RIVERWEST Smoke House in Salem, OR
It's the 4th of July. I'm hungry, it's not late but I needed some barbecue for this memorable day. I get in my car and drive. Stopped at a place that I knew, but it was closed. So I drove by this old place. It used to be a coffee shop, and I see it a sign a flag blowing in the wind "barbecue", and the front door was open. I pull my car over to the side of the road, and I googled it, and it came up barbecue 5 star rating, and it's open. I said to myself, that's where I'm going. I parked my car on the side of the street and I get out of my car and first thing I smell is barbecue. I'm not even in the place yet. And it smells like barbecue, and I'm already smiling. I walk in 2 guys run in the place. Nobody else there, just me. I asked the guy how long they've been open, he said two weeks I said. This place brings back memories from the coffee house that it used to be. I said, what do you recommend on the menu? Gentlemen said right now the pulled pork sandwich is definitely good high ratings. I said you got it, I'll take that, he says. What he want for your side? I went through the list. I decided to go with the baked beans. I just wanted to keep it all real. They had potato salad, which I like too, but it was mustard base.And that was not my choice. So the guy said he's got inside seating, and outside seating, I said outside, where, he said, the back patio. I said, you kidding me. I walked out there. The place was a great patio. It was just homey, fun and Well put together. So I sat out there. Fortunately, it wasn't too long and he brought my food out, placed it down. When I looked at that the pulled pork sandwich, I went holy cow that is huge, he brought out sauces that I could choose from and pickled onion, sweet pickles, mustard honey sauce. There was all kinds of things that I could choose from and the smell of the smoked beans were just rocketing it with me. I could not believe how well it all smelled, so I put on the pickles, the onions, the sauce, the mustard put all together, and I go s***, how am I gonna eat This? it's so huge, I put it together, and I took my first bite. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. It was so good. It was amazing the beans they were still hot really hot, not spicy hot just really hot so I had to let it cool down just a little bit so that I can taste it and oh man, did it taste good. I was not able to eat all of it. It was so good. And I have photos, I don't know if I can post them on here, but I would. If I could, but this is definitely a place you need to visit. And to help these two guys get off on, a good start.