Kentucky Living readers have voted again and Moonlite was selected the best barbecue in Kentucky. A Kentucky tradition in Owensboro, Kentucky since 1963, Moonlite was inducted into the Kentucky Monthly’s Best Hall of Fame in 2008, and had previously been voted Kentucky’s best barbecue by Kentucky Living. Now, add that to USA Today claiming Moonlite “one of the ten best places to fill up your plate,” and you get a sense of the tradition smoking in Owensboro.

“This is a real honor. I am overwhelmed by our customers’ loyalty. I know everyone has their favorite and to be counted among them is special to us. We have been slow-cooking barbecue over a hickory log fire for over three generations, but you are only as good as your last meal. We are most famous for our buffet and the barbecued mutton. Not many people are aware of how good mutton barbecue is; that is, until they come to the Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn and try their first bite!”

said Patrick Bosley, Manager of the Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn. ”

“Mutton puts Owensboro barbecue in a class by itself,” said Gourmet Magazine. “Cooked until pot-roast tender, it is set out on the Moonlite buffet two ways: chopped or pulled. The chopped mutton is nothing but flavor: tangy lamb and wood smoke in a bold hash duet. The pulled version is a textural amusement park: juicy chunks so supple they make us want to abandon all utensils and eat like happy cave dwellers.”

Patrick Bosley is the youngest grandson of Pappy and Catherine Bosley, who built the Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn into a Kentucky Tradition, from a 30-seat roadside stand to a 350-seat award winning, world-renowned dinner destination. Moonlite Bar-B-Q has been featured in Gourmet Magazine, Southern Living, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and on the Food Channel.

“It’s the people that make it all come together,” said Patrick Bosley. “Treat your customers like friends and family, add a pinch of luck and a lot of family, mix ‘em together and get out of the way.”