We had a fantastic dinner! Food and cocktails were amazing ! Service was excellent as well.

You just can't go wrong here. Every time I do business anywhere near the Frankfort area I make sure I stop in here. It's only eight minutes off of the main road. Even the drive out is beautiful. Great atmosphere, great service and great food. The The interior and the vibe and the outdoor dining are great. The food is fantastic. Have Scarlet at the bar make you a drink. Not pictured here was the catfish which after seeing it come out and be served to someone I promised myself I'm getting it next time. read more

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we were there very recently and were disappointed this time, starting with a local beer. I live here and I think most locally brewed beer is not that good to begin with and this round was flat and expensive. We had the meatloaf dinner which was also just ok. The meatloaf was tasty but dry and the veggies were cold. The chick sandwich was ok, nothing special. The barbecue sauce for the pulled pork had a weird chemical taste. The shrimp and grits were good. It's gotten pricey too. We would have been better off going to a chain restaurant And saved about $30. I have to agree with other reviewers in that this place was better last year. Eating out has just gotten ridiculous. read more

Bologna and hot honey sandwich were amazing! Fries well done with extra seasonings! Make sure you have reservations!

Every time we go to bourbon country we try to visit this gem. Great food & great people! The atmosphere inside and out, make it all complete. read more

If you are doing the bourbon trail or looking for a place to eat after visiting some of the distilleries in the area you owe it to yourself to go to this hidden gem! It's a little out there and if you blink you'll miss it but the food was great! The menu was huge and their bourbon menu was impressive! The hot honey chicken sandwich was good but needed more hot honey as there wasn't much of it but the sandwich was huge. The service was great but going in for lunch we were seated but was asked if we made a reservation, since there was only 2 of us were got a seat, more than that I'd recommend making a reservation if if you are going for lunch or dinner. The inside of the restaurant was a lot nicer looking than the inside and really was surprising! Can't wait to go back and try something else! read more

The Stave - Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich with pimento cheese and fries - under the hood - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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I came seeking the taste of Kentucky, but I also come as a vegetarian. This place had options on the menu, which most of the commonwealth does not. They came through both on providing a bluegrass atmosphere and the sort of food I was looking for. Unfortunately, the deck overlooking the creek in back was not open, but the main building of the restaurant was charming in itself (albeit not free of buzzing flies). The sandwich I ordered came with fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese, which is vegetarian but not light by any means. The smooth and slightly sweet cheese gave contrast to the sharper flavor of breading on the tomatoes. There were a few too many pickles for my taste, but it was certainly a distinctive and appropriately Southern flavor experience. A side salad with peach-flavored dressing hit the spot. So while the overlap between my tastes and their offerings was not large, I must give credit where credit is due; they make it clear what's vegetarian and they execute it well. read more

The Stave - Fried green tomato pimento grilled cheese and a side salad - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

We arrived an hour and a half prior to their closing time. When I approached the hostess she said there were only two parties in front of us but couldn't be sure they would be able to seat us before closing because their kitchen was slow getting food out. read more

An unexpected location. But the Yelp reviews were on point! Would never guess you need reservations here. But we did at lunch time. We waited though. Glad we did!! This place is amazing! Not only the food. But a HUGE bourbon selection too! Several of us got flights. A nice way to sample the different bourbons. Super cool atmosphere here. The service was great! The food was amazing!!! We had appetizers of the deviled eggs and Fried chicken and peppers. Both were amazing. The fried peppers were the star! I had the burger. It was cooked perfect and super good. Everything my party had they enjoyed. I can not wait to come back! read more

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

We found The Stave after visiting Woodford Reserve Distillery down the road. The menu looked promising as did their extensive whiskey menu. The service and hospitality was certainly great and the atmosphere is reminiscent of a small town restaurant off the beaten path, which it kind off is. The shark tacos(not sure if it was actual shark), were pretty tasty and came with a spicy Chipotle sauce. Also had a side of cheesy grits, the flavor was nice with a little black pepper taste to them. The Chicken sandwich was far from how it was described on the menu, "Pickle-Brined Hot Chicken Sandwich". I was excited to try this, however was disappointed. There's nothing hot about this besides the temperature, it was basically a very small fried piece of chicken on a non toasted hamburger bun. Now if your coming here to try some rare whiskies, The Stave is your place, a very extensive menu. However the price for a shot of a rare whiskey might cost you more then at a bar in downtown Chicago$$$. read more

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Off the beaten path. The Stave was recommended by a bartender downtown Lexington as a "have-to" spot for lunch. We found in between stops at Woodford Rose Distillery and Castle & Key Distillery. They had a bourbon selection that was plentiful and seemed reasonably price. For lunch I opted for the "pickle-brined" hot chicken sandwich. I did not taste any of the pickle brining and the chicken in no way was hot. Actually no heat at all. The chicken was on it way to being burnt and had the subtle taste of it and was very dry. My wife opted for the smoked fried bologna sandwich; I found it to be mediocre at best. We sat on a screened in porch area but the flies were so rampant it made the lunch a bit annoying. The place was cool but maybe what I ate was just a bad choice or off day for me. The staff was friendly and prompt. I would try it again but several different dining choices including eating inside to avoid the flies. read more

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The Stave. We found this place by "accident " while leaving Woodford Reserve Distillery, in Frankfort, KY. Thanks to YELP....What a good find. The place is sort of "woodsy". Small but comfortable and fits the area well. We went inside to sit at the bar. Small Bar area and right next to kitchen, while usually not bad for us, because we like to watch the kitchen operate. BUT.... The dishwasher was making so much noise, ridiculously noisy, we decided to move outside to the screened patio. Also... they need A LOT OF HELP WITH MENU PRINTING. The ones we had were awful...could hardly read the description of meals. That being said: My husband ordered their Pork Chop with some sort of mashed creamed corn, potatoes & roasted green beans. Pork chop was moist and tender. I ordered the Pickled-brined Hot Fried Chicken plate, came with mashed potatoes & roasted green beans. Also, very juicy, tender and very flavorful. Everything was delicious. We'd order these again in a heartbeat. Alex was our Server and she was delightful, full of personality. Then.... the most amazing thing happened !! A lady arrived carrying a lot of boxes into the restaurant. Our Server Alex, got excited and said: "oooh good, the cheesecakes have arrived". That got our attention!! Today's special was Apple Caramel Cheesecake..... we took a slice to go. We dug into it @ 9:00 pm, guess our sweet tooth came beckoning.. OMG..... It was over the top delicious !!! Now we have to go find her store in Lexington, KY. before we leave this area. I believe her store is called Backroads Bakery. But that's another review. Yes, we would recommend this place. read more

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We were excited to have the chance to stop in to The Stave again on our way back to Louisville from Red River Gorge. I'm really glad this place is here - the menu is unique, the food is delicious, and the cocktails are very tasty. We've sat on the patio and outside before, but this time, we were able to sit inside the main dining area. It's a little loud, but nothing more than regular restaurant noises/loudness. We ordered from the Sunday Special menu - an Apple Cider Manhattan, but when it was delivered to us, it was described as an Apple Cider Martini. As someone who prefers martinis over manhattans, this was great news! The drink was really yummy. Ian ordered the chicken and waffles. He said the breading was really, really tasty. I got the cucumber benedictine and fries - both were great! I think they might make their own ketchup. It tasted a little different - good! But, not your typical Heinz. They have an extensive bourbon and whiskey menu, which definitely makes sense for where it's situated. I look forward to being back in the area so that I can stop here again and try something new. read more

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Amazing food and atmosphere. Great bourbon selection and the food is top notch. Only thing that keeps it from 5 stars was the really slow and indifferent service. I don't mind waiting on good food, but we were sat and then left alone for over 10 minutes without even a greeting. Eventually our server took drink orders and then another lengthy disappearing act. There's only a few tables in the restaurant and while there were several servers there, our server still couldn't be bothered to check in or offer refills. read more

I ate here with a group of people and everyone was pleased with the experience. The atmosphere is excellent and the drink menu is extensive. The food options are a little limited but they are delicious. Popular items at our table were the cheese grits, the burgoo and the bread pudding. read more

The Stave - Burgoo and cornbread - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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Met a friend for lunch... the host and wait staff were great and helpful. Our selections were hot and delicious. Beautiful drive to get here and definitely worth it. read more

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Absolutely amazing food! We had shrimp and grits, pork shoulder, and bacon and pimiento grilled cheese with chow chow on sourdough. Everyone loved it all! The staff was also friendly. read more

Such a cool place. Off the beaten path but so glad we went when we visited KY in Nov 2024. Great service and great food. The fried bologna sandwich was delicious! read more

We tried this place recently based off of a recommendation from a friend. It is a bit of a scenic drive from Frankfort and you would drive right past it if you didn't know it was there. They have a nice covered patio, a main dining room area, and a nice bar set up. The staff were friendly. They have high chairs available if needed. We were told they had the best chicken sandwich in the area, so I already had my mind made up. However, the regular chicken sandwich wasn't on the menu, even though it was on their website. The hot honey chicken sandwich was still very good. I added the candied bacon and it did not disappoint. My wife tried the blackened catfish. Great portion size for the price. Since it was a colder evening, she really wanted the chicken and dumplings, but they were out. I ordered a flight of bourbon, but only because I didn't receive the extensive bourbon menu. I didn't know they had a separate list until the table next to me ordered Pappy from that menu. I would have preferred a single pour over the flight, but the flight was already poured by the time I saw the other menu. Oh well, we would definitely go back to try those other menu items. read more

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We found this restaurant through Yelp. The reviews were great so we decided to try it out. I'm so glad we did. This place is a gem! We sat in the covered porch area. It was in November and the weather was quite cool but we we very warm sitting there. The service was great and we did not wait long for our food. We will definitely go back in the warmer months and check out the outdoor deck near the water. We both ordered the fried chicken sandwich. It was so good! The waitress recommended trying it with pimento cheese the next time we visit. We have already told several people about this great find. It is near Castle and Key Distillery - which is another great place to visit when in the area. read more

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

This was our first visit, and I was surprised at how small it is. We sat at the bar and had excellent service, even with the chaos they had going that day (plumbers working on the sink drains). The food was good, nothing that knocked our socks off, but good nonetheless. The drinks are where The Stave shines. Our drinks were a solid 9 out of 10. They also have a huge whisky selection, but I found the prices a bit steep. In all fairness, they are the only place between two distilleries and probably have no problem selling pours. read more

We have been here a few times before. We always looked forward to eating here but things have changed. First I need to acknowledge, we didn't have a reservation. However, we came at 4 pm. They were busy but not swamped by any means. Many open tables. Service was really terrible. I hate to say it, but it is what it is. They had us wait while they cleared a table (while there were many open tables). It took about 5 minutes which wasn't big deal. We were seated and our waitress came right away and took our drink orders. This is where things went downhill. She never brought our water (we asked for some from another employee). We waited about 25 minutes and finally she came with our drinks and took our food orders. Food arrived timely but she forgot my husband's coleslaw. We waited while she chatted with another table about her nails. She came back about 5 minutes later to ask how things were and realized she forgot the coleslaw again. In general the food was ok. Not as good as previously remembered.the menu is now limited with about 5 entrees, 5/6 sandwiches. And about 5 small plates. Prices had increased substantially which in all fairness is ok if the quality of the food remained the same. We were very disappointed at this visit. Maybe it was a "one off" bad day. For $85 before tip for 2 entrees, 2 drinks. It's not worth it now. read more

We were on a work trip and randomly stopped here based on Yelp reviews. The restaurant is tucked back on a nice quaint road, which we later learned was on the Bourbon trail. Outdoor seating was perfect. My friend and I split the Wedge salad (not pictured) and I ordered the Shrimp and Grits. Flavor was amazing! Staff was friendly and courteous. I would definitely visit and try something else on the menu. Oh, and there are at least 200 bourbons on a separate menu! Check it out! read more

The Stave - Shrimp and grits - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

My son & I dined at the Stave restaurant on Fri 6/28/24 around 6ish. We didn't make a reservation but we got in right away. The ambiance was great, service was excellent. We both got the blackened catfish served on cheese grits & collard greens. Both my son and I loved this dish. We live in Ohio & my son said he would drive 2 hrs for this dish. I believe they had just about every bourbon you could possibly want including flights. The burnt orange & brown sugar old fashion was awesome. Several of my friends visit the bourbon trail & I will definitely be recommending this restaurant. It's off the beaten path just far enough to be away from the main drag. Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Food was pretty good. Neat location and cool vibe as a whiskey bar. Service was a lot to be desired. Seems like the type of place that values dismissive/disinterested wait staff. Food was overpriced for what it was. Okay but I wouldn't go back. read more

The food was great! We loved the atmosphere and the drink selection was excellent. Service was good, but the servers were super busy. Food was definitely tasty. read more

I stopped in here, like most, while traveling between Woodford and Castle & Key distilleries. I can't say much more than others. The food was fantastic; get the pork bbq sandwich. The service was also great. Our waitress, was fast, friendly and helpful. If in the area, this should definitely be on your list of stops. read more

I stumbled upon this gem while traveling from Woodford Reserve to the Castle & Key distillery. I hadn't eaten yet and the parking lot was packed. I decided to stop and I am so happy I did! Ali waited on me and she was awesome sauce! She made so excellent food recommendations and the service was above average! I ordered the Smoked Old Fashioned which was prepared wonderfully. For my appetizer, I ordered the green tomato and okra fritters which has a tangy remoulade sauce. I don't really enjoy okra but I did like these fritters - good presentation and great taste. For my meal, I ordered the hot chicken sandwich with pimento cheese and bacon added to it with fries and a side of Brussels sprouts! My chicken sandwich was perfectly brined and fried and was extremely crispy! It was served on a pretzel bun and the addition of bacon and pimento cheese we the perfect accompaniments! My French fries would have been excellent; however, they were not hot. They were still quite tasty! The Brussels sprouts were the star of the show. They grilled theirs on an actual grill and the flavor shines through. The Brussels sprouts were perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked to where they weren't hard nor were they mushy and just so flavorful! They were so good. For dessert I ordered the chocolate bread pudding. This was good but I could only eat one bite as I was stuffed. I ended up enjoying my dessert the following day! I highly recommended this jewel! read more

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I was looking for an out of the way place to celebrate my birthday. I wanted to get out of Lexington and try something new. But above all, I wanted the food to be great. I found those things at the Stave. First let me start by stating that I did not partake in the bourbon sampling and the like that is probably the draw here. It looked interesting and fun and all, but I was just here for a good meal. Between the four of us (wife, son, daughter, and I), we had the blackened catfish on grits, Stave burger, fried catfish, and pickle-brined hot chicken sandwich. All were good, but the blackened catfish might have been the best blackened catfish I've ever had. There was something between that fish and the grits that was, well, magical. It was incredible. The fried catfish was quite good as well but with that blackened catfish...I mean why waste your time? The Stave burger with pimento cheese had a unique flavor that a red meat eater could get into. And lastly, the hot chicken would have been phenomenal if only it had been in the fryer just a tad less than it was. But still a great sandwich. The caveat? Well, the service is not what one would expect in Kentucky. While the food was hot, the service was, well, cold. It comes with this new model of restaurant payment everyone has accepted where you pay both for the meal and gratuity ahead of time. This is a flawed model in my opinion, for obvious reasons. But, I'll be back. I loved sitting out back by the creek enjoying the meal and time with my family. The meals were unique, fresh, and tasty. Get the blackened catfish to be blown away but don't expect excellent service with a smile. read more

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Perfect stop for lunch, only a few minutes from Woodford Reserve Distillery. Burgoo hit the spot on a rainy cold day! Wide variety of menu options made it hard to choose which to go with. Covered outdoor patio had heaters to keep it comfortable for patio diners. They take reservations. Covid precautions being taken with staff wearing masks, social distancing and sanitizing between patrons. read more

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Really cool spot on the side of the road a little ways north from Woodford Reserve. Nice vibes and great bourbon selection although fairly pricey. Fried chicken sandwich with pimento cheese was truly special. Fries however were ice cold. Definitely worth a stop between distilleries if you're in the area. read more

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Very busy Mother's Day dinner, we were in town visiting distilleries, Gavin was our waiter, who they pulled from his sous chef position to help. He was very thorough, responsive and helpful with suggestions. We had a reservation and initially placed at the hi top next to the bar, we asked to move due to the very noisy bar patrons, and we were accommodated to an outside porch table. If the weather is right, go for the screened in porch tables. All of our food was great, shrimp n grits, pulled pork, salads and a great selection of bourbon, cocktails and a sprinkle of wine for our non bourbon drinkers read more

Great variety of bourbon / whiskey drinks. The food was fantastic. The catfish dish is the best that I had outside of New Orleans.

The good, service and ambiance were great - a true southern gem close to so many bourbon trail and unique KY experiences. We went for early lunch before Ky Railway tour and the burger as well as chicken sandwich were superb. read more

The Stave - Bar area - Southern Near Me - Frankfort, Kentucky

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Great little place with friendly and the atmosphere was good. A very good lineup of local favorites at reasonable prices.

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

One of our good friends highly recommended this tiny restaurant on the Bourbon Trail. We were so grateful that they could fit us in for lunch, but reservations are really recommended! We had one of the best waitresses, Carla. She was charmingly professional and helpful with the menu. Their menu has so many amazing sounding drink and food selections; it was hard to chose! We all loved everything we ordered! The grilled pimento fried green tomato sandwich, the succulent Southern fried chicken sandwich, the Cajun styled potato salad and Kentucky Burgoo soup were all delicious! I can't remember all the yummy cocktails, but we were very happy with them too! We all would highly recommend this stop on McCracken Rd., outside Frankfort!!! Make reservations so you won't be disappointed! read more

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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

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

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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