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    The Bar at Willett

    4.6 (167 reviews)
    ModerateBars, New American
    Closed Closed

    The Bar at Willett Photos

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    THE BAR AT WILLETT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Classy
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Bar at Willett

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    Hiramasa
    Marianne D.

    Another fantastic lunch at the Bar at Willet Distillery. This is the second year in a row we've stopped at this distillery and had lunch at the bar. The bar makes great cocktails and the food is delicious. My husband had an old-fashioned and I had a bees knees, which was perfect. We, of course, had to share the famous egg salad sandwich. The sandwich has its own Instagram page. It's famous! We also shared the cheese plate, the oyster sliders and the beef tartare. The beef tartare was a generous portion and so fresh. It was served with crispy potato chips. The oyster sliders were unique and delicious. Plump fried oysters with cabbage and remoulade on Hawaiian rolls. And who doesn't like a cheese plate? Accompanying the cheese was crackers, pickled beets, grainy mustard, marmalade and salami. They could've put on more salami as it wasn't as generous as the cheese. If you're going to Willet distillery for a tour and tasting, which I highly recommend, you must dine at The Bar at Willet as well.

    Ross T.

    Amazing every time we stop in! Our bartender Luciano was super friendly and made the best cocktails. Such a cool space with a beautiful bar and view of their property. They were very accommodating of a dairy allergy in our group and all the food was amazing. The egg salad sandwich is an absolute must the next time you stop in. We also got the olives and lamb which were equally as delicious. Definitely worth stopping in the next time you're in Bardstown.

    EPIC EGG SALAD!
    Jeannine M.

    Until today I did not know an egg salad sandwich could be life changing. Literally. Life changing. The carrots, mushrooms, brussel sprouts and salad (yes, I said salad) were nothing short of AMAZING as well! The service was top notch. Our wait staff were great! Friendly, attentive and very knowledgeable! If you're in Bardstown, you MUST COME HERE!

    Creamed corn with nduja - amazing
    Priya B.

    A real favorite restaurant for the serious foodie. This was my second visit to the Bar at Willett, located on the second floor of the Willet welcome center / mansion. Easy, plentiful parking out front. Last time I came, it was a weekend afternoon and was a bit hard to get in without a reservation. This visit was middle of the week, middle of the day, and I had no problem getting a table with no reservation and having a leisurely lunch. If you've been on social media, you know the Egg Salad Sandwich is pretty famous here. And to be fair - it is genuinely one of the best sandwiches I've ever had: Duke's Mayo, topped with shaved Parmesan and shaved egg yolk, just decadent and tasty all in one. That said, all of their food is just extremely well made and often highly seasonal. On this visit I had the creamed corn with nduja and the tomato salad with straciatella. Both were light, perfectly flavored, just equivalent to food I've had at fine dining restaurants. Items are meant to be small plates, shareable, and I like that because it allowed me to try more things but would also say this is one of the most reasonably priced small plates menus I've seen in a long time, with most dishes $10 or under. On this visit, I was in the midst of a long drive and didn't want to drink, so ended up ordering the fancy tea and it was one of the most delightful experiences I've had in a long time. I'm a huge tea snob and normally source my tea from all over the world and this lived up to my bar and then some. Delightful presentation but also just really fresh, incredible flavors. I did regret not having room left for dessert as the options looked SO good. Overall, this is such a hidden gem of a restaurant and I'm already looking forward to my next opportunity to come out this way and have a nice long, meandering meal.

    The Bar at Willet Distillery is absolutely amazing. stop whatever you're doing right now, go there have a whiskey and egg salad sandwich and brussels sprouts your life will then be complete. McKenna was an amazing server and made her experience incredible.

    Cheesecake with mango gel
    Ali C.

    What a pleasant surprise! This establishment exceeded our expectations on every level. The thought and effort put into the food and drinks here are obvious. The meticulous detail they put into the presentation is not to go unnoticed. Seriously, we loved every bite and no crumbs were left behind. Bravo to the kitchen staff, with the open kitchen concept and smiles back there it added to our experience to see each person at their station curating the dish with passion and smiles as if they loved being there. If we had the appetite of an elephant we would've tried every dish on the menu. I think what that stood out to me the most were the oyster sliders and the ube colada cocktail. Yes! They have way more options than just bourbon. Both of these gems had the best flavor profiles and are well balanced. They obviously have an excessive amount of bourbon so we also got a flight but the honestly the food is the real star here!! I can't wait to get back and try more deliciousness. Some of the big city restaurants should take notes, learn a thing or two about what it takes to use farm fresh ingredients to captivate the guests' palates. Well done!

    Local Cheeses
    Mike S.

    Two years ago we came to Willet Distillery for a tour and had heard to check out the bar and restaurant upstairs. Unfortunately they were booked up and had a very long wait plus we had other tour to make it to so we had to pass. Two years later were back and made sure to make a reservation ahead of time. We came in at 11:00AM for an early lunch and were quickly seated. Our waiter made sure to explain the menu to us. Most options are smaller shareable servings and the 5-7 should be enough for our party of 5. I started with a drink and went with the Manhattan. Now I know I normally go with an Old Fashioned but I really like the Willet 4 year Rye they put in the Manhattan so that's what I stuck with. I'm glad I did too because it was great. Probably the best I have had. We then started with food: Local Cheeses: Your typically cheeseboard but with some fancy addons like Dijon Mustards, Onion Marmalade, Apple Butter and come of the best crackers I have ever had so light and crispy. The Rock Shrimp:; Not very large but so full of flavor. For sure some of the best I have had. There also was a corn puree that was so good that came with it. For sure worth a try. Crawfish Beignets: When you see something like this on a menu I always have to go for them. Nice pieces of Crawfish throughout plus a great Remoulade for dipping. Brussel Sprouts : Now I'm normally not a veggie let alone a Brussel Sprouts but these were very good. If you like brussels these are a must for you. The Crepe: This was the most surprising dish we got because it blew us out of the water. It was amazing. Stuffed with rich melty cheese and topped with Pepper Jelly it is for sure a must. The Chicken Thigh: This was also amazing. Crispy bites of Chicken Thigh covers in Calabrian Chili, Lime, and Honey. Give a great sweet and spicy vibe. Reminded of some Asian dishes I have had but better qualify. This so also a must. Egg Salad Sandwich: Now I had never had an Egg Salad Sandwich mostly because I didn't think I would like them but this changed the game for me. It was amazing and so flavorful. This is a/the staple of The Bar at Willet so you have to give it a try even if you don't think an Egg Salad Sandwich is your thing. The Bar at Willet is amazing and I will for sure be coming back next time we are in Kentucky.

    The Distillery
    Chris W.

    I can't say enough good things about my visit to Willett. Beautiful grounds. I love their wheated bourbon (Pot Still is my go-to and comes in amazing bottle). Their restaurant had incredible high end food at affordable prices. FOOD AND BAR Plan you day to eat lunch at Willet. Few distilleries have food and most none have food if this quality. It was very reasibabky priced. They served small plates. The menu changes daily. We enjoyed the brussel sprouts (OMG amazing!!!) and some fried chicken pieces in a deluctable sauce. You can do order a bourbon flight at the bar to enjoy their bourbin selection before deciding what bottle(s) you want to buy in the gift shop to take home.

    Gift shop
    Tash M.

    This was our 2nd stop on our mini bourbon tour in Bardstown. The 8 year old pour wasn't bad although I've had better. But it came with a nice little souvenir glass. The indoor bar is tiny and doesn't make for the best tasting experience, but in nicer weather the outdoor patio would be perfect. There's also a restaurant which looks like it would most definitely need reservations. The grounds were quite nice, and service was very friendly.

    Sha P.

    An absolute gem! The drinks were carefully crafted and well balanced. The food was so delicious I forgot to take photos. We had the panisse, carrots and egg salad - all definitely chef-created and fresh. Be sure to have lunch here while visiting the Bourbon Trail. We will be back.

    Salad

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    1 year ago

    Amazing. The egg salad sandwich, beef tartare, smoked trout, and basque cheesecake were incredible.

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    1 year ago

    Delicious food, friendly faces, and tasty bourbon! I would recommend this place to anyone.

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - The Bar at Willett

    What's the difference between making a reservation for dining vs dining room?

    I'm not aware that there is. They have seating inside and they have some on the wrap around porch. Nothing more to the best of my knowledge.

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    Mammy's Kitchen & Bar - Buffalo chicken & fries

    Mammy's Kitchen & Bar

    3.8(730 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    Cute place and very clean. Went for breakfast and food was good. But my wife wasn't able to eat…read morebecause her food had an ingredient in it that she was allergic to. When we confirmed with the waitress it did have that ingredient, the waitress shrugged and said sorry while walking away. It was a skillet so there was no picking around anything. Never offered to remake or anything. She did ask if we wanted a box to take it home. Unimpressed with the lack of customer service. (But the gentlemen bussing tables was very attentive and sweet!)

    Mammy's was the best meal I had in my 4 day visit to the area! We came pretty late at night after a…read morelong day of bourbon tasting in the area, and we were all starving. We sat at the bar because it was still pretty packed. The place was fun - the service was a bit silly in a good way. Great cocktails. Great ambiance and decor. My bourbon-grilled pork chops were fantastic. Good cornbread. Green beans were fantastic. The fried apples were just okay - a bit on the dry side. My friend's chicken and waffles looked amazing. Another friend's ribeye looked a bit overdone to me, but he seemed to like it. I wish the souvenir store was still open when we were there (it closed at 6pm) because I would have liked to bring home a trinket or shirt. Maybe upon next visit - because I will definitely eat here again the next time I'm in Bardstown. Make it a priority to stop in!

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    Mammy's Kitchen & Bar - Dining room

    Dining room

    Mammy's Kitchen & Bar - Bar menu food

    Bar menu food

    Mammy's Kitchen & Bar - Sports bar

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    Sports bar

    The Old Talbott Tavern - Walnut Crusted Chicken

    The Old Talbott Tavern

    3.3(676 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    We were staying at the inn, which is connected to the tavern. We were in the area to attend an…read moreevent and ultimately had a cocktail and an appetizer in the bar before heading elsewhere. We were unable to order dinner as the barkeep informed us the restaurant was booked with several large groups and the kitchen couldn't handle our group of 5. He was very helpful with providing info for other local restaurants as alternatives, which was very helpful and appreciated. Drinks and apps (fried green tomatoes) were great and service was friendly. Bar area was also comfortable and noise level was mild at 5 PM on a weekday.

    an absolute must-visit if you're in Bardstown. This place perfectly blends rich Kentucky history…read morewith 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!

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    The Old Talbott Tavern - Restaurant lobby and check in for lunch, dinner, or breakfast (for hotel guests.)

    Restaurant lobby and check in for lunch, dinner, or breakfast (for hotel guests.)

    The Old Talbott Tavern - Chicken Ceasar Wrap (lunch)

    Chicken Ceasar Wrap (lunch)

    The Old Talbott Tavern - Front sidewalk view

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    Front sidewalk view

    The Bar at Willett - bars - Updated June 2026

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