Best BBQ in Louisville (2025)

A NuLu standard-bearer for hickory-smoked meats, bourbon slushies, and those cult-favorite pork cakes. Frequently cited by LEO Weekly readers, profiled by Eater, and even visited by Top Chef, Feast channels a modern Kentucky barbecue vibe while staying rooted in the neighborhood.

Kansas City–style barbecue interpreted with Louisville heart—and a 2% for Louisville giveback program that ties it to the city. Named Best Barbecue by Louisville Magazine’s Best of Louisville 2025, it’s famed for meaty beef ribs, wings, and house pickles.

Germantown’s inventive smokehouse pairs meticulous pit work with a craft-beer mindset. A LEO Weekly Readers’ Choice Best BBQ winner and noted by Southern Living, Four Pegs draws locals for smoked wings, rib nights, and playful specials that still respect tradition.

Family-run and fiercely local near Jefferson Memorial Forest, Shack smokes over real hardwood and leans into Kentucky classics like burgoo. Featured on the Cooking Channel’s Man Fire Food and celebrated by local media, it’s a warmly hospitable, true-blue Metro favorite.

A no-frills counter joint with a Texas-made smoker and a loyal following. After spring 2025 floods, local news covered its determined comeback; today the brisket, pulled pork, and riverside smoke perfume are back to anchoring Louisville’s barbecue conversation.

On historic Whiskey Row, Doc Crow’s balances smokehouse plates with a deep bourbon list and raw bar. Highlighted by Louisville’s official tourism site and praised by diners, it’s a downtown crowd-pleaser for ribs, brisket, and pre-bourbon-trail fuel.

This basement hangout smokes with ambition—think lamb ribs, smoked wings, and pork belly tacos. A longtime media darling noted by Thrillist and locals alike, it’s tight on space but big on character, with flavors that punch above its size.

A southside original with hickory-smoked meats, late hours, and locals who swear by the wings and ribs. Regularly appearing in LEO Weekly readers’ lists, Rubbies is the kind of neighborhood barbecue that defines everyday Louisville eating.

More than three decades of pit smoke and family recipes make Bootleg a city standby. Its Louisville-made sauces, wings, and slow-cooked meats speak to a homegrown style that predates the current barbecue boom—and still satisfies.

A newer, southside smokehouse that fires up at 3 a.m. to serve fresh brisket, pork, and wings. Welcomed by Go To Louisville and covered by local press at opening, it brings competition-style enthusiasm to an easygoing neighborhood setting.