my go to place when i'm home. Forget the line at Rudy's baby! My grandpa and Is favorite spot for some good meat and sides. Once we were given free burnt ends because the employee said they weren't fresh enough for us. Yall rock. read more

Pok-e-Jo's in Round Rock is one of my go-to spots for BBQ, and hands down--they've got the best sausage around. Perfect snap, great flavor, and cooked just right every time. They also have incredible choices for bbq sauce. Honorable mentions go to the ribs and brisket, which are both solid and definitely worth adding to your plate. Their sides are always consistently good too--classic BBQ comfort food that hits the spot. If you're craving legit Texas BBQ without the long lines or hype, Pok-e-Jo's is a solid choice. They have plenty of seating inside and offers you a tucked away BBQ vibe. They also do great holiday catering!! read more

Pok-e-Jo's - Round Rock - Barbeque Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

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Poke-e-Jo's bbq has it been around the Austin area for many years and their food quality has remained consistent. It's not great. It's not bad but it's very much average Texas barbecue that needs something to take it to that next level Staff is super friendly and interactive. They have lots of sides from green bean casserole to you beans to coleslaw and potato salad and all kinds of other alternatives... white garlic toast But for me when you're going to get Texas barbecue... It's all about the beef. The brisket is too dry for my taste. And I'm not a big fan of the sauces they offer to you go with it the regular or the spicy/chipotle version It's just missing something The sausage is flavorful and enjoyable If you're looking for a quick fix to get a little barbecue satisfaction, check them out in round rock. There are lots of alternatives and competition in the barbecue scene in the central Texas area and part of the fun is checking out as many different places as you can. It's each one that does something unique... Unfortunately, this particular barbecue establishment does not do too much unique... But produces consistently average Barbecue. read more

Pok-e-Jo's - Round Rock - Brisket and turkey - Barbeque Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

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I've eaten at other Pokey Joe's locations before, but not this one. Judging by the reviews, they get it mostly right, but have the occasional miss. I personally disagree with a five star bbq rating though, especially if you're going to compare it against the local legends. I decided to get a three meat plate to go instead of dining in. They do have a spacious dining room and you can grab a bottle of beer as well. It's a cafeteria style ordering system where you move on down the line until you reach the cashier and the tip screen. I got there right at the height of lunch hour when everything should be fresh and hot. However the brisket was fairly dry and crumbly. The pork ribs were small and looked like they had been under a heat lamp for hours. The Jalapeño cheese sausage was decent and spicy. The coleslaw is your average mayo based offering we've all had before, but at least the beans do come with some brisket added. They did not give me any bread to go, just a slice of Texas toast. It was your basic average lunchtime barbecue, not worth traveling halfway across the state for. The photos included tell the rest of the story. read more

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This was the worst experience I've had here? I've gone multiple times but I'm sure I won't go back any time soon. The ribs which I always order were dry as if they were reheat over and over. They were slopped with sauce which has never been the case. Every time I've ever purchased them I get them with NO sauce and order the sauce I desire on the side. The lady behind the counter tried to convince that's how they are always served. A LIE!!! The sides looked dry and old, so I ordered to sides of fruit. I was very disappointed..a real let down! read more

Unfortunately, I'd say this would be about a 2.5 stars, but I'm bumping to 3 because the service was friendly. I only ended up taking a picture of one of my son's meal. Between my family and I we got, chopped brisket, fruit salad, corn, half a chicken, burnt ends, and a bbq baked potato. It was sadly the worst barbecue I've ever had. Burnt ends were dry and almost chewy, chicken skin had a touch of flavor but inside was pretty flavorless, and the chopped brisket was not memorable. Probably the most disappointing was the sauce. I tried all 3 (original, spicy, and peach habanero) They all tasted like a version of ketchup to me which is not what bbq sauce should taste like in my opinion. I was pretty disappointed with the whole experience and sadly wouldn't recommend. read more

Pok-e-Jo's - Round Rock - Kids brisket with macaroni and "fruit salad" - Barbeque Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

With us about to leave the ATX nearly 12 years after writing my last review, time to update as things have changed. The BBQ is still competent, the service usually friendly, and they have a reward program that gradually accumulates value and which you can redeem at any time, whether it's ten cents or ten dollars. Prices have gone up like everything else and the brisket costs extra. No more signing credit card receipts ;-) but a fee is added for credit cards (3%?) and you must face the dreaded tip screen which defaults to way more than it should given that you're getting counter service and schlepping your own food and drinks. The interior is like the food - nothing fancy but at least serviceable. Parking can be iffy during the day when the car rental place next door is running and the optometrist next to them blocks off a number of spaces. read more

It really upsets me when an actor takes sides in politics...I no longer want to watch their movies nor drink their Casamigos Tequila. ...the same holds true for a Texas BBQ establishment that claims to be down-home Texas and American yet does Not give any sort of Veterans discount. After spending well over $100+ for a meal, I learned that Pok-e-Jo's does not recognize nor honor veterans with as much as a 5% veterans discount. The food was good, but eating here today was my last time. Of course I think of my 4+ years overseas, in service to America, but I also think of hundreds of thousands of my fellow Texas veterans. There are simply too many other great BBQ options that honor veterans. My proud veterans money will continue to go to Smokey MO's and other fine Texas BBQ establishments...not Pok e Jo's. ...."Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know." read more

We've been coming here for 30+ years and it's always been great. Today (Father's Day) there were 6 of us and no one had a great meal. The meats were dry, and every single side dish was "meh". Mac and cheese served cool and noodles not cooked enough, broccoli and cheese wasn't cooked enough, potato casserole served cool, green bean casserole, just generally not tasty, even the "toast" was stale and cold. We don't eat out much any more, but when we do it is disappointing to spend a lot of money on a not enjoyable meal. What's happened to Pokejos?? read more

Tastes so good, just thinking about it makes my mouth water! Fast food service made a difference and the dining experience was amazing

The food is delicious. I especially like their broccoli salad. The brisket is pretty good as well, and the different sauces are very tasty. The servers are nice. The layout of the tables seems nice, although I ordered take-out. The food is comparable to other BBQ restaurants that charge more. If you like BBQ, then give these guys a try. I did and I liked it! read more

Pok-e-Jo's - Round Rock - Two meat plate with chicken and brisket. - Barbeque Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

I have been going to Pok-e-Jo's since the year they opened - 1979. Probably over 100 times during that period. I went to the Round Rock location tonite to pick up a sliced brisket sandwich to go. This was by far the WORST experience I have ever had in all that time. I pulled up and went inside about 7pm - they close at 8. As I walked in and headed to the ordering area, all I got was a stare from the gal at the slicing station. I said I wanted to order to go and she replied "ok." I looked over the meats - all of them were in heating trays, uncovered and unwrapped. And all were dried out and looked like they'd been there for hours. I almost walked out but thought maybe they would pull out a wrapped brisket from the warming cabinet, like the other locations usually do. Nope. I ordered a large sliced brisket sandwich - moist. Again, i thought another brisket would be used, but no - she sliced the dried out piece of meat sitting in the warming tray. Not moist, not lean - dried out. I also got the mac and cheese, which was fine. The slicer never said a word to me and looked mad That I made her work. The gal who checked me out was at least nice and polite. While I was checking out, the manager came out of the back to announce he was leaving to go do something. He probably should have checked the line before he left - the brisket, chopped beef, and burnt ends were all dried out and looked like they had been out uncovered for hours. I got home, opened the sandwich, took two bites of dried out tasteless pot roast and threw the rest out. Absolutely horrible. I should have known something was up when I saw only one occupied table in the restaurant. At least it was clean. But that was $15 out the window. I hope this was an isolated incident at this location - I've been a customer for a long time. But it will be a long time before I go back - and I may never go back to this one. Rudy's is just up the road from here - I hope PJ's gets their act together soon or Rudy's will put them out of business. read more

Pok-e-Jo's - Round Rock - Sliced brisket and dried out overcooked bark - Barbeque Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

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I have a family member that got an e-mail saying she'll get a $10 teacher's appreciation card just for spending $40 at pok-e-jo's and showing her badge. While she appreciates the intent, this was a poorly thought-out promotion considering that Pok-e-Jo's prices have gone through the roof while at the same time teachers got for-all-practical-purposes no raise this year. Expecting her to spend $40 to get a $10 "appreciation" card which she can only redeem by spending another $40 just doesn't cut it. Come on PJ, if you really appreciate the teachers give them the discount on their current meal -- whatever the dollar amount. Don't require a minimum spend nor a second visit. read more

Went in early on a Saturday morning mistaking them for being open, but they were just there early getting the restaurant ready for the day and preparing catering orders. However, they enthusiastically offered to serve me anyways with what they had. I just had a sausage wrap. They were super friendly during the encounter and made sure I had everything I needed. The sausage wrap was delicious. I'll definitely be back to try other stuff on the menu, but if for no other reason, just to support a local franchise business that offers such a warm and inviting atmosphere! That seems rare anymore, but it truly makes a difference. read more

Really good barbecue, great customer service, I will definitely come back soon. The food: I went with the pork ribs, as well as the sausage, some sort of casserole and banana putting. I really enjoyed the ribs. They were full of flavor and very tasty. The sausage was good as well. The sides were just as good too. I think my overall favorite though was the banana pudding. They had a pudding was very very good. Customer service, amazing customer service. The people here are very friendly and very nice. They make sure food comes out fast as it's pretty much ready to be served. We had quite a bit of a party we didn't have to wait at all. Everyone was very nice and they checked on her table several times. This is a local favorite, as they got very packed during lunchtime. I will definitely come back here again when I'm in the area. Great job guys and girls read more

Pok-e-Jo's - Round Rock - Barbeque Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

I went to Pok-e-Jo's at the recommendation of a friend. I'm very happy I did. First, of course is the quality of the BBQ and I took the Brisket. It was melt-in-your-mouth delish and was just right. The sides were good as well - had the Cole slaw and potato salad, both were good. The service was fast and efficient and the restaurant was very clean and well maintained. I used to go to Rudy's down the road, this is now my go to BBQ place. Amazing! read more

This used to be our favorite bbq place. They have consistently gone downhill in the last few years. Two salads for $30 and they grumble about an extra two tablespoons of ranch dressing. Won't be back. Cut corners and lose customers. read more

My son loved his brisket sandwich so much that he asked me if he could write a message to the restaurant. read more

Pok-e-Jo's - Round Rock - Barbeque Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

Omg! This place was amazing! We walked in, and the guy behind the counter asked if it was our first time here. We said yes, since we hail from the west coast, and he responded, "where have you been?!"; seriously, where have we been?!?! Ordering is cafeteria style, so super easy to read the menu and decide what you want because you can see the food! We ordered the 3 meats combo, which comes with Texas style bread, and two sides (or you can get one side and a drink instead). For the meats, we ranked the chicken as #1 (get dark meat), then the ribs, and the brisket. Though all of them were amazing! For sides, we got the corn bread casserole and Mac & Cheese. The Mac & Cheese has got to be the cheesiest Mac & Cheese ever! We also got the lone star beer, because what is BBQ without beer? ;) The condiments bar is also on point! All the pickles and pickled jalapeño compliment the meats wonderfully! P.S. when you walk in, it's highly recommend by the knot as a caterer for weddings! I would definitely cater from here if I was local! read more

Pok-e-Jo's - Round Rock - Side of Mac and Cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

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The problem with BBQ places is that they are inconsistent in food quality. I came to this location because I ate here once before and it was good. Today the pork was almost all fat. I could only eat about half what I paid for. The staff is very friendly and the cowboy atmosphere is nice. But I came to eat the barbecue that I paid for and that didn't happen tonight. It was a fail. read more

Pok-e-Jo's - Round Rock - Nothing but fat - Barbeque Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

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Always very good. I order extra for my dinner later when I pick up my lunch. . That's how good it is. The brisket, burnt ends, pork ribs, and turkey. I can't decide which is my favorite, so I get all of them. I love the cherry cobbler, too. Service is awesome, and plenty of room in the dining room for an intimate table or big party. read more

Hands down the best. I will come here over and over again. Uber eats every time hahaha. But still not disappointed in anything I have ordered. Turkey has been on point and moist. Beef is always perfection. The sides, especially green beans are to die for. Mac and cheese the kids love which is rare. Staff is always friendly. Pricing is awesome in comparison to the other BBQ joints. I highly recommend this spot in Round Rock. read more

We have eaten some great bbq across the USA. This was good bbq. Tender brisket, juicy chicken and fall off the bone ribs. Plenty of side choices and the employees were super nice. Tucked in a corner of a shopping center with outside seating too. read more

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Wow! How did this happen?!? We drive hours for good BBQ. Maybe it's because it's in a strip mall but this place is 10 minutes from our house and we've never been here. I thought we had but nope, never! We ordered the three meet plate and an extra 1/4 lb of beef sausage. Brisket, pulled pork, turkey and beef sausage. The brisket was a little dry but everything else was tasty! Our favorite was the pulled pork. It wasn't drenched in sauce, just really tender and juicy. Our sides were the hash brown casserole and sautéed veggies. We actually preferred the sautéd veggies. They were a little spicy. We had sauce on the side. Me habanero and my hubby the Original. The habanero was really spicy and good. I liked you could get pico de gallo on the condiments bar. Jalapeños, onions, sliced and spear pickles. Definitely will be back. read more

First time eating at this location, but I'm the Duke of Pok-E-Jo's. Everyone enjoyed their meals and left stuffed. The staff was very nice, the place was clean, and they have folks who come by to check on you, pick up your trays, and get your to go boxes. They have ALL of the free onions, pickles, and jalapeños you want. Unlike the greedy owner of Rudy's in Round Rock who charges for jalapeños which is an unforgivable sin in Texas. read more

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I have only been living in Round Rock 7 months and have never dined at this Poke-E-Jo's. I last lived near their location at Parmer and Lamplight Village in Austin. I ate their often. Two years ago I discovered they served brisket chili between January and March. That year and last year I ate their brisket chili often as it was very tasty and different than regular chili. I have always ordered it as "Frito Pie" with the chili laid on top of a bed of Frito corn chips and shredded cheese and onions on top of the chili. It might have been the time of day I was at the Round Rock location (about 7:00 PM on a Friday evening) but this year's first serving of the Frito Pie wasn't as good as I remembered from their Parmer Ln store. The chili itself was not served as warm as it should have been, and the overall taste of the chili was that it had been sitting on the steam table for too long. It was a bit dry and lacked the flavor I was expecting. The presentation wasn't as nice either. As you can see from the photo I have posted, it was served in a bowl. At Parmer Lane last year and the year before, the served it on a large square dining plate. I was able to easily add some pico de gallo and extra onions. All fall I was waiting for January when Poke-E-Jo's had Frito Pie on the menu. It is now February 2 and I am concerned I am going to be disappointed the rest of the season. Maybe I will just drive the extra distance to the Parmer Ln store. read more

Pok-e-Jo's - Round Rock - Frito Pie and large tea - Barbeque Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

This review is long over due. I am writing this review for an order that was delivered a few months back. I ordered the family pack and two Super Spuds. The family pack was enough to feed three adults and two children and have left overs. I ordered the family pack with 1 1/2 lbs. sliced chicken, 3 pint sides, 1/2 pint PoK-e-Jo's BBQ sauce, and bread The chicken for the family combo was tender and full of flavor. The Super Spuds came with 1/4 lb of meat each. The Super Spuds can actually serve as one meal for an adult person as it is a real "meat and potatoes" dish. The food was delivered quickly and did not disappoint. I will order this from Pok-E-Jo's via Yelp again. read more

I got Poke-e-Jo's to cater three lunches for my company who had very important guests visiting. I got great reviews from our guests, as well as our employees! Will definitely be working with them again. read more

We haven't been to a Pok-E-Jo's since the one near our home closed. The food at this place hit the mark!! I had the sliced brisket sandwich. It was loaded with lean brisket. I highly recommend it. The sauce was extremely delicious and had had just the right amount of heat. read more

Back in ATX!! I really don't know why I have never tried Pok-E-Jo's before. Happy I did today! Was going to go to Rudy's but said f*ck it. Had a three meat plate with brisket ribs and sausage Beans and potatoes. @20.03 with drink including tax. Yum.. I mean good, the sauces were also great and hot. Super full and happy. Habanero sauce is well hot. Potato's were really a hit. Beans were good, not the best ever but good. Brisket was very very good nice smoke ring. Sausage was the best thing on the plate for me. Ribs were also good again not the best I have ever had but for sure worth having again. Look I am no food critic bye a long shot! Lol Just a dirtball biker that loves me some bbq, I have hit all the major regions and such. I can say with out a doubt I will be eating Pok-E-Jo's BBQ every time I am in the greater ATX area. JUST EAT IT!!!! read more

Pok-e-Jo's - Round Rock - Barbeque Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

Great bbq, nice family style restaurant. Restaurant was clean and our whole group enjoyed meals

I've had much better bbq in Austin and Houston. Surprised at the high ratings. KIDS CHOPPED BEEF SANDWICH + Fries $5- the sandwich was decent, not much flavor but the BBQ sauce helped. At least it wasn't fatty meat. I wasn't too hungry so it was a good size. The fries were salty. How do you mess up fries. SAUSAGE- kinda mushy. I like mine firmer BRISKET- not much flavor, but it was tender and not fatty MAC N CHEESE- the only thing I liked. Thick and cheesy. FRIED OKRA- eh read more

Pok-e-Jo's - Round Rock - $5 kids chopped beef sandwich - it was OK, not very flavorful - Barbeque Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

We were on our way home from Dallas and started looking for some BBQ, saw their ratings and thought we would give them a try. The setting was a little different than what we had expected and we were a little hesitant about going in, but we were too hungry. So, we walked in and we were pleasantly surprised by the decor, and the set up. We ordered the rib's plate and the brisket plate. Wow! Great food and awesome people we are in New Braunfels and we go back now just for the food there. The brisket was delicious and always a healthy cut! Ribs are fantastic also. Don't be shy! Go there and enjoy yourself! read more

Two words...Hated it! This was my first visit to Austin and wanted to try some Austin BBQ before I headed back to the DFW. Unfortunately I had passed some of the more well known establishments and opted for this place because it was on the 35N heading home. I ordered a two meat plate of ribs, smoked sausage, Mac n cheese and beans. The meat tasted like it was baked versus smoked or grilled, and the sides tasted stale and flavorless. I threw a whole $26.00 plate in the trash! Only reason I didn't complain because the staff was really nice. read more

Fabulous customer service and delicious food! Picked up some BBQ for a business lunch for the office. They had it ready to go--easy and convenient for me to carry. The BBQ was terrific. Both the turkey and brisket went quickly. They had a perfect tea service too, which was very accommodating to our needs. Can't wait to go again. read more

Decent BBQ, large portion sizes. The 4-5 person new package had a ton of food, and we were able to accommodate dairy free gluten free options for our party. read more

I am spending time to write a review because I don't want other customers have the same experience as mine. We ordered for pickup on Sat 8/22/20 and there's a mistake on one of the order that found out when we are already back home. We ordered rib but they put something else instead. Unfortunately, what I really wanted to try was their ribs on that day. My husband was very angry because he spent time ordering it and wanted me to have ribs. Plus he put generous tip to help out during COVID. I called and was told with very unfriendly tone (made me feel like they were talking with someone who was fishing for a free meal), agreed that they would give me a refund only that order that costed $17. And I should see the refund on Monday morning. Today Wednesday 8/26, I still see no refund. $17 is not that big money for us but they sure have lost one customer forever. We are not happy with the taste of their food anyway so I will be happy to: 1. Drive father for other BBQ even though this place is very close to our house. 2. Warn other new people in town NOT to go to this place unless you want to waste your money. read more

I returned to Pok-E-Jo's Round Rock with a group of folks for an appreciation dinner for a friend and was very pleased with Pok-E-Jo's for accommodating our party on a Friday night. I called 10 days in advance to reserve some tables in the front room, and they promptly confirmed our reservation via email. When we arrived, they rearranged the tables so our group could also sit together. We ordered our meals in the serving line and the food was promptly ready for us. The food was good as usual, as we had no complaints, consistent with them recently being named one of five finalist for best barbecue in the Austin area as voted on by readers of the Austin Chronicle. You can also pre-order your meal so that you are guaranteed to get exactly what you want without the risk of them running out of a certain meat. We decided to roll the dice and order when we arrived, and they unfortunately were out of chicken and turkey, which was our own fault for not pre-ordering (we were just not sure what we wanted or how much we wanted). They had plenty of sides that we wanted, and they gave us all the bread we wanted including buns without charging us extra, which was much appreciated. We brought our own cake, and they gladly provided us some small plates without a plating charge or giving us grief. They have definitely improved upon their customer service since I provided a review last year. Note - to reserve the front room all to yourself, you have to put up $250 up front and then pay anything above that. However, if you want to reserve some tables at the risk of not having the front room to yourself, then there is no booking charge. In summary, I would definitely return with a large group and appreciate the hospitality shown to us and definitely recommend Pok-E-Jo's in Round Rock for large parties. read more

First and last time here , went here looking for barbecue because they had a 4.5 star review. The WORST food I've ever had a waste of $80 we barely ate any of the food because it was so nasty. I left feeling extremely nauseous with horrible stomach pain. I don't know how this place has 4.5 stars . I can say the service was not bad and the staff was nice but the food was horrible. Will not be returning! read more

I am very disappointed in the BBQ. We're so excited to go somewhere new. We walked in and there was absolutely no one in the place (yes I'm sure due to covid) the manager or owner was in his cell phone sitting in the middle of the building. Although the greeter was sweet she really did not know anything about the food or drinks and kept saying they're not where they need to be with the bar because they just opened it. We picked what we wanted and ordered, along with our drink selections. Another guy came up to us and asked what we wanted with the ticket in his hand, so I'm guessing she didn't write exactly what we wanted... he goes to the bar and has the girl come back to us to let us know they don't have either of the beers we wanted, I let her know to just have them bring something that is comparable to what we selected. They bring it back and both beers were NOTHING like what we had asked for. The food came out soon after.... was on a styrofoam plate. My brisket sandwich..... was absolutely disgusting. The bread was literally a burger bun and tasted stale, although the meat was ok.... it was heavily peppered and there was no sauce on it at all, you put your own in it, which means it wasn't BBQd in it... the Mac and cheese was literally Kraft Mac and cheese. The only thing that was decent was the jalapeño corn bread casserole. I can not believe this place Is still open. We definitely won't be back. I'm giving it 2 stars because the inside is pretty cool and could definitely be something. read more

Pok-e-Jo's - Round Rock - Brisket sandwich, Mac and cheese and jalapeno corn bread casserole - Barbeque Near Me - Round Rock, Texas