Oregon: Portland – Homegrown Smoker (Review)

We decided to take a break from our staple vegan diet of quinoa bowls and tofu hashes and try out some good old BBQ and comfort food at the Homegrown Smoker in North East Portland.

The weather was miserable and to be honest from the outside the Homegrown smoker did not look too appealing. The large window panes do nothing to obscure what is happening inside. The lighting is bright and bold illuminating everyone and everything. Cosy it is not! Things don’t get a whole lot better inside with the Formica laminate tables and plastic chairs.

All that said we had come here to eat not to be stunned by decorations, and some of the best comfort food we have ever tasted has been served in places just like this. Sadly, the special had sold out (which I always think is a good sign) so after checking out the menu we settled on the SloSmoMoFo, with the smoked tempeh and a side of sweet potato fries and the Buff Burrito a heady mix of smoked chicken, mac and cheese, tempeh bacon, peppers, onions, buff sauce, cheese, tomato and mixed greens. We washed all this down with a pint of a feisty Irish stout. It was all very delicious and tasty and as usual, we split our meals to get the flavour of each. Despite our early reservations about Homegrown Smoker, we were glad to have seen beyond the slightly shabby (but clean) setting and truly enjoyed both of the dishes we were served. We’re definitely be coming back here on a future trip to Portland.