What is Lexington’s favorite barbecue joint? Readers weighed in. Here’s their pick
Though Southern Living recently named an Owensboro restaurant among the best barbecue offerings in the South, Lexington residents may not have to travel that far to find a good bite.
In a Sept. 12 article featuring the top 50 barbecue joints in the South, Southern Living moved Old Hickory Bar-B-Que, located at 338 Washington Ave. in Owensboro, up four spots in the rankings this year to No. 24. The joint offers many staples beloved by barbecue fiends, like mutton and pork, along with soups, Southern sides and plenty of pie.
But Lexington has several acclaimed barbecue offerings, itself: Blue Door Smokehouse, J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar, Red State BBQ and Proud Mary BBQ.
We asked readers to weigh on their top pick for barbecue around Lexington, and as of noon Monday, Blue Door Smokehouse has proven the most popular.
In an email Tuesday, Blue Door co-founder Jeff Newman said the restaurant was “thrilled to be such a crowd favorite.”
“We have just passed our 9 1/2 year anniversary and the community has been very supportive over the years,” Newman wrote. “We have won many awards and accolades, which we love, but our real joy comes with the support and kind words from the community.”
Southern Living names this Kentucky barbecue joint among the best in the South, again
Blue Door, located at 226 Walton Ave., earned so many positive reviews on travel site Trip Advisor, it was named among the best BBQ restaurants in the country in 2021. The joint offers its barbecue “smoked fresh daily” until close or until it sells out. You can order it in the form of plates, combo plates, sandwiches and more.
Online ordering and catering is available.
As for the best barbecue in town, here are the poll results, as of noon Monday:
Blue Door Smokehouse: 180 votes, or 68%
Red State BBQ: 62 votes, or 23%
J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar: 19 votes, or 7%
Proud Mary BBQ: 4 votes, or 2%
The results aren’t scientific, this poll was just for fun and a means to highlight local businesses.
We left the poll open, so if you didn’t get the chance to cast your vote, you can do so by visiting the original polling story here.
Let’s settle this: Which Lexington joint has the best barbecue? Vote now in our poll
This story was updated at 11:36 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 19 to include a comment from a restaurant representative.
Do you have a poll idea you would like to see from the Herald-Leader? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.
