Lunch Dates are always fun especially when you check out something new.

Looking toward Downtown Portland from the Ross Island Bridge

When I learned to drive I spent tons of time driving to Portland to check out new places, now that I have 2 kids and live in the Willamette Valley I don't get to Portland as often, but for a lunch date with my oldest I'll go a little farther to check something new out.

Clay's Smokehouse 2932 S.E. Division St, Portland, Oregon

This past Friday, Cameron and I ventured into S.E. Portland to check out Clay's Smokehouse Grill a local BBQ restaurant specializing in onsite smokey barbecue. Clay's Smokehouse is a welcoming spot along SE Division that boasts a fun decor and amazing Happy Hour deals.

From their website a bit about the owner and chef:

Chef Michael Slyman received his formal education serving his apprenticeship with Westin Resorts at Hilton Head Island, in South Carolina. But he mastered the barbecue as a youth working at his uncle's rib house in Oklahoma.

$5 menu for Happy Hour was a good sign as we arrived. By the time we got to Clay's Cameron was crazy hungry and would have eaten whatever I put in front of him.

We checked out the outdoor seating but decided it was too chilly for outdoor seating (summer in Oregon doesn't always mean sun, we had a thunder storm and rain off and on all day)

Inside the restaurant we were greeted by a neat wall chalkboard with the specials, fun decor, and a warming atmosphere.
In typical small restaurant style we were offered glasses of water and menus right off the bat. I appreciate the little things in a small setting.
We ordered off the Happy Hour Menu after seeing that the prices were so close to the Children's menu.

Cameron ordered the Brisket Sliders and chips while I ordered the Chicken Basket with cole slaw and homefries. When we received our food I noticed the familiar basket instead of the plate for my order. I used to work in a short order restaurant and remember those baskets because they were easier to clean up then the plate. I'm sure Clay's uses Cash & Carry for the simple things that make it easier to a small local business.

We also tried their Red Bean and Grilled Vegetable chili, it was too spicy for Cameron so we brought it home for Daddy's dinner in a small plastic lidded container just the right amount to add to a burger for Daddy.  

Finally we added a Mud Pie for dessert, I wasn't sure if Cameron had anymore room for dessert but turns out this kid can find room when offered a Mud Pie.
We ended up spending under $30 and that included a root beer and a lemonade. This was more than I usually spend on "lunch" but this was a date and the quality time with my little dude is more valuable than a fast food lunch any day.

After lunch we made a quick trip to visit my older sister who was watching her granddaughter so it was a added bonus. On our trip home I let Cameron watch the GPS for traffic updates and I gave him the camera to see what he else he could find, well he found a hidden tree house along Barbur Blvd. It was pretty cool and I bet it has some of the best views in the city being high above the highway and set out over the hill a little.

We also stopped at the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge as Cameron was getting ansy in the van and needed to stretch our legs. We will be making a field trip and returning to the refuge later in the year, but for now our date was a lot of fun, we enjoyed a new to us restaurant and had good quality time together. 

You can check out our full adventure in photos here.

Clay's Smokehouse #cbias

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