The service at this place is totally atrocious. Awful. Part of it was that our server was double sat by the hostess. The food was nothing special. The only saving grace was the bourbon! You can get 5 shots for $27, some good high end stuff too. It was nice to be able to try so many kinds of bourbon-and they have a wonderful selection. We also went back to the bar that night, same crappy service. It would have been nicer if the bourbon had nicer glasses-I mean, really-who is going to shoot a 12 year old bourbon??
Review Source:We came here after a recommendation from the Jim Beam distillery.
The food was ok. They did have some nice unique items like the Kentucky soup thing and the Kentucky hot brown. The food was. Ok, it tended to be a little salty but they had real mashed potatoes. Unfortunately they doused it in pre-made gravy and used canned green beans. We also tried the fried green tomatoes and they we delicious.
Wasn't worth the hype we had heard about the place. The ambiance was not as cool as I was hopping.
We had a very nice time here. Fried pickles, fried green tomatoes, fried chicken, hot brown, whiskey drinks...What more could you ask for?! We are not from the south, so we aren't good judges as to "authentic" southern food, but were completely stuffed and satisfied after our dinner here. We went to the bar after dinner and had a few bourbon drinks. We loved the bartender! She was super nice, friendly and very knowledgable about bourbon and the area. They have a very good selection of bourbon and a great atmosphere. We went there during the week, so it was pretty dead in there but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would definitely come back again!
Review Source:This was a stop for us on our way to tour the eastern half of the US. I am always up for any place that has a little history! The hostess and wait staff were both friendly and accommodating. We started with the stuffed mushrooms, which were average, and split the fried catfish. The fish was fried to perfection and had great flavor. After spending the day on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail my husband continued the theme with the Bourbin tasting. Â It was a great presentation and value at $27. After our meal we moved over to the bar where they let us order dessert and change the TV to Monday Night Football even though they we closing in 10 minutes! Â The bartender was sweet and gave us great tips for continuing the Bourbon Trail while we finished our drinks and dessert. Overall a great experience with good food.
Review Source:This review is for the bar.
My significant otter and I stopped in for a drink as it is located next door to the Jailer's Inn where we were spending the night. If you show them your key from the Inn you don't have to pay the cover charge.
Being in bourbon country I decided to get an Old Fashioned and the Otter was excited to try some bourbon he can't get back home. Service was friendly and the prices are reasonable.
While planning a weekend bourbon country tour I read about The Old Talbott Tavern and could not wait to give it a try. Â It sounded like a wonderful piece of history and a place to get a decent meal.
When we arrived it was about 1:15 on a Friday and the lunch rush was tapering off. Â The restaurant was approximately 1/3rd full. Â It took about 10 minutes for someone to come up front to seat us. Â One of the servers grabbed a couple of menus and pointed us toward a table. Â She dumped the menus, and that's the last contact we had with a human. Â We sat there studying the menus and looking around for about 20 minutes. Â I noticed other patrons looking around, possibly for the check, drink refills, or dessert. Â It will remain a mystery because we left without anyone even glancing toward our table. Â My guess is the entire staff took a long smoke break and forgot they were open for business. Â Very disappointing.
Let's say this is really about a 3 1/2 star location.The Old Talbott Tavern is in the very center of Bardstown's downtown area. The Tavern is not only an eating and drinking establishment there are sleeping rooms available. The steps leading to the lobby shows a 1790 date. The lobby area has been converted to a  gift show however this is where you go to get seated for dinner or to check in to your hotel room. To the left is the old dining room bar. There is seating before two very large fireplaces and the bar is  in the front next to the windows facing the street. The bar was not in use the night we were there. There is a Bourbon bar on the opposite side of the restaurant and that bar was very much open. There is a limited menu for dinner. I ordered the Southern fried chicken, even there a note on the menu stated it would take 55 minutes to prepare. I ask the waitress and she stated there was some about ready and it would take only a few minutes. The chicken was rolled in a flour batter and fried. It was not crusty and the inside of the meat was still moist. While the chicken was good the price was a little high (almost $17) and especially for this small town.The salad served was just OK, the green beans a little soggy and the cornbread had been made with a  very course ground meal. I would say the meal was an expensive southern cooking type presentation. After dinner we took a turn upstairs in the area whwerre the hotel rooms are. If you want to say that you have stayed in a very old tavern/inn, then go for it. You have to carry your luggage up two lights of old wooden steps. The names on the doors of each room are interesting, such as the Jesse James Room and the General Quarters. Their are some historical sketches posted on the wall in the hallway where the rooms are located. There is also a very nice large dining room which had been set up but was not in use the day we were there. The wait service was very good. Seating took a could on minutes as the young girls were involved in a  personal conversation so we waited and waited even though there were very few guest in the dining room. Parking is on the street plus a few parking spaces to the side of the tavern. I think this is an event for tourist and more than likely you will enjoy.
Review Source:This is one of those places you just have to try when passing through or touring the Bardstown area or the Bourbon Trail. Â They do a good job in keeping with the rustic, centuries-old atomosphere. Â The food, while not spectacular, was very good and what one would hope to get for comfort food.
The only issue here is with their bourbon flight option. Â For $25, you get to try 5 different bourbons from a menu. Â They send you out a tray of your choices, and it is 5 shot glasses full of bourbon to the rim. Â First of all, this is a recipe for disaster for any one person drinking this him/herself. Â Secondly, most people who "sip" bourbon don't do it out of a shot glass. Â Usually a whisky glass or a snifter of some kind. Â Thirdly, no water, ice, rocks glass, nothing like that was offered by the waitress, either. Â This is a signature menu option for this place. Â They need to execute it better.
My take on the place: eh. While the fried green tomatoes were decent (hard to mess fried green tomatoes up), the food was insanely salty and I should have known better than ordering the country fried at a place like this, but I did and I could only take about four bites of it. The batter had huge, overwhelming chunks of bacon and the whole thing was drowned in salty white gravy. My husband's hot brown was swimming in cheese sauce that looked and tasted suspiciously like Velveeta. If we go back to the area for more Bourbon Trail adventures we'll skip this tourist trap.
Review Source:The downtown area in Bardstown is a very nice setting for such a historical place as this Tavern. I have been to Bardstown numerous times and always intrigued to stop at het Tavern and enjoy the food and ambiance. I was a bit disappointed. The place was not particularly packed on a Saturday afternoon, yet the staff was not very attentive to the guest.
Every waitresses was wearing an apron that could use a trip or two to the dry cleaners, it simply looks unsanitary to be serving food with a dirty apron. Â It is not like a pill just happened; it was simply dirty on all the ones that I saw. Â The soups of the day were quite delicious. However the entrees leave some room for a better meal.
Just because the place is old and rustic, it should not need go the extra mile and look in the brinks of looking abandon. In an attempt to make the place look period correct, they have placed some items in the dinning are that simply look out of place and in need of a good dusting.
I will not be returning.
We came for the bourbon sampler and were not disappointed. Our server was well-versed in the bourbons available and did not steer us wrong. Â We had a list of about 60 bourbons to choose from (comprehensive enough, I think) and she helped us pick a good variety to sample. Â Tried the Hot Brown (which was new to us) and the fried chicken dinner (which was exactly like Mom's, right down to the green beans with bacon). The chess pie was wonderful. We enjoyed the dining room's history and people watching, as there was a diverse collection of customers - families, a group of golfers, tourists, and locals out for dinner. It was worth the drive from our hotel in Louisville.
Review Source:I had heard so much about the Tavern prior to our visit and was very disappointed by the experience. The bar has a nice selection of local beers and bourbons but the dining room is just plain odd. It's not at all tavern-like, but rather semi-formal with white table cloths, and the service was very slow. We wanted to order the fried chicken, but it said on the menu it would be a 55-minute wait. We should have just ordered it, as our food took more than that amount of time to make. My Old Kentucky Hot Brown was OK, but the others I dined with had the country fried steak, which was just mediocre. I would go to Circa. instead if looking for somewhere to dine in downtown Bardstown. The gal at our B&B also warned us not to stick around past 11pm, as it "gets really rough there late night." Something about a rowdy local crowd and a lot of bar fights.
Review Source:Stopped here after the Maker's tour.
We had the BBQ pork and the Hot Brown. Â I'll be honest, I didn't "get" the Hot Brown. Â Maybe this is a Kentucky thing. Â The pork was good.
The bourbon selection is large but our waitress couldn't really speak to any of them.
The KY barrel ale was very interesting.
I dined at T.O.T.T. twice during my annual autumnal visit to Kentucky, and both experiences were great. Â A friend and I, who don't care for fried green tomatoes at all, ordered them anyway. Â They were about the best things that we'd ever had... lightly breaded and not greasy or overly acidic, with a delightful, Green Goddess type of sauce on the side. Â
I'd give Talbott's five stars, but I have to say that there was one drawback during both visits. Â I know that it's housed in a 200-year-old building, and buildings that old come with built-in noises and odors, but..... Â The lobby smelled like large dogs had relieved themselves there many many times. Â Kinda put a damper on both visits, but not enough to avoid ever going back. Â Maybe it was a temporary thing.
This review is only for the bar area, but it's a review that includes two bourbon tastings and that's a lot of shots, so we earned our review, I think.
The bar area isn't really anything special, encompassing a big room, with rudimentary chairs and tables on one side and the bar on the other. Combine that with a fridge holding beers and Red Bulls and a small stage that had room for one guy with a guitar and a woman accompanying him. Turns out Dave and Dev (I think that is their names) aren't half bad, though they're pretty loud so if you're looking to be heard, don't show up on the night they're playing.*
All those things aside, the reason to come there (in addition to it being pretty much the only bar a tourist could find in the area) is their Bourbon flights. For $25 you can get 5 shots of different bourbons and they have a pretty good variety.** Highlights include Blanton's, Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare. I didn't love a lot of the others, but I think that's more because of my palate than anything specific of those drinks.
If you're just looking to sample the Bourbon, stop by earlier in the day when it's not so loud and crazy.
* - There was a $5 cover because of the music, so keep an eye out for that.
* - How could they not? This is basically this area of the country's claim to fame -- to not have a ton of bourbons would be a crime.
Historically, this place is amazing. Unfortunately, the food and service is inconsistent. I would expect this beautiful location in the middle of Bardstown would be very busy during the Bourbon Festival - and so should they. For lunch. service was pleasant and excellent. For dinner the next day, it was impatient, aggressive and disappointing. Same with the food. Kentucky Burgoo soup was great for lunch but thin, only warm and disappointing for dinner. Sandwiches at lunch were great, Kentucky Hot Brown at dinner was overcooked. Not even the bacon saved it. Maybe only the good staff works at lunch, but there was too much of a difference. Ask for the brochure that lists the "Events of the Tavern" and the papers that describe the Tavern and its history. Read them during your meal and it will make the food seem better.
Review Source:We ate here recently and had an absolutely wonderful meal. Â My wife and her girl friend came here in 1968 when they came west and said this restaurant served the best Southern Fried Chicken they ever had ever tasted. Â So, we had to stop on our recent trip through the South to see if it still lived up to that billing. Â Their on-line dinner menu indicated that we needed to give them 45 minutes advanced notice before dining on their Southern Fried Chicken, so we called before we arrived. The Old Talbott Inn & Tavern has been around since 1779, so its colonial beginnings are evident everywhere. Â It's a very awesome place!
As noted in other reviews, Bardstown is known as the Bourbon Capital of the World. Â We're not Bourbon drinkers, but there were certainly a lot of Bourbons to choose from. Â We settled for wine and ordered their traditional Kentucky Burgoo soup as a starter, which was described as a combination of pulled beef, pulled pork, and chicken in a vegetable base with Bourbon and Worcestershire added. Â It was excellent--a full-bodied flavor with just a bit of a kick (mostly from the Worcestershire sauce, I'd say).
Our Southern Fried Chicken arrived, and we both prepared ourselves for our first bite. Â It did not disappoint in the least. Â It was just outstanding. Â The batter was the tastiest either of us had every had, and it was deep fried to perfection. Â It did not taste the least bit greasy. Â The batter was crispy and light and the meat was moist and tender. Â We could not believe that after 43 years, by wife (and now I) could definitely say this WAS, indeed, the best Southern Fried Chicken we had ever had.
But the meal didn't end there. Â I ordered the Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce and my wife ordered a Kentucky specialty--Kentucky Derby Pie. Â It was a combination of chocolate, Bourbon, and walnuts. Â It was to die for. Â I loved my Bread Pudding, but had to admit that my wife's Derby Pie was the standout.
We do have one negative comment, tho small, about our meal. Â It game with green beans for a veggie. Â The beans didn't appear fresh (tho they might have been); they were cooked to death and virtually tasteless, and generally not worth the effort, but this small faux pax didn't detract from the overall excellent meal.
The meal we had at the Old Talbott Inn will be one that will live favorably in our memories for the rest of our lives.
Driving through Bardstown looking for somewhere quaint and Kentuckian to have dinner, we saw the gorgeous stone facade of the Old Talbott Tavern. The Yelp reviews were great, so we went for it.
First the good: the burgoo was rich and meaty, and our server was a smiley, courteous young man who was great at his job.
The bad? The hotbrown is an abomination. Wonder bread covered in condensed soup (we think?) with some cold-cuts on top. Sides were straight out of a can. The pickle chips were novel but ultimately nausea-inducing. 15 dollars an entree for one of the worst dinners in my recent memory.
We deeply regret not going to the generic but competent-looking nouvelle cuisine place across the street.
We ate here a few times while doing the Bourbon Trail and it's a great spot.
Given the age and historic significance of building, the tavern has a really neat and unique atmosphere. Combined with solid Kentucky fare, this was a winner for me. Specifically...
- the fried pickles were perfect. I loved these thin crispy slices dipped in tasty batter.
- burgoo was hearty and had a great flavor
- chess pie was moist and had just the right sweetness
Yup, don't miss this one.
Great find while we were doing the Bourbon Trail. Â Historic venue and it is just great to dine in the original tavern. Â Since we were in Kentucky we thought we would try the Hot Brown and were not at all disappointed as it excellent and received rave reviews from all three of us. Â Also had the friend green tomatoes and they were very good as well. Â The young girl serving us was super. Â A fun experience.
Review Source:This place was cool! Â We stopped here for lunch on our way to Heaven Hill Distillery. Â They were under staffed because someone had called out sick, but the waitress did a good job of making sure we were attended to.
The place is apparently haunted, and it had a very neat "vibe". Â The fried pickles were great, and the Kentucky barrel beer was sweet and delicious!
Let me start off by saying this is by no means a five star hotel, my review is based on our experience staying here. Â
Bardstown is in the heart of Bourbon Country, and this historic town is a nice stop over point. Â Just a short drive to Jim Beam, Woodford Reserve and Buffalo Trace, in addition to a half a dozen other distilleries. There's basically two taverns in the main square, this one has been around apparently forever, and the one across the street popped up in the 70's in a historic building. Â The bar is pretty basic but it does have a nice offering of whisky's and a few drafts. Â We ended up staying the night at the Inn upstairs which was surprisingly cheap. Â Less than $80 for a room with two King's and they rolled in a cot free of charge. Â Some guest in the morning told us they came out to see ghosts and snapped some pictures, hoping their developed images would reveal some orbs. Â Apparently Abe Lincoln stayed at this place when it was in its prime.
Being that the bar is basically the lobby of this hotel, and they have live music so it can be loud until closing time if there is a show that night. Â Despite the $5 cover (overnight guests are no charge) and the fact that its really in the middle of nowhere, the tavern really fills up at night. Â The rooms were nicely furnished with historic furniture, but the overall quality was a bit run down. Â You can definitely tell that the building is very old and the upgrades and repairs have been patched together over time. Â I personally appreciate the history and character and can overlook the leaky faucets, etc. Â
A continental breakfast is provided, but it basically consists of cereal and coffee. Â I'm not easily grossed out, but when I asked the kitchen for a coffee mug they came back with mugs hot from the washer, but caked with peanut butter or some kind of nasty leftover food, and the cereal spoons were crusty and greasy as well. Â Continental breakfasts are generally disappointing, but a clean spoon is a minimum. Â Your best bet is to skip it and hit the Waffle House on your way to the distilleries.
Stopped in during our bourbon trail tour. Â Just wanted some bourbon and appetizers. Being in Bourbon country I was surprised on their bourbon collection. Â We had the 5 shot bourbon sampler. Â Great value. Â Had fried green tomatoes with homemade ranch and some hot wings. Â 5 stars for the 'maters. Â Wings were typical hot wings, nothing too special.
Would go back if we are ever back in town.
lovely, lovely, lovely. Â this is the kind of places that transports me back to 1985...yeah i said 1985. Â in the mid to late 80's my parents took me on a fantastic voyage each summer through the early history of this great nation...making visits to places like Williamsburg Va, Jamestown, Boonesboro, KY, Abe Lincoln's birthplace and many more. and at every gift shop i would ask them to buy one of the following:
1. a tri-corner revolutionary war hat
2. a fake coonskin cap
3. a replica of a musket.
every. time.
(i finally amassed a collection of all three).
the Old Talbott Tavern takes me back to this time. Â its gift shop is replete with postcards and shot glasses and tri-corner and coonskin hats. Â and couldn't be any more charming.
its restaurant is wonderful too.  great service and great southern classics such as fried chicken, country ham and fried catfish.  and Kentucky faves like burgoo (a thick, hearty meat stew) and hot browns(<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FHot_Brown&s=df4144b32c330b3e7e7412761a55072ab5dd71c5d82caa7e475b01b8fdd94a98" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/…</a>).
everything is delicious and made even more enjoyable by eating in a building over 200 years old in which a young Abe Lincoln, Daniel Boone and even  exiled French King Louis Phillipe and his entourage once stayed.
if you're in bardstown for any reason (most likely you're on your way to tour a bourbon distillery) you must stop here for lunch or dinner.
Let me just start out with this - I had never heard of this town, let alone this place, I don't understand why not!? Â The food is great, the service is wonderful, and the atmosphere leaves nothing to desired for!
If you have not heard of it, like me, the Old Talbott Tavern is a very old building, circa 1790, and has some history behind it - just like every other old building, granted. Â But this one is the first one that puts out such great food. Â
I had my first, and hopefully not my last, experience of the Kentucky Hot Brown here. Â Again, if this is news to you, you NEED to stop somewhere, hopefully here, and have one. Â It is not for the calorie conscious, in fact it is an indulgent meal. Â Served in a small casserole lies a piece of hearty bread topped with pulled turkey, sliced ham, a large slice of tomato, a pile of cheddar cheese, and piece of bacon. Â A cream-based cheese sauce that would put most of mothers to shame surrounds all of this and takes the flavor level from dwarf to Supernova!
I really cannot describe just how good it is, but I can say that you should let it sit while it cools off after its ride in the oven. Â I currently have a slightly burned tongue thanks to that tastastic meal. Â If you do have a Hot Brown, you do have to have a sweet tea to go along with it, or as they call it down here - tea. Â The sweetness of the tea perfectly balances out the purely savory meal. Â
After the meal, Justin, our most helpful server, wisely talked my guest on this flavor adventure into the Peach Cobbler. Â It was definitely a good choice. Â
Also, my guest is a vegetarian and had already accepted that there would be barely be a choice for her in the heart of Kentucky that wasn't an Iceberg salad or a baked potato.  When she saw the Vegetable Wrap on their menu, of course she ordered it, because I am sure it is the only thing on the menu that is devoid of meat.  To quote her, "this is the best meal that I have had this entire tour", she and I have been on the road for the past 7 weeks.  This is high praise, because we have been be privy to some great restaurants in our time exploring this country.  Even I was taken back, but looking at the wrap full of marinated and sautéed vegetables of all sorts covered in vinaigrette that packs a tiny chipotle pepper punch.
I am always glad when we can find a restaurant that serves both vegetarians and omnivores alike. Â It doesn't hurt to have fantastic food, service, and prices in a historically significant building...
I'm originally from KY, so I loved this place. Â This is what ky is all about - burgoo, fried green tomatoes, hot browns and bourbon. Â Where else can you get all that and a cheesy gift shop in a100-year-old stone building?
My family stopped here on the 'bourbon trail'. Â Loved it - especially when the chef was "trying out' new ways to present his fried green tomatoes appetizer so gave our table a round for free!!!!!
I did not drink here, but I did eat 1,000,000 calories.
I think this is the standard food stop on the bourbon trail: Â historic and in the center of bardstown. Â Â
We stopped in to sample the traditional kentucky cuisine: Â Burgoo (a tomato-y stew) and the Hot Brown (an open face cheesey heart-attack-on-a-plate). Â Â The meal came with delicious cornbread and biscuits. Â
Simply put, it's no frills home-cooking. Â Â I would recommend sticking to the standards, things that have "kentucky" or "fried" in their descriptions.
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