Hello again y’all! One of the best things about living in the south, but especially about living in Kentucky, is the almost infinite array of BBQ joints that are seemingly at our disposal. Each region has its own style (Memphis, Kansas City, Carolina, etc.) but what really matters to us is the quality of the meat. We like going to BBQ places where no matter how many times you go the food tastes exactly the same, and we feel like we get that over at Red State BBQ! We recently sat down with the owner of Red State, David Carroll, to talk about how this place got its start and what you can expect when you drop in for some tasty BBQ!

Red State BBQ got its start back in 2010, when original owner Scott Ahlschwede moved to town and wanted a place to have some good BBQ and a nice beer. A veterinarian at Rood and Riddle, Scott found the perfect location for his BBQ joint on Georgetown road just outside of Lexington and not far from work, and thus his dream became a reality! However, a couple of years later Scott moved away from Kentucky and decided to sell Red State, and as luck would have it our friend David was in the right place at the right time. David worked in radio advertising around this time, and Red State was a regular advertiser on his network, so when Red State was up for sale it was almost a no-brainer for David to pick up the torch and continue on with the same passion that Scott had carried for the famed BBQ spot. Red State BBQ was purchased by David in March of 2013 and he hasn’t looked back ever since! We had several questions, of course, and one of the biggest ones was the origin of the Red State name. This is actually a simple story; while watching the returns for an election one night, Scott made an observation that all of the great BBQ seems to come from states that are predominantly Republican, hence the name - Red State BBQ. Pretty easy, huh? Well, David decided to keep everything the way he found it; to this day, he still uses the same recipes that Scott used in the beginning, and all of the food is made from scratch each day. Even the sides and the peach bread pudding are made daily so that they are fresh for all of the hungry folks who may be stopping in for lunch or dinner. Red State is Kentucky Proud, meaning they use local products on their menus, and we’re all about seeing that Kentucky Proud logo when we head into our favorite local restaurants. Probably the most notable part of the Red State BBQ lore is the infamous taproom fire that occurred at their short-lived Georgetown location. What was a small-yet-popular spot in downtown Georgetown where you could belly up to the bar and eat BBQ was tragically destroyed by a fire not long after it was opened. As terrible as that event was for the community and for Red State itself, David was determined to find something good in the aftermath. He has worked to start a nonprofit organization called From the Ashes that benefits local families in Fayette, Scott, and Harrison counties who have been displaced by house fires by selling a special edition BBQ sauce, aptly named Taproom Fire, with 65% of the profits from each $10 bottle going straight to the organization. Taproom Fire is a mixture of all 6 of the Red State BBQ sauces, which we’ll get to later, and also includes habanero sauce and Country Boy Brewing Cougar Bait beer, and can be purchased at the restaurant or online at shop.redstatebbq.com.

We had a great time speaking with David about the history of Red State BBQ, and while we were there we tried some of their signature menu items. For this trip we brought along our friend Desiree, which of course was awesome because she’s a lot of fun, but it was also interesting to get her take on the Red State menu since she doesn’t eat meat. Renee had a pulled chicken sandwich with fries, I had a beer cheese brisket sandwich with corn pudding, and Desiree had a veggie plate with green beans, mac n cheese, and corn pudding. I said it earlier but it bears repeating: I love going to a BBQ joint where the meat consistently tastes the same, and Red State BBQ is quickly becoming that place for me. Renee and I have been here a few times before and it never disappoints! And that’s not just lip service; we came here about 6 weeks ago and had the same meal both times, and I’ll be damned if the meat didn’t have the same taste and texture then as it did today! You really can’t go wrong with any of the meats here, and their beer cheese would be amazing on just about anything! The sides were delicious as well, and even though she wished there were more vegetarian options, Desiree was very pleased with her veggie plate. She even got the peach bread pudding, which she shared with the group, and it was the perfect ending to a great meal. Red State also offers a variety of BBQ sauces: Kentucky Small Batch, Alabama Show Horse, Memphis Sweet, Texas Spicy, North Carolina Spicy Vinegar, and South Carolina Mustard. We love a good BBQ sauce, and all of these fit the bill for me; I don’t usually care for vinegar-based sauces but I could be sold on NC Spicy Vinegar for sure!

Besides the food, the other cool part about dining at Red State BBQ is undoubtably the decor. I tend to be a little hyperbolic (okay okay, I’m actually a very hyperbolic person, I like to think it’s part of my charm!), but I’m not exaggerating when I say that the walls and ceiling are completely covered in marker graffiti! As you can see in almost all of our photos, most people who visit Red State don’t leave without signing their name wherever they can fit it. The tradition started back when Scott owned the joint, and was contained to the back wall by the restrooms. Fun fact: one of the first people to sign a wall here was none other than Kenny “Sky” Walker, one of the most famous players to step onto the basketball court for the Kentucky Wildcats back in the early 1980s! Located just minutes from the Kentucky Horse Park and I-75, people from all over the world have stopped in for some ‘que at Red State; there are signatures on the walls and ceiling from all over the United States, as well as from countries as far away as Japan and Australia! Red State also offers some promotional deals during this time of the year: you can order turkeys for both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, and their catering service is one of the best there is (no joke; Sarah Back is probably the best caterer in central Kentucky!). They sell their BBQ sauces, as well as their beer cheese, beef jerky, and andouille and red hot sausages at several places in the area; you can find these items for sale at most Liquor Barn locations, Party Source in Bellevue, Party Town in Florence, and online as well. They also boast a popular food truck, although it hasn’t been out and about as much here lately, but if you do see it out there you should definitely check it out as well! Plus, if you visit Red State BBQ during the month of December, you’ll receive a sealed envelope with a secret coupon inside, which can be redeemed in January for a specified percentage off of your meal - how cool is that?! If that doesn’t have you coming back then I don’t know what will! We really loved getting to come here to Red State and spend the afternoon getting to know David Carroll and his awesome BBQ joint, and honestly I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like this place! So if you’re looking for a new place to try some BBQ then look no further, because Red State BBQ is the place for you!