Yam Yam's Southern Cooking Barbecue

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

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

09/30/04

great bbq!!

by darlingnicky70 at Citysearch

i live in the area of yam yams and i always enjoy the food there. i must say, though, that the service is extremely rude. we always order food to go over the phone and there is one man in particular who takes our calls who is snappy, condescending and downright rude. in fact, i had called there about a year ago to order lots of ribs for a small gathering i was having at my house, we ordered about five full racks of ribs. the bill was over $100. when i inquired of this man about how many ribs this was total, he actually yelled at me over the phone, calling me a name and mumbling something about math. maybe it's just me, but i don't think that's any way to treat a customer.

07/25/02

I agree - Yum Yum's!!

by Girlie at Citysearch

Ok, the food is delicious. If you don't like it - take your trendy ass back to the Delta. Every time I come to Yam Yam's the man that takes the order is super nice and makes suggestions (that are always yummy.) I don't know what you would like to be better - this food is perfect.

• Pros: Cheap, delicious, good portions
• Cons: A little far out