When you’re hungry for barbecue in the Bluegrass, there are numerous reputable restaurants where you can certainly get your fill of this Southern specialty. But there’s only one place that’s hailed as the “world’s best barbecue” in Kentucky, and that’s Old Hickory Bar-B-Q. This long-time spot has been serving the same, soul-filling, delicious BBQ for generations, and certainly lives up to their bold barbecue claim!
This is Old Hickory Bar-B-Q, the most legendary barbecue joint in the Bluegrass. Inside this humble, no-frills restaurant, barbecue magic takes place 24/7.
Sean Correia/Google Local
The restaurant has been serving delicious barbecue since 1918, when Charles "Pappy" Foreman began barbecuing mutton on a pit located at 25th and Frederica. In 1954, it was named Old Hickory Bar-B-Que, thanks to the hickory wood used to create this distinctive and delicious BBQ.
Old Hickory BBQ/Facebook
Not much has changed in terms of the menu at the restaurant, and this family-owned eatery aims to continue the high-quality standards set all those years ago.
Old Hickory BBQ/Facebook
Their success can be boiled down to two main components: the smoker and the sauce. Old Hickory BBQ slow-smokes their meat on-site, and if you're part carnivore, you might just be hypnotized by the delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen.
Old Hickory BBQ/Facebook
And this is where the magic happens, with the proteins lovingly arranged in neat lines for even cooking that results in melt-in-your-mouth, fall-off-the-bone barbecue.
Neal Alfano/Google Local

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But what's more important than their tried-and-true smoking processes, however, is the sauce. The sauce from Old Hickory Barbecue is legendary: sticky-sweet, spicy and savory, thick and syrupy. It's so good, they've literally bottled it up for folks to take home!
Garrett Ledbetter/Google Local
But while you can pick up a bottle of barbecue for your at-home endeavors, you won't be able to fully replicate the barbecue magic that happens at this legendary place.
Tony Golladay/Google Local
Barbecue? Check. Baked beans? Check. Caramel-topped dessert? Check! This is a perfectly balanced plate, if you ask us.
Timothy Ford/Google Local
Don't forget to order a bowl of burgoo stew, either; Old Hickory Barbecue is known for their delicious rendition of this Bluegrass favorite!
Justin Krocek/Google Local
When a place has been around for as long as Old Hickory Bar-B-Que, you know it's someplace special.
Old Hickory BBQ/Facebook
And this BBQ joint in Owensboro, Kentucky, is truly someplace special.

Have you tried the barbecue from Old Hickory Bar-B-Que in Kentucky before? If so, we’d love to hear how it was! Visit the Old Hickory Bar-B-Que website to learn more and plan your next BBQ outing in Kentucky.

Hungry for more amazing barbecue in the Bluegrass State? Load up the car and embark on this delicious BBQ road trip through Kentucky!

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Old Hickory Bar-B-Que, 338 Washington Ave, Owensboro, KY 42301, USA