Lil Barbecue Archives - Bridgetown Bites

April 17, 2026April 17, 2026

Small Bites: Burger Syndicate, Eclairs, Bar Casa Vale, and More

The Bandit from Burger Syndicate: Double Cajun-seared patties, bacon, cheese, fried onions, slaw, pickles, BBQ and garlic sauce. Photo credit: Burger Syndicate.

Burger Syndicate has opened. This is a new spot downtown from the Nacheaux folks. They opened on Thursday, April 9. They wrote on social media, “Burger Syndicate is everything we’ve learned, every sacrifice, every lesson poured into one space. Creative smashburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, loaded fries, weekly specials, house-made lemonades, merch, and the same fun and flavor Nacheaux is known for.”

They have some late night hours: midnight on Sunday (after opening at 6pm that day); 1am Thursday to Saturday; and 1:30am on Monday nights. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. 221 SW Ankeny Street, Portland

January 23, 2026January 23, 2026

Small Bites: End of Wilderton, Donuts, Good Measure, and More

The end of Wilderton is a sad state of affairs. Here's their final product. We will miss them. — Wilderton during a more colorful time.

The end of Wilderton. Bummer news about this NA distiller in Hood River. They closed their tasting room in August 2025 and the distillery will close at the end of January. One of the founders, Brad Whiting, said this: “We endeavoured to find a new steward of the brand for the past several months, but alas none worked out so the brand/IP etc will be shelved in the hopes to be resurrected at some point in the future. The distillery and tasting room are now closed and decommissioned.” More details here.

November 14, 2025November 13, 2025

Small Bites: Tamalada, Crispy Cones, ZabPinto Thai, and More

Making tamales during a tamalada in 2019 in Portland, Oregon. — The tamalada from 2019.

Tamalada in Portland is back! I attended a tamalada—a group tamale-making party around the holidays—organized by Hot Mama Salsa and Three Sisters Nixtamal pre-pandemic (2019) and loved it. We learned how to prepare the masa, fill the corn husks, and steam the tamales—and we got to take some tamales home. It was fantastic!

So you can imagine how happy I was to see that these same two women-owned and led businesses have brought it back this year. This time it will take place at Hot Mama Salsa’s headquarters in Southeast Portland. There are two sessions on Sunday, December 14: 2pm to 3:30pm and 4pm to 5:30pm. It’s $65; you can reserve your spot and pay them on Venmo. DM them with questions. 333 SE 2nd Avenue, Portland

October 17, 2025October 17, 2025

Small Bites: Beijing Hot Pot, Canard, Pizza Machine, and More

Beijing Hot Pot's offerings in a beautiful blue pot. — Photo credit: Beijing Hot Pot.

Beijing Hot Pot gets some love. The Korean Mama and The Korean Son recently went to Beijing Hot Pot and had a great meal at a good price. Watch them here—and maybe stop by yourself! They are just south of Ha VL and just north of Fubonn in East Portland. 2768 SE 82nd Avenue, Portland

September 23, 2025September 22, 2025

Lil’ Barbecue, Coming to the Woodlawn Neighborhood in Portland

Barbecued ribs at La Barbecue, which you'll also find at Lil' Barbecue to come in Portland, Oregon. — Ribs at La Barbecue—you’ll also find them at Lil’ Barbecue. Photo credit: La Barbecue

Woodlawn is in the news here at Bridgetown Bites. First we published details about LaVerne’s opening this month on NE Dekum Street. Now we are happy to share the news of Lil’ Barbecue arriving in the area, too. They’ll also be on NE Dekum (but on the opposite side of the neighborhood), bringing great barbecued meats and more out of the kitchen at the Tough Luck bar. I spoke with Ben Vaughn the other day about their plans, and here is what I’ve learned.