Best bbq in Lexington. Sides are great too. The smoked jalapeño cheddar sausage is the underdog. Wings are absolutely goated. Brisket is great too if you come at the right time read more

Our hotel recommended Red State and we were not disappointed. Excellent brisket and ribs at very reasonable prices.

I guess I came at the wrong time but it wasn't good. Got the 3 meat plate. Meat had no taste. Brisket and ribs way over cooked. Everything looked good when I tooked the picture but that was it read more

See all

Double smoked brisket was amazing and we enjoyed all of their sauces, especially the small batch and NC Mustard. If you have room try the banana pudding! read more

I love a great dive. When a location is on the side of a busy road with little around it and limited parking - it has the makings of a dive. There's not a huge amount of seating, so be warned if you're bringing a large party. The walls are covered with creative graffiti that you can add to if you've got a Sharpie. Try the frickles for some amazing fried pickles. Extra thick batter and amazing dipping sauce. The baked beans are delish and should easily be your first side of choice. The slaw isn't to write home about but perhaps I got a batch made earlier in the day. The mac and cheese is likely better than any homemade you've had before. The pulled chicken was dry and a disappointment until adding one of the amazing sauce choices they offer. Then it was outstanding! While I didn't try the other items, this joint is worth making the trek and enjoying some downhome bbq! read more

One client of my employer decided to drop off some catered entrees of which included, white cheddar macaroni and cheese, green beans, barbecue baked beans with some kind of meat bits, pulled chicken, pulled pork, and buns. There were also three sauces: Mississippi, Texas, and Kentucky flavors that could be put on the meat. The restaurant identified was this one. My only suggestion was that they put bacon bits in the green beans. I know there was another barbecue place that did this and I think it may have gone out of business because of this pandemic. read more

Took the family and a friend. Six thumbs up! Awesome atmosphere and great staff, not to mention awesome BBQ! Go, you won't be disappointed. read more

Labor Day weekend trip to KY for the Ark Excounter, we wanted to try the local bbq. Red State was on the way to our hotel. Ordered online just before they closed. Husband enjoyed his sausage with KY bbq sauce, I had pulled chicken sandwich with KY sauce. Both were satisfying. We wanted the rack of ribs but they ran out. Next day, I was sure to place my online order of a full rack of ribs with potato salad and fries. Picked up our order with an added sausage and pork&beans side. All were deliciously satisfying. read more

Red State BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

See all

This place had fantastic food. We spent a week in Kentucky and visited several restaurants. This was a last minute stop at the very end of our trip. It was recommended to us by a local. It ended up being the best food we had all week. I had the pulled pork sandwich with the spicy North Carolina vinegar sauce, green beans and beer cheese grits. All of it was amazing. Definitely recommend a stop there. I only wish we would have stopped there earlier in our trip so that we could have gone back again before our trip was over. read more

Red State BBQ - Pulled Pork Sandwich, Green Beans, beer cheese grits - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Who deep fries a soft pretzel?!?! Red State BBQ does and it is perfect. The outside is the slightest bit crispy, while the inside is soft and not greasy. Served with a really tasty beer cheese that is heavy on the beer, it is a great appetizer. And it comes with five medium size pretzels. They also have frickles -- fried pickles. If we would have just had them, they would have been pretty good, if greasy. However, the pickles just cannot stack up to the pretzels. The ribs are heaven on a plate. I am VERY anti-fat, and I ate about 98% of the ribs. All their sauces are good, but the bourbon BBQ is the best. We even took a pint home. read more

Red State BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

We stumbled across this gem of a BBQ joint and we're blown away by the food and service. It's an interesting place with autographs and sayings written all over the walls, ceiling and even the window shades! We had a two meat platter with incredible brisket and pulled chicken and husband had the pulled pork. We happened to arrive just ahead of a tour bus and got served quickly. The only down side was the tour bus of "Christians" were circling the tables to grab chairs away from any table being vacated to add to their group. Leaving a table unable to be used by others waiting to be seated. My husband went to the restroom and just about had his chair stolen mid meal!!! read more

Food was amazing. Burnt tips were moist and tender. Sweet tea hot the spot. Banana pudding was the perfect ending to our meal! read more

Red State BBQ - Omg soo good. Brisket was so juicy!! Sauces had something for everyone and the sweet tea is on point! - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Wonderful food, love their pulled pork, corn pudding, tender ribs yummy and their pulled pork nachos were so tasty loved them read more

See all

The barbecue here is absolutely outstanding. And I am so happy I placed a to-go order, in order to make sure I ate here. I would absolutely love to give this place a five star review, but I am sorry to say I cannot. (The food deserves it - - the people deserve it.) I phoned in my order as I was driving into Lexington Kentucky, in order to pick up a dinner to go before I settled into my hotel, and wanted to make sure I could pick it up before they closed. I was assured I could. Now, I want to make clear that I understand right before closing is a difficult time for any restaurant. However, when I showed up, the woman who took my order recognized my order, but could not find any ticket for it. That meant they had to start my order from scratch two minutes before closing time. I ordered a brisket sandwich, with baked beans, and an added side order of collard greens. The kitchen was very responsive, boxed everything up and I was on my way with very little delay. When I got back to my hotel I discovered my brisket sandwich was actually just brisket (no bread and whatever else might be served with a sandwich), although the sides were correct. I just hate this situation, and it leaves me in a quandary. The brisket was delicious. I suppose I did not need the bread. The sides were outstanding. But they also did not get my order correct, and also had lost it before I got back to their restaurant. I am just not sure what to say in a situation like this. But overall, I would absolutely recommend this restaurant for its outstanding food, and would definitely go back. read more

Love this place when we're in town. Really great bbq. My favorite is the pulled pork plate.

Fantastic Ribs-Corn Pudding Is Amazing-Best Coleslaw Anywhere-Fast Friendly Service & Prices Are More Than Fair.

Just a Georgia girl passing through. I'm so glad I came across this BBQ restaurant. It was delicious. I had the BBQ sandwich with baked beans and it did not disappoint. I loved all the different sauces at the table. The South Carolina mustard was the best one. Such a good place and great atmosphere. Completely worth it! read more

Red State BBQ - BBQ sandwich and baked beans - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

See all

Excellent bbq with a great atmosphere. The brisket sandwich was a solid 10/10. Was not a fan of the wontons (pulled pork, mac-n-cheese, beans) read more

I've been here twice now, and nothing I've tried has disappointed. It's kind of in the middle of nowhere and not particularly pretty on the outside, but the food is worth the drive. I took a friend here who was visiting from New York and he said it was the best food he had during the trip. I recommend the brisket - either by itself or on the beer cheese sandwich. You can't go wrong with the sides, either - the fries are perfect, and I'm a big fan of the mac and cheese and green beans. The interior of the restaurant is eclectic, with writing all over the wall in different colored markers. The employees are consistently friendly. Don't miss this place if you're visiting from out of town, or if you're a Lexington local who has never been (it took me 17 years)! read more

Red State BBQ - I got the pulled pork sandwich and he got the brisket. - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

See all

Pulled into Lexington, saw the sign for this place and, just had to stop. We were seated immediately, got a nice chatty waitress who told us all about the area attractions. I had the double-smoked brisket plate with corn pudding and beer cheese grits, two things that we just don't get back home. Wow-wee! The brisket was thick-cut, which we also don't see back home, but nicely smoked and charred. The grits and corn were just a little slice of heaven after a long day of driving. I also had a corn muffin, which I hadn't ordered (thanks, folks, it was tasty!) My wife had the Andouille sausage, with the mac & cheese and the corn pudding. The sausage was excellent, and the mac & cheese was fine. Dinner for two with tip ran about $25, which absolutely can't be beat. I'll surely come back here if I'm ever again in Lexington. read more

Great little neighborhood bbq- we counted 6 different state plates in the parking lot! You can write your message on the wall- great gluten free options including fries! Smoked chicken and sausage plate slaw, yummy. Hub had ribs, not baby back, but very tasty. Sauces were good too- missed corn pudding, trying to keep my plate GF, but everything sounded amazing- easy off the interstate and back on- read more

Driving up it looked promising. Small freestanding building that appeared to be a house at one time off of a two lane state highway with nothing much around it. The BBQ sucked! Pulled pork tasted like it was baked in the oven as there was no hint of smoke. Brisket was dry and grey, smelled like the beef served to hospital patients. I am not exaggerating. Sides were decent and the best part of the meal. The portion of Peach bread pudding was huge but wet and gloppy, so it got pitched after a couple bites. Based on the good reviews I am thinking maybe we were there on a off night-Saturday-or that the customers don't know good BBQ. read more

Red State is a favorite for our family! The atmosphere is fun and the food super tasty! Family favorites are the brisket nachos, potato salad, greens and corn pudding. read more

From the outside it doesn't look like much. Inside it is a fun, old school diner with treats of customers signatures and writings on the walls and ceilings. We had the 2 meat plate with pulled pork and brisket. The pulled pork was ok, not my favorite and the brisket was quite a bit fattier than I prefer, however both had great flavor. We also got the half slab of ribs, single smoked...DELICIOUS! Both plates come with 2 sides and we chose the mac n cheese and fries. The fried were sooo crunchy and the mac n cheese creamy. Each table had a tray with 6 sauces that were Kentucky, Memphis, Texas, and Carolina style BBQs... and a horsey sauce (which I didn't try) ALL of the sauces were amazing but the Memphis Sweet was my favorite. Definitely recommend when driving through Lexington, KY read more

Red State BBQ - Love this place - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

See all

Stopped in Red State BBQ on a friend's recommendation tonight. The place is rather small and was packed on a Monday night! We seated ourselves and got waited on shortly after. My date ordered the pulled pork sandwich with fries and he noticed it had a lot of chunks of fat. His brisket chili, though, he liked. My ribs were tough like shoe leather and not juicy at all. Really disappointing. The mac n cheese were also overcooked and mushy. I really wanted to like this place. I also hope they are successful, but I don't think I will be back. Service was friendly and efficient, though. read more

See all

All-star pulled pork & brisket, tasty but over-cooked ribs. Each table has 7 different BBQ sauces to try with whatever meats you order. The Kentucky Bourbon and Memphis Sweet were our favorites, but our recommendation is try them all. They sell sauce by the bottle so you can take home your fav. Worth a stop if in Lexington, KY. read more

This was my second visit to Red State. We enjoyed it last time, and returned for a special Father's Day treat for my Father and my significant other. It was my Father's first visit. It was so busy when we came in, we didn't think we were going to find a seat for our party of 7. Thankfully we lucked out and were able to grab a large table as some folks were leaving. Their bbq meats are all wonderful but we love the double smoked brisket the most! On this visit, we tried the pretzels and beer cheese. Quite tasty, but they came out with our food, and it was so much food that we ended up taking a couple of the pretzels home. By the way, even though it was crazy busy, we received our large order in a timely manner, and everything was correct! For my sides, I got coleslaw and corn pudding. I'm really glad hubby got an extra plate (to split the meat between me, him, and my dad), because when I took a bite of the coleslaw, it was off, and I don't just mean the taste. The dressing was stringy. I swapped it out for the potato salad that came with the extra plate. It was great, as was the corn pudding. Not many places can get corn pudding right. We especially love the selection of sauces available at the table. Favorites: Small Batch, Carolina Mustard, and Texas Spicy. The coleslaw was unfortunate, but not a huge deal. We still love Red State, recommend them and will return! read more

See all

If you like cold ribs and brisket with nacho cheese on it, this is a place for you. Pretty disappointing. Only redeeming quality was they did have cold beer. Actually it wasn't that cold but see ribs above. The waitress was nice, and the wait to eat was short. The best thing I had to eat was the corn pudding. That was pretty tasty. But overall this is kind of like the McDonald's of barbecue. You can get some food in your belly, but if you're looking for quality you might want to look somewhere else. read more

Oh hot damn! This is some good BBQ!! Hole in the wall with writing on the walls, the nicest people you'll ever meet. We always get 2 or 3 meat plates to enjoy all the variety on this menu! The double smoked brisket are the best "burnt ends" I've ever had! Side it up with some Mac and some greens and you've got a winner!! read more

See all

Don't let looks deceive you. The best BBQ in central KY. Period!!! Pork is tender and full of flavor. Sides are fabulous! Service is quick and staff is super friendly. Don't pass on this place! read more

The double smoked brisket. End of story. If you are going to splurge and eat red meat, or any meat for that matter, this is the place. Is it healthy? Well my doctor says I need to eat red meat. (My iron is way too low.) Do I need the soft bun, the fries, the two kinds of slaw, the Memphis Sweet, the Alabama, and the hot sauces???.... NO, but I do need red meat once in a while and all "that" comes with it so, yeah!!!! read more

TL,DR: Fun little dive, but I got sick. Location: out, out, out in the country. Drive by a big church. Drive by a large neighborhood. Drive by some horse farms. Drive by the railroad tracks. Drive until you see a red building connected to the Sunset Motel by a largely unpaved gravel lot. The building is covered in people's signatures, and they have lots of fun memorabilia and pictures. Ordered the pulled pork with coleslaw and mac and cheese. The food was solid, but out of all of their sauces, my favorite was the Kentucky, which is weird because I usually LOVE North Carolina sauce (their version seemed vinegar-heavy). I tried a couple of bites of the double smoked brisket and honestly was jealous of that corn muffin. But then I got sick. Nausea, vomiting and headaches. So either I had a six hour bug, or something I ate at the only place I ate, made me sick. read more

Great bbq...except that they've gone to some kind of "our sauce is gold" perspective and do not give enough for even a couple of bites. Then charge .50 for a very small extra sauce. The first half of the meal was great, but the bbq can't stand alone well without sauce. Waaaayyyy too dry! read more

Barbecue is great, sides are all delicious, sauces are the best of all! Even a blue state could turn red here!

Friendly service but the pulled pork tasted like a sopping wet rag (or at least how I imagine one would taste). My husband was just as disappointed in his chicken. Years ago this was a great place now it's just sad... read more

A great "Hole in the wall" kind of place. Brisket was very good. We especially enjoyed the Mac-n-cheese and green beans. (Our friend didn't like his greens but liked everything else). read more

Walk in and it smells delicious. The lady in the counter welcomed us. We order the food and it was fast. The food is delicious. Worth the price. Deff recommended read more

Red State BBQ - Got 3 Meat Sliced Brisket Pulled Chicken Pulled Pork Fries - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Memphis Sweet BBQ sauce is a must try! The double smoked brisket is simply amazing so if you go there when it is available you need to try it. read more

This place is always packed. The service is fas tho. The quality is great and portions are plenty. I would recommend having more sitting space inside. read more

Red State BBQ - Picture on the wall of the restaurant - Barbeque Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

See all

Solid BBQ joint. Looks, sounds, and feels like a local BBQ place. Nothing particularly stood out, but it was a good meal. Recommended if you're in the area. read more