by Jaime Vázquez for pdxguide.com
May 2007

Da Rib Shack Mississippi and Fremont Avenues Portland, OR

Just when you thought the gentrification of Mississippi Avenue was snowballing, along comes Da Rib Shack, an aptly named trailer on a plot of land plopped in the middle of North Portland’s newest set of blossoming boutiques and eateries. Da Rib Shack in North Portland (the original being on Martin Luther King Boulevard) is a trailer, tent, and enormous grill all straight out of Memphis—and thankfully, so is the flavor. However, this being Portland, what’s missing is the sweltering heat, but they’ve replaced that with covered spots to sit in the rain, and offer a Vegan menu as well to better suit the locals.

Here’s the funny part: Da Rib Shack strangely fits right in with the Mississippi Avenue crowd, despite its lack of a building proper. Perhaps it’s the soundtrack of eclectic music pouring from the windows of Mississippi Records or The Mississippi Pizza Pub, or the fact that many of the restaurants like ?Por Qué No? have sidewalk dining rooms. More likely, it’s the mix of artists and blue-collar folks coming together that are making Mississippi Avenue feel like both a booming Portland neighborhood and an epicenter of culture much like Memphis’s Beale Street. Mississippi Avenue sees a lot of foot traffic, and food stands like Da Rib Shack make the people watching all the more scenic.

Now, ribs are a part of the local flavor too. Walking up to Da Rib Shack, the smell of smoke and barbecue sauce brought a smile to my face and made my eyes water simultaneously. I looked down at my jeans and sneakers and thanked my stars that I wasn’t wearing anything nice; even with a bib and a truckload of napkins, there’s no getting away from here without a mess. There was a small line, and something about being amidst a throng of people with paper plates brought me back to the state fairs and rib-offs I grew up with in the Midwest.

After being handed my ribs, I walked over and sat down at one of the picnic tables on the grass (who am I kidding? everything is on the grass here) and sank my teeth in. Juicy, tangy, spicy bliss. I started gingerly, but it was about four minutes before I got to the primal stage, gnashing at each piece to glean every last piece of flavor that I could. I made a mental note to be grateful that I came alone, grabbed another stack of napkins, and then started back in on the ribs. I looked back at the sign that offered an entire rack for $20, revising my mental note: Find someone who’s as messy with ribs as I am, then come back.

At first I thought it was a little strange to see their dining room under a tent—if you’ve got the open air, use it!—but I reminded myself that this is Portland’s take on a southern rib joint, so preparing for rain is a must. The Vegan vegetables as a side dish were good, although the purist in me doesn’t waste time with things like vegetables (and the paper plate real estate they take up) when ribs are on the menu. I paused for a moment to wonder how many from the local Vegan crowd craved ribs on a regular basis. In any case, despite these valiant efforts to assimilate to local culture, thankfully, Da Rib Shack remains true to its roots, and gives Portlanders a taste of what real ribs—Southern, smoke-laden, juicy, lick-your-fingers-after ribs—are like. Don’t bring a date, but definitely bring an appetite.

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