Poppa's Finest Bar-B-Que — Restaurant in Georgia

My wife and I stopped at Poppa's for lunch on 6/10/16 based on the reviews here. We both ordered the BBQ plate and I'm sorry to say it was the worst BBQ either of us can ever recall eating. First clue of a potential problem was there were no BBQ-type aromas when we walked into this small place. It is a counter order place with limited seating (which we don't mind) and our food was brought to our table without delay. The chopped pork was lukewarm, had a yellowish tint and was drizzled with a minimum amount of sauce which didn't disguise the bland taste of the meat. We really believed it had come from long term refrigerator storage, but in any case, was definitely not fresh. The beans were straight from some can of generic pork and beans without any attempt to enhance them BBQ style or otherwise improve their lot. The coleslaw also appeared to have come out of a bag from some big box store. My wife was unable to eat her pork and I needed more sauce to eat most of mine. I went to the counter for more sauce as none was offered on the tables and saw only some very small plastic containers of sauce being sold for 25 cents. Despite the counter person knowing that we were eating in, and to my chagrin, she took my quarter for the additional sauce without comment. I was piqued when shortly afterward she brought complementary bottles of extra sauce to other diners at a table near us. This is the first time I have ever submitted a restaurant review but feel it necessary for the exceptionally poor food at this...

We were recommended this place by a local and WOW! I don’t know how they put their flavors together, but it was brilliant. The ribs are tender, and they fall right off the bone. The fat was perfectly rendered, but have that beautiful crust. The rub was savory and Smokey, not overpowering, but perfect. And the BBQ sauce was sweet and vinegary (again, not in an overpowering way) and when you put the sauce and ribs together it was a beautiful marriage. They were definitely made for each other. And the flavor combos kept your taste buds entertained. The sides were delicious as well. But the best part was the customer service. They are so sweet. We enjoyed our experience too much to get a picture. Just go look at their website, the pictures are accurate. We will have to find a way back to try the chicken and...

In my search for good barbecue, I found myself at this Thomson restaurant. The food was okay, but my concern was in regards to the process by which they were smoking their meats.

As I understand it, they often use old wooden pallets as their wood of choice for smoking, and I've seen stacks of old wood pallets behind the place so it seems reasonable. There are a lot of hardwoods used to construct some pallets, so it seems like a good fit to reclaim that wood.

However, my problem with that (if that's what they're in fact doing), is that pallets are often sprayed with wood preservatives to keep the pallets from rotting, and pest repellents to keep termites and carpenter ants away...

Okay, enough said about that. I cannot in good conscience return...