Podnahs Story

By the time Rodney Muirhead opened Podnah's in late 2006, he'd already been smoking Texas style barbecue in Portland for almost 4 years. He started his barbecue career as one half of L.O.W. BBQ--the somewhat itenerant fellas who had pit-on-trailer and did travel. Rodney and his partner sold L.O.W, and Rodney went to work in some other fine local restaurants, all the while dreaming of opening his own place.

Rodney realized that dream in the summer of 2006 when he found a partner and a space for what would become his new barbecue restaurant. To honor his Texas roots, he named it "Podnah's Pit" after his grandfather's nickname--"podnah" being Texan for partner.

Podnah's barbecue has been praised by publications from the Willamette Week to Bon Apetite magazine. There's a really simple explanation for Rodney's success: he don't mess with Texas. While many things have changed since Rodney started barbecuing back in 2003, there's one thing that will always stay the same--relying on the barbecue methods of the Lone Star state.

For Rodney and the rest of the pit crew at Podnah's this means:

• Getting up at 5:00 every morning to fire up the pit.
• Using honest oak hardwood in the firebox.
• Using high quality, natural meats.
• Preparing the food fresh daily.
• Never precooking the meat. It's all slow smoked right there in the pit.
• Only cooking as much meat as the smoker will comfortably hold, and that's about 200 pounds a day.
• When the meat's gone, it's gone. Until tomorrow at lunch time that is.
• They love making honest, slow-smoked, Texas style barbecue for their patrons.
• And they love their patrons too. So much so that they even make Carolina style pulled-pork for them.

Podnah would be proud, stuffed and happy--and so will you, at least the stuffed and happy part.

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