Rating: (3.6/5) Proud Mary BBQ is one of those places where the atmosphere is the main attraction. The view of the river is fantastic, and with the live music and beach-like vibe right on the water, it's easy to see why people love spending time here. That's honestly the biggest reason we keep coming back. The staff has always been friendly and welcoming, which adds to the experience. My only complaint on the drinks side is that I wish the beer was served a little colder. As for the food, it's okay overall. This visit I ordered the brisket grilled cheese on Texas toast. The brisket was good, but I wish the bread had been toasted more and that there was a little more cheese. Even with those complaints, I'd probably order it again. The appetizers are really the way to go here. The catfish bites are a definite win and something I'd highly recommend. Overall, we love coming here for the atmosphere, the river views, and the live music. I can't believe this is my first review after so many visits. It's a great place to relax, enjoy the scenery, and spend an afternoon or evening by the water. read more

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Definitely loved the vibe and atmosphere! The music and weather was great and I loved being by the lake. Our waitress was incredible, very efficient and friendly. We did wait a bit on everything due to them being busy- which we expected since it's a popular place and it was a Saturday night. She apologized for the weight and encouraged to get some appetizers to hold us over. The brisket queso was a special, and was "meh" for me. Not worth the $15 on it. Our waitress recommended getting the brisket grilled cheese and it was delicious, I also liked the potato salad it had a good flavor. We also got a bananas foster dessert to take home and it was really the icing on the cake! Will go back here again. read more

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I want expecting much of this place when I picked it as a stop during our road trip. (The reason we stopped here is because I knew it was dog-friendly.) We realized it was going to be special when we were on the winding road thated here. The restaurant is situated on the river below a big suspension bridge. The outdoor area is humongous. And it is on 2 levels. The upper level is attached to the restaurant and has a ton of seating. There are umbrellas everywhere so it doesn't get too hot. Thwn there's the lower level along the river which is even bigger. There's a big sand pit for the kids to play in. There's another building which houses the 2nd bar. The reason they need a 2nd bar? There's a stage where a live band performs. This place is definitely worth a trip every time we're passing through Richmond. read more

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We stopped in last night with friends. We sat on the lower patio area to enjoy the nice weather and the Yesteryear band. For the table we ordered appetizers of Bite Size Catfish and Proud Mary Beer Cheese. For dinner, I ordered the Redfish Pontchartrain, which was amazing. For sides, I ordered the Potato Salad and Jambalaya. My wife and I split the dinner. Our friends had the Crab Cakes and the Boiled Platter. Our server did a great job taking care of us. read more

Proud Mary BBQ - Redfish Pontchartrain with Potato Salad and Jambalaya - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

This was an accidental find. I was back in Richmond for a fellow EKU alumnus get together. While there, I was going to photography opportunities, one of which was the Clays Ferry Overlook. Down below the Clays Ferry Bridge is this gem of a restaurant. I was worried at first, that with the huge parking lot being packed, it would be difficult to get a table for one outdoors. Never fear. The venue is humongous with a lot, a whole lot, of outdoor seating available. I had zero wait time and was seated at a hightop along the Kentucky River. I was greeted warmly by my server, Dean, who was efficient, professional, friendly, and most helpful through my entire visit. The order was filled in minutes, he immediately noticed when my diet coke needed refreshed, and he offered up dessert options, of which I chose warm peach cobbler with ice cream. That was the hit of the meal, though the pulled pork sandwich was good, too. The sides of potato salad and beans? Meh. I would get something different if I had a do-over. Added bonus? A live band playing 70s music, perfect for my trip back in time to my EKU years. read more

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Proud Mary's | Feb 18, 2026 They're officially back from their seasonal closing! I heard their Fat Tuesday party was a blast, but I made it in tonight for Ash Wednesday. I've really been missing my go-to "Pick Two" favorites--the brisket and the house-made smoked sausage--usually paired with the jambalaya and a cup of gumbo as sides. I fully intended to stick to the classics tonight, but the specials threw me for a loop. I ended up ordering the Redfish with Brown Butter and Crab Meat, and I can't even describe how delicious it was. They definitely did not skimp on the crab! The brown butter was the perfect touch to take the dish completely off the charts! It was rich and nutty and the fish was seasoned just the way I like it! Over the years Proud Mary's has become one of my favorite spots in the area. I always look forward to going on a beautiful summer afternoon for great food and live music and they even had live music tonight. The service was also top-notch. Our server, Jadyn, was great, and the rest of the staff really pitched in to help. We even got a visit from Haley, a manager, who stopped by just to ensure everything was perfect. I had to ask who prepared that amazing redfish, and I was told it was Chef Steve--huge shoutout to him for a meal that was truly to die for. It was a great experience all around! read more

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I'm just amazed and so thankful we took a wrong turn and found this gem. The food is excellent, service was fast and friendly, and the vibe and set up are everything! I am so happy we found this . Will definitely return. read more

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Proud Mary is one of my fave summer spots! I love the patio. I really enjoy their cocktails and their garlic crab legs! read more

Proud Mary BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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I've been wanting to go to Proud Mary for long time, I ordered the pick 3 combo, which consisted of 3 shrimp, 2 frog legs and 1 catfish filet and 2 sides today for $23, the food was good, but I was disappointed in the portions, for $23 and extra an extra portion of catfish could have been added. My wife wanted to sample my catfish, but the spicy ingredients caused her to have inflamed reaction. I'm on the fence whether I'll make a return visit. read more

This is the best BBQ in CENTRAL KY! The variety and value are both off the charts, and don't get me started on those summer apps, especially the honey-chili fried green tomatoes!! Our waiter, Tyler, was so attentive and helpful, and kept the refills coming on this scorching Sunday out in the patio. Live music and a Sunday brunch crowd made it a nearly perfect experience. read more

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Review Title: Unprofessional Management and Unexplained Refusal of Service!!! We had an incredibly frustrating and unacceptable experience at this restaurant PROUD MARYS on July 3, 2026. The staff flatly refused to serve my husband a drink without offering a single word of explanation. While our server was otherwise fine, she clearly lacked the guts or authority to explain the situation to us. What is worse is that management completely hid from the issue. The manager/owners daughter; Hayley, lacked the basic decency to come to our table to speak with us or explain their policy. Refusing service to paying customers without giving a reason--and refusing to send out management to address it--is completely unprofessional. We felt disrespected and will absolutely never return. read more

Outstanding restaurant with an amazing view and ambiance. The service was superb. We enjoyed live music on Saturday night. The food has excellent flavor with large portions. The BBQ was outstanding read more

Love me a top down drive "down to the river" any day but esp on a Saturday. Weekends mean music on the PM stage. A variety of seating areas both inside outside at the 2 bars or a big elevated patio. New sails have added shade to the riverside deck dining area. Tried a new food item to their menu... a grilled chicken cheese with 2sides... darn good! But I love a grilled cheese of any type. A tomato on it would have been a nice addition. Cold beer cheerfully pulled from the cooler by our favorite long time bar tender Emma C. We enjoy the people watching while seated at the lowered level bar. Kids playing in the sand area and comfy chairs near the stage area. Merch selection seems to always be out of size L!! But the designs and slogans are fun. We will be back again! Hope the river stays between the banks... too many times flooded! read more

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Do you want to have a fun, family-centered casual dining experience that has great food, good live music and good service? Then Proud Marys is the place for you. There is something for everyone here, including a large outdoor sand play area for the children, an outdoor bar and stage with live band. Indoors there is another larger bar, balcony seating and large indoor space. The restaurant is known for barbecue, but there is an abundance of seafood options, to include oysters. My husband had the oysters and I had the specialty red fish with crab on top, turnip greens and they both were excellent. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meal. My only negative, which is a bug one for me, is that the drinks are served in red plastic cups and the cutlery is plastic. Thats a big negative for me, especially when the entree price was $32! However, I requested silverware and the server kindly brought me a fork. Overall, this is a down to earth place that makes for a fun dining experience. read more

Best catfish around! Visiting from Hawaii, we are always looking for BBQ. This place has a giant outdoor space with live music. You can sit under a tree next to a great body of water. My kids loved petting the cats and playing in the sand pit area. The catfish bites were the winner! The batter was so thin and catfish meat so juicy and tender inside. It was more tender than the regular catfish strips we ordered, maybe because the strips were thicker. The seafood boil and beef brisket were also savory; a mix of lean brisket and fatty brisket slices. Highly recommended! read more

Proud Mary BBQ - Catfish bites! - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Location! Location! Location! Known locally for years, this spot is well-loved by many. Perched on the Fayette County side of the Kentucky River, diners can see Madison County on the other side. This restaurant of simple good food is worth turning off of I75 for. Reasonably priced home-cooked food with very friendly service. There's a large outdoor stage where live music often happens in the evenings and a huge covered outdoor bar beside a sand volleyball court (complete with toy trucks for kids). The fried banana peppers were home-cooked strips, not rings! The fried oysters were also good with green beans cooked in old ham, homemade potato salad, and cucumbers and tomatoes! All very good. Only three recommendations : 1) all utensils, cups, and "dishes" were plastic, foam, or paper. Very wasteful and goes against the beautiful natural setting. A bunch of yard sale mixed dishes and cutlery would be perfect! 2) The outdoor areas could use more fans just to deter flies. 3) Making real buttermilk ranch dressing would be awesome! Loved it! Will be back read more

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Visited here while in town with family to watch. Band tonight. Food was great and our server Lydia was amazing and so attentive to our needs. Will definitely come back next time we are in town and request Lydia again! read more

Tried to celebrate my disabled father's birthday at this establishment, around late June, my father has a bit of anxiety when it comes to the logistics of places he is not familiar with. He called and spoke to the owner and he did "seem" receptive. We ended up driving the short drive from Berea, parked in the handicap, had a young girl as the hostess, moderately busy, explained the situation with my father. She the tried to seat us far away outside. I asked about the empty tables 20 feet away that were empty, she then states I'll have to go check and make sure. They just didn't seem to need nor want our business, so we departed and gave our money somewhere else. Boy was I right. My father called the next day and talk to this wonderful owner. After explaining what happened he told us we should have got him and was unapologetic. When my father stated we would never be back, he then explains to my elderly father that he has over a thousand people come to his business everyday he's not worried about losing ours, he will be just fine. Please be aware of this attitude. I read more

Yeah. It's cool. It's on the river. Live music was great. 10 minute wait for our party of 7. Service was fun and attentive. Food was mediocre. Across the board. Seafood...meh. BBQ...meh. Burgers...meh. Fried pickles were pretty good! So were the cocktails. read more

Proud Mary BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Food was bland and overpriced. I figured previous pictures were just poor examples but was sadly mistaken

10/10. Absolutely go eat here. There is a beautiful giant fireplace right as you walk in making you nice and cozy, it's definitely a bar atmosphere, but if you don't mind a little grunge you'll be fine. It's not fancy, but the food was beyond delicious. The service was kind and quick, our drinks never ran dry. Let me tell you about the food. I ordered a brisket grilled cheese. Holy crap was it phenomenal. The brisket was real, smoked perfectly and was so flavorful. The French fries were steak fries but they were crispy and fresh. My husband ordered the blackened chicken jambalaya and LOVED it. (Too spicy for me but that's because my tastebuds are generic lol) but he said it was so tasty, the rice was cooked properly, the meat was falling apart, the shrimp was cooked to perfection. Absolutely go eat here if you have the chance. I bet it's cool in the summertime because it's right on the river and they have those cool garage doors that open up the whole place! read more

Good food, laid back atmosphere. Sweet waitress named gabbi. Most certainly will be returning!

This is such a cool venue with a great ambience! It's mostly outdoors, right on the river with lots of seating. We were here for their live music series and it was sooo perfect for a nice summer evening!! The staff are very friendly and accommodating, too. I do have to agree that the food is pretty mediocre, but it's nice to get some BBQ while listening to lots of live music from different bands! Idk why the combos come with a random slice of white bread tho hahahaha read more

Proud Mary BBQ - Pick 2 Combo - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

This place is my favorite. It a 2 hour drive for us but we love coming here. It's my jam!!! Thank you all to the welcoming staff. read more

Proud Mary BBQ - Great place to hang out and the food is amazing I'm from Texas and the bbq is amazing - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

The ambiance is 5 Stars. Riverside location, a beautiful drive to get there, live outdoor music, great outdoor bar, and lots of play area for the children. This place is ENORMOUS!! Indoor & Outdoor seating available. Upon arriving we were told there was a 30 minute wait but were seated in 15. The vibe is frenetic. Don't go if you are in a hurry. Very long wait at the bar for before dinner drinks. The bar drinks were very watery. I had to send back a cranberry drink that arrived light pink and tasted like water. The food is good, mostly due to their amazing BBQ sauce. The ribs I ordered were so big I could only eat two. It's pricey for a BBQ joint but what an exceptional joint it is! read more

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Atmosphere is great if you like l Music that is loud. The food is absolutely ok, but nothing more. I ordered a wine and was brought a small bottle and a plastic cup; had a total back alley bbq feel. At this point I'd rather they just not offer wine; I would've just ordered a bottled beer. I probably wouldn't go back unless someone I knew went and told me it had changed and was much better. Not worth the drive and parking was crazy; not sure why this place was packed. read more

Great ambiance. Outdoor near the river. Lots of different seating areas. If it's hot try to get to the right under the tree. Food was good, nothing amazing but really good. I had the crab legs and they were really good and for the price you got a lot! Heaps of butter prepare to get splashed. lol. The bands are different nightly but we weren't very impressed with the man and woman duo they were so quiet that we kept asking if they could turn it up. I would recommend this spot for a relaxed dining experience. read more

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100% awesome experience for my first time eating there. I've been wanting to visit there from afar for a number of years. I now live in the Kansas City Metro area where BBQ is king. Proud Mary would do great in KC. BBQ was outstanding and the service was superb. Place was super busy with Vanguard band rocking the place from the bandstand (tip: don't sleep on Russ Highland and this band. Really good sound and song selection of classic rock tunes). It poured around 9:30 and the staff kept serving and the band kept rocking until they couldn't. Can't wait to go back. Oh, and my Bulldog, Harvey, loved it too. Lots of attention and support from everyone there. He lost his ID dogtag and the owner called me to let me know it was found. She's mailing it to me. Just another reason..... read more

Go with the brisket grilled cheese, it was amazing! Great patio outside for dogs too.

After seated and order taken, another employee told my wife she could not have her bottled water and that it was against Ky Law. Later that employee doubled down to show Ky Law KRS 243.020 on her phone. This law applies to alcoholic beverages not bottled water. I tried to explain that it may be Proud Mary policy but it was not Ky Law but this employee decided it was better to argue the point even after said water had been surrendered. Would not recommend. read more

What makes a great environment even better, is great food!!! Seafood platter, snow crab, crab cake, shrimp head off, fried lobster tail, corn, potatoes and I added sausage, the glaric butter is on another level read more

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The service is great, staff is helpful and friendly . Has indoor ,semi outdoor and outdoor seatings. Scenery on one outside seatings is by the river and great views of the bridges. They have live bands and a play area for volleyball etc . Great food seafood, BBQ ribs are great. Would recommend going early if you just want to eat dinner or later if you want to eat and listen to the band. They get crowded for the live band. They are closed Monday and Tuesday. Wed 3pm to 9pm Saturday 12pm to 11pm and Sunday 12pm to 10 pm. Definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

Proud Mary BBQ - Pork 1/2 Rack Ribs, mac and cheese-and fries. - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I've drove/rode this place many times. Today I decided to take my daughter and enjoy some live music and a meal. We ordered 2 sandwiches. Nothing special. After waiting two hours for our food. I paid the bar tab. I wish the server would of told us that the kitchen was overwhelmed and it would be over an hour to get our order. I wounder if I should of ordered on line. Just a thought for you guys that will go back. read more

A great fun outdoor atmosphere with live music. The food was good Service as great, especially for the large group we had. read more

Food was good. A little high my opinion. Friendly staff. They had live music. But couldn't hear conversation between me and my party. Lighting was too dark. Hard to see menu. The garage doors were up behind our table so it was very cool outside with wind blowing in. Overall decent experience... read more

Visited last night for buckets and dinner for 6. Our waiter Barak was awesome. The BBQ was superb. Could use a few different BBQ sauces but who cares....tunes, tables, shade, 1 man band loud but good as we were having a reunion and lots of talking. Best coleslaw in 10 years.....being from Florida, I was so welcomed with smiles. Love ky. Thanks read more

Proud Mary's service was not very good, we waited forever for service and communication was bad. It was a really hot day so I will give them the benefit of a doubt, but do go there if you want to eat. I would just go for drinks. The pulled pork sandwich was not bad but cold read more

I cant believe I've never tried this place before. It is super good. I was with the band playing so you know kinda special perks. Lovely large patio and nice views. Might be biased but great music as well. I got the seafood platter it was delicious. Super messy. The fried pickles were perfectly breaded and delicious. Our server was great and took care of us well. read more

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Terrible! Salt in the Cole slaw, Fish way to spicy, and hamburger only could eat one bite, a waste of time & money!!

I said I was going to make it my business to come back here to eat!! Everything was DELICIOUS! read more

Proud Mary BBQ - Crab Cakes Fried Shrimp Garlic Crab Legs - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky