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Start a Top 5 for BBQEditor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in Portland Press Herald. Updated August 2026.
Wilson County Barbecue · Bayside
Eastern North Carolina style whole-hog barbecue in Bayside, built on vinegar-based pulled pork, fried chicken, hushpuppies and Brunswick stew. The kitchen leans on the fiery, tangy sauce tradition found at homey pit restaurants across the eastern part of the state, rather than a sweeter Kansas City style.
Smoked Portland · Forest Avenue
A barbecue kitchen on Forest Avenue from the team formerly behind Binga's Wingas, smoking meats under dry rubs that range from Jamaican jerk to blueberry chipotle. The wings menu includes hand-breaded, gluten-free buffalo wings alongside the smoked plates, with a second location in Windham.
Terlingua · East End
One of Washington Avenue's longest-tenured restaurants, pairing Texas-style house-smoked brisket with Southwestern plates on one of the East End's busiest restaurant rows. The menu runs from a brisket taco to Tex-Mex sides, sitting a few doors from its sibling spot Ocotillo.