The Best Barbecue in Louisville, by the Record
Louisville has sent exactly one place into the record so far: Wayne's Smoke Shack, honored by Westword.
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Rank 1. Wayne's Smoke Shack
Texas Barbecue
The dry-rubbed brisket here comes out with a coffee-dark bark and a pink smoke ring earned over post oak and hickory, the way Texas pitmasters do it. Wayne's is a casual BBQ shack in Superior that regulars mourned loudly when a 2021 wildfire took out most of the kitchen. It came back in 2023, candied pork belly and St. Louis ribs and all. Bring your own patience and a decent appetite; the sauces are housemade, but the brisket doesn't need them.