VINTON, Va. – A brand-new spot in Vinton is offering options to satisfy the entire family.
“It’s home for us. We always wanted to come back.”
Cory Welch is the pitmaster and owner behind Pok-e-Joe’s. This restaurant gained its popularity first in Boonsboro, but it recently added a second location in downtown Vinton.
For Welch, BBQ was a hobby years ago.
“I went from grilling in my 20s to smoking in my 30s. From there, my friends would ask me to do their weddings, and then it became friends of friends wanting me to do their weddings.”
A full-time business was born shortly thereafter. Welch didn’t just want to be a one-trick pony.
“My goal was always to have a true American style BBQ, so that’s why we do a Carolina pork, Texas-style brisket and our ribs are Memphis style.”
Whether it’s a plate or a sandwich, you can’t go wrong with the low-and-slow smoked meat in house.
“Our signature sandwiches are pretty popular. We have the Texas Destroyer.” It’s piled high with beef brisket, onion straws, jalapeños, ‘Q sauce’ and provolone.
Next up are sandwiches like the Dirty Bird and the Messy Pig.
Their oven is perfect for its top selling flatbreads, but the top seller on the menu is actually an appetizer. Let’s be real, though, it could feed more than one person with no problem.
“Our biggest seller is our six-year fries, which is our hand-cut fries, seven ounces of meat of your choice. Then you get queso, red peppers, onions and southwest sauce.”
It’s easy to see why the community continues to support Pok-e-Joe’s - enough to open a second and already-thriving location in a historic building.
“It’s overwhelming sometimes. It’s pretty amazing to know that if you were to ask me ten years ago if I’d be where I am, I’d tell you no way.”
Pok-e-Joe’s is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to Midnight and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Its second location is at 105 E. Washington Ave. in Vinton.
The original shop is in Boonsboro - located at 4925 Boonsboro Rd. Lynchburg, VA. Its hours are Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Thursday-Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.