Popular Portland Smokehouse Named Maine’s Best For BBQ

A popular smokehouse in Portland is being hailed as Maine's best BBQ joint. That is quite the honor, especially when its coming from one of the most influential sites there is in the food game.

The culinary crew over Food Network put together a list of the best BBQ joints around the nation. This published list of excellence includes the best spot in every state. Maine’s representative is a very solid and popular choice. Food Networks choice for Maine is Salvage BBQ.

Located in Portland's West End, Salvage has been quite the hit since opening over a decade ago. The smokehouse not only specializes in mouthwatering smoked meats, but also incredible sides like mac & cheese, hush puppies, greens, chili, and much more. Plus, Salvage has an exceptional bar, with tons of local and regional craft beer and cocktails.

Let's be honest, though, it's about the meat. Salvage smokes the meat in-house on a custom-built smoker that was fabricated by owner, Jay Villani. Every meat is smoked to perfection, highlighted by the Texas-style brisket, North Carolina chopped pork, and Memphis-style pork ribs. Those are rounded out by delicious chicken and the very underrated BBQ sausage. And now I have the meat sweats just by writing this.

But enough about what I think. Here's is Food Network on why Salvage was selected as Maine's best BBQ.

These folks smoke brisket, mild and hot sausages, chicken and St. Louis ribs over Maine red oak. When their pork butts come out of the smoker, each one is cut up with a butcher’s knife and dressed with peppery vinegar sauce...Wash down the meat with a nice selection of wines on tap, local craft brews and speakeasy-appropriate bourbon cocktails.

I should also mention the number of homemade BBQ sauces that diners can choose from. They come in all different styles and heat levels, from light mustards to absolute fiery chili concoctions. It's quite fun to mix and match.

What an excellent choice by Food Network. Salvage is a wonderful representative for Maine's rapidly growing BBQ scene. Not only does it highlight many different regions of 'cue, but it does it with passion in every bite. Plus, the ambiance and service truly push it over the top.

Congratulations to Salvage BBQ on this wonderful attention. it's always cool to see Maine small business highlighted on a national level. Here's to many more years of smoky delicious BBQ bliss.