One of our favorite things is hearing from our favorite people–our guests in our store and on our catered events! And sometimes, like a proud parent showing you the latest macaroni art masterpiece made by their pre-schooler, we just have to share some of these comments from our customers. Here’s a few:
Alicia S on Yelp:
We were coming in from California looking to host a catered a BBQ for 45 ppl during UT’s graduation weekend. Their online site made it super easy to figure out what we needed. We ordered over the phone & paid when we picked up the order. They had everything ready to go – serving spoons, dinnerware, napkins, cups, ice – and they loaded the boxes of food into the car for me. Nothing spilled! It was expertly packed. They even lined the box of ice with plastic to prevent leaks. We were in and out in under 10 minutes. I wasn’t sure what to expect since I’d never had their food before, but I was pleasantly surprised. The ribs were falling off the bone and the chicken was so tender. I should also say I typically don’t like BBQ but Pok-E-Joe’s was the Graduate’s choice. I especially liked the mac n cheese and the potato salad. This is probably the only potato salad i will ever eat – more mustardy than mayonnaise-y – so sad I can’t get it back in Cali!
Diana on Wedding Wire:
It was a pleasure to work with Jason, Carissa and the catering staff on the day of the wedding. After reviewing the proposal and menu, I requested several adjustments, which Jason was very accommodating about. The meal was very elegant with a Texas hospitality flare. The food was great and plentiful. The prices were reasonable and the service very professional. The quote did not include a service charge or tip. I tipped the catering staff the day of the event. I decided to use PokeJo’s as my wedding catere after securing proposals and menus from many other local ones. I found the best value offered by PokeJo’s. My wedding was mostly DIY. Everything came together beautifully. My menu consisted of the shrimp avocado shooters as appetizer, Brazos salad with spinach, strawberries and pecans, brisket, boneless chicken breast with pineapple salsa, baked potato and green bean casseroles. PokeJo’s provided bread, condiments, iced tea and lemonade. I opted to have them provide ivory linens for my seating tables and decorated with votive candles and mason jar flower center pieces. It looked festive yet elegant and not pretentious. Everything was as promised and I could not be happier!
Via Email:
Yes, I definitely wanted to send a thank you and big shout out to everyone over at Pok-e-Jo’s! We had a wonderful time and the food was AMAZE-BALLS!
Do you have a special event coming up? Maybe a graduation party, or perhaps a company luncheon or get together of a social club? Well hopefully by now you know about the delicious catering that Pok-e-Jo’s has, but did you know that some of our locations also have a private space for your gatherings?
Whether you’re looking for a catered barbecue or fajita buffet in our private room or to go through the restaurant line and have a bigger variety for your party, we have a service style that can fit your needs.
Yes it’s true. If you’re looking in South Austin, our Brodie Oaks location has a party room that seats roughly 30. Call us at 512-440-0447 to inquire about availability.
For those of you in North Austin, come on over to our Parmer Lane spot for your shindig of 40 or less. Call us at 512-491-0434 to inquire about availability.
And if you’re looking for some more northern exposure, why not check out our Round Rock store for a party of roughly 35. Call us at 512-388-7578 to inquire about availability.
Feed Your Family Affair
Everyday, you have to make choices: What to wear? What to eat? Do I have time for breakfast? Which route should I take to work? Should I watch more videos on facebook or get back to work? Do I have time to make dinner tonight or should I just pick something up? What will my family even eat?! When it comes to what to eat for lunch and dinner, your choice has never been easier with Pok-e-Jo’s!
In addition to the great sandwiches, plates and specials that Pok-e-Jo’s offers everyday in our stores, we also offer family style packages designed to feed anywhere from a group of 3 to a hungry dozen available for pickup or dine in at any of our locations! Our packages include The Original Family Pack, The 5 Pack and the Big Deal, each includes meat, sides, sauce, bread, and condiments for your group that you can order and pickup same day
The Original Pack is designed to feed 3-4 people that includes 1 ½ pounds of any smoked meat on our menu, split up anyway you’d like, 3 pint sized side dishes of your choice, BBQ sauce, white or wheat bread or Texas Toast is also available.
The 5 Pack, as you may have already guessed, is a package made for 5, possibly 6, people that includes 2 ½ pounds of your choice of smoked meat, 4 pint sized side dishes of your choice, more BBQ sauce, bread and condiments.
The Big Deal is our largest family package that is designed to feed 10-12 adults who are ready to chow down. With 5 pounds of smoked meat, split any way you’d like, 4 quarts of sides, even more BBQ sauce, bread and condiments…it’s kind of a big deal.
With all of these packages, you’ll be able to feed any size group at a moment’s notice so the only choice you’ll have to make is “Do I wanna order order enough to have leftovers?”
But we are also in Austin, and that means that when you’re feeding a large group, some of those people are going to need something other than some delicious smoked meats, and some can’t have the bread that goes along with it. That’s right, we’re talking about vegetarians and gluten free folks. And even if we are a meat company, we welcome you at our events, herbivores. Come on over to our buffet, gluten-be-goners. We’re going to take care of you.
Our most popular vegetarian entree item is our smoked veggie skewers (pictured above). These are seasonal vegetables that we skewer up, marinate, and smoke until they’re so tasty that your meat eaters will be trying to swipe them. We often do these as a straight swap for the meat portion for your vegetarian guests, making it really easy to get your order in. Just tell us how many people in your group are vegetarians, and we take it from there.
Want to go a different direction than the skewers for your vegetarians? We can hit you with our house made quinoa salad. This item has been a favorite on weddings and full service events, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it for your office. Just make the request when you place your order and you’ll see why we’re so proud of this one.
Want to do salads for your vegetarians? We got you. How about baked potatoes? Sure thing. They just want a bunch of our sides? We don’t blame them, they’re great. The point is, vegetarians have options with us. And we’re a BBQ place. Boom.
If you have gluten free members of your crowd, we make things easy on you too. Our meats are gluten free, our BBQ sauce is gluten free, and 7 of our 13 sides are gluten free, so you have lots of great options to keep your gluten free friends/co-workers/guests fed and happy.
We just want you to remember, no matter the diet restrictions you have in your group, we can help you out, and make it easy on you to boot! No need to call multiple places and deal with multiple vendors; Pok-e-Jo’s is here for you, vegetarians, those who are gluten free.
12 THINGS YOU HAVE TIME TO DO WHEN YOU ORDER POK-E-JO’S CATERING
12. Read the first chapter of War and Peace and then download the Cliffnotes version
11. Work on your dance moves
10. Build that IKEA furniture you bought 3 months ago
9. Grow out your moustache?
8. Do some Pok-e-Fit workouts
7. Take a power nap, you deserve it
6. Listen to the entire “Thriller” album. Twice.
5. Fill out your TPS report (don’t forget to use the new cover sheets)
4. Get a head start on dinner and order a Pok-e-Jo’s family pack for a 6 o’clock pick up
3. Watch Smokey and the Bandit
2. Look at roughly 1800 hilarious cat pictures
1. Worry about anything else but the food–because we’ve got you covered
That’s right everyone. The company that has always been #1 in your hearts is actually the #1 BBQ caterer here in Central Texas! And, in case you were wondering, #1 when you google “bbq catering austin TX” 🙂
Catering means different things to different people, and at Pok-e-Jo’s, catering means… a lot of different things. It can mean picking up food at one of our stores. It can mean we deliver and set up a buffet for you. Our staff could be on site to give you the “full service” experience. We can even class it up for a wedding, banquet, or upscale event.
While we do offer different menus for catering, what we’re most known for are our BBQ packages, and if you remember one word when you think of our catering, we want it to be this: Easy. With our BBQ packages, picking out your menu is nice and easy. Pick two or three meats. That’s right, any two or three meats on our menu. Pick three sides. We don’t limit you to just the classics potato salad, coleslaw, and beans (admittedly, with all these options it can be tough to narrow it down to just three sides). Then we include some of our home-brewed iced tea to wash it all down, cookies for dessert (ask about our peach cobbler, too), and all the stuff that tastes good with BBQ. That would be pickles, onions, jalapenos, and bread to those that may be BBQ newbies. With all of these delicious foods and tasty beverages you might think “what am i gonna put all in this in or serve it on?” Don’t fret partner, we have you covered there too. Every Pok-e-Jo’s catering package comes with plenty of plates, cups, eating ware, and serving ware to serve your entire group. You provide the people, and we’ll do the rest!
We also make it easy to order when you call our catering hotline. You’re not going to get someone who is doing three things at once; we have dedicated catering staff ready to answer your call, answer your questions, and help you pick out the food that’s best for your group. Is the event a potluck you’re providing meat for? Are you feeding “ballerinas or linebackers”? Are you just looking for sides? We know there are a lot of variables that go into feeding a group, and we can help you work through all of them.
Hey there sports fans. Or commercial fans, we won’t judge. Really, as long as you’re fans of barbecue, you’re good in our book. The Super Bowl is just around the corner, and you know what that means…… well it means something. What’s important though, is that Pok-e-Jo’s is always serving up those fan-favorite football finger foods. (Try saying THAT 5 times fast!)
Whether you are throwing down the full BBQ buffet, or just need some Mac n Cheese for that pot luck you forgot to make something for, Pok-e-Jo’s is here for you. Call us early or place an order online to guarantee you get what you want, and we will see you this Sunday!
Gift Cards: Even Better Than the Jelly of the Month Club
\Finding the right gift can always be a challenge. Having received more than my fair share of socks in my days, I can personally attest to this. But have no fear, Christmas shoppers, You live in Central Texas, which means that the person you’re buying a gift for loves BBQ. It’s written in the contract we all sign when we take up residence here. So to buy that perfect gift, you don’t have to think any more, or even leave that chair you’re sitting in. Because Pok-e-Jo’s gift cards aren’t just available in our stores, you can get them online too. I know what you’re thinking; it’s like Christmas come early. I mean, not that early, because it is December, but at least a little early. Anyway, trust us, they’ll love it. And this gift never gets old. Because Pok-e-Jo’s gift cards never expire.
As we all know, BBQ can mean many different things to a lot of different people, mostly based on where you live and here in Texas, BBQ means brisket. While brisket is undoubtedly delicious and the state meat of Texas, Pok-e-Jo’s offers a wide variety of meats to choose from in addition to the classic, namely our smoked pork loin. Many might remember this as a staple of our menu before we made it our special on Wednesdays, what many don’t know, sadly, is just how delicious our pork loin can be! One guest was lucky enough to find out just last week and now we’re gonna share their story so you too can know the power and appeal of pork loin.
Almost every Wednesday evening, John Smith (names have been changed to protect the innocent) came to the Pok-e-Jo’s store located in the Great Hills shopping center to buy a Sliced Brisket plate because that was the special on Wednesdays, it was discounted from the regular menu price and also, John loved smoked brisket. This night however, John Smith was in for a unexpectedly delicious surprise for a few weeks prior, the special for Wednesdays had been changed to the Pork Loin plate. Upon realizing this change John had said, in a completely understandable huff, “I came here for brisket and now y’all aren’t serving it as a special?! This is terrible!” Of course, we at Pok-e-Jo’s understand that this was both surprising and disappointing for Mr. Smith and he was given a sliced beef plate at the special plate price however, we also saw this as an opportunity to introduce Mr. Smith to a new menu item that he might like, enjoy even, and so with his plate was given a sample of the pork loin and we sent him on his way.
Almost 30 minutes later, John Smith stood up from his table, walked over to the manager of the store and said “That pork loin was amazing! I didn’t know pig could taste so good, save for bacon! Thank you for offering me that, I now have a new meat to compete with brisket!” And with that, John Smith left Pok-e-Jo’s a new man, a changed man, we’d like to think a better man for he now knew the joy that we in the company have known for quite a while: Pok-e-Jo’s pork loin is the best smoked meat you may have never had but you can fix that any Wednesday of the month, so grab a friend on hump day and Come and Get It!
