Our picks · Updated October 4, 2026
The 7 Best BBQ Restaurants in Louisville
From a Germantown gastropub-smokehouse to Whiskey Row’s raw bar — here’s where we send people when they want barbecue in Louisville, in order.
Our list, our call. This is 502 Restaurants’ own recommendation — where we’d send a friend for this food in Louisville right now, from our own eating and research. It isn’t a sponsored or “official” ranking.
Reviewed monthly: the order can change month to month based on the food, what’s new in town, our own visits, and your thumbs up/down votes below (logged and shown live).
One honest note: our parent company has marketing relationships with a few Louisville restaurants that may appear on our lists — that never buys a spot, and it’s never for sale. These are simply our genuine picks.
Reviewed monthly: the order can change month to month based on the food, what’s new in town, our own visits, and your thumbs up/down votes below (logged and shown live).
One honest note: our parent company has marketing relationships with a few Louisville restaurants that may appear on our lists — that never buys a spot, and it’s never for sale. These are simply our genuine picks.
1
Hammerheads
921 Swan St · Louisville
A Germantown smokehouse-gastropub known for its smoked meats.
2
Four Pegs Smokehouse
1053 Goss Ave · Louisville
A Schnitzelburg smokehouse and beer bar.
3
Momma’s Mustard, Pickles & BBQ
102 Bauer Ave · Louisville
Clifton BBQ famous for its mustard sauce and house pickles.
4
5
6
Bootleg Bar-B-Q
9704 Old Bardstown Rd · Louisville
Fern Creek pit BBQ — ribs, pulled pork, and hot wings.
7
Questions about this list
How does 502 Restaurants choose the best BBQ restaurants in Louisville?
This is our own editorial recommendation — where we’d send a friend right now, from our own visits and research. It isn’t a sponsored or paid ranking.
How often is this list updated?
We review it monthly, and the order can change based on the food, new openings, our visits, and reader votes.
Do the thumbs up/down votes change the order?
We read them — votes are logged and shown live — but the final call stays editorial: ours.
Does a restaurant pay to be on this list?
No, never for sale. Our parent company has marketing relationships with a few Louisville restaurants that may appear on our lists, but that never buys a spot — these are our genuine picks.
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