If I could give this place a 10/5, I would!! Some of the best food i've ever had. After a morning of bourbon tastings, sitting down at Stave was so relaxing and kept the vibes high. The service was fantastic and we had a big group which they accommodated fantastically. I wish I had this places closer to home because I would come all the time!! read more

This place was cool! We ate in the tree house, which was just an elevated platform out back next to the river - there were probably 6-8 tables out there. There were also a bunch of firepits/chairs in the yard, so it's probably a nice evening hangout. We both got pulled pork and it was great! It's a bit off the beaten path, but near distilleries that we were visiting. read more

The Stave - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

A hidden gem! The first time we tried to go was on a Saturday night and they had a sign that reservations were needed. It's a small place, so definitely make the call ahead of time. This time we call and they were pretty clear. The service, food and atmosphere were fabulous. The bourbon flights and cocktails were on point. We will definitely be back again. read more

The Stave - The Stave Burger. So good! - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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Excellent service, perfect for Sunday brunch. Wide selection of bourbon, traditional brunch drinks.

Just a short distance off the beaten path. A church and a handful of houses on this country road. Then there is The Stave. Greeted immediately and then asked if we had a reservation. This place from the outside does not look like what's inside. Small dining and small bar but big time hospitality and food. The kitchen is open for all to watch and is so small I'm not sure how they get it done. Oh and if you like bourbon, they probably have it ......wait it's Kentucky, they have it. Got the hot chicken with added pimento cheese. It was cooked perfectly and the pimento cheese and pickles made it. Could have been a bit hotter. Mac and cheese is great. Bar staff....Jason was super attentive. This is a must check out. read more

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Food was great ! Shrimp and grits were outstanding. Large bourbon collection. Nice cocktail choices

Great little spot down in the holler! Food was fantastic! Fun atmosphere and great staff!

Slow service. Dirty screened in deck with a hell of a lot of flies. Had to keep swiping! Good was good!

This is what you live for: Finding a great experience where you least expect it! Surprises are the best and The Stave was a great surprise. Winding our way through the country heading to Woodford Reserve, we looked for restaurants on Yelp! and found The Stave. It's situated on a stream pretty much in the middle of nowhere. We were fortunate that we were a little early for lunch because without a reservation, we snagged one of the last available tables. Plan ahead and make a reservation. The food was fantastic! I had the Pig and Pickle sandwich and man was it good! The smoked pork was smoked on site and had an incredible smoky flavor. Some of the best bbq I've ever had. Add to that shaved ham, pickles, and cheese on a great sub roll, and BAM! My wife had the Black-eyed Pea Fritters and the Country ham Biscuits. For desert we had the bread pudding and Paw-Paw Pie. Everything was amazing. The folks running the place are incredibly friendly and welcoming. We felt like guests for dinner in their home and like we made some new friends before we left. If you are so unfortunate as to be on a waiting list for a table, you're in luck! Behind the restaurant is a deck overlooking the stream with a bar! On the day we visited they had a live jazz duo playing. This makes waiting for your table very pleasant. Or plan to arrive early and have a cocktail before eating. This was a totally unexpected wonderful experience and I look forward to going back. read more

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I hate to share that I had a bad experience at the Stave. I would not recommend going on a Friday night. I had reservations, but it still took a while to get seated. Took 45 minutes to get sandwiches that were disassembled dry and bland. Requested fresher ones, but never received anything. Service was poor and there was no communication. Brunch may be a better idea... sad to see it go downhill with inexperienced staff. read more

Food was fantastic! Had the Hot Chicken sandwich. Unbelievable bourbon selection! Diamond in the rough for sure!

Arrived here around 4:30 pm on Wednesday July 12th. Seated immediately - place empty. Not to be deceived, it was awesome. Outdoor seating was simple and nice. Bar was large and thorough. Appetizer - Pulled Pork & Hoe Cakes - came out real quick. The chow chow was the magic! I ordered the Bison Short Rib. Mashed potatoes made a wonderful base for the ribs and Brussels sprouts. Bison is a lean meat and has a particular taste but it's gooooood. This was first time I've had Brussels sprouts and they are so wonderful. Food was served very quickly. Our waiter was very attentive and helpful in discussing the plates. read more

The Stave - Bison short ribs - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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Food is ok at best, on par with cost, perhaps just slightly overpriced for quality but gets the job done. Now this is only our second, but sadly last time going there. First time was inside and based on servers attitude and level of mental coherence I'd have thought we were at a Waffle House. Pajama pants and slippers topped it off. This second time we dined out on the patio. Server was much more mentally awake and present. However we waited I'd say 12-15 minutes for the server, then another solid twenty to get our cocktails. Had asked at that point for two glasses of water.. 30 minutes later still no ice. Finally went to the hostess to ask for glasses of ice. At the hour fifteen mark my burger and wife's salad showed up. Food did what it needed and filled the stomach. Two hours in asked for bill and was out the door in 2.25 hours total. read more

Definitely recommend having a reservation for The Stave. The food was yummy! The only thing that was lacking was the Brussels sprouts, which were barely cooked at all. The catfish, grits, and collard greens went nicely together and the shrimp had a nice spicy sauce on it. The Hoe Cakes with pulled pork were good, but filling for an appetizer. I recommend trying this place while on the bourbon trail! read more

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Brunch was delicious! Found this place from Yelp reviews and so glad we did! Great service and delicious food!

It was hot as hell, food wasn't that good. Had the wedge salad with chicken, it wasn't even grilled or cooked all the way through. Looked like it was boiled chicken. Definitely wouldn't recommend this place. Sorry read more

Loved the food, experience, and food. We had house pimento cheese that was delicious and fritters to start. Followed by mushroom stroganoff that was out of this world. The chocolate walnut bread pudding was a nice ending to a wonderful evening. Brittany, our server, was just the best! read more

Great food! There will be a wait if you don't have reservations. If you are in the area it's so worth the wait.

Great bourbon selection, good atmosphere and customer service. Food was good and above average 4star for sure. Make reservations as it's small dinning area. read more

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Fun place to stop after a bourbon tasting at Woodford! The sandwich was tasty and the cocktails yummy! read more

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Loved the ambiance of this place. The cocktails were GREAT! The service was reeeally good. I ordered the Blackened Catfish and Grits and it was out'ta this world! Hubby, on the other hand, ordered a Pickle Brined Hot Chicken Sandwich, and it was not all that wonderful. We both thought it was pretty bland. A real bummer, as I'd brought him here for Father's Day. Guess ya can't win 'em all... read more

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Excellent service with Steve... The prices were high for the location but I guess when in Rome and you not many other... it's cute inside, but I'm gonna be honest when I pulled in and saw Porta potty's. I was a bit hesitant....glad we gave it a shot... my pork chop was huge and delicious... I ordered it MW... it was still a big pink. I would suggest ordering it well done, as did our waiter. read more

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Visited from Los Angeles , We Stopped in for 1st time while touring The Woodford , WoW great food , great service , I ordered Bourbon Cream Coffee & Cheeseburger & My wife ordered catfish & Grits . Staff was amazing can't wait to visit again next year. read more

Nice little place tucked in between two Distilleries. Great cocktails,incredible bourbon selection. The friend chicken sandwich was incredibly good. Would absolutely recommend and will return when in the area again! read more

Seriously not what you would expect near Buffalo trace. A little out of the way but so worth it. Pimento cheese every day!! read more

The Stave - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

Delicious food, cool spot tucked back near some of the most visited distilleries. I'd definitely recommend a reservation, they stay busy, and with current restaurant staff shortages expect to wait, and be nice about it. We had the chicken sandwich and a burger, both delicious. read more

After a tour and tasting just up the road at Castle & Key, we needed to put some food in our faces and bellies. The Stave is on the same road as the distillery, about a mile away. How convenient! Also...how busy! It is charming, small-town, roadside restaurant looking with a gravel free-for-all type of parking lot to go along with it. But the inside and the menu are a couple steps above that. An interesting combination. The indoor dining room is tight. Not a lot of space and they try to maximize its use. There is an enclosed and heated patio/wrap-around porch The Stave is a newer restaurant that opened a couple months before the distillery up the road. When we walked in around 1:30 on a Saturday, we were asked if we had reservations. It seems since they are so near to the destination distillery, they are the destination dining location. We (four of us) were happy to sit at the bar. There would have been quite a wait otherwise, I think. Even mid-afternoon, it seems it is a popular place. We sat down and got ready to chow down. Bartender Scott is wonderful! Not only acting as our server, but also slingin' dranks for the whole place. He was working a mile a minute, but still had the patience to give us some recommendations and provide us with great service! I wanted to try a couple things so I went with some smaller plate options. The pimento cheese grit balls with sweet chili sauce....these puppies are AMAZING! With the chili sauce...I mean...there was enough that all of us could have had 2 each, but I had a hard time sharing! I also got the burgoo and cornbread, which was a little disappointing. Burgoo I have had before is more meaty and substantial. In comparison, the 'goo from the Stave is a bit thin and not my favorite. And the cornbread was a bit bland. I could have asked for some butter, but I really didn't want to bother any one for it. I got to try my friends' fries and they were scrumptious. I think I just made a poor entree choice. Everything else looked and tasted pretty amazing! We were lucky enough to have been in a small group and willing to sit at the bar. If you know ahead of time that you will want to eat here before or after a tour at Castle & Key....particularly in high-traffic tourist times, I would HIGHLY recommend making a reservation. Overall, though, it is charming and tasty and I am certainly glad we decided to eat here! read more

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Very busy little place . Food was okay . Would definitely try again but maybe in the summer looked like a nice setting outside .

Another successful lunch yet taking my mom for the first time! First of all as always, the staff is customer service extraordinaire! They know the menu with almost passion when you ask them a question. My mother who is a catfish connoisseur, had their blackened catfish with greens & grits and almost licked her plate! And as usual their signature bourbon cocktails are amazing! A big shout out to the amazing chefs for putting it out like crazy! A must go if your visiting the bourbon trail! read more

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Ambiance was delightful. Service was friendly and efficient. Catfish was salty and so were shrimp and grits. Others in my group who had bbq and burgers said food was tasty, except cornbread was a little dry. All in all, I'd go again read more

Great food and service! Comfort food at its best! One of those places you might just drive by, but you gotta stop and try it!!

Along the Bourbon trail- a tourist restaurant attracting people to experience a good meal in an older style roadhouse in the woods. Good food and service- worth the visit if in area read more

This place was such a disappointment. I am in town from California and was so excited to eat here; the restaurant/bar was just beautiful. Sadly, I went in to use the restroom and took a picture of the bar, while waiting and one of the line cooks was totally offended and said, "what the fuck are you doing? You are just straight weird!" I told him I was sorry if I upset him, I was in from California and was just admiring the bar. After that I told my family and decided not to give them service. While getting into my vehicle, he was outside smoking and decided to throw his hands up at me to shew me away saying, "go back to California!" I am a white woman and got the vibe that this black man was racist. Needless to say, we won't be back. read more

Amazing food and great service. Must try if you are in the area. So hard to pick with the menu they have. So many good items! read more

The Stave - Hot Honey Fried Chicken Sandwich - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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This is a Nice little roadside place for a bite to eat between Woodford Reserve and Castle and Key distillery. They had delicious cocktails too. The bourbon list was EXTENSIVE!!!! They featured reasonably priced flights of bourbons. I hope this place keeps surviving during these shitty Covid days. read more

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Looking for a final memorial dinner in Kentucky before I make my way onward and I had driven past the Stave on a back road on my way to a distillery tour. It was very close to my hotel in Frankfort and paid a visit on a Sunday evening. I did arrive on the later side at a little past 8 pm, the restaurant closes at 10 but the kitchen closes at 9 pm. Food: It's Kentucky so I had to begin my visit with a Willet bourbon flight which was a nice mix of drams I've never tried like the Johnny Drum. The food menu contained a nice mix of regional cuisine and the bartender recommended the Stave Hot Brown. I've never had a Hot Brown before so had no point of reference but let's just say it was hearty. Open face sandwich on a thick spoon bread, turkey breast, Morgan sauce (which I later learned was pretty much melted cheese made this one rich dish. I could have used some other texture to break it up and perhaps some spice to elevate the flavor. It was tasty but I was not able to make it through the entire dish. It certainly would keep you warm if you had to work outdoors on a cold day! Service: I sat at the bar and the service was pretty good. At around 9 pm the only other party left the restaurant leaving me as the last patron. They were starting to clean up the restaurant as I was finishing my meal and while they didn't rush me out I felt like I should be on my way. I was going to order dessert but none was offered so I settled my tab and scooted. Atmosphere: This restaurant was literally on a quiet country road surrounded by houses. If you weren't looking for it you would never guess there was a nice restaurant in this area. I stumbled upon it by accident and recalled seeing a high yelp rating. The interior of the restaurant is very modern and open with seating inside and out. Value: Excellent prices across the board for both food and drink. Great value for the quality of dishes, atmosphere, and whiskey selection. Overall: Nice place, a little hard to find but worth the journey. read more

The Stave - Great flights at good prices - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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This was one of our favorite places we ate during our trip to the Bourbon Trail. We had the Stave burger with fries which was top notch, the fried bologna sandwich which was cut thick and had a nice little kick from the banana pepper relish. Get the cheesy grits for a side--they were awesome. Others in our party had the hot chicken sandwich, the pimento cheese and bacon jam grilled sandwich, and the enormous sized portion of the pasta carbonara. Our waitress was outstanding (but I can't remember her name!) we got to sit outside in the screened in porch area but the inside was cute, too. read more

The Stave - Fried bologna sandwich with cheesy grits - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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Stopped here for lunch expecting a wait as they don't take reservations. We waited 30ish minutes which wasn't unreasonable. The service was timely. The food was just okay, nothing to return for sadly. The Pickle brined fried chicken sandwich with added pimento cheese came highly recommended, and was good; but was the best thing anyone at the table ordered. The drink selection is noteworthy. read more

The Stave - Pickle brined fried chicken sandwich - added pimento cheese - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

Great service by Wendi in a small cozy setting. Food was all awesome - shrimp & grits, hot honey chicken sandwich, Caesar with catfish, and pasta & chicken. And the old fashioneds and whiskey selection were luscious! read more

The Stave - 4 Old Fashioneds - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

Off the beaten path eatery in the heart of Bourbon Country. Small, but Great food, service & atmosphere. Make a res read more