Kentucky - Frankfort’s The Stave

For those of you who know us, you know we are into bourbon and love to visit Kentucky to see what is new on the Bourbon Trail. While bourbon is our main focus when there, we do have to eat. We have stumbled across some really cool places, but there are a few that stand out as our favorites. The Stave, located just outside of Frankfort (home of Buffalo Trace) is one of those favorites! It is also near the Woodford Reserve, Glenn’s Creek and Castle & Key distilleries.

Located on McCracken Pike (State Rd KY 1659) it is a very unassuming place, that just looks like a roadside shack . . . and it kind of is!

However, they are serving up some delicious food and have a massive bourbon selection to choose from. We have been there a couple of times and we always leave wanting more, not because we are still hungry (the portions are huge) but because there is so much to choose from.

The Stave opened in 2018 and we had our first visit in fall of 2019, after taking the recommendation from some of the locals. You can rarely go wrong with a local recommendation. It is not a large place, so if you can plan your arrival, reservations are recommended. This does not mean that walk ins are not welcome. However, you may find yourself waiting for a bit . . . but the wait is worth it!

The main building itself may hold 40-50 people, but there is also an enclosed deck along the side, with additional seating, as well as a back deck behind the property where you may find live entertainment on weekends.

The Stave is serving up Kentucky inspired scratch cooked food. Items like Pimento cheese, Burgoo, Blackened Catfish or Shrimp and Grits, and their Derby Chick chicken sandwich which we will talk about in a bit. We have been there a couple of times, most recently for lunch in early April of 2026.

We will start with our first trip, which was when they had been open for about a year. We went to the Bourbon Festival, in Bardstown, in September of 2019, with Teresa’s cousins Dave & Michelle. While we were out and about, someone said “you gotta go to the Stave” and the rest is history. It was dinner and we got there in the early evening. I don’t remember how long the wait was but it wasn’t terrible. We were seated on their screened in outdoor deck.

Their bourbon selection, like most places in Kentucky, is vast. We all started with their “soup of the day” which ironically is bourbon on the rocks.

We started with a couple of starters. First, the Hot Brown Fries, a plate of hand cut fries topped all the hot brown fixins, Mornay sauce, diced smoked turkey, bacon and diced tomatoes. The Hot Brown is one of our favorite Kentucky dishes so how can this be bad? It wasn’t!

Next were the pickle brined buttermilk fried hot chicken bites, served with fried banana pepper rings and a creamy herb sauce.

For entrees we had the Pork Chop, a 12 oz. chop rubbed with bourbon barrel smoked paprika and grilled. It was topped with crawfish butter and served with rice, summer succotash, and fried okra. Next was Burgoo & Cornbread. Burgoo is a traditional Kentucky Stew made from chicken, pork, beef and vegetables served with cornbread. It was OK but we weren’t huge fans of it. Next up was their Seafood Gumbo (it was a daily special and not on their menu) it was loaded with shrimp and served in a super rich broth that was super delicious.

Our most recent trip was for lunch. Teresa had the Derby Chick sandwich, the same pickle brined, buttermilk fried chicken but in sandwich form. It is drizzled in hot honey with pickles and aioli on a toasted brioche and served with hand cut fries. It was pretty big with 2 pieces of chicken, definitely enough to share.

Up next, the Millville Ho Cakes. Just a couple of corn bread cakes topped with a pile of juicy pulled pork and BBQ sauce. Another winner!

Bottom line is, check this place out if you are ever in Kentucky! Everyone there is super friendly, the vibe is right up what you would want to find being on the Bourbon Trail and the food is awesome.