Just a nice little bar. We just wanted to try the bourbon from the distillery next door and had a flight here and decided to grab a snack too. They had lots of different seating options. We sat at a couch and there was the bar and high tops and outside seating. Their charcuterie board might put them out of business-j/k. We just wanted a half and when it showed up I questioned the waitress because it was massive. Everything on it was tasty too. Now I have no idea how any other food is but it was just a neat place to rest and chat before heading on to other bourbon adventures. read more

Elkhorn Tavern - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Oh Lord do go here on some dark first night in Kentucky, and maybe authentic Deep South or 'Southern Adjacent cats might wipe the dark booth table down if you ask them and they feel like it. Cajole and don't worry about that rurally challenged bar tender who forgets himself. This is a place to plunge into the culture - where bourbon flights and corn bread and deviled eggs are manly fare, but fizzy water is mockingly only put on the table for 'ladies. The old steel girder industrial zone of a century ago here has bars and restaurants that are hard to leave. Wander. read more

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Great vibe and drink selection. I'm usually skeptical about live music but I actually enjoyed the banjo. We had already eaten when we arrived but the charcuterie board looked amazing! Surprisingly not as busy as expected in a Friday night and didn't have to wait for drinks. Would return read more

Elkhorn Tavern - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Me and my man were on a tour in Lexington and our tour guide decided to stop here for us to try Bergu (don't know if I spelled this right). It was very hearty and tasted like a vegetable beef stew. The corn bread made from whiskey mash was very different. Our service was very quick and they knew that we were coming as tourist. The atmosphere here reminded me out a modern man cave which was nice for my boyfriend. read more

Elkhorn Tavern - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I think that this is one of the coolest spots in town. It's in the Distillery District and the atmosphere is amazing! It's really nice when it is cold outside and they have the fire going. The food is excellent and they have the best homemade dips in town. The Spicy Corn Queso and Buffalo Chicken Dip are two of my favorites. They serve two house made Kentucky soups: Soup Beans and Burgoo. My favorite sandwiches are the Pimento Cheese and the Country Ham on Hawaiian Rolls. I consider this an iconic Lexington tavern and I highly recommend it, especially if don't live here or if you are entertaining out of town guests. read more

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Absolutely delicious! The corn muffins made from spent grains were amazing. We had the spicy corn queso and it was fantastic. The bartender made me a chocolate martini and it was great, although not on the menu. The pinto beans were legit as well. It smelled like a wood fire and was warm and inviting in the restaurant. I will definitely be back. read more

Elkhorn Tavern - Soup beans - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I really feel bad giving this review but the service time was just poor. It was nearly 15 minutes to get to place a drink order. Over 30 total to get my food. If my order required any cooking, I could understand. But it was a sandwich and soup. The problem was there was only a bartender for the whole place at lunch. He chose to serve the group of 5 that sat at the bar after he dropped a menu at my table. The burgoo was excellent and the pimento cheese was top notch. The quality is the only saving grace to my experience. read more

Elkhorn Tavern - Burgoo soup/stew - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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The group I was with reserved a room and had some appetizers ordered. There weren't enough tables and chairs, but we got it figured out. The apps were good and they brought a bartender in and we could order food from the bar. The charcuterie board was nice. The spicy corn queso was ok. I heard the beans were good. The opened the gift shop for us. The person working the gift shop was very friendly and helpful. The bartender and other person working the room (manager maybe) were fine. read more

Elkhorn Tavern - Deviled egg and corn mash corn muffins - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Elkhorn Tavern is the bar/restaurant side of Barrel House Distillery. The inside is very rustic and country feeling with a quant outdoor patio out front. They have a mix of sandwiches and shareables to pair with their cocktail, beer, and wine offering. Our group got (2) Barrel House Select Old Fashioneds, an Elkhorn Sour, and Lexington Lemonade. The Old Fashioned was well balance. Elkhorn Sour & Lexington Lemonade were pretty as far as presentation but was a bit tart. We also got the Beer Cheese Platter to share. This came with crackers and pretzel sticks. Cheese itself was good but I was not expecting it to be hard. All staff members we encountered were overly kind! Always having a smile, recommending local spots, checkin in on us, and making small talk. The hospitality was great which was much appreciated! read more

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I loved this place with live music on a Friday night. Amazing vibe and a good buffalo chicken chip appetizer that was gluten free. Their menu was not marked well for GF but they had a list in the kitchen of what was GF and they took a picture of it and I selected from the picture on their phone. Cool place with kind of an older crowd. When they were playing REM, some young people had clearly never heard it?!? C'mon people !!! The music was great. read more

Fun little space in the collective. They have a good sized patio and very cozy interior. We stopped by for a drink after having a slice of pie and were not disappointed by our old fashioned. The selection on the wall was impressive and the prices were reasonable. The staff was friendly without being overbearing. Definitely recommend a stop here! read more

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My family and I were looking forward to having dinner here, but the customer service is absolutely the worst. First, when we walked in, we stood at the front, not knowing if we should seat ourselves or if we would be seated by a host. After about 3 to 4 minutes, a random person from the gift shop told us we could just sit anywhere. Once we sat down, only the bartender was there, and it took him at least 10 minutes to give us menus. He didn't even ask us what we wanted to drink. We knew that the service would be very poor because we didn't feel welcomed and were not checked on for our food or drink order. So, I assumed the food would be mediocre as well. We decided to get up and leave. While walking out, we even passed the bartender, who saw us leave but didn't say anything -- not a hello, not how can I help you -- nothing. I would just advise anyone coming here that the service is most likely very poor. The ambiance was lacking since there was no soul in the place. read more

I am sure they do better, but we had a poor experience (group of 9, not very busy). My chicken salad someone left the paper towel used to soak up water in my lettuce. It took probably 30 minutes for the first entree to come out. Then 10 minutes for the next 2. Then the next 20 minutes for the next 5. And they forgot #9. They screwed up 2 other orders besides mine. The first person was done eating a half hour before the last people got their food. The last item we got, the one they forgot, was a BLT. Which they delivered as we were trying to pay, and we had them put it in it to-go box. A couple of our people got the stew which was good, but they filled the bowl about halfway instead of a nice full portion... beside the fact that it took them 45 minutes to bring those out when it was simply scooping stew into a bowl and setting a corn muffin on the side. They did apologize multiple times, gave us three of our meals for free, and discounted the others pretty heavily. I know they felt bad and tried to make it right. I bought a couple things at the barrel House distillery and one of the managers took over at the register and wouldn't let me pay. So I give them credit for caring and trying to do better. It's just that I can only rate them on this one experience and I'm from out of state. Looking at other reviews, I would say to give them a try. I hope they get things figured out. read more

Stopped in for a drink and was completely blown away, not in a good way. The bartender moved at a turtle's pace, finally came over just to say, "I need to put these glasses away first," and then ignored us again. She was on her phone, visibly annoyed that anyone even walked in, and rolled her eyes at customers. She ignored four people who eventually gave up and left. Then, she threw a bottle across the bar, which hit something and shattered. If I were the owner, I'd be furious. You're losing money and customers by keeping someone like this on staff. Poor service and a hostile attitude are a fast way to kill a business. read more

Elkhorn is incredibly cozy, our servers were great. Special thanks to Taiylor and Deaidra for being patient, we have a lot of questions. Enjoyed the food and loved open mic night. read more

I don't visit here often, and every time I wonder why I don't come here more! Elkhorn Tavern has an EXCELLENT cocktail program, with bartenders who take genuine pride in their concoctions. The raspberry lemon drop is heavenly, witch just a hint of Rosemary to set the flavors off. We also sampled some upcoming cocktails that showcased house-made shrubs. Seriously a great program! I'm going to also call out the AMAZING bbq we sampled. I didn't catch the name, but this is smoked right outside Elkhorn Tavern and it's seriously legit. We left this bar to go to a $100+ meal, and I'll say I would have much preferred this bbq to that meal. read more

Elkhorn Tavern - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Late review: we enjoyed our food, esp. my husband loved the Elkhorn burgoo that has beef, rabbit, elk and vegetables. We sat at the back patio because we had our fur baby with us. Too bad I can't remember the server's name, he was super friendly! read more

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This is the 2nd time we've visited here for a lunch & have really enjoyed it. First time I had soup f the day & husband the burgoo, a specialty, and this time I had the pimento cheese sandwich, so yummy! And he had the pulled pork sammi, which he really enjoyed. We didn't get pics of our good, just the bourbon sampler. They have a cute attached gift shop & nice bourbon. Both times at lunch they've been lightly busy, but I think more of you need to get in there!! read more

Elkhorn Tavern - Bourbon sampler - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Great customer service. This is bar food, so if that is what you like, then, this is the place for you. Food is served in plastic baskets, paper bowls and with plastic utensils. My salad was good and the chicken was ok. read more

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Nice place! Fun atmosphere, too. We had very attentive staff and the food came out fast. Chicken salad was delicious. Burgoo (look it up) was hearty. HUGE selection of drinks and bourbons. Definitely recommend but be advised parking is a challenge. read more

After distillery hopping, we wanted to take a break and have a bite to eat. We looked up Kentucky Burgoo and this place popped up. The place isn't hard to find, and there's a huge parking lot. Unfortunately they also share their lot with other bars/ restaurants, so i think it could be tricky to find a spot if you hit peak times. We were lucky and stopped at 5:30 on a Wednesday, so easy parking. Stephen and I shared the charcuterie board, and each had our own bowl of Burgoo. It's a hearty bowl of stew/ soup filled with meat and vegs. The side of corn mash muffins was delicious, too. Stephen really enjoyed his flight of local bourbons, and wanted to take a bottle home. Sadly, the release wasn't available until next week. Service is a bit slow. It could have been an off day as there's only 1 guy running the show as bartender, host and waiter. Tables were left un-bussed and we had to ask a few times for things. If you can overlook the slow service, its a 4 star review. If you're in a hurry? Maybe 3 stars read more

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Wonderfully cozy bar with great staff and great vibes. Love relaxing at the bar with a good book. The drinks are fantastic as well and there's a large fireplace! read more

Elkhorn Tavern - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I had to stop by here to experience a little bit of bourbon during my visit to Lexington. I'm not a huge bourbon drinker, but wanted to try out some options. The bartender working that day was brand new and the other one had called off so she was on her own while still learning. Overall, she was very sweet and did a good job. I went ahead and ordered the County Judge to drink which had some orange juice and other items in it. It was pretty good. I was intrigued by the Elkhorn burgoo so I had to try it! It came out very quick and it was very hot. I enjoyed it. I really liked the ambiance in here. There were a mix of tables, sofas, and chairs. read more

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This place is a hidden gem in the distillery district. Classic simple southern food & drinks for a great price. We love coming here on a sunny day & sitting outside. Great service, food, drinks, & atmosphere. Limited menu BUT consistently great. read more

Elkhorn Tavern - Burgoo Cup Beer Cheese Platter - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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The service and ambiance are always excellent. Such a chill place to hang out. It's our new Saturday night spot!

My new favorite local place in town. Reasonably priced food and drinks. Great atmosphere with friendly service. The food menu is maybe considered "limited" in some minds but it's worth giving a shot. I've had just about everything on the menu and it's always been very good. My new go to place. read more

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We started the girls weekend here and it was an ok choice. The only weird thing is if you sit outside you have to go inside and order drinks and dinner. I ordered a mojito and a chicken salad sandwich. It was good but nothing too exciting. Our meals took forever and we were starving. They had music there and the singer was fabulous. Probably will not be my first choice if I return to that area. read more

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A cute little place in the distillery district. The atmosphere is very relaxed and cozy. You get a cabin feeling when you go there. The internals are well designed and I promise you won't be disappointed. Also, the COVID restrictions are being well followed. The service was very prompt. We were being well taken care of. They have specials that might not be in the menu. So be sure to ask for that. I got the pulled port sliders and they were amazing. My friend got the burgoo and no complaints there either. Overall, a cute little romantic place tucked away in the distillery district. read more

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I love it when you get recommendations from locals when you're traveling! Our Thoroughbred Heritage Tours guide told us about Burgoo and then recommended @theelkhorntavern! Great recommendation Nicholas! And the Burgoo was DELICIOUS! Burgoo is a beef, elk, and rabbit stew, local to Kentucky! It also has lima beans, corn, okra, tomatoes, cabbage and potatoes. I would highly recommend Burgoo and @theelkhorntavern! read more

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The worst service I've ever encountered. The bartender's language was horrible. He was berating the live band and calling a customer an "f'n looser" for ordering an LIT. Too low for his standards, I guess. Bar tender left while he was mid making a drink to get a sweat shirt from the merchandise because he was cold. When the customer ahead of us asked him to finish his drinks, he told him to "f'n hold on. Thats not how you get good service." We love this place but until the staff can act even a tad more professional, we won't be back. Regret that I didn't see him name tag, but the grumpy bar tender with the loop earning needs a serious attitude adjustment. Blatantly disrespectful and downright mean guy. read more

Thank you, Elkhorn Tavern, for giving my wife & I a near-perfect New Year's Eve date night! We arrived a little before the kitchen closed, so we were able to take advantage of your "Distillery Board" charcuterie, which was the perfect accompaniment to your fine selection of Bourbons, the wonderful ambience (half the reason we chose this Tavern), and the great live music we enjoyed. Our first bartender contact, a young man, was friendly enough at the door, but never checked on us again. His female counterpart however kept our drinks coming and was super friendly throughout. The young lady who promptly announced no more kitchen orders as soon as we sat down was a little gruff, and I would have understood her decision if she were anxious to get somewhere else to celebrate, but she closed the kitchen & then sat at the bar for the rest of the time, while other people were continually coming in (this was around 10:30). I'm not sure what your typical kitchen hours are for a holiday, and I've worked kitchens so I understand wanting to close up shop, but she could have been a little more discreet about it. Announcing it the way she did in front of customers just came across as rude. Overall, an awesome experience. Great ambience, good Bourbon, a warm fireplace (the young lady who was our bartender also stoked the fire!), and good music, really made our New Year's special. We would have gladly stayed for the countdown, but left around 11:30 to celebrate at home with our kids. We will definitely come back for a more formal sit-down experience. read more

Elkhorn Tavern - Distillery Board (half size) and Town Branch on the rocks. - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

My husband and I were there with friends for lunch this week . We ordered the Burgoo. I was surprised that the bowl was so small for $12. The muffins were gone. We got Ritz crackers for the same price. I was not impressed. I felt the atmosphere could be cleaner also. read more

Met some folks for a Sunday afternoon at the Tavern. First, the bourbon selection and the atmosphere is great. Lots to take in and lots to enjoy. We opted to sit outside and service was a little slow and slightly inattentive. Long waits for water and forgot my bourbon on the drink delivery. Helpful though on recommendations for the meal. Not a huge menu, but that's not really what you're there for from view at the bourbon wall. We all chose the multiple sliders and passed them around. They were good, just not enough to fill me up. Probably should have scoped the menu before I went. Not a bad place, and I'd go back, but with a different expectation and I'd probably enjoy it a lot more. read more

We walked in here after drinking beers and wanted a change of pace. Unfortunately, the last tour had already kicked off and so we weren't able to see the distilling operation so it was pretty quiet when we walked in so we were the only two in the bar at the time. Fortunately, while the I couldn't see the product being made the bar was still open and they carry their product. It's Kentucky, bourbon country so I got the Old Fashioned. It was good, a little on the sweeter side, I think to try to round out the bourbon, which was a little on the rougher side. read more

Elkhorn Tavern - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Great food great beer. Good selection of bourbon. Nice area. Service was awesome. Highly recommend!

On our first night in Lexington we were looking for a place to eat in the Distillery district. I was looking for a burger with no luck so we opted for Elkhorn Tavern. The music lured us in. If you sit outside you have to go then we and order and they bring your food to you - it was pretty fast when we were there. Hubs got the Elkhorn Burgoo (when in Rome) and I got the Tavern Salad along with the Beer Cheese platter. Both meals were very tasty. I thought the Burgoo would come in a bowl but instead came in a to go cup. Also the utensils were plastic. I would probably skip the beer cheese platter - little cup of cheese with pretzels, ritz crackers and celery. Overall good food and music and the staff was very friendly. read more

Average bar food. Good service from the server. But if you want to see the world's tweekiest bartender, come on a Sunday afternoon. Drugs kill. Do better. read more

We stopped in at the Elkhorn Tavern on a Saturday evening while we were visiting the distillery District. It was a nice bar restaurant when you walk in we got a drink at a few laughs looked around it's all cool Decour that the place had offered and had a nice fire on the outside and just overall fun environment read more

Elkhorn Tavern - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

This is my second trip to Elkhorn Tavern and it's fast becoming a favorite for me. I love the relaxed and cozy atmosphere. Tonight was cool and rainy and the roaring fireplace was a welcome sight! Despite being cozy, social distancing guidelines are being adhered to....barstools have been removed and tables spaced apart (seems they removed some tables). A sign was on our table indicating it had been sanitized. Service was prompt with a laid back vibe. No live music tonight, but the music being played through the sound system was interesting and the volume was perfect for dinner conversation. We ordered sandwiches with cowboy caviar and Burgoo. All perfectly prepared and simply delicious! read more

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We had the beer cheese platter, distillers board, and country ham sliders and everything was excellent. The distillers board was super worth the price and definitely worth getting! read more