Portland Phoenix | The "Guru" Rides Again: Uncle Billy's Bar-B-Que pops up in Woodfords Corner

Southern Maine got its first taste of Memphis-style BBQ nearly 30 years ago in the form of a tiny, understated shop located in South Portland’s Knightville neighborhood called Uncle Billy’s.

Helmed by a chef whose personality was larger than the restaurant itself and positioned right next to the recently demolished Griffin Club — the area’s most colorful watering hole at the time — Uncle Billy’s helped define a neighborhood culture through a communal love for smoked meats and lively conversation. Despite Chef/owner Jonathan “Johnny” St. Laurent becoming known as the “guru of barbeque” around town, Uncle Billy’s closed its doors in 1995, with St. Laurent going on to open a handful of less successful ventures in Portland and Yarmouth, eventually leading him to step away from the business.