PORKY BUTTS BBQ
Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★★
District: Northwest Omaha
BBQ crafted by an award-winning pitmaster
Perfect For: Casual Dining; Takeout; Lunch
Standout Dishes: Burnt Ends; Ribs; Beef Rib; Texas Poutine
Few, if any, men in Omaha know BBQ like Blane Hunter does. Raised in South Texas, he’s been tending fires and smoking meat for most of his life.
But this isn’t some BBQ weekend warrior. Among Blane’s credentials:
- Graduated from Johnson & Wales culinary school
- Competed in more than 130 BBQ competitions over the past decade, finishing in the top 10 65% of the time
- Won 22 Grand Championships in 9 states
- Was the 2017 American Royal Open World Champion
And in 2018, he decided to open a restaurant in Omaha that forever altered the state of the city’s BBQ scene.
Located off 156th and Maple St, Porky Butts serves some of the best smoked meats you’ll find in the Midwest, not just Omaha. The walls are lined with ribbons and trophies that showcase Blane’s prowess, but one bite of Porky Butts proteins provides more evidence than any amount of hardware ever could.
Competition BBQ and restaurant fare are very different arenas. In competition, Blane has hours to carefully attend to a few smokers before assembling 5-10 plates for judges. In the restaurant, his crew must crank out hundreds of pounds of meat each day, delivered to the table about 15 minutes after the customer orders.
The fact that Blane has mastered both styles of service is a testament to his talent.
Porky Butts can smoke just about any protein you can imagine, from the expected ribs and brisket to pit ham, catfish, and turkey that will forever change the way you look at Thanksgiving dinner. There are also several sandwiches and side dishes, and Blane is afraid to get playful with the protein. The Texas Poutine—fries topped with melted cheese and your choice of meat—are proof.
But any BBQ joint worth its smoke must prove that it can cook meat that can stand tall on its own without any sauce, buns, or other elements to accompany it. The protein itself must be the star, and there’s no doubt of that at Porky Butts.
Porky Butts Smoked Meats
- Ribs: These St. Louis-style ribs comes from the belly of the hog, making them longer and meatier than baby backs. The meat is tender, but not fall off the bone—it requires a gentle pull from the teeth. The rubs adds a slight sweetness, but the flavor of the pork with slight smoky undertones is at the forefront.
- Burnt Ends: You won’t find better burnt ends north of Kansas City. These succulent meat cubes are so fatty and luscious they practically melt in your mouth. The outside is caramelized, adding texture contrast to the buttery, slightly sweet center.
- Brisket: The sliced brisket is juicy and tender, with a nice crust and a brilliant smoke ring.
- Smoked Sausage: The casing is firm and has a nice snap, and it locks in all the wondrous smoky flavor. The meat is slightly spicy with a touch of sweetness.
- Pulled Pork: Tender and stringy, this is Porky Butts’ least memorable meat. It’s not bad by any means, but it pales in comparison to its brethren.
- Smoked Wings: Smoked and then fried, these wings have both the smoky essence of the grill with the crisp exterior achieved in the deep fryer. You can get them sauced, but they might be at their best with Porky Butts’ savory rub.
- Turkey: I would never order turkey at most BBQ joints. It’s a mild meat that doesn’t stand a chance of being as flavorful as anything from a pig. But Porky Butts is the rare exception; its birds are juicy and smoky, and they’re especially great when paired with Swiss cheese, apple slaw, and blueberry bread in the Turkey Turkey Sandwich.
Porky Butts Specials
Grand as these meats are on their own, Porky Butts is constantly finding new ways to creatively feature them. Its daily specials (announced on Facebook and Instagram) have included BBQ Egg Rolls, Smoked Brisket Meat Loaf, Wagyu Chicken Fried Steak, and so much more.
The best, in my opinion, is The Mayan, Porky Butts spin on the Cubano sandwich. With rich pulled pork, smoky ham, and several strips of bacon, this is a meaty behemoth. But the sweetness of mustard BBQ sauce and creaminess of chipotle aioli help cut all the fat and salt. If the bread were pressed or toasted, this sandwich would ascend to an even higher level.
The Blane Burger might be the most famous special, and for a reason. The burger itself is cooked to a perfect medium rare and, draped with melted cheddar, would be great on its own. But Porky Butts allows you to top it with bacon or any of its meats, including those mind-bending burnt ends.
Speaking of the burnt ends, Porky Butts gives them an Irish twist around St. Patrick’s Day each year by creating burnt ends out of pastrami. These flavor grenades incorporate the pink hue and notes of coriander and black pepper with the fatty meat to create an unforgettable experience.
But if you really want unforgettable, stop into Porky Butts on one of the days it offers its epic Beef Ribs (featured in the header photo). These meat clubs are as large as your forearm and are loaded with the some of the most fatty, succulent, delicious meat you’ll find. The smoke flavor subtly penetrates the entire rib without overwhelming the flavor of the meat, and the bark is outrageous. There’s a reason a line starts forming outside the restaurant on these special days. These ribs are worth rearranging the calendar for.
Porky Butts Sides
The side dishes tend to fall far behind the meats at most BBQ joints, but it’s clear Porky Butts has put thought and effort into its accompaniments.
- Cornbread: Hearty and with a nice crumbliness, this cornbread has enough sweetness to be enjoyed without butter or honey… but Porky Butts provides both just in case.
- Fries: Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the middle, these spuds are impressive even before you dunk them in one of the restaurant’s three signature BBQ sauces.
- Mac ‘n Cheese: Rich, gooey, and creamy as all get out, this is exactly what you want sinful mac and cheese to be.
- Apple Slaw: The application of mayo is a bit heavy, but the sweetness is cut with slices of tart Granny Smith apples for a balanced side.
The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with bright red walls and a sprawling dining room awash with both tables and booths. The innumerable trophies and ribbons inspire confidence that you’re in for a great meal, and the order-at-the-counter style invokes the feeling of a classic BBQ joint in Texas or Kansas City.
This is laid-back, simple food prepared extremely well and with professional expertise.
Given his victories and reputation, there’s no doubting Blane’s smoking prowess on the competition circuit. But he’s done something many of his competitors haven’t: found a way to serve those same awesome smoked meats to the masses. That’s what makes Porky Butts special and stakes its claim as one of Omaha’s best spots for BBQ.
Trying porky butt on Friday. I’ll let you know how it goes.
These ribs are amazing!! The 2nd time we came and ordered in, my husband and I agreed that we would have to place another order to go for the next day!
The 3rd time we ordered was take out, they had it packed and ready to go, and everything was perfect by the time we got to our destination, everyone that ate was raving on the flavor and texture of the ribs and the fact that these we so tender and not alot of unwarranted sauces!! This is definitely our favorite place for BBQ!!!