The Old Talbott Tavern

This place is awesome. I have an unusual food allergy, all meat, and I ordered the fried green tomatoes which it turns out would be fried with grease that had had meat in it. The manager was extremely nice and pan fried me some fried green tomatoes. They are awesome for going the extra mile. All the food was wonderful and the service incredible.

The Old Talbott Tavern is an absolutely adorable gem located smack in the middle of historic Bardstown. The building smacks of old history and bourbon and it takes pride in our Kentucky history — bonus points for that!
I came here to take part in a very good friend’s bridal shower. We had a smörgåsbord of buffet items to choose from in a private room. I personally had the bourbon meatballs, the tavern salad, and the bacon pimento sliders. All of the food was delicious — especially the homemade dressing that I enjoyed with my salad.
The service was wonderful with our wine and water glasses being re-​filled very promptly by the bartender and staff.
I highly recommend the Old Talbott for both everyday dining and special occasions. It’s really good!

This is one the coolest places I’ve ever been to! A restaurant and hotel built in 1779. Who could ask for more? Hotel was very unique because a lot of famous people stayed here, like Jesse James, Abraham Lincoln and Daniel Boone. I love after 200 years this place is still up and running. I’m very happy they kept up with the updates and kept this place up to code. The restaurant part was very cool and unique and how you can sit down and look at what it look like back in the day. Original floors to original ceilings to just original everything. The food was really amazing. I got the turkey sandwiches and I will say I was not expecting it to be that good. Simple but elegant. The sweet tea here is probably the best I’ve ever had in the state.(not better than mine but close. :p) Service here was excellent. Our server constantly told us stories about the hotel and the area and just was a great server. I will say this is one the best restaurants I could imagine going to all the time. I don’t know if I would stay in the hotel where Jesse James got shot at but I will say I love to eat here.

Unfortunately time does changes things. We stayed here several years ago and had a great experience. Unfortunately the staff today is not interested in guest satisfaction. Tried to eat dinner and told they only had one server so could not accommodate another couple.
They apparently do not clean the room unless requested. Not bad except we did not know this. Left the the towels on the floor as usual. When we returned no one had been in the room. Went to the desk to get towels and wash clothes and they said the would bring them right up
2 hours later had to leave, without being able to take a shower. Still no towels when we returned at 9:30pm so discussed the issue with the bartender. The office was now closed for the night. She had to go upstairs and delivered the needed towels. Wife had to make the bed to get the sheets to fit.
Talbot Tavern has a great bartender but we would not stay here again. Try the Bourbon House around the corner.

Exceptional service and flavorful food with a historic surrounding that draws as much attention as the food. We tried several of the bourbon flavored items and were more than satisfied with the artistry that showed through in our meals. Highly recommend!

I’ve eaten here twice and this place is all about the ambience. You come for the history of Talbot Tavern not the 5 star food. Don’t get me wrong, the food is good, it’s just ok-​average good.
The first visit I had their version of the Kentucky Brown. Heart attack on a plate, yah I know. I should have saved my calories, I’ve had better versions of this Kentucky Staple. The second time I had a turkey sandwich. It was good, but it was a nothing special turkey sandwich. Other selections at the table were the chicken wrap and pulled pork sandwich. Those got thumbs up.
The cool thing about this place is the history– the people who have walked these halls and say at the tables in this place. That’s the cool thing– ask for the information sheet on the history of the place. It’s worth a read while waiting. Visit upstairs to see the rooms that hold more tales of history.
Go for the history!

Could I give it a neg one? Disgusting bar area. Rude bartenders… Food looked like baby throw up. Tasted bla… Terrible. Just visiting for the weekend and it will be the last time in this town.

Tourist trap. It’s quaint. It’s historic. It’s close to Barton Distillery. But the food is not very good.

For a historic house/​restaurant this one is really good. I had the hot brown. This was the first time i had even heard about the dish, and to my surprise it was actually great! The atmosphere here was incredible. To be sitting in such a historic place AND have great food? This was well worth the extra miles from the highway. I highly recommend this place, great food and great folks!

If you’re ever visiting Bardstown you have to stop by for a bite to eat and maybe a quick walk through of the hotel upstairs. This place has been recommended by many people and the reviews were accurate. This place is a great place to get a quick review of the history Bardstown and how important this little tavern/​hotel was to American history. Worth a trip here and worth the time walking around viewing the artifacts on display.
So, why did Jesse James shoot up the room? Not sure, but I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall, in a spot that doesn’t have a bullet hole.

We ate here late one night for dinner and couldn’t have been more pleased. The ambiance was very neat as it appeared to be an old hotel and tavern. The restaurant area reminded me a lot of European restaurants with dark aged wood floors and furniture. Since it was so late we didn’t eat heavily but we did have the loaded fries which were absolutely fantastic. I had the steak tip appetizer as well which was quite good.
The bartender came by and saw that I was drinking bourbon so he started up a good conversation on his favorites and recommendations which I thought was really great considering most bartenders I deal with are way to busy to even speak.
There is also a really cool «ghost story» around the tavern which was also very interesting.

My review is based on my dining experience, on a Sunday afternoon. I must say that this was one of the unique, historical dining experiences that I’ve experienced. Honestly, I hadn’t heard about or researched this place, I just noticed it on a Saturday and looked up the menu. They have several Kentucky staples like the Hot Brown, burgoo, and bourbon flights.
When we walked in, and through the gift shop area, the waiting area was a bit weird. There wasn’t a hostess stand and I thought that I was in the wrong place. Eventually we were seated near the entrance, where we noticed every single person approaching the doorway was confused too.
We started with the cheese fries. They were excellent and my alternative cheese fix, hot brown substitute. I’d had a hot brown the day before and one can only take so many of those within a 24 hour period. I decided to be boring and go with a salad as my meal. The greens in the salad were way too big, almost like garnishment greens, and honestly the reason I cut the one star.
After we finished up, we went upstairs in the area where the rooms were. A must. I inquired about renting a room. They were reasonably priced, but booked for months out. If I ever need a room to stay in the area, I’ll definitely seek out a room here.

The history alone is worth the stop.
The food makes it all the better.
Try the Burgoo, it fantastic.

We came when they opened, hoping to get some traditional Kentucky fare along the Bourbon Trail. This place delivered!
The burgoo was bur-​great! A little spicy, but I’d never had if before so I was pretty pleased with it. We also got the Kentucky hot brown, which was absolutely fantastic. Rich and meaty and very flavorful. :) Then we finished it all off with a lovely piece of derby pie, which is probably the best dessert in town. They make it with walnuts instead of pecans, but it was soooo good.
It was early, but being on the bourbon trail I really wanted a cocktail. I decided on the award-​winning Sidecar Named Desire, which was strong and sweet and served in a pretty martini glass with a raw brown sugar rim. So basically everything you want in a brunch cocktail.
Our server Christie was awesome, she answered all our questions very patiently (and we had a lot). The décor was really cool, very traditional with the restored wood and stone fireplaces. Overall I would love to come back if we’re ever in Bardstown again.

Staying in the local area, I stopped in for a bite to eat on a Thu evening. I liked the look of this place from the old-​looking exterior to the charming interior. The girl at the counter had the most pleasant accent. :)
Their dining room is nice and spacious. It definitely feels like a tavern.
I’ve never had Burgoo before so I ordered a cup. WOW! I’m hooked on this spicy stew of beef, pork, and whatever else is in there. I also ordered fried breaded catfish. I was surprised to see the giant filet that came out, and it was very good too! Service was great! No complaints. Definitely would eat here again if I’m in the area.

The façade and character of The Old Talbott Tavern lured in my family while waiting for a tour of Heaven Hill.
Three of us were in the party and we ordered fried pickles and the BBQ sandwiches. Unfortunately, they were out of the sandwiches, so we had iceberg wedges and the Reuben. The food was good, nothing special. The service was attentive and our waitress was friendly. The décor took me back to Colonial Williamsburg and it was a nice cap on a day in Bardstown.
I probably wouldn’t come back, but just because I’d want to try other restaurants in town and this wasn’t really too remarkable. However, this is worth a stop if you’re in town.

I really want to give this place 3.5 stars! I stayed one night in the General’s Quarters room, which had two pretty twin sized canopy beds and the usual hotel room amenities such as free wifi, cable tv, and room fridge. The toilet kept on running, a staff member came to fix it but it was back to its water wasting ways soon after. Breakfast was a huge tasty plate of American classics: biscuits and gravy, bacon, scrambled eggs, cereal, coffee and juice. For a hundred bucks a night we thought it was well worth it. Especially being a historic site that’s been around since 1779!
We also ate dinner at the restaurant. I had the chicken and dumplings. The gravy was thick and peppery but I found the dumplings to be too heavy. My friend had the pork chop, which she really liked. She thought it tasted like a good home cooked meal. We both loved the burgoo; a spicy Kentucky soup made with vegetables and three different kinds of meat. Very flavourful and satisfying. The bourbon bread pudding was too sweet for our taste.
Before I forget, the staff here are super friendly. Overall we enjoyed our stay. We haven’t tried any other place in town but this place is decent enough for a classic meal.

DISCLAIMER: My review is based on my OWN personal experience and opinions ~~it has NO bias intent towards the company/​business, the owners/​managers or their employees. Please let YOUR OWN experience and views be your guide for enjoyment !!!
We stopped here on the way back from West Virginia visit one weekend and was very pleased.
We found it on the internet and I wanted to go due to the historical factors and Noël wanted to go because of the ghost stories. Abraham Lincoln and his family actually slept here… and upstairs they have the LINCOLN ROOM. you can go upstairs and actually still sleep here. but you can also check out the rooms and the area.
Very nice Very NICE. I loved it .
The food was good. the rooms in the dining area was so fascinating to me. this was an actual stage coach inn back in the day. famous people walked these hard wood floors and drank ale in these rooms and ate their suppers here! Too refreshments and fared away from the weather and rough travels of the older roads… AMAZING !!!
I love love love this !!!
The food was really good. I enjoyed this experience!!!
I would go again!
I would highly recommend it!
YOU DEFINITELY have to check this place out and TAKE a FEW STEPS back into history… walk the steps that LINCOLN walked, and touch the handrails of the staircase he climbed.
I am in AWE!!! (((can you tell ???))))

Apparently this is the oldest bar in Kentucky. True or not this is still an awesome old bar in neat little downtown Bardstown. We arrived around 4pm and the restaurant area seemed dead so we sat in the bar. Mostly local people with a few tourists like us. Since we were just at Maker’s Mark we decided to stick with bourbon. I got on of the fun mixed drinks from their menu and it was really strong on bourbon flavor but also tasty. We decided to get their bourbon sampler where you get to pick 5 shots of bourbon. My favorite was the Basil Hayden. I had the hot brown and it was amazing. One of the best things I ate during my entire vacation.

Get your Hot Browns! Get your Hot Browns Here!
Great historical Tavern with good food!
Hot Browns are famously delicious. So good you either savor every single caloric bite or inhale so quickly you don’t have time to think about calories. DH did the latter. Burgoo is very good here you should just add a cup to whatever you think you are going to order — even if you are ordering a bowl of Burgoo. Its that good. I had the Turkey-​Bacon-​Green Fried Tomato sandwich. It was very good and perfect with cup of Burgoo.
Service was great and friendly. They were very busy so food took a while but it was piping hot when it arrived.