Wanted some BBQ and reviews said this was the place to go in Lexington, KY. Went in placed our order. Place is set up like a cozy farm house, good place to eat BBQ. We placed our to go order and it was ready pretty quick. It was later in the day so the meat tasted a little to dried out. However, I can tell by the flavor of the ribs, brisket it's pretty good BBQ. We said we would have to come in early, when it has not been sitting keeping warm to long. Sides were good and dessert too, Mac and cheese, greens and beans. Definitely would give another try. Great customer service. read more

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Fantastic barbecue. The selection of meats and sides and sauces is truly endless. Everything I've tried there has been awesome. Worth the drive any day of the week read more

What a great little hideaway! We got our food to go so we can't relate to the atmosphere but the food was amazing! I had the pulled chicken & fried green tomatoes! The sauce was just right, nice & tangy! My husband had the ribs, again great sauce but he REALLY enjoyed his sides, the coleslaw was crunchy & the baked beans were perfect! Yes, we would return! read more

Red State BBQ - Pulled chicken sandwiches with fried green tomatoes & ribs with coleslaw & baked beans! - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Terrible experience. We waited 90 minutes for our carry out order. The other couple we were with waited as well. We never received our food. The manager gave a half hearted excuse that they lost our tickets. No apologies or offers to make it better. Don't waste your time. read more

After driving to Lexington from California, my daughter and I were looking for authentic Kentucky bbq. Red State BBQ not only didn't disappoint, it was everything we wanted and more. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was welcoming, and the owner, David Carroll, was friendly, taking the time to come from behind the counter and talking to all of the diners. We will definitely be going back, and highly recommend this little restaurant that delivers such big flavors! read more

Third time around and still loving it. Sausage burnt ends, potato salad , sweet carn muffins. NY STRIP STEAK SPEACIAL. Smoke chicken, sliced brisket. What more could you want!!! As always go on Instagram- to Babunfoodie for more read more

The food and atmosphere here is great. Small place and nothing fancy if that's what you're looking for. But if you want good quality barbecue and quick service- this is the place to go. We stopped for lunch. Not a very long line, our food (which was a five person order) was out in a matter of minutes, maybe five. It was really fun to try all of the homemade sauces and mix and match. The pulled chicken was ok, it was flavorless and pretty dry, but a few burnt pieces. I don't eat red meat, but from what I gathered my family really enjoyed their brisket and ribs. The sides were good, French fries didn't look the best, but the mac and cheese was creamy and comforting but didn't really have a cheese flavor if that's what you are looking for. The green beans were pretty good too. Overall, not a bad place and somewhere to stop. read more

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Lovely man helped me get food quickly so I could meet family for the horse park lights. Food is wonderful. Atmosphere is friendly and homey. read more

Great local stop. Tried pulled pork and brisket: both were excellent. There is a choice of about 8 or more sauces to experiment with. Alabama Show Horse was my favorite: yes, you guessed it: horseradish but quite controlled. You can write on the fueling and walls, but floors and tables are off limits. The peach bread pudding was quite good. read more

Red State BBQ - View from table - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Wow. WOW! "Uncle Dave" has made this a must-get-to place to eat . Some of the best food ANYWHERE; made by some of the nicest people ANYWHERE. Very welcoming atmosphere and incomparable food and flavors. 15 years of history; wishing them 15 more. We will be here every time we visit or pass through Lexington read more

My son just graduated from the University of Kentucky and we ordered brisket, pulled pork, ribs, chicken wings and andouille sausage for his after-party upon his recommendation. Yum yum yum!! Our party was a big success in part because of the great food we served! Pork was juicy, brisket was nicely smoked, andouille was appropriately spicy, wings were crispy and ribs were tender! I recommend this bbq place highly to anyone wanting a great bbq meal! read more

Red State BBQ - Graduate with the spread! - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

After a 7 hour drive I was looking for a casual place to unwind and the local BBQ joint caught my eye When you walk in, you immediately notice, writing all over the walls in the red and white checkered tablecloth brings a casualness that I was looking for. I ordered the brisket plate with cheesy grits and corn hash. The brisket was juicy but not as tender As some of the places I've had in Texas. It did pair well with the eight sauces that were on the table. The cheesy grits were very cheesy so if you were a cheese lover, don't miss out on them. The corn hash was tasty and moist. Since this is in the middle of horse country, a number of riders came in looking for dinner. I can understand why. I flagged it for when I'm in town next. read more

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great lunch stop for us on our way to TN! I had a 1/2 rack of ribs and my husband had the brisket! both were tasty. I enjoyed trying ALL of the bbq sauces, but there were so many on the table it was a little overwhelming! the desserts are massive and plenty to share. we got the banana pudding (my favorite) and the peach bread pudding. so good.... the green beans were tasty and the Mac and cheese was everything I could have asked for. The staff was friendly! The decor was interesting, but that's not what I was there for!! will definitely return if the opportunity is there! read more

We had red state barbecue tonight and it was really good. We used the white sauce and I really liked that sauce. It was called Alabama barbecue sauce. The sides were tasty too! We had green beans and macaroni and cheese. I forget about this place since it is out Georgetown road a bit. read more

I drive up and down I-75 between Cincinnati and Lexington a lot. I see the signs for Red State BBQ around the Georgetown exits and I want to go get some good BBQ! Today I finally stopped for lunch. The restaurant is a kind of shabby building off of US 25 and it sits in front of a very rough looking roadside motel. When you enter the restaurant it's very open with seating available all around the dining area. You walk up to the counter to place your order and pay. There's a menu board and the choices are pretty basic BBQ fare. Pulled pork, pulled chicken, beef brisket and ribs. The sides are typical offerings with beans, Mac and cheese, green beans, etc. but no baked potato! The decor of the place is graffiti covered walls and graffiti covered roll up window shades. The place was definitely no frills but it was clean. Most BBQ places I have gone to (I go to every one I have ever heard about) has a half chicken or chicken pieces. Red State only has pulled chicken so that's what I ordered. I wanted a baked potato but it wasn't an option so I got macaroni and cheese and baked beans. My food was ready really fast, I was glad I went here first by myself. Had I brought someone with me I would have felt bad. The chicken portion was very small, the bbq sauce came as a side in a small condiment cup like butter normally is served in. Maybe a tablespoon of Kentucky Small Batch Sauce! No bread- usually Texas toast or a roll would be expected at any other BBQ joint I have ever been to. The macaroni and the beans were served in styrofoam containers the size you would normally receive coke slaw in. I have been to the National chain BBQ place just down the road in Lexington. I have been to the legendary BBQ place in Owensboro. Louisville has probably five or six places in town that serve excellent BBQ. All of these choices offer a better experience and frankly better food for a more reasonable price. read more

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Always busy, and somehow always efficient. The staff is super friendly and helpful and the dining area is fun. The smoked meats are awesome and all the sides are delicious too. My favorite this on the entire menu is the BBQ Egg Rolls. I will get them every single time. read more

From the outside it looked a little sketchy, but once indoors...the food was amazing!! Plus they had a vegetarian option for my friend! The prices were very reasonable and a good amount of food. Will definitely be back when in town again! read more

The food is, well, the best ribs I gave ever had. The service, the folks behind the counter are lovely. It's just a fun place to eat. If you are looking for a Tahjmahal to eat ribs in, this isnt it. But, you wouldn't get this flavor anywhere else. Jeff read more

Still amazing! The ambiance truly makes the place. You know bbq can only be good if it's in a shack on the side of the road. They should open up a 2nd location on UK's campus and have it turn into a bar after 9pm. Truly the best bbq in Kentucky. read more

Red State BBQ - Bread pudding - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

The smoke on the ribs is on point! Tried other places in the local area, but I keep coming back to Red State. I like them better than the others. read more

Love everything here. Amazing sides!!! Always busy. Bbq is different in central ky....smoked meat and sauce on the side. (I'm from Owensboro so if you know you know). But very good food! read more

Food was great, hot and waited two min for the food. That's quick. The ambiance was friendly and fun. read more

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Yes, it is a bit of a dive, but this restaurant serves up some of the best bbq around. The BBQ pork sandwich is easy to devour. It's on a toasted bun. Yum! My husband and I prefer the apple bourbon sauce. French fries are nice and salty. The service was quick, especially given the line that they had today. read more

Good ribs fall off the bone. Dry rub ribs moist. I like because not covered in sauce. And so many bbq sauces to choose from.

Food is always good. Wide variety of sauces on the table. It's always busy, to the point of feeling a bit chaotic. My brisket was fork tender. I wasn't a fan of the beer cheese grits; the beer cheese had an almost burnt taste. The corn pudding, however, was really good. Husband had the special which was a smoked brisket Philly cheese sandwich, which he said was good. Had to ask for a table to be cleaned off even though there were many empty read more

My first time eating here & so sorry I waited this long! 5 years living here & heard all about how fantastic their BBQ was. My bf was super excited to order the Rotisserie Chicken. Unfortunately, it's only on Saturdays. All good. The special was the Flank Steak Sandwich, fries, 1 side & drink $8.99. He ordered that & baked beans. I tried it & it was 5 stars! Tasty & the baked beans were like a grandma's recipe. I ordered the Pulled Pork Sandwich & Green Beans. Oh my the pulled pork w/ chunks & so tasty. The Texas Spicy Hot mixed w/ the Memphis Sweet BBQ absolutely perfect. Everything hit the spot & was fulfilling. read more

Red State BBQ - 5/5 Pulled Pork & Green Beans - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Great ambiance and apparently it rolled like it bc it was busy. Meat wasn't flavorful, Mac and cheese was watery, beer grits are very beery (could be a good thing). Cole slaw was good. We're from TX and it just isn't the same...maybe it's KY bbq? read more

Red State BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Absolutely great food! Love the variety, and the different sauces! One of my favorite places!! Worth a visit!

THIS PLACE IS FABULOUS Had 3 meat and all were amazing. Great choices of sauces. Good price and great BBQ

Just tried to go here after hearing amazing things and they are closed. 1 star because the people weren't the nicest and it says the Are open to 10pm EVERYWHERE on line! Oh did I mention we drove 3 hours! read more

The standout here is definitely the Double Smoked Brisket and multiple types of bbq sauces. Just double that brisket; would not even get the normal sliced brisket next time. I tried the normal sliced brisket and pulled pork too which I thought were tender but dry---the plus is that their BBQ sauce is standout anyways so I would drench any slightly-dry meat in it for a killer bbq bite :) Come as early as possible when they open for the best meat selection! Great sides that aren't an afterthought here. Would come back for the double smoked brisket the next time I'm in Lexington! Nice workers as well. They prefer cash but also take card. read more

the food is overrated and overpriced. Cole slaw was flavorless. Green beans were mushy and under seasoned. Brisket was not properly trimmed and was not tender at all. The fat wasn't really rendered, it was still chewy. Pulled pork was OK but that didn't make up for the rest. Service was aloof bordering on rude. Ambiance is what you'd expect, nothing out of the ordinary there. read more

I've been going here since they opened the doors. It's delicious and yes if I'm in another area and try other BBQ places, I always compare!! Red State is the place to go!! read more

We are here from Iowa visiting our son and his family. We love bbq and enjoy trying new places. Reading the reviews led us to Red State. The restaurant was clean with a rustic southern theme. The menu options were great and the service was fast. We chose The Motherload which came with 6 sides and delicious corn bread. My grandchildren loved the Mac and cheese. The meats were well seasoned, tender and delicious. The brisket is always a family favorite and did not disappoint. We tried all of the sauces and our favorites were the mustard and hot sauce. As we left my grandchildren took a picture with the pig statue and thought that was just the best thing ever. We all agree Red State met and exceeded our bbq dining experience. read more

This is one of those places where you see it on the outside and like "uhm I think I'll keep driving." Don't. The inside isn't much better BUT the food is worth the stop. I got the pulled chicken which was heavily seasoned (a little too much for my preference) but the sweet Memphis bbq was a great offset to the salty. The corn muffins were my favorite item I had. The fries had a good taste but zero crisp. A friend got the ribs which were also very good. I wasn't a fan of the chocolate cake even though i was told it was the most popular. Pulled Chicken 8.5/10 Corn Muffins 9/10 Fries 7/10 Ribs 7.5/10 Chocolate cake 6/10 Absolutely must try. read more

Red State BBQ - Pulled chicken, fries and corn muffins. - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Fantastic BBQ - excellent fast and courteous service - very fair and reasonable prices - pork brisket chicken all delicious - very good sides with the beer cheese grits over the top delicious - very busy but food came out quickly - kind of place that you wish was in your town cuz you'd go there all the time - hope to come back again!! read more

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Very Good Food service is simple you just walk up to the counter and order. BBQ egg rolls were very good.

Amazing bbq. Place was packed on a Sunday. A couple of items were sold out by 6:00 but we still had tasty pulled pork and brisket. The owner told us to combine chili and queso. So good! read more

Best bbq in town too bad you can never get it. This is honestly the best bbq place in central ky but for about a year now I've barely been able to get anything there. Either they won't answer their phone or they lie and say they're closed at 8 when every online source says they close at 9. The restaurant is so small that it's rare you can get a table without waiting 45 minutes to 1 hour. They have a very young staff that cans handle their business. I hate to leave a bad review of a place I used to love but it's not worth trying anymore. It's good bbq but it ain't that good. read more

Now this is a BBQ heaven. The chicken ribs, brisket, pulled pork, sauces, and sides are first rate. If you headed down I75, then do yourself a favor and detour over to Red State read more