Poor Richard’s BBQ & Sauce

First sign of trouble is after arriving, there’s no chimney or smoke from the building of a BBQ joint. Then the smoker sitting on the sidewalk was just for show. Third, 90% of stuff on menu is not available. Forth, the guy goes to the back room with no stove, then I saw him scoop the beans and corn from a plastic container from the refrigerator. Fifth, I got my container of food in a Target bag. Sixth, he charged 18% gratuity and he never left the counter. When I got home, the ribs were tight as a rope and the chicken was yellow and rancid. The corn was sour. I didn’t bother to touch the beans. The food was not made there and it was not barbeque’d. Sketchy. Avoid at all cost!

I am the daughter of Poor Richard and I would like to say that he has not been affiliated with Olas Coffee for over a year. We have asked the Ola’s coffee to remove the Poor Richards BBQ and Sauce sign repeatedly and it has not happened. I am so sorry that anyone has had bad BBQ but I would like to make it clear that it was not Poor Richards BBQ or Sauce. Poor Richard left his relationship with Ola’s coffee after six months and unfortunately they have continued to BBQ under my fathers name.

Yikes, here I am an Elite Unilocaler, and I just drive by this place and stop since I really like BBQ. Did not check out the reviews.
This place is the pits and deserves the Death *1* Star.
Yuk, all I can say. My experience was the same in many ways as the other reviewers. Why didn’t my senses say that at 6pm when I am the only one in the place, this place was NOT good.
Place is a dump with a combo Ola’s teas and BBQ. Go figure. I ordered the ribs/​chicken combo. Ugh. The guy went in the back, and I heard the microwave going. Oh oh! He obviously warmed up some meet cooked who knows when. Ribs were very, very fatty, and chicken was really greasy. I ate the parts I could, and got out of there.
How they stay in business is a mystery to me.
So, warning to all others. This place is really bad.
Note to myself: Check the Unilocal reviews first, dummy!!!

Okay where to begin, OMG this has got to be by far the worst restaurant I have ever been in, my husband is in agreement. No, the worst part is I actually swallowed something from this place. Felt sick, but didn’t actually have to re experience my not so perfect BBQ.. .uhggggggg
Between the coffee bags, target bag lining the garbage can, and shoeless waiter/​cook/​owner??? Not to mention he wrote my order on a piece of torn paper.. . I am totally queasy now :-P. My lunch companion (hubby) drank some Milk of Magnesia, as a preventative measure ;-(
Never again.. . I only gave it one star because zero was not an option!
We need buttons with negative connotations, not just the happy ones. Unfortunately, the Smoke House BBQ, on Capitol Expressway and Story road isn’t that great either, although I haven’t stopped there since they first opened, maybe I’ll give it another try. There is a place in Willow Glenn, Sam’s BBQ, that I would recommend and it has been around for a very long time!

I was leaving the Milpitas Library when I spotted the Poor Richard’s sign. The BBQ location is in the same coffee shop (Ola’s).
Three reasons why I WILL NEVER come back:
1) One guy working (the owner, I guess) took my order, told me it’ll be ready in ten minutes, went into the back room, CLOSED THE DOOR, and PREPARED THE FOOD IN THE BACK ROOM. His back was to me and I couldn’t see any of the food preparation so I already had a bad hunch.
2) After 10 – 15 minutes, he comes back out with the styrofoam container (contained 3 BBQ ribs, a side of potato salad, a side of collard greens and bread for $ 8.99) WITH IT IN A TARGET BAG. I presume it was new but who knows?!?
3) The skeptical me took it back to my parked car and checked the goods. The potato salad and greens looked presentable as did the BBQ. But as I was poking around with my BBQ, I found a hair. And it didn’t even match the owner’s (he had short curly hair, this was a long, straight black one).
That was it. I sealed it back up and dropped it off somewhere so someone who needed something to eat, could.
NEVER, EVER again… will I go here.
NEVER, EVER again… will I cheat on you, Texas Smokehouse.
This establishment should NEVER call themselves a BBQ joint. Doing so would be BLASPHEMY!

Eeek! Tried the BBQ chicken. It was raw. I called «chef» and owner on the telephone. He asked me if I was close by and I said yes. Then he hung up on me.
Greens were okay and beans were beans. How could those be screwed up? «Chef» served me in his socks. That was weird. Bun with meal may have been the best part of the meal.
Place was small and hotter than Hades, with coffee bags all over the walls. No one came in or left while I was there. I should have known better. Kid behind counter was some disinterested slacker (is that an oxymoron).
FWI: Chicken will be cooked at home to complete cooking process. Stomach feeling a little queasy now and I got to wrap this review up.
Yes, the Target bag to carry out the meal is still used, and may be the most bizarre part of the whole experience.

One might be confused if you look up the address to this place, because Ola’s Exotic Coffee coincides with Poor Richard’s. Lo and behold, Ola’s and Poor Richard’s actually shares the same small building. As I was driving down Main Street, looking at my GPS, I was wondering «where the freak am I going?». I see a little sign on the side of the street that said «BBQ something something» and pulled in. Without a
coupon, I would’ve definitely never come here, but like most people say,
is a hit or miss.
What I found weird about the business hours was that it closes at 8:00. There are people who get off work at 7, so what gives? Upon the visit, it all made sense.
The fiancé & I walk inside where the temperature inside was hotter than the weather outside. The restaurant had one of those old school fans on the floor that just hit one person with a slight breeze, so we had to switch seats back and forth.
The food was mediocre at best, but I would rate it a meh. We tried all the meats on their menu — the pork ribs, hot links and BBQ chicken. The sauce in my opinion was too strong and the ribs did not just fall off the bone like what I’m used to. We had the sides of beans (could be from the Pork & Beans can for all we know), corn (could be canned corn for all we know) and greens (which I thought was the best of the sides).
The ambiance was a bit different — we were surrounded by coffee bags from Tanzania, Rwanda, you get the picture… the food was served on plastic plates along with plastic utensils and the garbage can as lined with a Target bag. I was confused as to whether I was at an actual restaurant or in someone’s house. The cashier was also the cook who also probably cleaned the bathroom afterward (which btw reaked of male urine)! The music was a bit odd as well, at first there was ethnic music playing in the background and then all of a sudden (maybe he was trying to make it more «romantic» for us), Nat Cole came on. Bit romantic, eh?
The restaurant is in the sketchy part of Milpitas where you probably won’t want to leave your car overnight. Will I come back? No… but I feel sorry for the poor (no pun intended) restaurant. No one came in or even walked by…