Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn

I thought that Moonlight was really good. We had the buffet on Saturday afternoon. They had green beans and potatoes, mac and cheese, baked beans, broccoli casserole, shoe peg corn, mashed potatoes and gravy and more for the sides. The meats included mutton, pulled pork, pork ribs, BBQ beef, shrimp, and ham. They also had bean soup, burgoo, rolls, and cornbread (with a bowl of sorghum).
The salad bar was good sized and included potato salad, coleslaw, seafood salad, banana salad (a KY thing) and pickled items. The desserts were extensive with ice cream, 2 cobblers, buttermilk pie, lemon icebox pie, coconut cream pie, pecan pie, a couple of no sugar added pies, banana pudding, and more. Basically, there is an extensive amount of food constantly stocked on this buffet. My bf ordered a beer and I had the sweat tea which was good.
The place is clean and pretty big. It’s dated but looks like a BBQ joint should. Those of you looking for a trendy BBQ joint with «atmosphere» are looking for something that a BBQ joint should not be: trendy. I’m from both Kentucky and Alabama and in my experience, this is what majority of BBQ places look like. There’s booths and tables available and it is reminiscent of 70’s and 80’s décor.
The buffet was stocked well and never ran out of anything. The place was super clean and well attended. Our waitress kept our table clean and glasses full. The sides and desserts were really good. I liked the BBQ and it had a good smokey flavor but give it 4 stars. (I have a slight preference for Deep South type of BBQ.) The ribs were my favorite. The buffet is reasonably priced when you consider the amount and quality of food. Come hungry though or you won’t get your money’s worth.
I would definitely recommend Moonlight if you like BBQ and home cooking in a family style atmosphere. I will make the drive back from the Louisville area in the future.

If there was a half star, that’s what I would rate this restaurant… We ordered the large pork ribs and the beef brisket. First, the ribs were overcooked and very dry. Disappointing as we were expecting something delicious. The briskets were tasteless. I believe our meats were warmed up in a microwave after it has been overcooked to death. The wait staff is okay. At least the fried apples were good.

It had been years since the last time I went to Moonlite. Growing up near the area it was always the place to go for BBQ in Owensboro. However, I’ve never been on Sunday when the buffet is there. Honestly, the first time I’ve ever been to a BBQ buffet.
It was ok. Pros: ribs, dessert, pickled beets/​okra. Cons: no greens! messy buffet of mince meat at times.
It was good to revisit but nothing compared to BBQ in Texas, Tenn or KC.

Whenever you are in this part of the U.S. you have got to stop by this Kentucky eatery. The BBQ is to die for — pulled pork, ribs, beef, chicken and mutton. All smoked to perfection. My wife and I opted for the buffet and it was superb. No canned corn or beans here. The veggies tasted as fresh as grandma cooked up from the garden. The only danger here is overeating, especially after tasting the scrumptious homemade desserts, including coconut cream, chocolate and rhubarb pies. Oh, and the cobblers! The place is clean and the prices reasonable. This is not a chain and the food quality reflects the homemade goodness.

Good service, good food, good everything. Good food! I will revisit and it is one of the best restaurants I have ever eaten! #1 Best buffet I have eaten!

So first the service was great and everyone was so nice. The buffet was also very clean. Now the food was not what I expect from all the hype. The BBQ meats both mutton and beef were gamey and had a bad after taste maybe from to much liquid smoke. The side were ok but nothing to write home about. The deserts were tasty and there were many choices. Also no military discount so drop a star for not supporting. Hope after the game of TV where’s off they get a new pit master.

One of the best buffets I’ve ever had and also some of the best BBQ I’ve ever had. Our waitress is super hot too!

Just me but i always thought that Owensboro was the bbq capital of kentucky but it took me years to find out that Lawrenceburg ky is the burgoo capital of kentucky but Owensboro was the only place that I had ever had bbq or burgoo so when in Owensboro go to moonlight bbq don’t go past it and not try it you will regret it in the long run they have really good food on the buffet it is the only item to get when you go did I i mention they have good burgoo but when you want to plan a road trip go to the burgoo festival and try some really good burgoo.

The very worst 50.00 we have spent on s meal. The quality of this Owensboro staple has declined drastically over the las 5 years. The meats were scarce, veggies were watery and where are the desserts? This was a Friday night… shame on you.

Every time I travel back to Owensboro, I have to stop in to the Moonlite. They have the best burgoo of the BBQ restaurants (if you don’t know burgoo, you are missing out on Owensboro’s local flavor). They have a full menu, but I don’t know why they bother when the all-​you-​can-​eat buffet is the reason to only choice to consider.
Vegetarians can find a lot to choose from on the buffet too with baked apples, mashed potatoes, casseroles, beans, a well stocked salad bar, among other options.
The dessert bar is a highlight for the rest of my family, but I never have room after all the amazing choices for entrees and a bowl or two of burgoo.
Moonlite’s atmosphere is southern and not too fancy. I come for the food frost and foremost.
This is one restaurant you must try at least once if you are near Owensboro.

Lunch here. Unreal buffet. 2 of us ate for a little over $ 20. Service was so helpful. There is a salad bar just in case you want to throw rocks at something. (It’s good but skip it.) The Burgoo stew is great and tastes like homemade. I’m from Texas and a bit of a BBQ Snob. The chopped Pork on the buffet is the best I’ve had. The cinnamon apples are incredible. Highly recommend this place.

First off, the best mutton BBQ I could find is Thomason’s BBQ in Henderson, KY. It’s rich, tender, a little spicy, a little sweet, and perfectly gamey. Oh, and the beans are the best I’ve ever had. Just call to make sure they are open. They close early and are not open on Sunday or Monday. Now on to the review.
Positives: They have mutton BBQ! Love it. The buffet gives you a great selection for a reasonable price. The sliced mutton was better at Old Hickory, but the sides are better here and you can’t beat the selection for the same price. Also the burgoo was good. Service was prompt and friendly.
Negatives: I ate too much. Seriously, this is why I avoid buffets. Anyway, everything was good, but not exceptional. Overall very solid.
Conclusion: If I was in Owensboro (and Thomason’s wasn’t open), I would certainly come here again. If you’d like to try the mutton, but aren’t so sure, this is a good option as you can try a bit of everything.

Every time I come to visit family, this is one place I must eat.
As soon as you pull up to the ever packed parking lot, you can smell that mouthwatering BBQ.
I always get the buffet. It has pork, mutton, burgoo, Mac and cheese, greens, a salad bar, a dessert bar and the BEST fried apples ever! I love the super casual atmosphere and nice wait staff.
You can get BBQ as take away here. They even have. Little gift shop– items are reasonably priced.
Lack of star is due to the chaser. She was unreasonably rude.

I may have given 5 stars but this is a BBQ place and I don’t eat meat. Other than that I live this place. The macaroni and cheese is my favorite. They also do an amazing cheesecake. It’s a buffet and there is plenty of seating for large groups.

I’ve been to the «world famous» Moonlite Barbeque many times. First thing… get the buffet. The sides at Moonlite are very good. The fried apples are some of the best I’ve had. The Mac and cheese is excellent. The green beans, mashed potatoes, corn bread, and rolls are all solid. Now the Barbeque… I hate to say it, but I really don’t like their Barbeque that much. Mutton is the meat of choice in Western Ky Barbeque. I personally don’t care for it. There are much better places for Barbeque around town in my opinion.
The atmosphere is old. That’s part of the Moonlite experience. It’s like an old timey tavern/​inn. It feels as if they have never changed anything since they opened, but I think that’s the point.
Overall you have to go to Moonlite at least once when you come to Owensboro. It’s famous…

First time eating at Moonlight this year. Drove from Louisville with my wife and mother /​father in law.
We enjoy the ride and also enjoy the food. Moonlight is an old basic BBQ place that serves mutton and chicken BBQ. It’s basic home cooked food with no frills.
See a lot of bad reviews but I think people get to hung up in the hype or expect traditional pork or beef BBQ with five different sauces to choose from, baked beans and fries. That not Moonlight.
The place is also old school on the inside so it’s character may be seen as run down.
They have good food with consideration as to what type of food they server. It’s worth a try. You will like it or you won’t but it doesn’t deserve 1 star.

Have had pleasure eating here several times, and again today. Real good choices and lots of. Great service here always.

I made a trip with my lady & her parents to this place one summer. Honestly, I’m not sure why so many people rave about this place.
To begin, the good part. If you’re in Owensboro for any other reason, then yes, stop in here to give it a try. The buffet is a nice touch, but the quality of the food isn’t going to make you take endless trips back to the buffet. As for sides, the fried apples were perfect. Everything else was ok, but nothing to rave about. Same for the salad & desserts. Mediocre.
Now to the bad. This place is not worth traveling to for bbq, mutton, or anything else on their menu/​buffet. We went on a Saturday around 1 PM so the buffet should have been perfect. Most of the meat was dry. I basically had to drench my meat in BBQ sauce to get it all down. The mutton was good but not great.
Maybe I’m jaded from growing up in KY and experiencing BBQ in every corner of this state. It makes me feel a little awkward for travelers coming through & stopping into this place. There are numerous better places to acquire BBQ in KY.
I was going to give this place 3 stars, because the food isn’t completely terrible. I knocked it down to 2 stars because of our waitress. Not pleasant at all. When we asked her for something, she was rude. Then when bringing our drinks or cleaning up our plates… she acted like she had better things to do. KY is much more hospitable than what she was bringing to the table.
To add to this, I’m normally not a bad customer because everyone has bad days. In this instance, I reached out to Moonlite to voice my concerns. They never contacted me back.
The next time I’m in that part of the state, I’ll most likely visit the other BBQ place. Moonlite is definitely not a destination I plan to visit again anytime soon.
Edit: After this review, someone from Moonlite contacted me. They mentioned that the ‘Contact Us’ form had issues in the past and that it’s fixed now. I usually visit places additional times (even when it wasn’t a great experience) to see if things are better or worse. I then update reviews accordingly based on that.

I tried both FAMED BBQ Joints in Kentucky. Moonlite BLOWS the other famous BBQ Joint away. I STRONGLY suggest getting the buffet, so you can sample all of the goods. Tender Mutton, Pork, Beef, and their World Famous Burgoo (Mutton Stew). Their Sweet Tea is perfect to go with this meal. Their Fried Chicken is the BEST I’ve ever had! They do FANTASTIC TAKE OUT SERVICE. There is ALWAYS A LINE! The Moonlite Take out area looks cleaner, and the take out Looks & Seems Fresher, than their competitor. Service is EXCELLENT! Take my advice. Save your money and go here to experience TRUE SOUTHERN COOKING & HOSPITALITY!
ENJOY, CHEF GARY CURRY

I’ve been here for the buffet twice now. I enjoy the various meats they give you to choose from. Beef, pork, chicken, mutton, country ham, etc. The veggies are also abundant and have plenty to choose from. My favorite there is the mac n cheese.
I typically never get dessert, but with the layout they had I chose two to try. Chocolate pecan pie and peanut butter pie. Both were so decadent and perfect.