Poor Boys in Kingston upon Thames

Good welcome by friendly staff and a nice atmosphere with great food. What else do you need in a restaurant

Overall was a nice place, the food wasn't as great as I would have expected. The service was better. Loads of flies outside whilst waiting in the queue, not the best of spots.

Best Po’ Boys outside Louisiana!! We were in London on a business trip and decided to give this place a try. Amazing, lots of food and good value as well. It was so good, we took the whole team back the next day and it was thoroughly enjoyed by all!

My partner and I had a long brunch for Mother’s Day and was served by amazing Arla she was so kind and made us laugh she, We had our 12week old daughter with us and got seated at the back of the garden, within minutes Arla was at the table serving us making us laugh and helping us figure out what goodies we wanted to consume. We ordered a total of 8dishes and they was absolutely Devine we had plenty to bring home for sure. I consumed 2 cocktails and my other half had a few beers. I think our favourite bites was definitely the burn ends beef, the brisket doughnuts and those extremely cheesy mac&cheese balls. That pina colada was perfect if I do say so myself!! Arla thank you so much for your time and making us laugh throughout are meal we appreciated it more than you could ever know. Your service was absolutely phenomenal and your kindness will take you far!!

AMAZINGG WENT FOR FIRST TIME TODAY

We got the surf and turf share platter - it really is a generous sharing designed for 4 people. Would be great if they created a smaller version as we chose this to get a feel of all the different meats (and we managed about a quarter of the platter!) Unfortunately most of this platter is deep fried, so there was no coconut shrimp or grilled shrimp. It's a good option if there is a big group. We definitely will be back as it was tasty and we're keen to try the sandwiches teamed with sides and different sauces. Highly recommended the mac and cheese ball and the chips and gravy if you like cheesy, sauce topped chips! Queues long, be prepared to wait but overall the service was good, friendly staff who keep you topped up with water throughout your meal.

Queued at Poor Boy on a Saturday – it’s a popular spot and definitely worth it. Renz is brilliant – always has us laughing and helps us choose when we’re not sure. He brings such great energy every time. Poor Boy wouldn’t be the same without him!

Charles was so brilliant. His recommendations with the food and his personality was 65/10. Thank you Charles

Had a nice meal, loads of fried items, tasty food. Had beef doughnuts and fried chicken… big portions. The milkshake was nice and thick but the caramel flavour was weak. It was a nice lunch, glad I tried it, but it’s not going to become a regular for me. Must add the service is really good and very friendly. The bar stools outside are a bit uncomfortable.

We visited this restaurant two weeks ago and had a great experience. We ordered the platter, which included a mix of meat and seafood—everything was well-cooked and flavorful. The portion size was generous, and the service was excellent. The staff was attentive, and the overall vibe of the place was vibrant and welcoming. Would definitely recommend it for a good meal and a lively dining experience!

Great service as always jalapeño poppers are the best item on the menu. They also offer Student discount!!!

Lovely experience! Great portion sizes! Our host, Arla was amazing and friendly. She was very helpful when we were ordering and was very attentive during our meal! Drinks were ordered straight away, and were on the table within minutes! Arla helped us order our mains and explained the sizes of the portions and what she would recommend! It’s very rare to have such kind waiters who seem to genuinely like helping people and it really did make our experience at poor boys! Amazing customer service 10/10. Also a quick mention for the front of house staff who were seating people! They were both lovely and friendly too and got us a table as quickly as they could!

Really friendly experience here. Staff were friendly, kind and attentive. They gave my toddler colouring, a little vanilla milkshake which was kind. They checked back to see if our food was okay. The food was lovely I’d recommend the jalepino poppers as a starter and the milkshakes. Toilets were clean and there was a baby change. Defo worth a visit.

Banging scran, friendly service, enjoyed sitting outside.

Unplanned visit, Wednesday lunchtime, busy, must be doing something right. Ordered wings and skin on fries with Reaper and Mayo. Excellent service, very helpful. Food turns up, more than enough for two. Did struggle to get through the wings, crispy batter, always the flavour of "flour" comes through. Fries we're good, also very good sized portion. Reaper sauce, ok, spicy but not much else. The Mayo was not to my liking. If u like fried chicken, then this outlet offers very good value. Toilet facilities are limited to two washrooms located on the first floor accessed via a spiral staircase.

Great food and nice portions! The staff were so friendly as well! Will definitely go again!

Can’t decide if the food or service was better!!! Keep doing what you’re doing!

Amazing! Can’t wait to go again!!

2nd time going and will definitely be going again. Amazing food, great staff and atmosphere.

Nice and unique! But be sure to come calorie thrusty!

What a fantastic meal. The food was outstanding, the atmosphere was friendly and welcoming, the service...Off the chart! My waiter/server - Renz - oozed positive vibes and massively contributed to our superb experience. Respect to the Poor Boys team 👊🏿👊🏿

I visited on the 10th of March and my waiter Arla was absolutely amazing. She was hospitable and helped us with anything we needed. I will definitely be coming back!!!!

Lovely staff, terrific food, absolutely delicious Such a nice environment

The servers were really nice, on a Sunday at 3pm there was still a line. The food wasn’t to my taste personally just because of the very thick coating on the chicken and the excessive use of powdered seasonings. The house sauce however were delicious especially the hot sauce and bbq sauce. Ordered the big meat sharing platter and it was huge for 3 of us. They kindly packaged it up to take away our leftovers

Food was stunning. Staff were both excellent and kind. Be aware the queue can reach 45 mins or so as it’s very popular. Worth every second of the wait.

Food maybe slightly over rated. Meat was abit dry and the donuts and twinkies very oily. Its more of a novelty but I don't regret my order. (That might be my high expectations after following on instagram for so long) the shrimp po boy itself was on point though. Staff are great, location is excellent. It's definitely worth a visit if nearby.

Great place to enjoy your Hardy meal with family, friends or colleagues. Highly recommend!!

We came because of the hype. The portions were very generous and the chicken was well cooked but the food was extremely salty which made it hard to appreciate any other seasonings or flavours. Staff were very helpful and friendly. Toilets were few and poorly maintained.

Good food, excellent service. Charlie knows how to look after his customers so props to him 🙌🏿.

100% worth trying great staff & chilled atmosphere 👌🏼

It’s so good you have to wait for it (literally) Only thing I genuinely would complain about is the wait, luckily I was a solo eater so was seated quickly but after ordering still took like 35/40mins for food on a Sunday afternoon. But the food is excellent. Been twice and ordered the seafood platter which I regretted tbf. However the chicken mac and cheese bowl for like £14 was 10/10 it was genuinely unreal.

Really good service, incredible food, big portions and really good amount of choice. Not cheap but worth every penny!

Love coming here! The food is beyond amazing and service is top! Big up Masie for making us feel welcome!

Lovely staff excellent atmosphere

Amazing place and you can see why the hype is there. The meat platter was an insane amount but my favourite was the jalapeno poppers!!

Guilty food but Oh-so-good! Good portion sizes and totally delicious! Unfortunately cannot book in advance of sometimes have to queue, but worth it.

OMG! One of my favorite places in UK. Try the beef brisket donuts, you will never forget them

Food portions are huge, so it’s good value for money. Tasty, but be clear what you’re getting in for - food is deep fried, too salty, too sweet, borderline sickening. Poor ventilation, very stuffy and rather foul and off putting smell inside. If you like fast food and are very hungry you may enjoy it. If you want to feel refreshed, I suggest find somewhere else.

Food is great, for me the ribs and brisket in particular. May seem pricey but portions are good. Eat in would be the best way to enjoy the food but there is always a long wait, hence dropped 2 stars. I suggest the owners to benchmark online queuing tools so the people would walk around and shop instead of waiting in the cold/rain. An example would be Flat Iron’s.

They have amazing food and the serving is really large for just 1 person!

Went there on a lunchtime. There was a small queue outside which moved reasonably quickly. We were greeted by an incredibly friendly, helpful waiter who was attentive throughout. Food came out and was larger than expected - not a bad thing! Beef brisket and chicken wings were especially good, as were the dips - Cajun Mayo in particular. Would definitely go back and try some of the other dishes next time.

amazing waiters food is amazing and very filling always have some too take back

Food and milkshake were amazing! Thank you to Arla who waited on us, super kind and cheerful. We will deffo be coming back!

Looks great on TikTok if you try the entire menu. We had brisket po boy beef dry. Looked oven baked rather than smoked. Kids enjoyed the pop corn chicken. Proper flavour. Wife had chicken and Mac. The Mac was massive and technically not Mac as they use twisty pasta, there was also a lot of pasta and wet Mac sauce. Tasted good first 4 mouthfuls. If I were to go again I’d prob try some of the gimmicky bits. £100 for 4 one course and 4 drinks 😂

Popped in for an impromptu dinner and was not disappointed. A warm welcome and recommendations on what to eat that didn’t disappoint. Delicious,comforting and tasty. So much food it fed us for lunch the next day too:

The food was so delicious I went with my friends and we got served by Charlie, super nice and friendly. The shrimp was so crispy and delicious and the fries were amazing.

Made a trip to poor boys after seeing the food on their tictok channel.... Didn't disappoint. Bikers.... so "parked very close", not sure how easy it would be by car.... Little wait to get seated, quick service, good food, lovely staff. Sat outside loads of little flies and pigeons, so see why people waited for the inside tables. Dread to think of what it's like in the summer. The timed halogen/ir heaters over tables a great touch made the whole experience more enjoyable. Loved it, I know above i've mentioned some things may seem negative. But common sense says you're gonna get flies and pigeons around food outside... If it was local to me, I would undoubtedly be a regular will be going back at some.point

Was excited to come here as a recommendation and with a friend that had been here before, I think we just caught a bad day. Never complain and don’t usually write reviews but wanted to mention some points I thought would help others. I ordered the ‘ice cream float’ for the price I expected more than a plastic disposable coffee cup and the ice cream was all mixed into the drink - that’s not what an ice cream float is and it was tiny, I was actually embarrassed receiving it as thought it was a joke. Doesn’t come in the cups advertised and no ice cream on top or someone just couldn’t be bothered that day. Also the shrimp po boy was so soggy it was a mess and had to use a knife and fork. Service was very average, seems a chore to ask for anything. We would like to go back and order something different and hope it was a one off that day

Aria was so so lovey! great service and a lovely girl! we came for valentines and the food was incredible! cannot wait to have the leftovers later :)

Absolutely loved Poor Boys! The food is tasty, flavorful and the portion sizes are generous. The New Orleans inspired menu brought a unique and delicious twist that really stood out. Great atmosphere and excellent service too! We’ll definitely be back for more! Highly recommend!

Be mindful that you cannot book and you will almost always have to queue but this spot is well worth the wait once you are in. On one occasion I sat outside in light rain to get my munch on! Food is incredible, portions are incredibly generous too so be careful not to over order. Been three times and will definitely be going back. Decent service too - all the waiters and waitresses have a big smile on their face which never goes amiss.

Would recommend poor boys to everyone best food

Recommend the beef brisket doughnuts 🤤

Be prepared for lots of exchanges of wow with each bite, the food here is delicious and the surf sharer was devoured by me and 3 others, all was so good but the Cajun prawns were something else. We wanted it as a starter but we could not manage anything after, they don't scrimp on anything here, quality and quantity is excellent, you will be back, as I will because I need some more dishes. Special mention to the lovely Charlie, fantastic waiter who knew everything about all the diahes, great recommendations and such a breath of fresh air to speak to someone happy in their role and a genuinely, friendly nice person. Hope to see you again soon Charlie and well done Poor Boys 🤌

Food and service is amazing ! Forgot my bag at the restaurant and our very kind server looked after it until the next day. Food is amazing and high quality, especially the shrimp. Wish the ranch was a bit more ranchy (like wingstop ranch). Other than that, cant fault it ! Would be great if they could offer some lobster dishes too ;) Thank you Poor Boys !

Poor boys have cracked the formula of southern food with high turn over of guests. Everything is served in containers you could take away, and there is enough menu overlap that you are not waiting too long for food. This is great if you over order and want to take your food home, and must save on washing up! We were seated upstairs, which is not as buzzing as the downstairs part of the restaurant. Tables pretty sticky. Frozen cocktails good and stay seriously cold. Enjoyed the shrimp po boy and brisket dirty boy. Husband demolished the fried pickles! Picking different sauces for your food is always fun. I'm sure we will be back at some point.

Was it good? Yes. Was the service good? Absolutely. Would I wait that long in a queue again? Probably not

Excellent food good service, think I would have liked the option of a plate and prosecco or wine from a bottle.

Poor Boys Restaurant definitely lives up to the hype when it comes to food. The portions were incredibly generous, and the dishes were bursting with lovely, complex flavours. It's clear the chefs put a lot of care into their food, and I was thoroughly impressed with the quality. The staff were also very friendly and welcoming, which added to the overall positive atmosphere. However, there's one significant factor that unfortunately dampened the experience: the wait. We had to queue outside for a full 90 minutes in the cold, which was a real test of endurance. While the food was ultimately worth it, that long of a wait, especially in unpleasant weather, is a major deterrent. If Poor Boys could find a way to manage their queues more efficiently, it would significantly improve the dining experience. As it stands, be prepared to brave the elements if you're planning a visit, especially during peak hours.

Big portions, excellent service, great vibes

Worth the wait in Queue. Amazing staffs and even more amazing food. Haven’t had anything like the Texan in my life. Big portions which I couldn’t finish so took it home to eat later

An Unforgettable Feast – 10/10! Went to Poor Boys with my partner on Saturday the 1st, and wow—this place exceeded all our expectations! From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere was buzzing, the service was top-tier, and the food… absolutely next level. We both ordered the beef brisket, which was melt-in-your-mouth tender and packed with rich, smoky flavor. My partner had the mac and cheese, and I went with the chips—both were an easy 10/10. The southern slaw? Another flawless 10/10. And then came the brisket doughnuts—hot, tasty, and simply mind-blowing! The onion rings were golden, crispy perfection. A special shoutout to RENZ, who was not only an amazing server but just an all-around great guy. His energy and hospitality made the experience even better. Poor Boys, you amazed us! If you haven’t been here yet, don’t wait—this place is incredible! Highly, highly recommend. 10/10!

Best best best place I have been to for a while. Location: beautiful spot near the water, though a cute alleyway, you can also sit outside where they have heating system Venue: it’s a small place however it gives cosy vibes Service: we had to call someone at first but then as soon as we got served it was good service Food: we had the surf and turn platter and honestly we couldn’t believe our eyes there was so much fooooooood. And the foood was super tasty. It is a mix of fry ups and salad at the bottom with pickles very nice. My all time fav is the corn ribs 😍😍 Drinks : they don’t have hot drinks, milkshakes were nice personally I didn’t like the vanilla it tasted just like mix. But strawberry and Oreo was good and not too sweet Overall we had the best time here with good food and you can take away the food

Came here with my friends! We ended up ordering both starters and mains together… and we didn’t realise how BIG their portion sizes are!! By the end of the meal, we were in FOOD COMA 😋 Since we were so tired of eating, we had to takeaway the rest of it on the go!

Awesome, super tasty, flavourful. And the atmosphere is great. Enjoyable experience

Had seen this on social media and been wanting to go for ages. The food in the photos looks amazing so I was really looking forward to it. Once we got the food it was all heavily battered (more the you would see in a fish and chip shop). All the food tasted the same and was very bland. The only taste was overly used herbs. I was also really unhappy with the lack of sauce in the buns. In the photos they make it look like the food has lots of sauce but it was all dry and I couldn’t even taste the hot sauce on my chicken and it had little mayo. Also ordered the fried pickles which tasted nothing like pickles just bland batter. Considering the amount of people outside I really thought it would be good. We also had to get our own cutlery and our drinks were served in plastic cups and no plates for food.Taking into account the high prices it’s not worth it at all. Better off going to KFC.

Maria was very helpful and always around to take any orders so brilliant service. And food never disappoints, soooooo good.

We had a fantastic meal for our son's birthday. Service was great - really helpful with everything. Thank you.

Brilliant food, great experience! We were served by Charlie who has outstanding customer service skills. He was very welcoming and pleasant to talk to. Please stop by if you’re in the area, solid 10/10 experience. You won’t regret it!

Last year, I had the pleasure of visiting New Orleans and trying a Po'boy sandwich at a restaurant called Mother's. It was the most delicious sandwich I've ever had. Therefore, I anticipated a similar experience when I visited a restaurant called Poor Boys in Kingston, UK. Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed. I believe the restaurant's name is misleading, as the food did not reflect authentic New Orleans cuisine. The bread, meat, and overall flavors were not comparable to what I experienced in New Orleans. This is an honest review from someone familiar with genuine New Orleans food.

Banging,100%recomended we will be back to try more things for sure

Service with a smile and serenity are amongst the great qualities of a meal at Poor Boys!! it was a joy to nip in to the restaurant for a quick lunch while passing through, and be greeted and immediately seated by Milly, who was able to accommodate my needs for a non descript seating area in the vibrant restaurant for me to get on with my work and phone call with a friend. Charlie was especially cheerful and informative on the various menu options and the suitability of my choices for future visits, as well as the quick service from both the kitchen and Sergio's swift and precise service at the bar. Loved it before this visit and will absolutely be returning!

There’s a lady who works here who goes beyond to make sure you are well catered to and happy with your food! Give her a raise!

Food was incredible, atmosphere was amazing but the staff and especially Renz was incredible. What an asset to Poor boys he is. We were a large table celebrating a birthday yet, Renz was super friendly, organised our orders perfectly and clearly knew every item on the menu which was great for us 1st timers!. Massive thank you from us, and we will definitely be back. Thank you again Renz.

Excellent food. Been wanting to try here for a while and it did not disappoint. The beef short rib po boy…! Great service from Maria too who explained the menu and how it all worked.

Was there today and the food and the vibe are amazing and above all, the waitress Mateelda who was very lovely and welcoming

What an incredible restaurant!! Visited for lunch, sat upstairs was a little bit cramped but was very clean. Masie H served us and the customer service was brilliant. They couldn't do enough to help whenever we needed. Looking forward to seeing poorboys at wingfest this summer!

Had this place bookmarked due to the good reviews. Came around for dinner, portions are generous, I'd say 3 different menu items are more than enough for 2 people We were recommended the following: beef brisket donuts & mac & cheese balls. Also ordered the southern fried chicken dirty boy (comes with fries). I'd say out of the 3 things, the beef brisket donuts were the best by far and the most unique. The mac & cheese balls were pretty heavy but my boyfriend liked them. The southern fried chicken was okay but nothing mind blowing. The fries that came with it were too oily and soggy. The sauces were lovely, a good touch for each dish - had bourbon bbq, gravy mayo & Cajun mayo The service was lovely and the restaurant has a nice decor inside

The food is so delicious and love all the sauces! Our waiter was so lovely and friendly. The only downside is everything’s in takeaway dishes makes it awkward to eat

The food was nice and the portions were big. Our experience was good but the queues are big at most times of the day and in all weathers.

Absolutely worth all the hype. If you are near Kingston and you get the chance make the time to visit, you will not be disappointed

The food was so bland just all covered in the same oily batter that has no flavour whatsoever. The cocktails that come in a can were flat and had no fizz and my partners Diet Coke was flat as well. The seafood didn’t taste fresh and it had a bad smell to it so I’m assuming that was another sign of how unfresh it was. Everything was just gross tasting we left really disappointed after spending £70 for bland greasy food. The mac and cheese doesn’t taste cheesy at all, it’s not awful but I wouldn’t call it mac and cheese. The service was great I can’t fault the staff there. Ended up giving most of our food to the pigeons outside atleast they seemed to like it.

The most incredible food you will ever give your tastebuds the honour of enjoying. Truly a one of a kind spot. I think I’d marry the food if I could

Delicious food, especially the grilled and fried chicken, has that comfort feel about it!

Would gladly give the service more stars if I could. Would like to thank Alieah or Arria (I’m so sorry if I have got the spelling of your name wrong!) absolute fantastic waitress and advised on what sauces to have with our mains. A credit to the company. All the staff was extremely polite and friendly. Food was unreal, Couldn’t stop eating but even if you can’t finish it you can take it home with you. Glad we got to the restaurant at 11.30ss am to queue as come 11.45 the queue was massive even for the first week in January! A great experience all round and even more so considering it was mine and my friends first time….

Everything, 5* apart from Renz, who was a solid 10*. Brilliant service and amazing food. Thank you!!

It is a one of a kind resturant, my go to place for seafood. The taste is amazing, the staff is super friendly. I visit at least once a month. SEAFOOD SHARERS a must try.

I would not recommend dining at this establishment due to the poor service I experienced. The waiter was rude, and the service felt rushed, especially considering it was later in the day. I was forced to order quickly, which made the dining experience uncomfortable. Additionally, the chair was wobbly and dangerous, and the auto sphere was subpar. The food was not particularly good, averaging only mediocrity. It could have been better experienced had I received appropriate customer service.

Very disappointed. Ordered 2 x surf n turf , everything came out in Batter, really thick and crispy. Could not taste the fish, chicken . Only the beef was of seasoning. Very dry, no seasoning. Spent 150£ for 4 people.

This was a great find, excellent food, very reasonably priced and fantastic cocktails. Had a frozen long Island ice tea, Cajun fries and a shrimp po boy with Louisiana hot sauce. The bread was soft, the shrimp was crispy, the hot sauce was delicious and the Cajun fries were excellent. It all came very quickly, cooked fresh and the service was friendly and jovial.

The queue for the restaurant was 40 mins+, we returned a few hours later and the queue was just as long if not longer. However, it’s understandable given the restaurants popularity etc. We ended up taking away which had a 45 min wait for collection. When we opened our order, our Po boys were falling apart, the bottom part of the bun was completely soaked through, the Po boys look like they were made rushed and well before the collection time. All rather disappointing as we were really looking forward to our meal, and was the main reason we had gone to Kingston. Not sure if we’d return here again.

Loved it. There are no bookings, so you might have to wait to be seated, but we went on a Saturday evening and didn't queue at all. Firstly, let's not pretend this is anywhere near healthy. Its fried food served in bread with sauce, so those complaining that it's unhealthy clearly haven't understood the assignment. You choose you base - bread, fries, mac and cheese or salad, they choose your topping and finish with your sauce- the whole meal us pick and mix. We ordered 2 po boys, which is the bread version, one buttermilk chicken, and one prawn, which we shared with louisianna hot sauce and blue cheese on the side. Also added one portion of cajun fries to share. The portions are huge, so this was more than enough for 2 people - starters definitely not needed. The chicken sandwich had 4 large tenders in it, while the prawn version contained 8 massive sweet prawns. Each came with lettuce, tomato and gherkins (pickles) Both were super crispy, succulent, and truly delicious, served in a pillowy soft bun. The fries were crispy and spicy with a lovely dirty sauce over the top. All the food was fresh and really hot. Also had 2 pints of goose ipa. I wasn't a fan of the disposable food containers or plastic cups and think this needs addressing, but it makes it very easy for takeaway if you've got leftovers as they just bring you bags and lids and you can request a plate it you want to. There is upstairs seating, too, but it is a spiral staircase, so it's not suitable for everyone, but there is an accessible loo downstairs. I'm really not sure how people are spending £100+ for a meal for 2 unless they seriously over order, ours was a very reasonable £48 for the 2 sandwiches, fries and drinks including 12.5% service - mains are between £13 and £21 each depending on the filling/topping (the short rib is the most expensive with cauliflower being the cheapest), sides start at £4 for plain fries and the beers were £7 a pint. The platters easily serve 4 if not 6 people, so per person, it's really good value (less than £10 per person). I'll definitely return.

A couple months ago my friend and I came to poor boys and not only was the food fantastic, the service was amazing! Scarlet who was so sweet and lovely provided us with incredible service! <3

Great spot for barbecued meats, huge portions and great drinks

Charlie was absolutely amazing, so nice and friendly. Would be better if food is halal. More customers.

Food quality is always great. Can never fault poor boys. I’ve been multiple times and they never fail! Whether it’s takeaway or eat in.

The food was great ! The atmosphere was great ! Arla made the best recommendations. 10/10 would definitely recommend!!

The food was lovely and the waitress that served us was very kind, even let me keep the poor boys cup at the end!!

Arla was an amazing host, it’s been so long since I received hospitality like this. Working in this industry for 25+ years I must say you have a little gem in Arla.. This was a great way to spend my son’s 15th birthday..( party of 7 ) Great food also… Belly FULL😊… Not just a Instagram hype, taste better than it looks👌🏽 Will definitely come back🫡

This was my second time visiting, music really good nice atmosphere and service was amazing. I ordered the chicken sandwich but not fried by accident. Definitely recommend the southern po boy over the second one. The mac and cheese balls were really good (huge) and so were the Philly fries.