This is the closest place to get something to eat to the Twin Knobs campground so my review is slightly slanted in their favor. There is shaded and sunny seating areas outside and table service once you have made up your mind. They brought out water for the pups which was nice. We shared a 3 meat platter for the very reasonable price of $18. The brisket was tasty but cut strangely. The pulled pork was good and a huge portion, and the baby backs were the best thing I tried. They had a sweet sticky sauce and came off the bone nicely. The rest of the sides were also good. Nothing spectacular but I have nothing negative to say. We came here after the summer boating season was over so the ice cream pickings were limited. Our server was Lexie and she was sweet. Another employee also tended to us a bit and he was very helpful. So if you are in the area and need a sturdy meal, stop in. read more

Pop's Southern Style Barbeque - 3 meat with fried green tomatoes and cheesy potatoes. - American Near Me - Morehead, Kentucky

See all

Excellent service. Amazing brisket. turkey was the moist juicy i have eaten in my life. We got it for the dogs while we ate but we ended up splitting it with them. And the honey mustard top notch. Fried green tomatoes weren't beautiful looking but flavor was 5*. read more

Ordered 6 of the smoked pork sandwiches and fries to go. Amazing value and so delicious!

Local favorite! Boaters, campers, and residents flock to Pops. It's opening signals summer is coming soon! Great BBQ and other home cooked favorites (fried green tomatoes, catfish, etc) grace the menu. Not too long ago, they were finally able to add adult beverages (as well as a liquor store next door) . Offering inside and patio seating to suit your summer mood. The setting has a classic small town-lake feel. Always great service! read more

The food is out of this world. If you are in the area you must stop by and eat here. Get their baked beans!!!! read more

See all

Well first of all we did a carry out order. We got no sides. I had 2 orders of French fries and an extra side of mac and cheese and they are not in the bag but clearly stated on the receipt I paid for! Now they won't answer the phone! read more

Well, started off fine. Got cheese sticks as an appetizer, and they were great. I ordered pulled pork with sides of baked beans and cheesy potatoes. The pulled pork looked awful, and it had a smell and aftertaste of dog food. The cheesy potatoes were probably fine, but my appetite was already ruined from the pulled pork. The beans were alright, but they tasted kind of funky. The people I was with got burgers and brisket, which they thought were fine, but don't get the pulled pork. read more

Stopped by this gem today, what a cute place, awesome vibes, awesome food and awesome service... you have to check it out!!! Had the catfish, coleslaw, fries, cheeseburger, and brisket club, baked beans... ALL so good, we cleaned our plates!!! No room for a shake but I hear they are so good. Try it!!! read more

Pop's Southern Style Barbeque - Pop's Southern Style BBQ ... YUM!!! - American Near Me - Morehead, Kentucky

See all

This is a 10/10 place. Ribs were so fall off the bone you could eat them without teeth. Followed by the chocolate milkshake which tastes like Jesus met a cow and shook that milk. Service was spectacular and atmosphere was great, loved eating my food next to the Kentucky record musky. Would recommend to many friends read more

I've been here a handful of times now and it's became a MUST do when in Morehead. I crave this place a lot when I'm at home. A rustic BBQ spot that has indoor and outdoor seating and great customer service. Avoid peak dinner/lunch times to avoid the rush! This place gets PACKED during those times. I've had several things on their menu and I've never been dissatisfied. The breaded pickles are immaculate. THE BEST fried pickles I've ever had. They're so crispy, light and not greasy like lots of other restaurants. The breading is flavored perfectly as well. The pork ranch fries are amazing as well! They're great for an appetizer or to get with a sandwich. This past weekend I got a special they offered: Philly Cheese Steak sandwich with Mac n Cheese! The Mac was great, super creamy and delicious. The Philly sandwich was also really good! I would definitely get it again. I never know what to choose when I go here because there's so many great options available. Memaw's liquor is a new addition right next to the restaurant. They have several different alcohol options including several exclusive, hard to find bourbons. As well as ice cream and various other items. I left with a bottle of the recent batch of Bookers! All in all -- a great spot in Morehead. A place I look forward to going every time I'm down there. If you're thinking about going, give it a try for sure! read more

See all

I really wanted to like this place. We stopped in here to take a break from our travels. There were only a few other diners when we arrived. We walked inside and were told to seat ourselves. We proceeded to wait almost 15 min before a server greeted us at the table, despite a few leisurely hanging out at the door taking selfies. By the time our waitress came to our table, we were ready to order while placing our drink order. At this time, another couple sat at the booth next to us. We didn't order anything fancy, just a couple waters, a turkey club, and a pulled pork sandwich. The couple that came in after us were able to be waited on, served, paid their ticket, leave, and their table was cleaned all before we received our order. When it finally arrived, it seemed to have been rushed together, despite the long wait time. The turkey was piled in the middle, leaving just bread on each end. The bread was super greasy and hard and had been sitting long enough that it was cool to the touch. Our pulled pork sandwich was missing... the bread! ‍ Once again we had to waive down a server to ask for the bread for the sandwich we ordered. The sign out front advertised milkshakes and hand dipped ice cream yet when we asked to order some we were told we would have to go to a liquor store next door if we wanted ice cream. With all of that aside, the turkey club was not good and the pork was mediocre. Again, I really wanted to like this place, but it was just one let down after another. read more

Pop's Southern Style Barbeque - Pulled pork sandwich (they forgot the bun) - American Near Me - Morehead, Kentucky

See all

This place USED to be good. It has went downhill! Ordered blackened mahi fish on a hoagie. The fish was overcooked and nearly burnt on the bottom. The hoagie taste as if it was soaked in oil. My beans literally had little to NO beans. Notice the 2 big pieces of fat on the side. I won't be going back. And portions have gotten extremely small! DISAPPOINTING! 2 sandwiches, 2 sides, 2 waters for $28! read more

See all

We stopped in this evening around 7:10pm. We were told to sit wherever we wanted, and someone would be with us shortly. We waited and no one came. A couple of servers walked past and looked at us, but no one came to take our order or drink order. We waited 10 minutes. They were not busy. There was one customer inside besides us and 3 or 4 outside. I do not recommend and will not be back. read more

Food is always delicious and place has a great vibe. Close the lake and super menu choices, staff is nice and attentive. Would definitely recommend read more

Okay, okay, so it's not a barbecue sandwich, but is the best darn smoked bologna in all of EKy! It's so thick, you may get TMJ (the meat jitters) from eating it! It's totes worth the risk! And while I was too late in the day to land the fried tomatoes as a side , their mushrooms were a great consolation offering delicious crispy bits to savor! read more

Pop's Southern Style Barbeque - Smoked bologna sandwich with cheese - American Near Me - Morehead, Kentucky

See all

Quick jaunt of I-64, if you have not visited this gem you are missing out. We will be back again, again and again for some extra tasty sides, tasty huge meat portions and sweet tea that is so sweet your toes may curl. Sauces are great, the bottles could use a hose down from folk over zealously squirting sauce on the BBQ. Preferred brisket, but pulled pork had some nice burnt ends. Table next to us had turkey, that is our next meat. Baked beans are sweet and chocked full of meat and onions, extra tasty. They have in-house beer cheese, they have icecream and much more to bring us back. Go Eat Here!!!! Summer time offers up outside dining, for winter you get to eat with the stuffy wall critters. Service is friendly with good suggestions and pretty quick to get you back on the road with good vittles in your belly. read more

See all

Good food. But if you decide to order more to go, do it WITH your meal. We spent over 30 mins waiting on the to go while everyone who ordered after us got their food and left already. They do not do first ticket in, first ticket out. They hold it and wait and do other tickets first. So here we are, stuck in the noisy restaurant watching people come in, order, eat and leave and we are STILL waiting. We got a 3 meat to go....sad looking portions. Only 1 1/2 slices of brisket and maybe 2 oz of pulled pork. Sad. Usually 3 meats is enough to share for 2 people or more which is why we got it. It might feed one person. read more

Some of the best brisket I've ever had in Kentucky the onion rings were really good as well would recommend 11/10 don't listen to the 1 star reviews read more

Sabrina is my new BFF. She is the most amazing server I have ever had. She made great food recommendations - we had the fried pickles, beer cheese, mushroom burger, beef brisket, and chicken tenders. We also had tasty margaritas from the bar in the garage. The food was delicious, and dinner was just perfect, sitting outside on the patio with the country music playing and the gorgeous Kentucky sunset in the background. All of that alone was enough for an enjoyable experience, but Sabrina elevated it to a belly laughing good time. She even got my salty teenage daughter to laugh out loud. I can't wait to go back! read more

Pop's Southern Style Barbeque - Patio dining - American Near Me - Morehead, Kentucky

See all

If you get there the first week of opening everything is good, after that it's thawed out and dry. Got 2 bacon cheese burgers today and I'd be embarrassed if I was the owner to serve a frozen disgusting burger like that and charge $10 for it. Not what it once was , won't be back read more

Food was mediocre at best. Four baby back ribs were overcooked on one end and raw on the other with a large amount of a store bought bbq sauce. The pulled pork was bland very stringy. Cole slaw was definitely store bought and very underwhelming. The only palatable item were the fried green tomatoes. The ones that were completely cooked that is! Horrible experience! read more

A great pitstop for some good old BBQ. I placed an order to go this time and just order a couple of their sampler platter. Everything was very tasty and will definitely go back but would dine in and really enjoy the meal. read more

Coming from Cincinnati to Morehead, Kentucky: could not decide where to stop until I saw this gem on Yelp! Best ribs ever!! Meaty & dry rub were perfect. The turkey was soooo good, too! My two sides were delicious green beans & onion rings. Onion rings were a bit on the cool side, but the dipping sauce made up for that. Hubby's ribs & brisket were tasty as well. He loved his green beans, but his baked potato was barely warm. He took some brisket back to the hotel for later! Had to try the maple bourbon ice cream. We shared a dish to end this amazing meal! Waitress was so friendly & helpful. This place filled up while we were there around 3 p.m. My guess is that it stays busy. It's eclectic & a fun place to dine!! I want to go back tomorrow! It was awesome & reasonably priced! read more

See all

Brisket was amazing. Great service. Definitely worth the price. I will definitely be back.

Pop's Barbecue is a cute little place where you can get some homemade comfort food for a reasonable price. Both locals and lake visitors seem to enjoy the smoked meats, catfish filets, homestyle sides, and sweet treats. The servers were friendly and attentive, serving with a smile and eager to please. We enjoyed our lunches in the covered outdoor seating area. The meat in my brisket sandwich was tender, juicy, and smoky, but a bit too fatty for my taste. The meat itself had good flavor, but relied on the barbecue sauce for most of the flavor. Hubby had similar experience with his brisket Reuben. He said he would have liked a little more "kick" to the meat itself. He also detected a bit of a "sooty" taste, like maybe from a somewhat greasy fire. Not bad enough to send his sandwich back, but just enough to take it down a notch. I next time we are in the area, I'd actually like to give this place another try...maybe check out the catfish or ribs or have one of the fried appetizers, or maybe just a scoop or two of ice cream while enjoying a view of the hills on a hot summer night. read more

See all

My husband and I go hiking in the Daniel Boone National Forest; and we had passed this place before but had never gone. Boy am I glad that we went this time. Not a regret in sight. Definitely worth the hour drive from home in Lexington, KY. Anyone who comes to visit us, we will go hiking then get great food there!! This is the BEST Barbeque food that I have had in Kentucky. I'm from Texas and they have some of the best Barbeque place; and I have tried foods from Tennessee to Kentucky. And by far, this is the BEST Barbeque that I've had in a LLOOOONNGGG time!! We got the chicken wings (tasted like they had a mustard seasoning on them); and they were really great. I honestly don't care for anything with mustard in it; but these were absolutely fantastic. Yes they were dripping with oil; but if you are on a low carb or keto diet, these would be perfect! We also got a pound of brisket. It was very point and full of flavor. We had planned on getting green beans too; but they seem to be such a popular item, that they were out but were making a new pot. read more

Pop's Southern Style Barbeque - Front of the store - American Near Me - Morehead, Kentucky

See all

Waited a half hour at a table while three waitresses came in and out. took order from two groups and walked off. didn't even take a drink order from us. there was only the three groups there, for Pos that was not busy. I can get better service from McDonald's that I got there read more

My wife and I ate here on a vacation trip to Cave Run Lake. We tried the Brisket Club and Turkey Club sandwiches. They both were excellent. Service was great. It's worth the stop just to sit inside and take in all of the interesting wall art. read more

You may wanna just try something else for BBQ. I did like the location and the building, The food however is very below average. What done it for me was our bbq sauce at the table literally just tasted like ketchup and the pork was very dry and reheated tasting. As if it maybe were cooked multiple days in advance. I know when something tastes like there was no effort put into making it. This is more of a Snack Shack last resort type place. Go ahead and drive to Morehead and grab something to eat. read more

I used to be a big fan, but the last couple of years as they got busier, the quality seems to have faded. They constantly are running out of items and the wait time has got longer. Today I got a salad with a hand torn piece of sliced cheese on it (never seen sliced cheese on a salad before). The french fries were clearly two different kids of fries. maybe they have grown too fast or too worried about the new alcohol sales now? The good news is that the meat is still as good as ever, but the sides and service seems to have suffered under the rapid growth. read more

Pop's Southern Style Barbeque - American Near Me - Morehead, Kentucky

See all

We love this place, We will down to Cave Run just to eat here. It's only open seasonally . (With Lake Traffic) We had no trouble ordering from out side. Turkey club daily special & was very good. Never had a bad meal on any our many trips here. They several ice cream deserts on menu. In years passed they also serve food at the Marina just a few miles down the road. Our server told us the national guard selected them as essential restaurant if the Covid19 gets any worse... read more

Visiting Morehead in the spring/summer and need a place to eat? Pop's is the answer The menu is jam packed with tons of delicious smoked meats and mouth watering sides, there's something for everyone! The atmosphere is fantastic, indoor and outdoor seating, and the location is perfect for those wanting to swing by the lake for a day of sun and fun. I recommend the turkey club but honestly you can't go wrong with anything they have. I also frequently get the pulled pork or brisket (if they haven't sold out) They are always busy so be sure to plan, you might have to wait for a table but I promise the wait is well worth it. During this time of social distancing they have adapted their takeout procedures in order to ensure safety for their customers, #PopsNotCops so swing by and support a local gem, you won't regret it. read more

Pop's Southern Style Barbeque - Brisket club - American Near Me - Morehead, Kentucky

See all

Delicious ! Great food and great customer service. Was in town from California, will definitely be coming back to this hidden gem. read more

See all

Worst experience Pop's so far. Used to stop by every time going to the lake. Took over an hour to get our food and it wasn't even that busy. Waitress had a terrible attitude. Got aggravated when I asked for a different drink because the tea tasted horrible. Finally after receiving our food all the sides were terrible. Fries seemed like they had been sitting out for over half an hour at least, baked potato was burnt to a crisp and my "side" or green beans was in a condiment cup that was two bites worth. I get places have off days but this was a poor experience. Our waiter was complaining about the table next to us as soon as they left in front of the whole restaurant. Extremely unprofessional. Place really seems to be going down hill. read more

SHEEESH WHAT A DRAMA FEST!!?? Terrible experience from start to finish. I will walk you through it. We sit down at a table that was being cleaned which was our fault bc we were just trying to get out of the sun. However , they left the tip on the table from the previous customers. After a separate server takes the money off the table , a different server comes by looking for it and we advised her which server it was. Now we are involved in workplace drama as we get asked to ultimately point out who it was that took the tip. (While the culprit is staring us down from afar somewhat like a police suspect lineup.) we are cringing at this point over the drama unraveling and we are starting to feel uncomfortable. After ordering our food an hour passes by and we have not received our food or even been asked if we wanted a refill. I had to go up to the kitchen to get someone's attention. While I was up there I see a tray of food sitting on the counter that looked exactly like our order. When we asked , we were told our food is ready however no other servers were allowed to run it to our table, they HAD to wait for our server... who at this point was frequently M.I.A. Granted this was only her 4th day on the job so we give her a little slack. The lady who snatched the tip off the table proceeds periodically to make comments in passing to us about "can't believe we have servers here you can't trust with money on the table" and "she made this so much harder than it had to be" (referring to our actual server). When our food finally came out , it was cold. The worst part about it is that we love Pops BBQ ... the food was still so delicious even though it was cold... but the experience really was so discouraging and our Beloved College Memory Lane of a place has now lost a little bit of its charm to us. Not sure if I'll end up giving it another chance after this. We felt completely uncomfortable the whole time. At the end, nobody was coming to bring our check so again we went to the kitchen as a group, to get our checks and pay so we could get out of there. The Rude waitress once again comes by and ejects a rude comment saying "idc how bad it is you do not walk out on your server and not pay" ... which wasn't the case we were waiting to pay. I planned to stiff the waitress however she was staring down our backs watching us fill out the check and tip. So I decided $3 should do the trick. Godddddd this is hard for us because we do really love this place. Lots of college experiences there and maybe years down the road we will come back. But this really was a terrible drama filled experienced. Those ladies need a manager to really crack the whip... couldn't find a manager though and I hope to god none of them were the manager. Please Pop's .... Do better! read more

Pop's has to be one of the best Barbeque Restaurants in the U.S. We didn't plan to eat there, we drove by on our way to see Cave Run Lake, saw the crowd going in and decided to eat there on our way back. Best decision we made on this trip. Pop's is a real Barbeque eatery - with a large outdoor BBQ and a real walk in smoker. You can smell the meat roasting. We ordered brisket sandwiches with loaded potatoes. We both agreed the Brisket was the best we had ever eaten, better than what our parents and we make and we thought we were the best. The loaded potatoes had charred skins from being roasted on the grill with the meats. They were cooked just right and the pulled pork topping was smokey and tender (no sauce - like with the brisket you added to your taste). We were there 3 days ago and we are already planning an over 100 mile round mile trip to have the Brisket and loaded potato again. read more

We arrived at 6pm and since it looked crowded we asked how long the wait would be. She said 15-20 minutes max. We and our friends got a seat and waited.... An hour. After asking about our order (bc I have trouble eating after 7pm) it was assured it was coming out now. After 15-20 minutes later our food arrived. My bun was so hard I couldn't bite through it. When I asked the waitress why it was so hard ( when she came to bring our check) she said they deep fry the hoagie buns. My husband and I both ordered the Philly steak sandwich. My husbands was almost as bad. Our waitress never came and asked how our meal was. I wound up eating only the meat and cheese. It was extremely salty and I'm a salty person. I add salt. Only this was too salty. I ate enough to keep me from being hungry but it was definitely the worst Philly Cheese sandwich I've ever had. Our waitress never asked how our meal was. The onion rings were good but luke warm. Our friends bbq sandwiches were good. We had been told this place was amazing. We had a bad experience. Ppl who came in after we received our food got theirs within 10 minutes. We were confused. Waitress wasn't friendly either. We complained to the manager and he apologized and said he would deduct one meal. I know this place has to normally be good bc it's always packed but we weren't impressed read more

This restaurant is located close to Cave Run Lake and is several miles outside of Morehead. If you exit off of I-64 (Exit 133), it is just a couple miles down the road, so it is somewhat easily accessible. We have eaten there several times. The dining hall is small and dark. There is outside seating that is covered. On a pretty day, it is nice. They have beef and pork barbecue, as well as ribs smoked turkey. Other meats include Chicken Tenders, hamburgers, and catfish. When I go to a BBQ restaurant, I like to try the ribs. My sides included sweet potato and fried green tomatoes. Dearest Husband ordered the pulled pork sandwich with fries. It didn't take long for our orders to arrive. My ribs (1/2 rack) looked good. The bones were (I thought) a little too big to be baby backs, and more like spare ribs. The flavor was good, however, and the meat was tender. The sweet potato was a little overdone, but acceptable. I am assuming they just threw it on the smoke fire, which is fine for me. The fried green tomatoes (corn meal battered) were hot, but a little too greasy, like they put it in the skillet before it was hot enough to cook. Dearest Husband said his sandwich was OK, but not exceptional. This restaurant is open seasonally, (roughly April-October), so make sure they are open before making the trip. If you are wanting to find a quiet meal after a beautiful drive, this place would be a pleasant stop. read more

See all

Open from sometime in March until Halloween, if you are anywhere near Pop's and don't stop in for some killer BBQ or ice cream (I can't in good conscious recommend both in the same sitting...) you are missing out! The smoked turkey is DEVINE! And don't miss the loaded baked potato and fried green tomatoes! read more

See all

Wow. Just wow. This is the kind of bbq joint that puts others to shame. Great staff with quick and kind service, we were immediately greeted and seated. They make their own beer cheese which is a great appetizer but be warned, it's served cold in the can... not warm and saucy. Their fried catfish was perfect. Their pulled pork... perfect. Smoky and savory. Their pulled chicken was moist and flavorful. The menu was epic... no we didn't save any room for dessert... how could you? Their portions were huge, you really have to plan ahead if you want to eat ice cream after your dinner. This place was definitely a home run. read more