Anastasha Echavarri
Staff Writer
Po’s Ribs and Barbeque is not your average BBQ restaurant. It is not the traditional baby back rib and peanut gallery that most critically acclaimed barbeque restaurants pride themselves for. However, its smoky barbeque sauces, delicious selection, and integration of eastern-style cuisine make up for this and more in both taste and satisfaction.
Right on the intersection of route 27 and 2-A located in Acton, Massachusetts, Po’s Ribs and Barbeque is located in the area of a small strip mall. Alongside it is a café, a CVS, several appliance stores, and even a few gas stations.
The restaurant is fairly small family-owned business that has moved from place to place throughout the years. The owners last worked at “Ginger Court” up until a year ago. The restaurant was located right outside of Acton Indoor Sports. Due to several reasons, the owners left and came here.
The place itself is homey and comfortable. When you enter you are almost directly seated in one of the many tables scattered throughout the room. The focal point of the restaurant, however, is the large bar that is at the center of the room. A family place, Po’s is a convenient place to come for lunch or to just sit and talk.
The prices at Po’s Ribs and Barbeque vary greatly. The menu consists of several dishes including sandwiches and platters as main entrees, a few soups, some seafood dishes, and sides. The entrées range from prices of $5-15.00 with a guarantee of two sides with each entrée. Extra side dishes cost $3.00 each. The seafood itself cost only up to $10.00, however, and the soups around $4.00.
Main courses consist of several dishes involving pork, chicken, and beef. With beef comes briskets and sandwiches. In order for brisket to be delicious, it must be slowly cooked, allowing for the meat within it to soften up and tenderize. Without a doubt, the beef is fresh, well seasoned, and falls apart in your mouth—obviously slow cooked.
Several options of pork include pulled pork sandwiches, platters, and baby back ribs. The pulled pork is smoky and tender, which goes amazingly well with the various sauces that they provide you with. In many cases good pulled pork is hard to come by because its being smoked leads to dryness or toughness. This entrée, however, was the exact opposite. The baby back ribs were coated in somewhat of the same sauce as the one that the restaurant provides to you at your table. However, there is an added zest to the rub that the ribs have, and the ribs themselves are fresh and extremely juicy.
The pulled chicken sandwiches are made the same way as the pulled pork, except for perhaps a bit more moist because it was cooked for less time, seeing as chicken requires less time to cook. The chicken skewers that are also available are convenient and fun to dip in the sauce, as are the well-seasoned and spicy chicken wings.
The side courses consist of cold noodles, mashed potatoes, french fries, broccoli, baked beans, and green beans. Served with each meal, the sides are all fairly tasty. The french fries are crispy and light—golden brown and good with all entrées. The broccoli is somewhat al dente, however if you like your broccoli on the crisper side then this is the broccoli for you. The cold noodles have a vague taste of cucumber, and contrast greatly with the many savory, salty, and spicy flavors that the rest of the meal offers.
Although not an official entrée, I personally find the chicken wings to be the best dish of the entire restaurant. The wings are very fresh and are full of flavor. Battered and fried to a deep golden brown, they give a noisy crunch when you bite into them, yet remain moist throughout. The pepper flakes and various other spices give the chicken wings a special zest that makes them simply irresistible and leaves you wanting more.
Overall, Po’s Ribs and Barbeque is a diamond in the rough which has yet to be discovered. With fairly reasonable prices and delicious food, those who visit Po’s definitely have something to look forward to. A family place, simple yet inviting, is owned by a family itself that has changed the way that I personally view BBQ restaurants. Although not a traditional barbeque restaurant, Po’s Ribs and Barbeque utilizes a perfect mixture of western and eastern flavors.
