3 stars for the taste! Not bad, but it is tough to give a high rating when there are so many great BBQ places around. The food had a good taste and at a good price. I thought the meat was a bit dry and the portions were a bit disappointing. I'm not a big fan of paying ten bucks for BBQ and leaving hungry. BBQ is one of those foods that shouldn't be skimped on on my opinion. People seem to love this place, so maybe I caught them on an off day- check it out and see for yourself.
(3)
Annette A.
Very good beef brisket! My husband and I really enjoyed our meal in this rustic gem. Green beans, pinto beans and barbecue beef in a friendly place. Sweet tea was great too! We have a new favorite place!
(5)
Joe D.
Another must go to restaurant if you are in Shelbyville. Be sure to try the beef brisket which is cut right in front of you. The pork loin is another must try. I am not a fan of "wet" bbq so I don't order the pulled pork or chicken. The sides are not that great but who cares when the bbq is good. Nothing fancy for sure but a great place to get a good bbq sandwich at a very cheap price.
(4)
Drew P.
I've lived in Shelbyville since 2001 and have eaten here a few times. It's ok but not great. Having lived in TX and just returned from Austin where I had world class Franklin BBQ this isn't even close. They used to smoke overnight and had decent meat but they now smoke for 2 hours and put it in "some machine" to fast cook it and supposedly keep it moist. Not much flavor and the brisket was more dry by the time I got home than the leftover brisket from Franklin that stayed in a hotel fridge and journeyed home with me on the plane. It had been a couple years since I've tried it and short of a quick pulled pork sandwich to go I doubt I'll be back anytime soon.
(2)
Roger K.
The brisket was good but the chicken and ribs were not all that. I would go back. The ribs are spare ribs. The price was average, about $10 a plate.
(2)
Craig M.
The food was great! You walk in there and you can tell everything is made fresh nothing is store bought & then heated like some other places! Must try the longhorn stew it is original and very flavorful! Ribs & brisket were on point great smoky flavor. And the service was great, everyone in there was as nice as they could be. I'm definitely going back if I'm ever passing through KY again! Great experience all around!
(5)
Billy B.
I live right around the corner from this place, and I'm pumped to live near such a great barbeque place. I enjoy Texas-style barbeque, and it's the best I've had in this region. I typically get the brisket, which is delicious. The fries have some sort of amazing seasoning on them. They've got beans, cole slaw, etc., and these sides are pretty standard. It's the meat that's the selling point, though, and it's always very good. I've had good Texas BBQ and I won't lie and tell you this is all the way there-- but it's as close as you're going to get in Kentucky. The kids that work there are alright, and I've never had a negative experience in any way. It's my go-to BBQ place.
(5)
Jenn M.
No frills BBQ joint with pretty basic menu. The brisket sandwich was good, but I wish they served it with onions and/or pickles. French fries are also good. They had a few different bottles on the table, and I think they were all the same BBQ sauce, but I'm not sure--it would help if they labeled them.
(3)
Rick M.
Bbq joint just north of 64. Stopped by for lunch. The first thing that struck me was that they didn't seem to be smoking. Didn't seem to be any bbq going on. When I walked into the restaurant I could smell the smoke. Not sure where It was coming from. I ordered a rib plate with baked beans and fries. The beans were out of the can. Tasted like Heinz. The fries were crunchy breaded fries. They were not bad. A little over fried but I like them like that. The ribs were not good. They had a pink smoke color to them all over, not a ring. They were tough and under seasoned. I think they were cooked at too high of a temperature. The sauces were strange. They weren't labeled so I have no idea what they were going for. One was really acidic. It was hard to take. The other was peppery. Both sauces were out of balance. A really good sauce can salvage poorly executed bbq. The gf had the pulled chicken and potato salad. The chicken was dry. The potato salad was like you would get at Kroger. It was fine. Probably won't be back to this place.
(2)
Mark F.
Texas BBQ in the Bluegrass? Good job Ken! A welcome break from I-64 and needed sustenance before a day on the Bourbon Trail. Brisket and chopped pork, both were moist. A little more fat than I like but that's a slippery slope. The cuts were a little smaller than I expected or was used to but welcomed. We don't need huge mounds of meat. Well... Baked beans and patio salad (mustard) were tasty too. I lean toward coleslaw but a good mustard based patio salad can not be passed up. The dining room is not big but accommodating for what I'm sure is a bang up lunch on the weekdays. It's just what I would expect from a joint that prides itself on smoked meats. No fancy needed.
(4)
Carolynne M.
So, basically, if you like barbeque, you are going to want to come here. And when I say "want" I mean get your ass off the sofa and come here - like...now. Ken-Tex is nothing to look at, in fact, there really IS nothing to look at. There is a giant steel door that *BOOMS* whenever someone comes through it, the first room where there is a counter you order and pick up your food at (on plastic trays) and a second room with some random tables and chairs, a TV, and paneled walls. Ambiance? Fahgettaboutit. But, as much as I love my ambiance, there is something to be said for incredibly, amazingly, fantastically delicious food that makes nothing else matter. And Ken Tex brings it, and brings it hard. I ordered a two meat sampler, which included brisket and pulled chicken. I was given a side of coleslaw and baked beans. The baked beans were just OK and I hardly touched them. The coleslaw was easily the most delicious slaw I have ever, ever had. But the meat! So succulent, moist. Perfect amount of seasoning. There is extra sauce at the tables (one is hotter than the other supposedly, but they tasted very similar to me) which definitely enhances the overall taste. Oh and you can order your meat "with fat" or without. (Thankfully, because I hate the fat!) If you are driving between Louisville and Lexington, or headed out to a bourbon tour, you definitely want to make a stop here and check it out. I know we will be back again!
(5)
Sarah S.
Where is this place?? We were on a road trip and one of our car-mates suggested stopping by this little gem. The food was excellent, the people who worked there were SO sweet. Their meat was tender and juicy, loved the baked beans, and their fries put my poor stomach stretched past it's limits but they were SO worth it!
(4)
Polly G.
This place is just a cafeteria with cafeteria food. Everything seems to be out of a can or bottle. Green beans were soggy, baked beans didn't have much flavor and they were definitely from cans. The meat really wasn't that great, didn't have too much flavor and as another rater pointed out it was very smokey. I didn't really like the BBQ sauce and there was only one. It was very average at best. The kids working there were nice, but it's not really a place where you're getting much service. Overall, I would just skip it...not that there seems to be much to chose from in this area. It is cheap though, so if that's what you're looking for then this would be a good fit.
(1)
Colin G.
If you're reading this on a smart phone while on I-64: It's cheap and it's good. That's all you should really need to know. I write this review because I find it often difficult to navigate the cross-country interstates without a fast food stop, simply because the independent places right off of the interstates tend to be some of the worst restaurants in the country, and Yelp reviews for small towns are just never reliable (if you don't believe, look up some small town Applebee's). Even the chain joints are the lower examples of their brand name, but at least there's a little consistency. That said, I think it's understandable that I'm being a tad lenient with the rating here. On the same level though, this is very good. In fact, it's better than some of the stuff I've had in Texas even. Growing up on that stuff, I've become very wary of any barbecue place, because there are just so many bad ones. And not just out of Texas: I had some pretty terrible stuff in San Antonio just last week. But this was the best choice I was given on my awkward back route in the effort to avoid the Louisville bridge mess caused by the I-64 closure. It was either this or a meal at Kroger. I had the sliced beef sandwich and a pecan pie. Why did I not go for the "pork bucket?" Well, that's just a personal question... The beef was not too dry nor too fatty, had an excellent color, and a good balance to the flavor. The bun was your standard hamburger bun, the kind that come $0.99 for 10 but, if you've ever been to a place in Texas, then you'll know that's actually how it's supposed to be. Fancy buns are for yankees. The pecan pie was delicious. Seriously. It had been in the fridge for a couple of days, but the filling was just so good that it made me want to finish it before my wife came back from the bathroom. And per the bathroom, be careful with it: she almost got trapped in there. But the big thing for me was the sauce. I was told the red bottle was regular and the clear was "mod" (Kentuckian for "mild"). I didn't try the mod sauce, because the regular was just awesome: a little bit of a kick, not ketchup thick but also not too runny, and enough of a spice overtone to wipe away any trace of its tomato base. The TV in the main dining room had Discovery on (every place in Texas I've been to that had a TV had it on Fox News), so we got to watch a nature show about aquatic life. Kind of mesmerizing, really. The cashiers freaked out a bit when the cash register stopped working and couldn't be used to subtract 67 from 75, but they banded together and did the equation on a calculator. But they were nice. If this were in Texas, I would actually come here again. It's no Salt Lick, and it's not Luling, but it's close to par with County Line. And that's really saying something. I don't know that they'd get 5*, but I think any place that can pull this sort of stuff off in small town Kentucky deserves those 5 stars. So how did the meal conclude? A guy on a bike pulled up and puked in the parking lot. But why would you want it any other way?
(5)
Katy W.
Stopped here on a road trip and really enjoyed the atmosphere and food. I had the chopped pork sandwich and thought it was delicious - smoky flavor and I added the mild sweet BBQ sauce. My husband had the brisket and ribs and he really liked it. He said if you are a fan of Texas BBQ you will really like this place. We both recommend it!
(4)
Jerry M.
I moved to Shelbyville in June 2009 when my wife and I got married (she already lived here). I love good barbecue and have had some of the best in Louisville, Owensboro, and Memphis, TN. My wife told me someone at her work suggested we try Ken-Tex so we took the family up there a few months ago and gave it a try. I tried a meast sampler with pulled pork, brisket, and ribs with sides of beans and potato salad. The wife and kids got pulled pork sandwiches with side of mac and cheese and chips. The ribs were tasty. Slow cooked over hickory, these ribs were tasty, juicy, and "slide off the bone" tender, just the way I like them. Unfortunately, the ribs were the exception of the meal. The brisket was tough and dry and the pulled pork was dry with little flavor. The sides tasted like they came from a can. In fact, the person who took our order stated the beans were from a can when I asked, "Are the beans cooked from scratch in the smoker?" The tableside sauce was nothing special, either. My wife and kids didn't like the pulled pork sandwiches, so we took them home for me to take to work for lunch the next couple of days. The next day I tasted the leftovers and opted for something from the vending machine. :-( I guess there's a reason I had never heard of this place. I have a hard time understanding how the others from Chicago and elsewhere gave this place such high marks. Either our experience was very unusual or the other folks have never had good barbecue. No matter...when we're in the mood for some good barbeque we'll head a few miles west. Sorry Ken-Tex.
(2)
Kyle N.
Best briscuit I've ever had. So juicy and flavorful. The fries are great, just make sure you eat them there and not to go. They're soggy when you get home.
(4)
William F.
This place was recommended by the guy at the "Welcome Center" just across the Kentucky border so we dropped in looking for some "Burgoo" and other classic Kentucky barbecue- Well the place advertised itself as "Texas barbecue comes to Kentucky" - hence the name... so no Burgoo but they did have barbecue Longhorn Stew which was similar and approached barbecue heaven.. the place looks like some out-west saloon with a heavy door that looks like it was salvaged from a fallout shelter. Order at the front desk and take it all to another room and chow down. We had the pulled pork sandwiches with an amazingly creamy perfect cole slaw and come great seasoned curly fries. The inside is as funky looking as the outside but the whole package is perfect ambiance and food combined. Look close- its a bit hard to find tucked away in a little business strip mall off the road.
(4)
Keith E.
If you love true smoked barbecue this is the best around. If you need a big area to sit down area with ambiance, go somewhere else. It is a small place with some of the best smoked BBQ I have tasted. The beef and pork are the best eaten with sauce as a side, not smothered on it. Pulled pork sandwiches taste best with no sauce added. The sides are just that, something to go with the meats. I could eat them without sides. I will continue to go back.
(5)
Jeff S.
This place is a bit of a drive but it was good. I got brisket i think. Much better than the bbq joints closer in. I'd say its worth the drive.
(4)
Andy M.
If there is a Heaven, and God does exist, he opened up Ken-Tex BBQ just for me. OK, My personal version of Heaven would actually be BBQ from Ken-Tex, Bourbon, the Cubs winning the World Series on a giant flat screen and Phoebe Cates (Circa 1986) would be my scantily clad server. Alright, back to the topic at hand. I have no idea how my wonderful wife found this place, but I'm thankful that she did. This is some of the best BBQ that I have ever experienced. Ken-Tex doesn't give a very good first impression. It's a little shack of a building that looks like it would tumble over on a strong sneeze. But as soon as you walk in, the lovely smell of Charred meat smacks you in the face like a hammer. It also helped that the guy behind the counter was slicing up the most delicious looking brisket that these eyes have ever seen right in front of me. It looked just as good as it tasted. I ended up ordering the sampler platter which consists of three different meats and two sides. For my meat portions, I went with the Beef Brisket, Pork Brisket and Pulled BBQ beef. The portions were huge and all three were delicious. I barely touched the sides of seasoned fries and baked beans. The meats were literally playing a symphony in my mouth. It was pure bliss. The main things that you should know about Ken-Tex is: 1. There is nothing healthy on the menu!! If you are a Vegan, Vegetarian or on a diet, please drive further down the road. 2. The place is a Hole in the Wall. (Just the way I like it). 3. Don't eat anything for at least 10 hours before your visit. The portions are huge, and trust me, you will want to devour every tasty morsel. 4. This place is in the middle of nowhere!!. But if you are in the Louisville-Lexington area, it's well worth the trip. Here's the bottom line on Ken-Tex. If you are looking for atmosphere, please go to some snooty, high class place in another county. But, if you are looking to taste some of the most amazing BBQ in the world, a visit to this joint is a must. The food is amazing, and staff is friendly and you will be served enough meat to sate the Buffalo Bills offensive line.
(5)
Brian P.
Absolutely terrible. Stopped here on a road trip with the family. I am a fan of small BBQ joints, but this was not good. I had the chopped pork sandwich. The meat actually tasted too smokey, I think they may have added a lot of Liquid Smoke in the sauce. If not then whoever is cooking the meat needs to learn that more smoke does not equal better. Sauce was mixed into the meat and tasted like something out of a bottle. My sides were baked beans and green beans, and they were both straight out of a can. My wife had a turkey sandwich. The turkey was served cold. It was straight up pre-packaged deli turkey, and not even good turkey. She also had cole slaw which was also premade and bad. The kids had grilled cheese sandwiches. Not much wrong with those I guess, a bit overtoasted.
(1)
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Address :1163 Mount Eden Rd
Shelbyville, KY, 40065
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Divey Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : No Caters : Yes
Andy C.
3 stars for the taste! Not bad, but it is tough to give a high rating when there are so many great BBQ places around. The food had a good taste and at a good price. I thought the meat was a bit dry and the portions were a bit disappointing. I'm not a big fan of paying ten bucks for BBQ and leaving hungry. BBQ is one of those foods that shouldn't be skimped on on my opinion. People seem to love this place, so maybe I caught them on an off day- check it out and see for yourself.
(3)Annette A.
Very good beef brisket! My husband and I really enjoyed our meal in this rustic gem. Green beans, pinto beans and barbecue beef in a friendly place. Sweet tea was great too! We have a new favorite place!
(5)Joe D.
Another must go to restaurant if you are in Shelbyville. Be sure to try the beef brisket which is cut right in front of you. The pork loin is another must try. I am not a fan of "wet" bbq so I don't order the pulled pork or chicken. The sides are not that great but who cares when the bbq is good. Nothing fancy for sure but a great place to get a good bbq sandwich at a very cheap price.
(4)Drew P.
I've lived in Shelbyville since 2001 and have eaten here a few times. It's ok but not great. Having lived in TX and just returned from Austin where I had world class Franklin BBQ this isn't even close. They used to smoke overnight and had decent meat but they now smoke for 2 hours and put it in "some machine" to fast cook it and supposedly keep it moist. Not much flavor and the brisket was more dry by the time I got home than the leftover brisket from Franklin that stayed in a hotel fridge and journeyed home with me on the plane. It had been a couple years since I've tried it and short of a quick pulled pork sandwich to go I doubt I'll be back anytime soon.
(2)Roger K.
The brisket was good but the chicken and ribs were not all that. I would go back. The ribs are spare ribs. The price was average, about $10 a plate.
(2)Craig M.
The food was great! You walk in there and you can tell everything is made fresh nothing is store bought & then heated like some other places! Must try the longhorn stew it is original and very flavorful! Ribs & brisket were on point great smoky flavor. And the service was great, everyone in there was as nice as they could be. I'm definitely going back if I'm ever passing through KY again! Great experience all around!
(5)Billy B.
I live right around the corner from this place, and I'm pumped to live near such a great barbeque place. I enjoy Texas-style barbeque, and it's the best I've had in this region. I typically get the brisket, which is delicious. The fries have some sort of amazing seasoning on them. They've got beans, cole slaw, etc., and these sides are pretty standard. It's the meat that's the selling point, though, and it's always very good. I've had good Texas BBQ and I won't lie and tell you this is all the way there-- but it's as close as you're going to get in Kentucky. The kids that work there are alright, and I've never had a negative experience in any way. It's my go-to BBQ place.
(5)Jenn M.
No frills BBQ joint with pretty basic menu. The brisket sandwich was good, but I wish they served it with onions and/or pickles. French fries are also good. They had a few different bottles on the table, and I think they were all the same BBQ sauce, but I'm not sure--it would help if they labeled them.
(3)Rick M.
Bbq joint just north of 64. Stopped by for lunch. The first thing that struck me was that they didn't seem to be smoking. Didn't seem to be any bbq going on. When I walked into the restaurant I could smell the smoke. Not sure where It was coming from. I ordered a rib plate with baked beans and fries. The beans were out of the can. Tasted like Heinz. The fries were crunchy breaded fries. They were not bad. A little over fried but I like them like that. The ribs were not good. They had a pink smoke color to them all over, not a ring. They were tough and under seasoned. I think they were cooked at too high of a temperature. The sauces were strange. They weren't labeled so I have no idea what they were going for. One was really acidic. It was hard to take. The other was peppery. Both sauces were out of balance. A really good sauce can salvage poorly executed bbq. The gf had the pulled chicken and potato salad. The chicken was dry. The potato salad was like you would get at Kroger. It was fine. Probably won't be back to this place.
(2)Mark F.
Texas BBQ in the Bluegrass? Good job Ken! A welcome break from I-64 and needed sustenance before a day on the Bourbon Trail. Brisket and chopped pork, both were moist. A little more fat than I like but that's a slippery slope. The cuts were a little smaller than I expected or was used to but welcomed. We don't need huge mounds of meat. Well... Baked beans and patio salad (mustard) were tasty too. I lean toward coleslaw but a good mustard based patio salad can not be passed up. The dining room is not big but accommodating for what I'm sure is a bang up lunch on the weekdays. It's just what I would expect from a joint that prides itself on smoked meats. No fancy needed.
(4)Carolynne M.
So, basically, if you like barbeque, you are going to want to come here. And when I say "want" I mean get your ass off the sofa and come here - like...now. Ken-Tex is nothing to look at, in fact, there really IS nothing to look at. There is a giant steel door that *BOOMS* whenever someone comes through it, the first room where there is a counter you order and pick up your food at (on plastic trays) and a second room with some random tables and chairs, a TV, and paneled walls. Ambiance? Fahgettaboutit. But, as much as I love my ambiance, there is something to be said for incredibly, amazingly, fantastically delicious food that makes nothing else matter. And Ken Tex brings it, and brings it hard. I ordered a two meat sampler, which included brisket and pulled chicken. I was given a side of coleslaw and baked beans. The baked beans were just OK and I hardly touched them. The coleslaw was easily the most delicious slaw I have ever, ever had. But the meat! So succulent, moist. Perfect amount of seasoning. There is extra sauce at the tables (one is hotter than the other supposedly, but they tasted very similar to me) which definitely enhances the overall taste. Oh and you can order your meat "with fat" or without. (Thankfully, because I hate the fat!) If you are driving between Louisville and Lexington, or headed out to a bourbon tour, you definitely want to make a stop here and check it out. I know we will be back again!
(5)Sarah S.
Where is this place?? We were on a road trip and one of our car-mates suggested stopping by this little gem. The food was excellent, the people who worked there were SO sweet. Their meat was tender and juicy, loved the baked beans, and their fries put my poor stomach stretched past it's limits but they were SO worth it!
(4)Polly G.
This place is just a cafeteria with cafeteria food. Everything seems to be out of a can or bottle. Green beans were soggy, baked beans didn't have much flavor and they were definitely from cans. The meat really wasn't that great, didn't have too much flavor and as another rater pointed out it was very smokey. I didn't really like the BBQ sauce and there was only one. It was very average at best. The kids working there were nice, but it's not really a place where you're getting much service. Overall, I would just skip it...not that there seems to be much to chose from in this area. It is cheap though, so if that's what you're looking for then this would be a good fit.
(1)Colin G.
If you're reading this on a smart phone while on I-64: It's cheap and it's good. That's all you should really need to know. I write this review because I find it often difficult to navigate the cross-country interstates without a fast food stop, simply because the independent places right off of the interstates tend to be some of the worst restaurants in the country, and Yelp reviews for small towns are just never reliable (if you don't believe, look up some small town Applebee's). Even the chain joints are the lower examples of their brand name, but at least there's a little consistency. That said, I think it's understandable that I'm being a tad lenient with the rating here. On the same level though, this is very good. In fact, it's better than some of the stuff I've had in Texas even. Growing up on that stuff, I've become very wary of any barbecue place, because there are just so many bad ones. And not just out of Texas: I had some pretty terrible stuff in San Antonio just last week. But this was the best choice I was given on my awkward back route in the effort to avoid the Louisville bridge mess caused by the I-64 closure. It was either this or a meal at Kroger. I had the sliced beef sandwich and a pecan pie. Why did I not go for the "pork bucket?" Well, that's just a personal question... The beef was not too dry nor too fatty, had an excellent color, and a good balance to the flavor. The bun was your standard hamburger bun, the kind that come $0.99 for 10 but, if you've ever been to a place in Texas, then you'll know that's actually how it's supposed to be. Fancy buns are for yankees. The pecan pie was delicious. Seriously. It had been in the fridge for a couple of days, but the filling was just so good that it made me want to finish it before my wife came back from the bathroom. And per the bathroom, be careful with it: she almost got trapped in there. But the big thing for me was the sauce. I was told the red bottle was regular and the clear was "mod" (Kentuckian for "mild"). I didn't try the mod sauce, because the regular was just awesome: a little bit of a kick, not ketchup thick but also not too runny, and enough of a spice overtone to wipe away any trace of its tomato base. The TV in the main dining room had Discovery on (every place in Texas I've been to that had a TV had it on Fox News), so we got to watch a nature show about aquatic life. Kind of mesmerizing, really. The cashiers freaked out a bit when the cash register stopped working and couldn't be used to subtract 67 from 75, but they banded together and did the equation on a calculator. But they were nice. If this were in Texas, I would actually come here again. It's no Salt Lick, and it's not Luling, but it's close to par with County Line. And that's really saying something. I don't know that they'd get 5*, but I think any place that can pull this sort of stuff off in small town Kentucky deserves those 5 stars. So how did the meal conclude? A guy on a bike pulled up and puked in the parking lot. But why would you want it any other way?
(5)Katy W.
Stopped here on a road trip and really enjoyed the atmosphere and food. I had the chopped pork sandwich and thought it was delicious - smoky flavor and I added the mild sweet BBQ sauce. My husband had the brisket and ribs and he really liked it. He said if you are a fan of Texas BBQ you will really like this place. We both recommend it!
(4)Jerry M.
I moved to Shelbyville in June 2009 when my wife and I got married (she already lived here). I love good barbecue and have had some of the best in Louisville, Owensboro, and Memphis, TN. My wife told me someone at her work suggested we try Ken-Tex so we took the family up there a few months ago and gave it a try. I tried a meast sampler with pulled pork, brisket, and ribs with sides of beans and potato salad. The wife and kids got pulled pork sandwiches with side of mac and cheese and chips. The ribs were tasty. Slow cooked over hickory, these ribs were tasty, juicy, and "slide off the bone" tender, just the way I like them. Unfortunately, the ribs were the exception of the meal. The brisket was tough and dry and the pulled pork was dry with little flavor. The sides tasted like they came from a can. In fact, the person who took our order stated the beans were from a can when I asked, "Are the beans cooked from scratch in the smoker?" The tableside sauce was nothing special, either. My wife and kids didn't like the pulled pork sandwiches, so we took them home for me to take to work for lunch the next couple of days. The next day I tasted the leftovers and opted for something from the vending machine. :-( I guess there's a reason I had never heard of this place. I have a hard time understanding how the others from Chicago and elsewhere gave this place such high marks. Either our experience was very unusual or the other folks have never had good barbecue. No matter...when we're in the mood for some good barbeque we'll head a few miles west. Sorry Ken-Tex.
(2)Kyle N.
Best briscuit I've ever had. So juicy and flavorful. The fries are great, just make sure you eat them there and not to go. They're soggy when you get home.
(4)William F.
This place was recommended by the guy at the "Welcome Center" just across the Kentucky border so we dropped in looking for some "Burgoo" and other classic Kentucky barbecue- Well the place advertised itself as "Texas barbecue comes to Kentucky" - hence the name... so no Burgoo but they did have barbecue Longhorn Stew which was similar and approached barbecue heaven.. the place looks like some out-west saloon with a heavy door that looks like it was salvaged from a fallout shelter. Order at the front desk and take it all to another room and chow down. We had the pulled pork sandwiches with an amazingly creamy perfect cole slaw and come great seasoned curly fries. The inside is as funky looking as the outside but the whole package is perfect ambiance and food combined. Look close- its a bit hard to find tucked away in a little business strip mall off the road.
(4)Keith E.
If you love true smoked barbecue this is the best around. If you need a big area to sit down area with ambiance, go somewhere else. It is a small place with some of the best smoked BBQ I have tasted. The beef and pork are the best eaten with sauce as a side, not smothered on it. Pulled pork sandwiches taste best with no sauce added. The sides are just that, something to go with the meats. I could eat them without sides. I will continue to go back.
(5)Jeff S.
This place is a bit of a drive but it was good. I got brisket i think. Much better than the bbq joints closer in. I'd say its worth the drive.
(4)Andy M.
If there is a Heaven, and God does exist, he opened up Ken-Tex BBQ just for me. OK, My personal version of Heaven would actually be BBQ from Ken-Tex, Bourbon, the Cubs winning the World Series on a giant flat screen and Phoebe Cates (Circa 1986) would be my scantily clad server. Alright, back to the topic at hand. I have no idea how my wonderful wife found this place, but I'm thankful that she did. This is some of the best BBQ that I have ever experienced. Ken-Tex doesn't give a very good first impression. It's a little shack of a building that looks like it would tumble over on a strong sneeze. But as soon as you walk in, the lovely smell of Charred meat smacks you in the face like a hammer. It also helped that the guy behind the counter was slicing up the most delicious looking brisket that these eyes have ever seen right in front of me. It looked just as good as it tasted. I ended up ordering the sampler platter which consists of three different meats and two sides. For my meat portions, I went with the Beef Brisket, Pork Brisket and Pulled BBQ beef. The portions were huge and all three were delicious. I barely touched the sides of seasoned fries and baked beans. The meats were literally playing a symphony in my mouth. It was pure bliss. The main things that you should know about Ken-Tex is: 1. There is nothing healthy on the menu!! If you are a Vegan, Vegetarian or on a diet, please drive further down the road. 2. The place is a Hole in the Wall. (Just the way I like it). 3. Don't eat anything for at least 10 hours before your visit. The portions are huge, and trust me, you will want to devour every tasty morsel. 4. This place is in the middle of nowhere!!. But if you are in the Louisville-Lexington area, it's well worth the trip. Here's the bottom line on Ken-Tex. If you are looking for atmosphere, please go to some snooty, high class place in another county. But, if you are looking to taste some of the most amazing BBQ in the world, a visit to this joint is a must. The food is amazing, and staff is friendly and you will be served enough meat to sate the Buffalo Bills offensive line.
(5)Brian P.
Absolutely terrible. Stopped here on a road trip with the family. I am a fan of small BBQ joints, but this was not good. I had the chopped pork sandwich. The meat actually tasted too smokey, I think they may have added a lot of Liquid Smoke in the sauce. If not then whoever is cooking the meat needs to learn that more smoke does not equal better. Sauce was mixed into the meat and tasted like something out of a bottle. My sides were baked beans and green beans, and they were both straight out of a can. My wife had a turkey sandwich. The turkey was served cold. It was straight up pre-packaged deli turkey, and not even good turkey. She also had cole slaw which was also premade and bad. The kids had grilled cheese sandwiches. Not much wrong with those I guess, a bit overtoasted.
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