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

See all

Great place to eat outside. The food was a step above the average tavern fair, and the drinks were exceptional. We were only traveling through, but if, like us, you are, it's a great place to pop in for a bite. read more

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

Good food, slightly high prices, great service, and almost a museum upstairs. After being warmly greeted, we were quickly seated. Although the dining area was fancy, myself and everyone else was dressed fairly casual. We tried and shared our dishes, so I got to sample quite a bit. My absolute favorite was the Kentucky Burgoo stew/soup. It had a rich flavor with a slight spice kick, mixed with some combination of pork, beef, and who knows what else. It was amazing and I could have eaten a truckload - I actually wish I just ordered a bowl as a meal instead of just the cup. My main dish was walnut crusted chicken, but I tried the Daniel Boone pot roast, and Kentucky hot brown as well. Of the three, the pot roast had the best flavor, rich, and full of meat and big fixins - very filling. My second favorite of the main dishes was the walnut crusted chicken which was cooked perfectly, still juicy and full of flavor. I wouldn't order the chicken again however, as it had a bit much of a bourbon flavor for my personal taste, but most would enjoy it. The Kentucky hot brown is better than most that I've tried, but it was a little on the bland side and could use more spices, but the bacon did it a huge service and made it a good dish overall. I also enjoyed the collard greens, not watery, still tender. The dishes were about $20 each, average portion size, but I'd consider it a good value considering the atmosphere, service, and sights upstairs. Upstairs held several rooms including bullet holes from Jesse James as well as his gun, and several rooms famous stayed in including Abe Lincoln and General George Patton in addition to others. The balcony was peaceful as well, overlooking Bardstown. A staple in Kentucky and certainly Bardstown, this place is a must see read more

Very lovely historical place. Food was surprisingly good. I never had "Kentucky Burgoo" before and I didn't know what to expect but it turned out pretty good. It's like stew-chili crossover. The pot roast was full of flavors, the meat was tender, and the vegetables were not too overcooked. We also love their wedge salad. The vinaigrette dressing was perfect with the blue cheese. The service on the restaurant side was amazing. Our wait staff also showed us the tour app for the exhibits upstairs. A lot of fun facts about Bardstown. The service and drinks at the bar side were meh. Overall, the must stop for Bardstown. read more

See all

This place was so good. Not only a great bourbon bar, apparently the oldest one in the world country, a great restaurant with delicious food but some really cool history like Jesse James slept there! We had a bit of a wait but not too bad. Sat in the bourbon bar and some cocktails and a bourbon flight. Very nice. Once our table was ready, we looked over the menu. So many great choices. We started with some Fried green tomatoes were the best we have ever had. So flavorful. For my main I got the Country fried steak. Amazing. Loved the flavors and the portion size. Such a cool spot and so worth the wait. read more

See all

We met my SIL and family for lunch as we were traveling through the area. Quaint town and tavern. We made Sunday afternoon reservations. We really would have been fine without reservations. I had the fish and chips. It comes on a hoagie roll...no need for that. The fish was a large portion. My husband got the Hot Brown. He was a little disappointed. He's a bit of a Hot Brown snob. Food was delivered quickly. We tried the fried green tomatoes. They were tasty. The peach cobbler was good too but a bit skimpy on the peaches. I would definitely go back. read more

Waited over an hour to get a table for 3. Food was cold when it got to the table. Servings were not enough. Shoulda went to Mammy's across the street. read more

Sat at the bar, had one beer, my glass sat empty until we received and finished our food, the bartender made busy the while time. Took forever to get our hot brown, the bartender never even asked if the food was good. When we finally had enough and were ready to leave, she asked if we another round of drinks. Really wanted to try the want read more

The manager/owner reached out to me which I appreciate. Would definitely try again in the future just because of the ambiance and location. read more

See all

Love the bourbon bar! I walked in and was enthralled! It's known as the oldest bourbon bar in the world, which intrigued me and I felt drawn to go. The bar area was busy and there was live music ... it was nice to have a drink while we waited. The bartender was awesome and got us some good food in 5 minutes (vs the 35 minutes she quoted. ) The mule was the best and we also enjoyed a cocktail with strawberries (it was delicious!) As for food, Kentucky burgoo was the best I've ever had... the broth was very flavorful... various veggies like carrots, corn, celery. I can't recommend the other food much because it was not hot, and that affects our view of the meal. Come here for history and have a drink while enjoying the atmosphere. My main issue with my visit: I called them earlier in the day to see about reservations for Saturday night. They said there was no need for that. The couple in front of us walked in and were immediately seated so I was surprised that, when I said we need a table for two, they said it would be a long wait and did not seat us. It took a moment to figure out that the person i talked to on the phone did not say, "We Don't Take Same Day Reservations. " Because it was very embarrassing when I was told it would be a 2 hour wait... i was visibly upset that this critical piece of information was not shared initially, and we were very hungry. read more

The Old Talbott Tavern - Bourbon bar ... lots of bourbon and more. - Bars Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

This historic tavern (according to some the first tavern established) is fun to visit. We ate lunch there, delicious food with attentive wait service. Try the Kentucky Burgoo, a tomato-based stew with vegetables and meat. The vegetables were crisp and the meat tender--not completely authentic because they use chicken and beef instead of wild game, but I probably wouldn't have liked the wild game anyway. We ate in the dining room but, if you don't want to eat, you can always have a drink (bourbon, of course) on the bar side of the tavern. read more

Good local food, oldest tavern in Kentucky, and a historic place to stay. Take the virtual tour and enjoy the history of a hotel that Jesse James and Abraham Lincoln both stayed. The bartenders are extremely knowledgeable with the assortment of bourbons that they have on hand. read more

The Old Talbott Tavern - Main dining room - Bars Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

The food was the delicious, the historical atmosphere makes the experience enjoyable, and the service was great. My country fried steak was one of the best I've had. My wife really enjoyed her pot roast. read more

I wanted to eat here for literally years and finally made it happen. The ambience is good, the service is amazing and the history is cool. The fried green tomato appetizer was delicious. I got a Rachel sandwich which was not great. Maybe I just chose poorly. By the time I finished as much of it as I could eat I wasn't in the mood to explore the building and indulge my history nerd. If you go definitely get the FGT and the staff will take good care of you, just don't get the Rachel. read more

Food, worst French fries ever, stale old just bad Two orders of the salmon both about the size of half dollar bill. Took for ever to get waited on. Ditto on the bill! read more

Andrew Jackson, Henry Harrison, General George Rodgers Clark, and King Louis Phillippe stayed here. Interesting appetizers are served. I had the fried green tomatoes with a ranch drizzle. I had to ask for more ranch to dip. A little thick crust and would be so much better if they served it with a jalapeno jelly. But still not bad. The rolls are delicious and my daughter enjoyed her salad. There are only two other tables and it is 4:30 on June 2. But I noticed the bar was full. I wish we had time to try the the meals. Servers were friendly. One in training did well. Can you imagine that you are standing in a building built in 1779. So cool. read more

See all

After a bad experience last year, we gave it another shot this year and the difference was quite notable. Apparently under new management. We again brought a large group and the restaurant was busy, so we were worried. But, we were served surprisingly quickly, kindly, and the food was good. Updating review because we will continue to return here each year! read more

See all

Where to start....where to start. Well, I don't like to leave bad reviews. Essentially, it can be very detrimental to a business. In my book, a one time screw up can be acceptable. Twice? No. You have seen the "thin skinned" reviewers on here. This is not one of them. Read On!!!! After moving to Kentucky, one of the "bucket list" things that all of our guests "must" do is see Bardstown. Included on that list was the Old Talbott Tavern. What is not to like? The town is charming. The people are friendly. Prices at the Tavern are reasonable. And where else can you eat in an establishment that was founded in the 1700s? Even if the food stinks.....hey....you were there. You can say you did it. You ate at one of the oldest places in America! But can you? About a month ago, I took some guests there and was told that it would be a 1/2 hour wait. No big deal. After 1.5 hours, we were finally called. But hey.....like I said......you were there. They whiffed on this one, but ok.....better luck next time. Well, June 23 (Wednesday) I showed up with a different group. It was 5pm. The tavern opens at 11, so it was not like we showed up the second they were open. What was surprising was that we got a parking space right up front near the front of the restaurant. Imagine our luck! That never happens. The place must be dead. For those of you who have been to Bardstown.....parking is a real challenge. Not today! Our Lucky Day. We walk in.....and there is a hostess.....nobody was eating in the dining room.....there were a few locals in the bar section. The place was completely empty. I said "5 please". The hostess said...."That will be one hour." I laughed....... She was serious. I replied....."You have nobody in the Tavern. It is completely empty." "Yes....we have a large party coming in at some time". I said.....the party did not book the entire restaurant and close you down, did they? "No" she said. ok..... But we are here now. It is not like we are a super large group. You have a million seats in there.....you can't seat us? Nope. We turned around....and left.....never to come back again. And at that.......they lost a client that has been coming repeatedly to the tavern. The utter absurdity to walk into a restaurant, that is open and completely empty....and refuse to be seated in lieu of someone else that may or may not show up is the most preposterous thing I have seen in 20 years. I would humbly suggest that if all the people who voted 1 star on here got together and made telephone reservation after telephone reservation, with no intention of coming, the Tavern would go under in a month. Apparently, it is their policy to throw away good clients for "ghosts". read more

We went there for dinner. We started with fried banana peppers. They were tasty. I enjoyed my shepherds pie and peach bourbon drink. My husband had the catfish with a side salad & fries. He said it was a good meal but nothing exceptional. Our hostess seemed confused but friendly. Our waitress was new but very friendly and talkative. She hustled. We would have preferred to have the salad come out first. The tavern was a neat old building but loud. Nice enough dinner overall read more

This is really hard to rate, because I love the idea of this place, but the actual experience wasn't the greatest. Because of the character and that some of the issues could be attributed to a holiday weekend and being short staffed, I bumped them up to a 3, but the actual visit was probably closer to a 2. We stopped here after a long day on the bourbon trail. Our first choice was too far, our second was closed, so this was our third choice. We got there at 5:15, but weren't seated until nearly six. There were empty tables, but not the staff to serve them. While waiting, I checked out the gift shop and the second floor, which had a lot of old objects in it - like a mini museum to the place, so that gave it a lot of character. When we sat down, we got our orders in fairly quickly, but that's where things started to fall apart. Now, the first thing to come out were the biscuits, listed on the menu as bread. Those were warm and fresh and quite good. But the other appetizer, the stuffed mushrooms came out several minutes later, and according to the person who ordered them, tasted like they had been sitting for awhile. The other disappointing thing before the entrees is that we had to ask about the drink I ordered about 15 minutes after I originally ordered it. Once I got it, it was very good, but that was another issue with the night. Once we received our entrees, it was clear in which order they had been cooked. My sister had the cheese fries ("stagecoach") and they tasted like they'd been sitting under a light for way too long. She ate some of them, but to me, they were hardly food at this point. My dish, the bourbon walnut chicken was fine, but that's about it. It had obviously been sitting a bit, though not as long as the fries, and it was just a bit boring. It was closer to the quality of chicken you would get in chicken sandwich at a diner. They probably need to change the description of that item so people have the right expectations. The other dish that a couple of people got at the table, the item that had been cooked last, was the hot brown. They both seemed to enjoy that dish. Once we were finished eating and it was time for the bill, which we split, there was an error. It was just a soda put on the wrong ticket, so we didn't bother waiting for a correction. Minor annoyance, but it added to the laundry list of problems. Before we left, a few of us stopped at the women's restroom, which wasn't as clean as it should have been, with an open toilet roll dispenser and stray paper towels. Just like the food, wait, and mistakes, I'm hoping that once they can find staff and get them trained, that they'll be able to avoid all these issues. But until they do, I would suggest just stopping by the bar and skipping the food. read more

See all

The food wzs amazing. My husbsnd ordee the barbeque burger. I had the burgoue. It had a little kick and was quite tasty.

Sadly ran out of what we wanted to order. However the walnut crusted chicken ended up being amazing with the perfect crunch. 2/3 soups in the flight were also great. Drinks are very strong and there is cool history in the building. Server was kind. read more

See all

Ate here with friends and the place was busy. The initial impression was that the bartender was rude, but she was merely stressed. We found a table and ordered the food. Our waitress was very engaged and took great care of us. The food was excellent. We had fried catfish and the pot roast. I recommend giving this place a try. read more

Maybe cool for the fact that it's the oldest bourbon bar, we walked in and looked around. I sat down at the bar and was planning to order a drink. Wasn't acknowledged and even for like 5 minutes nothing. I walked out. The bar tender was acting as if it was his first day. However that's no excuse for none service read more

Great bourbon selection if over-priced. The food sucked and my chicken-fried "steak" (hamburger steak) was raw...see photo. Cool historical place, but basically a bar. Don't bother if you're hungry! read more

The Old Talbott Tavern - Chicken-fried steak (hamburger steak) - Bars Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

We could not have asked for a better evening out than we had tonight. A great meal at a reasonable price, a nice wine, beer and bourbon selection in a very historic atmosphere. The service by Danielle could not have been better as she was so very pleasant and very attentive. And the hostess Heavenly changed our table with no problems and was so aware of what was going on throughout the night. Do not miss out on this dining experience in Bardstown!!! Kj & K Mohney read more

$24 for a buffalo trace old fashioned. I'll leave that and the 1 star review right here.

The food was definitely not worth the cost!! Our server was nice, but the food was just terrible. The green beans were obviously from a can (a huge faux pas), the broccoli was drier than a charcoal briquette, and the collard greens were dry and unseasoned...just completely underwhelming all around. We were told the fries were seasoned, but they were clearly battered (Why?!). The pork ribeye was flabby. The fat on it was not rendered properly (or at all) making it chewier than a molasses cookie left in the garage for a few years. Even the mango in the salsa was strange and not prepared correctly. The cocktails tasted as if a beagle made them...minus the fur, of course. Their gluten free menu made no sense, was inaccurate, and did not have a lot of options. I'd seriously consider other options, if I were you. The old building and architecture was cool though, if you're into that sort of thing. read more

3 stars cuz the place is really cool. Great drinks. Food was okay. We ordered ( cuz I wanted to try some food from the area) Fried Green Tomatoes. Very good. Burgoo. A stew which had the taste and smell of minestrone...it had cabbage, carrots and ground pork and beans. It was very good The Hot Brown. Originated in Louisville at the Browne Hotel. It's toast points with turkey and ham smothered in cheese and topped with bacon and a slice and of tomato. It was good. Fried chicken. A bit overdone and not much flavor The pot roast was tender and very good The pork loin. Meh The chess pie was good The derby pie was delicious The building is very cool with a cool history and lots of stories. You can go upstairs to the Inn section which is claimed to be haunted. Don't know by who but I will investigate! Jesse James was a regular when it was a stage stop and his room still has the bullet holes in the wall when he shot up the place. Abraham Lincolns parents stayed there for a couple months during a land dispute. There's a cute gift shop and ITS THE OLDEST BOURBON BAR in THE WORLD. They also have a specialty bourbon made just for them that you can only get there. There was a verrrry long wait for service and to get our food. 45 mins for apps and by the time dinner came we were there 3 hours. But we were done travelling for the day and weren't starving. Stillllll the wait was extreme and the restaurant had 4 tables and the bar half full and the bar tables 4 were seated. That should not have warranted that slow of service. 2 of our meals came out 2 came out after we had finished the first two. One of the apps came with the dinner. Management needs to see what's going on back of house and address it. read more

See all

Couldn't get reservations for dinner so we went for lunch. We Had bourbon flight & caramel old fashioned. Food was excellent & our server was lots of fun. We definitely book dinner reservations earlier next time we're in town . read more

Amazing drinks and desert. We had such a fun evening here with live music on Saturday night. So cool that this is the oldest bourbon bar. read more

See all

We were in Bardstown only two nights and stayed at the old Talbot inn and wanted to try the restaurant as well. If you stay at the hotel, the restaurant is the same area they serve breakfast each morning which was very good. Dinner had some unique options which we enjoyed. I had the fried chicken breast which was excellent. Definitely worth a visit, make reservations if you can. read more

The Old Talbott Tavern - Fried chicken breast - Bars Near Me - Bardstown, Kentucky

See all

Download the app and walk around to look at the history. It will make you appreciate the history of the tavern. Four adults for lunch and were put in the very back room near kitchen although there were tables not as far back. Myself and another got the soup trio that was served temp wise warm not hot. The soup of day was curry cauliflower- nope- disappointed. Other 2 soups okay. The corn muffins were warm and very tasty. Other guest had chicken fried steak which he enjoyed and other guest had the Rachel sandwich that he enjoyed as well. Waitress was very fast and friendly. Parking was pretty easy and the location was nice to see a bit of old Bardstown. read more

Great music, friendly service, fun atmosphere and amazing appetizers. You need to make reservations if you wish to dine here. We did not, so we ended up on the bar side and had an amazing time. read more

I cannot express how amazing this place is. The food is great. The service is impeccable. This history is unmatched. If you're ever close to bardstown this place is a must! read more

Really cool spot paying homage to the bourbon culture. The food is so yummy! I tried the burgoo, fried banana peppers and pickles. Yummy cocktails. Everything tasted flavorful and the waiters were great. While waiting for food. I was able to go see the room Abd Lincoln once stayed at. Also saw a room where Jesse James stayed with actual bullet holes! Enjoy! read more

See all

4/12/23 Today was our second attempt to get a late lunch here. We left yesterday when at 2:15PM we were advised it would be at least 30 minutes to be seated. The bar doesn't serve food so we left as we needed food. We returned a little earlier today, about 1:30PM, so not quite as starved and ready to know we were likely to have to wait a bit and were told it could be 40 minutes but possibly only 30. It was warm outside so we were ready to sit rather than walk around the area. We had hoped to get a drink in the Old Talbott Tavern itself, but for an unexplained reason, it was closed. Perhaps a staffing issue. We were called for our table in 30 min. Crystal was our server. Obviously quite an experienced and excellent one! We had a question about the drink menu but were ready to order quickly. The menu is small but has some excellent choices. My husband ordered the Bad Ass draft. I ordered a Side Car. Both were great. We also both ordered the BLT which had ham, turkey, lettuce and topped with a slice of fried green tomato. Surprisingly we also chose the home made chips. I did ask for a box for the half BLT I didn't have enough room to eat. It's going to make a great snack later. read more

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

Visiting the area and decided to have dinner here. We loved the history of the place! We made reservations, but they were able to seat us early. There was a very loud party a few tables away that detracted from our experience, but that was no fault of the restaurant. I can easily see this being a nice, relaxing place for dinner. 3 of us had steak which was cooked to perfection. Tender and juicy; delish. 2 has pork chops. Neither liked the soft texture or the bourbon mango glaze. 1 had Shepards pie and he really enjoyed it. We also had peach cobbler which was very good. Overall I'd recommend and will come back of im in the area. read more

Bardstown, the self-proclaimed Bourbon Capital of The World. It's also Kentucky's second-oldest city. If you are looking for a place to eat and/or drink you will find yourself in Bardstown's historical downtown, where most of the bars and eateries are located. Right in the center of downtown is The Old Talbott Tavern, a historic inn, tavern, and Bourbon bar (they say it's the World's oldest.) As a bar, it was a great experience with a wide selection behind the counter, friendly bartenders, and live music on the weekends. I enjoyed slinging back some brown water while talking with the staff and other fellow travelers. As a restaurant it's A-OK. I ordered a Ribeye steak and some fries and it did the job. Was it on-par with the fare you'd find in the big city? Probably not. There's nothing wrong with that, especially when you are in a smaller town in the middle of Kentucky. The Old Talbott Tavern is worth visiting for the historic ambiance and a great Bourbon bar, just don't expect much from the food. read more

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