Salvage Barbecue, Portland, Maine

Well fed after our dinner at Buck’s Fishing and Camping, our dear friends, Jon and Nancy Breul, shook the dust of Washington from their feet and left for their new home in South Portland. Actually they’d been living Maine for over a year, during which time they established themselves as our Senior South Portland Correspondents.

Our Correspondents nobly spurned, for at least one meal, the siren song of lobster, and headed to Salvage Barbecue. Jon offered this report:

I had the chopped pork sandwich,

Nancy had the brisket sandwich. 

Both were excellent.  The pork in particular was large chunks, not fine chopped.  And it had a wonderful burnt end. For sides, I had the coleslaw which had a nice tang; Nancy had beet salad,  For beers,

Nancy chose Tumbledown Red (Irish Ale); I picked the Rising Tide Ishmael (Copper Ale).  [Ed. Note: You will observe that these are honest, 16 ounce pints. You don’t see that much here in DC. And that’s quite a selection of drafts.]

We finished with Pecan Pie and Blueberry Pie. 

The crusts were particularly good.  My blueberry pie was full of small Maine blueberries, with a touch of lemon. 

Salvage BBQ is just as good as ever.  They will move to additional seating outdoors in the parking lot when it is a bit warmer, and move the long picnic tables back inside when the Governor gives them the OK on COVID.

Now that sounds good, doesn’t it? Nancy and I are planning a trip to Maine in warmer weather, and I’m eager to try Salvage, the enigmatic Wilson County Barbecue, and possibly Noble and a couple of others — saving room for lobster, of course.

By all accounts, Salvage is the top barbecue place in Maine, although an earlier review by our Senior Portland Correspondents, Knapp and Ella Davies Hudson, was more equivocal. Give it a try if you’re up there, and by all means, if you know of a better place, please mention it in a comment.

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