Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint

I was searching for a new barbecue place as I’ve been to quite a few in the area. This place came up so I gave it a try. The restaurant and space is great, with high ceilings, lots of natural light, and some very interesting decor hanging all over the walls. I wasn’t sure what to get, so I asked, and the waiter recommended the brisket sandwich. It was fantastic, and may be the best brisket I’ve had in Louisville. It was tender and juicy and just super tasty. They cook whole pigs, and I don’t think that’s super common here. The mac and cheese was also really good too. Service was friendly and helpful.

Great vibe, old school road house ambience, not so pricey menu and large portion size. Bang on is cheap beers during lunch time. Were on a business trip to Louisville, went for lunch, got out tummy full meals and also got take out meals. Chicken tenders were juicy and perfectly fried, Quesadillas were good and there was one house sauce (i forgot the name) it was so yum.

This is a very big place and has indoor, covered porch and outside seating. This place felt more commercial however, you order up front when you come in. They don't have a very large bourbon selection either. Food was pretty good, the outdoor seating was nice view Overall didn't have that Kentucky BBQ home feel, wouldn't choose it again

First the customer service was amazing, from the beginning to the end. The food was fresh, delicious and just fabulous. My mom and I had dinner here three days in a row because it was that good. Each time it was tasty, fresh and the customer service was so good. We had questions, got answers and recommendations. The fish was so good, I didn’t even use any hot sauce or anything for first time. Everything had amazing flavor to it.

This is a wonderfully laid back casual BBQ restaurant with great food, simple decor and great staff. I’ve had the ribs, catfish tacos, and the chicken - all are excellent! The baked beans are absolutely delicious and I love the cheesy Mac’n’cheese! Portions are very generous and usually I take food home because I can’t eat it all! A fun place for families, and pets are welcome outside.

Food was cold and bland when delivered. Tiny portions for the money. The $30+ Brisket Plate in the picture is how I received it and was cold. The nachos were also cold and they missed the notes for no jalapeno. Sides were fine. The "orders" of Mac n cheese were in side dishes and were also cold.

Catfish dinner with Mac & Cheese and green beans. Mac & Cheese had been heated up several times and was uber dry. The catfish was so oily that it would not stay together. The hush puppies were dust balls and just fell apart.

I ordered togo so I am just speculating about the atmosphere because let me tell you something! That was literally the best food I’ve ever had! I’m talking about close handed back hands to yo mamas face type good. The hat was fire, on every level. The portions were legit, the flavor was banging, the spices were present and not out of control. I’m here for alll of it. Let’s go (to Martin’s with my roommates this Sunday, June 15th!) One love & one appreciation! ❤️💚 🙏🏼🤠

Visited Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint in Louisville and I have to say it is one of my most favorite spots for BBQ ever! The service was phenomenal and you can tell the employees really are passionate about what they do! If it is your first time, they will tell you about the restaurant, recommend what to order and continue to follow up with you during your meal. Came here on a Wednesday night and it was decently packed. We got a BBQ Tray and it was fantastic! Pulled Pork Shoulder was fantastic, it really was flavorful and melted in your mouth. Sliced Beef Brisket so great with their in house sauce! Sliced Smoked Turkey was good, nothing super special here. Their desserts though were awesome! We got both the Martha Ann's Fudge Pie and Nadine's Pecan Pie & my party enjoyed both! They weren't too sweet and had lots of flavor. Overall, I would recommend Martin's to anyone passing back and I will definitely come back.

I had the catfish platter with Mac & Cheese and green beans. The hush puppies were terribly dry with only a greasy flavor. The mac was horribly dry. Like it was last nights batch re-heated. The staff was great. They had the AC set on "freeze my arse".

Great food! Amazing brisket!!! Worth every penny! Baked beans were wonderful as well!

This place is fabulous. Great food, Cute decor, not far off of the highway. We had a large group and they were able to accommodate us.

Easily one of the best brisket sandwiches I've ever had. With a great flavorful crust on the outside but extremely juicy and tender inside. Mac and cheese was also very good while the potato salad needed something. A simple order and wait/sit type of place with your basic bbq decor. The service was friendly and fast.

First the customer service was amazing, from the beginning to the end. The food was fresh, delicious and just fabulous. My mom and I had dinner here three days in a row because it was that good. Each time it was tasty, fresh and the customer service was so good. We had questions, got answers and recommendations. The fish was so good, I didn't even use any hot sauce or anything for first time. Everything had amazing flavor to it. The vibes were great, wasn't too loud.

I stopped in for dinner before finishing up the night at the hotel across the street. The restaurant was super smoky the entire time I was there. I had to put my clothes in a separate bag so that my room and other clothing didn't smell like a campfire. I tried the ribs. They were very good. Fall off the bone with just the right amount of sauce. The cornbread was very good too, a totally different taste on a traditional cornbread. Staff was great. From the person who took my order at the counter to the bartender who grabbed me an extra drink. I would always go back, but would hope that the smoke was not quite so dense.

Stopped at Martin's because we were looking for barbecue but didn't want to go too far from the highway. We had the brisket sandwich and the red-neck taco. Both were delicious!

Great food, friendly service, and fun environment. We've been going here for years. The redneck taco is a must try!

The food was great. The tacos were delicious and the brisket was so tender. Food came out quick after we ordered and staff checked in on us often. The restaurant made it feel like we were on vacation! It was fun to look at the different signs and decor around the restaurant. Would come back if I lived closer!

Really good ribs. Great service. I will be back to try some pulled pork & turkey. Good desserts, too.

Food ordered: Nachos (starter, original comes with pork, we chose Turkey just because in the mood for) 1. No cheese, cheese is similar to the one at the gas station (watery) only it arrived cold. Mind you, the faint amount of cheese that could taste. 2. Turkey was cold, as if straight from the fridge and no one had ordered turkey in a while. ¼ white meat (original comes as Dark meat) Sides: mac &cheese and fries ( requested fresh and ofc had the overtly salty and cold) at this time coulda, shoulda have left the restaurant however, hungry and they replaced the fries by asking "where they cold?". The meat was cold, bland with a hint of taste of meat that hasn't been cooked appropriately. At this point decided to leave. Total 32$ plus 22% tip which rounded to close to 40$. Drive, time wasted, and one of the worst experiences. Chili's or others restaurants- mexican or otherwise- have WAY better food and nachos. Do not recommend.

Food was good, service was good, and interior was entertaining. This is a great family style restaurant and would recommend as a great place to take the family.

This was our first time to eat here and I'm glad we chose it for lunch. I got the Sausage Platter with chips and broccoli salad. My wife got the pork sandwich with fries. The serving portions were very generous and everything was absolutely delicious. We can't wait to come back

Food was ok but not anything great. Brisket was made well but sauces are horribly lacking. One watery sauce on table and a few other too that we had to ask for weren't good. The sides were probably the best thing. Green beans were seasoned well, broccoli salad was also good. They do not know how to make proper Brunswick stew. I tried it and it's stew but not Brunswick stew.

Food was tasty but I thought I ordered a sandwich not a White Castle slider. Charge me an extra $3 and give me a regular size sandwich instead of this kids meal crap

This place was recommended to me by multiple people. I had to try it, went in on thursday jan 2nd. 7pm. Ordered a half rack, with beans and mac and cheese and a beer from the quick service counter. Hit with the tip screen. Obligatory 20%. Waited a few minutes. Food came out, asked if food was okay before i had unwrapped my silverware. Beer came out a minute or two later. Ribs were lukewarm, beans and mac & cheese were cold. Ribs were tough and dry. I assume they were left over from new years buffet or something. I soaked them in the table sauce but it didn't help. Mac and cheese could have been good if it was warm. Didn't even bother with the three pieces of stale great value bread. Walked out, left 3/4 of the beer and half of the food untouched. Lesson learned martin's. You got my $33 this time. But it will be the last time

Big portions of ribs. The food was good! The service was great on order taking food running, but they could step up a bit in bussing off tables. The venue was laid out nicely and our party enjoyed ourselves!

Food is great but I won't come back. Every time I'm here it's smoky and I walk out with my clothes and hair reeking of smoke. My car just driving home... gotta have the windows open. All my clothes must be washed, and I have to shower before bed otherwise my entire room smells. And I love bbq. I came back after the fire to see if it was better. Nope.

My daughter took me to this restaurant yesterday because she wanted me to try their barbecue... She normally does not like barbecue, but she highly recommended this place. The food was pretty good but I have to say it's a little pricey for what you get. Personally, I would rank the little barbecue place in Shelbyville and Famous Dave's a bit above this place. You order at the register and they bring you your food and that's pretty much it. So, I do think it's a bit annoying that businesses asked for tips when they are doing exactly what they were hired to do. Nothing extra or above and beyond...virtually the bare minimum. It's not just this place... But they should never ask for a tip when you are ordering your food. That's like going through McDonald's drive-thru and they ask you for a tip... For what?? Other than that... The food was pretty good...and their sauce is good, but it's super super thin... So it's best to dip your sandwich instead of putting the barbecue sauce on it

Terrible Service! Had me waiting 25 mins for 2 sandwich's and got the order COMPLETELY WRONG! I suggested they deliver me my food since I have other things to do and they weren't willing to do that. I'll never be back and if you value your time and money, go anywhere else but here. Not to mention my order cost $50 FOH

Smoked turkey was pretty good, brisket was decent, ribs were not good nobody took the membrane off of them and they were a lil tough. Best Mac and cheese I've had in a while, banana pudding was amazing, and they got ale 8 and a good selection of alcohol. I'll definitely be back

The first impression of the restaurant had me. The smell was intoxicating. A sign of a good bbq restaurant is the smell of smoked meats and they had my favorite beer on tap. When in Kentucky, one must have a pint of Kentucky bourbon barrel ale. With that I enjoy the brisket, with fresh cut fries (wish all restaurants would serve fresh cut fries) and the broccoli salad. The broccoli salad was excellent (thanks to other reviews). The fries were on point. When I don't need to dip the fries in anything you know the fries were great. The brisket was very good. I highly recommend.

Upon entering, the staff was very pleasant. I tried to order three sliders and one order of fries off the kids menu, but that did not work. Apparently you cannot do that so they gave me three separate kids meals with one slider and one fry each. The drinks were expensive andwatered down. The bummer about the whole experience is you have to keep going up front to get your drink and upfront to get your food or anything else you want. It's a whole back-and-forth thing. No one serving. So it's hard to enjoy time with your family and friends. The food was mediocre at best. Quality and quantity both could be improved. Some of our party had ribs that were mostly fatty. The quantity of brisket was very small for the price. The three sliders I had with the three orders of fries, barely had any chicken on the bun. I would skip this place and go to Mark's feed store! Or mama's barbecue!

Service: prompt, brief encounter Ambiance: relatively clean, rustic, minimalistic Food: Ordered Sliced Beef Brisket at a cost of $13.49/side of baked beans (one side came with order) -Individual sides cost $3.49 each -Sandwich arrived within 10 minutes-cold -plain bun buttered on top and bottom and lightly toasted (see photo) -brisket folded on bun only covering 1/2 of bun (see photo) - brisket was almost entirely a piece of fatty end meat and it was NOT sliced -it tasted like pot roast instead of brisket meat (see photo) -beans were tasty, in a thick sauce Voiced a complaint to server-no action taken by manager or action taken Not a good value for the money, cannot recommend, will not revisit, portions less than expected

I wish I could rate the food at this place, but they never brought it out to me. As per the young lady behind the counter, the restaurant was slower than usual when I visited Martin's. I placed my order and my interaction seemed pleasant. The Martin's employee actually said, "have a seat and your food will be right out." A few other parties entered the restaurant, ordered, and got their food rather quickly. After about a 30 minute wait and without receiving my meal, I approached the counter and asked to pay for my drink so I can leave. Evidently they made my food but never brought it out to me... they actually tried to hand me the food bagged up to go. The girl was like, "here, you can have it. No charge," but I wasn't interested in eating cold BBQ. This was a fail in every way. It's a shame too, because this place had a really good vibe and I was hungry. Sorry Mitchell's, you guys fell short today.

Great food and service. The banana pudding is some of the best I've ever had. The sauces are very flavorful

The broccoli salad was delicious. The beef brisket sandwich was good but there were some very black burnt pieces that ruined those bites. The homemade chips would have been much better without the massive amount of seasoning that was sprinkled on them. Either lighten the seasoning or just salt them. I would go back but would order broccoli salad instead of chips.

Firstly..I'm from K.C. my expectations for good bbq in Louisville are low. In the 10 years here. I've tried many spots in hopes for at least edible bbq. I'm newly disabled from an injury so I ordered online to go curbside pickup. I pulled up, got my items, and there was not any napkins or utensils. I asked the girl that handed it to me if there was utencils in there. She said we don't put utencils in the bag. Strange? How would I eat my meal? She brought some out. I opened the box..nothing but crust and the burnt end pieces. I tried a bite...beyond dry and nothing but peppery crust. I called to get it replaced he said no problem I'll bring it out in 5 min. I'm sitting parked in Togo area..waited 15 min. Then I decided to attempt to walk in with my bad knee. I asked the cashier where my food was, My food was sitting on counter. He didnt know what it was. The Manger came from back said the bag was mine, not even similar to what I ordered. He went to back brought me out a replacement meat, said he just sliced it fresh. It was the most dry brisket I've ever had in my life anywhere. Then he threw a bread heal in my box. I could see someone doing that if I was mean or loud or rude..but I was kind and nice. He did refund my purchase. My overall experience was bad. Very inexperienced cashiers counter folks, manager seemed uncomfortable in his job. Brisket was dryer than a popcorn fart. Baked beans tasted like chef boy r dee sauce mixed with baked beans. Lackluster. I went on a Sunday afternoon. Not that busy. The positive was the macaroni and cheese. Very good baked Mac. I know food is subjective, but I wish Louisville folks could just taste awesome KC bbq. It will change your lives.

We had family in from out of town. Took them to Martin's for lunch. Our past visits were very good, however this time service was terrible. There were 5 in our party. Each had meals with drinks, beer and teas, not water. My wife had the half rack ribs with fries and Broccoli Salad. She ordered her fries crispy, they came out cold and limp. Her ribs were great. All other food was good. After our food was delivered to the table, everyone disappeared. One young lady (employee) hung out at the bar talking to a guy. The other employees stayed in the kitchen BSing with the kitchen crew. I could see in the kitchen from our table. We needed refills on our teas and a beer drinker wanted another beer. We waited and waited, yet no one came around. Finally an employee had to deliver food to another table. I did everything but scream to get her attention. Finally, she reluctantly looked our way. I motioned to her and she finally approached our table. We asked for tea refills. I asked the beer drinker if he wanted another beer. He said: Not now, I'm done eating! This whole scenario is why I have a real problem with tipping up front when ordering. I want to see what type of service we get before determining the tip! I'm thinking we gave a 20% tip upfront. Had I known the service we were going to get I'd given 10% if that. It's time server's and restaurant employees learn their tip is commensurate with the service they provide! No more up front tipping from me.

Warning- this place is incredibly smoky on the inside and you will leave wearing it. (Typical of most descent bbq places) This is not a serve you style restaurant. You order your food, find a seat, but then they do bring it out to you. It was our first time visiting. The sauces were no where posted for you to know what the options are and the girl taking the order could only tell me one sauce, "Dixie", but was unable to tell me if was sweet & spicy, that heat level..nothing about it was known. It was 7:00 and they were also already out of ribs... find that odd for a BBQ place, but it was what it was. We went with the brisket and since we weren't able to know what sauces were an option we had to go with the only one known by the employee, the Dixie sauce. Sides were macaroni, potato salad and baked beans. We also ordered an "appetizer " of the Nachos. The food all came out at one time. So the "appetizer" is not an appetizer and should just be labeled as an meal option. When I mentioned this the server stated at you have for it to be brought out first... ummm... I'm pretty positive that's what is meant by "apologizer". They Nachos were good. Would recommend them. The brisket was tender and flavorful, but not a lot of it. The Dixie sauce was okay, on the runny side, no thickness to it. There was a sauce on the table that we tried- no clue what it was, but it was runny like water and spicy. The potato salad was amazing!! Baked beans normal. The Mac-n-cheese has some sort of dry rub sprinkled on top and was not good, ruined what would have been a good item. When ordered the side I did not see where it said this would be a topping on the dish-maybe I missed, but I doubt it. The employee walking around was very on top of it making sure drinks were filled . Very pleasant little guy. Overall, wasn't overly impressed. Certainly some changes they need to make such as listing sauces, listing how items are made/cooked and training employees to be knowledgeable of their menu. Will we try it again.... I don't know.

This place has good food and good service. The BBQ is delicious and the fries are amazing.

Great BBQ- Phil at the bar was pleasant and friendly. Will definitely go back. Lots of different seating. Enjoyed

I had the brisket chili it was melt in your mouth ! Had a hush puppy but it was over fried. Too hard to eat.But inside was good

KY loves it's BBQ...restaurants like Martin's is why. Real BBQ made on site and friendly service creates a true southern ambiance. If you are looking for a delicious casual lunch or dinner this could be your place. Meeting rooms available provide a great option for business lunches/dinners or those special occasion celebrations. Tip: if you visiting during cooler months bring a jacket. Since cooking is on site the back dining area has open doors and there's ceiling fans throughout for ventilation (it doesn't smell smokey).

This is my second time trying Martin's, I went for the Redneck Taco with pulled pork and the Mac-n-Cheese as my side. Cornbread "shell" with pulled pork and topped with slaw. It was good but didn't knock my socks off, mac-n-cheese on the other had was awesome. Service was great and friendly.

Martin's BBQ - I've been here several times and every time is delish. We visit the one on the east end/Indian Lake more as we live nearby now. The location on Barrett worked better for us when we lived in Audubon Park. Sad to see that location close permanently. I do feel as if the food was perfect every single time we visited the Barrett location. The food at Indian Lake is fantastic 85% of the time. Last night,we visited towards teh end of the night. The brisket was so fatty that it was almost inedible. We debated about taking it back to the counter but our visit was very close to closing time. We brushed it off as "its the end of the night" but for a $70 bill, I wish they would have just stated brisket was out. The typical menus BBQ options; pulled pork, chicken, ribs, beef brisket, turkey - they also have some non-typical foods here too: Bologna and fish! Look, I'm not a bologna fan, I can't review it but someone might not be a BBQ fan and they can still come and enjoy the non bbq options and their awesome sides. I will however tell you that their broccoli salad is the bomb! I love it! It's a little salty, a little sweet (craisens!), some cheese, some crunch, some yes please, 'I almost wish I ordered a double order but I want my pants to fit tomorrow' love for this broccoli salad! There were actually four of us in the group tonight, teenager ordered a brisket sandwich who also mentioned the brisket was fatty....one person ordered a rack of ribs (divine! We all tried one of those babies!) and two people shared a little brother - brisket and pork tray as they had eaten a late lunch already. Cannot go wrong with the pulled pork -my favorite thing there. Really flavorful, lean, and delish. We ordered green beans (which I usually love there) but again, bottom of the bin.....lots of liquid, not a lot of beans. And hush puppies which were fabulous. Probably some of the best service I've had in a long time and these are not tip driven staff - it's a counter service restaurant. It's a good place to hang out, it's a country bumpkin-ish theme, good beer selection and great food. Go. But don't go at the end of the night.

I frequently come here for work group lunches. We get a massive sampler plate or two and dig in. Always good. Sometimes it's phenomenal, like last time I was there. Yelled into the kitchen that my food was great. Make sure to get the ribs! I usually get a dry rub with sauce on the side. Quick pick?- smoked wings with Alabama white sauce.

I got my loaded baked potato and it was so delicious! Perfect amount of meat to potato ratio and ate it with the bbq sauce that comes on the side, wow, perfect blend of flavors. The customer service was great, they were fast with getting our food out and came by to get drink refills and take away dirty trays. The servers were all friendly and so nice! We even got a small complimentary moon pie that 6 year old was thrilled to demolish within minutes! So happy we found a new bbq place and will be bringing our friends and family when they come from out of town.

It's so nice to have a BBQ restaurant that is very close to me. I have heard nothing but positive things about Martin's so I was excited to try it out. You order at a counter and they bring the food to you. Their menu is absolutely huge (can be different now due to COVID). I've had their nachos, brisket sandwiches and many of their sides. Everything I've had has been great. The only downside if you are a brisket fan, they make so much in a day so if they are out, they are not making more for the day. The food in my opinion is fairly cheap for how much you get. My family loves Martin's so we will continue to come back every time we want BBQ.

I went to this restaurant tonight and had a to go order. The brisket I ordered was 1/2 fat and I only received 2 slices. The chicken wings were good and my food was ready when I arrived. Put pass on this place

Food and service is always amazing. I appreciate Martin's has always held a high standard of hospitality.

After hearing how much my parents enjoyed Martin's, I was excited to give it a try. I enjoyed their nugget ice ... but the rest of the meal was incredibly disappointing. Three of us ordered the whole hog platter with two sides. In parentheses it was described as pulled pork but the only way to describe it was a mound of greasy fat. Every so often I found a bit of meat but I left most of it to be thrown away. Two slices of bread were on the platter too and half soaked in greasy juice. We also ordered 6 wings with the dry rub. The rub was very thick and overwhelmed the wing, making it seem even drier. A sauce may have been a better option? Sides varied. Our fries and slaw were okay, the cornbread was flat and doesn't even earn the title of cornbread based on its taste, the mac & cheese was hard and crunchy. They serve coca-cola products and even this was off, a bit flat. Inside the restaurant offered ample seating but we went outside to enjoy the weather. The building is also very smokey from the meat being cooked daily. I was thankful to be outside and not have the smell soaked into my hair and clothing. A note about the chair - several are metal stools and smaller seats. They don't look very comfortable, especially for someone that needs additional coverage for their bottom. The only reason I went with two stars was due to the staff. Each person was helpful and friendly when we walked in, ordered and received our food. We didn't see a server outside otherwise - so we didn't share our disappointment in the food. I can not recommend Martin's and will not be back to spend money with them. Thinking about tonight's meal of fat turns my stomach.

The service was good, but the food is a bit bland. We ordered pulled pork and beef brisket, but there really is not much flavor unless you add sauce (which was pretty tasty). They do have a nice view on the patio though.

I enjoyed this BBQ joint more than I initially thought I would... I'm always slightly skeptical about chain BBQ joints but Martin's hit the spot! I ordered the dry rubbed chicken wings with the broccoli salad and mac n cheese on the side. The chicken wings had such good flavor that I barely had to put any BBQ sauce on them (even though the sauce was very good). The sides were super tasty too. I scarfed everything! Will definitely be back!

Amazing bbq!!!!! Ordered the bbq nachos and brisket platter. Soooo worth it. Everything tasted fresh, friendly service and very clean location.

I love a good barbecue! Martins has a really good, freshly barbecued anything you want anytime! A bit pricey, but delicious!

We stopped here for lunch on a road trip. It wasn't that busy for a weekend. You order at the counter and are given a table number so it's a pretty simple process. The food came out quick and the staff was super helpful. Half way through our meal someone ever came over with some pulled pork to sample hot off the pit. I had the ribs, some chicken tenders, and mac n cheese. Everything was awesome. Get the ranch for some dippin.

If ya like BBQ then you'll like Martin's. I usually go for the pulled pork sammich and it's always been super good. I've had some of the other meat options and they're all just as good. Only knocking it a star because the sides to me are only ok and not worth the extra charge.