Red State BBQ, Lexington, Kentucky

Founded by Scott Ahlschwede, a Texas native and equine veterinarian in 2010, Red State BBQ sits on a Kentucky roadside (U.S. 25) saddled in the middle of horse country. Red State BBQ derives it's name a little from politics and a lot from the fact that the best Q does indeed come from "Red" States. Red State smokes\cooks their bone-in Boston Butts in a Fast Eddy smoker with hickory pellets. We were there on Sunday (Memorial Day Weekend) and the place was packed. We started with an amazing appetizer of wings and a perfectly paired dipping sauce. I got their out-standing pulled pork plate (made even better with their home-made Memphis Sweet sauce) with a side of excellent baked beans. They also offer; NC spicy, SC mustard, Kentucky Bourbon Q sauce, Texas spicy and my favorite of the bunch, the Memphis Sweet. In the South when a place sells out of Q they close and bewildering as it may be to many a Kentuckian and others Red State will also close if they sell out of Q. Call ahead if you are going because it's really hard to just throw something together when that something takes 14 or more hours to smoke/cook. Enjoy!