From the moment you step inside, the aroma hits first: a deep, hickory-laced perfume that signals…read morehours of slow devotion rather than shortcuts. This is barbecue that announces itself honestly. No gimmicks, no pretension--just meat treated with respect. We started off with the Texas Sausage Sampler which includes 3 Sausages. Jalapeno Cheddar, Hickory Smoke and Original Old Fashioned. Served with Carolina Gold Sauce, Mustard and Horseradish. The sauce is outstanding. Smoking J's Rib House in Ashland, Kentucky, is the kind of place that reminds you why barbecue isn't just food--it's culture, patience, and pride rendered in smoke and fire. The ribs are the undisputed star. Thick-cut, generously portioned, and lacquered with a bark that balances sweetness, smoke, and spice, they arrive with that elusive perfection every pitmaster chases. The meat pulls cleanly from the bone without collapsing into mush, proof of disciplined temperature control and timing. Each bite delivers layers: smoke up front, pork richness at the core, and a restrained tang from the sauce that enhances rather than smothers. Brisket lovers will find plenty to admire. The slices boast a pronounced smoke ring and a pepper-forward crust, with fat rendered to a buttery softness that melts on the tongue. It's assertive, confident barbecue--unapologetically Southern, yet precise enough to impress even seasoned purists. The sides refuse to play second fiddle. Mac and cheese was amazing, creamy with a baked top that adds texture, while the baked beans carry a subtle smokiness that echoes the pit rather than competing with it. Coleslaw provides a crisp, cooling contrast, cutting through the richness exactly as it should. What truly elevates Smoking J's, though, is its sense of place. This isn't barbecue chasing trends or Instagram aesthetics. It's barbecue rooted in community--food that feels earned, familiar, and deeply satisfying. The atmosphere is unpretentious and welcoming, the kind where regulars are greeted like family and newcomers are quickly converted. Smoking J's Rib House doesn't just serve great barbecue--it reinforces why Ashland deserves a seat at the table in Kentucky's smokehouse conversation. It's a destination for locals, a worthy stop for travelers, and a reminder that when barbecue is done right, it doesn't need to shout. The smoke speaks for itself.

Visiting my family in Ohio, they asked to take us to this BBQ joint for some lunch. I was…read moresurprised how big this place is on the proximity of the size of the town...but it looked to be doing great business on a Thursday afternoon. They got some fried pickles for the table and shared with us...these were pretty good. Hub and I decided to split a three meat plate for 20 dollars...a bargain with all that food...it came with two sides. We picked the Mac and cheese and the baked beans. All the meats were fabulous as were the baked beans and cornbread...the only thing that fell short was the Mac and cheese...but this is just a side and not the star. When we come back I will ask to come back here..I,was pretty impressed!

The Scioto Ribber is a destination restaurant! People literally drive for hundreds of miles just to…read morecome here for the ribs, steaks, and chops. No kidding. This is one of the great steak & rib joints in Ohio. The rustic atmosphere of the restaurant adds to the ambience, and there is an excellent collection of memorabilia on display. The meat smokers are outside to the rear of the restaurant and worth a look when you come to visit. It's an amazing process. Portions are substantial. I have posted some photos of menus for your review. The interior consist of meandering rooms and a bar for seating. I have never found reservations to be necessary. And frankly, I'm not sure if they even take reservations. Carry out is available and when I come for lunch or dinner, I'll usually order an extra meal to take home. The food is that good. It all travels and refrigerates reasonably well.

While camping at Shawnee State Park, tried this place for dinner one night. It was a Sat night and…read morewe waited about 40 min for a table for 4 people. We got the sampler appetizer. It was good, but it needed more corn nuggets and less cauliflower. Each couple got a 16oz Ribeye to share and an extra baked pot on the side. The baked potato was excellent. The steaks were decent, but not the best I have ever had. Our steak had little to no seasoning on it, so it was not the greatest. The whole meal was okay, but I would not make the two hour trip from home to eat here. Honestly, I would choose Texas Roadhouse. Not a bad place, just mid. I was disappointed.

Excellent! I had the brisket burnt ends, Mac and cheese, and greens and loved it all. The brisket…read morewas tender and BBQ sauce was the best I ever had!

I love the atmosphere and food! If you want to have a fun evening and enjoy some good southern BBQ…read moreand sides then this is the place to go! The owners are very nice too!

Thatcher's has great food, extremely nice staff, fast service, and very dog friendly! We would…read moredefinitely come back!

The food was good except for the mac and cheese it was cold and tasted like water and noodles…read more service was great and outside seating was good.

All of the 5 star reviews should tell you everything you need to know!…read more My husband and I stopped in and we needed to pick up some take out to feed 5 adults. The guy in the back offered to sell us meat by the pound rather than getting the combo platters so that's what we did. We got a pound of each: brisket, pulled pork, and pulled chicken. We got 2 sides of Mac n cheese and 2 sides of the loaded potato salad. Everything was excellent and top notch!! I'm really picky about Mac n cheese and Mo Betta's was some of the best I've ever had. We also brought both of their bbq sauces home and they were both delicious. The place was clean and the service was super friendly! I'd definitely go back!!

Best barbecue I have had in a long time. I couldn't stop eating it. I recommend at least trying it…read moreif you love barbecue cooking

Excellent service. Amazing brisket. turkey was the moist juicy i have eaten in my life. We got it…read morefor 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*.

This is the closest place to get something to eat to the Twin Knobs campground so my review is…read moreslightly 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.

The waitresses were very nice and friendly. I noticed the place must attract a lot of locals,…read morebecause I heard many were called by name, or the conversations referred to past visits. The place was clean. I ordered traditional hot wings and onion rings. I wish I had ordered the wing sauce on the side. They were like being smothered in soup. But, otherwise, good! I will probably be back when in the area.

DISCLAIMER: I have had really good BBQ and I have made really good BBQ…read more Have you ever really wanted something so bad but what you got was so disappointing that you still wanted what you wanted in the first place? Well, that is the feeling you will have if you want BBQ and you come here. The customer waiting motioned to me and said, "what ever you do, don't get the mashed potatoes, they are too salty to even eat". Then I told the waitress I was struggling between the pulled pork and chicken which she replied with "if you are going to get any of the meat, the brisket is the only thing worth eating". That was a story made up, the lukewarm to cold brisket was fatty and flavorless...no smoke ring, no crisp, no flavor...gummy and tasteless. My son had their mixture of with a split with pork, chicken, sausage, and mac and cheese. He asked for no slaw and extra mac and cheese instead. The kitchen person came out yelling over to the waitress "did anyone tell them it is just a spoonful so there is no "extra" for not getting it (with air quotes) for her emphasis...we are sitting up front and can hear and see it all. Rude service free of charge. The baked beans were average for canned baked beans microwaved, as we heard the microwave go off and then our food came out. The Mac and cheese was even rejected by our 3 year old granddaughter, so that should be alarming by itself. The potato salad was much like what is in the buckets from Sam's Club. So overall, disappointing would be an improvement. The team was lacklusting, the food would be more satisfying if we chewed on napkins and plates. The service rude at best. The pricing was overreaching. Save your tastebuds, save your money. If this is your last option, it is a good time to start fasting instead of punishing yourself.

I recently got to try Buck's through a catered lunch at work, and I was pleasantly surprised…read more The food was delivered hot and made the meeting room smell delicious. I got a tray with a pulled pork sandwich, cowboy beans, and coleslaw. The pork was very flavorful with just enough smoke for my tastes, and it went well with the barbecue sauce it came with. I was also impressed with the cowboy beans. Typically, I do not care for beans cooked with beef, but these had a good balance between the two. It also had different varieties of beans that I appreciated. It was savory and filled me up. Lastly, the coleslaw was also good but nothing to write home about. My lunch left me satisfied without being stuffed, which is often an issue I have with barbecue. The only complaint I could see with this meal is portion sizes. While it was a comfortable serving size for myself, I could see others finding the amount of meat given too little for their money and stomachs. Even with the sides, I considered this meal to be lighter than most barbecue I have had. After this experience, I cannot wait for a chance to have a meal at the actual restaurant.

I loved this spot! We stopped for a lovely lunch. The menu hangs on the wall and you place your…read moreorder. You get a number, find your table. Our drinks came to the table, as we chatted. We laughed at an adorable cat, that has been hanging around the restaurant. A group of young guys were loving on the cat. It was nice to see. They gently shooed him off the table when their food arrived. Our food arrived and wow! The brisket was moist and tasty. Great fried green tomatoes and the grits were yummy. My mother's ribs were delish. She raved about the slaw and the greens. We intend to support this excellent mom and pop establishment. The folks there know what they are doing, and they do it with a smile and a heart!

The Armory Smokehouse is a good experience…read more The food tastes good and is well prepared There is plenty of room to move about and ample seating. The bar has a good selection. And the tap is bottom filled to reduce foam.

This place has the feel more of a bar that sells food, which isn't necessarily a bad thing just not…read morefor families. Food was just ok, we ordered nachos add brisket which was decent but there was hardly any sauce and the tray they cooked the nachoes on was too small, so you'd have fully loaded nachos first few bites and then nothing but just chips. Also watched them using the same dirty rags to wipe down tables. Also, there's a folded American flag in the establishment not being taken care of, in general I noticed dust everywhere. They could do better

What a food knockout! Redpoint BBQ is my new favorite Gorge food spot, and I didn't expect that…read moregoing in. That's because EVERY food item is top-notch and gourmet! Huge portions, so order accordingly lol Ranking my food items, from best to least: 1) Baked sweet potato (best I've ever had) 2) Hot Chicken sandwich (add the brioche bun) 3) Broccoli salad (perfectly creamy) 4) Asparagus (perfectly grilled) 5) Rack of ribs (the only subpar item, was ok) Also commendable are the drink prices! Cocktails were $9 so that went a long way to our enjoyment. As for the place, there's plenty of parking and great outdoor seating in a relaxed peaceful nature area. I can't wait to come back!

Came for dinner on a Thursday night at 4:37pm and it was packed. I had read it got busy on…read moreweekends, but every outside table was taken and we got one of the last inside tables. People were parking along the drive in, but then we realized they did have overflow parking. Parking all together was a cluster. There is no information on how to order if you order at the counter, sit down, someone seats, you, etc., so that was confusing. We got a seat, a server came over and got our order. It was soooooo cold inside. We had to go get jackets. It took a really really really long time for our food to come out. The food was delicious for the most part. Pulled pork and bbq sauce was tasty as was the Mac and cheese. The Cole slaw was just meh. My husband liked his brisket and sweet potato. He didn't love his corn bread. It came with an herb better that taste like a cheddar bay biscuit. One person got the grilled chicken and didn't care for it. All in all, great food and good portion sizes. We also got charged for 2 kids drinks even though it said they were included on the menu so I'd like that $6 back. They don't give you a receipt so I had no way of knowing until after I paid.