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If the late, great Mario Cabrera was dubbed the “Saint of Alberta,” and the equally legendary Paul Knauls is colloquially known as the “Mayor of Northeast Portland,” it stands to reason that Theotis Cason, owner-operator of Cason’s Fine Meats (5015 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 503-287-0855, casonsfinemeats.com), deserves an equally lofty title—perhaps Commodore? Sergeant Major?
For nearly four decades, Cason has been a fixture of North and Northeast Portland, doling out lip-smacking plates of barbecue, fine cuts of meat, and assorted pearls of wisdom to the local community.
“You gotta love what you’re doing,” Cason says, taking a quick break from another busy day at his namesake shop. “That’s gonna make you the best at what you’re doing. Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Larry Bird—they were the best at what they did because of the sacrifices they made and the work they put in.”
Cason knows from sacrifice, growing up as the ninth of 10 kids in a bustling household with both parents working overtime to keep everyone clothed and fed. By the time he embarked on a long career as a butcher—working many years for various Fred Meyer and Safeway stores—and after his father had died, he made sure his mother was looked after and had two crisp $100 bills in her pocketbook every week.
In 2011, Cason struck out on his own, opening Cason’s Fine Meats in the Kenton neighborhood, where he sold beef, pork and poultry—all sourced from local suppliers—as well as training young butchers. It’s an M.O. that remains unchanged even as he relocated the shop to the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Alberta Street five years ago.
“It takes time and patience,” Cason says of the art of meat cutting. “You can’t learn it in 30 minutes. At 68 years old, I’m still learning. But it’s been a good experience overall. I’m not gonna be a millionaire, but I’ve been doing what I want to do in life. I’ve made it.”
See the rest of Willamette Week’s Best of Portland 2024 here!