There's no barbecue like Bluegrass barbecue. It's a fact. Sticky and sweet, slow-smoked and fall-off-the-bone tender, Kentucky barbecue is an art form that simply cannot be beat. And we've devised the most delicious Kentucky road trip to prove that Bluegrass barbecue really is the best. Bring your appetite - and wet naps - on the following road trip to seven hole-in-the-wall barbecue restaurants in Kentucky.
Our Kentucky Barbecue Road Trip visits seven of the state's finest BBQ joints, covering 376 miles of pure Bluegrass barbecue bliss! Total trip time is just under seven hours, and we recommend splitting the journey into a long weekend, stopping for the night in lovely Paducah!
View a Google Map for the BBQ restaurants road trip, and a Paducah lodging option if you want to turn this into a multi-day adventure!
Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn
Easily one of the most iconic restaurants in Kentucky, Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn is famous for its barbecue. The mutton, pork, beef, chicken, and ham are tender, juicy, and have the perfect smoky, spicy, tangy flavor that Kentuckians love. The pit masters of Moonlite travel across the U.S., promoting their own special Bluegrass barbecue. While you're there, be sure to order a side of burgoo stew, another speciality at this only-in-Kentucky institution.
Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q
If barbecue chicken is your love language, Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q in Bowling Green will be your happy place. Generous, juicy slabs of chicken are served smoky-sweet and slathered in sauce, with comforting sides like beans and slaw. This is pure barbecue heaven!
Roy's Bar-B-Que
Roy's Bar-B-Que is a place for folks with big, ole appetites. In addition to serving some of the best barbecue chicken around, the Southern-style sides and to-die-for pies make for the kind of down-home dinner dreams are made of!
Hoskins BBQ
Hoskins BBQ is Bluegrass barbecue at its finest, served sky-high on a bun, slathered in sauce, and topped with a slew of 'slaw. Don't skip the slaw... it totally makes this sandwich sing!
Starnes Bar-B-Q
Hailed as the most legendary barbecue in the South, Starnes Bar-B-Q is a Paducah institution that's truly a bucket-list must. Step inside this unassuming blue building and prepare yourself for bold, smoky barbecue (smoked out back, in fact!) smothered in finger-lickin' sauce. Pro tip: buy a bottle (or two... or 10) to take home!
Swaggy P's Kitchen and Coffee Bar
Swaggy P's Kitchen and Coffee Bar is about as unassuming as they come, with a beige building and no-frills menu. But none of that matters, because the barbecue at this Madisonville spot is darn delicious. Piled atop toast with an ice-cold Dr. Pepper on the side, it might just be the best lunch of your life.
Old Hickory Bar-B-Q
Hailed as the "world's best barbecue," Old Hickory Bar-B-Q certainly lives up to this bold claim. This long-time spot has been serving the same, soul-filling, delicious BBQ for generations. The restaurant was named Old Hickory in 1954, thanks to the hickory wood used to create the distinctive BBQ. Not much has changed in terms of the menu at the restaurant, and this family-owned eatery aims to continue the high-quality standards set all those years ago.
There's nothing like Bluegrass barbecue, and we hope you enjoyed each and every stop on this delicious road trip in Kentucky!
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