Again, what a marvelous place to enjoy your bourbon drink in a very relaxed environment. 2024 was…read morethe last time we were here and it felt just as welcoming then as it did now in 2026. The wealth of knowledge with both Austin, our Bartender and Dave, Owner, is amazing. Thanks to them, we walked out of there quite happy with our tastings. With the huge selection of Bourbon, right in front of us, we were able to ask questions about any bottle we spotted on the shelf. We gained a lot more information about Bourbon. THANK YOU Austin & Dave !!! Yes, we will stop here EVERY TIME we travel to Frankfort, KY. Hoping it won't be another 2 yrs.

We pulled up to Benson Valley only to find it closed, so we decided to give HOC a try instead --…read morebest detour ever! This place was absolutely amazing! From the moment we walked in, the vibe was warm and welcoming. The staff provided great whiskey conversation and shared so much interesting history about the community and the distillery. It really made the tasting feel personal and special. We had the opportunity to sample an incredible lineup: * Weller 12 * Rip Van Winkle 10yr * Castle & Key Rye * Peerless Double Oak * Benson Valley Bourbon Every pour was smooth, flavorful, and clearly high quality. The pours were generous and the explanations for each one added so much depth. If you're into whiskey (or just good conversation and local history), HOC is a must-stop. We left smiling and already planning our next visit. Highly recommend! Thanks again to the team at HOC -- you turned a closed door into one of the highlights of our road trip!

This is a must stop. Everything scratch made. Pimento cheese and beer cheese are a must try. Great…read moreflavors and fun atmosphere.

Must stop to eat. Doesn't look like much and is hidden a bit, close to 3 distillery tours…read more Tons tons of bourbon, but good solid food, kitchen open to watch how they pump out some tasty food, had the bologna sandwich with a spicy stone ground mustard. Side wax one the best corn bread muffins I've had in while. Nice selection of local beers. Friendly and fast staff, kitchen was fast at pushing out some good meats and comfort food. Small inside dining, packed in, but still nice, outdoor patio with bags area, tuck away but worth the trip.

Spectacle for Senses tasting was a total disappointment . Would recommend a different tour.read more

Woodford was the last distillery we visited during our bourbon tour vacation, and needless to say,…read moreit did not disappoint! The property is absolutely beautiful, and you immediately get a sense of luxury as soon as you walk into the check-in area. Before our tour, we ordered two drinks, and both were delicious. Our tour guide, Sydney, was fantastic--she was knowledgeable, informative, and very relatable. When we reached the tasting room, she guided us through each sample and shared some great insights along the way. The gift shop had a great selection of souvenirs, and we loved that there was also another bar where we could order additional cocktails, along with a few small snack options. Overall, Woodford quickly became one of our favorite stops on the tour. We highly recommend visiting if you're in the area--and definitely make a reservation in advance!

This was my first time at Buffalo Trace. It was a spontaneous visit while driving through the area…read moreon my way West. It was a Saturday so likely the busiest day of the week. There was a long line of cars backed up into the street to get in and park. I'm not on a set timetable so I waited. I ended up getting one of the last spots in their overflow parking lot. I then waited in a line for about 45 minutes to get the wristband that allowed me to get inside the grounds. Luckily the weather was nice for that wait and I enjoyed the sun. Then there was a short line of about 10 minutes for the tasting sessions. From there on out, no lines except for the checkout line in the gift shop. This brand has a very loyal following. Of the whiskey varieties, bourbon is my favorite as there are many variations and complexities in each bottle I enjoyed the tasting session which are well organized and small groups. We sampled 3 varieties and finished with a bourbon ball made by a local candy company. The tasting took about 20 minutes then I was free to explore the large grounds. Buffalo Trace has a beautiful working campus with lots of great photo ops and interesting buildings. Old and new mixed. The grounds are manicured and There's also lots of staff around to help with questions and directions. I ended up buying several bottles of their products including the self branded Bourbon Lemonade (currently only available at this site), Bourbon Cream, and semi-rare limited bottle of aged single barrel bourbon. There are lots of Buffalo Trace branded merch throughout the huge gift store. These guys know what they're doing when marketing their name. Every employee I encountered was super polite and helpful. This distillery is a nice local and national treasure. I would love to return one day when in the Frankfort area.

I absolutely love this distillery! Friendly staff and fantastic bourbon selection at great prices…read more They do a Daily Drop of hard to find bourbons which is why people start lining up early in morning. They open at 9am and offer free tours as long as you reserve online. The gift shop is huge and some of the bourbons are limited to one or two per person. Since many of the bourbons are not available in my area,this is a must stop when in the Louisville area.

This was our first time visiting the new Turner Commons location and we were NOT disappointed! The…read morenew location was beautifully curated and had a cozy, but upscale vibe that we're used to seeing at OBC Kitchen. They even have cozy blankets available for their fireside, outdoor dining spots; a very cute and clever touch. The bar beautifully highlights their bourbon selection which is as expansive as you would expect being in the heart of The Bluegrass As expected, the cocktails were amazing! We tried a few of their seasonal selections, a classic cocktail, and a Four Roses Small Batch neat. All were fantastic! The gin cocktail "he who shall not be named" was well balanced, bright, and overall easy to drink-a crowd pleaser! The milk and sugar (classic cocktail) and the pumpkin espresso martini were coffee-forward, not too sweet options that made for a perfect "dessert" drink without feeling like you were drinking syrup. If you want a fun, new take on some classic cocktails- OBC is never the wrong choice! Now- the food! We had the Parker's Roll- they came out piping hot in a cute cast iron skillet, a cute nod to the KY Southern cooking that I grew up with. The rosemary had just enough presence to be different/modern but was not in your face, which was a bonus for me-but if you're hoping for super flavor forward rolls these may not be for you. Not pictured, my husband's caprese chicken- it was perfectly seared with just the right amount of crispness, the marinara and caprese salad on the side were the perfect amount of freshness and brightness to lighten up the dish. The short ribs and cheesy grits felt like home- a great dish for a rainy, fall night. No complaints here! We also split the hashbrown au gratin- it was yummy, the jalapeño was pepper first, heat second and had just the right amount of freshness and heat to make an otherwise "classic" dish just a little bit more special. SERVICE! While this is a new-to-us location, OBC is a well established, well executed restaurant and the service reflects their heritage. We were fortunate to be one of the tables that Rachel and Jake were working with tonight- Rachel was training but never missed a step and honestly, was a DELIGHT to spend the evening with. :) She was kind, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu. She was not "pushy" and gave us plenty of time to just enjoy each course of our meal without being interrupted with ordering the next step. Jake (her trainer) checked in every now and then for feedback on how Rachel was doing, he was always polite and helpful but honestly, not necessary because she was amazing! We also had a few members of the bar team and "runners" check in/deliver drinks and food throughout the meal- they were all polite, timely, kind, and willing to help even if it was outside of their typical "role". Price point: for us, the meal was a little more than we would pay for "just dinner" but for a rare, parents-only, night out it was perfectly reasonable. We will probably reserve this for an "occasion" or a showcase dinner when we have friends in town BUT it is perfect for that! Overall, a great time, with great people, and great food! We're excited to have them on the north side of town!

Dark and mysterious bourbon cellar vibe that serves up some killer food…read more Make a reservation for this loud and potentially dark, depending on where you're seated, foodie joint. Or maybe slip into the bar unannounced. Super friendly! As they've outgrown the Tates Creek location and are building out the new location, the website and Google conflicted on who's open and where. At the moment I'm here on TC. To make sure I knew where I was going, Grace called to confirm my reservation and the correct location. Bonus points! If you're reading this they've already moved to Turner Commons. Maybe the best fries I've ever had. Seriously! I love a fry. The thicker the better. These aren't steak fries but a healthy, house cut, seasoned to perfection. I could make a meal of of these with the dipping sides of smoked tomato ketchup (meh), lemon-garlic rosemary aioli (oh yeah), and a thai chili dipping sauce (B I N G O) $9 Cola-Braised Shirt Ribs were good. The greens with bacon, I mean, bacon, rocked better than other sides in the past. So there's a win. The scoop of grits were delicious and made for a perfect trifecta @ $33. Wanting something more refreshing yet still filling? I highly recommend the Heirloom Tomatoes/Watermelon/Burrata salad $22. You will think it's huge, and it is, but you'll clean your plate. Dessert? Well. That's bourbon, Son. OBC has an exceptional collection. Peruse options on the iPad to get hints of flavors, proofs, and costs. May I suggest the Stag Single Barrel? It's uncut, unfiltered, and a very limited batch from Buffalo Trace. It's a beauty and a beast. Being a date Collect your friends Join a party Does not matter OBC is where you should band give Akeem a shout out at the bar on the way to your table

Friday night = cocktails at my house. To my horror, I saw the empty bottle of bitters in my liquor…read morecabinet! I made the drive to Happy Hour Liquor to check it out and give an entrepreneur my business. Ondie was a great help. He asked which drink I was planning to make, and naturally I had my two-page list on hand. Together we searched the web to determine the best pick. We have something in common since we've both recently moved back to Lexington, and we agree that it rocks. Then he gave me a sneak peek of their future bourbon bar. I'm first in line when it opens! You'll find Ondie behind the bar. He made me promise to bring my list so we can concoct some libations. My new friend! Here's a tip: if you're looking for an alternative route to Nicholasville Road, take the Harrodsburg to Keene Road connection. Such a beautiful drive past a couple of horse farms.

The bourbon assortment is off the charts as is the service. Into single barrels but a little…read morehesitant to try a new one- free sample tastes of any single barrel they have in store, I've never seen that before Excellent experience and overly knowledgeable staff!

I recently went a couple of times within a week. Incredible bourbon selection. Jourdan, the…read morebartender really knows his bourbon. Patient friendly shared what he liked about a variety of bourbon. It's a great place to take out of town guess who wanted urban experience of going to the distilleries themselves, which is amazing. Located downtown and a great spot for Thursday night live. They have an outdoor area during Thursday night. Inside the bar doesn't pick up until much later and not my scene. I like to go early.

3.5 stars. Just a long room open to the street that on a warm Spring Saturday night, even past 10…read morepm will be interestingly dead, but with a collection of top bourbons that punch above this bar's weight. By 11:30 pm though the place suddenly is crushed, and among the college tribes stomping in are some lithe girls in half-shirts looking at their phones, amidst guys that either look preppy or like country raccoons. Good vibes. Good service that is efficient over being friendly - and why not.

So good! So good! The hot fried chicken with hot honey sauce was just fantastic! Every bit was…read moreflavorful and left me wanting more. The Mac and cheese was also delicious! I'd skip the slaw next time, not bad, but would try something else. The warm cookie to finish the night was epic! Baked fresh and did not disappoint. The only downside was when I realized I left my hat there the next morning Dinner was served very quickly! The waitress was friendly and attentive (I forget her name).

Merle's is one of those restaurants where I didn't expect much from it, but nevertheless, it…read moreexceeded my expectations. It's way better than it needs to be! It could just be mediocre pub food, but the food here is very, very good. I don't know why, but when I'm in the south, I get the hankering for a deviled egg. So we started with the deviled eggs (Los Huevos El Diablo), which, despite the name, were not super spicy. They had just the right amount of spice. One thing to know about me is: If I see a patty melt on the menu, I will order that. So I got the Merle's Melt, which is a burger patty with cheddar and Monterey jack cheese, plus bacon and special sauce on buttered toast. It was sublimely tasty! It comes with house-made chips, which were good. They also offer tacos on the menu. One of my children got one steak taco and one chicken taco. The tacos are topped with tomato, lettuce and cojita cheese. I was told that these were very good! My kid eats like a bird, but ate one and a half tacos, so that must say something, right? The Lip Smack'n Mac & Cheese was also ordered, as well as the fried chicken, because the menu says that the fried chicken is award-winning, so how could we not? The fried chicken was super crispy and tasty, and the mac and cheese was creamy and made with large shells, which is the best kind of pasta to use for mac and cheese (in my opinion). The service was great, the lighting was great, and we were seated quickly, even though they seemed busy. It was a good place to have a family dinner in Louisville.

Major thank you to Logan and the Team for making our Anniversary dinner AMAZING! The delicious food…read morewas like music in your mouth; grooving with Flavor. We can't wait to go back!

We received a gift certificate for Watch Hill Proper from our kids for our anniversary last month…read more It is located in Norton Commons and I had never heard of it. We made reservations and went last night. I often find the precursor to a restaurant experience is how you are greeted (or not greeted) when you walk in the front door. They provided an extravagant, warm welcome. We were seated and our server, Logan, was at our table promptly. He explained their drink menu. They do not serve beer, gin, or vodka, but do serve wine and a VAST number of whiskeys. Their specialty drinks are all made with whiskey of some sort. Loan explained all of this and we each ordered one of their speciality drinks that were well made. The menu is large enough to fufill most tastes but small enough to excel and they did excel. Every morsel of food was excellent and our service was, in a word, perfect. Even when leaving we were asked how our meal was and our departure was just as delightful as our welcome. This place is really outstanding.

I'm doing some business travel to Kentucky, and have been visiting some distilleries. Although not…read morebig and flashy, Glenn's Creek was one of the best experiences I've had (visited last weekend). The distillery is a functioning distillery, and not made up to look pretty, but the spirits they produce are outstanding (based on our limited tasting). They are doing some creative things with grain bills (oats?), but my favorite was Swheat, a really drinkable wheated bourbon. But the highlight of the experience was the owner, David Meier. He's sardonic, sarcastic, and irreverent, but funny as hell! He's also a wealth of information about the mechanics, chemistry, and history of distilling in Kentucky (this one is in the former Old Crow distillery). It was entertaining and informative to hear him talk as we sampled his wares. For an out-of-the-ordinary distillery experience, but one that is truly fun and educational, I would recommend Glenn's Creek highly.

Great place. Most imaginative bourbon and spirits selection of any place within 50 miles. Don't…read morecome here expecting the typical bourbon tasting experience like you would have at the big guys ( I.e. Woodford, Four Roses, Wild Turkey). David gives you the breadth of his knowledge of the industry and what he has learned over his many years of experimentation. This man is a true scientist of the industry and should be recognized as such. Don't overlook this place.