Is Louisville a Barbecue City? This New Study Seems to Think So

Ribs. And I didn’t even take this photo in Louisville — this was at BEAST Craft BBQ just outside St. Louis. Photo by Kevin Gibson

Louisville was counted among the 50 Best Cities for Barbecue in America in a recent study. That surprised me primarily because Louisville doesn’t have its own easily identifiable style of barbecue – at least not one I personally have ever heard of.

Now, while a study based on Google searches for barbecue over a period of a year and conducted by a company in Illinois that – wait for it – sells used machinery isn’t hardly an ultimate authority on barbecue, I did find it interesting for Louisville to appear in the list at No. 34. Memphis? Sure. Kansas City? Absolutely. But Louisville? The study seems to be more focused on what cities are doing the most Google searches for barbecue, which makes it even more perplexing in a way. Are people in Louisville desperately searching for better barbecue? Or do they love what’s here so much that they want to check out every joint they can find?

If I try hard to think of Kentucky barbecue, my mind goes to the western part of the state and the tradition of mutton, or maybe to burgoo, a very Bluegrass-style stew that often is lumped in with barbecue. Wes Berry, who wrote the definitive guide, “The Kentucky Barbecue Book,” did point to one Louisville barbecue tradition, one that I wasn’t aware of.

He wrote that his travels eating barbecue across the state – he has dined at hundreds of Kentucky barbecue restaurants – he noticed that a Louisville “thing” seems to be pride taken at how much sauce is slathered on. Not that such slathering necessarily constitutes a style.

“I haven't detected any distinctive styles linking the barbecue places in these cities or their environs,” Berry wrote of Louisville and Lexington. “Rather, they seem to be melting pots of barbecue styles, serving Texas brisket, Memphis-style dry-rubbed ribs, and western Kentucky–style pork and mutton.”

He also mentioned the “shredded” or “chopped” barbecue, which is what I grew up being misled to believe was somehow barbecue. The meat was always finely shredded and drowning in a sicky-sweet tomato-based sauce that would inevitably be placed on a hamburger bun. So, basically a pork-based Sloppy Joe.

But, Berry added in the book, “With so many new places opening up in both cities in the past few years, I'd say the future looks promising for barbecue in the Commonwealth.”

For my money, I’m happy with whatever style of barbecue sits in front of me. I always come away from River Road BBQ feeling good about my choice, and the same goes for Momma’s Mustard, Pickles & Barbecue. Louie’s Hot Chicken and Barbecue is another place worth trying if you haven’t already, while mainstays like FABD Smokehouse and Rubbie’s are always staples.

While many would argue – loudly – that Louisville isn’t a good barbecue town, I prefer to think of it as a town that has a lot of options, as Berry pointed out. In the mood for a certain type of rib? You can probably find that without too much trouble. That’s not a bad thing.

As for the study, Southern cities are well represented, as they should be, with Atlanta taking the top spot. The top five, however, rounds out with Kansas City, Tampa, Minneapolis and Las vegas, the latter two of which I never would have paired with barbecue.

Lexington didn’t make the list, although Indianapolis sat at 38 and Columbus, Ohio, snuck onto the list at 40.

Also, if you know of any less-traveled barbecue joints here in Louisville, shoot me a message here and let me know. Will try to check it out and do a write-up.