Great food with local feeling. Exceptional BBQ and a menu right on point. Highly recommend.

When I go to a BBQ place I have 3 expectations: good meat, good sauce and good iced tea. You nailed the meat. I got the pulled pork sandwich lunch plate for $5 which comes with a side and a drink. Totally worth it. The pork was tender and smoky but not fried out. It was served on a plain white bun. (C'MON, toast those buns). For sauces they have two: mild and hot. I didn't hate the sauces but I didn't love them The iced tea is a problem. The tea had a sour taste. You know, that weird funk taste when the tea is just a bit "off". I am not sure if the tea was old or if the urns needed to be cleaned better but this was a huge disappointment to me. Next time, I will order a soda. read more

See all

The sampler platter is so delicious. Makes it hard to choose a favorite bite. You can't go wrong! read more

Bucky Bee's BBQ - Split the sampler platter. Soooo good! - Barbeque Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

Seriously? It's 2023. You should have a baby changing table in the women's bathroom. Hell you should even have one in the men's bathroom. What kind of backwoods, outdated, deliverance vibing establishment is this place? Food was also subpar. Save your money. Go somewhere else. read more

Absolutely delicious BBQ well worth the price for the enormous portion size also it made 4 field workers stop and rest BEFORE continuing on our travels read more

A group of us stopped here for lunch on the way to Nashville. We had the brisket, pork, turkey sandwhich and the Bucky Bee Burger. Everything was amazing from the flavor to the Texas toast and green beans and tater tots. The service was excellent, I believe Terri was her name. Highly recommend! read more

Had my first pork shoulder and it was great. Huge portions for all the meals we got. My vegetarian wife had to settle for salad bar and fried green tomatoes. read more

Bucky Bee's BBQ - Pork shoulder. Pretty good!! - Barbeque Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

Fantastic! We had the pulled pork, BLT, and fried green tomatoes. HUGE portions and likely the best fried green tomatoes I've ever had, the cornmeal was seasoned perfectly. Service was friendly, attentive and quick. read more

OMG, like pulled pork? Like baked potatoes? Stop in at Bucky Bee's for the Loaded Backed Potato: 1lb spud, a pile of pulled pork, sour cream and butter. I was in a food coma for about 2 hours after I finished this. I didn't think I was capable of consuming that much, but it just went down so easy. We too a chance and stopped here on our way back to the Louisville airport. The four of us were starving after hours at Mammoth Cave. What a find. They have a good selection of pork, brisket and burgers plus some chicken. Prices were very reasonable, menu was pretty extensive, service was great, ambiance was a little divey (the floor bounces a little when you walk). We started with the deep-fried pickle spears, something you rarely see. *Much* better than the usual pickle slices - they seem to put dill in their batter, so tons of flavor. Our drinks were absolutely huge, didn't need a refill. The loaded potato was so damn good I stuffed myself silly. I may not eat for a week. The ladies thought the burgers were pretty good too - nice fresh slices of red onion that gave them a lot of flavor. You have to drive a little past the chain fast food places to find Bucky Bee's, but you just gotta patronize unique places like this. My only regret is I had no room for dessert, and I really wanted to try their pecan pie. read more

See all

The King Ransom loaded baked potato is no joke. I highly recommend splitting between two people. To finish this by oneself, as I did, is to invite physical discomfort in an attempt to stave off the mental anguish of a job left undone. The smoked pork on top is quite juicy, and a heck of a deal at $9. Pork shoulder was also flavorful. Thought the disk-like cornbread was pretty unique; not overly sweet. If you're in the area for Mammoth Cave and don't want chain fast-food, don't hesitate to give this place a shot. read more

There are very few places to grab a decent hot meal in the Cave city area, that is not fast food. After a horrible experience at our first stop, Bucky Bees was our next option that popped up. They have a buffet that you can choose from, or order an item from the menu. Our waitress was very sweet and attentive. My party of five was seated and drink orders immediately taken. Next, our meal order was taken and placed with the chef. The place was fairly busy, this was a holiday weekend and options are limited in this town. After about 30min our food was brought out and was piping hot. Overall, our meal was okay and was average in terms of barbecue. However, thanks to Bucky Bees for providing great service and being hospitable. read more

Bucky Bee's BBQ - There infamous loaded potato - Barbeque Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

Just left the Corvette assembly plant and museum and heading to the next stop, but wanted to grab a bite. My handy, fave app, Yelp helped us to decide on Bucky Bees. Fantastic decision because it was deeeeeelicious! And you know how I knew it was going to "bee" good? When we pulled up, I saw an outside smoker so I knew the meats had been smoking for a long time. That's always a good sign. It wasn't busy at all so parking was plenty, but it's a small lot so if it's busy, I can see it being a challenge. Inside decor was very cute and homey (see pics). Our server was so cute and friendly. She also gave really good recos. I absolutely loved eveything I ordered. The baby back ribs were fall-off-the-bone gooood! I would say they were the best baby backs I've ever had! The coleslaw was good, coulda been a little more fresh, but they were still good. The tater tots were crispy and yummy. Cornbread was like a pancake and so dang good. Food portions were huge! And so inexpensive! The soft drink cups were ginormous too! I had enough soda to last me a week! We were too full to have ice cream or pie, but if I'm ever in Cave City again, I'd 1000% come back to Bucky Bees! read more

See all

Yummy!!! Fast service, delicious bbq and tasty sides. We split the combination platter so we could sample everything! Ribs were falling off the bone. pulled pork was tender and tasty. Brisket was delicious and the pork shoulder had a lot of flavor! The greens, green beans and cornbread made the meal complete. I wish we'd had room for dessert or gotten one to go. They looked decadent in the cases. We would definitely stop here again when traveling. read more

See all

Little BBQ place in Cave City near hotels right off the interstate. I had takeout - pulled pork sandwich with fries and cole slaw. Solid but unspectacular is a good description. I enjoyed it and the pulled pork was pretty good. Simple food, simple review. 3.75 read more

We stopped for a road trip lunch break. Being a Saturday everything at Exit 53 was packed. We thought trying a non chain would add to our trip. We were right! This little place was a gem. It has plenty of seating, nostalgic charm. Very large portions, perfectly juicy and falling apart. Great service by Shanda B! If you are looking for something off the usual chains, I recommend. read more

See all

Good food, good portions, friendly atmosphere, great service. The bbq potato is great read more

Bucky Bee's BBQ - Bbq Sample platter - Barbeque Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

I did take out, and ordered a pulled pork sandwich (which was nearly the size of my head), a side of Mac and cheese, a side of green beans and a sweet tea. Everything was fantastic and that was some of the best pulled pork I've ever had. Would definitely recommend if you're in the area if even just passing through!! read more

Bucky Bee's BBQ - Pulled pork sandwich with sweet BBQ sauce, Mac and cheese and green beans - Barbeque Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

I can see why it is right off the highway, because you will most likely only come here once in your travels!!! I was all excited about having BBQ and stopped here in my travels. Ordered the Brisket platter, what I got was burnt scrapes and fat with maybe one solid piece of meat. The beans and Cole slaw, were both straight from some premade can. Ok, I maybe understand hard times and not being able to keep up with the norms, but this is just BAD FOOD!! I would tell other to find somewhere else to eat and save yourself the gut bomb!!! read more

Bucky Bee's BBQ - BBQ beans and coleslaw, nasty!! - Barbeque Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

See all

This was some good barbecue. We stopped in after Dino world after the recommendation of the employee at the front door. The brisket was a little fatty, but good. We went after the guy talked about some sandwich they have and my cousins ears perked up. He got that sandwich and was not disappointed at all. We all left happy. We had some food leftover which we didn't take since we were making another stop and still had about an hour until we were back in Louisville. It was good definitely stop in for a yummy meal. read more

Out of town visitor. While the food was good and service was friendly, I was overcharged. The girl at the register made a adjustment when I brought it to her attention. For that I subtracted one star. I would recommend trying this place just look over your bill. Close to the Mammoth Cave and Corvette Museum. I had the pulled pork and potatoes salad. They also have a buffet and all you can eat. read more

Bucky Bee's BBQ - Menu - Barbeque Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

See all

It is good, cafeteria style BBQ. It is not totally our style, but good nonetheless. The brisket plate was chopped with big hunks of fat cap in it rather than being sliced. The spicy bbq sauce was not spicy at all (it tasted pretty similar to the sweet sauce). The baked beans tasted like they were just heated up from a can, but they were fine. The white beans were good. The pork was very finely chopped. The place was clean and the staff was very friendly. They were fairly busy, but we still got our food pretty quickly. read more

Was great!! Reasonably priced. Two sauces to choose from. Had to bring home leftovers!! Corn bread like grandma made! Ask for Chloe! Great waitress...never made us look around for her or anything. read more

Bucky Bee's BBQ - Pulled pork close up sampler platter far away! Notice the cornbread. In a fry pan like Grandma made. Yummy! - Barbeque Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

Great pulled pork sandwiches, super quick service. Scratched the itch for a quick bite while staying in a nearby hotel after a long drive to visit Mammoth Cave. No bar. Windows covered with local graffiti, probably a bit over done--you literally can't see out windows, so appeared unkempt. Clean the windows and let the kids start over? read more

Stopped in on a Saturday afternoon, hubby had the pork shoulder with green beans and coleslaw, pork shoulder was good the coleslaw mediocre and the green beans were just green beans, like warmed up out of a can with nothing added. I had the pulled pork baked potato which was huge and very good. Being a fan of beans I ordered a side of white beans, again it was like canned white beans warmed up with no additional seasoning. I'm used to a little ham or bacon and onion for flavoring. It's got great BBQ but the sides were a little lacking and our server was Johnny on the spot but not overly friendly until we asked about dessert. read more

We frequently travel back and forth to family on 65. My husband has been asking to stop at Bucky Bee's for years. I have always been reluctant to stop because I am not a huge fan of BBQ in general. One day I finally gave in and we stopped at Buckys late one night for dinner. There is an outdoor patio as well as plenty of space to eat inside. The restaurant is very unassuming but we had a wonderful meal and the staff was incredibly friendly. Buckys will forever be our dinner spot from now on. The staff was friendly and the food came out quickly. Now to get on to the important things. I ordered a burger and a few different sides. My husband ordered some BBQ.This burger was delicious and MASSIVE. I was unable to finish the entire thing along with all the sides. If you are not a BBQ fan I highly recommend this as an option for a great meal when traveling with BBQ lovers. The sides were all homemade and had great flavor as well. Next time I hope to try out the buffet and some of the homemade ice-cream! read more

My wife had the one pound loaded potato and I had the 8oz burger. I did try the pork on her potato and it's GREAT! Let me say this, half the potato is going in the box and I'm needing rolled out of here. The food is excellent and the service is awesome! I highly recommend this place if you're passing through. We will definitely be back! read more

Bucky Bee's BBQ - Kings Ransom loaded Potato and Burger - Barbeque Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

As you are already searching for restaurants in the area, this is one of them. We were seated quickly but after that, hardly saw our server. Our meals took extremely long for simple orders, especially having kids meals. When plates arrived warm(by someone other than our server), they have been sitting in a heat lamp. We had to ask other servers for drink refills, to go boxes. We pre-bussed as much as possible but the plates just sat there. When the server did arrive with our check, she lingered over my shoulder to wait to process the bill. That affected her tip right there. We were overcharged for a few items (things that were supposed to come with our meals) I did contact the restaurant twice to have them credit my card but I received no response. This a travel/vacation stop. The food was okay when it did finally arrive. Mac Chz was not hot, barely warm--very soupy so not good. The cornbread is more of a pancake, just an fyi if you order thinking of square pieces. It was not good--very dry. The brisket was fine. Things just did not seem clean--especially the silverware. Our table was a sticky mess. The decor is quirky. We tried the carrot cake---it was so dry, we didn't eat but two bites---especially for $7! Geez. Bummer---how it goes. Not worth a stop. read more

Wow! Great food, great service, huge portions, what else could you ask for. We are pretty big eaters, but still took home enough for another meal. The baked potato with pulled pork was terrific, and so was the BBQ sampler. We will definitely plan a stop here on our next trip passing through. Our server was Terri, and she did a great job. read more

Random find, local place, so I stopped. Staff is extremely friendly with southern hospitality. Inside, has plenty of room for large groups if needed. I read that portions are big and that is 100% accurate. I would give staff 5 stars. Since this was a one time stop, figured I would try the bbq sampler. Now I will preface this by saying, I love my BBQ and have tried Texas, Memphis, Kansas City, etc. plus I do a ton of my own smokin. The food: 1) Ribs. They were bland, mushy and needed to be trimmed. Meat did fall right off but didn't pull away like it should have. Everything comes out soaked in sauce which is a bad move. I couldn't taste any smoky flavor or flavor for that means. Huge disappointment. 2) brisket. Was ok. Came out shredded and covered in sauce. Some people like it shredded, I don't, but that's ok. Flavor was ok. Better than the ribs. It was tough to chew though being shredded. 3) the pulled pork. Came on a mini bun which as great. And came out with no sauce, which was appreciated. I would say this was better than the ribs and brisket. Flavor was good but nothing over the top. Out if the three so far, I'd probably get the pulled pork sandwich again. 4). Last on the dish was a thin cut, bone in pork chop. Which had been finished on a open flame/grill with good char marks and tasted like it came off the grill. Again, covered in sauce, but it was the BEST of the 4 items. I was searching my plate for more. This chop which was hidden under 3 ribs, scoop of brisket and pork slider was the gem of the plate. If there wasn't the pork chop, I would give a 2 Star. Sides? Tried potato salad before ordering (which was really nice offer) but it mustard and mayo based with not much else besides potatoes. Not a mustard fan, so I passed. But did get the baked beans which were spot on. Overall, nice little local place if you are passing thru cave area of 65. But I wouldn't go out if my way. I give it a 3 instead of a 2 because of the friendly staff. read more

The Loaded Potato was as big as my head loaded with butter, cheddar, sour cream and smoked pulled pork with their spicy sauce that I lathered on top. This family friendly BBQ joint is very personable and cares for their guests. On the weekends they have a buffet with 5 meats and loads of sides. Looking forward to go back and try it. If your in the area you need to stop in and eat. They open early for lunch so it's a great spot. read more

Bucky Bee's BBQ - Loaded potato - Barbeque Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

This is sooo good. My mouth watering when I just think about them. If you in the area, do yourself a favor, make a stop for a lanch...or dinner. You will not regret it. read more

I ordered a pulled pork platter to go with hash brown casserole and pinto beans. It came with cornbread. I loved everything! The portions were huge and you could definitely tell it was all homemade. The staff was very nice as well. I will definitely be back and recommend to try! read more

Bucky Bee's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

Delicious! We ordered the beehive appetizer tray and the loaded baked potato - stuffed!! And great service and fun down home vibe. read more

Bucky Bee's BBQ - The Beehive appetizer tray - fried pickle spears, green tomatoes, spicy chicken wings and mozzarella sticks. - Barbeque Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

See all

I loved Bucky Bee's. It was a total, random find. We were travelling in Kentucky (from California). We went to visit the caves and were looking for a place to eat. There weren't that many options. We kinda defaulted to Bucky Bee's. It's a quaint family run establishment. The service was fantastic and the hospitality unbeatable. The food was on par with both. The owner introduced himself to us and made us feel at home. I would easily recommend Bucky Bee's to anyone looking for great food and friendly atmosphere. read more

The BBQ sampler tasted like it had been reheated. The only good thing on the plate was the ribs. They were tender, fall off the bone, but also to the point of falling apart. The sliced pork was tough as leather. Onion rings were soft and soggy. Tater tots were crispy and pretty much the only really enjoyable item. read more

Solid, southern BBQ. Had the sampler platter, ribs were fall off the bone and everything else was deeeeelicious. Fried green tomatoes were absolutely amazing, I'd probably go back for another order (or 5) of those All in all enjoyed my experience! read more

Bucky Bee's BBQ - Fried Green Tomatoes - Barbeque Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

See all

Hit this place at lunchtime on Friday while heading north from Nashville. Great location right off the expressway and near lots of busy gas stations, shops, and fast food. I should have just went to the KFC next door. I ordered the sliced pork shoulder with potato salad, pickled beets, and corn bread. The pork was dry, tough, luke warm, and tasted old. The potato salad was watery. The beets were pretty good and the corn bread was yummy, but come on... Service was fast and friendly, but they really need to work on the food. Also, they don't take AmEx, so business travelers may want to take note. They also were using a Square device in the hostess' phone to run the card while there was a credit card machine right there on the counter. Seems creepy, but I don't care as long as my card doesn't get hacked. read more

Food was pretty good great customer service and pretty reasonable prices food was out quickly

My wife has gluten issues so tried the grilled chicken with coleslaw and potato salad and it was very good. I had the king sized baked potato loaded with pulled pork, excellent but way too big for a normal person. The service was super fast and friendly. Located just off I-65 so a quick stop. Also close to Dinosaur World which is a hoot! read more

Went as a group of 5 adults after doing some sight seeing in the area. We all got different meals and everything was very delicious. Ribs, brisket, and pulled pork was super tender. Bones from the ribs just fell off! All of us were very happy with our meals and the portions are plenty big. I'd say that most meals were around$10-$15 each. This has a great local charm and I would recommend it to anyone else visiting. read more