A Little Bit of Smoke

By Aaron Mesh

Southwest 9th Avenue and Alder Street pod, 758-8860. Lunch Monday-Friday.

Never mind barbecue's reputation as the carnivore's candy: The pulled pork at this pillar of the Alder midway isn't trying to pass as dessert. Carolina barbecue—overlooked for so long that it's become the Velvet Underground of pig pits—is made of hardscrabble stuff, presented here without frills. The shredded pork ($9 for a plate, $6 on a sandwich) is hearty, like a firm backslap at a hog auction. The sauces pour vinegar into the meat, the slaw is lettuce and mayo, the black-eyed peas taste like they came straight out of the boiled-peanut pot. This is the unadorned South—all the way down to tomato-burst Brunswick stew and the three flavors of mini Moon Pies.

Check out Willamette Week's 2016 Cheap Eats guide here.

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