Southern Living names this Kentucky barbecue joint among the best in the South, again
.jpg "A barbecue restaurant in Owensboro, Ky., moved up four spots in Southern Living’s best barbecue ranking.")
A barbecue restaurant in Owensboro was recently ranked among the 50 best “BBQ joints” in the South by Southern Living.
Old Hickory Bar-B-Que received a 24th place ranking in the list, which was based on qualitative judging by a Southern Living contributing editor who ate at each restaurant at least once and has visited many of them multiple times, the article says.
“There are no score sheets or empirical grading systems employed. Instead, it is a qualitative ranking based upon the enjoyment of the meal and the overall experience of the visit,” the Sept. 12 Southern Living article reads.
Restaurants in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and more states made this year’s list.
The Owensboro barbecue restaurant moved up in the rankings this year. In last year’s list, Old Hickory Bar-B-Que was in the 28th spot.
Old Hickory Bar-B-Que
Along with traditional barbecue dishes such as beef brisket, mutton and pork, Old Hickory Bar-B-Que also makes sandwiches, soups and a variety of sides.
The Southern Living ranking praised two of the restaurant’s offerings: mutton and burgoo.
“After a judicious dunk in thin Worcestershire-laced ‘dip’, the long, tender strands of smoked mutton are chewy, smoky, and sublimely delicious,” the Southern Living article says. “Old Hickory’s burgoo is an outstanding version of the classic Kentucky barbecue accompaniment, featuring mutton, pork, chicken, and vegetables slow-simmered into a smooth, tangy, and very satisfying stew.”
If you’re in a soup mood this September, you could try a bowl of bean soup with cornbread. Salad options include a barbecue chicken dish and a fried chicken salad.
For those looking for a vegetarian option, you might consider the grilled cheese sandwich or the veggie plate, which includes four sides.
There’s no shortage of side options:
Side salad
Coleslaw
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Macaroni and cheese
Potato salad
Onion rings
Green beans
Bar-B-Que beans
French fries
In addition to all the savory options, you can also get dessert at Old Hickory Bar-B-Que. There’s ice cream and banana pudding, along with several flavors of pie and cobbler. Try the blackberry, apple or cherry cobbler, or go for pecan, chocolate, coconut or lemon icebox pie.
Location: 338 Washington Ave., Owensboro, KY, 42301
Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Vote in our barbecue poll
As good as as Old Hickory is, the rankings may have overlooked some spots closer to Lexington and Central Kentucky. So we’re giving readers a chance to set the record straight.
Which Lexington joint has the best barbecue? Vote now in our poll.
This story was originally published September 14, 2023 at 3:08 PM.
