Who’s to say where you can find the best piece of slow cooked meat in the continental US?  We’ve been all over this beautiful plot of land and have had the fortune to eat as much food as we could stuff in our faces.  Sometimes great and sometimes OK, at best, but always served by a smiling face that’s been proud of their wares.  The real trick is to try to give patronage to the small mom-and-pop joints and feel the spirit of eating with a family.  That’s the whole point, isn’t it? If you have a “home made meal” somewhere in the middle of nowhere America, you’re essentially having a family meal prepared by a fellow human, enjoyed in the company of others. 

So, back to the original question: best BBQ, and who has it?

It’s hard to find a place, if not by the help of Food Network pop stars, that’s got the whole thing figured out.  You might find the best ribs in one place and the best brisket in the next.  This isn’t a bad thing.  It’s a chance to continuously search and have a food-venture on your motorcycle.  What better pay off than to wonder just how you’re going to zip that Alpinestars jacket, right after that final scoop of banana pudding?

We found one and it’s named Botto BBQ (2204 NW Roosevelt, Portland, OR 97210 – Phone number (503) 354-7748).  It’s a food cart, hidden between a Crossfit gym and a paint department store.  There’s no other food place in the street.  The location makes no sense until you understand that Darren, the owner, also does catering so this is just kind of a start-up.  A block and a half away is the country’s number one Ducati dealership. Another block, the other way, is a building full of Amazon employees.  Let’s not forget the Crossfit gym where, after the hectic WOD, people might want some juicy ribs.  Or fatty brisket.  Or home made hot dogs.  Or. Or. Or…  Order anything.  You won’t be disappointed.  It’s that good.