an absolute must-visit if you're in Bardstown. This place perfectly blends rich Kentucky history with a great dining experience. The atmosphere alone is worth the stop -- you can truly feel the history the moment you walk in, from the preserved architecture to the well-kept interior spaces that make the tavern feel both authentic and welcoming. The food is just as impressive. There's a delicious variety on the menu, with something for everyone, and the prices are very reasonable for the quality and portion sizes you get. Everything we tried was fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with care. One of the highlights is the famous Jesse James Room, which adds a unique historical touch to your visit. Knowing the stories tied to the tavern while you dine really makes the experience stand out from anywhere else. Between the great food, fair prices, friendly service, and the incredible history behind the building, Talbott Tavern delivers on every level. Highly recommend for both locals and visitors looking for a true Bardstown experience! read more

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Husband found The Old Talbott Tavern when he was planning on our trip. He likes to try popular restaurants in the area we are passing through as we travel. This restaurant says established in 1779- wow! When you walk in, you are initially greeted with warm southern hospitality. There's a gift shop as you enter and you will find really cool stuff to look at. We were greeted by our sweet server who answered a lot of our questions to get a feel of the long history of this place. The structure was well preserved with some upgrades due to a fire years ago. Wonderful place! Our order- Kentucky burgoo and Kentucky brown. The server had me try the soup first which was so sweet of her. Husband ended up having the burgoo and we shared the Kentucky brown. The soup was very rich in flavor and I enjoyed a few spoons with crackers- very good! The Kentucky brown is a must-have dish from this place. The serving is good for two people. It is very savory and so comforting especially if you come hungry. We love the foods, hospitality, and the ambiance of this restaurant. If I remember it right, our server's name is Christine and she was originally from California and we had a sweet conversation. What a sweet lady! read more

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We sat at a high table and were ignored for 30 minutes. We moved to the bar where we were ignored still. We flagged down the girl in front of us, ignoring us, and asked if we could order 2 drinks off the menu. She acted put out by serving us. We told her about our experience of being ignored. She didn't care or apologize. I have heard from others that get the same lack of service. There are too many other options to put up with this piss poor lack of customer service. Do yourself a favor and skip this place! read more

Stopped for a wet and rainy lunch on my way out of town. This place was on my list so I was excited to be able to work it in. I had seen the soup and so had to try. The soup was delicious. Very hardy and filled. Excellent on a cold rainy day. The salad was very delicious also and I loved the house made dressing. I was greater upon entry. Due t the holiday season was asked what group I was with and then promptly seated in a front dining room with a great waitress. Very knowledgeable and super friendly. The place is an old historic working inn. Super neat and all the history was amazing. Definitely a place I want to return for non-work trip. read more

The Old Talbott Tavern - Winter Apple Salad - Bars Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

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The oldest Bourbon bar in the country! Great food and drinks. They even have Burgoo soup, hot brown, and chess pie! Fantastic! read more

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This place was such a good experience!! The Old Talbott Tavern is rich in history and offers a self guided tour. The service was excellent and our server was very friendly. The prices were very reasonable too. I highly recommend the cornbread!!! OMGoosh I could have eaten the whole basket! The Hot Brown was good although the Walnut crusted chicken that my friend ordered was way better. We ended the meal with bread pudding which was pretty good. Loved this place! read more

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The food was good nothing spectacular but the service was excellent. Make sure to make reservations especially on a Friday night. Visit the upstairs for the museum it's not huge but it's history is cool. read more

Stopped in here to check it out after several of the tour guides at the distileries mentioned it. Food was awesome, service was great even being understaffed that day, menu had plenty of options. Great place to eat with some awesome histoy. Be sure to check out the Jesse James Room upstairs read more

I read a news/travel article about the "oldest restaurants" in each state and found that the Old Talbott Tavern was not a afar drive from our home. Historically speaking this place is a real gem that is well-maintained after all these years. (5 stars) Service was courteous and for the most part & prompt. (4 stars) But we had to wait for the check. Food - both at dinner and breakfast (albeit complementary with our room next door at the Talbott Inn) was somewhat of a disappointment. (Granted, there are a lot of delicious-sounding items on the menus....so a second or third visit would be warranted for a more complete review.) My "Hot Brown," (an open-faced sandwich of turkey breast and ham covered in Mornay sauce, baked or broiled (yes) and topped with a slice of tomato and two slices of very crispy bacon)...came swimming in a bowlful of the sauce. (see my photo) The underlying toast (or in some cases served with toast points) was nothing more than an indiscernible slab of soggy white bread. Flavor - meh. My partner's salmon was very good; sides fine. Breakfast - limited selections, but fair - was just average...Oh, but they ran out of coffee (45 minutes before closing service - so I got none to start the day. Uh-uh. Sadly, while the historic atmosphere and ambiance was absolutely wonderful, the food just didn't live up to our expectations this time. read more

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Joe was a great member of the staff and we enjoyed chatting with him as we enjoyed our drinks and the live music. read more

The Old Talbott Tavern - Cocktails and beer - Bars Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

We stopped here for lunch on our way south and were glad we did. This historic 18th century building has been providing hospitality for many years and continues to do so today. We tried the traditional Hot Brown and a Rachel and both were top notch. Portions were more than generous and prices were reasonable. Service was good and parking is free outside on the street or in their small lot beside the building. Our only negative comment was the background music. They were playing 60's rock and it might have been appropriate for the customers who were mostly retired folks but it just didn't fit with the historical significance of the place but that was a minor annoyance. Over it's 5 stars in my book and highly recommended. Bardstown has a lot of other small, good restaurants but if you have to choose only one, this should be your choice IMHO. read more

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We had the wraps and they were delicious. The chips are fabulous! Wish they were available by the bag! Large enough to share but we didn't... had as leftovers. Enjoyed the bourbontini - great flavor. Our server was friendly and engaging with us. Sitting in this old room had a great feel of the past. Take the self guided tour - lots of history! read more

The ambiance is absolutely gorgeous! We went Jan 1st to celebrate our first Anniversary and went for the "known" items as food choices. Had the Burgoo Stew, Kentucky Hot Brown & the Talbots Tavern Pie. The service was good and friendly. The stew was a tad spicy for me but tasted amazing. The Kentucky Hot Brown was ok but was my first one so not sure what to compare to. The pie was 20/20 amazing! The cocktail we had was Southern Tea and was amazing also! read more

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Really enjoyed our first experience. The bldg is really cool with lots of history. Food was excellent. We had the Catfish, Burger and Walnut Chicken. All were fantastic. Walnut Chicken was incredible. Service was excellent too...Kennedy was our server and she was great. read more

I came here with 4 others. They all got burgers (1 medium, 3 medium rare) and I got the spaghetti squash special & a cup of burgoo since I hardly ever see spaghetti squash on a menu & I've never heard of burgoo. All the burger ordering peeps were like "Whoa! I usually order one level lower cuz places usually overdo it a bit, but this place nailed it!" Both of my food items were also really impressive! Definitely 5 stars even though the service was a bit slow for a Monday. read more

Timing was great, we have been doing out "lupper " on this trip. Late lunch early supper. Stopped in around 3pm and searing was immediate. Lots of reasonably priced specialty drinks. Food was fast and wonderful on lunch menu. Catfish sandwich and bbq pork. Lots of bourbon choices Highly try read more

Great atmosphere. Great food. The cornbread was the best I've had in my entire life. read more

Best small town feeling and so welcoming. They make you feel like your family and take good care of you. A must stop when in area read more

The Old Talbott Tavern - Lunch menu - Bars Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

There were 15 of us seated for a 5 PM Thursday dinner reservation. Reservations were made a month in advance and were able to be made via the Open Table system or calling the venue directly. The restaurant has a terrific website, which was helpful for several of us to review prior to our visit to preplan and accommodate dietary restrictions. Our party ended up being seated at 3 separate tables due to restaurant staff deciding we might not want to be seated together. We were pressed for time, so we decided to let this go; however, it was disappointing that our reservation request was not honored. Our waitress was polite and kind, but she seemed a bit overwhelmed by the size of our group, which ended up being 2 tables of 4 and 1 table of 7. The restaurant has a very high noise level, so it is difficult to have conversation in a typical range without feeling like it is yelling. I ordered a bottle of wine for the table, which finally arrived almost 1/2 an hour later. I ordered a hot brown for my main course, which was okay. It had 1 slice of bacon, which we all commented was skimpy. We're used to having an original hot brown at The Brown Hotel in Louisville, so this would be considered a nice attempt and average. I ordered a piece of chess pie for dessert, which was also very skimpy and for a steep price of $5.99 for some butter, sugar, and eggs. Our visit here was painfully slow at times and stretched over 2 to 2-1/2 hours, so I would recommend getting here early and using your patience if you need to be somewhere after dinner. We had to rush to make it to our next tour stop and missed out on some activities as a result of the slow pace. Parking is a bit of a challenge, so we parked 1/2 a block away and walked over the rough sidewalks -- do NOT wear heels, as you will ruin them. read more

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If you want a great Kentucky tradition. You will find descent representations of hot browns and thick club sandwich and all the bourbon you could ever hope for! This informally bar setting lends towards a comfortable experience with a friendly staff in the heart of bourbon alley. Plus the historical vibes are authentic. read more

The Old Talbott Tavern - Kentucky Hot Brown - Bars Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

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Cool ambiance and we've eaten here before. The Burgoo is good-could use more meat. Ordered the harvest salad-informed pretty late in the game that the maple Dijon vinaigrette was out. Was planning to sub Raspberry vinaigrette instead. Salad came with NO bacon or candied walnuts. Notified the waitress who after some time brought me a bowl of bacon and a bowl of PLAIN walnuts. Sent it back and told them to take it off the menu if they can't serve it as described. Bread pudding is legit. Catfish sandwich is worth a trip back. read more

The Old Talbott Tavern - Bread pudding - Bars Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

A historic, classic old-school bourbon bar. Friendly staff, great atmosphere, HUGE bourbon selection, decent selection of drafts on tap. Good food, good appetizers. A must stop in Bardstown. read more

WONDERFUL! We were just going to have a drink and eat somewhere else, but ended up eating there. Sat at bar and the bartenders were WONDERFUL explaining and answering our questions about bourbon. You owe it to yourself to visit. Walk thru the Hotel and see the famous rooms. Jesse James and Abe Lincoln. It was an Old Stagecoach stop. The Oldest Bar in KY. And great customer service and staff. I left my credit card in gift shop and they mailed to me. read more

The wait for the food appears to be the longest that we've ever had to wait. The ambience is really nice, But it has taken way too long to get our food. When we finally received our dinner 1 hour and 14 minutes later, the Shepards pot pie and pulled pork dinner was nothing to brag about. I do not recommend this place. Go to Mammy's instead!!! read more

The Old Talbott Tavern - Sheppard's pot pie - Bars Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

We actually had no intention of eating here, we stopped to see the Remington revolver once owned by the notorious outlaw Jesse James is on display here. The Old Talbot Tavern in Bardstown, Kentucky, founded in 1779, the Old Talbot Tavern is one of the oldest continuously operating taverns in the U.S. The historic setting of the tavern allows visitors to view historic items. So we decided to try the food while we were there. We starred of with some appetizers, Tavern Beer cheese and some of the Bourbon BBQ meatballs. These are made in house with their own bourbon bbq sauces. The beer cheese is made with Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. It gives it a unique flavor that has to be enjoyed to really appreciate it. My wife had the Abe's County Fried Steak which is toped with pepper mill gravy, and they did not go light on the pepper. She had green beans with mashed potato's and brown gravy as sides. I had the Jesse James Ribeye with a side of Bacon Marmalade and Baked potato and Cole slaw as my sides. Everything was great and was piping hot. For Dessert I had the Talbots Tavern Pie, which is a Choclate and walnut open faced pie with a pastry crust topped with whip cream. My wife selected the Chess pie, which is more sweet and custard and also is served with whip cream. Both are not recommended as they will send you blood sugar their the roof. One item I had wished I had tried was the Burgoo but was already full by the time I noticed is on the menu. The Burgoo festival in near by Lawrenceburg is an annual event that any connoisseur of Burgoo should defiantly attend. The service at this tavern is nothing short of exceptional. The staff's attentiveness, warmth, and genuine care for every guest create an inviting atmosphere that's unmatched. Every detail, from the quick service to the thoughtful recommendations, speaks volumes about owners commitment to excellence. I highly recommend. read more

The Old Talbott Tavern - Jesse James Revolver is on display here, a great piece of history from the Wild West. - Bars Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

food for the lunch wasn't that good today? I did enjoy the building and the server was very good. read more

The Old Talbott Tavern - Map of area - Bars Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

Our group of seven stopped in for dinner on 11/28/25. We were seated at a table at the front of the restaurant where there was a very cold draft coming through the door/window so we asked to be moved to a table near the fireplace. Our server said she would check with management and returned to tell us that they refused to let us move because they had "already set those tables up for the next day", so we remained bundled up and uncomfortably cold for our meal. Also - after ordering - our server then returned to tell us that they were out of two of the items we had ordered, which was quite disappointing. It's a shame because the atmosphere of the place was good and the food was decent but we won't be back just because of their unhelpful attitude toward us. read more

Very disappointed, ambiance was great but food was not. had the shrimp & grits, grits were like paste, dry and clumpy. service was average- our first time to Bardstown and was hoping for a better experience. don't think we will be back. read more

The Bar was really fun with live music and a great vibe. The food at the tavern was good and not memorable. The fried green tomatoes were greasy, chicken and beans were fair. Atmosphere was expected. Michelle, our server really did an amazing job and was welcoming, and made our experience enjoyable. Pro-tip. Eat in the bar notthe restaurant. Must see read more

The Old Talbott Tavern - Bars Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

Had dinner Friday night. We had the fried catfish and it was as good as I've ever had. Our drinks never ran dry as our server was on point with refills all evening and to top off the evening the desert cobler was insanely great!!! The building is really cool and there's a self guided tour of the grounds. read more

We've all been there. New to a town and wanting to experience a local restaurant. We go on Yelp and check out the choices and reviews and decide where to have dinner. We chose The Old Talbott Tavern based on good reviews. What a disappointment. I am writing this review to steer anyone looking for a nice dinner experience towards someplace else. Details? The fries were stale. The salmon portions were the smallest I have ever received in a restaurant. The service was very slow. I finally had to go get someone to please bring us our check. And worst of all . . . My husband said the men's room reeked of urine. Like I said, what a disappointment. read more

Ambiance - fair Staff - so so Food - ehhh Bang for your buck - nahhh Best thing was to go upstairs to see the different rooms / info read more

Very cool old atmosphere here. Strong beverages and great food. We had the Hot Brown, it was so good. The location is perfect, right downtown off circle. Parking on street or very small lot. This would be a great place to have a ghost tour due to its history! We stayed next door so it was very convenient! read more

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The tavern is housed in a historic tavern - one of the first stage coach stops in what was then the western US. The original tavern and building date to 1779. We were here at lunch time. Service was exccellent and our meals were also excellent. I had the club sandwich with Kentucky Burgoo. Both were excellent, especially the burgoo. My wife had the BBQ pulled pork sandwick with grilled aspargus. Again, both were excellent. I actually got a taste of both her pulled pork and 1 aspargus spear. There are several dining rooms - one in the oldest, most historic part and others in parts not quite as old. There is also a very cozy looking bar at the one end of the building. The tavern still has 6 rooms available for rent on the 2nd floor. A number of famous folks have rested their heads here and some of the upstairs rooms pay homage to famous guests (there is the Jesse James Room, the Lincoln Room, the General's Room - named after Gen George Rodger's Clark and Gen George Patton). The interior has been well preserved and you can see how thick the walls of the building really are by looking at the doors and windows. The architecture incorporates Flemish Bond stonework and you can see the detail in the stonework. Excellent lunch, excellent service in a charming and historic building dating to 1779. read more

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A very unique and historical place with lots of history. I'm staying in the Jesse James room and they have an actual gun that belong to Jesse James and there's a bullet in the ceiling from when Jesse James stayed here. The food is definitely worth trying and a large menu. read more

The Old Talbott Tavern - Oldest bourbon bar in the world - Bars Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

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Reservation for seven people on Friday night at 8:15. I had eaten there once before, but the others were 1st time customers. Given a table by a cold, drafty large window (30 degrees outside) in a dining room that only had 1 other table of 2 people. Two fires were going in two different fireplaces in this room. Asked to move a couple of tables together by a fireplace where it would be warmer and was told no. Why you might ask? The waitress said because the tables were already set for lunch the next day. Meaning they had rolls of silverware on the table. No tablecloths, fine china, wine glasses. Just set with some rolls of silverware. What? It seemed like she just didn't wanna take the trouble to move tables and chairs. Very disappointed in the waitress. Very tempted not to tip, but did it anyway. Of course we should have either left or asked for the manager at this point , but we didn't want to make a fuss, which we should have. We ended up staying because most restaurants around close about 9, so we sort of felt like we didn't have much of a choice. 10-15 minutes after we ordered, the waitress came to tell us they were out of pot roast and veggie burgers, so 2 in our party had to re-order. Dinner was good overall. Banana peppers and Burgoo were delicious. I was a waitress for years. You don't treat customers this way when they ask for a different table because they are cold in a not crowded restaurant. * spoke to BOGIE, who's the restaurant manager, today. He apologized and said he would talk to the staff so something like this wouldn't happen in the future. He also said to ask for him if we come in again so he can make it a good dining experience. read more

Our server was very informative. Making sure we did not miss the Jessie James room upstairs. I had the walnut chicken, nice and crispy. Love the history so glad we came here. Prices were great. read more

We didn't have a reservation but the hostess got us in after a short wait in the bar. The drinks in the bar was awesome. good bourbon selection. The food in the restaurant was real good. old school tavern vibe inside. service was fast and with a smile. We had a good time here. read more

We had dinner here because it was close to the motel. There was a wait for the dining room, so we went into the bar area and there were 2 available seats at the bar. We had drinks, and dinner. I had the salmon entree, and it was pretty good. The guy next to me gave us useful info on an upcoming festival. Friendly people including the bartenders. read more

The Old Talbott Tavern - Alexander Walters Salmon with 2 sides - green beans & mashed potatoes - Bars Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

So much history here. The oldest bourbon bar in the country. The oldest restaurant in Kentucky. And Abraham Lincoln & Jesse James spent a night at the Old Talbott Inn. Not a history buff? Ok. Let's talk food. We started with an order of fried banana peppers. We liked it so much we ordered another serving. Crispy, not oily and an ample serving. My son in law went with the chicken fried steak. Loved it. Smothered in gravy with a side of mashed potatoes and rice & beans. My daughter in law chose walnut encrusted chicken with sides of mashed potatoes and collard green. The grandson went with chicken fingers. Probably the largest order of a kids meal I've ever seen. True to form, he picked at the chicken (a little rubbery) and devoured the fries. One if us had to be "responsible, so I ordered a wedge salad with an add on of blackened shrimp. I didn't see much blackening, but the salad also came with hard boiled egg & tomato. Blue cheese dressing with a splash of sweet balsamic vinaigrette. Delicious. My wife, alas, went with a hot brown. For some reason, Kentuckians are really proud of this "sandwich". We thought it was horrible. The béchamel sauce is just not for us. I suspect the hot brown was fine for most folks, but we'd prefer a good old turkey club. And a sandwich that doesn't swim in "soup". Still, the environment is fabulous. The service excellent. And pricing quite reasonable. I do wish they had fried chicken on the dinner menu. If I had asked, they would probably accommodated. The Talbott Tavern is certainly worth a visit if you're in the neighborhood. Just skip the hot brown, unless you're a local. read more

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