What a great find after a long day on the Bourbon Trail (I mean someone has to do it). We had a great server who enthusiastically gave a tour of their menu. I had the meatloaf and it was awesome. My lady had the shrimp and grits. We sat on the porch. It's just down the road from Woodford Distillery. read more

Charming place close to Castle and Key. Very busy, and it looks like there's always a wait. It looks like you could make reservations, though! This place is quite small, and just a warning only one bathroom. It's pretty congested by the bathroom door, and there isn't really anywhere good to wait. This could be difficult for someone with disabilities. Service was on the slow side, but very friendly. We tried the smashburger Kentucky style, and the smoked fried bologna. Both were good, and we would definitely return when in the area to try something else too. There's an outdoor area with some picnic tables, cornhole, and chalk for kids to write on the sidewalks. read more

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This little spot came highly recommended, so I made it a priority to check it out tonight. Even though it wasn't busy tonight, I could imagine it being a hot spot during peak bourbon touring season. My recommendation, make reservations. Since this was my first time here, I sat at the bar and asked the severer to recommend what I should try first. She ranted about the pickle brine chicken sandwich that's drizzled with hot honey. It has a side of veggies and coleslaw. I am so glad I took her recommendation because this was delicious. I also tried the chocolate bread pudding but to be honest this wasn't good at all. It tasted more bitter than sweet. I didn't even finish it. I'd pass on it. This was my big disappointment for the night. However, I didn't let the bad bread pudding ruin the night, because everything else was so good. I think this is a perfect spot to grab a bite while enjoying a bourbon trail tour. read more

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This little underwhelming place has a charm of its own. People of course are sweet, southern and welcoming as expected. Not a huge menu but the food was very delicious. The Derby Chick sandwich was very deep fried and with the pimento cheese was perfect but big and a little pricey. The creamy slaw was what I hoped for. Just like moms The catfish n grits, which I do not eat, the guys all got and scarfed it down. Overall it was expensive but very good food. read more

The Stave is a must go establishment. Tucked away and hidden it is a true gem. The food was amazing, the drinks were phenomenal and the staff were top tier. If you're in the area you have to stop here. I loved the cozy feel of the dining room. read more

Good service, good food and full bar! Lots of different bourbons available. The restaurant is casual dining inside or out on porch/patio. It is close to distilleries. We shared a large burger and fries. The grits were delicious too! read more

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We stopped by for their smashburger's and it was so good! One of the best burger place in town. Service was good! It was a great time.

This is a wonderful, slightly out of the way place we found while going between Castle & Key and Woodford distilleries. Great food, nice staff and quite the bourbon selection. read more

Favorite place to eat after the bourbon trail! Catfish is so good. I get it every time. Shrimp and grits were also so good but needed a little bit more grits. Old fashions were delicious! read more

The Stave has a cool and relaxed vibe, good food, and good service. Their food is southern cuisine. They have a bar seating, indoor tables and high top seating, and some outdoor seating in a screened in area. They have a full bar and offer a full list of bourbons and whiskeys, mixed drinks, beer, and wine. We ordered a couple of appetizers - beer cheese and pimento cheese. They were both good, and the carrots and celery were fresh. For food, we ordered chicken sandwich and smoked bologna sandwich. Both were good a en had good flavor. read more

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This is a fantastic little restaurant hidden on the Bourbon Trail. We stopped for lunch between distillery tours and had a wonderful meal. Brantley handled our party of five moderately imbibed fools perfectly and seriously the food was amazing! The Burnt Orange Old Fashioned was delicious. I had the Stave Burger which in all rights is honestly awesome but I was completely jealous of the Pickle Brined Chicken. read more

The Stave - Stave Burger - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

Food was awesome! We had chicken sandwich--- excellent ambience.... Great place... highly recommend!

Nestled in-between Castle & Key and Woodford Reserve, The Stave is a southern comfort oasis in what is otherwise a dead spot for both food and cell signal. And that's something key to know about The Stave, when we visited on a Friday afternoon we saw that it was busy as tour buses dropped off groups fresh from the distilleries and well-dressed folks from Keeneland pulled up: as one of the only food options in the area, it's going to have a big draw. We almost decided to pass but we were given 20 minute wait, so we decided to stick around and see what happened. We ended up getting seated outside and we enjoyed a couple of Fried Bologna sandwiches. They were huge! Not what I expected, in a good way. I'll give it 4 stars for the food, but you should expect it to be busy- try and show up outside of the lunch rush. read more

The Stave - Smoked Bologna Sandwich - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

Good southern food! Drinks and food reasonably priced, and the service was excellent even though they were very busy.

Great atmosphere and amazing food! Unique offerings--I go the hoecakes which I recommend and my husband got the chicken sandwich which was huge! And they're dog-friendly! read more

Wow! What a gem! We took a backroad to we some horse barns and distilleries. Came around the bend and bam- there she was in all her glory? Huge portions, amazing flavors, server was sweet as pie! The place was so rustic but extremely clean!!! We came from, Montana and are very impressed! Great work guys!!!!! read more

Doesn't look like much as you drive up after a windy road to get here. You're at the right spot though. We sat inside to gaze at the beautiful wall of bourbon bottles! Other walls are bourbon barrels. Very cool vibe. Service was attentive and helpful. Makers and Cokes were good and strong. Grilled Pimento Cheese Sandwich and Smash Burger for entrees. Fries and Cheesy Grits for sides. Chocolate Walnut Bread Pudding for dessert. All perfection. Def recommend. My one and only note is the vent I sat next to in corner needs a thorough scrub, or just replace with a new black one. read more

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My family and I arrived to grab an early dinner around 4 PM-ish. The restaurant was not busy at all. The server took about 15 minutes to approach us because she kept talking to the bartender and the other employees behind the bar, deciding to finish her drink before greeting our table. The food was OK, but not great. I ordered the shrimp and grits, and it arrived at my table room temperature. My father had the meatloaf, and his food was cold. The food had a good taste, but they use way too much sodium. I couldn't even finish the shrimp. The ambiance seemed fine, oh, and also, there's only one bathroom. For the amount of money paid, I wouldn't come back. The only positive thing was the old-fashion read more

The Stave - The Millville Plate - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

The food was well-seasoned and properly prepared. The staff worked quick and sharp, like they knew what they were doing. The owner was as friendly as a front porch in summer. Plating was just fine--nothing to brag about, nothing to gripe over. The décor was nice, and we lingered on the porch a while, which is never a bad sign. As for the bourbon, you'd be hard-pressed to find a selection in Washington, D.C. that could match it for both availability and pric read more

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Two Jam Sessions at $17 each sandwich was so thin there did not seem to be anything at all on it. Sent them both back and updated was not any better. Two Derby Chick at $19 each, OK appears the grease is old. One Smashburger at $18 was OK. Four side upgrades to Cheese Grits at $2 each. The grits were ice cold by the time the server picked them up from the window and her and the cook exchanged some words about the order being up for awhile. Two Kids meals were OK. Plus Drinks. Total $157.34 was not worth it. Four adults got stomach issues within a half hour of eating there. Something was wrong. Would appreciate a refund or at least half $75.00. I have emailed the manager and if no reponse I will dispute charge on bank account. Maybe Notify Health Dept. read more

Little hole in wall that packs a punch. We had a great waitress named Lexi. She was super awesome. Guided us through the menu. My brother and I shared a half of each the chick sandwich and the smoked bologna. Yes try the bologna smoked sandwich. You will not regret it. The old fashions were on point. The cole slaw was so delicious. Highly recommend this place if you are coming from Woodford and have some time before Castle and Key. read more

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This place looks like a hole in the wall, but the food, atmosphere, and service are amazing. We arrived at noon with no reservations and were seated immediately. We ordered the blacked catfish and grits. It was so good. read more

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Let's start with it taking longer than we thought necessary for our waitress to come out and take our drink order. After she took it she went over and talked to another employee. Sheesh. That happened twice. Service very slow. After our meal and our obvious disappointment she said she also had a large party. Okay, but you had time to talk. Never, ever have we had a bad meal at The Stave...until Friday night. My catfish and grits sauce had way too much vinegar. My husband's dish was pork pasta. Not appealing to the eye or tastebuds. The topper, we were seated outside and a bar ledge was next to us. The manager came out and stood at the ledge so that we got to hear his instructs to employees and had a birdseye view of his backside. Our waitress did ask if we wanted to speak to the manager but both of us were concerned we might say something we would regret so we declined. Anyway, we have had more good experiences than bad and will probably try again. Just not any time soon. read more

What a unique dining experience, food and staff were both excellent. After dinner my wife and I walked down to the river side dining area to take in the sound of the river. Met the owner Eric, what a great guy, he even let us tour his new Air BnB right next door called the Stave Cottage. It was such a cool place. If you're doing the Bourbon trail this would be an awesome home base. read more

Was the perfect meal after a long day of travel and bourbon. We had the meatloaf with cheese grits and derby chick both were extremely delicious and paired perfectly with burnt orange old fashioned. My only regret was not ordering pimento cheese to the sandwich read more

Food is too salty and extremely expensive. In addition, force you to add 22% tip. Very bad experience, zero star if possible.

Great food, service is good, courteous,very friendly with consistent service and communication. The restaurant is very busy be ready to be patient, the millville hoe cakes. Were Delicious,as are the Shrimp and Grits. read more

The only redeeming quality about this place is that the workers were not rude, they just didn't seem to be trained. We arrived before any kind of rush had begun, thinking we would be able to get in and out. Wrong. While we were there, 2 tables of people gave up and left before even ordering and another changed their order to takeout. That should have been our cue to leave. I ordered a house salad with grilled chicken and lemon Dijon vinaigrette. The salad was a spring mix which is difficult to eat. The salad dressing had no flavor. It tasted like oil and the corn bread croutons were gross. The chicken was good, thankfully. The service was non existent. Our order was taken and food brought out, but no water refills and we had to wait over 10 minutes to get our check because our waitress had parked herself next to the kitchen. Will not be back. read more

Unfortunately I cannot recommend The Stave. It is conveniently located just minutes from Castle and Key and Woodford Reserve so a great location on the bourbon trail. However our visit wasn't great. Before ordering we were told the pulled pork (in a couple of dishes) and fries would not be available for 20 more minutes. We were chatting with friends and decided to wait. When ordering they said the pork would now be another hour and fries still weren't ready. Not sure how hand cut fries can take that long to prep but anyway. The baby cakes with maple butter and the chicken sandwich were good. The cheese grits were flavorless and dry. The smoked bologna sandwich had zero seasoning so all you can taste is the smoke. They were also out of one of the four salad dressings. The server was apologetic and they did comp the baby cakes without us asking for the inconvenience. Even so the food and experience just wasn't great. read more

We stopped here in between brewery tours one Saturday per recommendation. While we found the restaurant super cool walking up to it, our lunch did not start well. The greeter did not make us feel welcomed and made it seem like we were an inconvenience for not having a reservation. Because of this, we were seated on the patio side of the restaurant. It was comfortable despite being a cold fall day as the patio is covered and filled with heaters, but that also meant it had become a haven for flies. They were everywhere and we were constantly swatting them away during our meal. Our server was much nicer and very helpful when it came to deciding our meals. He seemed very busy though and throughout the meal we had to ask other people for refills on waters and other items, which they seemed very annoyed about. For an appetizer, we got the pimento cheese dip. This dip was good, but the presentation was very lacking. It came with crackers, which means the club crackers that come in the small two-cracker packages. All of our packages were crushed, which made the crackers not great for dinner. The plate felt like something I would make at home, not something I'd pay a restaurant over $10 for. The meals were better. I got the chicken sandwich which was great! The chicken was large, meaty, and fried perfectly. It went so well with the other toppings and had the best crunch! My fiancée had a smash burger and fries, which he devoured. All in all, I do not think we'd go out of our way to come back here. It was a convenient stop after touring woodford reserve, but the meals, though good, are expensive, most of the servers seem rude, and some items, like the pimento cheese dip, aren't worth the price. read more

Nice location near woodford and castle key distillery. Best bourbon selection in Frankfort. You can taste or have a shot of anything. Food is good. Chicken a little overcooked. Blood orange old fashioned is good. Staff is friendly. Outside and inside seating. read more

The Stave - Smash burgers with salad homemade dressing - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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I'd give more stars, but them's the rules...best shrimp and grits ever, and I mean ever!!! My pimiento grilled cheese with bacon jam was innovative and crazy good...and there was a roasted chicken with butternut squash risotto, OMG!!! The wait staff were down to earth and good at their craft...what good people, and the young guys in the kitchen absolutely professional and talented...can't wait to go back, what a great experience! read more

The Stave - Roasted chicken with butternut squash risotto - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

After touring Woodford Reserve, we came here for lunch. We had a smash burger and a chicken sandwich. Biggest piece of chicken on a bun I've ever seen! Wow! Food was yummy and while the sign said reservations recommended, they were able to seat us very quickly. read more

The Stave - The bar - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

Great burgers and beer. Nice location to lunch or dine when you are visiting in the Bourbon Trail

We don't remember how we learned of this spot - but glad it was here and sooo good! Best part is small sips of bourbon/rye. We went for "Our Neighbors" which was bourbons from distilleries near the restaurant. And the Rye Sampler - all so perfect. We shared a wedge salad and then I went for a hot chicken sandwich with fries - sandwich was delish, fries were also yummy. Wayne went for mushroom stroganoff and it was good, just needed a bit of color variation? Our server was Wendy and, man, she had the whole place under control. It is a small place, but cozy and feels sooo good! read more

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Variety of menu items and an abundance of adult beverages- unique, casual and excellent! Service was attentive and accommodating and all of the items we tried were excellent. Worth the excursion! read more

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Had been looking forward to coming here and it did not disappoint. Baloney sandwich was so tasty with the pimento cheese and onion mixture. Grits were good but lacked a little flavor. Added pepper and some hot sauce and was tasty. Wife really enjoyed the fried chicken sandwich. Cannot recommend this place enough. Server was great! read more

The Stave - Smoked baloney sammie and cheesy grits. - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

A little bit out there/a drive (but I feel this may add a tad to the ambiance), this is a fantastic spot for some solid comfort style food. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, and the food all tasted great. Portions were also quite filling, leaving our group with not enough room for dessert so we will be going back for that as the bread pudding sounded incredible, we were just too stuffed. Along with their food, their drinks were not only vast but also incredibly well crafted. The interior was nice and cozy, yet had plenty of seating both inside and on the patio. The setup created a bit of a homey and comfortable feel, creating a great casual spot for groups. Pricing was also quite fair. Would definitely recommend and will likely return. read more

Interesting place out in the sticks. Quick lunch often hitting the bourbon trail. Sampled the chicken sandwich and fried baloney sandwich. Hit the spot. Service was good. Patio seating a little uncomfortable on a hot day. read more

The Stave - Wrap around screened in porch. - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

This place is absolutely Awesome. We hit this place on a whim 9/19/25 and we weee beyond impressed. This is a perfect representation of what I would want in a Kentucky of the beaten path eatery. It's small, it's packed (reservations are highly recommended) and delicious. The service is great the people are friendly and we had a great time. I don't remember our waitresses name but she did a fantastic job. I had the blackened catfish and grits, my wife had a tasty looking (not really to me, definitely quality though, lol) chicken salad. We finished up with the best bread pudding we have ever had. The drink selections were excellent and the bourbon offerings seemed endless. I can only hope to have another opportunity to enjoy this restaurant. P.S. when they run out of food that's it, they are done for the day. read more

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