Restaurants in Bardstown

Black and red patio umbrellas flutter in the wind in Down River Bar & Grill’s enclosed beer garden as staffers ferry foam-topped brews, burgers, pizzas, and other classic American pub fare to each table. Inside, bartenders shake cocktails and pour brews behind the mirror-paneled bar, which reflects patrons as they dance, toast, and practice épée with cocktail swords beneath strings of twinkling lights every day of the week. Live music performances, occasionally with accompanying light shows, join pool tournaments, Wednesday-night karaoke, and special events such as the Down River Bar & Grill Idol singing competition on the eatery’s entertainment roster. The grill also hosts benefits for veterans’ groups, relief funds, and other local causes.

Tom + Chee co-owners chef Trew Quackenbush and Corey Ward are revolutionizing the grilled cheese sandwich every day. What once was two slabs of boring bread and a simple, stupid slice of cheese has been reinvented by their kitchen, which churns out a menu of gooey sandwiches mentioned by The Today Show and feasted upon by _Man Vs. Food_’s Adam Richman. Most famous for a sandwich that combines glazed donuts, the eatery also fills an assortment of breads with gourmet cheeses such as brie and smoked gouda, crunchy potato chips, and cherry peppers. They recommend sandwiches always be dipped, which is why chefs tirelessly ladle bowls of tomato-based soups from bubbling pots all day long.

Armed with baked goods from local bakeries and fresh, locally farmed produce, SuperChef Darnell Ferguson sets out to "make breakfast fun." Once served only at funerals, breakfast has become a lively and appetizing event with novel dishes such as Darnell's red-velvet pancakes. A graduate of Sullivan University, one of the country's top culinary institutes, Darnell was a chef for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team and has broken eggs in the service of a former president.

Baxter's 942 Bar & Grill focuses on the important things in life—beer, music, and grilled meat. As bartenders kick open the kegs to pour drafts, a sizzling grill leaves each burger that walks across its surface lightly blackened, like anything a fireman kisses. Each night of the week, the eatery transforms into a music venue for local bands and DJs to strut their stuff, with karaoke on Wednesdays.

Connected by an asphalt web of highways, state roads, and thoroughfares, blocky yellow signs gleam nonstop, casting a dandelion glow from the words “Waffle House.” The booths at the eateries fill 24 hours each day with the aromas of sizzling pork chops, Jimmy Dean sausage, and endless mugs of coffee. Line cooks brown shredded potatoes on a grill as waiters shout back in a language all their own for hash browns “smothered,” “covered,” or “topped”—served with onions, cheese, or chili, respectively. Angus burgers and steak melts share space on the rippling-hot surface at all times of day, allowing tired drivers to stop for food when they are on a long journey or just listening to an 11-hour drum solo on the radio. The first Waffle House switched on its lights in 1955, and some menu items still bear the names of Waffle House staff of the past, including Bert's chili from Dallas and Alice's iced tea.

Chef Harold Baker and his team transform classic American steak and seafood dishes with upscale, contemporary flourishes including rich provençal sauce, seasonal produce, and local cheeses. Their attention to detail led the Courier-Journal to hail the menu as "concise, well thought out—with consideration for local products—and tastefully executed." In addition to elegant entrees of New Zealand lamb loin, bison rib eye, and sea scallops, they assemble half-pound burgers and sandwiches to please more casually minded diners or those contractually obligated to consume a bun with each meal.

The restaurant resides in the old Spring Street Meeting House, but Leo Weekly notes that they've remodeled the 19th-century building into "a stylish dining room with exposed brick and mocha colored walls … [and] historic Louisville photos." Leather couches gather around the fireplace's hearth, and cream-colored tablecloths help accentuate the banquettes' matching stripes. Diners can also venture outdoors for al fresco dining and to the upstairs bar, where bartenders pour an extensive selection of whiskeys, vodkas, and cordials to supplement wines by the glass or bottle.