Adam's Rib Smoke House

Adam’s Rib Smoke House is the kind of neighborhood joint that refuses to pretend. Tucked a block from Willamette University on State Street, it’s a compact, family-run pit where plates come piled and sauces are taken seriously — a wall of house blends that invite argument. The room is casual: picnic tables, a handful of outdoor seats, and the steady hum of students and locals trading slices of life over ribs and burgers. Some meats land perfectly smoky and tender; others run a touch dry, which the staff usually tries to fix with extra sauce or a replacement. You’ll pay modest prices and leave full; the Goliath burger and baby back ribs are the showpieces, and the beer list leans local. It’s not polished fine dining, it’s a humble anchor for the neighborhood — a place where alumni bring friends, students grab late lunches, and regulars keep coming back for the sauce stash and familiar faces.