Where to get barbecue in Lexington: National Avenue to Beaumont

Last checked Oct. 16, 2026. Refreshed every three months.

Lexington’s barbecue restaurants sit in two pairs. Blue Door Smokehouse and LX BBQ are close to downtown, on National Avenue and Walton Avenue in the East End warehouse blocks; J. Render’s is in Beaumont off Harrodsburg Road and Red State BBQ is out on Georgetown Road past New Circle.

How we made this list. The places come from OpenStreetMap records inside Lexington-Fayette, the same data behind our local directory, checked against each place’s own website on Oct. 16, 2026. We added J. Render’s, LX BBQ and Red State BBQ because their own websites describe smoked barbecue at a Lexington address. We left out City Barbeque on Richmond Road, whose location page would not open for us, and Willie’s Locally Known and Billy’s Bar-B-Q, whose websites no longer show a working restaurant page. The list is alphabetical. It is not a ranking or a recommendation, and nobody paid to be on it. Run one of these places? Write to us to correct your entry.

The list

The places

Blue Door Smokehouse. A smokehouse on National Avenue whose menu lists sliced beef brisket, pork, chicken, sausage and ribs, sold by the plate or as sandwiches. Its site says it stays open until closing time or until it sells out, and it takes carryout orders online. Catering is by delivery through its site or by phone for pickup.

J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar. A locally owned Southern restaurant in Beaumont that says it serves made-from-scratch dishes, smoked meats and its own sauces. Its site mentions patio seating, live music on the patio, a daily happy hour and private events. It opens at 10 a.m. on Sunday.

LX BBQ. A Walton Avenue barbecue restaurant that describes its smoked meats as having “a touch of Appalachian influence,” with brisket and ribs on the menu. It offers dine-in, takeout and catering; catering orders for pickup go by phone or by email to the restaurant. It keeps lunch hours early in the week and stays open to 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday.

Red State BBQ. A roadside barbecue restaurant on Georgetown Road, founded in 2010, that says it slow-smokes pork, brisket and chicken. Its site offers dine-in, carryout and catering, including drop-off, pickup and full-service packages, and it also runs a mobile food trailer at events.

Before you go

• Barbecue places often sell out of a meat before closing. Blue Door says so on its own site; call ahead if you are going late in the day.
• Holiday hours can differ from the regular schedule; check the restaurant’s own page.
• Want to know how a kitchen fared with the health department? See restaurant inspections.

More places to eat

All the lists · Wings · Pizza · Mexican · Burgers · Breakfast and coffee · Sushi and Asian · Ice cream and desserts · Bakeries · Patios · Brunch · Date night · Local directory

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get barbecue in Lexington?

This list has four barbecue restaurants: Blue Door Smokehouse at 819 National Ave., LX BBQ at 226 Walton Ave., J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar at 3191 Beaumont Centre Circle and Red State BBQ at 4020 Georgetown Road.

Which Lexington barbecue places are open on Sunday?

J. Render’s opens at 10 a.m. Sunday and Red State BBQ at 11 a.m., both until 9 p.m., according to their websites. Blue Door Smokehouse says it is closed Sunday.

Which Lexington barbecue restaurant is open latest?

J. Render’s and Red State BBQ both list hours to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Blue Door Smokehouse says it stays open until closing time or until it sells out.

Where is there barbecue with a patio in Lexington?

J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar in Beaumont says it has patio seating and live music on the patio.