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Lawless Barbecue, the former cloud kitchen turned Little Beast Brewing’s resident pitmaster, has launched a second location. Owner Kevin Koch is now serving Kansas City-style ’cue to bargoers at My-O-My at 8627 NE Sandy Blvd.
After developing a following in the past two years as the food partner at Little Beast (brewery owners Charles Porter and Brenda Crow wanted to step back from meal service in order to focus on the beer), Koch decided he was ready to expand. Meanwhile, the tavern was looking for a business to provide drinkers with some sustenance—its former food truck, Monster Smash Burgers, is now at Belmont Station.
It would be easy for Koch to offer the exact same menu at My-O-My as it does at the brewery’s yellow bungalow: 13-hour smoked pork shoulder, beef brisket, burnt ends, and a wonderfully creamy and not-too-sweet banana pudding with Nilla Wafers. However, he plans to switch things up by building a different lineup of dishes, which will change over time as Koch becomes more familiar with that customer base and creates more recipes that pair well with the bar’s tiki-themed cocktails. Items so far include jumbo wings with your choice of sauce (Alabama white, KC sweet and lemon pepper wet), St. Louis ribs, loaded waffle fries, and a mac with pulled pork.
Koch, who has worked in the restaurant industry since the age of 14, moved to Portland more than a decade ago and directed operations at a local restaurant chain. However, his true passion remained Kansas City-style barbecue, so he started developing recipes on the side while catering events and family gatherings.
“The timing with My-O-My was perfect,” Koch said in a statement. “I wanted to grow Lawless, and My-O-My wanted our food. Their bar is unique—not just for the neighborhood, but for Portland—and I can’t wait to introduce real Kansas-style barbecue to a new corner of town.”