Yam Yam's Southern Cooking Barbecue

09/02/06

Ribs aren't good

by dmk11 at Citysearch

In search of a good BBQ place in Portland, we decided to try Yam Yam's. We ordered the yam yam's special to try the chicken, bbq pork and bbq beef. The chicken was ok, but the flavor didn't go through it. The BBQ pork ribs were country style and had quite a bit of meat - probably the best of the 3 types of meat. The BBQ beef was chewy and jerky-like with hardly any edible meat. The best thing about the meal is probably the sweet potato fries side which were light and crispy. The service was VERY SLOW - but then again, there's only 1 person working for the whole restaurant during lunch time. He's so busy working back there and the tables didn't get clean up after people leave. Maybe we just came on a bad day or something, but I don't think I'll try again.

PS: I overheard someone asking for a box to-go and he actually charges 50 cents for it!!

PPS: seems like a lot of people order the deep fried catfish, so if you have your heart set on trying this restaurant, you should try that.

• Pros: easy parking
• Cons: BBQ, slow service

08/28/06

Food wasn't fresh

by fungirlpdx06 at Citysearch

I have heard about this place since I moved here. The food wasn't fresh when I went in. It was okay but I will not return. I will just make my own soul food at home.

• Pros: Menu is okay
• Cons: Food wasn't fresh

08/10/06

Dissapointment despite the hype

by grmnthomas at Citysearch

I've heard of this place ever since a few years back when it started and had comercials on a local radio station. From word of mouth, to being chosen as a top bbq joint by the audience and editorials here on cityguide, I was really looking forward to trying it out. Sadly I was really let down when I finally made the trip out there. First off, the place looks very cheap; kind of like a roadside fast food diner with cheap tables, chairs, and dirty floors. For a place with such rave reviews, I was surprised how unkept it was. But, I was aware all the talk of this place was for the ribs and not the atmosphere. To that, it really letdown. As we all know, great ribs should be falling off the bone and easy to eat. The ribs here were overcooked and made for a slightly jerky texture to them. The sauce was just ok. The mac and cheese was cold when it came and tasted bland, which leads to bring up another thing and that is the sllooowww service. There was barely anyone in there when i arrived and it took 45 minutes to get my food. Go figure. The staff looked like they were just going through the motions of the day and there was no trace of all the friendliness I've been hearing about. Despite all the obvious shortcomings, I still gave it a chance because of the main event; the ribs. When that fell through, it made for a live and learn experience not to go there again or recommend to anyone. There are better rib places for the money, save yours for them. Thumbs down here.

• Pros: free water
• Cons: most other things

06/02/06

Authentic, delicious barbecue with all the fixings. Just order it to go.

by Contributor at Citysearch

In Short
The dining room has red and yellow plastic benches and a fast-food style decor. The real draw here is the inexpensive barbecue, slow-smoked and bathed in tangy, spicy-sweet sauce. The menu offers several options, from beef and pork ribs to chicken and shredded pork. For sides, the collard greens are smoky, tender and laced with pieces of pork. There's also fried okra and sweet corn muffins that accompany everything.

01/28/06

Great barbecue; good sides too

by tmancill at Citysearch

We found the staff very friendly and pleasant to talk with while we were waiting for our order to-go. Yam Yam's doesn't have a liquor license, so there's no wine or beer, which is why we opted not to eat there.

It's true that the decor is pretty spartan, but this place is all about the food. The ribs are fantastic - smokey and not too fatty. The sauce is distinctive - flavorful but not overly spicy. The pulled pork is also quite good. The okra is the best I've had since leaving Georgia, the collards were decent, and the yams and the mac & cheese were both great. We also had a giant piece of homemade pound cake for dessert that was good, and would have been perfect with a dollop of whipped cream.

Certainly worth trying. If you're looking for ambiance, consider take out.

• Pros: great BBQ, good sides, ample portions
• Cons: no liquor license

12/26/05

Top 2 in Portland Area!

by Dogbert95 at Citysearch

I don't know what people whine about with Yam Yam's. Everytime I've been there, the guy was nothing but nice and polite. Also, what do you expect for "ambience" in a BBQ joint? You want someone dressed up like Aunt Jemima to come out and entertain you? Geesh! The BBQ is about as good as you can get in the Portland area without doing it yourself. Sure, it might not compare to some places in TX or Georgia or South Carolina.... but it's still good! Especially like all the side dishes. And especially the okra. Do yourself a favor and try this place out. And leave your snooty attitude at home.

• Pros: Good food, Good sides
• Cons: Far from where I live

10/24/05

great surprise

by dwomack at Citysearch

after reading the other reviews, I was a little worried about what I might find when calling for a menu or ideas of what to order. What a surprise to talk with Jackie, who was as helpful as anyone I have ever talked to when not knowing exactly what I wanted to order. She said to call back and she would have some suggestions. I called, and talked with a gentleman that was very helpful. And what a feast!!!!! I was worried about not having ordered enough and we had enough and leftovers for days. The food was great, better than any Texas BBQ. I highly recommend pork ribs and the mac and cheese. food for the soul... thank you Yam Yam I will be back...dawn

• Pros: great sauce
• Cons: far from where I live

09/02/05

Great BBQ, so so service..

by robochef at Citysearch

When you walk in, the place doesn't really scream "Hey stick around and eat a meal". More of "Who are you? Get some food and get out". Which is fine cause the BBQ is freaking awesome. I'd say it is one of the BBQ authorities in Portland. For some reason though NE Portland BBQ joints missed the class on customer service. These people seem almost like they are doing you a favor by serving you.

I don't get it. I have money, we are exchanging goods here. Why so bitter?

• Pros: BBQ, Strawberry Cake
• Cons: Service

06/07/05

Yammy but not Yummy

by jc_crew at Citysearch

This place was appropriately named because their yams are more the star than their BBQ. It could be that we got yesterday's meat, but the chicken, pork and beef ribs were dry and even tasted old. But everything else other than the BBQ were pretty good. We enjoyed the fried catfish and sides like fried okra, yams and sweet potato fries. The pulled pork sandwich was decent as well. If you dine in, don't expect ambience ... but the place does have that mom-and-pop feel and the staff was pretty friendly. Order ahead or you may be in for a wait. Looks as though we're still on a quest trying to find that flavorful, tender, fall-off-the bone stuff.

• Pros: Parking, Good Value

03/15/05

Southern food made the way it should be made!

by ptown17 at Citysearch

What a great place to eat. They give you so much food you can easily split a dinner or lunch item with another person. Great BBQ and sides. Fun friendly staff too!

• Pros: BBQ, Staff, Value