Back Deck BBQ

Yall have got to try this place if u love some good BBQ!!! EVERYTHING was absolutely AMAZING!!! We had brisket, baked beans, Mac n cheese, potato salad and Cole slaw! Normally I don't like Cole slaw but this is made from scratch and is PERFECT! Everything was seasoned to perfection as well!!! Can't wait to try the second location that just opened at Story Ave!!! 🔥🔥🔥❤️❤️❤️ Support Black Owned businesses!!! 🤜🏽🤛🏽

Honestly, we’ve been to a looooot of bbq restaurants in places known for their bbq. Memphis, Alabama, Little Rock, Asheville… this place right here at home is absolutely top notch. Hidden gem right outside of Iroquois Park. We did a sampler, rib tips and beef sausage, baked beans and macaroni and cheese, plus we had to try the wings. Every single thing was delicious and fresh. Chan (the owner) is knowledgeable and unapologetic about his food, friendly and up front too. I appreciate a man who has pride in what he does, knows what he’s doing and is willing to put in the hard work and effort to perfect his craft. There’s a lot of time and energy, blood and sweat into good barbecue… and that’s where the price comes in. This ain’t cheap food and it doesn’t taste like it either. The portion sizes are more than generous. I can’t recommend Back Deck enough.

Finally.. some real BBQ in this city. I arrived for lunch and was immediately greeted by the smell of the smoker outside. You know a BBQ joint is the real deal when can smell the smoke as soon as you drive in. I ordered the rib lunch with Mac & cheese and was pleasantly surprised. The ribs were warm, soft, delightfully seasoned and just the right amount of smokey flavor. The flavor of the ribs were the major highlight of the meal, as it needed no crazy amounts of sauce. Just right! The mac & cheese was no slouch either, cheesy and delicious. I wanted to try the brisket, but it was not ready (brisket has to be smoked for a while). However, I was pleased to know this spot takes their time in smoking a good brisket. I look forward to coming back and giving it a try.

The food was delicious! We had the burnt ends, rib tips, and brisket. The sides were fries, Mac and cheese, and baked beans. The meat was nice and tender, the bbq sauce was perfect! Hands down, Chan is a master smoker and you should definitely come thru to have some great bbq.

6/25/2025 - This was my first time here and I love the vibes. Walked in and I was greeted. Everything on the menu just looked 👀 soooo GOOD! Highly recommend.

I like a lot of bbq and smokehouse, came from NY and hit 7 bbq spots on the road trip, this was my favorite spots. Chicken, mac, ribs everything was soft, little swweet, great rub/flavor and chef was super friendly. If you see a triplesmoker at the resturaunt, You know you gotta try it!

I was on my last calorie, my stomach had developed an attitude of hostility. My lady friend patiently drove me to Back Deck BBQ in Louisville, KY on Kenwood Drive. I was on the brink of a serious nutritional deficiency, I wouldn't recover from, unless I receive an urgent influx of savory sustinance. This food saved my day. #backdeckbbq #louisville (looeeville). DJB

Found this place by looking at reviews on Reddit and was glad I did. Had one of the platters with ribs and brisket and added an order of burnt ends. Had green beans and baked beans as the sides. Everything was really, really GOOD. Baked beans are amazing. Green beans were great and I’m really regretting not trying the potato salad because that looked really good too. All the meat was tender and delicious. Barbecue sauce lightly vinegary and a little sweet, not too much of either and very good. Highly recommend this place to anyone who likes barbecue.

I mean I can't get enough of this place man. Burnt ends and Brisket are my favorite in Louisville.

Oh my lawd!!! How am I just now hearing about this place. Ten out of Ten. Those beans...they are simply the best beans I have ever had. Spicy and delicious. They counterbalance the sweetness of the BBQ sauce. Burnt ends were good. Chewy where I wanted them to be chewy. Meat had a nice char, good smoke flavor and the BBQ was sweet. Little greasy, but Solid 8. Burnt ends lunch was 18 bucks. Comes with one side and a drink. I selected a Coke. I was delivered a Coke in a can. It wasn't cold, but that was ok...I was at home and put it over ice. I bought several sides to sample so I know which one to pick for my next visit. 1. Potato Salad - tangy. Very wet base. Solid 8 2. Yams - simple and flavorful. I like mine with a little sweetness on top with the marshmallows. But Solid 9 3. Mac n cheese - I ordered via Door Dash. So a little dry. But the taste is good. I just added a little milk reheated it a min and they were back to being creamy. 4. Beans - will be my side of choice going forward. Has huge flavor. Smoky, spicy and damn near perfect! Solid 10 This is definitely one of the best BBQ places around Louisville.

**This review is for the Story Ave location** We were a party of 20-30 and the staff handled us like a champ! Service was on point, food was soooo flavorful and it was a nice laid back atmosphere that came with a jammin DJ that kept us on the floor There is also a quaint back deck with seating Parking is across the street- caddy corner from the building The owner made sure all our needs were met

We did a pre Juneteenth event at this restaurant. Our group of 10 came in and ordered any different items from the menu. I had the rib tips with potato salad and baked beans. The tips were banging! They were so tender I was able to eat them with a plastic fork. There were 2 employees working and they got our orders out quickly and all were correct. We moved a couple tables together so we could all sit together. There were a handful of other patrons who came and dined in as well. There is parking around the building on both sides and in the front. We all agreed we would come back and enjoy something else soon..

I've been eyeballing this place for a few years on social media, man I'm glad we finally got there today to celebrate some co-workers birthdays! First came out were the wings and my lord those are something from the gods! I'm not sure I've had a better smoked wing experience. I got the dinner portion due to wanting to try multiple sides and heard the staff member saying how good the yams were and no one ordered those so I got some to share. On my meal, the brisket was solid. I do wish the sauce came on the side... It's a good sauce, but I like have the option on whether to use it or not. I'll make note of that for next time. The baked beans were some of the best I've ever had, perfectly done. The Mac and cheese was a popular order in our group and everyone enjoyed theirs. Some said they were perfect, I wish it was a littler creamier but it was still a good Mac and cheese. The yams... the yams were the star of the show for the sides. You have to get those bad boys! The staff was awesome and very friendly, we even got to chat with the owner for a while and he's a super friendly guy that carried great conversation. Can't wait to go back and try some other options.

Back Deck BBQ L.L.C / the owner, Chan Nelson absolutely crushed it at our wedding in October. I wanted to support a small business when catering for our wedding and we couldn't have picked a better place. They served: Bacon wrapped shrimp Pulled pork Pulled chicken Green beans Mac & cheese Cole slaw We can't thank them enough for all of the hard work they put in to make our day so special. Chan is one of the hardest working business owners in Louisville and deserves nothing but the best. I have gotten dozens of messages raving about the food and all of our out-of-towners stopped by the next day for plates of leftovers. If you have an event, keep it local - they're up there with the best! Or just go and check them out for lunch during the week. Disclaimer - I have eaten at the actual restaurant as well. And they have a NEW LOCATION Back Deck Bar and Lounge 1601 Story Ave Louisville, KY 40206 United States

It was pretty good! I thought the brisket was a little on the dry side. We got the Family Platter. $125 We got 4 large sides with platter, then I believe my daughter ordered extra sides so we could try all of them. The pic is a little bit of all of it except the green beans. They were flavored well. I totally spaced out on taking a pic of the trays of meat and sides brought to our table. We got double brisket (2lbs) Smoked turkey (1 lb) Pork ribs (about 8-10 bones) There are burnt ends and beef ribs too, but can't choose for a platter meal. My daughter, her boyfriend, and granddaughter went a couple of weeks ago and raved about it. They got brisket, beef sausage and chicken then. They fought over leftovers! My daughter claims the brisket was definitely a little drier tonight. It was still good though. It's sort of a hole in the wall place. Seating is limited. It seems they have lots of carry out orders. There are 5-6 four-top tables inside and 4-5 picnic tables outside. We needed the picnic table to have room for all the platters. With 3-4 extra sides and tax it was about $145.

This bbq is hands down the best around the Kentucky area. Highly recommend.. Brisket was so tender and the Big Daddy sandwich was awesome. Ribs were on point

It's good! French fries are good very kind staff my pulled pork sandwich was drowning in sauce despite the fact the cook's bio say "it shouldn't need sauce". The person who took our orders tried to do 10 minute wall sit making it pretty nice to be there. Would eat here again.

Incredible! Amazing! Delicious! I could go on for a long time, but - bottom line - do yourself a favor and RUN to Back Deck BBQ! Hands down, this is the THE best Q in the 'Ville. It has it ALL: mouth-watering smokey meats, park bench, comfortable ambiance, competition perfect presentation, welcoming staff and a self-taught Pitmaster who knows how to work a rig! You can taste the Love and the Pride Pitmaster Nelson blesses his Q with in every bite! His brisket rivals Texas' best brisket, and his pork ribs are the best bite-through ribs I have tasted in my 60 years on this planet. Come taste the Q of this Master of his craft - you will be happy that you did!

Service was on point. Since this was my first time the cashier recommended the burnt ends. The burnt ends were tender and had a nice smoky flavor. The Mac and cheese was creamy and not over cooked. However the green beans were extremely salty. The sweet potatoes were nicely done but could have caramelized more.

Run, don't walk to Back Deck BBQ to get some of the best, consistently high quality barbecue that this city has to offer. I first learned about Back Deck BBQ on a social media foodies group. I'm always eager to support a black owned business, so we went during the busy Derby weekend and were absolutely blown away. We've since visited several more times, taking multiple family members there, and each group loved it as well. The staff is super friendly and personable. The food is superb. Our favorites include the ribs, smoked sausage, and Mac and Cheese, though we've yet to try anything we didn't like. We always top it off with Lady J's lemonade (Blue Raspberry and Pink are our go-tos). We've never had an issue getting in and getting a seat, but seating is limited. There are several long picnic tables inside and some seating outside, so keep that in mind if you have a larger party.

Had the pulled porker. DELICIOUS! The bbq was excellent. But, the real surprise was the Coleslaw on it. Coleslaw was great and took it to another level. The potato salad was on point!!! ... I'd come back for a bucket of the potato salad alone. The service was fine but, they are understaffed. The ambiance is very casual.

Fucking fantastic and worth the trip from anywhere. This place is small (they do have an outdoor area but it was 95 degrees the day I was there so I hid in the corner next to the air conditioning vent) and service is on the slow side. There was a line of about 7 people when I walked in and what looked to be only three people working. The line only got longer the longer I was in there. People were ordering GIANT amounts of food, like $100-$200 worth and so I cannot fault the kitchen for being behind. I ordered the kickin pork sandwich with fries (pulled pork, nacho cheese, jalapenos, bbq sauce on a bun) And shared the nachos with brisket with my friend. Everything was perfectly cooked, and everyone in line was eyeballing and commenting on the nachos - they were hella great so I can't say I'm surprised. Will definitely be back, thanks BDBBQ!

I have been frequenting this place for about 2 years. The food for the most part is pretty good BUT they just don't have they're sh_t together. How can you not have ribs at 1:00 pm on a Saturday? Also the price for a leg quarter and 2 sides was $24 . WAY TOO HIGH! THIS GUY IS TRYING TO GET RICH ON EVERY SALE! HE'S A TERRIBLE BUISNESS MAN! On several occasions you travel a long distance to get there and as soon as you walk in they're telling you the list of what they don't have. REALLY BAD BUISNESS!!! I HOPE YOU GO BUY A HOUSE WITH THAT $24. SMH

This is tasty bbq. The Nelson's are super nice and friendly; they greeted us and helped us with our menu selections. We dined in so they brought our plates to our table and held down some conversation from the kitchen while we ate. Felt like eating at family's house. Smoke smells amazing. If you don't smell it from the street it's only because the wind is blowing it up away from the street. Get on them steps and you'll see what I mean. The burnt ends were served today, thankfully! They were tender, well seasoned and delicious. Mac n cheese was a definite highlight of the entire meal. Green beans & smoked sausage, I could've done without. Rib tips are very flavorful but a bit tough today. Brisket is very flavorful, but the fat could've been rendered a bit more, or trimmed before serving. While no sauce is needed, they serve with sauce on the meat (??). We asked for extra on the side. Drinks are only water, Pepsi products and tiny jugs of lemonade based drinks. Meal Prices used to include drinks, they're separate now. Overall the food is good. We'd come back on our next visit to Louisville. Would repeat the burnt ends and be Mac, while exploring some other meats and sides

We got there near the end of the day, around 6:30. The brisket was a little dry and chewy. The yams and green beans were good, as well as the baked beans. All in all it was decent but not sure if we'll go back.

This place is absolutely amazing and the service is incredible. If you're looking for REAL bbq with friendly service, this is your place. We got the Brisket dinner and some of the best brisket over every had. The ambiance is nice and quaint, very clean and you'll get that southern hospitality that is always looked for. If you haven't tried this place, get in your car and get over there, absolutely amazing.

Kept seeing this place on local foodie pages and wanted to support local. Food was very good, brisket wrap was great! Smoked wings perfect! Sides good. The issue was the kitchen was very slow, had to wait over an hour for food and then the food came in segments with sides coming out last. We do know this location ( Story Ave) is the newest location and they are getting their flow down, so of course we showed grace with the kitchen. We would certainly come back in hopes that those issues were fixed and we could just enjoy the wonderful bbq.

At the suggestion of my closest friends to try bbq at a newer place just across from Iroqouis park. Walking from the parking lot a delicious aroma of smoked meats filled the air made me smile. I was surprised to see a quaint outdoor patio with many picnic tables as well as other upper level seating. On the patio you can watch the pit master working the largest smoker I've seen! Inside the same picnic theme continued. So many bbq choices meats of beef brisket,, chicken, pork and turkey. A la cart as well as Meals for two & family meal choice packages. For our dinner we chose the pulled chicken & pork plate with sides of smoked cheesiest Mac n cheese, baked beans with a touch of heat and a creamy potato salad. (Pics included) Meal Includes drinks for a very fair price. Staff was as friendly as family checking everyone was satisfied. Yes!!! We loved every tasty morsel. Portions were plentiful enough to ask for a go box. We can't wait to return to try a bbq specialty known as a smoked meat delicacy of burnt ends from brisket. Highly recommend for your next cravings for quality bbq. Notes Order from counter, food is brought to table home style. Relaxing casual atmosphere. Medium sized lot parking. Very clean facilities.

I heard good things about Back Deck so I wanted to give it a try. I really like the outdoor seating, it's a nice area and good location right across from Iroquois Park. The food was good. It was suggested that I get the wings and I'm glad I did! They are on the sweeter side as they are encrusted with brown sugar that gives it a nice crisp. The pulled pork was fine, but not my favorite. Macaroni was nice and cheesy and the baked beans had a nice flavor. Overall, a good meal and welcoming staff.

Real bbq definitely one of the best in the city everything is good. Best brisket I've had around here

We visited BackDeck BBq today for lunch and it did not disappoint. The food was great and the service we received by DaMarcus was outstanding. He took really good care of us 7 ladies all at one time and he was very attentive. 3 of us shared the BackDeck nachos and still had left overs. The brisket and pulled pork on the nachos were so tender almost melt in your mouth. Chan the owner was very pleasant he came over to the table and asked if we were enjoying our food. Can't wait to return, check it out.

TEYN (Billy Bob voice) I give it a TEYN. My gawd this place bangs. I went with the Kickin Pork sandwich, which at menu glance looks like the pansiest option, and then you get hit with what you see in my picture. And my heavens is it good. The nacho cheese makes my heart hurts in all the ways, good, bad, good again, a little worse, but it's so so worth it. The max is fantastic, I highly recommend. Cheesy AF and it's the good cheese, and then comes with a little bite. Also the wings are super good. Feels crazy ordering wings at a BBQ joint, but the young lady taking my order was nice enough to sling me a couple on the house, and suddenly I felt crazy NOT ordering them. A++ food, A+++ people. Please patronize all you bbq patriots.

Got the Mini van platter with pulled pork, wings, and added a side to try both the smoked Mac and cheese and the greens. The greens were amazing! Mac and cheese was great but the BBQ and the wings! The smoked wings had an amazing flavor! Some of the best BBQ in Louisville and lives up to all the hype!

My husband and I have been wanting to come to the restaurant but have put it off. He decided to order on Door Dash because I'm sick and haven't really eaten in two days. Back Deck is some of the best BBQ I've had. This coming from a chefs daughter that is very picky about food. You can tell the sides are home made and not that pre-bought stuff. We can't wait to actually come experience the restaurant!!!!

The hype...is not the hype. Sweet potatoes smelled and taste like beer Brisket...fatty and dry. Sausage...beef Jerky not the taste we were looking for. Customer service was good though. No pictures just trashed the food.

Good barbecue and can feed two. They do give you decent portions. We got the bug platter or something like that. You get a choice of 2 meats and 2 sides. Do check before you leave as they forgot to give us the second meat. Fortunately we live nearby so it wasn't a big problem. Also, although they are open until 8 pm the time before when I went at 6 pm they were out of 4 of their meats. Go early would be wise if possible.

Across from the revamped Colonial Gardens by Iroquois Park. I never had the pleasure of trying their food as a food truck but their opening a place in the Southend caught my attention. They are in the former Jimbo's BBQ. The 1st positive impression was how welcoming and sweet the employees were. They worked together very well and that gives the place a great casual feel. Portions are adequate and my favorite from all of our food was the burnt ends (Fri & Sat). None of our meals needed sauce. My S.O. really like the baked beans. You get bottled drinks and can dine in or outside in the "back deck". It looks like they do a great deal of carryout business. Which would be great to pick up and take to enjoy at the park.

This place is all about the meat! These Smoked meats were fantastic - my picky kids even liked the smoked Mac & cheese. The fries were seasoned and just right. I had Brisket Nachos, smoked Turkey with a bun for my son to make into a sandwich, with sides of fries and Mac & Cheese. We had one pint of Lady J's Lemonade. Sodas & water were no extra charge. Total was $42 before tip.

The service and food were amazing! Quaint, nice restaurant with an incredibly friendly staff. We enjoyed eating there.

We just had the most delicious pulled pork. So tender and tasty. And the sauce was also delicious. Potato salad and fries were each a hearty portion and tasty. Great service and clean establishment. We will be back.

Great spot in the south end for some BBQ! Loved the burnt ends and brisket as entrees. Also highly recommend the Mac n cheese. Go early as they sometimes run out of items.

This bbq place is a hidden gem in the south end! Not my first time here and won't be my last! I decided to bring my 21 year old son and his friend here and and with the way I know they can eat I decided to get the family dinner. 4 meats, 3 sides and 4 drinks. Holy moly it's a lot of food! We chose pulled pork, brisket, wings and smoked sausage for our meats (no rib tips on Thursday). Sizes were Mac n cheese, green beans and sweet potato fries!! The grill master brought us our food personally! Pulled pork came with the sauce incorporated. I'm personally a fan of adding the sauce myself but it was so good I didn't mind! The wings were smoked to perfection. They were a combination of sweet and spicy. A touch of brown sugar carmelization? Just sure. Just good. Brisket was on the lean side, nicely smoked with a drizzle of sauce. And then I personally just loved the smoked sausage! Yum! Mac n cheese is thick and smoky. Great flavor. Green beans were southern style and the sweet potato fries were hot and delish!! We took home as much as we ate. Which, not complaining, will be my lunch tomorrow!! Seriously check this place out!!

THE OWNER IS A THIEF! He went on WDRB to sell vouchers, took people's money, and then refused to accept the voucher or or provide a refund. An employee advised me to reach out to him on Facebook. He responded that he would call me but never did. It's not about the money, it's the principal. I wanted to support a local black owner, but now I learned that some people aren't worth supporting.

What a great place!!! Had the brisket and ribs!!! Simply delicious The owner was great! He was so kind and passionate about his business!!

sides hands down Easy on the rub a lil sometimes tho!! other then that portions are great I finally felt like I went to a black owned business and didn't get robbed because yesterday's price is not todays price type ish!!!

After doing the Kentucky Derby Museum we were craving BBQ. There were a couple other big name places that popped up.. but we chose this because it was close and we didn't have to go downtown. The pit boss himself was working behind the counter and recommended the 3 meat plate. Pictured is the Brisket, Sweet Potato Fries, Smoked Mac, Pulled Pork, and the Ribs. Everything was delish! We especially loved the rib rub!

First time trying it and we came on their one year anniversary of opening. The food was worth the wait and the vibes were immaculate. The line was long but the wait wasn't that bad. The staff is fast and there's seating inside & outside. The burnt ends were delicious. Tender with full flavor. The Mac & cheese is a must. The potato salad is okay, but everything else made up for it! I don't eat bbq often. I honestly don't go outside with the urge to go to a bbq place ever. But this place was worth the try!

The food was so good! We stopped in on our way back home to Indiana. Some of the best BBQ I've had. Definitely recommend the Smokey beans.

If you want a great locally owned place to eat BBQ then you gotta check this place out. It's worth the drive to have his ribs. You don't even need sauce for them. Trust me if you try to get home with them you may not because once you start eating them you will clean out the box. I have done that on several occasions. They are so tender and moist. All his food is fresh. Nothing frozen. Please check them out.

I had been meaning to try this place for a while. I was sad when I almost decided to walk out. Number one it's Pepsi products bottled only. I really want fountain drinks where I can get a refill. Even so they were out of everything but Mountain Dew, starry and orange crush. No colas no diet for people who can't eat the sugar. The only other option for a drink is a small jug of a kool aid like drink for $3.50. A lot of the sandwiches are $20 they came with nothing. Some have things like slaw or fries on them. I got the brisket lunch for $16. It included no bread and only 1 side. Dinner is 2 sides but $21. Sides are $4 so this makes no sense. The dinners used to include a drink but they don't anymore. So you can order the extra side separately and pay $1 less. Also they were out of corn on the cob and mushrooms as well as burnt ends. The brisket was mediocre a little tough and not as much of the fat rendered as I would like. All 3 stars of this rating is for the Mac and cheese. It was wonderful. Lots of real cheese. The noodles were cooked perfectly and just a touch of jalapeño. Her baked beans were great too both in texture and flavor. I think the sauce was okay but they gave so little of it I could barely taste it and after my first brisket slice it was gone. Next time I will just get some Mac and skip the rest.

Holy yum! My husband I came here for a late lunch one day and I'm so glad we did. You order at the counter and the servers will bring the food to you. I really wanted to try their burnt ends but they were out at that time of the day. That's what I get for going late! Instead, I chose the rib tip lunch with mac and cheese and my husband had the wing lunch with fries. Those rib tips were amazing. They were sweet and spicy with chunks of caramelized brown sugar. Seriously, incredible! The mac and cheese was so thick and creamy. Perfect. My husband enjoyed his wings and fries, too. Make no mistake, the place is pricey, but good BBQ usually is! We'll definitely be back!

I was so incredibly hungry when I came in here one evening. I ordered the Kickin pork, which is Pulled pork, Nacho Cheese, Jalapenos and BBQ sauce on a Bun. It was simple enough and some good comfort food. I'd recommend this place if someone is the mood for a meat coma!

Husband and I were looking for some BBQ and a local referred us to this place. Very good BBQ, a lot of food for the price. Will definitely go back again when in Louisville.

Tasty Kickin' Chicken meal. The portion was huge, cheese sauce was interesting, BBQ was sweet and the Jalepenos were nice and spicy. I got a side of smoky Mac and cheese and a sweet tea. They didn't have any brewed tea, just bottled tea. That knocked it down from 4 stars to 3 for me. I need good sweet tea with my bbq.

Not cheap but understandable given the cost of things today. $75 for food for three people. Be prepared. Sides were very ok. Brisket and ribs were the star of the show. Will return.

Really good grub. Perhaps a little pricey, but a lot goes into making this type of food. Seating very limited inside. Lots of flies outside. May be a good call to get it to go. Also, beverage options were quite lacking, especially if you don't want anything sugary. They had regular Mountain Dew in 20 oz bottles, and quart jugs of sugary lemonade. I had the burnt ends sandwich with beans and a lemonade. Really good food. Also tried my buddies Mac n cheese. A lot of work went into that too. Get some bbq and maybe enjoy it elsewhere.

So happy this food truck has newly opened a brick and mortar. The food is great and the owners are super friendly! Great BBQ in Louisville. I love the chicken and pulled pork. The green beans are great too. Would definitely recommend.