Bourbons Bistro

I was in town with a group of coworkers on business. Others from my company who have done this trip in the past highly recommended going to Bourbons Bistro while in town. They raved about how fabulously delicious it was. There were about 15 of us in our group and our reservation was for 6:30 pm. The restaurant was small and I suggest you make a reservation although during the time we were there, there was no wait. We ordered several appetizers for the table including the Garlic & Goat Cheese Spread, Calamari, the Cheese & Cured Meats and the Pork Belly Tacos. The best by far was the Garlic & Goat Cheese Spread!
For my entrée I went for the Salmon Oscar and a side of Brussel Sprouts. Others at the table ordered the Steak Frites, Shrimp & Grits, Filet Au Poivre, Pan Seared Scallops, Braised Short Ribs and the Marksbury Farms Pork Chop. The portions are huge and everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy their meal.
Here’s why I give my review 2 stars. Out of all 15 orders, my salmon came out last. Not only did it come out last, it was raw in the center. I’m not normally one to send food back but it was too raw to eat. I understand that a good piece of salmon came be cooked to different temperatures and I would have eaten it if it was just rare however this salmon wouldn’t even flake apart! So by the time they re-​cooked it, everyone at the table was pretty much done eating. Also the guy sitting across from me who ordered a pork chop, his pork chop wasn’t cooked all the way through either. There were parts he just set aside because he didn’t want to go through the hassle of sending it back.
For dessert I ordered 1 scoop of popcorn ice cream which was large enough for everyone to at least try a spoonful of. Others ordered the bread pudding, the lavender raspberry ice cream and the chocolate crème brûlée. They were all tasty although someone did say they didn’t like their bread pudding.
When the check came, you would think they would have at least taken the salmon off or maybe even provided complimentary desserts, nope.
All in all, this place was disappointing especially since I had heard such great things.

Yup! The food and bourbon we had here was so good that for a moment all we could do was stare at it. Lindsay is super sweet & she knows her bourbon. Please drink whatever she suggests. The shrimp & grits — amazing. The prosciutto wrapped shrimp nachos — amazing. The BREAD PUDDING will be served in heaven — AMAZING.

Nice atmosphere and pleasant service. Great selection of bourbon, had an Old Weller 107 that was excellent. The pork belly taco apps was great, both the pork belly and the slaw with it. Entrees were good, real nice place.

Simply… Best burger and FRIES ever!
My friend loved the scallops and I have previously had the pork chop which is also awesome. The dessert special was blueberry bread pudding with bourbon sauce –loved it!!!

I reviewed this place awhile ago but after two recent visits I thought I’d add to it. The initial rating of four stars remains, but I have to say this place is starting to become a go-​to for me. As it has begun to get a bit warmer I’ve started coming down for their happy hour (3:30−7pm, I believe) I know it ends at 7pm which warms my heart because some people work and I miss almost every other restaurants’ happy hour. I’m always confused when it’s 3−5pm…does anyone work or are bars just trying to mess with everyone? The bartender here is top notch as well. I usually get a few rounds of drinks and some appetizers and he really doesn’t miss a beat. Drink prices during the happy hour are quite good and the food usually hits the spot. The last time I had the crab cakes. They were tasty but a little too breaded for my liking. I think I’d try something else going forward. They have a lengthy selection of bourbons, a fairly lengthy wine list and some pretty delicious beers. The bartender stated that they’ve started rotating beers more and more which I find quite appealing. Oh, and they have a selection of cocktails. I’ve never tried one here but I have some friends that claim they make one of the best Old Fashioneds in the city. I’ll have to try it out next time. Bourbons is definitely worth checking out and is a great location for imbibing on a few adult beverages.

We visited on Friday, March 11, and had a great time. Arrived a little early and had the place to ourselves but it was still very nice. Come for the bourbon list. My stepson loves bourbon and we were out for our last meal together for a few months. To our surprise and delight, they had some PAPPY VAN WINKLE 23!!! We got the kid a pour (and took a sip ourselves) FABULOUS and I’m not a bourbon drinker. The food was all delightful as well, excellent service and just a nice restaurant all around. If you’re a bourbon drinker — definitely a great spot!

Delicious food. My sister said she’d order the filet if she had to choose what her last meal on earth would be. Excellent service.

My steak was very good, asparagus was good and I loved the brussel sprouts salad. The crab cakes were good and had plenty of crab in them. Service was not good the waiter seemed very off forgot a lot of our order had to be remind constantly if you could chase him down. Even brought white wine instead of red wine and we couldn’t even catch him to send it back. He would drop and run. My friend ordered a medium steak and it was one of the rawest steaks I have ever seen. For what we paid for our meals should have had very attentive service and perfect food.

Great food, Linsey, our server was friendly and attentive. Unfortunately for us a bus had arrive with a very large group upstairs which made the kitchen extremely slow. The acoustics of the main dining area meant we had to listen to the loud drunk at the bar all through the evening. Four stars for food and service, straighten out the kitchen disorganization and get the fifth star.

Husband and I visited from out of town. I had the burger, crab cakes, & a bourbon flight. All were amazing! What made the burger exceptional was that the meat was very well seasoned in juicy. I asked our waitress to bring out some spicy aioli for my fries and that was a really good addition. The crab cakes were heavy on the crab meat and light on the filling, which is what I like. Service was also excellent here: our server actually gave us some ideas of places to go to while we were in town. We’d come back here!

Loved Bourbons Bistro. The food was phenomenal, environment was great, and the service was perfect. I would definitely recommend eating here on a weekday if you can, the only problem we had was the busy crowd and I had to park pretty far away. Great bourbon selection and if you have to only eat one thing, get the goat cheese dip, it was absolutely delicious and addicting.

Great food, 150 or so bourbons behind the bar, and we couldn’t have had better service. Crab cakes, the pork chop, and the steak frites were all very good. The 13-​year van winkle rye was something I wanted to try since it was recommended to me earlier in the day, but I definitely prefer the 12 year. Our waitress, Cielle, was absolutely wonderful. Nice place with a bar up front, and restaurant in the back… I’d definitely return.

I made a reservation here for my husband’s birthday because we came for happy hour awhile back and didn’t get to try their food but were impressed with drink pours and prices.
This experience was lackluster to say the least. We were taken to our table immediately and the restaurant had 2 or 3 other tables filled at the time. The waitress asked for our drink orders and 3 of the 4 bourbons we attempted to order were sold out. While I understand that some bourbons are more popular than others it would have been nice for her to preface what they are out of after the first attempt.
We ordered the calamari appetizer and I ordered the strawberry and balsamic salad. The salad was delicious but the calamari was chewy, had no chorizo on it and barely any pimenton aoili. For dinner my husband ordered the pork chop special which was an herb encrusted pork chop with garlic mashed potatoes and broccoli. He said that the pork chop had a lot of fat but the flavor was really good and the portion was large. I ordered the ricotta gnocchi which has gorgonzola cream, charred broccoli, poached egg, and pistachios. The portion size was relatively small, the gnocchi was gummy and overcooked and the poached egg was hard poached not soft poached where the creamy yolk could enhance the rich gorgonzola cream. The saving grace was the flavor of the sauce was delicious but the overall dish was a disappointment.
As I mentioned in the beginning there were very few people in the restaurant when we arrived and as the night progressed the tables started to fill but the restaurant was not packed. The bar, which was behind us, was so incredibly loud that you were talking at a higher volume for the person next to you to hear and this disrupts the ambiance. Service was incredibly slow, we would be finished with drinks before being asked for another, our entrée took over 45 mins to be plated and our waiter only came out 1x after the food was served before delivering the check.
I feel like we went on an off dining night and am willing to go back and try something else since I know the food can be good.

I went to Bourbon’s Bistro to see some friends I hadn’t seen in a while. We had never been here before and weren’t sure what to expect. The ambiance was cozy yet elegant, a modern speakeasy if you will. The drinks menu was vast with a variety of bourbons of all kinds and ages, as well as wine. My friend did a bourbon flight to try the variety. The bourbon cocktails were enjoyed by all at the table as well.
When it came to food, we found happiness in the cheese plate prior to our entrees. When it came to our entrees, we had a variety of things: the pork chop, the steak, and the grilled cheese. As the sole vegetarian, I got the grilled cheese without the meat option, but I was debating between that and the amazing sounding gnocchi. Our server was amazing and very knowledgeable about the menu since he has tried it. We were all pleasantly surprised with our experience at this restaurant and will have to go back again. It was perfect for a special occasion!

Would give 6 stars if possible… had reservations for 6, table was ready when we arrived, and the place was packed. Had the spicy oysters over the grits, which was PHENOMENAL; the cheese and cured meats platter, which was top-​notch, and the goat cheese spread with the rustic sliced bread, which was one of the best appetizers I’ve ever enjoyed anywhere.
Everyone’s dinner was great… the grilled cheese and fries were great, the hamburger was reportedly perfect, and the pork chop was perfectly cooked and as tender as could be. Our server Cielle was beyond reproach… had great recommendations for our food choices, was totally knowledgeable about our bourbon questions, and had a great personality; she took wonderful care of us in the midst of a very busy evening.
We ended up out on the patio in front of the fire enjoying their bourbon bread pudding for dessert… it, too, did not disappoint in any way.
The only thing that slightly marred the evening was the noise level… it’s incredible when the place is full and people are feeling festive… but that’s not a complaint, merely an observation.
When we come back to finish the bourbon trail will DEFINITELY be returning.

My husband and I had dinner here for our first anniversary. The food was phenomenal. The menu is a little limited which I really enjoyed because then every plate is cooked to perfection. Their list of bourbons rivals any I have ever seen. We both enjoyed bourbon cocktails with our meals that really were delicious.
The only con I had was the wait staff. I think we came a bit late for dinner (9 pm reservations), and it felt like the wait staff was just standing around hoping to leave soon. Our waiter was very attentive and did a wonderful job, but it was impossible to miss the entire staff standing at the end of the bar.
That being said, we will definitely make our way back.

If you want good food, great service and atmosphere, check out this upscale bistro. You will not be disappointed. Their Bourbon bread pudding is to die for!!!

The food may be good, but the cigar smoking guys on the patio made it a less that great experience. Thought there was an ordinance against this? Couldn’t taste the food or enjoy the wine for the stench…
Would have moved inside but three large parties made it hard to hear… ah well…

We’d made reservations for a lovely Friday night at Bourbons Bistro before going to see a show at The Palace later. The spring weather was perfect and we chose to sit outside. The reservation wasn’t really needed as it seems the restaurant fills up more as the night goes on and we sat alone on the patio for the first half of our dinner as people slowly filtered in.
The patio doesn’t have much to look at, but it is nice enough. The inside is dark and cozy with a great bar!
Service couldn’t have been better! Our waiter was prompt and friendly with a bit of a sarcastic edge which I appreciated. He gave us excellent suggestions (food, parking, etc.) and even steered me toward the pork chop which was top notch!
Being named after a drink, this place had better have a good selection, right? And it delivers! Great selection of cocktails, bourbon-​based and otherwise as well as a variety of bourbons that are sure to please even the most discerning taste.
We ended up spending more time and more money than we’d planned, but we had a great time.
Topper of the night was the fact that I even got to rename a drink! On the menu was «Kentucky Mule,» a bourbon-​based Moscow Mule. I made the comment that it was a good drink, but they missed the opportunity to call it a «Bluegrass Ass.» Server loved it, manager loved it, and they were officially changing it on menus as we left. I haven’t been back to check it, but it made me extremely happy on top of my already happy belly.

There isn’t anything not to like about this place. Have you SEEN the wall-​o-​bourbon. This place is exactly why I am frequently disappointed by bars outside of Louisville. The bourbon in those bars/​restaurants is a joke. A travesty even.
Out-​of-​towners and locals alike should definitely treat themselves to the maple bacon bourbon cocktail. Because, bacon.
For those of you who thought I was joking about the wall-​o-​bourbon:
Toldyaso. #kentuckyknowsbest

El ambiente es agradable, la atención es muy buena, nuestra mesera no nos apresuró para que saliéramos del lugar, pero la calidad y el sabor de la comida es malo! El único platillo que nos gustó fue el postre: budín de bourbon.