There is no love more sincere than the love of BBQ. That's Poppa's BBQ in Clearwater, FL, slogan and it pours out in the taste. This is a Memphis style BBQ spot and it bought me back home to that flavor pallet that I grew up on. I still can't believe it's on the beaten path in an industrial area of Clearwater. I highly recommend a half rack of ribs but you can't go wrong with the pulled pork sandwich or smoked chicken. Sides are on point also from the home cooked backed beans or the southern mustard based potato salad. The total menu is small but that just means perfection and consistency are always there. If you want true southern barbecue and a great price then please stop by Poppa's as soon as you can. read more

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I met up for lunch with a friend at Poppa's. The first thing I noticed was that the parking lot was full of pickups & utility trucks. That is always a great sign. Inside, the assembly line was going in order to serve the big lunch crowd. The menu is small but the quality is big. I had a pulled pork sandwich, 2 ribs, & a drink for $12. The pulled pork was very good & not loaded with any questionable fat or gristle. The sauce in the squeeze bottle on each table was excellent & complemented the sandwich well. The ribs were flavorful & tender & meaty, & I'm pretty sure I smacked my lips more than a few times. My only disappointment is I wanted more, hahaha. This bbq is solid! read more

Poppa's BBQ - Inside - Barbeque Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

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Best around Service very quick. Great BBQ reasonable prices.always the best. Baby back are flavorful and fall off the bone. Open Monday thru Friday with a line out the door. read more

Ribs melt in your mouth Heavy lunch crowd. Good fast service. A little messy but delicious. read more

I got take out and the service was quick. The pork had good flavor and was cooked well. The beans and potato salad were good. Not a big beans fan but these were good. Sauces had good flavor. Would come back. read more

Poppa's BBQ - Pork Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

A friend told us about this great restaurant. My husband got the special of Pork sandwich with two ribs. I got the pork dinner with potato salad and coleslaw. EVERYTHING was absolutely delicious!!! The staff was absolutely great! read more

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As soon as you walk in you know this is the spot! They have a smoker out back and the staff was all loyal to the company and take pride in their craft. read more

Poppa's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

Poppa's is a hidden local lunch-hours-only BBQ joint in a small strip mall nearby many warehouse districts. Due to their hours, it's taken me a while to get over to visit. No frills, smokey dining area. Takeout containers only and super fast service. Most customers order ahead with large orders for the entire office. My favorite here is the ribs--- sweet, smokey, tender, and inexpensive. The sides here are not good. Only one flavor of house-made sauce. Ask about the specials if you are looking for a deal. Most of the regular customers order the sandwich deal. read more

Poppa's BBQ - ribs in a styrofoam container - Barbeque Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

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Satisfied my BBQ craving for the day with some good Memphis style. The Original Sauce is pretty sweet. I suggest the daily special it's a good value for the buck. I recommend coming early or later in the lunch shift. Limited indoor seating. Only suggestion do in house fresh brewed sweet tea goes with good BBQ Michael J Beal Clearwater, Florida read more

Poppa's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

This is my go to place when I am out of idea. i actually been here a lot during lunch. Poppas tend to cater the workers around the vicinity and the price good and fresh. i enjoy press g the pork ribs, potato salad w chip and coke and combo. The place is very clean, and the washroom has plenty of soap to wash your hands. The place can get crowded but the staff gets you moving. Another secret shared to you. enjoy! read more

Everything was immaculate. The pulled pork was finger linking good. I was even offered a rib to taste out of courtesy of being a first time Customer! The service is amazing. definitely recommend anyone to stop by for a quick bite read more

Poppa's BBQ - Pulled pork, potato salad, and a rib - Barbeque Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

I'm probably one of the world's toughest critics when it comes to bbq‍ I do acknowledge this so I make it my business to be easy of folks. Today I find myself at my desk in full phatboy mood and all I wanted was bbq. After a few Google searches I ran across this joint and I decided to take the 15min trip one way on my lunch break. This drive was more than worth it! This joint is in a business district and was slammed packed on lunch break little to no smoke was seen as I approached which worried me a bit, I love to see the smoker/grill outside any rib shack but I didn't see one here. Nevertheless I walked in and the service was amazing ordering was easy, menu was simple and I had my order in less than 5mins!! Food was slamming!!!!!!!!! No complaints at all. Definitely will recommend you stop by if you're in the area! Get you some ribs for sure read more

I was in need of a quick meal and decided to stop in for some BBQ. It was pleasantly surprising! The smoke flavor was spot on, and the ribs were tender. It was well complemented by the coast slaw and potato salad. The portion was just right for the price, not too big or too small. I wished I could have tried the pulled pork, which also looked delicious! Also, great customer service! read more

We went there for lunch around 1:30 and they were sold out Customers like us were turned away We want to go back and we'll go earlier read more

The barbecue pork and ribs are tasty. They have a nice smoke ring and not dried out. Their smoked chicken breast is the only chicken II've had is very moist both. Barbecue sauces are pretty good. I just prefer a little bit more tangy . Side dishes the potato salad is very good. However, their coleslaw is very dry. I would not recommend it no flavor. Baked beans seem like they came out of a can . They are extremely friendly and the inside is always clean where patrons eat and also to where the food is prepared. The only complaint I have so far is there coleslaw terrible. It's perfectly chopped, but extremely dry and their baked beans. read more

Really the only good bbq in town!! Quick service and simple menu! Easy to pop in for lunch The ribs are my favorite !! read more

Best pull pork Great ribs and sides of beans,slaw and tater salad. They serve chicken also. Worth the stop and the price

Wanted some 'good' different bbq, googled bbq around me and poppa's bbq was one of the spots; Read some reviews and looked at photos of their work and decided to give them a try; And so I get there and ordered the chicken plate and some Ribs, long story short it wasn't very good at all :-( one of the reviews that I read said that Publix has better ribs and I agree, they weren't tender (moist) at all (no love put into them) really dry as was the chicken breast, super dry and not flavorful at all and the sides w/no bread :-( seemed canned (store bought) like another reviewer said all of these positive and high ratings must be family or close friends, smh read more

Good people making great bbq. Had the pulled pork and ribs and would definitely be getting some futures meals from here. Prices are fair too. read more

Dang good BBQ that's for sure!! So why only 4 stars? Because their sides kinda suck & they don't make their own sweet tea. But really, this is minor in the scheme of things because the meat is where it's at!! The sauce is optional and it has a nice flavor kick. The ribs are amazing. Some of the best I've ever had. They are perfectly smoked without being smoky. Perfectly crispy without being burnt. Just plain perfectly delicious. If you can't order anything else, GET THE RIBS! They only offer very few sides: potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, and chips. The potato salad is tasty. The coleslaw is dry; tastes like straight up cabbage. Needs more umph. Call your order in early and have takeout ready to pick up on your lunch break. You get to skip the long line if you go that route. They're only open til the food is gone, and it goes quick! read more

Poppa's BBQ - Ribs! ALWAYS get the ribs! - Barbeque Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

Best lunch deals if you're looking for decent BBQ. My crew hits them up at least twice month

The reviews are almost all the same here and for good reason. This is one of the best rib joints in pinellas county. I am a fickle BBQ customer, being a native i have seen many come and go over the years. My policy now is you must be open for at least five years before i will try your Bbq. I've been eyeing this place for awhile, it's 5 mins from my job. Today i swung on by and got some ribs! The store front is not exciting, nor is the inside; I think the pegboard menu is as old as I am. The smell once you walk inside tells you the story pf this place. Tables are old school and there's a nice grouping of them; 2 tops, 4 tops and a 6 top maybe 15 total. There isn't even a drink machine, just a cooler with bottles of coke,tea,and water. I got the 3 rib combo: beans & slaw. The sides didn't knock my socks off but they were good. The slaw wasn't absolutely hammered with Mayo. The Ribs, oh my the ribs! They were just a little burnt to seal the flavor, juicy and smoky. I was a happy customer after that smoked meat heaven. Do yourself a favor and get there early(open @ 10:30am) the line starts backing out the door quickly, and enjoy some Good BBQ. read more

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I was killing time waiting for a friend to fly into the St Pete airport and I needed lunch. I checked Yelp and saw the great ratings of Poppas. Despite just coming off a trip to Texas where I had awesome barbecue I decided to give this place a shot. I got the lunch special of a pulled pork sandwich, two pork ribs, and a drink for $9. Great deal. Everything was delicious - I was super impressed. The ribs were nice and smoky and tender. Lately the pork ribs I have been getting are dry and overdone. The sauce was also very good. This barbecue was better than some of the places in Texas. Well done! read more

Probably the tastiest piece of chicken I've had a a bbq restaurant. It was juicy like dark meat and the seasoning was outstanding. I like my potato salad tangy and this delivered big time. The coleslaw was good, but i really believe that coleslaw can only be so good, and this was certainly adequate. If you are in the area for lunch the prices, portions, and quality are hard to beat! read more

Poppa's BBQ - Bbq Chicken with potato salad and coleslaw - Barbeque Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

Real authentic BBQ. They cook their food fresh everyday and nothing is left over for the next day. Amazing flavor! Get there early because when they run out for the day it's gone. read more

Poppa's BBQ - Amazing ribs! - Barbeque Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

1st time customers and we enjoyed every bite! the ribs are memphis style and the meat falls off the bone! their pulled pork sandwich is to die for, along with the potato salad! Sarah the manager was very kind and professional. Mike the owner made himself available and made sure everything went well. rest assured we will be back and recommend anyone to stop by and make your belly's happy. -Austin Porter read more

Food is excellent! It's a long way to go to eat lunch but well worth it. My favorite thing is to get a to go order. We love the ribs and the sides are really good too. I order extra potato salad because it seems to run out first. Highly recommend. read more

I am always looking for good BBQ and heard this was a top 10 place. Checked on-line and learned they close at 2pm and it was currently about 1 pm. Do I hurry and go or try again tomorrow? I jumped in the car and set a land speed record, which is hard to do with Clearwater traffic and traffic light cycles, to get there before they closed. I ordered a Pork & 3 Ribs Plate. I chose beans and chips for my two sides. Drinks are basically Coke products in a stand-up cooler. The ribs were very good and pork was average. They chop the pork too much for my liking, but the pork taste was ok. The biggest gripe is the pork was very dry. The beans tasted like Van Camp's canned beans, nothing special, with nothing added to the beans like bacon, pork or onions. The chips were selected from a Doritos chip rack. Would I go back? Yes, but I would just get the ribs. My meal with drink was $11.58 without tip. read more

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This is a great little BBQ spot. Stopped in for a pulled pork sandwich and ribs special. Really enjoyed it and will be back.

I picked up from here a couple of days ago because my fiance and I have been on the search for barbecue that's not from a chain as that typically is better. So while out on an errand we decided to order to go from this barbecue place. He ordered the pork and ribs combo with double potato salad and I just got the half rack of ribs because ribs are awesome. My fiance downed the pulled pork without sharing any with me but I will forgive him for that hahaha. We both tried the potato salad and it was very good. I can pretty much eat any potato salad but for me to say potato salad is really good me and that it was well done. The ribs were really delicious. I basically down the whole half rack probably within about 5 minutes hahaha. My only complaints about my order was I need a lot of soft cuz I'm a huge Dipper when it comes to food hahaha. Mental note: order more sauces next time. Going into this place on a Monday afternoon and there were a good amount of people in there so you know this is a top favorite place. Both my fiance and I really enjoyed the food and we'll be ordering from here again. read more

Poppa's BBQ - a menu on a brick wall - Barbeque Near Me - Clearwater, Florida

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Bbq B plus sides D no bread priced well cool location ext to trail would try again above average overall ribs were tuff.

Great place to go for a quick lunch. I stopped in and got their daily special. The pulled pork sandwich and ribs were delicious. I'll stop back next time I'm in that area, highly recommend. read more

Did not expect much from this place and got just that. All these people giving 4-5 star reviews are most likely family and friends trying to help this place out. Or they don't eat anywhere else and thinks this is great bbq. Everything tastes like it came off the Sysco truck including the meat. You can go to Publix deli and get much better pork, chicken and ribs. All these awards they have supposedly won must have come from small local events where there was no competition. Just barely basic. Unless everything else is closed and you just got to have bbq don't waste you time here. read more

Great food and service. Busy but got in and out for lunch. The place is always clean.

First time. I ordered a 6 pack of bar-b-q and it came out to $24.40. Got two cups full of pork and HALF of a cup cold slaw. With two bbq sauces. I went back in to point out that they forgot to give me the bread and even asked if my order was given to me correctly. They tried to smooth it over by having me try their rib (3 pieces). However I found the amount of food and taste totally lacking for the price and it's purpose. If I were having 6 people over - that would not be enough food for them. Not to mention that the sandwiches were mediocre at best. read more

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I've been coming here for about 6 months now and Poppas is by far the best BBQ in the area. They're only open for lunch but it's going to be one of the best lunches you've had in awhile. The service is super fast and the amount of food for your money is great. I always get "the special" which is a pulled pork sandwich, 2 ribs and a drink for $8.49 or you can jumbo size it for $1.00 which gives you 3 ribs and a large size sandwich. They have one style of BBQ sauce (which is fantastic) and they have a dry rub on their ribs that leaves you licking your fingers. If your in the area and in the mood for some good BBQ. I highly recommend stopping by and checking them out. I came across them by chance passing by one day and haven't stopped coming back since. They have great staff and a great atmosphere that goes perfect with food they serve. read more

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I am not a big fan of BBQ businesses at all. So many times do I get let down by either the initial offering or consistency (4Rivers). This joint has some great "Q". I had the pulled pork sandwich and some ribs. The ribs were tender and not covered in BBQ sauce. The sandwich had just enough sauce to moisten it further. No more. I am not a big fan of sauces at all but their sauce was great! Go to Poppa's BBQ! It is terrific stuff. You will not be sorry! read more

Poppa's BBQ is one of those no-nonsense places that don't really specialize in nice decor or attention to service but the ones you go to for the best food. I decided to check it out on a weekday for lunch. Poppa's is located in a shopping mall and you might just miss it if you're not especially looking for it. The place was busy catering to the business lunch crowd. Majority of the people seemed to be getting the business lunch special which comes with pulled pork sandwich, brisket, 2 sides, and a drink for under 10 bucks which is a pretty good deal. Since I wasn't particularly hungry, I went for just the BBQ pulled pork sandwich. My sandwich was ready to be picked up on the counter within 2 mins. The pork was nicely shredded and moist and came with a mild bbq sauce. I decided to make the sandwich even better by putting some hot bbq sauce on it. I kind of wished that it was a little bigger but overall I was satisfied. You probably don't need to make a trek from far away as there are tons of good bbq places all over Tampa Bay. However, if you're near the PIE airport then Poppa's BBQ is a really good option. read more

Clean BBQ place -- I saw the employee wash her hands & another had on gloves ! I had a jumbo pulled pork sandwich - the meat was tasty and tender. The sauce was just ok - a vinegar based flavor; the sides were just ok. The beans & cold slaw came in small portions but that jumbo sized sandwich with it's tender and flavorful meat is The Main Attraction - I would go back !! read more

Poppas is by far my favorite BBQ place. I end up having lunch here at least twice a month, sometimes more often. I always get the "Jumbo Special" which includes a pulled pork sandwich, 2 ribs and a drink. The jumbo part means that you get some extra meat on the sandwich and if you are lucky you might get 3 ribs on your plate or get an end piece with some extra smokey yumminess. The have the typical BBQ-place sides (Beans, Potato Salad, Slaw, Chips) and they also have smoked chicken breast but he pork and the ribs are definitely the stars of the show. They are tender, tasty and smoked to perfection. Make sure you try their home-made BBQ sauce too. The only negative I can think of is that sometimes it gets busy and the line can be out the door. Yeah...It's that good! read more

Poppa's BBQ - This is the Jumbo Special and I added a side of beans. - Barbeque Near Me - Clearwater, Florida