Porter's BBQ of Tacoma will move from Dome neighborhood to South Tacoma Way

Porter's Place Southern Cuisine & BBQ of Tacoma is on a rib hiatus, but it will be smoking ribs and pulling pork for sandwiches again in about two months.

The restaurant shut down recently after operating for about six years in its perch just above La Quinta near the Tacoma Dome. An email from Porter's owner Alton Porter explained the restaurant is moving to a new location on South Tacoma Way in about 60 days. He would not name the new location, but did write that it will be located someplace between 38th and 56th.

I most recently wrote about Porter's in October (in the same week I wrote about Dowd's Barbecue, the barbecue restaurant located inside a gas station). In the review of Porter's in October, I gave high marks for the smoky, supple, juicy pork ribs that were just about falling off the bone. The sauce is too cloying for my palate, but ordering it on the side solves that problem. I'm a fan of the restaurant's potato salad - creamy skins-on red potato salad with a mustard dressing and chopped bell peppers and onions. Pulled pork sandwiches are messy, messy, messy, but I'd be suspicious of any restaurant that didn't make a mess of a pulled pork sandwich.

Porter's long has been a popular barbecue entity in Western Washington. Before its most recent location near the Dome, Porter's operated a restaurant on 72nd in Tacoma.

Porter's also operates a barbecue concession at Seattle's Safeco Field.

The flagship restaurant for the locally-owned, family run restaurant is Dixie's, a restaurant I gave top marks to a decade ago when I was a reviewer at another newspaper. Dixie's claim to fame is "The Man," a spicy habanero barbecue sauce that is not for the weak. That same sauce also was available at Porter's in Tacoma. In a few months, it will be available again. Stay tuned.

Porter's Place Southern Cuisine & BBQComing to: South Tacoma Way, between 38th and 56thWhen: In two monthsInfo: http://www.porters-place.com/locations.cfm

This story was originally published February 14, 2011 at 7:42 AM with the headline "Porter's BBQ of Tacoma will move from Dome neighborhood to South Tacoma Way."