Scout & Scholar Brewing Co. — Restaurant in Bardstown

Let me start out by saying that I used to LOVE Scout & Scholar Brewing Co. My friend group were regulars and went on an almost weekly basis. We loved trying the new beers, enjoyed the beers that were always on tap, but - most importantly - we loved the food that was reasonably priced and enjoyable. Every time we would get totchos (Tater tot BBQ nachos), we enjoyed the brussel sprouts, and the many different options on the menu. It was nice to be able to enjoy good food, drink good beer, listen to live music on the weekends, and take in Bardstown's ONLY brewery.

Unfortunately, in 2025 all of that has changed. We took a group of 10+ people to our old favorite restaurant and were completely shocked when we saw that the menu had changed. They have removed 90% of the offerings that you see pictured here. I saw reviews mentioning the tator tots, bangers and mash, brussel sprouts, fried chicken, etc. ALL OF THIS IS GONE. What replaced this? A $45 steak (Why would I go to a brewery for that?), a hot brown (Don't even try to order it without tomato - the owner doesn't allow changes and we were told to 'order something else' if we couldn't have tomatoes. Please look at the picture, they are just laying on the side of the plate. Seems like a pretty simple change to me...)

My boyfriend and I decided to split the Smashburger. This is something that I used to get regularly and never finished - so we thought splitting might be a good idea. Even though the price had almost doubled (It's now $20...), we figured that at least we knew what we were getting. Imagine our surprise when they brought out a burger that looked (and tasted) like it had come from the McDonald's drive thru. Even worse, they got rid of the tater tots and fries, so we had to get the $7 fried potatoes. They weren't bad, but it wasn't nearly the amount that we were used to.

One of our friends got the fried chicken tender sandwich and his chicken came out raw. He sent it back and it took over an hour to bring it back out.

I've also attached a picture of the bill. My boyfriend and I SPLIT a burger, each had two beers, and we split a flight. It was over $70 and the tip was included (Parties over 7 have auto-gratuity). They have also added a fee for using a debit/credit card.

Our last experience, and I do mean our LAST experience, at Scout & Scholar left much to be desired. We are all so very sad that the new owners have changed everything. They have taken away what made this place so special. Save yourself the time and the money. Oh... and the brewery is leaving too. Just a heads up for anyone hoping things might go back to how...

Scout & Scholar Brewing, I have to ask—did you actually try to make the nachos you list on your menu? Did you glance at the sad plate of naked chips, barely dusted with the promise of toppings, and think, "Yes, this represents us"?

When the menu described these nachos as a pile of Jake’s spicy sausage, Ol’ Buddy queso, sour cream, and pico de gallo, was that some sort of joke? Because what actually arrived was a barren wasteland of tortilla chips with only a smear of queso and a few heavy clumps of sour cream. Pico de gallo? If some lone, tiny pieces of diced tomatoes and onions count as "pico," then sure, you nailed it. But let’s be honest—it felt more like a garnish than an ingredient. Spicy sausage? Just a few small pieces, on a dry bed of chips.

How do you make nachos this sad? The chips were naked, lonely, and dry, like they were begging for mercy, or at least some queso. I've seen more cheese on a mouse trap. And sour cream? It looked like someone dolloped it on as an afterthought, like the kitchen ran out of care somewhere along the way.

Scout & Scholar Brewing, when you serve nachos, the toppings should reach every chip, or at least most of them. You can work up to trying for some of them. If you don't have the ingredients or the will to use them, take the dish off the menu.

1 star only because we couldn't give 0. Pretend not to hate...

The family and I tried this place over the weekend while walking through town. I wish there was a star review for the beer on Google, since it is a micro brewery. I have tried their canned beer in the local 5 Star, and it was excellent. The beer served at the restaurant was great as well. Highly recommend the brews. The food, not so much. The pretzel app was good, the beer cheese was thinner than water, and the mustard "sauce" was thin as well. My wife and I ordered the smash burgers, and they were just greasy and tasteless, unless you count salt, a lot of salt. My oldest got the chicken sandwich that was fried to the point of being jerky, dry and tasteless. Got a kids quesadilla and kids pulled pork for the younger ones. The quesadilla was greasy, tasteless and tough. The pulled pork was ok, but very dry. The fries were over cooked and salty. Looked and tasted like they reheated them from a school cafeteria. The service was decent, but we felt rushed and were only given 1 menu for the food, and were rushed in deciding. The reason for the rush I can guess is that she was going on break, and we were rushed to pay as soon as our food got to the table. If you want good beer, and food that tastes and looks like it came from GFS, but pay as though it was made fresh then try it out. Glad we got to try, but sorry it was so bad for the price...