Starnes Barbecue, Inc. — Restaurant in Paducah

I remember when this place opened in 1955, and visited it frequently until I moved away in 1965. It's always been a Paducah favorite, and there are plenty of locals mixed in with the tourists. The menu is really simple, and hasn't changed much over the decades. There are wine snobs, and there are BBQ snobs, and for my money, this is the best BBQ in America, and I have years of diligent searches to back up my opinion. Many people equate BBQ with some sort of sauce, and in my expert opinion as a certified BBQ snob, those sadly misinformed folks should return to the perdition from which they were spawned, and keep their misbegotten opinions on a low flame in the quiet background, when in the presence of a true BBQ snob with a genuine background in the matter. I'd still come here to enjoy good barbecue every time I return to Paducah even if it were ten times the price (which is, as others have pointed out, still quite reasonable). Simply stated, if you are a purist like me, who thinks that good BBQ should be served on toasted white bread, without the defiling touch of any sauce, this is the place. They do gladly tolerate philistines, however, and will sauce it to your taste, without making any tut-tutting sounds, or other deprecatory remarks. It's good. Try it, so you can now spread the news, and impress the great unwashed with your new-found expertise. You have my permission to quote any of the above for...

This is exactly the kind of place I figured it would be, a place where people who've never left Paducah in their life come because they think it's amazing BBQ. Boyfriend and I came and ordered a pork and beef sandwich respectively; his sandwich was bad, mine was good. And mine was just good, not great or amazing like other reviews made us think it would be. The beef was flavorful but you couldn't taste it over the sauce, and boy did you NEED the sauce. The beef sandwich was the driest beef sandwich in my life, and the pork sandwich was the driest pork sandwich in perhaps all of human existence. It's a real shame when otherwise-good BBQ needs to be drowned in sauce to be palatable, and unfortunately it wouldn't shock me if locals here thought this is just what good BBQ is, a fact made even sadder knowing that Owensboro is NOT a very far drive. The sauce was unique as other reviews said it was, but far from worth buying a bottle. The food was also too expensive for the portion, we were very sad we didn't just get a pound because we left hungry after 9 bucks. Overall this place is okay, and just okay. Not worth a visit if you're used...

This place is an absolute must stop! They have five meats, one sauce, and two sides on their menu; Pork, Beef, Ham, Turkey, Baloney, and potato salad or coleslaw. We shared three sandwiches and one of each side. It was all simply perfect. The sandwiches come with sauce or without, on grilled white bread and served perfectly wrapped in paper. It feels like the way it’s been done for 100 years, with no changes. It was super inexpensive, friendly, clean, unique, and delicious. One of our favorite stops ever, and by pure random chance. Absolutely must go here and step back in time if you’re nearby. Nothing fancy, just perfectly simple and good. Really friendly staff too, and it felt like they knew everyone that walked...