Blue Door Smokehouse

I have always wanted to go here and finally made it for lunch. I need to make this place a regular lunch spot! The first thing you notice when walking up is the amazing smell! I ordered a brisket sandwich and chips and I was not disappointed. The amount of meat was more than enough, it tasted amazing, spicy sauce was delicious, and was a decent price! I didn’t try the sides but they looked great as well. Maybe add some fried okra?!? You can’t go wrong stopping here for a meal! Just make sure you get there before they sell out. The service was quick, restaurant is a little small but new and clean, indoor and great outdoor seating with umbrellas.

Food was seasoned well, cooked with care and delicious! Slaw with vinegar was tasty, I’d compare it to Smithfield’s Chicken N Bbq (southern US chain restaurant). Seating inside and outside.

Delicious barbecue with no frills. My only criticism is that the side options are lacking - Mac n cheese, green beans, or better collared greens would make the place even better. Also could benefit from cornbread on the menu

Generally my opinion on BBQ is that there are only two levels of quality; good enough and not good enough. It reminds me of a lot of British meals in that respect. People talk about “the best fish & chips” or “the best roast”, but I’ve never really understood it. I’ve only ever had two types of those meals; one I’m enjoying continuing to eat, and one I’m not. With BBQ though, there are a few exceptions, and my binary perspective falls apart further when I haven’t eaten BBQ for a while. Enough of my hand wavy food philosophy! What I’m slowly digging at is, Blue Door is great. It’s not life-changing, but it’s safely in the great category. We got the 2-meat plate (sausage and brisket) with beans and vinegar slaw. The brisket is excellent, textbook melt-in-the-mouth beauty, the kind of thing that would take an Englishman off of his BBQ binary high horse. the sausage left a little bit of flavour and spice to be desired, the coleslaw was pretty good and the beans were great. The house-made sauces were varied, they have a nice vinegar-based one that we both loved, and the habanero sauce is a nice lil spicy surprise to inject just a touch of tex-mex into the meal. I’d go again when my BBQ-meter has reset.

I am a brisket connoisseur and this gem is by far the BEST brisket that I have ever had! Perfectly cooked and seasoned with an incredible bark. Well worth the 45 minute drive to get here. This was my second visit after stopping by a month before this based on reviews. On that visit, I got just a pound of brisket that melted in my mouth and have thought about it ever since. This time I took my wife and youngest son. My wife got the pulled chicken and my son got the same as me. We also got several sides that included ranch beans, vinegar based coleslaw and collard greens. All were phenomenal!!! The meal was perfectly garnished with dill pickles and sweet onion slices. The sauces were wonderful too. The eating area was super clean. The staff were all very friendly and attentive to their customers. We definitely will be back.

Update April 2025: We went to the new location which was great with additional seating. The service was great and the food was good. When I see "Ranch Beans" on a menu I think of Ranch dressing so I didn't order them. My husband did order them this last time and I had a completely wrong impression. See the pictures. I tried them and actually wished I had gotten them. I had gotten the potato salad. The flavor was good on the potato salad but the potato's have a very large cut. That was not my cup of tea. That is a personal opinion. They have good flavor but were not what I expected so just wanted to provide a heads up. Previous Review: We ate here for the first time recently. The staff was super friendly and the BBQ was delicious. Their spicy sauce was awesome as well. This is a tiny BBQ place with limited seating and lines out the door. We saw multiple to go orders being processed while we were there. They do have a limited menu. Unfortunately, none of their side items appealed to me but that is just personal preference. Would still highly recommend.

We came into town to see a concert and this was the number one place people recommended to try while we were in the area. I'm happy to say it did not disappoint. The staff were very friendly, and the food was some of the best BBQ I've had in a long time, the brisket was insanely good and the coleslaw and potato salad were some of the best we've ever had. If we ever make it back down to Lexington we will for sure make it a point to stop here.

Amazing! Got lb each of brisket and pulled pork and a rack of ribs. Everything was extremely moist and tender - beautifully smoked and flavored brisket and best ribs ever. Meant to take a picture, but after the first bite, I totally forgot. Their creamy coleslaw and sauces were amazing too. Prices were very reasonable and staff were very friendly.

Prepare to Become a BBQ Snob After Yiu Eat Here. This place could charge a fortune for the quality and quantity of the portions they give you. ($20 for both my son and I.) This is hands-down the best barbecue chicken I have ever tasted. The chicken is smoked and sprinkled with magic. It's actually a blend of spices, but it's so flavorful even before you top it with tangy, sweet, or spicy barbecue sauce. My son had a pulled brisket sandwich and he agrees it's the best we have ever had. The service is so friendly and attentive, and surprisingly fast. It's set in an industrial-type strip mall, with an garage door-style opening that adds to the charm. Probably best to do take out if you are with a large group.

Rating is actually about a 4.5. I wanted to get ribs, but they were out (we got there kind of late, so it's understandable) so I ordered a pulled pork sandwich and potato salad. My husband ordered a brisket sandwich. Other friends sampled various meats and sides. I thought the pulled pork was very good. Not quite as good as the ones my husband smokes at home in his Kamado Joe (which are just downright amazing), but still very good and better than most that I've had in restaurants throughout the various BBQ states. The smoke flavor was definitely there. I had a bite of the brisket and it wasn't bad, it had some smoke to it, but I'm much pickier about brisket and that's why I rarely order it myself. My husband judged the brisket "ok", I would say "better than ok" myself. He's from Texas though, and he smokes his own, so... I really liked the mayo based potato salad. My husband prefers mustard based but he's wrong ;) My friends reported that they did NOT care for the collard greens, I didn't try them but thought I'd pass it on. The sandwiches did come with a very generous portion of meat (I didn't bother with the bun, just a cold hamburger bun); it was too much meat for me for one meal so I brought some back to my hotel. It was still great as leftovers the next day even warmed in the microwave. And the price for the sandwich was very reasonable. All in all, I'd come back and hopefully come a little earlier to try their ribs. But if they were still out of ribs I'd definitely get the pulled pork and potato salad again.

We were craving some truly exceptional BBQ, and we found some of Lexington's finest at Blue Door! My friend (a local resident) raved about this place, but as a long-time fan of Kansas City BBQ, I wasn't really expecting to find a good venue for it outside of KC, but here it is :-) Everything we tried during our visit was outstanding, with my personal favorite unquestionably being their brisket - it was melt in your mouth AMAZING!! The sweet sauce was totally on the money as well. I look forward to returning and trying everything on the menu the next time I'm in the area :-)

I have been to Blue Door several times at the old location and the new location. Today was my wife's first time. We placed our order and sat at the high top table which is a converted bleacher with some tall chairs in front of the roll up door and the outdoor seating area. We ordered the Blue Door Special which is all five of their meats plus two sides. Comes with sliced white bread, dill pickles and white onion slices. Easy to split this for two people. We had the brisket, chicken, pulled pork, sausage and ribs with potato salad and ranch beans. Service was a tad slow, but it was packed today, so no need to worry. Everything was delicious and more than enough for 2 people. We had enough meat and ranch beans that we had extra to take home. Do yourself a favor and try this place if you are a fan of BBQ and smoked meats.

Blue door smokehouse is a quality BBQ restaurant with a very reasonable price point. The restaurant itself was quaint and homey, the staff was very kind and helpful with order choices. We split the blue door special, which consisted of 5 different meats and 2 sides, all for $26! The food was all tasty, especially the pulled pork and brisket. We enjoyed their spicy BBQ sauce so much that we put it on all of the meats. We will be coming back for BBQ in the future, especially at how low the price is for the meal

I rolled in here because the hubby needed to make a Christmas lunch order. But I WAS amazed at the yummyness of the pulled pork! It is a garage but the restrooms are clean and the staff is friendly,

The smoky scent hits the moment you walk in the door. Good selection of meats with prices you'd expect. For us, the choices of side items were limited. 99% of the sides were easy cold quick fixes. The brisket had a really good bark and was pretty good. The pulled pork was a bit dry and bland. They heavily top the pork with some seasoning mix, which I feel would benefit the meat more if it was actually worked through it. The ranch beans need some work and the potato salad was very bland. They have 3 choices for sauce- sweet, tangy, and spicy. All 3 appear to be vinegar based, as they're super thin. The tangy didn't have much flavor, the spicy had a kick of heat but at the same time was a bit flavorless (make that make sense ‍.) The sweet was ok, but again, super thin. In summary, I'm glad we tried it. The brisket was decent, so having it with some good BBQ sauce and better sides would have been a better experience.

This is my favorite BBQ spot in town. They have great specials like chili and burnt ends. The new location has much more space but it is still difficult to get a table.

Stopped here while traveling over Easter weekend and absolutely loved it. I got the brisket plate with beans and potato salad, and my boyfriend got the brisket and smoked sausage plate with potato salad and creamy slaw. The meats were great. Neither of us had complaints about the brisket (it was a hearty portion) and both of us wished we'd had more smoked sausage on the table. The sides were fantastic -- I don't usually go for beans, but they were hearty and flavorful and not overly sweet like some beans can be. He loved the slaw (I'll take his word for it). We both agreed it was the best potato salad either of us has had.

The newly relocated Blue Door is terrific. Bigger, brighter, outdoor seating and parking lot. The large "garage like door" opens up to the outside seating area. The BBQ is still the same. Best in town. Go get your Q on. 31

I've heard so much about this place and finally ventured out to try them. Best decision ever made! I learned that this is their new location from where they were around the corner. They have a lot more space and outdoor seating. The service is walk up - you go up to the counter and place your order and they call it out when it's ready. The portions are large and delicious. Since I've never been I tried the Blue Door special - all the meats and 2 sides. A great way to sample what they offer. I also learned they make their own sausage in house. Definitely a place I will go back to now that I know I love their ribs, brisket, and pulled pork! The potato salad is pretty good too! Also with going on a Saturday afternoon it was packed but service was still fast. They are a place that once they're sold out - they're out so get there early.

On the 8th day, Edesia created a Texas-style BBQ. She admired her work and thought, "THIS IS MY BEST CREATION." Folks, not only is this the BEST BBQ you will ever eat, but it is precisely what you'd expect the perfect BBQ joint to be. And it's not just that they serve ideal food, but it's TEXAS.STYLE.BBQ. Lexington & surrounding areas have many Memphis & Gulf Coast-style BBQ places, but this place is the only one that makes genuine, authentic Texas BBQ. We have been coming here since 2013 & have not had a bad or mediocre meal. The meats, the sides, the different sodas...everything is always the best quality. Their commitment to serving authentic Texas-style BBQ will make you feel like you're getting a genuine experience. Other customers and I feel that Jeff and his crew would give Pit Masters on the Food Network a run for their money. PS - followers of 'Lil' Donny Mosco' - the "Edesia" reference was a joke.

We order blue door special and 2 meat combo. All the meat was very tasty. Favorite was the ribs and the brisket. The ranch beans tastes like chili and a little sweet. Potatoes salad was different but it was good. Service was really good also.

My wife and I ate there Friday December 20, 2024 at lunch time. It was great. We ordered all the different meats they had, and we split it. Sides were BBQ beans, potato salad, creamy slaw and collard greens. It also came with white bread, onion and pickles. The whole meal was perfect. Service was wonderful. The meal came on a metal tray and was large enough to hold it all. Ambiance was good seating and large window. Bathrooms were very clean. My wife and I are in our early 60s and we have eaten a lot of BBQ- this was the best! We will go back soon. People were dressed in everything from blue collar worker to women in nice business attire. $34.80 total not including tip.

Absolutely delicious!...and the staff/ownership are amazing. The rotating turkey club is by far the best sandwich in Lexington. Potato salad and coleslaw are noteworthy. If they're not in the top 10 restaurants, they should be.

Best place to get BBQ! The brisket is delicious! They are open till they sell out for the day keeping the food fresh.

Our first time here n we'll be back for more. The ranch baked beans spicing reminded us of Mexican food more than something made at a good bbq place. Service was quick, friendly, n efficient. The dining area is ordinary, no frill but clean. Good food n value.

Plate- Pulled Pork, Creamy Cole Slaw & Ranch Beans. All were spot on. Service was great. I will go back. I have had their Brisket before and it is the best in town.

Simply, the best BBQ I have ever had! Ribs are a must try. This is not a full serve restaurant. You order, then try to find a seat. Small place, but oh so worth it.

"Compliments to the chef" doesn't scratch the surface of what you'd want to say. This was my first time trying blue door and the food should come with a warning label that it's ADDICTING. Great location, amazing service and even better food. I had to take another sandwich home just because. You will not be disappointed!

TASTY PULLED PORK!! Went in for lunch and the place was not overly busy. That was good since the seating is extremely limited. I ordered a plate with brisket, pulled pork and both of the coleslaws for sides. The food came out fast is it should for barbecue. The brisket was good but nothing to rave about. Seemed like I got both some from both sides and the fatty side was better as expected. The pulled pork was the better of the two. I enjoy how they add some of the seasoning to the top of it. I recommend absolutely not trying the vinegar slaw as it was pretty gross. The creamy slaw was pretty standard. Overall, if you try this place out, try the pulled pork and expect to take it out.

Everyone was very friendly! Food was pretty good! We had the brisket and ribs ! This was our first time eating there. Kid friendly.

It was great! I met five friends for lunch and it was my first time at the new location. Portions were healthy and the flavor was great. Will go back again soon.

Came in with high expectations and was still blown away! Quick service! Amazing food! Definitely a place I would want to MAKE a trip to again!!

Service was great. Everyone local loves this spot. Haven't found the right bbq for myself here but I'm gonna keep trying

This place is beyond unreal. As a person who refuses to frequent "BBQ" places outside of central Tejas, I must say that Blue Door is the real deal. I have been here dozens of times, and it is consistently outstanding. The staff and owners are delightful people. If you're going on a game day, get there early! Try the following items... 1. The brisket sandwich. Get it fatty or wet cut. Get it with coleslaw. Do NOT use any sauce. It doesn't need sauce since it's real brisket BBQ. 2. Any meat platter. Brisket and ribs are a good combination. Use the bread and pickles.

New location is open. Go check it out. Still highly recommend this place. Other places get more publicity, but this is the real deal. Go check them out.

Awesome food great service, comfortable no frills perfect! Highly recommend if you are looking for great BBQ!!

I got my order to go placed it at 10:40. They open at 11 so it was fresh. However, the pulled pork and brisket were very dry and basically flavorless. If you're going to get bbq around here just go to red state. It's a little bit of a drive but definitely the best bbq around here.

It sucks, I can't really review the food. Visiting from California I just can't fathom all the meats being sold out almost two hours before they close at 3 pm. Granted it was mentioned on the website that they close today at 3 pm or when they're sold out.

Top Notch BBQ! Great Brisket and Beans! They serve until they're out of, so get in line. Service is quick, so don't worry about the line. I bet they outgrow this space as well. Indoor seating is limited.

Nice little Bbq place in Lexington. They are smoking some meat here. I ordered brisket and ribs. I got brisket and sausage. Was not a problem. They brought some ribs and the sausage was on the house. Thanks for that. The brisket was very good. Cut with the edge of my fork and very moist. My slices were from the flat so nice and lean. The sausage was also good. Nice snap from the casing and a good smoky flavor. The ribs were not great. Over cooked and dry. Under seasoned as well. The other meats were done so well that I have to feel that the ribs were an aberration. I really enjoyed the beans. Nice smoky meat in there. The coleslaw was pretty standard. I would definitely come back if I'm ever on that side of Lexington again.

Food is awesome, price is on point, down to earth service. Wonderful dining experience for the location. Great use of space. Decorations were unique for the city.

We heard that this was the place to go for KY bbq, and it did not disappoint. No indoor seating currently, but they do have a few tables out front for patio dining, everything is take out only. They were out of ribs when we came in, so we got the four meat combo with beans, green collards, potato salad and creamy cole slaw. meats included was brisket, chicken, pork and sausage. Take out service was great, they included all sauces (sweet, tangy and spicy), with plenty of silverware. Sides were all great, the collard greens were a little too vinegary for me. Meats were well smoked, I loved the sausage and brisket. Their bbq sauces were pretty sweet, but I'm wondering if that's the style down here. Definitely a good place to stop!

So disappointed! The brisket was tender but had no flavor and if it were any drier it would have been dust. Potato salad was very salty. Collards were drowned in vinegar. What has happened? Not the Bluedoor I remember.

Great BBQ. Had the 2 meat with pulled pork and smoked sausage. Sausage is sausage unless you ruin it. They don't. The pulled pork was way above average. They put a seasoning on top once they put the serving on the paper and it was amazing. The sweet bbq sauce is on point. Only suggestion is to put some sweet sauce in the beans. With that addition its gets an 8.4. Great job but it still ain't at the level of Oklahoma and Texas.

Hands down the BEST BBQ IN LEXINGTON. Sorry for shouting, but it's true! First off, the value for as much food as you get is insane. Literally in other cities this meal would've been like $20+. The bbq was cooked perfectly. We ordered to go so they provided the 3 different bbq sauces. My favorite is the spicy one! Not too spicy, but just a little heat. Their potato salad is delicious. I also got their beans cause I'm a bean freak. They were perfect as well! As of now, it's take out only. This is a smaller restaurant so they do run out on busy days. Best get here early to be safe. The employees are cool and informative. They answered all questions we had. Honestly, come here for all your bbq dreams.

Finally made it to this place and their new location. Was in a great spot and has much more room than the old location. I had the brisket and smoked sausage with collards and potato salad. My wife had the pulled pork with vinegar slaw. Everything we tried was just amazing, but the brisket was the star of the show. It was so tender and juicy, and was seasoned to perfection. Have never had brisket anywhere around here that is even close. The collards were amazing as well. Cannot say enough good things about this place. I have tried every bbq place that i know of anywhere near Lexington, and there is nothing this good or even close. New favorite place and will definitely be back soon. Make sure you get to this restaurant and enjoy the atmosphere and great food.

Due to COVID-19 this spot is takeaway only right now, and be sure to get your orders in early because once they sell out of a meat (for that day), you are out of luck! I unfortunately faced that fate as my beloved BBQ meat of choice (ribs) were unavailable when we ordered on a weekend day just after lunchtime. Instead of that option, we ordered beef brisket and pulled pork and a couple of sides to go. We found a nearby park with picnic tables and dug in. The brisket and pulled pork were excellent along with both a tangy and a spicy sauce mix. Meat was moist, smokey and portions were very generous along with the obligatory slice of white bread (because who doesn't want to sop up their leftover sauce, am I right?!?!?). Their potato salad consisted of skin-on small red potatoes in a creamy dressing and the cole slaw was the chopped variety with a mix of vinegar and mayo. We scarfed these down in no time and I cannot wait to get back one day and try their ribs!!!

One word: Legit! Brisket was firm, yet tender with a sweet bark. The pulled pork came with the rub sprinkled on the top. It added a nice crunch. First time I have seen that, no need for sauce. Baked been a were good. Solid flavor. As for the potato salad, it is so good, I needed to write my mama about it. Firm potato with Light sauce! Highly recommended. #spicemeister is giving 5 stars!

In town for a music festival and was searching for the best BBQ online-- well BLUE DOOR didn't disappoint!! The BEST BRISKET I have EVER put in my mouth!! Delicious beans with some Smokey meat in them...I sure wish I lived closer. Not impressive from the outside and not much inside, small and characteristic, so maybe plan to pick up but get double because you will want more later! lol Fast service and people were very helpful and nice working. My mouth is watering just writing this!

This place is a classic BBQ joint, nothing fancy here, love it! We stopped for lunch and got a couple pulled pork sandwiches. They were already out of brisket at 12:30pm. The sandwiches were pretty good, the pork had a nice smoke ring and good flavor. They came with pickles, onion and a sweet spicy sauce on the side. I ate mine with a little sauce, love their sauce! I would stop here again when in the area. They only offer carryout now because of COVID-19. You can order ahead and they will bring it out to your car.

Great bbq. I didn't even think they would've been that good but totally worth it!!! Try them out!!

Fantastic barbecue! Fresh, fast, very tasty, great presentation. Excellent service. And really good value/not over-priced.

Drove in from Louisville on business and decided to stop here for lunch based on other reviews. It did not disappoint! Food was excellent, service was fantastic! The brisket was smoked to perfection, ribs were tender, pulled chicken was seasoned well, potato salad was creamy. All were so delicious!! Staff was caring, personable and professional. Dining area is cozy, clean and decorated well. Next time we are in town we will most definitely dine here again! Easily 5 stars!

Great bbq and service! We had the blue door special. Good portions and flavors. Also comes with two sides.

Great service, excellent prices, and food was delicious. We stopped here for lunch while on a road trip. Would recommend for good bbq!

Bright blue door welcomes you to this cozy place with limited seating and parking, however the line keeps moving and they are able to bring it out to your vehicle if you order ahead. This is definitely worth the drive off the beaten path for generous portions at an economical price with great flavors and fast, cordial service. They have limited hours in the middle of the day but may increase with more visitors.

The brisket was tender sausage was flavorful nice little spot for some Kentucky'que. The staff was great and the smells hit the spot