Pooles Bar-B-Q - (Near East Ellijay, GA)

5 /5 Anna Mayes: Got the local chicken bbq plate and a mixed pulled pork and local brisket plate. All the food was good, especially the Mac n cheese. Didn’t realize it was an up-charge for the lean brisket, but worth it to us. Waitress was very nice but seemed to be serving many tables.

5 /5 Matt “GenXBiker”: I only have good things to say about the great time and food we shared at Col. Pooles establishment. The BBQ sauces are made in-house. They obviously took the time to develop sauces and flavors that complement meat, not overwhelm bad meats. We tried the pulled pork and turkey slices, both of which were moist and powerful in their own right. The fondue appetizer was fantastic and will change some of the things we serve when friends come over. The baked beans, banana pudding, and wings were equally well-prepped and so tasty that each could be a stand-alone food. Very sorry they dont have Diet Coke, but the Sugar Waters come in all the other Coke and Dr. Pepper flavors. If you are in the area and want food outside the corporate sugar loaded chemical patties, then make your stop this mom and pop roadside wonder.

5 /5 Lisa Morgan: What a find! This place did not disappoint! Our waitress Felicia was such a sweetheart! Great recommendations! Pulled pork, brisket and ribs were delicious!! Potato salad was yummy!! If youre craving BBQ this is your place!!

5 /5 Snyder Gard “CampingCoastie.com”: I was worried the restaurant would be different with new owners. I am happy to say it is still the same wonderful BBQ joint! Our daughter from Texas was visiting, and we enjoyed a great meal here. We ordered the four meat sampler platter to split. We had pork, chicken, brisket, and ribs. I like the brisket the best, followed by the pork. The fried okra was good, just a little salty. I really liked the beans! Our server took great care of us.

2 /5 Dirk Ebener: Update 8/31/2025 Unfortunately, this visit was extremely disappointing. We were told that the BBQ restaurant changed to the better, which was not the case at all. Therefore, I decided to adjust the rating accordingly. It took 28 minutes to get the food, which by then was still incomplete. The restaurant was about 50% full at 5:00 pm. The food was ok, the service very uncoordinated, with wrong food, small portions, charging for sides extra, when they were supposed to be part of the meal, and toast was left out. Food handling was questionable. The outdoor area was dirty, had not been cleaned or pressure washed in a while. Not a dog friendly environment. Two other people, waiting for their food orders for about 20 minutes, actually cancelled their orders and requested refunds. One person was so frustrated that he just walked out. My personal score is 3.0. ——————————————— I enjoy the character and location of the restaurant. The BBQ is good, well seasoned, and the pulled pork is above average. The coleslaw is excellent, and good portions for the hungry bbq community. Plenty of parking right there. The prices are good for the food quality. The baked beans are supposed to be very good. Service is solid, not at all “close to 5.0”. I personally prefer a location and restaurant like this over a big chain restaurants. My score 4.7