Botto's BBQ

Botto's BBQ
The restaurant's exterior in 2021
Interactive map of Botto's BBQ
Restaurant information
Established2016 (2016)
OwnerDarren Bottinelli
Location3120 Southeast Milwaukie Avenue, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, 97202, United States
Coordinates45°30′01″N 122°39′15″W / 45.5004°N 122.6541°W / 45.5004; -122.6541
Websitebottosbbq.com

Botto's BBQ (formerly known as Botto Barbecue)[1] is a barbecue restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States. Established in 2016, the business initially operated as a food cart in northwest Portland. Following a temporary closure, it relaunched with a new name in 2017. In 2020, Botto's relocated to a brick and mortar space in southeast Portland's Brooklyn neighborhood.

Description

The barbecue restaurant Botto's BBQ operates from an A-frame building on Milwaukie Avenue in southeast Portland's Brooklyn neighborhood.[2][3] Meat options include beef brisket, beef ribs, and sausages.[4] The menu also includes brisket hash, poutine,[5] kolaches with meat (including a sausage and cheese variety),[6] coleslaw, and potato salad.[7]

History

Darren Bottinelli started the business as a food cart called Botto Barbecue in 2016,[8][9] operating in northwest Portland.[1][10] Following a temporary closure, Bottinelli relaunched as Botto's BBQ in 2019.[11][12] Michael Russell of The Oregonian said of the temporary closure: "Without Botto, Portland's smoked meat scene became a lot less competitive."[13]

In 2020, the business relocated to a brick and mortar space on Milwaukie Avenue that previously housed a teriyaki stand and later Pok Pok Wing.[14][15][16] For Lardo's Chefwich program in 2021, Bottinelli created a smoked turkey sandwich with hot link stuffing and sage gravy on a hoagie roll, served with turkey broth for dipping.[17]

Reception

Botto's has garnered a positive reception,[18] especially for its brisket and ribs.[19][20] Michael Russell ranked Botto's seventh in The Oregonian's 2019 list of Portland's best new food carts.[21] In 2024, he said the business "has quietly been putting out some of Portland’s best barbecue from its unassuming Brooklyn neighborhood A-Frame".[22] Russell and Mims Copeland also wrote, "This was one of the under-the-radar BBQ gems that helped transform Portland into one of the best places to find Texas-style barbecue outside of Texas itself when it started as a food cart".[23] Botto's ranked first in the barbecue restaurant category of the newspaper's annual readers choice awards in 2025.[24]

Andrea Damewood included Botto's in Portland Mercury's 2019 overview of the city's "most essential barbecue carts".[25] The restaurant ranked number 54 in Yelp's 2023 list of top places to eat in the U.S.[26] Joseph Howitt included the business in The Franklin Post's 2023 overview of Portland's best barbecue eateries.[27] Katherine Chew Hamilton and Alex Frane included Botto's in Portland Monthly's 2025 overview of the city's best restaurants for Southern barbecue.[28] Ben Coleman included the business in Eater Portland's 2026 list of the city's best barbecue restaurants.[29] Botto's was a finalist in the Best Barbecue category of Willamette Week's annual 'Best of Portland' readers' poll in 2026.[30]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Manning, Jeff (2016-12-15). "Acclaimed BBQ food cart fails to keep $3 million swindler out of jail". oregonlive. Archived from the original on 2025-06-16. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  2. ↑ Vaughn, Daniel (2026-07-10). "Does Portland Still Have the Best Texas-Style Barbecue Outside of Texas?". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  3. ↑ "Texas Monthly dubs Portland a 'bona fide barbecue destination' in updated review". KOIN.
  4. ↑ Damewood, Andrea (2016-08-17). "Missing Burger Week? Try Six Days of Beef Ribs!". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  5. ↑ Coleman, Ben (2026-03-13). "Find A+ Barbecue in This Portland A-Frame". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2026-05-25. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  6. ↑ Reid, J. C. (2016-09-23). "Exploring eclectic barbecue in Portland". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  7. ↑ "Botto Barbecue Has Some of the Finest Dry-Rubbed Rib Racks in Portland". Willamette Week. 2016-08-09. Archived from the original on 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  8. ↑ Russell, Michael (2019-04-26). "Botto's BBQ reopens in NW Portland after owner's release from prison". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2025-08-18. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  9. ↑ "Tax Debt: Darren C. Bottinelli". Willamette Week. 2023-08-02. Archived from the original on 2026-03-13. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  10. ↑ "Healthcare Crook-Turned-Barbecue Maestro Will Do His Cooking in Prison for Next Four Years". Willamette Week. 2016-12-15. Archived from the original on 2025-08-17. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  11. ↑ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2019-04-29). "Celebrated Texas-Style Barbecue Cart Botto's Has Reopened in Northwest Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2024-02-27. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  12. ↑ Russell, Michael (2019-06-25). "Botto's BBQ is back and smoking in Northwest Portland". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2019-11-13. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  13. ↑ Russell, Michael (2017-06-21). "Portland's 10 best barbecue joints". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2023-06-10. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  14. ↑ Russell, Michael (2020-08-14). "Botto's BBQ is taking over the old Pok Pok Wing in Southeast". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2025-09-18. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  15. ↑ "Portland's Best Spots for Smoky Southern Barbecue". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  16. ↑ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2020-08-19). "The Summer of Brewery Closures Is in Full Swing". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  17. ↑ "Lardo's Chefwich is a Win-Win-Win". Southeast Examiner. Archived from the original on 2025-12-28. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  18. ↑ "Portland Barbecue Cart Owner to be Sentenced in Felony Beef". Willamette Week. 2016-12-14. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  19. ↑ "BBQ food cart chef faces prison term for $3 million theft". Spokesman.com. 2016-12-15. Archived from the original on 2025-11-15. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  20. ↑ Bamman, Mattie John (2016-08-18). "PoMo Reviews Bamboo Sushi's Annex; The O Takes On Poke Mon". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-09-24. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  21. ↑ Russell, Michael (2019-06-19). "Portland's best new food carts of 2019, ranked". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2025-09-05. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  22. ↑ Russell, Michael (2024-08-29). "Oregon has 3 of America's best Texas-style barbecue joints". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2025-11-26. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  23. ↑ Copeland, Mims (2025-06-25). "Vote for the best barbecue joint in the Portland area: Readers Choice Awards". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2025-12-17. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  24. ↑ Copeland, Mims (2025-07-04). "Here are the 5 best barbecue joints in the Portland area: Readers Choice Awards". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2025-12-10. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  25. ↑ Damewood, Andrea (2019-10-24). "Eat It Up: Portland's Five Most Essential Barbecue Carts". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  26. ↑ "3 Portland restaurants make Yelp's top 100 list". Portland Business Journal. 2023-01-27. Archived from the original on 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  27. ↑ Howitt, Joseph. "Best Barbecue Spots in Portland". The Franklin Post. Archived from the original on 2025-10-06. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  28. ↑ "Portland's Best Spots for Smoky Southern Barbecue". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  29. ↑ Coleman, Ben (2016-06-13). "The Best Damn Barbecue Restaurants and Carts in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-05-15. Retrieved 2026-07-11.
  30. ↑ "2026 Best of Portland Readers' Poll: Food". Willamette Week. 2026-07-22. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
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