My family and I came in recently and enjoyed some amazing North Georgia BBQ! While we did come in during a busy time our patience was rewarded amazingly, we had our young child with us and her food was served first with ours out right behind it :) I must admit that the bbq is some of the best even compared to Texas or even Kansas City. The brisket was on point and the pastrami was better than, dare I say, Katz Deli in NYC! If you find yourself in on a busy day just be patient cause it's well worth it, and props to our waitress for handling us during a busy time with no issue; she was a taller lady with blackish hair read more

Not at all what it used to be. We went on a Sunday at 12:15. I had an uneasy feeling because there were only a few cars in the parking lot. Totally different service than before. They sat us at our table and said someone would be with us. One table was occupied and had food in the dining room. We looked over the menu and sat and sat.... As we watched the staff in the kitchen in full view. Our waitress was eating something out of a cup and the others chatting away. Since we were such a bother we got up and left. Never again. Horrible service especially for a weekend when they had already been open for over an hour. Go to Bigguns instead where they are thrilled to see you and treat you like family! You'll thank me later. read more

Cool, local bbq joint that looks like it's been around forever. Meats were good, sides could have been better. The day we went they were out of a lot of items we tried to order. Not sure if that's normal or we were just unlucky that day. They have these pig signs you can buy to decorate. read more

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Out of town visiting and decided to try it out since it was minutes from my hotel. We ordered the pork fondue and a 2 meat/side platter to go Right off the bat we were off to a bad start when we got back to our room. Got the fondue but no chips or pork rinds as expected. Tried to just eat it solo, but only got through a few bites because the pork is super squishy like it was stewed or old and it had a gallon of salt. The ribs were also gummy and super small. The brisket was cut weird. Never seen brisket served this way. But to get ribs as a meat it was an extra $3. Same with the brisket. Yeah check the pic. This is what you get for up charging to ribs. 2 small ribs with no seasoning. And you get one weird slice of brisket for the upcharge as well. Mac and cheese is also big shells made with white cheese. Definitely not southern mac. Side note, their BBQ sauces are good. But the brisket comes with a brisket sauce. It is thousand island dressing. Who puts that on brisket? read more

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Really liked this place. Portions are good, service was good, ambiance is really cool. When you enter the parking lot you will see all the pigs on the hill (this is something you can buy inside and put your own out there). Then when you enter you will see all the pictures and more of the pigs on the wall. This is very unique and very cool. You can choose take out or sit inside for dinning and the server that helped us was really nice. My wife got the brisket and it was smoked well and still moist (finding that is for what ever reason hard to find here in Georgia). Their sauces are really nice and sides are equally good. Kiddo got the kids pulled pork and her portion was huge (got to eat some of it later with their original sauce and was awesome). The Mac and cheese she got from her side was saucy and made with shells, was her favorite for sure. I got the pulled pork queso appetizer for food and the home made chips were awesome, the pork rinds were solid too and complemented the dip well. If you are coming to Ellijay, for sure stop by here. Next time I'm going to try the rabbit (a rarity on any bbq and I think worth at least a try). read more

The brisket is not smoked -- it's make of a stewed brisket in a light gravy. Not bad, but not worth ordering again

I haven't been here in over 10 years. The food is amazing the best corn casserole, Pulled pork, Wet brisket & we missed out on burnt ends. We will be back in January. On our way home we got enough to go for two nights! read more

I came here for dinner during a cabin weekend in Ellijay. We happened to drive past it and see the pig sign decorated hill so we decided to stop in. There's a small lot out front for parking and inside, it's fairly spacious. We stopped in just before they were about to close, but they were very nice and accommodating to our group. For our group of 6, we ordered a couple of sodas and then 2 North GA samplers (4 meats, 4 sides, & 2 breads). Unfortunately they were out of the rabbit, but we tried the pork, chicken, brisket, & ribs. For sides, we got the mac n cheese, okra, brunswick stew, collard greens, bbq beans, potato salad, regular & sweet potato fries. For bread, we got Texas toast and corn bread. Everything was SO delicous!! The portion sizes were great and we finished everything up! We also got banana pudding to go which was homemade sweet goodness and a great wrap to the meal. Poole's is such a cute kitschy place with great food and highly recommend if you're in Ellijay. read more

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We had the absolute pleasure of having Poole's BBQ cater our Friday night wedding event in Ellijay, and they completely blew us (and our guests!) away. From start to finish, they were a dream to work with--professional, friendly, responsive, and truly invested in making our night special. The food? Unreal. Multiple guests came up to us to say it was the BEST BBQ they've ever had--hands down. Juicy, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. We honestly had guests saying it blew our Saturday night caterer out of the water. Candice and Marcellus were total stars--kind, efficient, and went above and beyond, even staying after the event to help with cleanup. That level of service is so rare and so appreciated, especially during a weekend as important as your wedding. Incredible value, amazing people, and mouthwatering food. We couldn't be happier we chose them. If you're looking for caterers for any event, Poole's BBQ is it. 100% recommend without hesitation! read more

This place is pretty bad. The barbecue was served lukewarm and had very little taste. The "fresh chips" are not fresh at all. In fact, they were served cold and were very stale. The Mac and cheese was basically shells with cold white cheese sauce. The ribs were terrible. The ice tea tasted like it was a couple of days old. The restrooms are very dark and dirty. The waitress was very nice and we felt bad for her. The whole place is just really bad. I would NOT return to this place. read more

This place is a dump. Used to be good, now it's falling apart at the seams. Ordered a pulled pork sandwich and brisket sandwich to go, no pickles, chips, sides or slaw just cold lump of meat on a stale ass bun for 4x as much a a crappy hamburger from McDonald's. Hard pass. read more

Poole's Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - East Ellijay, Georgia

We were most excited to go to this place after seeing a lot of social media hype about it - and we even came back the next day after they were randomly closed. My kids ordered the kids pulled pork platters, i got a single meat pulled pork platter and my partner got the 4 meat platter with 4 sides. My kids ate my food because the pulled pork that came with their plates was mostly fat and grizzle. The pastrami on our 4 meat platter was under seasoned and likely day old. Both the pastrami and brisket were disappointingly dry. When we received the check, we noticed almost all items from the platter were upcharged. Unfortunately this resulted in his platter being almost $45. As you can see, it was a lot of food, but the highlight of it was the sausage. I'd say if you get anything here, get the sausage and the pulled pork, but specifically request not a lot of fat. Posting a photo of the menu so you can see that despite them adding the up charge prices next to the meats and sides it is still a little confusing. The last disappointments which are silly but you know kids - they didn't get the Oinky stickers that are advertised with the kids meals and upon request they couldn't find them. The bathroom was out of toilet paper, and the little quarter toy machine was broken. Sadly, the only reason we gave it two stars was for the sausage. Hopefully they make that in house, because the fries and tater tots that were $1.50 and $2 up charge respectively definitely looked like they came out of bulk bags. Incredibly disappointed. read more

Poole's Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - East Ellijay, Georgia

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A lot of bad stories about this place and their service won't be there again. When you try to talk to them about the wait they are insulting and rude. read more

So we have been to Poole's many times...by far this was the best bbq I have found since moving to GA 10years ago from TX. Sadly since the new owner has taken over, the Brunswick stew has become a veg soup. The "cornbread" taste only of corn meal. The portion sizes have shrank but not to worry the price has gone up so I that's a plus...hahahahaha Do yourself a favor...do not waste your time here. read more

Poole's Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - East Ellijay, Georgia

Pulling into the "yellow & red" BBQ building off of Hwy 5 you come face to face with a "Pig Hill of Fame". I knew we were in for a treat. Open since 1989 this family owned BBQ joint is serving some of the best BBQ pork, beef brisket, and chicken in North Georgia. We ordered a little of everything and tried it all. The house-made Original sauce and the Sweet sauce were fantastic- flavorful with a little kick. Amazing! Clean seating, bathrooms and surroundings made this BBQ experience even better. The dry rub was some of the best we've ever had and none of the meats were dried out, moist and flavorful to boot! The sides were plentiful and delicious. Do yourself a favor and stop in for some pig! You will not be disappointed! read more

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This was the worst service I have ever experienced we waited 1 hour and 30 minutes. 5 people were served before us that came in after us. We talked to them and asked respectfully what was taking so long because we had a hungry baby with us. They were rude and make disgusted faces at us so we decided to leave. Then right as we were walking out she yells I hope yall have a great day. The entire staff was rude and I have never experienced something like this before. read more

The four of us decided to come here due to good Yelp reviews and local's recommendations, and I'm sorry to say I was disappointed. Maybe it was because it changed ownership recently? First of all, I didn't like the way the menu was presented, as there were pork or chicken choices for each quantity option, and $1, $2, or $3 extra for other meat, and a few standard side choices, but $1.50, $2, or $3 extra for French fries, mac and cheese, or fried okra. I felt like I was being nickel and dimed, jacking up your entree from $17 to upwards of $24. There were 2 choices of coleslaw, vinegar or mayonnaise based, and both were so inedible, we asked for a substitute of baked beans, which were good. The vinegar based one tasted like rancid oil was in it, and the other was totally bland and tasteless. We ordered the 2 meat 2 side entree with brisket and sausage, sweet potato tots, and coleslaw. The brisket was super lean, not to my liking, and not the best taste profile either. The sausage was delicious, and the other couple said their chicken was delicious too. The sweet potato tots were good, but rather a skimpy serving. I won't be coming back. read more

Poole's Bar-B-Q - Brisket and sausage with sweet potato tots and coleslaw - Barbeque Near Me - East Ellijay, Georgia

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The service at poole's was excellent, super nice staff that was very helping and made us feel welcome and right at home. Restaurant is super clean and the menu has plenty of options to choose from. Place is great.. made me feel great seeing my buddy enjoy the huge ribs so much. He was definitely in his happy place. Some of my favorites and recommendations are the ribs (full rack will feed a whole family). Coleslaw, Mac & cheese, freedom fries!!!!!. Place is awesome highly recommend. Large parking outside. Plenty of space for large group. read more

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When I say this is the best BBQ I have had in Ga! My fiancée and I went while on a weekend get away in Ellijay and we had the best customer service and the fod was seasoned and prepared perfectly. They do not gove you to much it was just enough for he and I to share the 2 meat 2 sides and still had a little left over. The brisket is so juicy and wet, the turkey was seasoned and plump. The wonderfully sweet and kind staff was attentive and this young lady gave us a delicious horseradish sauce that paired perfectly with the Turkey and Beef brisket. We also had the potato salad and green beans it was so delicious read more

Poole's Bar-B-Q - Turkey, Brisket, potato salad, and green beans. 2 meats 2 sides. - Barbeque Near Me - East Ellijay, Georgia

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Brisket sandwich was delicious! The meat very tender and juicy. However, not sure if that was worth the wait. I waited in line to order for about 30 minutes to order and another 30 minutes for the food. read more

Poole's Bar-B-Q - Pulled Pork - Barbeque Near Me - East Ellijay, Georgia

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Our group went here after going apple picking because the place was close by. We waited in line for about 30 mins to order food and another 20-30mins for our food to come out. Coleslaw was just ok, brisket was tender but the pork was too dry. Wish they could have had some sauces to pair with the pork. read more

Poole's Bar-B-Q - 2 meats + 1 side: Sliced brisket and pork + Coleslaw + Bun - Barbeque Near Me - East Ellijay, Georgia

Everything is an up charge. A dollar more for the cornbread a dollar more for lean meat. They don't even tell you that upfront. As for BBQ sauces, not my favorite, very watery. I couldn't tell the sweet from the spicy. Also, everyone makes coleslaw different and theirs is the type I hate unfortunately, all vinegar. My husband loved his brisket though. Pulled pork was good, too. read more

Just awful. Bland barbecue, tasted like regular meat, not smoked. Texas toast was just soggy regular bread. Asked for sweet sauce, got vinegar -- asked several times for sweet sauce, kept giving me vinegar. the order of fries was ridiculously small. The price for two orders of barbecue, three small sides, and just water to drink was $30. Ridiculously high for the amount and quality of the food and service. read more

Wowwwww, my friend and I were nervous to check this place out but let this be your sign to gon ahead and get you a plate cause wowwwww !! The flavor of everything was spectacular!! Meat falling off the bone & sides cooked to perfection... I had to order extra food to go it was soo good haha Owner was also there and welcomed me and my friends to town... gave us some background on the restaurant and gave recommendations on things to check out around town... this will definitely be my first stop next time I'm in town read more

Poole's Bar-B-Q - Ribs, Mac, and baked beans - Barbeque Near Me - East Ellijay, Georgia

Food smells so good one thing though... it took TWO HOUR for our food including appetizer. Our waitress Also ghosted us for no reason! No reason. I Do not recommend. Our waitress has pink short hair. This is our first time and last time. read more

Great bbq. Really enjoyed the pork as well as the mayo coleslaw. We ordered Mac and cheese as well which was good but not quite as good as the other dishes. I really likes the difference styles of bbq sauce that came with the meal as well. read more

If you come here expecting the old Poole's BBQ-don't. The staff was rude. And the food was just not good. Mac & cheese tasted like plastic, Brunswick stew was more like vegetable soup, the sauce was very bland and tasted NOTHING like what it used to, fries were bland and boring, Texas toast was Texas bread (not toasted). I could go on but you get the idea. Do not recommend. read more

The food has greatly improved since Poole's changed hands. The barbecue pork and chicken have the perfect real smoke flavor. You have to try the smoked pastrami, it's amazing. The sides are much improved as well. The ambiance is still 100% Col. Poole, with the Pig Hill of Fame being a roadside attraction in itself. Like most restaurants in Ellijay, the service is by friendly wait staff. I would have given 5 stars if the price hadn't gone up as much as it did. It is pricey for a BBQ joint. read more

Use to come by any time I was passing through and the bbq was really good.. not great, but but above average. Drive 20 minutes out of my way to grab lunch and waited in line for about 15 minutes just to get to the front and then to tell me "uhm, we're we're out of almost all the meats... but you could try again tomorrow around noon (a Monday)" as if we don't have jobs or something! Not sure why they couldn't post or announce that instead of wasting everybody's time - overall terrible customer service. Based on some of the other reviews here, I think they did us a favor because we promptly left. read more

Poole's Bar-B-Q is a kitschy BBQ joint fixing up slow-cooked meats, pulled pork sandwiches and Southern-style sides. The decor, inside and out, is great. Exactly what a BBQ place should be. Nothing fancy, just really good food. This is a wonderful family run, warm and friendly place to get ribs and other food if you wanted to, but the ribs and Briskets are good to taste. We were a group of 15 and had a reservation in advance. We came here after a long hiking event. The owner himself stopped at our table more than once. We have also been complimented with free beverages for everyone, that was really nice of him. They are not going to wow you with unnecessary frills, but if you wanna get Bar-B-Q, do your taste buds a favor and check out Poole's if you are in the area. The atmosphere is fun and lively. My go-to is a Sliced Brisket sandwich with BBQ beans loaded with flavor and chunks of meat, corn dog and banana pudding for dessert. They had a couple of different homemade BBQ sauces to choose from (Vinegar and sweet versions). Our food was served very quickly and we were not disappointed in the least. All of the pigs displayed everywhere raise money for Mission work. Just give them five bucks to get a pig on the hill of fame! It's cool seeing all the pigs on the hill from the years Poole's started doing that. Not to mention the restaurant is yellow and red. Stood out very well in the area. They even have a copy of an old newspaper article from when President Jimmy Carter ate there a long time ago. There is not a whole lot of seating inside, but that was not a problem at all. The tables are big enough to fit lots of people at each table which was great. The restaurant is clean including the bathrooms. Ample free parking in front and around the restaurant. I will be stopping in anytime again when I am near or in Ellijay, GA. read more

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Wife's family has been coming here since she was a child, so we finally stopped in last time we were passing through. Apparently this is a very popular place, as they were out of ribs and some other things when we got there early afternoon. I had the beef BBQ with Chile slaw on it. GREAT sandwich, and that have many different sauces, I liked them all but the smoky was my favorite. My wife had the BBQ salad, she really enjoyed that. Place has a lot of character and local charm. Definitely a place to visit and enjoy the food and atmosphere. Highly recommend. read more

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We loved this spot. Everything was delicious, the Mac and cheese was not what we expected....but dang yummy.

Pooles is just as good as always every time. The new owners have really done a great job Pooles is still on my top three list for Ellijay. The funny thing is that the Woodfire Pizza is also on my top three list, and that is owned by the new owners of Pooles. Their bbq is the best I've ever had. And they now have pastrami, and it's awesome! read more

Very country atmosphere but awesome bbq! The staff were funny and great. I will definitely be back!

Been a 30-year + customer here and was very disappointed in the service and food quality today. We waited 1.5 hrs to be served after ordering. Not so much as an "I'm so sorry for the wait" or anything. The pulled pork plates were very fatty and just slopped on the tray. Very un-appetizing. New ownership better shape up or this place will be out of business soon! read more

First, I hate to leave a review like this. We have been going here for about 25 years or so. We always stop by on our way to the casino on a Sunday. We arrived on Sunday at about 11am. We ordered ribs, pulled pork and some sides. The ribs and pork were dry and tasted like it was from the day before. The Texas toast was also awful. Not toasted at all. The collard greens were so salty that I couldn't eat them. I gave them back and they gave me black eyed peas and they were hard as rocks. The Brunswick stew was like vegetable soup and had sausage in it. Just awful. We spent $64 for two to eat. Overpriced as well. So sad and we won't be back. Hopefully they make changes for others sake. read more

Fabulous BBQ!! Best BBQ we've had 8n a long time. We tried it all and the meats were smoked to perfection. The sides were very tasty too. Great Service and very friendly staff. High recommend read more

I really wanted to like this place. However, the c food was just not good. We ordered 3 pulled pork sandwiches, they were cold, and the bread was wet. I was the only one in the group to ask for replacement sandwich. Apparently they were getting ready to close two hours early because they were slow and we were just given what was left over and put up for the day. The restaurant looked like what I would think a typical southern barbecue restaurant would look like. Nothing fancy but good enough. All was not lost, though, because although the pulled pork and cole slaw were not good. The beans were fantastic. Maybe I will try them another day when it is not so slow. read more

Outstanding brisket and customer service . Very friendly service and great food. I was worried when it went through a change in ownership but I believe it actually got better. read more

Love this place! I always have good memories coming here with my dad on the ride up to beautiful Elijay! The BBQ is so delicious and the sides all on point! Gotta love the pig car parked out front and all the pig signs on the hill read more

Poole's Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - East Ellijay, Georgia