Pokey’s Bbq & Smokehouse
408 S Douglas Hwy Unit 1, Gillette, WY, 82716
Pokey’s Bbq & Smokehouse Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Gillette for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Gillette for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Gillette for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
408 S Douglas Hwy Unit 1
Gillette, WY, 82716 - Phone (307) 687-7653
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Loud
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
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Jessica H.
A delicious bbq place! We have stopped here a few times when in town from the field. I am a fan of pulled pork and they make some good juicy pork! My mouth waters just thinking about it. And the sweet tea is probably the best tea I have had with the exception of my friend who makes it the southern way. They menu has mostly traditional bbq but on the back it offers alligator, ostrich, and koala (only the ugly ones, they promise). So if your looking for a bite while in Gillette, Pokey's a good place to go. Who knows maybe you can be brave enough any try the koala!
(4)Melissa M.
Wandered in off the interstate and thought the name was hilarious so we gave it a try!! We were so impressed by this place! We had the baby back ribs, pulled pork and a buffalo burger. And every entree was amazing!! The ribs fell off the bone with amazing flavor and the pulled pork was so juicy and tender! Their salad bar is a must have. It has everything possible you could want! If we ever come back through Gillette, Wy we will definitely be back!!
(5)K G.
Second time here. Doubt there will be a third. Food is mediocre as is the price but they do give good portions. Very small crowd, was seated quickly, order taken shortly after being seated but the waitress forgot to bring salad plate and biscuits until I reminded her (when she brought the food.) I will admit that I came in hungry for a salad and ordered with the salad in mind so it irritated me that she forgot the salad plate.
(3)Chris F.
August 4th - dinner with the family Stopped for an early-ish dinner on the way to the west coast. Reasonable quality, reasonable prices, and better than reasonable service. We had burgers, and pulled pork sandwiches. The food was okay... a bit dry for our tastes, but we had good choice in building a meal from a variety of sides. Service was excellent, particularly with the kids.
(3)Phillip H.
This is the best salad bar in town. Did I mention this is the only salad bar in town? Please wait to be seated. Nice policy, works well, customers get seated only at clean tables, servers know who and when is in their section. After standing at the very unattended hostess counter for 10 minutes, "I'm thinking Arby's". Yes Arby's. It was our other choice for lunch today. Cheaper, faster, and do I saw possibly better tasting? Oh no he didn't! Halfway to our destination, Idaho Falls on a mini vacation from Minnesota, you start to crave fresh veggies, the salad bar is what brought us, the best in town, I've heard. Along with your beverage if you choose to have one, is served a basket with some house made potato chips and I'm guessing 1 biscuit per person. We had two and there was two of us, didn't feel like getting clarification on the biscuit policy for my up coming yelp review. A small plastic ramekin of BBQ sauce and some whipped butter for the basket of freebees. Yum! Chip and BBQ sauce! Can life get any better? . Salad bar is adequate. Have you been to Golden Corrall? Yes like that but with less choices, no meat, no soup. $8.99 all you can eat. You have to get a clean plate from your server. Could be a deal breaker if you are in a hurry. There is an option to "make your own chef salad" by purchasing some meat from the kitchen. I choose not to participate in the little game of chance. I already summed up my odds by reading the yelp reviews in the car on the way. Good salad bar, bad bbq was the general consensus. No meat for me today, I'll stick to the already paid for bacos and mushrooms, yeah a vegetarian once told me mushrooms are meat, Technically incorrect, (they are not animal or plant they are a fungus) today they are. What the bleep is this suposed to be? Was possibly overheard as my lunch date's (BBQ) turkey arrived, the dog is going to love it later. It was a turkey breast roast, cooked in the oven and diced small. No bbq, no smoke, no bark, where the rub and the smoke and the juices form that salty crunch that you expect from real bbq, no good. Every table has local advertisements under a clear sheet of plastic. Different on each side, so if you want the full Pokeys experience, you need to switch seats. My favorite was the "Job Hunters". Two ladies in camo. Not sure what they selling. On the way back to 90 we passes a couple of interesting places. One was advertising breasted chicken and looked like an old drive inn, the other authentic mexican, from a food truck with a nice little permanent covered seating area.
(2)Stephen H.
We tried Pokey's opening day about 6 o'clock. Were greeted by a closed sign on the door, something about computer trouble. A couple of weeks later we made it inside. There were two of us and we got two small biscuits. I offhandedly asked about more and was informed they would be extra. The meats we ordered were uniformly lousy, the sides were so small they were almost invisible, i looked for but did'nt find the Del Monte label on the kernel corn or beans. Recently they have some competition in Gillette. Pokey's won't see my face again
(1)Mike N.
Wow, pokeys used to be a pretty decent little place. The rude server and the woman who runs the place gave us dirty looks when we asked for the salad plates and straws that she had forgotten to bring and the food has really gone down in quality. By the way, a chicken leg isn't a bbq sandwich and a chicken fried steak isn't a chicken fried chicken. Sheesh, at least the salad bar wasn't bad.
(1)Eric C.
I am not a big fan of eating ribs at any place but my house because I always get disappointed but not today the all you can eat special is crazy good. Thick slabs that come off the bone and juicy along with the 3 sides of dipping BBQ sauce you cannot go wrong. The waitress was AWESOME friendly and fast. I am coming back tomorrow night to try the gator tail appetizers. I recommend anyone looking for great food at great pricing stop in today. PS you have to try the Cajun cake enough said......
(5)Carroll M.
Here's the thing. At the end of the day, a barbecue place can't be about the salad bar. Sure, the ingredients may have been as varied as they were fresh, which is to say pretty aight. Sure the hostess may have been peppy and the service prompt and cordial. And yes the fried green beans were crispy and dank. But we're not talking about a gastropub here. We talking about barbecue. The pulled pork sandwich was a dry, bland corruption of a classic barbecue dish, a ragged ghost of a glorious dish from some brighter meal on some brighter day. But I'd take an eternity of said pulled pork sandwiches if it meant I never had to have another kielbasa. A soggy, limp undercooked insult to a hungry man seeking to sate his hard earned appetite. The waitress asked if I would like to box up the uneaten, inedible, cruel joke of a sausage. The answer, a resounding "nah"
(2)Crystal S.
From other reviews I was expecting great food. My buffalo burger was dry and tasted like cardboard, I told waitress no onions on my plate at all cause I'm highly allergic burger comes, onions on my plate. I am so disappointed NEVER coming back. You'd think for the price it'd be made right! Only reason it's getting 3stars is my husband loved his pulled pork!
(3)Lisa P.
My boyfriend and I ordered the trio meal for 2- it was $33 if I remember correctly. It comes with a choice of 2 sides and a trip to the salad bar. Like other reviews: food quality is hit or miss. The brisket was super moist and delicious, and the ribs were so dry that I literally spit my mouthful into my napkin after chewing 57 times. Yes, I counted. I wanted to know how long it would take to get down. The pulled pork was super fatty and greasy. So much so that eating it wasn't really enjoyable. We took a couple bites and then boxed the rest for our dog. The beans were ok, I have had better. Cheesy biscuits were super dry and not warm. I feel like they were left out under the warmer and then plated, but didn't retain heat. I'll be back to give them another try, but nothing about this place stands out just yet.
(2)Matt J.
Nice BBQ establishment. They make attempt to have decor, ambience and waitstaff look like it should for local BBQ restaurant. Great place for kids. Salad bar was more than adequate. My brisket platter was cooked properly. Just needed more warming before being served. Excellent BBQ sauce. Sweet. Vinegary. Sides were also adequate. If they fix the warmth of the food probably would rate a true 4 stars or more. I gave 4 stars because probably better than 3 when considering you are in northern plains/Rockies region. My sons Mac and cheese may have been high point of food since it was hot when served.
(4)James G.
Great great BBQ! The sausage links are an odd favorite of mine there. As is their smoked prime rib they do every Tuesday and Friday I believe. Cheap drinks, good atmosphere and service. An awesome family ran original BBQ gem!
(5)Jen R.
We went there two days in a row for lunch and loved it! Two of us got the salad bar the first day with pulled pork & smoked turkey on top & it was great. The other got the bison burger and loved it, the fries are delicious! The next day we got the prime rib sandwich & chopped steak sandwich, again all great picks. The service was great and the place had a really cozy feel to it. Definitely recommend!
(4)Wink W.
I ordered the sliced brisket lunch. Meat was over smoked and dry. Sauce should compliment your meat and not be a necessity to get it down. I ordered a local brew ( black tooth IPA ) and the server brought me an amber and when I questioned her about the keg being swapped, she smelled my beer and told me that it was indeed an IPA and I (super beer nerd) was wrong. I was tempted to have her pour a taster tray of all the Blacktooth beers which are really good, but decided against it.
(2)Nicole B.
Best salad bar ever. Not sure about the other food cause I haven't eatin it. The home chips and BBQ sauce is delicious. And so are their knock off of cheese biscuits. The wings are amazing as Well. And the service is always awesome. My favorite place to eat.
(5)Summer R.
I've eaten here a few times and it's basically so-so. Hit and miss, really. Sometimes the meat is too dry, other times it's almost impressive. The cheesy biscuits are pretty fantastic. The staff have always been friendly and quick when I've been around, though it seems that may be rare. I enjoy a trip up to to salad bar, really the only one Gillette has to offer. There's nothing very fancy offered, but everything always looks and tastes fresh.
(2)Carol W.
We had a party of six on a Friday night. We had to wait about 15 min, the place was busy. I liked the decorations giving it a wild animal atmosphere. Everyone was happy with their food choice. I had pulled pork dinner which included a trip with a small plate to the salad bar. The salad bar was one that had everything i like on it. My dinner had a lot of meat on it, would have been good for leftovers had we not been traveling.
(4)John S.
I wanted to like Pokey's and give it a good review, but what dropped it down was the fattiness and oversmoking on the brisket. Also working against Pokey's was the ill-looking salad bar and the apathetic service. I would be willing to bet that if all of the staff worked hard, the cooks in the kitchen worked hard, and the folks manning the smoker paid more attention, this place would be good. But the inconsistency and apparently lack of effort make the goal of good Q an as-yet unattainable one.
(2)Lucas W.
It's true - the salad bar is excellent. We ordered the Que-for-2. Wow! For $32 we had more than enough food for 4 people - I don't think we ate half. The smoked turkey was delicious, the ribs were falling off the bone, and the corn was the best I've ever had.
(5)Kim K.
Worst BBQ I've probably ever had. The meat was dry and flavorless, the sides were underwhelming, and the salad bar looked unhygienic. The only redeeming thing about this place is their cheesy biscuits. The service was fair, though our waitress was obviously bored out of her mind. Prices are ok, parking is abundant. Still, yuck.
(1)Jo C.
Great BBQ - especially the ribs. Side dishes need some work, they should visit a chain like Jim and Nicks and see how its really done. Moderate on the service side but who in Gillette does a good job here? Some of the girls try hard but the last time we went (last week) we were there for nearly 2 hours and it took 45 minutes to get our food. Unreal. Also, no drink specials to keep us happy while we were waiting.
(4)John B.
The biscuits were great! The sausage was overcooked and I thought the garlic mashed potatoes were bland. Service was great and I enjoyed the atmosphere.
(3)Regina C.
BBQ was very good. Had ribs, brisket and sausage. Meat was cooked very well. Would have given 4 stars but service was not so good. Although the hostess did apologize for the wait. Which gave them 3 from 2 stars. The waitress was very slow and more concerned with her friends that were there than her other customers. Would go back for food but not service.
(3)Greg H.
I was very pleased with the BBQ here. I guess that the owner used to work a local mine, and supplied roasted pheasants and other things to people from there. The demand got so high that he started his own place, and it's apparently been amazing ever since. So, it's a home grown, local operation. The staff is very nice. The owner comes out of the kitchen frequently to check in with customers to make sure that things are tasting as great in a production settings as it did when he was more of a single batch kind of guy. That's pretty awesome to me! I ordered the 3 meat combo with the chipotle bbq sauce. It has enough kick to make you know it's there, even for a hot food lover like myself. It was genuinely some of the best BBQ that I've had over several states in a while, but that could be the Montana deprivation that had set in on me as well. Regardless, I'm sticking to my 4 star approval. I'll hit it again, and you should check it out too!
(4)John C.
I've now ate at Pokey's twice. It is just OK. pulled pork is OK, sausages are pretty awesome, brisket is OK. Nothing to write home about, but so many people out here don't know great BBQ. Service is awful. Set aside 2-3 hours at least to eat, as it will take a solid hour for your food to come out after it has been ordered. Don't expect drink refills, even after asking for another multiple times. Food is awful expensive for a BBQ place, but portions are fairly decent. Pokeys survives because it offers something unique in Gillette. But like so many other restaurants in the town, it wouldn't survive anywhere else with competition. If I were absolutely craving BBQ, then I'd go to Pokey's, but generally the BBQ you can smoke in your backyard, or pork you slow-cook yourself is better.
(2)Dave W.
Wow. Everything went wrong. Service was horrendous, food was gross and cold.... The only good thing was the cheesey biscuits. I had to ask for straws, extra napkins (which never came) walk up and chase down a server to get the check, and chase down another server to take our payment, sign the receipts with our forks because they didn't give us pens! I proudly left a $0 tip. Irritating to even think about the experience.
(1)DesaRay B.
People around here wouldn't know good BBQ if it slapped them in the face. Lol to pricey, not that great.
(2)Alicia H.
Granted I am pregnant so what looked appetizing that day was not very much, but the ribs were a bit too 'gooshie' for me. I did love the biscuits they make though.... and they are unlimited! So I ate my meal worth in them. They have a decent spread for a salad bar too, considering it is Gillette and being 8 months pregnant I was in the top 5 for being the skinniest woman there. I'd go back for the biscuits and the salad.
(3)Miz S.
I saw a really nice full page ad for this place in my hotel book so decided to check it out. The outside has a hilarious giant totem pig (awesome) and inside there was a fire hydrant beer tap dispenser thing and one of those woman's leg in stocking lamps (also awesome), AND there was an animal head on the wall and a sweet glassed in knife collection. Basically, the decor rocked. Sadly, none of my companions ordered the Prime Rib sandwich (the day's special - but if I'm ever in the middle of nowhere again - I'm getting it). I got the brisket with sausage and corn (not on the cob) and french fries (circles of fried thin cut potato). There were three sauces to pick from... some sort of hideous honey sweet blah, mild, and hot. The hot was good (but I wish it was hotter). The brisket was extremely tender and quickly disappeared into my belly. Delish. I also noticed they had WILD CHERRY 7 up on the menu. Ha. I'm pretty sure the sausage was made of pure fat goodness and was extremely bad for your arteries =D For desert, I got a square of rhubarb crumble. It was passable, but I was sad that my waitress took that order so quickly and didn't ask if I wanted ice cream or whipped cream like she did for my table mate that got the pecan pie. (It was also served cold, she could have at least microwaved it). Overall, check it out. Eat, drink, and explode with bbq.
(4)Rogan M.
Pokey's and I are great friends! We started going to Pokey's on a regular basis about a year ago when we first moved to Gillette. One of our good friends was friends with Rick, the owner and one of the nicest guys you will ever meet, and we started coming down a few nights a week to say hi, eat dinner and help out. Rick recently put the place through a makeover and I couldnt' be happier with what they have done. They added some TV's, but not like a normal sports bar where they are everywhere and I don't think they ever have the sound on them, just something to watch if you want. Painted the walls, rearranged the furniture a bit to give it a more inviting feel and the place is great. It's also pretty much the ONLY smoke free place in town, not sure how that is still a problem but apparently it is. But that isn't even the reason we go to Pokey's! Pokey's has the best BBQ you will find anywhere within 1000 miles! The rime rib at Pokey's is hands down the best prime rib I have ever had. If you are a fan of smoked wings definately try those as well, fantastic. And then there is the salad bar, comes with most entrees and is awesome all by itself. Don't forget the homemade potato chips either. In fact you could spend a year of your life at Pokey's and still love it, I know I do!
(5)John M.
We were in Gillette for a couple of days so we checked out Yelp for some dining suggestions. Pokey's was one of the higher rated restaurants and it had been a while since we had BBQ so we thought we would give it a try. The good: The meat was generally tender and juicy with a good Bbq flavor. Sauce wasn't really needed, which is a good thing because you only get a small little container of it. The bad: Well, I guess this isn't really bad, but we did have about a 15 minute wait to get in and this was at about 8:15pm. The wait is a pain, but you generally only have a wait when a place is good. So, this bad isn't really all bad! The ugly: Uggghhh, of course we get seated near screaming kids. We don't have kids and I really can't stand the loud ones. It just grates on my nerves! We probably could have asked to be seated away from the families with kids, but that would have meant a longer wait and we were ready to get back to our room and get some sleep so that wasn't really an option at the time. The food: I had the three meat combo and my wife had the steak fried chicken. The three meats I chose were brisket, ribs and pulled pork. The brisket and pulled pork were very good and very juicy. The ribs were a little dry and a little tough. The flavor was decent though. My wife's chicken was also VERY juicy and she thought it tasted great. Don't bother with getting iced tea. It was sort of strange tasting. Even with the less than stellar ribs, screaming kids, a small wait and bad iced tea, this is a place we will DEFINITELY go back to the next time we are in Gillette! I want to try the ribs again next time. Other reviews said they were great so maybe we got there on a bad rib day.
(4)Sarah C.
I've visited Pokey's 3-to-4 times now while working in Gillette. I like the atmosphere for a BBQ pit place and I really appreciate the salad bar. So far, I have tried their sirloin steak, pulled pork, and pulled chicken. All I thought were well cooked, deliciously seasoned, and a good value. They have a decent selection of draft beers and a good selection of bottled. The dill-cheddar biscuits served at the beginning of each entree are pretty tasty, but definitely calorie loaded! (Butter!) Also, they're fried green tomatoes are some of my favorite from a restaurant, but they could cut them a bit thicker. (Being from the South, I feel qualified to comment on FGTs!) The wait staff range from "spunky" to "unique" to "interesting"- but they take care of their customers and are very cheerful. Overall, Gillette is a better place for having this food venue!
(4)Jeremiah H.
Pokey's is a fantastic southern style smokehouse in a place you'd never expect to see one. And speaking of things you wouldn't expect; when you go, ask about the kangaroo, alligator or smoked bologna. They're not on the menu, yet. But they should be. Instead of bread or tortilla chips before your meal, they bring you seasoned potato chips made in house. If you're looking for three meals in one; order the Loaded Beef Ribs. Or if you're only looking for two meals in one; order anything else from the dinner menu. Pokey's is on the verge of becoming a sports bar that serves delicious food, but Rick, the owner, cares too much about his food to let that transformation take hold. So go and enjoy a game on the flat screens, but don't forget why you're there. They also cater.
(4)Mike W.
The food is great. The price is fair, and the atmosphere is a blast.
(5)Patti G.
I have eaten here a couple of times while working here in Gillette. The food is so-so. Amazed me how little bar-b-que sauce was on my BBQ sandwich. The salad bar is excellent and extensive. Their bisquits are good. The staff is friendly even if they are a little slow. Prices are a bit high for this kind of joint, but it's local and well liked by said locals. I would come back again.
(3)David B.
Was really impressed with the bbq here. Among the best ribs (I had the St Louis style ribs) I've had: meat was about the leanest (ribs) I've had, perfectly tender. The link sausage is also quite good. On the sides: a very nice salad bar, nothing fancy, but very fresh. Did not like the beans (too sweet and pasty), corn was nothing special. Buckets of beer (don't know if it's a happy hour special or what): 4 bottles of standard domestic for $4 (I think), or crafts for $6, yes, in ice in a metal bucket.
(4)John C.
Just got back from trying Pokeys again after swearing it off a couple years ago.I had a gift certificate given to me so couldn't pass up a free meal, plus it's only fair to give a place a second try.My wife and I shared a two item meal, we ordered the ribs and brisket, we were brought the ribs and pulled pork, strike #1.I must admit the ribs were pretty decent and I would eat them again, the pulled pork was very dry and just tasted like smoke, no flavor at all, strike#2.I make pulled pork at least twice a month in our smoker out back and I hate to say it but it blows away the pulled pork we have now had several times from Pokeys.Strike#3 was we both had an empty drink glass pretty much for the duration of the meal, we got asked if we wanted more to drink after we were finished with our meal.Being that the meal was free on a gift certificate we never complained once, but if I had paid that $27 for that meal I would have not been happy at all.
(1)Craig B.
I have eaten at this restaurant several times and each time the service and the food are fantastic. Being from the south, it is the closest thing to home for me. They have excellent food. The new menu is superb with the added feature dishes. I have seen the sheer dedication that Ric puts into each and every customer and their visit. That 's what makes his restaurant different from all of the rest. I will be traveling back to Gillette in a week and I will definitely be partaking in the dining experiences that are at Pokey's and enjoying the food and the great company. i would highly recommend the smoked prime rib, and the St. Louis Ribs. They are fall off the bone good. I also used them for our catering at our project. The service and food were so good, that we used Pokey's exclusively after the first catering. We got such rave reviews from our employees, that it was senseless to use anyone else, especially since the prices were incredibly good.
(5)Denise N.
Eek! Was hoping the food here would at least be average. Unfortunately, it was below that. The salad that came with my flavorless pulled pork acted as a kind of bargaining food, placating my stomach not shut down completely.
(1)Bernie L.
Just got back from Pokey's. The food was delicious. My prime rib melted in my mouth. The ribs, brisket and sausage were also really good. Our waitress was very helpful and attentive. We visit Gillette twice a year and are always looking for good places to eat. Pokey's is one we will eat at again.
(4)Melissa M.
Wandered in off the interstate and thought the name was hilarious so we gave it a try!! We were so impressed by this place! We had the baby back ribs, pulled pork and a buffalo burger. And every entree was amazing!! The ribs fell off the bone with amazing flavor and the pulled pork was so juicy and tender! Their salad bar is a must have. It has everything possible you could want! If we ever come back through Gillette, Wy we will definitely be back!!
(5)Chris F.
August 4th - dinner with the family Stopped for an early-ish dinner on the way to the west coast. Reasonable quality, reasonable prices, and better than reasonable service. We had burgers, and pulled pork sandwiches. The food was okay... a bit dry for our tastes, but we had good choice in building a meal from a variety of sides. Service was excellent, particularly with the kids.
(3)K G.
Second time here. Doubt there will be a third. Food is mediocre as is the price but they do give good portions. Very small crowd, was seated quickly, order taken shortly after being seated but the waitress forgot to bring salad plate and biscuits until I reminded her (when she brought the food.) I will admit that I came in hungry for a salad and ordered with the salad in mind so it irritated me that she forgot the salad plate.
(3)Phillip H.
This is the best salad bar in town. Did I mention this is the only salad bar in town? Please wait to be seated. Nice policy, works well, customers get seated only at clean tables, servers know who and when is in their section. After standing at the very unattended hostess counter for 10 minutes, "I'm thinking Arby's". Yes Arby's. It was our other choice for lunch today. Cheaper, faster, and do I saw possibly better tasting? Oh no he didn't! Halfway to our destination, Idaho Falls on a mini vacation from Minnesota, you start to crave fresh veggies, the salad bar is what brought us, the best in town, I've heard. Along with your beverage if you choose to have one, is served a basket with some house made potato chips and I'm guessing 1 biscuit per person. We had two and there was two of us, didn't feel like getting clarification on the biscuit policy for my up coming yelp review. A small plastic ramekin of BBQ sauce and some whipped butter for the basket of freebees. Yum! Chip and BBQ sauce! Can life get any better? . Salad bar is adequate. Have you been to Golden Corrall? Yes like that but with less choices, no meat, no soup. $8.99 all you can eat. You have to get a clean plate from your server. Could be a deal breaker if you are in a hurry. There is an option to "make your own chef salad" by purchasing some meat from the kitchen. I choose not to participate in the little game of chance. I already summed up my odds by reading the yelp reviews in the car on the way. Good salad bar, bad bbq was the general consensus. No meat for me today, I'll stick to the already paid for bacos and mushrooms, yeah a vegetarian once told me mushrooms are meat, Technically incorrect, (they are not animal or plant they are a fungus) today they are. What the bleep is this suposed to be? Was possibly overheard as my lunch date's (BBQ) turkey arrived, the dog is going to love it later. It was a turkey breast roast, cooked in the oven and diced small. No bbq, no smoke, no bark, where the rub and the smoke and the juices form that salty crunch that you expect from real bbq, no good. Every table has local advertisements under a clear sheet of plastic. Different on each side, so if you want the full Pokeys experience, you need to switch seats. My favorite was the "Job Hunters". Two ladies in camo. Not sure what they selling. On the way back to 90 we passes a couple of interesting places. One was advertising breasted chicken and looked like an old drive inn, the other authentic mexican, from a food truck with a nice little permanent covered seating area.
(2)Stephen H.
We tried Pokey's opening day about 6 o'clock. Were greeted by a closed sign on the door, something about computer trouble. A couple of weeks later we made it inside. There were two of us and we got two small biscuits. I offhandedly asked about more and was informed they would be extra. The meats we ordered were uniformly lousy, the sides were so small they were almost invisible, i looked for but did'nt find the Del Monte label on the kernel corn or beans. Recently they have some competition in Gillette. Pokey's won't see my face again
(1)Mike N.
Wow, pokeys used to be a pretty decent little place. The rude server and the woman who runs the place gave us dirty looks when we asked for the salad plates and straws that she had forgotten to bring and the food has really gone down in quality. By the way, a chicken leg isn't a bbq sandwich and a chicken fried steak isn't a chicken fried chicken. Sheesh, at least the salad bar wasn't bad.
(1)Jessica H.
A delicious bbq place! We have stopped here a few times when in town from the field. I am a fan of pulled pork and they make some good juicy pork! My mouth waters just thinking about it. And the sweet tea is probably the best tea I have had with the exception of my friend who makes it the southern way. They menu has mostly traditional bbq but on the back it offers alligator, ostrich, and koala (only the ugly ones, they promise). So if your looking for a bite while in Gillette, Pokey's a good place to go. Who knows maybe you can be brave enough any try the koala!
(4)Eric C.
I am not a big fan of eating ribs at any place but my house because I always get disappointed but not today the all you can eat special is crazy good. Thick slabs that come off the bone and juicy along with the 3 sides of dipping BBQ sauce you cannot go wrong. The waitress was AWESOME friendly and fast. I am coming back tomorrow night to try the gator tail appetizers. I recommend anyone looking for great food at great pricing stop in today. PS you have to try the Cajun cake enough said......
(5)Carroll M.
Here's the thing. At the end of the day, a barbecue place can't be about the salad bar. Sure, the ingredients may have been as varied as they were fresh, which is to say pretty aight. Sure the hostess may have been peppy and the service prompt and cordial. And yes the fried green beans were crispy and dank. But we're not talking about a gastropub here. We talking about barbecue. The pulled pork sandwich was a dry, bland corruption of a classic barbecue dish, a ragged ghost of a glorious dish from some brighter meal on some brighter day. But I'd take an eternity of said pulled pork sandwiches if it meant I never had to have another kielbasa. A soggy, limp undercooked insult to a hungry man seeking to sate his hard earned appetite. The waitress asked if I would like to box up the uneaten, inedible, cruel joke of a sausage. The answer, a resounding "nah"
(2)Crystal S.
From other reviews I was expecting great food. My buffalo burger was dry and tasted like cardboard, I told waitress no onions on my plate at all cause I'm highly allergic burger comes, onions on my plate. I am so disappointed NEVER coming back. You'd think for the price it'd be made right! Only reason it's getting 3stars is my husband loved his pulled pork!
(3)Lisa P.
My boyfriend and I ordered the trio meal for 2- it was $33 if I remember correctly. It comes with a choice of 2 sides and a trip to the salad bar. Like other reviews: food quality is hit or miss. The brisket was super moist and delicious, and the ribs were so dry that I literally spit my mouthful into my napkin after chewing 57 times. Yes, I counted. I wanted to know how long it would take to get down. The pulled pork was super fatty and greasy. So much so that eating it wasn't really enjoyable. We took a couple bites and then boxed the rest for our dog. The beans were ok, I have had better. Cheesy biscuits were super dry and not warm. I feel like they were left out under the warmer and then plated, but didn't retain heat. I'll be back to give them another try, but nothing about this place stands out just yet.
(2)Matt J.
Nice BBQ establishment. They make attempt to have decor, ambience and waitstaff look like it should for local BBQ restaurant. Great place for kids. Salad bar was more than adequate. My brisket platter was cooked properly. Just needed more warming before being served. Excellent BBQ sauce. Sweet. Vinegary. Sides were also adequate. If they fix the warmth of the food probably would rate a true 4 stars or more. I gave 4 stars because probably better than 3 when considering you are in northern plains/Rockies region. My sons Mac and cheese may have been high point of food since it was hot when served.
(4)James G.
Great great BBQ! The sausage links are an odd favorite of mine there. As is their smoked prime rib they do every Tuesday and Friday I believe. Cheap drinks, good atmosphere and service. An awesome family ran original BBQ gem!
(5)Jen R.
We went there two days in a row for lunch and loved it! Two of us got the salad bar the first day with pulled pork & smoked turkey on top & it was great. The other got the bison burger and loved it, the fries are delicious! The next day we got the prime rib sandwich & chopped steak sandwich, again all great picks. The service was great and the place had a really cozy feel to it. Definitely recommend!
(4)Wink W.
I ordered the sliced brisket lunch. Meat was over smoked and dry. Sauce should compliment your meat and not be a necessity to get it down. I ordered a local brew ( black tooth IPA ) and the server brought me an amber and when I questioned her about the keg being swapped, she smelled my beer and told me that it was indeed an IPA and I (super beer nerd) was wrong. I was tempted to have her pour a taster tray of all the Blacktooth beers which are really good, but decided against it.
(2)Nicole B.
Best salad bar ever. Not sure about the other food cause I haven't eatin it. The home chips and BBQ sauce is delicious. And so are their knock off of cheese biscuits. The wings are amazing as Well. And the service is always awesome. My favorite place to eat.
(5)Summer R.
I've eaten here a few times and it's basically so-so. Hit and miss, really. Sometimes the meat is too dry, other times it's almost impressive. The cheesy biscuits are pretty fantastic. The staff have always been friendly and quick when I've been around, though it seems that may be rare. I enjoy a trip up to to salad bar, really the only one Gillette has to offer. There's nothing very fancy offered, but everything always looks and tastes fresh.
(2)Carol W.
We had a party of six on a Friday night. We had to wait about 15 min, the place was busy. I liked the decorations giving it a wild animal atmosphere. Everyone was happy with their food choice. I had pulled pork dinner which included a trip with a small plate to the salad bar. The salad bar was one that had everything i like on it. My dinner had a lot of meat on it, would have been good for leftovers had we not been traveling.
(4)John S.
I wanted to like Pokey's and give it a good review, but what dropped it down was the fattiness and oversmoking on the brisket. Also working against Pokey's was the ill-looking salad bar and the apathetic service. I would be willing to bet that if all of the staff worked hard, the cooks in the kitchen worked hard, and the folks manning the smoker paid more attention, this place would be good. But the inconsistency and apparently lack of effort make the goal of good Q an as-yet unattainable one.
(2)Lucas W.
It's true - the salad bar is excellent. We ordered the Que-for-2. Wow! For $32 we had more than enough food for 4 people - I don't think we ate half. The smoked turkey was delicious, the ribs were falling off the bone, and the corn was the best I've ever had.
(5)Kim K.
Worst BBQ I've probably ever had. The meat was dry and flavorless, the sides were underwhelming, and the salad bar looked unhygienic. The only redeeming thing about this place is their cheesy biscuits. The service was fair, though our waitress was obviously bored out of her mind. Prices are ok, parking is abundant. Still, yuck.
(1)Jo C.
Great BBQ - especially the ribs. Side dishes need some work, they should visit a chain like Jim and Nicks and see how its really done. Moderate on the service side but who in Gillette does a good job here? Some of the girls try hard but the last time we went (last week) we were there for nearly 2 hours and it took 45 minutes to get our food. Unreal. Also, no drink specials to keep us happy while we were waiting.
(4)John B.
The biscuits were great! The sausage was overcooked and I thought the garlic mashed potatoes were bland. Service was great and I enjoyed the atmosphere.
(3)Regina C.
BBQ was very good. Had ribs, brisket and sausage. Meat was cooked very well. Would have given 4 stars but service was not so good. Although the hostess did apologize for the wait. Which gave them 3 from 2 stars. The waitress was very slow and more concerned with her friends that were there than her other customers. Would go back for food but not service.
(3)Greg H.
I was very pleased with the BBQ here. I guess that the owner used to work a local mine, and supplied roasted pheasants and other things to people from there. The demand got so high that he started his own place, and it's apparently been amazing ever since. So, it's a home grown, local operation. The staff is very nice. The owner comes out of the kitchen frequently to check in with customers to make sure that things are tasting as great in a production settings as it did when he was more of a single batch kind of guy. That's pretty awesome to me! I ordered the 3 meat combo with the chipotle bbq sauce. It has enough kick to make you know it's there, even for a hot food lover like myself. It was genuinely some of the best BBQ that I've had over several states in a while, but that could be the Montana deprivation that had set in on me as well. Regardless, I'm sticking to my 4 star approval. I'll hit it again, and you should check it out too!
(4)John C.
I've now ate at Pokey's twice. It is just OK. pulled pork is OK, sausages are pretty awesome, brisket is OK. Nothing to write home about, but so many people out here don't know great BBQ. Service is awful. Set aside 2-3 hours at least to eat, as it will take a solid hour for your food to come out after it has been ordered. Don't expect drink refills, even after asking for another multiple times. Food is awful expensive for a BBQ place, but portions are fairly decent. Pokeys survives because it offers something unique in Gillette. But like so many other restaurants in the town, it wouldn't survive anywhere else with competition. If I were absolutely craving BBQ, then I'd go to Pokey's, but generally the BBQ you can smoke in your backyard, or pork you slow-cook yourself is better.
(2)Dave W.
Wow. Everything went wrong. Service was horrendous, food was gross and cold.... The only good thing was the cheesey biscuits. I had to ask for straws, extra napkins (which never came) walk up and chase down a server to get the check, and chase down another server to take our payment, sign the receipts with our forks because they didn't give us pens! I proudly left a $0 tip. Irritating to even think about the experience.
(1)DesaRay B.
People around here wouldn't know good BBQ if it slapped them in the face. Lol to pricey, not that great.
(2)Alicia H.
Granted I am pregnant so what looked appetizing that day was not very much, but the ribs were a bit too 'gooshie' for me. I did love the biscuits they make though.... and they are unlimited! So I ate my meal worth in them. They have a decent spread for a salad bar too, considering it is Gillette and being 8 months pregnant I was in the top 5 for being the skinniest woman there. I'd go back for the biscuits and the salad.
(3)Miz S.
I saw a really nice full page ad for this place in my hotel book so decided to check it out. The outside has a hilarious giant totem pig (awesome) and inside there was a fire hydrant beer tap dispenser thing and one of those woman's leg in stocking lamps (also awesome), AND there was an animal head on the wall and a sweet glassed in knife collection. Basically, the decor rocked. Sadly, none of my companions ordered the Prime Rib sandwich (the day's special - but if I'm ever in the middle of nowhere again - I'm getting it). I got the brisket with sausage and corn (not on the cob) and french fries (circles of fried thin cut potato). There were three sauces to pick from... some sort of hideous honey sweet blah, mild, and hot. The hot was good (but I wish it was hotter). The brisket was extremely tender and quickly disappeared into my belly. Delish. I also noticed they had WILD CHERRY 7 up on the menu. Ha. I'm pretty sure the sausage was made of pure fat goodness and was extremely bad for your arteries =D For desert, I got a square of rhubarb crumble. It was passable, but I was sad that my waitress took that order so quickly and didn't ask if I wanted ice cream or whipped cream like she did for my table mate that got the pecan pie. (It was also served cold, she could have at least microwaved it). Overall, check it out. Eat, drink, and explode with bbq.
(4)Rogan M.
Pokey's and I are great friends! We started going to Pokey's on a regular basis about a year ago when we first moved to Gillette. One of our good friends was friends with Rick, the owner and one of the nicest guys you will ever meet, and we started coming down a few nights a week to say hi, eat dinner and help out. Rick recently put the place through a makeover and I couldnt' be happier with what they have done. They added some TV's, but not like a normal sports bar where they are everywhere and I don't think they ever have the sound on them, just something to watch if you want. Painted the walls, rearranged the furniture a bit to give it a more inviting feel and the place is great. It's also pretty much the ONLY smoke free place in town, not sure how that is still a problem but apparently it is. But that isn't even the reason we go to Pokey's! Pokey's has the best BBQ you will find anywhere within 1000 miles! The rime rib at Pokey's is hands down the best prime rib I have ever had. If you are a fan of smoked wings definately try those as well, fantastic. And then there is the salad bar, comes with most entrees and is awesome all by itself. Don't forget the homemade potato chips either. In fact you could spend a year of your life at Pokey's and still love it, I know I do!
(5)Patti G.
I have eaten here a couple of times while working here in Gillette. The food is so-so. Amazed me how little bar-b-que sauce was on my BBQ sandwich. The salad bar is excellent and extensive. Their bisquits are good. The staff is friendly even if they are a little slow. Prices are a bit high for this kind of joint, but it's local and well liked by said locals. I would come back again.
(3)John M.
We were in Gillette for a couple of days so we checked out Yelp for some dining suggestions. Pokey's was one of the higher rated restaurants and it had been a while since we had BBQ so we thought we would give it a try. The good: The meat was generally tender and juicy with a good Bbq flavor. Sauce wasn't really needed, which is a good thing because you only get a small little container of it. The bad: Well, I guess this isn't really bad, but we did have about a 15 minute wait to get in and this was at about 8:15pm. The wait is a pain, but you generally only have a wait when a place is good. So, this bad isn't really all bad! The ugly: Uggghhh, of course we get seated near screaming kids. We don't have kids and I really can't stand the loud ones. It just grates on my nerves! We probably could have asked to be seated away from the families with kids, but that would have meant a longer wait and we were ready to get back to our room and get some sleep so that wasn't really an option at the time. The food: I had the three meat combo and my wife had the steak fried chicken. The three meats I chose were brisket, ribs and pulled pork. The brisket and pulled pork were very good and very juicy. The ribs were a little dry and a little tough. The flavor was decent though. My wife's chicken was also VERY juicy and she thought it tasted great. Don't bother with getting iced tea. It was sort of strange tasting. Even with the less than stellar ribs, screaming kids, a small wait and bad iced tea, this is a place we will DEFINITELY go back to the next time we are in Gillette! I want to try the ribs again next time. Other reviews said they were great so maybe we got there on a bad rib day.
(4)Sarah C.
I've visited Pokey's 3-to-4 times now while working in Gillette. I like the atmosphere for a BBQ pit place and I really appreciate the salad bar. So far, I have tried their sirloin steak, pulled pork, and pulled chicken. All I thought were well cooked, deliciously seasoned, and a good value. They have a decent selection of draft beers and a good selection of bottled. The dill-cheddar biscuits served at the beginning of each entree are pretty tasty, but definitely calorie loaded! (Butter!) Also, they're fried green tomatoes are some of my favorite from a restaurant, but they could cut them a bit thicker. (Being from the South, I feel qualified to comment on FGTs!) The wait staff range from "spunky" to "unique" to "interesting"- but they take care of their customers and are very cheerful. Overall, Gillette is a better place for having this food venue!
(4)Jeremiah H.
Pokey's is a fantastic southern style smokehouse in a place you'd never expect to see one. And speaking of things you wouldn't expect; when you go, ask about the kangaroo, alligator or smoked bologna. They're not on the menu, yet. But they should be. Instead of bread or tortilla chips before your meal, they bring you seasoned potato chips made in house. If you're looking for three meals in one; order the Loaded Beef Ribs. Or if you're only looking for two meals in one; order anything else from the dinner menu. Pokey's is on the verge of becoming a sports bar that serves delicious food, but Rick, the owner, cares too much about his food to let that transformation take hold. So go and enjoy a game on the flat screens, but don't forget why you're there. They also cater.
(4)Mike W.
The food is great. The price is fair, and the atmosphere is a blast.
(5)David B.
Was really impressed with the bbq here. Among the best ribs (I had the St Louis style ribs) I've had: meat was about the leanest (ribs) I've had, perfectly tender. The link sausage is also quite good. On the sides: a very nice salad bar, nothing fancy, but very fresh. Did not like the beans (too sweet and pasty), corn was nothing special. Buckets of beer (don't know if it's a happy hour special or what): 4 bottles of standard domestic for $4 (I think), or crafts for $6, yes, in ice in a metal bucket.
(4)John C.
Just got back from trying Pokeys again after swearing it off a couple years ago.I had a gift certificate given to me so couldn't pass up a free meal, plus it's only fair to give a place a second try.My wife and I shared a two item meal, we ordered the ribs and brisket, we were brought the ribs and pulled pork, strike #1.I must admit the ribs were pretty decent and I would eat them again, the pulled pork was very dry and just tasted like smoke, no flavor at all, strike#2.I make pulled pork at least twice a month in our smoker out back and I hate to say it but it blows away the pulled pork we have now had several times from Pokeys.Strike#3 was we both had an empty drink glass pretty much for the duration of the meal, we got asked if we wanted more to drink after we were finished with our meal.Being that the meal was free on a gift certificate we never complained once, but if I had paid that $27 for that meal I would have not been happy at all.
(1)Craig B.
I have eaten at this restaurant several times and each time the service and the food are fantastic. Being from the south, it is the closest thing to home for me. They have excellent food. The new menu is superb with the added feature dishes. I have seen the sheer dedication that Ric puts into each and every customer and their visit. That 's what makes his restaurant different from all of the rest. I will be traveling back to Gillette in a week and I will definitely be partaking in the dining experiences that are at Pokey's and enjoying the food and the great company. i would highly recommend the smoked prime rib, and the St. Louis Ribs. They are fall off the bone good. I also used them for our catering at our project. The service and food were so good, that we used Pokey's exclusively after the first catering. We got such rave reviews from our employees, that it was senseless to use anyone else, especially since the prices were incredibly good.
(5)Denise N.
Eek! Was hoping the food here would at least be average. Unfortunately, it was below that. The salad that came with my flavorless pulled pork acted as a kind of bargaining food, placating my stomach not shut down completely.
(1)Bernie L.
Just got back from Pokey's. The food was delicious. My prime rib melted in my mouth. The ribs, brisket and sausage were also really good. Our waitress was very helpful and attentive. We visit Gillette twice a year and are always looking for good places to eat. Pokey's is one we will eat at again.
(4)