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    The Old Talbott Tavern

    3.3 (679 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    The Old Talbott Tavern Photos

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    THE OLD TALBOTT TAVERN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Moderate noise
    Touristy
    Classy

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    Recommended Reviews - The Old Talbott Tavern

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    Ryan B.

    Came here on a Monday at 4:30pm. Not crazy busy. We ate in the one dining room but they do have a bar area with its own entrance too. It was great to visit here with all its history. I had an old fashioned to celebrate my last day as a 49 year old. The food was good. We walked about .3 miles to eat here so I think the have street parking and possibly a lot as well.

    Kentucky burgoo
    Liz J.

    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!

    Winter Apple Salad
    Michael H.

    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.

    Chess Pie
    Jennifer K.

    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!

    Salmon with dill sauce, baked potato and zucchini-squash.
    Denny K.

    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.

    David C.

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

    Exterior
    Bob S.

    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.

    Cocktails and beer
    Joshua W.

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

    Entree and Burger Menu
    Tara J.

    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!

    Lunch menu
    Ray R.

    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

    Kentucky Hot Brown

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    2 years ago

    Lunch salad was bland. Draft beer not that cold. Server lovely. Would not return for food.

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    7 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Service, food, & drinks were wonderful! Great hot brown! I will be back & bringing people with me!

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The beer cheese was amazing!! The walnut crusted chicken was really good but the collard greens were not hot and not very tasty.

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    3 years ago

    Sorry we waited over an hour and a half and had two rounds of drinks before we gave up and left.

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    12 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    Ellena B.

    Thanks for your feedback, Elizabeth. Hope to see you again soon!

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    2 years ago

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    Page 6 of 17

    Ask the Community - The Old Talbott Tavern

    Review Highlights - The Old Talbott Tavern

    We had read about this Tavern and Inn as being super old and both Jesse James and Daniel Boone stayed there.

    Mentioned in 41 reviews

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    The Old Talbott Tavern - bars - Updated June 2026

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