It’s LX BBQ or Blue Door. Vote now to crown the best barbecue spot in Lexington
This is it — the showdown between two fan-favorite Lexington barbecue joints has officially begun.
Over the last several weeks, we’ve asked our readers to help us crown Lexington’s top spot for classic barbecue by participating in a series of polls. The polls aren’t scientific; they’re just for fun.
The ultimate winner will be featured in an article on Kentucky.com.
We began by asking readers to nominate their favorites. The field was set with the following smokehouse standouts:
Blue Door Smokehouse
Country Boy Brewing
Double H BBQ
LX BBQ
Kentucky Q food truck
Red State BBQ
In the weeks since, you’ve have been winnowing the field. Now, two clear contenders have emerged to vie for the crown: Blue Door Smokehouse and LX BBQ. The time has come for loyal fans and casual eaters to crown our winner.
How to vote in our poll
You can vote as many times as you like in the poll below (though they may need to first disable their ad-blockers to see it). This round of voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, July 6.
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If you want to familiarize yourself before making any selections, below is what to know about the six barbecue joints nominated by Herald-Leader readers for this first round of voting. We excluded chains from nominations.
Blue Door Smokehouse
A favorite among the nominations we received from readers, Blue Door’s name came up the most, and it’s no surprise.
In a 2023 Herald-Leader readers’ choice poll, Blue Door Smokehouse was chosen as the most popular. Blue Door has earned other honors over the years, including in 2021, when it was recognized as one of the top barbecue restaurants in the country by TripAdvisors reviewers.
In nominating Blue Door, Phil Stemmer of North Port, Fla., told us: “The flavor is the best, their sides are the best! It’s all in the flavor!”
The restaurant offers fresh meats smoked daily, which you can get in a variety of sandwiches and plates.
Blue Door Smokehouse is located at 819 National Ave.
Country Boy Brewing
This Lexington and Georgetown-based craft brewery is known for its local taproom at 436 Chair Ave., which just celebrated 13 years in business in February.
But in recent years, Country Boy has been expanding its food offerings, too.
Most recently, that includes partnering with pickleball venue PKL Lex to open a second taproom featuring beer and barbecue from Country Boy.
Country Boy Brewing fans who nominated the brewery for its barbecue praised its creative dishes and “constantly delicious” flavors. Lexington resident Stephen (no last name given) wrote of Country Boy: “All meats smoked on site in one of the largest smokers around.”
Country Boy Brewing is partnering with PKL Lex, which is located at 223 Owens St.
Double H BBQ
Among the bigger names in the area’s barbecue scene, Blue Door and Red State BBQ seem to steal the spotlight most of the time. Compared to those popular spots, Double H BBQ is a hidden gem.
Stashed away in a strip mall on Versailles Road, Double H BBQ serves big, smoked chicken wings that are marinated overnight and flash fried when ordered, as Herald-Leader staff writer Brian Simms discovered during a visit there.
The University of Kentucky football team has been known to order the tender-cripsy wings by thousands at a time, and it’s certainly worthy of a spot on this list.
Rock Vance of Versailles used three words to sum-up a submitted nomination for Double H: “Consistency, Quality, Price.”
Double H BBQ is located at 1244 Versailles Road.
LX BBQ
LX BBQ is a newcomer to Lexington’s barbecue scene, opening in February at Blue Door’s former location on Walton Avenue.
It brings Texas-style craft barbecue to town, with a menu that features brisket, pulled pork, spare ribs, turkey, homemade sides and sausage flavors along with house-made sauces.
As its owners previously told the Herald-Leader, there’s a focus on prime quality meat and tested family recipes.
A fan of LX BBQ, John Slivon of Georgetown, praised the joint as “true BBQ, made low and slow, retaining the tenderness and juiciness of the meat.”
“They also added a smoked Wagyu burger that’s wonderful,” Slivon said. “You can’t compare it to any typical burger.”
LX BBQ is located at 226 Walton Ave.
Kentucky Q
This food truck could be a dark horse in our poll, as it seems to have a dedicated following on social media, where fans regularly cheer for its smoked salmon, ribs and pork belly, among other favorites. Kentucky Q posts its food truck schedule weekly, so you’ll have to catch your favorites while you can.
One fan, Carole Ludwick of Lexington, described Kentucky Q ribs as tender, juicy, meaty and “fall off the bone” perfection.
Follow Kentucky Q on its Facebook page for updates about where the food truck has set up shop.
Red State BBQ
Red State BBQ is well known in Lexington and has a devoted following, even counting a few Hollywood celebrities among its ranks.
But what fans most appreciate is its down-to-earth devotion to the fundamentals of good barbecue.
Jerry Schureman of Lexington sums it up thusly: “Decor not fancy (fitting for good BBQ spot), fast service and tasty smoky pork, much like western Ky BBQ.”
Red State BBQ is located at 4020 Georgetown Road.
This story was originally published June 17, 2025 at 11:47 AM.