Brisket and the Bible

In the early 1990s, Kenny Allen regularly partied in downtown Winchester. He wasn’t interested in meeting people, but rather doing his own thing, he said, as he was deep into an alcohol and drug addiction.

One day, “I got tired of being tired,” said Kenny, 63, who eventually surrendered to God, and began rebuilding his life. While working for various eateries, he learned from each experience before opening restaurants with a business partner, a pastor, in the Lexington area. Along the way, the pastor taught him barbecue, an encounter Kenny describes as a “divine appointment.”

Today, Kenny owns and operates his own barbecue restaurant, Pit Masters BBQ. And he honors that divine appointment by incorporating his deep spirituality into his life — and his business.

Early-morning customers might find him at a table immersed in his Bible study. He is never too busy to share his love of Jesus with a customer who might need it. “You feed people physically and spiritually,” Kenny said.

The restaurant, originally called In and Out BBQ, opened in 2016 and has been located in the same building on the corner of Main and Broadway streets, with a wood-fired smoker on the sidewalk.

“I’m the master of that pit,” he said, pointing to the horizontal barrel smoker. He serves brisket, ribs, and pulled pork, alongside a handful of sides including creamy coleslaw, a family recipe. It is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and serves omelets and egg sandwiches for breakfast. Kenny and his daughter-in-law, Krista Gross, 36, are the barbecue joint’s only official employees, but friends and regulars help with everything from carrying groceries and running errands to providing equipment and advice.

Krista, who has worked alongside Kenny for six years, sees his generosity every day.

“Kenny has a heart of gold,” she said. “When he tells each and every person he loves them, he means that with his whole heart. He would do whatever he could for that person if that means giving them the shirt off his back. He puts that same love into his barbecue.”

Born and raised in Kentucky, Kenny has four children and 12 grandchildren. After his first wife of 32 years died of cancer, he met his current wife, Hassie Combs, through mutual friends at church. Together, with their blended family, they serve dine-in customers, prepare delivery orders, and cater events.

His faith informs every part of his life, from serving customers to navigating the sobriety he has maintained for decades. “I knew if I kept on drinking and doing drugs, it would kill me,” he said.

He prays daily for his son, Junior, who he said is struggling with alcohol addiction. For Kenny, his own temptations sometimes resurface, but he is committed to the stable, loving life he has built. 

“Does that desire come back on me? Yes,” he said. “But guess what I do? I say no.”