Absolutely the best BBQ I've ever had. If I lived on the west coast/Salem, OR I come here weekly…read more The service is amazing and the owner is so incredibly kind and welcoming. (please try the jalapeño/spicy mac and cheese as a side)

This has got to be the best brisket I think I've ever had. Thick yet so tender slices that melt in…read moreyour mouth. The bark was thin and just full of flavor. The potato salad and baked beans were top shelf as well. We'll be going back frequently!

You must go to Willamette Valley Smokehouse. It is just the best, they smoke everything. They are a…read moretruck, but a large one with a huge seating area where you will be cool and comfortable. They keep the place ever so clean. The service is just down home friendly. They will take good care of you and happy you will be. Their food is great, even their sides are something to ge extra of and take home or back to your hotel. The pulled pork sandwich is our favorite. They have the best sauce too. We love their baked beans- home made- and their potato salad is super. Their jalapeno peppers are hot, but good. They often have live music outdoors and that is fun. They have a seafood fest on Friday, at least they did when we were there and it is so good and a great price. BBQ oysters are great as is the crab. There really is nothing not to like here.

Went to Willamette Valley Smokehouse on a whim with my husband because he was wanting to try the…read morefood, and I'm glad we did! The first thing I noticed was the ambiance and the music. It was the perfect spot for a casual evening out. We had a couple of drinks, a cider and a Japanese lager, and really enjoyed the atmosphere. The musician playing that night was fantastic! He had a great song selection, and his voice was hauntingly beautiful. I'm not a huge barbecue person because I prefer my meals to have a little more variety than just meat, but I did enjoy the brisket and the pork belly. The sides were just okay for me. I'm from the South, where we take our potato salad seriously, so I wasn't the biggest fan of theirs but I did really enjoy the beans and the corn salad. I'll definitely be back for the music, a drink, and the laid-back atmosphere. It's a great place for a casual evening out!

Everything was great I would eat here every day if it was open on the weekends. You can't beat BBQ…read moreChicken and Catfish. Memphis style.

08/07/26 We had just…read morecome up from Grants Pass on our vacation and were browsing for food spots near our hotel when JoJo's came up. We instantly knew we had to check it out. By the time my uncle and I made it over to 'The Yard' Mr. Tukufu had already sold most of his food, it had apparently been a very good day for him, understandably so. Nevertheless, we ordered some leg quarters and he kindly obliged despite appearing to be worn out from the long day. When we came back around to pick up the food I was shocked at the size and weight of the take out bag that was given to us. Mr. Tukufu had certainly hooked us up and when we got back to the hotel we had an absolute feast. I am confident in saying this was the best soul food I have ever had. You could tell it was made with love and sincerity. Thank you to Mr. Tukufu for being so generous, it was not lost on us. We look forward to seeing him again the next time we are in Salem. From my USMC veteran uncle - Semper Fi.

My husband treated me to the best Valentine's Day meal i could have asked for at Whuttle's BBQ in…read morethe Lancaster Drive Walmart Supercenter in Salem. I'm Southern and I've eaten a lot...a LOT... of BBQ, from home cooked at my family meals and events, at roadside stands, food trucks, mom-and-pop joints, and nice sit-down restaurants. As part of my work as a corporate trainer, driving all over the South and Midwest was my daily commute, but BBQ was my daily off-work mission. I've eaten a LOT of BBQ! Whuttle's BBQ is not Southern quality, it is HIGH Southern quality. I wasn't very hungry when we went out tonight so I just ordered the BBQ chicken sandwich. My husband ordered the same plus the mac-n-cheese and we both had Whuttle's own fruit punch. I took a bite of the husband's mac-n-cheese to sample it...before he threatened me with the loss of a hand if I ate any more...and it was, to make it simple, the best mac-n-cheese I've ever had, and I've eaten a good bit of that around the country, also. The chicken was moist and tender with a perfect smoky aroma and flavor. Their BBQ sauce was just right and the sandwich had just the right amount - a flavor boost for the perfect chicken but not overpowering nor was the sandwich swimming in it. Just right. The bun was fresh and soft and was ideal. That fruit punch was so good I could have drank a gallon. It made the sandwich a perfect match. I realize I keep using the word 'perfect' in this review. That's not an accident. On top of the wonderful food and drink and speedy service was the Down Home friendliness of the folks there. We learned that the inspiration comes from their Arkansas roots and among great Southern BBQ, the BBQ I've had in Arkansas stood out from the rest, and honestly Whuttle's would make even great Arkansas BBQ seem average by comparison. It really is that good. We live just a mile or so away so we'll be regulars now. If you like BBQ and you really like great BBQ, you're missing out until you eat here.

I was in town on business . I ordered via Uber eats and they delivered to my office. The brisket…read morewas very tender. However it was very dry and flavorless. Very disappointing.

I ordered through DoorDash. I see that the restaurant has a Soso reputation, however, my meal was…read moreabsolutely delicious. I don't know if it was the time of day "" lunch or the chef was in a good mood.

Spent $70+ and had to suffer listening to gospel worship music while dining in. (The close your…read moreeyes and wave your arms in the air kind) It was a weird, unwanted, and a bad experience that I will not repeat. Food was good. There are many many music options suitable and acceptable for a restaurant. This was not one of them.

Otters are easily one of my favorite animals and I absolutely loved the decor here. The walls are…read morelined with art depicting otters doing human things. Hanging from the ceiling are roughly a dozen colorful umbrellas. There is no shortage of visuals in this restaurant. The food: Beignets - we tried the classic and the Berry White. Both were great, but I'd give a slight nod to the original. The one buried in powdered sugar helps keep the texture of the Beignet. The Pickle Gambit - super thinly lengthwise sliced pickles in a light batter. Comes with chipotle aioli and ranch. Good portion size. One of the best fried pickles I've ever had. Ned's 5-Alarm Chicken - really good crust and very flavorful. One regret is we didn't go waffles with this. Lemon Poppyseed Slaw - tastes like a classic slaw. A little sweet and creamy. Goes really well with the heavier dishes that we got. The Shrimp Incident - small shrimp and sliced sausage with a Cajun cream sauce and crostini. We thought this was ok Country Mac - my favorite part was the fried chicken as it was very tender and flavorful. The shell shaped pasta was cooked al dente - it was firmer than I would like partly due to the pasta being on the thick side. The Mac is Cajun forward and not very cheesy. Staff was very friendly. We enjoyed our meal, but it was definitely on the heavier side and could have used something to balance it out.

The Easy Otter is always a fun spot for drinks and bites!…read more My husband and I recently stopped in and shared the chicken finger plate with garlic fries, and it was more than enough for both of us. The chicken fingers are huge and seriously delicious! I honestly think they're some of the best chicken fingers I've had in Salem! The garlic fries were really good too, tons to garlic. And, as always, the staff were super nice, friendly, and welcoming. Definitely a spot we'll keep coming back to!

My family and I came here last night, and they were able to accommodate my grandfather, who's in a…read morewheelchair, very easily, which I really appreciated. The rolls were very good. We didn't get appetizers, but everyone in my family (except me) ordered the prime rib and loved it. I went with the grilled chicken topped with a parmesan sauce and a loaded baked potato on the side. The seasoning and sauce were great, but the chicken itself was pretty dry. It reminded me of cutting into a well done steak where it takes way too long to get through. It wasn't terrible overall, but I was definitely a little disappointed with how overcooked the chicken was.

Great happy hour - good selection of 'small bites'. Excellent service! And an unheard of $4 we'll…read moredrink! We sat at a booth in the bar and it was very comfortable - not crazy noisy!

I ordered baby back ribs and fries. I wanted to love this place. I really did. Especially since…read morethe two reviews that were posted were such raves. However, the fries tasted of old dirty cooking grease. The rub and sauce on the ribs were outstanding but the meat on them was dry and tough. For smoked ribs (and they were smoked) I had hoped for that fall-off-the-bone experience with tender juicy meat. But that didn't happen. They were just average. If it weren't for such a great rub and delicious sauce, I'd have given them 2 stars.

Best.BBQ.Ever!!! We had the spare rib plate and the pulled pork and mac plate. And the Mac and…read moreCheese was OUTSTANDING! It was as good as home baked and maybe even better than mine! Fresh authentic ingredients, it tastes just as good as it smells! The service was fast, friendly and professional, and the prices are very reasonable. All around awesome food experience. The ambiance of the food cart court is quiet, safe and welcoming with ample parking.

I love food trucks and have been watching Chad's BBQ facebook page in hopes that their schedule…read morewould finally work with mine (they seem to be running every other weekend). Finally, today was the day. We arrived at around 2:15 and ordered up brisket with beans, a three meat combo plate, and an order of nachos. While we were waiting, we began chatting with the owner of the Oregon Crepe Company, who was just dropping off the buns for service (love that this business is keeping it local). This gentleman was extremely pleasant and he and the owner of Chad's BBQ gave us a complimentary pretzel bun, which was generous and tasty. Salem Ale House was comfortable and we enjoyed a lovely beer. The brisket and the three meat plate were good - the sausage was the best part of the meal - very moist and flavorful with a casing that had a crisp snap. The brisket was nicely seasoned and tender, but not fall apart tender - we still had to use a knife to cut it. Pork was a bit dry (seemed to be very lean). The beans were smoky and tangy. Portions were generous. The meal went wrong with the nachos. The chips were stale and tasted like rancid oil. Despite the cheese sauce (we thought the portion was a bit stingy) and other various toppings, the rancidity of the chips just dominated each bite. We ended up picking off the pork and tossing the chips. We probably should have mentioned this to the owner but there was a bit of a line when we left and it is always easier to avoid complaining. UPDATE: The owner contacted me, apologized, and advised they noticed a bit too late that the chips were rancid. He has offered to make it right on my next visit and I appreciate this gesture tremendously

Yes, yes, yes, yes!!!!…read more A pulled pork and pastrami sandwich is what I ordered, and it was effin delicious! How people can frequent that crap hole "BBQ" joint that gets Best of the Mid-Valley every year, I'll never know. This place had just two or three entrees and a handful of sides. Proof that quality IS better than quantity. This guy focuses on just doing a couple of things right, and it shows. I WILL be back. Soon.

My friend and I tried MO:MO On The Wheels. It was delicious. Very generous portions and we each…read moretook home half our meal. I had the chili momo's and they were spicy but not in a too hot. The spice was amazing and even my husband, who usually is a mild spice person, loved the flavor. I would recommend this cart and hope to get back soon. The service was very good and they explained all questions so we could make our choices. It was busy but plenty of seating. We enjoyed the indoor seating, and the service for our drinks was very good as well.

Got thai & my partner got a Philly & fries…read more Everything was underwhelming, though the lady at the thai cart was sweet. Once we got our food & sat down there were no napkins in any of the napkin holders near our table. Sad face, we love food carts. Well hope for better eats next time we're in salem.