Matthew B.
Yelp
The Pork Shoulder at Pollards is very good. The texture is right, with just a hint of smoke. I ordered the regular sauce, and it was very mild. I'd recommend the Hot BBQ Sauce.
As part of my Pork Duo plate, they added Ribs to my plate along with Beans and Potato Salad. The Beans were very good--- a little bit sweet and mild for my taste, but had bits of pork shoulder in them that shows Pollards is doing more than dumping beans in a pan and heating them up. The Potato Salad was the typical Memphis Potato Salad found in BBQ joints--- Mustard/Mayo with pickle and pimento. This seems to be what is expected by many BBQ fans, and this version is tangier than most.
The Ribs were 3 1/2 down Spareribs and were average. This cut of rib is an economical one, and a lot of BBQ places use this basic rib cut. The meat was tender, but the meat didn't pull away clean from the bone. The mild sauce was very mild, but flavorful. In comparison to the Shoulder meat, they fell short of expectations. I think a better cut of Rib might help improve this part of the menu.
The restaurant itself really threw me for a curve. I've been in almost every BBQ joint in Memphis, and I've never seen anything like this place. I like the color green, but I don't need three shades of green in contrasting blocks to go with the floral tablecloths covered by laminate. I felt like I was in the Pottery Barn. I kept looking over my shoulder for somebody to put out throw pillows in my booth.
Then I saw the explanation on the counter---- an article from the Commercial Appeal stating that Pollards had been "decorated" by that idiot on "Restaurant Impossible". I almost laughed when the realization set in. Pollards looks like a BBQ place from the street, but the inside looks wrong for a Memphis Barbecue place.
"I'd like a Feng Shui Pork with a side of Pretentiousness". The tourists from Graceland are going to love this one!
The Pollards are very nice people, and their food is above-average for Memphis BBQ. That is a compliment coming from me. I will be going back soon to try their Beef BBQ, and their BBQ Spaghetti.
Get the Hot BBQ sauce--- the mild stuff must be made to suit the tourists up the street.