by the structure itself) and already feels like the best place to see and be seen in summer. The food is Central Texas via a collaboration with Matt’s BBQ Tacos (the truck offshoot of Matt’s BBQ): while “the concept of a $6 taco does sting a bit,” plates arrive like a tray piled high with silky guac and hefty strips of glistening sauce-glazed pork belly; vegetarian choices include a smoky mushroom fajita taco that can also be made vegan; sides include waffle fries (order fried in beef fat or vegetable oil). On the cocktail side, there’s a brisket-washed Maker’s Mark Old Fashioned (a smoky, campfire quality layered over Kentucky bourbon and maple syrup), plus classics and creative drinks like a draft espresso martini, a mezcal margarita, and the Cowboy Cooler (Astral blanco tequila and ancho chile liqueur served up in a (glass) cowboy boot). Staff-driven menu bits and personalities are front-and-center: a back page features illustrated portraits of the bar staff and their signature shifty—bartender J‑Bird “likes a High Life and navy-strength gin on the rocks,” while barback Lee says they “dream of a Corpse Reviver #2.” Caraeff recounts the unlikely property hunt: “We buy stuff for the bars there, on occasion, and I have this real sweet spot of an algorithm. Haunted puppets, marionettes with one leg, stuff like that,” and later notes, “They use these giant 50-foot smokers,” and “We’ve had a lot of false alarms over the years. We’ve looked at spaces in the suburbs, downtown, all over, nothing’s really made sense.” Opening was quick—“That was 119 days ago”—and while “We’re not totally ready,” they’ve taken the leap: “but we’re always like, ‘Let’s jump out of the plane, figure out the parachute on the way down.’” Since a soft opening on July 11 there’s been a steady line; staff warn the slushie machine is “operating at about 10 times the recommended capacity,” but customers are unfazed—one gleeful patron in a floral sundress says, “I literally don’t care,” and, “I’m not gonna put ’em on Yelp.” Currently open 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. (Thursday–Monday) with plans to open earlier as they staff up, the bar notes, “We’ve got so many great bars on the street,” and is happy to send people to neighbors like Kay’s, Limelight, or Cosmo. Minors are allowed, with a wink: “Minors allowed, if they’re cool and like tacos,’til 9 p.m.”" - Ben Coleman