We were out on the bourbon trial and needed something for lunch. Someone in our party had been here before and recommended it, so we took a drive hoping for the best. We were not disappointed! The place is small, and you order almost like at a cafeteria. They slice your meat fresh as you order and create your sandwich or plate right in front of you. We arrived just before the lunch rush, but were still amazed at how quickly they moved everyone through the line. The menu is small, which means people can't take much time to decide, and everything is done right! I had the smoked pork tenderloin with coleslaw and fries. The meat was awesome, and the coleslaw was refreshing. The fries weren't anything special, but for how hungry I was they did the job. I'd order something else for my side next time though. The prices are also super reasonable compared to most bbq I am used to. If you're in the area, I'd come here for a taste. But get there early, cause once they sell out for the day they're done! read more

We've eaten at this location several times over the years, and my favorite protein is the smoked salmon which available only on Friday nights. However, on our last Friday evening visit they were sold out of salmon by the time we arrived so I chose the brisket, and it was excellent. Maybe I should try some other items, but the salmon is so good I hate to get anything else! The coleslaw and potato salad are my favorite sides while Hubby really likes the baked beans. The booths in the dining room were different on our last visit and the seats seemed more comfortable. Food is ordered at the counter, provided on a tray to carry to your table, and customers dispense their own drinks from the machine opposite the cash register. Refills are permitted. Carry out is available and I've noticed several people getting orders to go while we were eating. read more

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Food was lukewarm and the brisket tasted more like beef round than brisket and the pork was not great. The best food on the table was the potato salad and the jalapeños. We were very disappointed as we passed through KY hoping for some really good local food. read more

WILL I COME BACK - Maybe - but doubtful ATMOSPHERE 4 DRINK 3 ENTRÉE SIZE 5 ENTRÉE TASTE 3 SIDE 1 SIZE (BAKED) 3 SIDE 1 TASTE (BAKED) 2 SIDE 2 SIZE (GREEN) 3 SIDE 2 TASTE (GREEN) 4 SAUCE 1 (MILD) 1 SAUCE 2 (SWEET) 4 SERVICE 4 CLEANLINESS 5 OVERALL 4 TOTAL 3 Me and the girlfriend was out riding around and came across this. I have been craving some good BBQ since I have left the Oklahoma/Kansas area and this is my second place to try, but the first one with her beside me. There was more missis then hits with this place to be honest, but with any restaurant i will try it again when i am in the area, and will change things up. Walking up outside, and to the counter on the inside the place had a real neat vibe to it. It was clean, and it is a walk up, order and they hand you the tray with food on it and you pay at the end. We ordered the 2 meat plate and split it. We got the Sausage with green beans, baked beans, and an extra sliced brisket. I got sweet tea and she got a water, and it cost us $23.83 before tip. Now I did tip, but usually in a place where they hand you the food over a counter and you have to get your own silver (plastic) ware and drinks I don't, but I leave that up to all of you and your own opinions. At first, the amount of sausage was huge, and the brisket was decent size. The beans (green and baked) come in there own little containers (Smaller than I like), but the meat came with pickles, onions and jalapeno's. I was impressed with the size of the plate of meat at first look. So now to the taste. The sausage was very good, although slightly tough skin. I won't hold that against them because the flavor made up for that. The green beans were very good, well seasoned and had great flavor. Now the bad, The brisket had hardly any smoke ring what so ever, and you could not taste any smoke or seasoning on it at all. If they used a rub and base it was neutral and had no flavor in it. The flavor was like it had been cooked in an oven, and for that it was good and juicy, just no BBQ flavor that I like, or that I wanted in a BBQ restaurant. The beans, they tasted like they were hunts strait out of the can. No meat what so ever in it, and no real flavor what so ever. Now we only got to taste 2 BBQ sauces, I am not sure if they had others. One was Mild, and the other sweet. The Mild one I did not like at all. It had a bitter flavor that was off putting. The sweet one was very good, and I thought about seeing if they had a bottle to purchase of it but didn't. I prefer Head Country but it's hard to find out here. Over all, a nice clean place. I maybe back, but doubtful, if i do i will try other meats and sides. Still can't believe a BBQ place didn't have fried Okra. read more

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Fantastic friendly service and good sized portions. Had to meats, a lot of meaty ribs. Very smokey taste but good ribs. Brisket was not as tender or flavorful as I expected but still finished it. Fast, friendly service was the highlight. read more

Stopped in while in the area on business. Always like to try BBQ from different places around the states. Their BBQ was pretty good only thing I didn't care for was the slaw. read more

Ken-Tex Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Shelbyville, Kentucky

I was in the Shelbyville area around lunch time and thought some Bar-B-Q would be nice for lunch. Ken-tex was close so I stopped in. It's a small place and not much parking. You have to order your food at the front counter and then take it to a small room on the side. I looked at the menu and decided to order the 1/2 rack Rib Plate with slaw and pinto beans as sides. I went to sit at a table and wow was I disappointed. The ribs were dry looking and they had not removed the membrane before cooking. So instead of fall off the bone and tender they were hard, dry and chewy. I eaten a lot of ribs in my day, but these were the worst I've ever had. I'm removing this place from my list. read more

Ken-Tex Bar-B-Q - Order Counter - Barbeque Near Me - Shelbyville, Kentucky

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This place is really fantastic. Highly recommend eating here! Truly awesome. Pound of brisket, half a chicken, half a slab of ribs, longhorn stew, coleslaw, and pickles. read more

Food was excellent, Staff was friendly, and inviting. Walked in and seen a bunch of later teen to early twentyish guys working, and didn't know what to expect for service, but they were the nicest, most helpful young men I think I've ever seen in that type of setting. Food was very tasty, and the portions I felt were generous for the price. Would highly recommend, and would definitely go back again if we're in the area. read more

The place is a nondescript wooden ramshackle place on the side of the road. The staff was friendly and its counter service. The portions were adequate. The sides were average The barbecue was defiantly pit cooked it had a good Smokey flavor and a decent smoke ring. My biggest disappointment was the meat was a little dry. Maybe because we hit it at the end of the lunch rush. If I get by I will probably try it again. I read more

Best place to eat in Shelbyville good brisket good pulled pork good potato salad good Cole slaw and amazing service.

I hadnt been here in gosh, over ten years? But a friend of mine said he had to come out this way for an errand and my first thought was to see if this place was still around. And to my great delight it was, so we stopped here for dinner on the way back home. He got the ribs and he gave me one to try. The ribs literally might be the best thing here, so smoky and tender. I got the small brisket sandwich with pickles and jalapenos, with a side of onion rings (a special that day), and baked beans. The beans were just OK, the onion rings clearly pre made by some factory but they were cooked perfectly and not greasy at all. The brisket was delicious and with the pickles, peppers and some sauce, that took it over the top! Decor is...OK? Its not anything to write home about but who cares when you have food this good. Service was excellent even though it appeared that the whole place was being run by 16 year olds. They were very professional and hard workers though. This will always be my stop whenever I have to travel east. read more

Ken-Tex Bar-B-Q - Full rack of ribs with fries and baked beans - Barbeque Near Me - Shelbyville, Kentucky

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Food is amazing! The service workers are always kind. Prices are a bit inflated like they are everywhere. The little building has the rustic vibe of a bbq pit stop, but don't let that detract from the quality food you are going to receive! We are repeat customers and have never had a bad experience. read more

Stop by Ken tx barbecue while staying in town overnight at a local hotel. Place an order for two being a chopped chicken and a brisket meal Side dishes were good The meats were tasty. The cornbread was not great The staff were very nice and the price was reasonable. Would visit again if in town. read more

Ken-Tex Bar-B-Q - Brisket Meal - Barbeque Near Me - Shelbyville, Kentucky

As with most little hole in the wall, tight places... This place has some really great barbecue. I'm really not sure what they do so differently... But it definitely tastes very good, especially with some added jalapeños. The sides are decent and if you don't mind it not having all the fancy ambience and just want a quick bite of good food... This is a great place to try. read more

Very small locally owned bbq shop that is great for catering orders. I almost always get a brisket sandwich. I love that you can get it sliced or chopped and it never has sauce added ahead of time. Their green beans and baked beans are almost always my sides. Very reliable meal, it's obvious they have the process down. read more

Super friendly! And best FRIES in shelbyville hands town! I've tried a lot of their meat there and it's all really good so I can't pick a favorite, but the brisket is amazing! All the barbecue sauces are really good, and they have really good sweet tea! If you're passing by or live in Shelbyville, it's an absolute must try! read more

Enjoyed a tasty brisket sandwich and potato salad. Appreciate the cleanliness of the restaurant. Service was great. Thanks from a homeward bound traveler. read more

Great BBQ! Longhorn stew was awesome. Not fancy but nice. Would definitely visit again.

Service and BBQ is always great. Always get brisket. It is so tender and moist. Like the side of FF.

Service and ambiance are what you would expect in a Texas BBQ joint; rustic and friendly. The food however is the star here. Sides are phenomenal with fries made to order and excellent flavor. The pulled pork, sausage, and ribs are delicious. The brisket is worth fighting over. While sauce is far from needed, it is excellent and would fly off of the shelves if sold in retail stores. Excellent option for BBQ in Kentucky. read more

Love the mom and pop feeling as you walk in. My wife decided on chicken bbq sandwich with fries and drink. While I went with pork bbq that came with 2 side I choose fries and green beans. They offered cornbread but it was cold and hard. You could get onions and pickles on request. I was looking for a combo meal but didn't see one on menu. This is a Military friendly location. read more

Ken-Tex Bar-B-Q - Barbeque Near Me - Shelbyville, Kentucky

On this trip to the coast, we decided on something other than Subway for lunch and were at Shelbyville at the right time. We stopped for gas and I had located Ken-Tex ahead of time so it was easy to have lunch here. It is a small, local place, unassuming. You order at the counter. Ms T ordered barbecued chicken and based on photos I had seen, I had to try the brisket. I also had slaw and pinto beans with it. Ms T had slaw. We both ordered small sandwiches without the bun, to hold down the serving size, and that worked perfectly. Ms T was not a huge fan of the chicken. The main issue was the sauce has a lot of cumin (true to the Tex theme in the name of the place, I guess). Other than that she also picked out a fair amount of fat which is a little unusual with chicken. I was pleased with my brisket and would order it again. It was not quite as done as it needs to be but was not chewy and also was not dried out, which is important. It has mild smoke and could have benefited from a more aggressive rub and bark. Nevertheless, it was a good effort for being outside of Texas and is better than most that I get in St Louis. This is good and close to being very good. My pintos were fine, although nearly tasteless. They were not overcooked (as in, falling apart) but perhaps were cooked in too much water and the flavor was diluted. Plain pinto beans have great flavor with nothing but a little salt. The slaw was also decent. I thought it needed vinegar, so added a little of their barbecue sauce to it. All in all, Ken-Tex is a decent stop and a nice change from fast food. It was worth the stop and I would not rule it out for a return. The average rating of 3-1/2 stars at this point is about right. read more

Ken-Tex Bar-B-Q - Texas lunch in Kentucky - Brisket and Pintos - Barbeque Near Me - Shelbyville, Kentucky

Food was very good! I had the pulled pork sandwich, my son chose the all-you-can-eat option. We arrived about 30 minutes before closing on a Friday night, and they told my son it wasn't a great night to do the all-you-can-eat option because they had run out of some items. Well, he had a huge plate with ribs, brisket, pulled pork and pulled chicken. Cole slaw, baked beans, green beans. They were generous with the servings, and everything tasted good with the exception of the corn bread, which was more like a corn muffin, but actually more like a hockey puck! Very hard and dry. Could be that the cornbread had been made way earlier in the day. I would for sure come back here though! If you're in Shelbyville, or just passing through, give this place a visit! Prices are good and they are very friendly. read more

I am a fan of good bbq, thought I'd give this place a try. The staff recommended the brisket so that's what I went with. While it was fresh and tender, I don't believe the price point was equivalent. The plate with 2 sides was $11 roughly on the menu, it came out to $18 when I paid. A lot for a few slices of brisket and a couple sides. read more

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This was an excellent surprise to find. The food was terrific both the pork and beef. The sides are amble and delicious. The ambiance is exactly what you would expect from a family run BBQ spot. The service was great. This is a do not miss if you are in Shelbyville! read more

Spied this little restaurant from the highway when I arrived nearby. I love good BBQ. When I walked into the place I was bowled over with the smell of smoky goodness. This is the real deal. Had a combo of smoked brisket and sliced pork. Had the chili and coleslaw as my sides. The brisket was first class, as was the pork. Intensely smoky and tender. Had I been in the area another day or two, I would have tried other things on the menu it was all so good. read more

Ken-Tex Bar-B-Q - Simple exterior belies the high quality food. - Barbeque Near Me - Shelbyville, Kentucky

On our way from Lexington, we found Ken-Tex and we were so pleased. We ordered brisket, added ribs, which came with two sides. We chose the potato salad and green beans, both which were spectacular. The potato salad was right on point! The green beans had amazing flavor, but a little overdone for my tastes. The brisket was the star of the show! Coming from CA, we don't have the same style of bbq, and we were in love. We ordered more food to-go because of how enamored we were. We also treated ourselves to a moon pie, which was definitely worth the indulgence. Make sure you stop here for a delicious and quick meal. We will definitely return when back in KY. read more

Great food. If you're looking for some great smoked brisket or pork then Ken-Tex is the place for you! I usually grab a pound of brisket and a pound of pork to take home for dinner and my family always enjoys it. read more

Super friendly people, mom & pop style BBQ. Most definitely recommend! Apple cobbler was amazing!! read more

Ken-Tex Bar-B-Q - Nice BBQ joint ! - Barbeque Near Me - Shelbyville, Kentucky

Stopped in on our way back from Tennessee . Food was awesome ! Hitt the spot! Staff was very friendly and welcoming. Definitely recommend this place if passing through read more

Great family owned business GREAT B-B-Q I love the Ribs and their desserts are fantastic

This place is a bit of a hidden gem. The food is fantastic. With a little attention to atmosphere, beverage options, and hours of operation, I think it could be an absolute gold mine. People go out to eat for two reasons: Food and Experience. They've got the food nailed! read more

Had the brisket sandwich with potato salad for my side. The brisket had more of a roasted flavor than a smoked flavor, but was still extremely tasty. The bun-to-meat ratio was higher than I prefer, but I also did t sauce my meat at all. I think the bun would have been prefect for anyone who prefers a heavily sauced bbq sandwich. The potato salad hit the spot, it was just the mustard flavor I was looking for and the potatoes were cooked through without being mush. Super quick counter service, I definitely recommend over any of the fast food options in the area if you're looking for speed. read more

Ken-Tex Bar-B-Q - Large brisket sandwich and potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - Shelbyville, Kentucky

Amazing brisket and the longhorn stew was a highlight. True Texas style bbq in KY! Highly recommend this spot!

Brisket was delicious and tender, ribs were bomb - great food good service. Worth the stop!

While on a trip with my two brothers we licked out and found this restaurant. We just finished three fun days on the Bourbon Trail and were on our way back to North Carolina after the Bulleit Distillery tour. Yelp listed Ken Tex and we took a chance. WOW. Excellent food. We each had a Brisket sandwich (large) and Longhorn Stew as a side. It was delicious. The meat was moist and flavorful. It was a memorable and delightful experience. I highly recommend this little restaurant. read more

Love the Friday steak lunch! Brisket is good. Ribs are good. I'm not a big fan of the bbq sauce that comes on the table but if you ask they will make a sweet one for you which is what I do. read more

Great food, good service and workers. Highly Recommend if you're stopping through the area.

Can't say enough good things about this place. Not only is the brisket some of the best I've had but the staff is as friendly as can be. Would come back just for them honestly. Felt at home with home cooked delicious bbq. Don't pass this place up! read more