Bootleg Bar-B-Q

Save yourself the gas, time and money! I ordered the baby back ribs, half rack, and they were tough and burnt! I tried the mild and mustard bbq’s and they were both too sweet with a hint of cinnamon. The two girls taking orders seemed like it was an inconvenience to them to help me choose which bbq sauce I wanted and to answer my questions. My husband got the pulled pork and potato salad- he said his wasn’t the worst he had ever had. We came, we tried but never again!

Bootleg BBQ is a must-visit for any barbecue lover! The food was incredible—the wings are absolutely phenomenal, and the pulled pork is just as delicious. The sides were just as impressive; we ordered the twice baked mashed potatoes, and the red beans and rice, we have ate inside and the the atmosphere is very country and laid back, with friendly staff who made us feel right at home. If you’re looking for authentic, mouth-watering BBQ in Louisville, Bootleg BBQ is the place to go. Highly recommend!

If you like dry crusty baby back ribs this is your place. Do not expect and service it self serve. 4 people behind the counter talking but you have to get up and get your own food. The best thing I have had here was the smoked chicken salad but they never have it. And if you like wings the have tiniest wings I’ve ever seen in my life. Won’t be back.

this is my second time there, the first time there was probably three or four years ago. I remember we went because my wife wanted to smoke chicken wings. We had to pre-order them and if you want them, you better pre-order them. We waited in line. We picked up our order and I thought how good can they be. Well, I remember we ate those wings as we drove down the road and I thought this is amazing! Fast forward to just a few days ago and for Father’s Day my father-in-law one of those wings. I was going to be in Louisville anyway, so I went ahead and picked them up. I did not remember exactly what they tasted like, but I did remember thinking they were really good. Well, they didn’t disappoint and they were excellent! I cannot wait until the next time I can go and pick up more of these things. We also had the blackberry cobbler which did not disappoint at all. It tasted exactly like you wanted it to. If you’re looking for some good wings and cobbler, bootleg barbecue is the place to be. I have to make myself try the other items now.

I’ve always loved the food here, but tonight when I had some at my in-laws house I found a piece of metal in the green beans. Luckily I didn’t chomp down on it too hard or a dentist appointment would definitely be happening immediately. I’m sure I’ll be back, but it will be a long time before I feel comfortable eating here again.

First off, the food is good, but that's kind of it. It's probably the most general BBQ food you can come across, nothing special. I had the brisket sandwich and it was fine, my lady had the hot dog which she said was great. The employee Christian was very kind to us as well, we were treated with the utmost respect! Once I try the ribs though, I think my rating will bump up a smidgen..

Tried this place for lunch for the first time. Great food! The flavor is something you need to try yourself. Pretty good! Only bummer is the wings, you need to order 3 hours in advance. And the baby back ribs don’t have a whole lot of meat on them. But will be back for sure.

The last time we ate there about 6 months ago the food was a lot better than this time the barbecue was bland. Mashed potatoes and gravy were delicious I wish they had put a little more gravy on them. The coleslaw was not good at all. But all the food that was supposed to be hot was definitely hot. Saw one of the girls working at the counter sticking her hands in the pickle jar not using tongs or gloves or anything bare hands.

My order was takeout, so this review is solely for their food. Among 7 adults, we ordered 3 lbs of pulled pork, sides of beans, Mac and cheese, twice baked taters, and green beans. Everybody loved everything, but with preferences. First of all, 3 lbs for 7 people is excessive as we learned, it lasted 2 meals with leftovers even for all 7 people. The pulled pork was moist, and fairly flavorful. My biggest gripe is not getting additional sauce to make it spicy etc to everyone's preference. The sides in order of everyone's preference: (1) Beans - great and a must have. (2) Twice baked taters - amazing potatoes with cheese and bacon, it went fast. (3) The Mac and cheese and green beans were both good, but not on the same level as the taters and beans, so I will not order them again. Overall, very pleased with the food and will plan on returning.

Great BBQ and sides, my son said he likes the chicken wings, been going there for years.

Right off Bardstown road and has a great dinning room. Sandwich was really good as well as the fries. I took a half slab of ribs home for dinner and they were really good.

I got sausage, mashed potatoes, baked beans and a slice of butter cream pie. All was good. Service was a little slow because of the snow outside. The pie was off the chain. Would definitely recommend adding a hotter bbq sauce selection, unless I just missed it. I would recommend eating here.

It had been a very long time since I had this food. The last time I had it they were in a small shack. Now they have a full on restaurant. That not the only thing that changed, their food has went down hill. My large pork chop was tasteless, potato chips were stale, and sausage was ok. The picking up the food was odd to. The First Lady told me to wait even though she wasn't doing anything as soon as I walked in. Later Second Lady 20 feet calls me over to get my name and tell me wait again. Later a third lady brings out my food. This experience I can skip.

we went today and got two nachos and two chili dogs. Neither one were big portions and the total came to $52 which is outrageous for what we got not to mention the food is disgusting and they didn't even get the order right please don't waste your money on this business. It's definitely a waste of time and money and a disappointment in the food. I will never return and I will never recommend them.

Food was great the waitress sucked they were rude messed up when charging me for my food and then says it will be 3 business days to get my money back

Bootleg bbq is a long-standing fern creek staple located off old Bardstown road in Lousiville Kentucky a mile or so before hitting the Mount Washington city line. For years this was just a small shack with limited to no seating but over the last five years or so they did a complete remodel that features spacious seating, old school 50s and 60s style country decor and a very home feeling vibe to it. Service on my trips here are always pretty good. You order at the counter when walking in at the dine in portion and seat yourself. The opposite side of the counter which has a separate entrance is for carry out. In our history they have always gotten our food out fast, accurately and fresh. My personal go to meal is a pulled pork sandwich with a side of baked beans. I've gotten other sides in the past like max and cheese and there double tater (mashed potatoes with cheese on top) and you can't go wrong. The baked beans is my favorite though and some of my favorite in the city. The sandwich has a good taste and the bbq sauce is very tasty. My wife is a big fan of the pork and loves getting the burgoo side. Kids usually stick to the kids menu and usually finish there plates. So complaints on there end. Overall a nice hole in the wall establishment just a little bit off the beaten path of busy bardstown road that has above average bbq, good service and a good atmosphere.

Eight of us went to Bootleg this evening to celebrate a birthday. I was craving the pork chop but they were already sold out for the night, that's how good it is. The pork chop is approximately an inch to an inch and a quarter thick and smoked to juicy perfection. But I love the chicken also so it was an easy switch. The half bird was Smokey and juicy, the skin roasted to a crisp yet moist tasty bite. The baked potatoes are huge and come with butter, sour cream, bacon and cheese. Two of our party had the big Nasty and really enjoyed them. The big Nasty is a large brisket sandwich on a Kaiser bun smothered with gooey cheese, peppers, onions, and a tangy white sauce. The baked beans, tater salad, mac and cheese were all given a thumbs up. The service is friendly and the restaurant inviting.

Bootleg at one time was the best bar-b-q in Louisville, unfortunately it's just not what it once was. Today I paid 25.40 for 13 wings and a 1/2 lb of brisket. The brisket was marginal, and the wings were an absolute joke as a recent reviewer wrote I didn't know you could get wings this small. Additionally, I left a tip with the young lady that was ringing me out of $2.40, there was no thanks or even a grunt. Remember this is a carry out, all that was done was hand me a bag didn't even offer a fork or napkin. Never again... sad to see a once great place go down.

I don't know how I've lived in the Louisville area for the length of time I have and had never had Bootleg BBQ!!! Our party had a carry out order tonight. We had the Baby Back Ribs, the Pulled Pork BBQ, Baked Beans, Mac and Cheese, Silk Pie, and Cherry Cobbler. Each and every bite of this food was absolutely SUCCULENT and FULL OF FLAVOR from the meat to the side dishes and the last bite of the dessert!!!!! I'm not always all about BBQ type food but this place BEATS THEM ALL, that I've ever had before! I'm looking forward to a reason to return here for a carry out order again! They have some sort of extra magical way that they do their Baby Back Ribs!!!! EXCELLENT!

My husband has been here a few times but this time he got a large pork chop and it was really salty and tasteless. It was just lukewarm. We ordered it to go and they told us it would be really in 26 minutes. He ate some of it but quit because of all the salt on it. Won't go back.

Great smoky food, quality service, restaurant is small, but we this place to order massive takeout orders for parties and events Recommend 10/10 if you like smoked chicken.

Used to love this place until today! We spent $45.00 on a half of slab of baby back ribs and the smallest chicken wings I ever saw! The wings looked like humming bird wings, I never saw any wings that small! The ribs were cold and tough! Won't be back here and the sad thing is I have been coming here for 15 years!

Tried the smoked chicken. The leg/ thigh portion was okay. The breast portion was extremely dry and not easy to eat. I have learned to check the sack when doing carry out. The sides did not make it into the sack. Every time I try Bootleg my expectations are disappointed. Good reputation but not deserved.

Service and ambiance have made improvements over the years, but unfortunately the BBQ is just not there. Bootleg is okay in a pinch, but fails to even rival a chain like City BBQ. The meat has more of a first time smoking flavor than a serious BBQ joint. The sides such as potato salad and red beans with rice are the highlights. Okay but not great.

Wings are good. A little on the small side but tasty. You have to order them 24 hours in advance to get them. The girl working the counter was (how shall I say this) a piece of work. Went in and there were some girls ordering at the counter and I walked up to the carry out counter. Girl said I need to get in the other line behind the girls. After she takes care of the girls she ask me what I wanted and I told her I had a carry out order and she told me I needed to be in the other line.

The food is always spot on and a fan favorite at events! But if you need catering for 10-20 people, you need to arrange it well in advance since they need plenty of time to prepare. On the same day, I went in and tried to get a 3 pints of potato salad, and I was denied saying it would take 3 hours to have that ready. It felt odd since they should be able to prep more quickly, so I went to another BBQ joint to get what I needed.

My favorite barbecue place in Louisville. Like the pulled pork, mutton and twice baked potatoes.

After a walk at Broad Run park on a beautiful day, we decided we wanted to have dinner on a patio and Bootleg was near by with outdoor seating. Little did we know, before pulling up to the restaurant, that they were closed to dining and were only doing carry-out. We decided to place our carry-out order over the phone but still sit in their outdoor seating area. We let them know we were sitting outside. The food was ready VERY quickly (we were all shocked) and they brought it out to the picnic table where we were seated. I ordered the pulled turkey sandwich with 2 sides: green beans and mashed potatoes/gravy. I advised that they could hold the bun because I like to eat my BBQ with a fork but they gave me the bun anyhow so I had half the bun as "bread" for the meal as one might have with their dinner. The turkey was a small serving, probably because it was a perfect amount for a sandwich; however, it ended up being enough for me with having the sides. The greens beans and potatoes were great! My group also ordered a couple quarter chickens and the pork chop meal... sides included a couple giant baked potatoes (which were definitely that, giant) and mac & cheese. Everyone seemed overall happy with their food.

I Ordered 75 hot and sticky wings. The sauce is amazing, but the problem is I couldn't find the chicken. I am still not sure where you can purchase a bird that small unless they own a hummingbird farm. All I could do once I got home was laugh that I spent $75 on my new hot and sticky toothpicks. On top of that, the young staff that works there acts like they are disturbed that you would have the audacity to pull them away from their phone to wait on a you. On a positive note, the potato salad was delicious.

Stopped by while staying at a local AirBnB in the area. This place makes everything homemade and it shows. This review was done during COVID and this place was strictly following the guidelines and we appreciated it! There is a covered area with picnic tables to eat outdoors. Otherwise, you can only order via phone or online (during COVID). I have been to dozens of bbq places across the country and this place outpaces most all of them. We ordered most everything on the menu. First, if there is any way you can order the smoked sticky wings you will not be be disappointed. Smokey, full of flavor and sticky sweet makes them unforgettable. For the meats, we ordered the spare ribs, smoked chicken, pulled pork, and smoked sausage. The ribs were a model of perfection; tender, smokey, and a wonderful coating of seasonings. No sauce required there! The rub on the smoked chicken was outstanding and the meat was moist and delicious. The smoked sausage was juicy, with a great snap, and just wonderful. The sides here are some of the best I've ever had. All homemade, the recipes were great. The cole slaw and tater salad were perfect, but the real star of the show for me was the baked beans. Unusually sweetened with a hint of cinnamon, they stand out from other baked beans you might find elsewhere. We also had the red beans and rice (topped with a spiced tomato paste), green beans, Cajun chicken gumbo, and mashed potatoes. All worth the price of admission! The burgoo stew, a Kentucky specialty, was a unique, rich, and delicious. Highly recommended. They also offer a very, very unique Kentucky bbq sauce made from Worcestershire, vinegar, and spices. A bit unusual, but worth a try. Last, but not least, we had the bread pudding and butter cream pie for dessert. What a way to top off such an outstanding meal! Be sure to leave room for dessert or bring it home for later!

The brisket was decent. The coleslaw was bland and boring. My wife had to add vinegar and sugar to make it good. The macaroni was no big deal. I made better from Kroger. Too far from my house. I only went there because I had a free gift certificate.

So, before COVID I definitely had my favorite BBQ spots, and they were unrivaled. Sadly, COVID damaged them pretty severely and now they are shadows of their former selves. I was in the market for a new place and STAT! Did I drive miles out of my way to seek this place out based on a single persons recommendation? You bet I did! And was I glad I did! You walk in and order at the counter, then pick up when your name is called. The interior looks like the remnants of a barn sale - there are knickknacks, and barn wood walls, but the decor is scattered all over randomly, and not jammed full like you'd see at like a Cracker Barrel or something. I ordered the pork sandwich with coleslaw and mashed potato and gravy. The pork was excellent, moist and flavorful, and the coleslaw added made it messy and wonderful. The potatoes are real and fresh. If I had any complaint it would be the sauce I was given, it was overly sweet and cloying, I saw other sauces that they had but was not given an option to choose so I don't know if i could have changed it. Fingers crossed that they open a second location more north of this one but until then I am driving forever to get here.

Went looking for a local bbq spot and this place was amazing ! I ordered the pulled pork bbq sandwich , Mac & cheese, mashed potatoes w/ gravy, and baked beans. Everything was well seasoned especially the baked beans, you could tell they put onion powder or actual onions in them. I went in the middle of the week during dinner hours and it was pretty quiet which was nice. Anytime I drive past on the weekends it is fully packed. It took them less than ten minutes to bring out our food and it was pretty hot. Definitely a place to bring family from out of town to try, will go again!

Food was decent. Cole slaw i didn't care for a whole lot. They forgot a couple of things but fixed it. When I got there I ordered some wings and they forgot about me but they refunded the meal and still gave me the food. The wings were small but very good. They cost 13$ so to get 12 wings for that price they're not going to be that big. But I was filled up when done. I don't understand why they don't offer regular fries lol. That blows my mind still. Besides a stupid tiny little teenager who instead of asking to spell my name like any normal person would do spelled it as Cundip and idk I just thought that was very rude. I've had friends call me that for years and that's all fun and games but I mean when you're making money off of peoples orders you usually want to treat them with courtesy and respect right? Well this little 3 1/2 foot blonde dummy who honestly looked like she was 9 but obviously was at least 18 seemed to have a whole lot of attitude but not much brains and that showed with how disrespectful she was. So I give her a -2 stars but besides the little things I give them 4 stars. Everyone else was respectful and I think once they seen my note on the receipt and realized what happened they may of got a chuckle out of it which I did to at first but like I said you're running a business. Disrespecting a customer isn't the best idea. Just ask how to spell a name next time. Really isn't that hard. But she was struggling to do math so maybe her brain was on the fritz and she just can't think about more then one thing at a time. Maybe don't have her taking orders and as we the phone and handle money. It's just to much for her I guess.

Uhm - ot was ok but a long drive for oddly sliced thinly brisket cobbler was horrible gooey and sickly sweet

Ordered wings and bbq for a graduation party. Food was delicious, prices were reasonable and they even helped me load it into my car. All guests raved about the food

Omg, I love the smoked chicken wings I highly recommend This Place to e two thumbs up for me. I'll definitely Will be eating their again very soon

The best bbq place. I love their green beans , red beans and rice andof course the bbq. They always have my oder ready in a timely manner. The new placeon Bardstown rd is decorated cool also.

It was just okay. There wasn't much meat on the stuffed potato and it didn't have much flavor. The sausage and red beans is not very Cajun so don't expect much. It's just an average place. I've had better but it wasn't horrible either.

Everything was fine. Beef brisket was excellent. Fries were hot. Salad was fresh. Breed was fresh. Service was great and left full and satisfied. Definitely recommend!

My favorite BBQ place by far. Highly recommend the sticky & spicy wings. Call three hours prior to picking up. Well worth the wait, I promise!

The food is excellent especially the wings and ribs!!! I only order those two from them. The price is fair. The service is very good and the workers are friendly and courteous as well as thorough. Spacious dining area with plenty of nostalgia. My favorite barbecue place!! Which we had one in Elizabethtown!!

It's good. It's not fantastic. Choose carefully. Love the bread pudding. Sides are good. Wings when you can get them.

Food is always good. I like ordering the family pack because there are 4 of us eating. Always friendly and efficient every time I go!

It's ok but not worth the money. Wing were tasty but extremely small. Mac and cheese was very liquidly like a cheesy pasta soup. Did not like the ribs. People talk this place up but I can't find a reason to go back.

Best potato salad ever and the pulled pork barbecue is my favorite so we try to stop by at least ice a month!

I was at a party tonight where Bootleg was served. The food was delicious and the gentleman Cayden who was working the event made sure the food stayed hot and was kept replenished. He seemed to have a strong work ethic and he was laser focused on making sure everything was perfect. Job well done for him!

They got mutton that ain't bad wings are ok and ribs are too and they got ale 8. But the burgoo was god awful and the Cajun hog was some crock pot bbq shit nun special about this one

Great food been going for years, highly recommend. This place has a great atmosphere and good people working there. The food is fantastic and potatoes are huge.

This was my first visit to Bootleg since the remodel and wow, the change is dramatic. They have a real restaurant now with air conditioning and everything! Bootleg has always been a counter service place, so that hasn't changed, and, as far as I can tell, neither has the menu. We called ahead and ordered 25 wings, plus a half chicken, sandwich, mashed potatoes and mac and cheese when we got there. The wings were good, the chicken was solid and so were the sides. Is it the best barbecue in the area? Probably not. Is it worth a try? Absolutely.

I ordered the 4lb sticky hot wings and when I say these wings are so delicious and addictive. I did a carry out order. If you plan on ordering wings, they tell you to call three hours before the time that you need them. The wings are hot when you pick them up. The 4lb of sticky wings has approximately 50 wings. The wings are smoked and sticky. You don't need no sauce on them whatever seasoning that they use is very good.

Not the best and wings have to be ordered 3 hours in advance so if you don't live in town you can't order them

Order ahead and pick up. Dine in or sit outside. Food is always great and staff always friendly. I have ordered dinner for my family or a quick hotdog for myself. Always hot and delicious. When we ordered bulk/catering for wings...they were hot when I picked them up and a crowd pleaser. If cobbler (peach) is available...try it.

When they started charging for takeout orders, we stopped eating with them Plus their food has gone diwnhill in flavor & quality.

Don't say yes you can sell/make something for a customer and then walk in openly complaining about it when they pick it up. While I'm certain this was purely coincidental and they didn't realize said customer was standing right in front of them it left a very unsavory taste in my mouth and made me feel very uncomfortable while waiting for my food. I asked politely over the phone if the item could be sold, ready and willing to accept a no. That would have been preferable to the rude commentary I was witness to during pick up.

YES YES!! That 3 hour wait was well worth the wonderful wings! Absolutely amazing! Worth the drive ! MUST TRY !

Had their great burgoo and sweet tea. Stayed in and dined with friend Kim and we agreed it is like a stew. Drove through nearby Fairmount Falls afterward.