Pok E Jo's - Austin

I ordered the brisket plate with macaroni and cheese and coleslaw Portions were great The brisket was lean and beautiful I'm so glad I stopped in

This place used to be mediocre but reasonably priced. By mediocre I mean the meat is substandard and a brisket sandwich will often be more gristle and fat than meat. The chicken tastes WEIRD. Like, I can't put my finger on it but it ain't right. Probably some grade D fit for dog food chicken if o had to guess. Remember when I said in the first sentence they USED to be reasonably priced? Well they've nearly doubled all of their prices in the last few years while also cutting portion sizes but have been remarkable consistent with the absolute **** meat they serve. I don't know how a place like this has higher prices than boutique bbq joints around town and still remains open without being even close to competitive in quality, but here we are. **** this place.

This BBQ establishment has everything you could want, the best part is, they're good at everything. Brisket, ribs chicken are delicious. Jalapeño cornbread and their Mac cheese is to DIE for. We have gone to them for years for dinner of lunch and loved them so much that we decided to have them cater our wedding (PEJ events) and boy did they deliver. They were the hit of the night, the amount of food provided was outstanding and the quality was just as good. 10/10 would recommend to anyone and everyone.

I visited this restaurant for lunch on a Monday with two colleagues. One of the highlights of this place is that there’s no long line or half-hour wait outside. This is partly because the barbecue, while good, doesn’t quite reach legendary status like some other spots. However, the barbecue is certainly deserving of a wait, although you won’t have to. I appreciate how they serve the food on metal trays with a wide variety of tasty sides. The brisket stands out with a rich, peppery smoke ring. Given the rising prices of barbecue these days, you get a great quality-to-price ratio here. The two-meat plate with a drink will cost about $20 before tip, which is reasonable for a satisfying lunch. The only downside is that the interior, including the floors and restrooms, shows signs of wear. Notably, an H-E-B True Texas Barbecue restaurant will be opening just a block away in August 2024. Check out the photos below.

I used to frequent this restaurant quite a bit before the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020, but I don't plan to return anytime soon. The price for a two-meat plate seems to have increased by about $5, and the portion of meat appears to be smaller than before. The sides that come with the meal are just average. I usually try to avoid fast food, but paying $22 for a simple, casual lunch for one is just too steep. I also noticed that the lunch crowd that used to fill the place is now completely gone. I understand that time has passed and inflation is a factor, but spending over $20 for lunch shouldn't be considered the new normal.