Moonlite BBQ Inn

[Sweet Willie]

Was headed on my way back to Chicago from Cincinnati when I got jonesen for BBQ.

The idea of making a 5 hour detour to Owensboro Kentucky to visit the Moonlite BBQ crossed my mind. Seeing as I had the time, a beautiful Volvo 860 as a car rental and it just happened to come with the Hertz GPS Neverlost system in the car, I thought this was the perfect time to make such a detour. I just entered the address for the Moonlite into the GPS system outside of Cincinnati and it steered me right to the Moonlite.

I have seen the Moonlite written up in many places. They are know for good BBQ and are one of the only that I've read that serve Mutton BBQ. Being a lamb/mutton as well as a BBQ lover, I thought that the BBQ mutton would be a culinary highlight for me.

Sorry to report, the mutton just did not hold the BBQ flavor that brisket or pork does.

It was good, but the sliced pork was better. On your table are two bottles of sauce. One is a black pepper, tomato based BBQ sauce that goes very well w/the meats. The other is a Worsteshire/Vinegar based sauce for the mutton, this sauce was almost all water and not anything special.

BBQ buffets served 11am-2pm and 4pm-9pm. According to the Moonlite flyer I picked up in the restaurant, the buffet serves BBQ mutton, pork, ribs, chicken, ham and beef. When I was there, only BBQ mutton, pork and chicken was present on the buffet, which for lunch cost me less than $8 w/tax.

The sliced pork (shoulder) was my favorite meat here, the brisket was next, then the chicken and finally the mutton (did I already tell you I was disappointed w/the mutton???).

Moonlite BBQ Inn

2840 West Parrish Avenue

Owensboro, KY 42301

Phone: 270.684.8143

Hours: Mon-Saturday 9am-9pm

Sun 10am-3pm

Edited November 22, 2003 by Sweet Willie (log)

[sml311]

This is my first post, so I hope it's okay to reach to a topic this long ago, but as a native Owensboran (currently residing in Raleigh), I hope I might have something to add.

Barbecued mutton, first, is definitely an acquired taste. Compared with other bbqs I have eaten and even Daviess Co barbecued pork, it's sort of bitter, definitely gamier than pork, and a little tough even when cooked well. (I would even say it's smokey too, even though the sauce is tomato based.) My parents have lived in Daviess Co for about 30 years and still haven't gotten the taste for mutton. It's just really different.

Also, while Moonlite is certainly the most well known of the Daviess Co bbq joints, it's not the one I personally would recommend. Their pork is definitely better than their mutton, so if you're going for mutton I'd suggest Old Hickory Pit Bar-B-Q; 338 Washington Ave.; Owensboro, KY (270-926-9000). It's right off the main drag, which is Frederica St./US 431. I'd be glad to provide better direction if anyone is ever in the area and needs them .

I do have a recipe for Daviess Co barbecued mutton that I guess would belong on the recipe section of the website, if anyone is interested in that. I don't have a pit here in Raleigh, so I'd have to leave the cooking of it to someone else.

SML

[sml311]

Also, I forgot to add Moonlite does have very good burgoo, which is the local barbecue soup made from mutton, among other ingredients. It is available by order and does a fairly good ex-pat Kentuckian business, esp around Derby time. I would recommend ordering the frozen burgoo, if you're curious and don't want to make the trip. There's also a recipe on the website as well.

http://www.moonlite.com/online_store/index.htm

SML

[FoodZealot]

Thanks, SW and sml311. I didn't quite make it to the Moonlite when I was out there, and now I have the Old Hickory Pit to visit, too.

[Varmint]

Welcome, SML!! Glad to see that your first post was in the Southeast forum. It's a pretty darned friendly place, and we look forward to lots of insight from you.

[Sweet Willie]

Also, I forgot to add Moonlite does have very good burgoo, which is the local barbecue soup made from mutton

I also forget to add that to my report, I brought a jar of the burgoo home. It was a hit. THANK YOU for mentioning it.