Papa & Ooma's BBQ and CATERING — Local services in Ionia

I was so excited to try this place. I mean being a HUGE advocate and even bigger connasuer of good BBQ is a passion and hobby. I tried following them from the parking lot of Menards to finally getting an opportunity to locate them st their final resting spot across from Ionia Fairgrounds. I FINALLY had time and was so eager to try them. Typically I have to drive all the way to Lowell for Main Street Bbq which is ALWAYS SUPERERB!! I was so elated, I ordered the pulled pork, Brisket, and Ribs combo...some slaw, and baked beans! OMG...ALL OF IT WAS HORRIBLE!! I was so heartbroken. The beans had to be straight out of a can. I asked if the Brisket was sliced...the Woman that was there said "NO...ONLY SHREDDED!!" Who in the HELL on God's Green Earth shreds Brisket!?!? If not to hide how dry and chewy it was. I literally had to remove it from my mouth. Might as well chew on tobacco. The pulled pork was sub-par, but the ribs was the MOST DISSAPOINTING. Not tender, not fall off the bone, not NOTHING!! Barely cooked and might as well chew on shoe leather. The bbq sauce was horrible. I get much better flavor with Sweet Baby Ray's or Open Pit. I told my wife as I was crying over this feast of bbq tragedy and disaster, that I can do 1000 times better just making it from my Pit Boss smoker. My hopes of having a comparable bbq joint like Main Street, or even the local grocery stored pre-packaged ribs (which were 10 tines better) close to home was dashed and ruined. I drive by their stand often and never once decided to try it again. Might as well pull into Burger Kind instead. At least there I know what I'll be getting. My personal opinion...don't waste your time or hard earned money on the worst bbq you...

Let me start by saying I don’t enjoy leaving bad reviews. I always give the benefit of the doubt and give people second chances. Unfortunately, a lot of the time, when you give people a chance for redemption they end up disappointing you again. There are only a couple of reasons I would leave a food establishment a bad review. #1 an unsanitary establishment and #2 false advertising. Cleanliness and food safety are not a joke. You can make someone sick and even kill them. As far as false advertising, I should get what I was told I was paying for. With that being said, I was a regular customer at this establishment because I enjoy BBQ. Specifically, I went to Papa and Ooma’s because they sell burnt ends. They advertise a 1/2 lb of burnt ends for $12. That is pretty steep for 8 oz of meat but it’s not the real issue. The issue here is on every occasion that I purchased various weights of burnt ends, the order was always extremely under weight. I always order the ends to go and when I get home I weigh them. My scale is calibrated perfectly and every time I weighed the meat it was under weight anywhere between 2-4oz. Thats a lot of meat your missing when your only buying 1 lb. So Im paying $24 for 12oz? That is outrageous!! I’ve brought it to they’re attention on every occasion and they apologize, tell me it’s been weighed, and when I get home it’s short again… I was patient and kind every time I spoke with them. I just want what I paid for and nothing less. Sadly, I will not...

Living in the south most of my adulthood, I wondered if while visiting Ionia I would find BBQ on the same plateau. Without question I did - PAPA & OOMA'S BBQ and Catering! From the billboard I ordered chopped chicken, chicken with BBQ sauce and pulled pork. Also as a side I ordered a large Coleslaw. I ordered at around 11:00 and took these to my parents home for our warmup supper meal. The enticing smell of the smoke and BBQ made it a challenge to wait. First, the pulled pork was flavorful, smoked to perfect tenderness but not mushy. Secondly, the BBQ chicken with sauce has a bolder smoke flavor. I like bold flavors and the chicken checks the box. For those who like a milder smoke, the tender chopped chicken allows you to apply as much BBQ sauce as you prefer. Finally, the Coleslaw was freshly made - crisp and flavorful. I didn't know if my mother would like it but when she went back for seconds I knew it passed the test. My photos don't do the BBQ justice. In summary, PAPA & OOMA'S BBQ checked all my southern BBQ boxes!!! Highly recommend and...