Being a bit humble about what you don’t quite know can work out in a new city, as Ben Vaughan learned this summer. The barbecue pitmaster was in transit from Austin, Texas, to his new home in Portland and discussing his new project Lil’ Barbecue with Oregonian critic Michael Russell. At the time, he and minority partner Ali Clem were still on a hunt for the ideal location for their new restaurant, a spinoff of Austin’s beloved, line-inducing La Barbecue. While Vaughan didn’t yet know where Lil’ Barbecue would land, he revealed to Russell that he and his wife had just signed a lease on a street that he couldn’t quite pronounce. Russell kindly explained the local pronunciation of NE Dekum Street, Vaughan recalls, and included the exchange in his article.

As it turns out, including that detail helped Vaughan and Clem snag a space. Beginning mid-October, Lil’ Barbecue will debut inside Tough Luck Bar on Dekum.

Vaughan says in the aftermath of the article, the prolific bar group behind Tough Luck reached out with an intriguing offer: Take over Tough Luck’s kitchen in Woodlawn, and we’ll take care of the front of house operations. While it wasn’t what Vaughan had originally envisioned when he moved to the Pacific Northwest to open a restaurant, the arrangement made sense. Over the summer Three on a Match — Ezra Caraeff, Chip Addabbo, and John Naekel — had just executed a similar framework with Last Rodeo in Westmoreland with Matt’s BBQ. “It takes a lot off my plate in terms of having to staff a whole restaurant or bar, and serve the drinks, [and] make sure the front of house is good,” Vaughan says. “These guys are kind of experts at that. They’ve been doing it for a long time and really successfully.”

Vaughan says that the businesses will operate as separate entities, with Lil’ Barbecue fully taking over back of house operations and converting the menu. The kitchen is already set up and Three on a Match added a pad behind the building that will house Lil’ Barbecue’s smokers. Vaughan ordered two of them from Texas; while there’s been a delay due to high-demand for smokers, he expects they’ll arrive by the end of September in time to smoke meats for an opening on or around the weekend of October 10.

Vaughan is looking forward to the short commute and a neighborhood bar atmosphere. Tough Luck’s team described it as the type of place where people gather on Portland’s rare snow days for drinks and occasionally host a 3-year-old’s birthday party.

Vaughan previously worked at La Barbecue, and plans to take a similar approach to Lil’ Barbecue, though it won’t be a one-to-one copy. For those who aren’t familiar with Central Texas barbecue lore, La Barbecue was founded by the late LeAnn Mueller (wife to Clem), a rare female pitmaster who came from a respected barbecue family that included her brother John Mueller. As Vaughan explains, the Muellers are known for a “hot and fast method” of barbecue, meaning the items like brisket — a Texas tradition — cooks in around eight hours, rather than overnight smoking traditions that require sometimes 12 to 16 hours of tending a smoker in shifts. Vaughan says it’s the method he’ll replicate at his restaurant. “This way I can see it through from beginning to end without killing myself for being chained to the smoker,” he says.

La Barbecue, which earned a Michelin star in 2024, uses a simple, but intense salt, pepper, and garlic seasoning for its meats, and Lil’ Barbecue will too. Diners can expect standard-bearers like smoked brisket, pulled pork, pork ribs, and sausage. Unlike La Barbecue, which offers turkey, Vaughan plans to serve smoked chicken thighs as his white meat option, and will offer beet “burnt ends” for vegetarians. Lil’ Barbecue may feature beef ribs as a special, something that La Barbecue generally does on weekends only; due to the high price, Vaughan expects it will only be a once-in-a-while thing in Portland. “You as a customer will blow your budget in terms of a fun plate,” he says.

Vaughan also plans to have a burger on Lil’ Barbecue’s everyday menu using a recipe that’s turned into a popular special at La Barbecue; the burger features brisket trimmings (something repurposed into many items at La Barbecue to avoid waste) and a classic combination of mustard, pickles, and American cheese to let “the brisket shine.”

Sides will include chips and queso, chicken salad, and La Barbecue favorites like pinto beans, coleslaw, and the wildly popular queso-style macaroni and cheese. Vaughan plans to offer potato salad tater tots in lieu of the typical potato salad, and while it’s not a Texas tradition, there will be collard greens. (“I grew up in Alabama and I like collard greens,” he notes.)

Lil’ Barbecue will share the same hours as Tough Luck initially, opening at 3 p.m. on weekdays alongside the bar and on weekends at noon. He’s hopeful that Clem will be able to come up for the opening weekend. “We still talk every day, and I’m hoping she’ll be there,” he says.

Lil’ Barbecue will open at Tough Luck Bar at 1771 NE Dekum Street in Portland in mid-October.

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