We stopped here on the way to NC based on the only two Yelp reviews available - not a huge sampling of patrons, so we hoped for the best. Tl;dr - it was one of the best BBQ joints we've ever tried. This really is what you might imagine a small Kentucky town BBQ house to be - tiny building, hand-lettered signs, a happy Porky Pig-style painting inviting you to feast upon his flesh, etc. It was unassuming, rustic, and by a big lake. Ask to eat on the deck if the weather is right. On a Wednesday evening, there were only a couple of other families there and we were seated immediately. The food came out quickly. Let's review what my friend and I ordered: Fried catfish - I can't imagine doing catfish much better than this. Crispy breaded crust, melt-in-your-mouth interior. Pulled pork - neither of us are pulled pork connoisseurs, but I ate every bit of what they gave me, which is rare for me. Tender with no lumps of fat, and the sauce was the perfect blend of sweet and savory for me. (I don't like BBQ at all if it's too sweet.) Fried okra - a dish easy to get wrong - often too gummy, stringy or mushy. This okra had a crunch to the outside and the right amount of tenderness on the inside. We both finished our portions off. Fried taters - sliced potatoes cooked kind of like home fries, crispy exterior. My friend added spicy BBQ sauce to his and loved it. Baked potato - huuuuge with butter and sour cream, not too dry. We drank Ale-8, which they had on tap, which made my friend happy. (I'm more meh about it, but I keep giving it second chances. If you're from north of the Mason-Dixon, it's like ginger ale.) The server was very attentive and helpful, and a cook popped out of the kitchen when we were paying to ask how we liked it. When we said we loved it, she gave us a Fonzie-style double thumbs up. We are returning to eat here on our journey back to Louisville in two days. Totally worth the extra mile off the interstate. read more

What a neat place, has tables and booths inside and tables on the back porch. the service is great , friendly and helpful. the food was great. will recommend this restaurant. They also serve breakfast.. please give this place a try. read more

Back Porch Smokehouse - 1/2 slab of Ribs and two sodes , I picked onion rings and cole slaw and comes with a roll. - Barbeque Near Me - Mount Vernon, Kentucky

Service was great but the pork I ordered was like the little dry shavings left over on the cutting board, not moist chunks of smoked pork. It's hard to believe they'd serve that but we are " outsiders" so I guess they didn't think it'd matter. Locals would never get a plate like that. read more

Delicious southern fare with all the fixings! Friendly and reasonable prices. Just off I-75. Worth the stop! read more

Back Porch Smokehouse - Wonderful southern fare with all the fixings! Delicious, and friendly service, just off I-75. - Barbeque Near Me - Mount Vernon, Kentucky

We've come here twice for breakfast. The weather was cold both times, and it was so nice and cozy inside. We had great friendly service. The food and coffee was very good. Everything was fresh and hot. We'll be back whenever we're in Renfro Valley!!! read more

We sat outside and enjoyed our view of the lake. Our kids enjoyed running around by the water after they scarfed their lunch down so they could play. The staff was friendly and everything felt clean. I really liked the pork rinds! It's mostly pretty basic food but it was good food. read more

My new favorite place to eat. The food is great and the staff are fast and courteous. We were served with nothing but smiles and kindness and service was quicker than it would of been at a fast food restaurant like McDonald's or somewhere. The place was also very clean and the dining area had a great atmosphere and smelled wonderful. I highly recommend anyone to check it out if they haven't already.​ read more

Love this place! Best fried catfish I've ever had. The BBQ and environment is cozy and relaxed. Best part is I can bring my dog and chill on the backporch. read more

This place is a great value! The food and service were very good. We had breakfast twice and dinner once while in town for a concert at Renfro Valley. We will for sure be back when in the area again. read more

Back Porch Smokehouse - Updated menus attached here - Barbeque Near Me - Mount Vernon, Kentucky

See all

Great food and friendly staff. Food came out in a timely manner. Food was the temperature it was suppose to be.

The food was not good. The meat was all dried out (chicken more so than pork). The water was undrinkable. The service was fine.

Friendly greeting as soon as we arrived, and quick service - had the Friday only special of fried fish and shrimp with hush puppies platter. Also had the tenderloin sandwich. Lots of side options. Generous portions. Everything was so delicious we didn't regret not getting bbq! Just 5 minutes off 75. read more

We were in the general area visiting my fella's folks, when we realized we needed some sustenance before hiking. The Fella's restaurant of choice wasn't going to fit the bill for the day. His dad recommended a place by to boat dock at Lake Linville. That didn't initially sound super enticing or promising. But when you are in small towns and more rural areas, vaguer directions might just lead you to the best places! We drove to where Brad remembered a boat launch being. We saw a sign for Back Porch Barbeque and we both got a little excited. The restaurant has a diner-like set up inside and several places for outdoor seating. The only strange thing was the large, empty display cooler right when you walk in. But none of that mattered once we were seated. We were instructed to seat ourselves. The server came by quickly with menus and took our drink orders. They have pepsi products which is just fine by me. They also have Ale 8! She was patient with us when it took us a few minutes to make our decisions. I originally wanted the brisket, but they were out of it. So I settled on the pulled smoked pork BBQ dinner, on a plate. Each dinner meal comes with two sides. I got the fried okra and the fried cornbread as my sides. The okra was FANTASTIC and the cornbread is tasty and there is SO MUCH of it! And y'all...the dinners, with their massive amounts of each of the two included sides, are almost all under $10!! All this with service with a smile! If you are in the area, I highly recommend visiting here for a meal! You won't regret it! But you will leave with an exceptionally full stomach! And good news, they DO accept credit cards. Something we were worried about when we walked in. It looks like the kind of place that might be cash only. But worry not! read more

See all

Fabulous food and friendly country dinner atmosphere. The banana pudding was the best that we've ever tasted!! Plenty of choices on the menu and not all of them BBQ. Definitely a keeper! read more

The food was really good, as well as the service. The bbq had a very good flavor. I would recommend.

Great local smokehouse. One of the better locations in the Mount Vernon area to eat. I typically get the Hog Trough (baked potato with baked beans, pork, sour cream, etc...) but last time I decided to try the brisket. Apparently they just started cutting this thinner and I think that is a mistake. The meat was a bit dry, and I think you lose a lot of the good smoke flavor on the outside of the brisket when you cut it this way. If you are in the area, this is a place you really need to visit! read more

Great service and food love there pancakes and if you are lucky you can see a eagle or 2

Simply wonderful. First time eating here but have already thought about plans to return. Our church group of 21 were handled with ease and the best of service. read more

TOURISTS passing through on I-75. I have a special paragraph for you at the bottom. Anytime I'm visiting back home, I'm likely going to this place from now on. While in the area this weekend, we needed food before hiking. The problem is that there aren't many good restaurants to choose from. I wanted to take Kathy to Marcella's(See review), but they don't serve breakfast all day. After leaving my dad's, I had to call him immediately to ask about other spots close by. He told me there was a place by the boat dock at Lake Linville. Without getting other details I decided that we were going. There was a sign for it at the beginning of Lake Linville Road. As soon as we saw the name... BBQ! That'll do! You can sit inside which is diner-like without being a diner. You can also sit outside on one of the five tables that give you an excellent view of the lake. You help yourself to a place to sit when arriving. The aroma smells so nice that I could've started eating the air! Not long after sitting a waitress shows up to take your order. Let me tell you, our waitress was handling quite a few tables single-handedly. She was great! My Food: Smokehouse Special: I decided to go with the Smokehouse Special. This sandwich is a Philly Cheesesteak, but instead of steak, they use pulled chicken or pulled pork! The meat was a little dry, but you can add the bbq sauce later. It was delicious! I chomped down every bite of that sandwich! Each dinner entree comes with two sides. I chose onion rings and fried potatoes(aka taters). I wish I would've selected something other than onion rings, but they were still tasty. I also tried my every day date's fried okra! Nom nom nom! The Rundown: -- Breakfast served all day! -- Plenty of sides. -- The fried cornbread is legit! It's slightly thicker but it's almost identical to what my great grandmother used to cook on a daily basis! -- The fried taters are also worth of a mention! They're up there with some of the best I've tried. -- Smoked BBQ! Burgers! Brisket! Chicken! Steak! Fish! Soups! Sandwiches! Desserts! You can't go wrong here. A lot of places try to do too many things and certain menu items suffer. Out of the things we had, nothing suffered in the slightest. You can tell this place is worth every penny. -- Speaking of pennies, this place is inexpensive. You will have great food. You will have great service. There was a steady stream of people leaving, entering, and picking up carry out while we were there. The service didn't lack at all. -- They have Ale 8. -- There's plenty of parking but you're also close to a boat dock. Keep that in mind when leaving because you might be blocked in by a truck and trailer waiting to get their boat our of the water. On to the TOURISTS! If you're reading this, this is exactly what Yelp was made for. If you're driving through on I-75, get off at exit 62 and find this place! The only sign is next to one of the highways across the street from Renfro Valley. Yea.. if you're traveling North you could go on to Richmond or Lexington, but it'll be tough to find a better place. The same goes if you're traveling South. Going South, there is one place near Cumberland Falls(Bubby's BBQ) but that's an additional hour or so south. Back Porch Smokehouse is worth your time. read more

See all

Food was excellent and staff was super friendly and responsive! We will def go again. Also nicely situated for indoor or outdoor dining on the lake. read more

Fried Catfish and Cornbread, partner had BBQ Ribs and liked them also. Our Server was outstanding read more

Bummer was closed because short staffing. Was hoping to get good BBQ on our way home. I suggest calling before making the trip off the interstate read more

Great barbecue had the ribs my wife had the pull pork and both plates where awesome will go back went I come to Kentucky

My husband and I stopped here on a whim on our drive from Wisconsin to North Carolina. When we entered, the place was empty, but by the time we left, it was packed with a line out the door! The food was delicious, but what we loved even more was the conversation between patrons. It seemed like everyone knew everyone else, and even when they didn't (they definitely didn't know us), they still talked to us like they were old friends. If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend you stop at Back Porch - just try to get there before church let's out. read more

Has really great food and service, not to forget about a great scenery as well. A unique spot in Mt. Vernon.

This place had the best barbecue pork I have ever had in the Midwest. It is well worth the 5 minute drive off if I 75. Deserves more that the 5 stars allowed! read more

I absolutely love this food. My favorite is the Smothered sandwich. I get it with cornbread instead of hoagie bun. The Sunday mashed potatoes are the best ... Real mashed potatoes WITH lumps. The Hog trough looks great (HUGE baked potato stuffed with everything.) read more

Worth a trip off the beaten path. Our group tried 4 different meals, all wonderful . Smoked pulled pork , ribs and chicken , outstanding , flavorful right through but moist and mild. Main dishes and sides are generous portions and very high quality . A quaint and very clean place. The most reasonably modest restaurant prices I've seen in a long time. Can't go wrong read more

Stopped here Saturday and the pork plate was very good! The food had a lot of flavor and was a bargain too! The view of the lake was great too! read more

Overall good experience. Good food. Good portions. Great service. Right next to Linville lake.

I camped at Lake Linville a few months back for a few days(had been muddy so I car camped instead of tent), and next to the bait/boat dock sits this restaurant. It is so good. The biscuits and gravy were excellent. I had beans and cornbread for lunch in the afternoon, and those cooks are good. The people were all friendly, and I'm definitely coming back since I moved to Richmond Ky area to try out their menu. This is a great place with great food and really nice people. Good cooks and nice wait staff. I really liked it. If your passing through on I-75 stop. Its down to earth. Just moved to this area and this place I am definitely going to try more of their menu. Thank you to everyone I met there. Just nice people. Great food and beautiful lake. read more

Awesome food, staff, and atmosphere. Haven't had a bad dish there and the staff is always quick to assist with a smile. Love lake Linville and the atmosphere it provides. read more

It wasn't as close to 75 as we had hoped but was so worth the extra 5 minutes:) It will be hard but save room for dessert. Service and food were great! read more

I absolutely love their catfish!!! I had never liked fish of any type, but my least favorite was catfish....until a friend talked me into trying Back Porch catfish!!! Pick it up for lunch or dinner at least once a week!!! Beautiful location, sits overlooking Lake Linville!! read more

Disgusting ribs! I'm not sure I know what animal they came from, maybe a goat? Spit out more cartilage then I ever want to think about, it was all over. I did email them to ask what they were and they choose not to answer me. They were thoroughly awful! read more

If you're searching for the best bbq in the state, I suggest you make a drive to Renfro Valley..They are hands above when it comes to bbq!! I also suggest the fried potatoes & fried cornbread as a side! There is also a covered deck to enjoy the water views, if you wanted to eat outside..You just can't beat Jessie, and the staff at Backporch! read more

Had the ribs and they were amazing! Sat out on the porch and has a nice view of the lake. The service was really good!

OMG, how disgusting. The pork was fat ingest and tasted like it was soaked in water for days. Beans were crap and tasted like ketchup, place is filthy. The corn bread was enormous and zero flavor. For a pork house, what a joke. So much for finding a nice pork house joint on way home. Wife and I left with almost all food still on plate due to the fat, stale and coldness Ugh, so gross read more

This place was nasty!!!! The beef brisket was so fatty and had zero taste. The pulled pork had zero flavor and everything on the plate was cold. Only thing that was good was the bottle of water we purchased. The place could use a little cleaning as well. There was dust stuck on the lamps above the tables, the vent next to our table was full of dust as well. Nasty..Nasty..Nasty read more

It's good food. Friendly business. Ate there only once because the prices were way to high (might have changed since then I dont know) but i know for 3 people it was like over $40 way to high for a little place in a small town with nothing in it. But it was good food and you can see the kitchen area from anywhere. They're always friendly. read more