Why: You know there has to be something special about a place when the spot you would expect to be a parking lot is instead occupied by a giant smoker. Most of the menu items — not just the meats — are smoked using the old method of burning oak wood. With roots in Austin and Tyler, Texas, Smokin’ Oak’s family recipes, craft cocktails, beer, wine, great service and a one-of-a-kind atmosphere have established the restaurant as a go-to place in Clark County. Its reputation even has Oregonians crossing the river to enjoy some good ol’ Texas-style barbecue.
What I tried: My dining companions and I tried the smoked beets, collard greens, the half-chicken with potato salad and coleslaw, and the pulled pork sandwich with Buffalo cauliflower and jalapeno beans. To drink, we had various cocktails, sangria and beer.
The smoked beets prepared with chevre, chives and sweet balsamic are always a favorite of mine. There is nothing that compares to the perfect pairing of these basic ingredients, but the smoky beets of Smokin’ Oak truly elevates them.
The collard greens are simply the best I have ever had and the Buffalo cauliflower is an exclusive item well worth trying. Potato salad at Smokin’ Oak has a freshmade, straightforward, all-about-the-potato character. Likewise, the coleslaw is all about garden-fresh cabbage. No need to shy away from the beans thinking they are spicy; they are delicious. Of the pulled pork sandwich and the half-chicken, I enjoyed the sandwich most. It contained a generous amount of lean, juicy, smoky pork doused in barbecue sauce and topped with coleslaw on a soft brioche bun. The chicken was tasty and very juicy; the barbecue sauce that coated the top was outstanding. The only thing I would have changed was for the meat to fall away from the bone, even if it meant sacrificing some of the juice. Toward the outer parts, it was perfect, but it was inconsistent closer to the bone.
