Elsmere BBQ and Wood Grill

Great food! And great drinks! Saw the review and decide to stop by. It gets very crowded so expect that and parking can be a little tricky. Overall experience was fantastic! Our pregnant bartender was the sweetest. Making sure we were well taken care of. I would deff come back again to try the ribs since it ran out while I was here.

We have been here twice in the past and I had a coupon to use. Great atmosphere and it smelled amazing in there.
Food: Between the folks at our table we had wings w/​hot sauce (pretty good. used extra from the table), salmon sammy (pretty good), three meat combo (Ribs, Pork, Sausage). The three meat is where things went downhill pretty fast. Ribs and pork were very dry. Sausage was pretty good. Used a TON of sauce, which for a texas style bbq place should not really be necessary. Kind of worried about reheating leftovers or it might be jerky.
Service: Waitstaff was friendly… food took quite a while for a ¹⁄₃ full restaurant, especially for BBQ.
Verdict: With other BBQ offerings in the area, this place moved close to the bottom of our BBQ list. Compared to today, even the chain BBQ is better. Redemption from 2 stars were the sauces which were all amazing!

It was okay. The atmosphere was neat. It is small but works well. You can watch them cook and the bar area is cool looking. Our waitress was nice and was great on getting everything out to us in a timely manner and it was a busy night. As for the food, I liked the cornbread, it had real corn in it. Their cole slaw was too vinegary for me. I like sweet cole slaw, so I won’t fault them on that, because others may like a more tart flavor. The pull pork was good and I really liked their brisket. We also tried their nacho plate and I really liked that they serve it with the condiments on the side, in their own little bowls. That’s great, because not everyone likes sour cream, salsa or guacamole piled on top of their nachos… that was huge for us! We also tried their brownie sundae, that was delicious and was huge! My husband and I shared and there was more than enough dessert for the two of us. I did have one drink, Long Island Iced Tea and it was a bit weak. The company we were with had one too and he said the same thing. I’m not sure if this is a place I would return to, but if someone wants to go there, I would. I did see other things on the menu that I would like to try.

Once again I had an amazing dinner at Elsmere. I had the pulled pork flat bread and it is packed with flavor. The pulled pork is sweet, tender & plentiful. I wanted to devour the entire flat bread but I couldn’t. They also hosted the rescue I volunteer for & are very accommodating to our needs. The staff is fabulous. Thank you Elsmere!

Food was great and the service was even better. Went with my mother for lunch on a Sunday. It wasn’t very busy, so we were able to ask a lot of questions. They have a decent draft selection, always important! :-) the Mac & cheese was sooooo good!!! Creamy, cheesy, gooey, amazingness in a bowl! (The rest of the food was pretty good too). The spicy mustard sauce is delicious and the sweet red sauce was very yummy!

Great Pull Pork, Great Chicken, Ceaser Salad was good. Mac and Cheese Ive had much better. All in all the food was great. the place smelled great. The fiery and mustard bbq sauces were spicy and tangy. I sat at the bar by myself had a good meal Place was full and busy on a Wednesday. I would definitley go back to try the other sides. Mac n cheese was just OK but DONT LET THAT STOP YOU. Stop reading and go get some BBQ

Excellent BBQ and Smoked Meats to soothe a Southern Heart.
Tried the ribs, the mac and cheese, cole slaw and cornbread.
The ribs were aromatic, so deliciously smoky and perfectly seasoned. Super tender and flavorful, with very little effort the meat fell right from the bone. Opted for the red Texas sauce, a slightly sweet BBQ sauce that perfectly complimented the meat. You can tell that care was taken in preparing them, they were done right.
The Mac and Cheese was perfectly cooked, not overdone/​overcooked and bland like so many other places, was slightly smoky as well, could have used maybe a touch more salt but extremely tasty.
Cornbread was soft, slightly sweet and I loved the chewy caramelized bits of corn flecked throughout.
Wasn’t a fan of the cole slaw, I think that’s personal preference. It was sour/​vinegary and had jalapeños in it, not the kinda of cole slaw I’m used to eating. However, I think the sour/​vinegar is probably a great choice to cut through the richness of all the meat and mac & cheese.
I grew up in the South and this meal tugged at all my heartstrings. I felt like I was back home.
Keep it up guys, you are doing excellent things there!

Our waitress was very nice, attentive, personable, timely. It is a fun setting with a mid to upper noise level. It is authentic BBQ, unlike chain «BBQ». The corn bread has actual corn kernels, not my liking but u might. The cold slaw is more vinegary than we like but again u may like it that way. I do not use these to effect my review. However, the brisket was dry, the ribs were over cooked and fall off the bone. The pulled pork was OK. The brownie ice cream was great and enough for two. They have a few more items I would like to try, I am hoping that this was a fluke and that someone just screwed up and left them under the lamp.

I would like to take you on an inspirational pork journey if you will: today Matt and I were discussing how cool it is to see the people you used to know grow up and succeed, open businesses, become community figures, and lead badass lives which brought us to Elsmere, a restaurant opened by someone Matt used to roadie for (yeah, we were young and crazy once).
Upon first impression the logo is so cool, there’s a retro feel to the entire place, AND THERES AMPLE PARKING! Yippee! We sat at the bar which is a salvaged neon radiator shop sign adorned with dark wood and houses an eclectic mix of standard bar liquor and a seriously cool selection of craft beers (and of course PBR, if that’s your jam).
The drink menu was great and the signature cocktails scream «YAAAAAAAASSSSSS!» I got Rosemary’s Baby. A Hendricks, rosemary syrup, grapefruit, and soda water delight. Matt tried every beer you could imagine. Seriously. We were there forever.
What struck me here Was the forethought about service, steam tables and a prep line are visible to the dining area and meals are ready SO QUICKLY. it was outstanding. Really, I was so pleased.
I ordered pulled pork, Mac and cheese, rice and beans, and each meal come with cornbread. The food was great! I wasn’t a fan of the rice and beans alone, but they would make a badass burrito filling. The pork was juicy and tender, well seasoned, and the Mac was good, remember it’s a side dish, so it’s wasn’t like… «I’m going to marry that chef» good, but it paired with the meal really well.
We finished the meal with rhubarb cheesecake pie and it was PHENOMENAL. You could tell it was made from scratch.
The entire experience was great, we were there for an hour and a half (we kept drinking, our food was out within 20 minutes of entering the place) and spent $ 73 on two massive meals, dessert, and at least five drinks. That’s not bad for Portland prices (and I drank top shelf, I was so excited to see Hendricks in an $ 8 tier!).
We will definitely return, as this may be our new date night jam.

My first try with Elsmere. I used the 2DineIn app, and the delivery was excellent, and the food was hot and prepped properly for delivery.
I tried a bit of everything… the sausage appetizer is plenty for two to share… I enjoyed the juiciness and texture of the sausage, and it pared well with a mustard based sauce. There was a spice component… unnamed by me with my three bites, that was a bit off put with the sausage.
The baby back ribs were perfectly cooked… the star of my meat selection for my palate… delicious without sauce… that flavorful, and perfectly smoked. The brisket was also flavorful… I prefer a much thinner slicing application with brisket… this is much thicker, almost block like… but it was tasty and moist with a nice smoke ring. I bet it would rock with thinner slicing. The pulled pork was decent also… but it didn’t stand out flavor or texture wise.
My sides didn’t score as high… the beans were cooked well… but I wasn’t a fan of the cumin and citrus flavor profile… a bit too island flavor like for my taste… it just seemed off with the bbq smells and sauces. Same with the collard greens… not enough seasoning to enhance the flavor for me.
All in all… a very good effort. I will give them 4 stars on my first dining here… the price point for this good food is somewhat high, but good food and quality prep and ingredients costs more, which is reflected here. Decent overall effort.

Arrived with a party of 5 and were seated promptly. I ordered a glass of house red which was quite good and only $ 5 as it was happy our. My son ordered the brisket, his girlfriend ordered the salad with grilled chicken. My daughter ordered the chicken sandwich and her boyfriend ordered the mushroom burrito (vegan). I ordered the fish tacos (gluten free). Everything was delicious. The place was a bit too noisy but the foods makes it worth it. Our server met all of our needs but wasn’t as personable as we might have expected. Three out of five of us are in «the business», so we tend to expect much more in the area of customer service. Portions were large and 2 of us took home leftovers. We will keep coming back for the yummy food!

Not sure why I waited till my last night in S. Portland to try out this place. The food is decent… the ribs are excellent — i like them dry and add the bbq sauce to my taste. I know most BBQ places will join parties together at a bigger table, but I think they should at least inform the guest /​customers at the table, and not make them feel awkward.
Food: BBQ excellent tender meat, salty collard greens (but we aren’t in the south), weird vinegaretty BBQ beans… average mac and cheese, and corn bread
Atmosphere: Loud, but it was a Saturday night

The best place between Portsmouth and Portland for service, honest BBQ (just ate smoked meatballs-don’t bother amazing), and BEST drinks !!! Especially, the pumpkin sangria!!!

Had been wanting to go here for a long time and thanks to a Localvore coupon finally made it in. Not a big cornbread dude, but seemed decent; mac and cheese also decent, but why waste precious room in your stomach with things like that. You come here for the meat treats that come out of the smoker and so you should.
Brisket-​awesome, ribs-​fall off the bone awesome, chicken– there might be crack in it, I don’t know, but I’ve been dreaming about it all morning and really wishing I hadn’t inhaled the leftovers as soon as I got home. Wings (we ate a lot of meat) were also excellent and huge. Great beer selection — Bunker, Banded Horn, Maine Beer, a gross pumpkin beer, something for everybody and a pretty bangin drink menu too.
Lauren at the bar took amazing care of us. Somehow totally missed the (free?) Galaga arcade game, like we needed another reason to go back.

What do you want when you are visiting Maine for one night? Lobster — no. Non-​crustacean seafood — of course not. You want barbecue! Once you realize that, you should definitely hit Elsmere. Great atmosphere although not super quiet. Friendly, efficient wait staff. Genuinely exceptional meat. Yummy.
Go!

I went to two BBQ places this week. One was Salvage and here. I bought a localvore coupon that was 30 dollars off your bill.
I past this place so many times while biking to Cape Elizabeth and I didn’t even give it a thought to try it. But I am really happy I did.
We ordered two beers, an appetizer, one burger and I had Chicken with two sides and corn bread.
The wings we ordered for a starter were delicious and they came out really quick. One small disappointment we had was that our waitress got one of our beers wrong and gave us a shipyard summer instead of the oxbow/​bunker collaboration pilsner. It was really loud in the restaurant to I imagine it’s easy to mishear.
For my sides I ordered mac and cheese and collard greens. The mac and cheese was pretty bland and could have used more salt. The collards were pretty good not as salty which is great.
The chicken was pretty good as well
You can Definitely have a decent time here.

Do yourself a favor and do not miss out on Elsmere’s. The flavorful, fall off the bone, «pretty pink smoke ring» meat is just what you are looking for when you search «bbq».
We enjoyed a fabulous lunch/​dinner/​supper this Sunday. The location is conveniently in between South Portland and Portland Head Light at Fort Williams. There is a parking lot behind the restaurant, as well as parking across the street at the doctor’s office on Sundays.
The menu is just what you would expect from a Northern bbq place, options and prices included. Every sauce and meat is delicious, however my favorites were the ribs covered in their mustard based sauce. I was so full from my two meat platter, that I had basically a whole meal to take home as leftovers. My fiancé however housed his entire plate. Everything we tried was high quality and flavorful, although the cole slaw based in vinegar and green peppers was not really my fave. The only request to the menu would be some eggy potato salad.
Our service was quick, considerate, and pleasant. The restaurant décor is beautiful as well with painted white walls accompanied with industrial looking lighting and a cool behind the bar neon autobody shop sign. Speaking of the bar, the drink list will please anyone in your party with ample local beer selections paired for BBQ as well as creative infused cocktails. There were drink specials as well as an advertised happy hour Tues — Fri. And if you are in the mood for outdoor, there is a patio with umbrellas.
They even have homemade desserts, but unfortunately our guts were too busted from the entrees to partake. Here’s to hoping we can go back for some nachos and pie next time!

People are nuts on here sometimes. I wanted to reads why this place only has 3.5 stars, and someone gave it 1 star because their service was slow. Another because it costs a couple more dollars per sandwich. That’s terrible! Now when other people are looking for great BBQ, they are thrown off by ratings that are skewed. Service is slow? Ok, take a star or 2, because it is important. To pricy for you? That’s what the dollar sign ratings are for. Really to bad.
As far as food quality? Excellent! Burnt end chili nachos had so much tasty toppings we had to eat the left overs with a fork. Someone complained these didn’t come with guac. Well, this is a BBQ restaurant, use the amazing BBQ sauces they have on the table. Go to El Rayo for guac. The wings weren’t very big, but great quality chicken. Minimum amount of grizzle on the ends. I had the tornado sandwich with pretzel roll. I think it comes with 3 different meats? All so very tender and tasty! I agree that it is a little pricey, but that’s only because it comes with a side of potato chips in stead of fries, slaw or mashed pots. But for an added price, I believe you can get all of those sides.
All in all, great atmosphere, friendly staff, we had no issues at all with service, and food was great quality. I will return again.
PS — I love how Unilocal!tells me I wrote the pants off this review. Ha! I feel a little shy right now…

I am a fan of the destination South Portland is becoming. New businesses are popping up and making the «trek» over the bridge to the Old Port less and less necessary for a good dinner and night out.
While Elsmere is not new this year, I didn’t make it in until the past few months after having it on my list of places to go. Let’s just say that as of tonight, I have already eaten here twice this week alone.
Parking is on the side and rear of the building and there is a business across the street that allows parking after hours as well as on street parking. Do not park next door where the laundry is.
The atmosphere is relaxed and the smoke smell is not overpowering. They have a few booths, seats at the bar (I don’t love the seats and lack of foot rails), seats at the «food bar» with a nice view of Momma (the smoker) as well as tables inside and porch tables on the patio.
The brisket is the most popular item and if they are going to sell out of something, it will be the brisket. The pulled pork and chicken are as also really good. I have not had the wings but two friends had them and loved them. The oysters are delicious! The smoked sausage link with mustard bbq sauce is a regular for me. My most fav on the menu is the tornado sandwich, three meats, pickled onions and coleslaw on a pretzel bun with a side of chips… I order some beans and add them on to it and use a fork and knife since this is a sloppy delightful mess.
They have local brews on tap, Allagash, Banded Horn, etc. as well as bottled beers like Stella. They have a full bar and some house drinks like the Elsmere Lemonade.
The staff is friendly and they have nonprofit nights (which I just took advantage of on 5.5.15 for my Diabetes cycling team). Whiskey Wednesdays!

I love simple barbecue made with quality meats, and Elsmere’s did not disappoint.
Friday evening; it was very busy, yet I waited only 15 or 20 minutes for a table — not a hassle at all, considering they offer a FREE PAC-​MAN machine! Good beer selection, including new offerings from Banded Horn, which was nice. We sat at the «kitchen bar,» right along the open kitchen, face-​to-​face with the staff (I will recommend requesting this, as it was the warmest seat in the house). They moved efficiently and communicated well, resulting in our food arriving more quickly than I thought it would.
I chose the St. Louis style ribs, brisket, and house-​made sausage; and the sausage, to me, was the star, with excellent spice and a satisfying snap from the casing. For sides, the mac & cheese and vinegar-​based slaw were very good. My daughter chose a pulled pork sandwich topped with mac & cheese, and it was very good (if not messy). Thee were plenty of offerings on the menu, including a veggie burger.
An added treat was being taken by one of the owners, Jeremy, to see the smoker — he offered to do so as we chatted at the kitchen bar (he was on the line). Also met the other owner, Adam, in the smoke room. You could sense the pride and excitement in their voices over what they were adding to the local food scene. Our server, Mikayla (sp?), was cheerful and attentive — smiles from everyone we dealt with.
Given the good prices and laid-​back atmosphere, we will definitely be returning to Elsmere’s to sample more of the offerings — especially in the summer when outdoor seating will be available!