The Stave — Restaurant in Bluegrass Region

First time at The Stave for a lunch date with my wife - and what an indulgence it was. Nestled between Woodford reserve and Castle and Key distilleries in the small town of Millville, Kentucky, Chef Kyle Klatka has created an unassuming culinary masterpiece paired with a massive selection of quality bourbon.

Sitting on the screened porch, enjoying the Kentucky sunshine and beautiful breeze, we cooled off with a Country Jam Mule cocktail that was bright and refreshing... and with such an extensive bourbon selection, we just had to try out a sample of the rare Castle and Key Batch 1.

But The Stave is really all about the food (and so am I). The Green Fritters are a generous portion of battered okra and green tomato fried to a crunchy dark brown. We were pleasantly surprised to find them light and delicious, not at all greasy, with the remoulade giving the perfect amount of kick.

Next up, the mouth-watering Stave burger, a massive 1/3 lb steak burger on a soft potato bun, piled high with house-made pimiento cheese, thick but tender candied bacon, and pickled red onions, served with a side of thick, salty fries. I love a good variety of food, but I could eat this for lunch regularly and never get tired of it.

Finally, the special; a smoky, lightly breaded and incredibly juicy and flavorful chicken leg over a skillet full of macaroni and cheese, drizzled with a house bbq sauce and finished with crispy shallots - southern cooking elevated to absolute heaven.

After a meal punctuated with "OOOOOH"s and "omigosh"es and "mmmm"s, I can't remember the last time I had such a satisfying lunch. I'm kicking myself for not getting out to The Stave before now, but no doubt I'll be making up for that lost time with another visit soon.

If you are visiting central Kentucky, The Stave should be at the top of your list of places to eat. If you live nearby and haven't been, get...

I've been wanting forever to take a trip out this way and finally got the chance to enjoy a Friday afternoon exploring the area with a friend while off for the holidays. It's a bit of a drive but an easy drive with lovely views. A quaint looking building sitting in what feels like the middle of nowhere but conveniently located between two nearby distilleries! Ah ha! It was a slightly rainy day in January so I didn't get to check out the grounds this time... guess I will just have to go back! The interior is very cozy with lots of beautiful wood on the walls and warm lighting, felt like the perfect place for a home cooked meal. Since we arrived between 12:30 and 1, the lunch crowd was already winding down and parking wasn't a problem at the time. It seems small but there was a good amount of seating available in the main dining around and the covered space outside the main dining area. We were greeted and seated quickly and everyone was very friendly and helpful. On this trip, I also didn't get to order any of the amazing sounding cocktails or a bourbon from their very long list or even dessert, so I guess those are more reasons to head back out again haha. But I did get to enjoy an absolutely delicious meal of venison shepherds pie. Since that is one of my favorite dishes, when it's available, I'm going to order it! Venison isn't my first choice of meat so I wasn't completely sure how I would like it. I had almost talked myself into ordering the Stave burger my friend ordered. And I did take a bite of his burger so I know without a doubt I chose the better option for me! The venison shepherds pie was so delicious, I think probably the best shepherds pie dish I've ever had. I definitely want to go back and try more of their special dishes! Oh and I didn’t even mind that there is no cell service there. At least...

Don't waste your money or your time. We were a party of 5 and had just come from 2 bourbon tours, so The Stave sounded like the perfect place to end the day. Our waitress was extremely nice, but the food was worse than horrible. From the ratings this place received, I was fullly expecting food that was at least palatable. I don't think I have had food that bad before. Their breading on the food was lacking in taste and seasoning, also there was an abundance of breading. The blackened catfish had some kind of vinegar sauce (at least that is what it tasted like) on it and did not taste blackened (the grits were the best part of that meal). The fried chicken sandwich was tough and tasteless. The chicken and fries were over cooked, tasteless, dry and over breaded. The pulled pork was very fatty. The boudin fritters were tasteless and mushy on the inside, they were supposed to have cajun sausage in them? And the cornbread...That is what that was?? We ate very little of the food and we definitely did not take any of it home. My husband was the only person who actually ate his (a burger and fries). I honestly don't know how this place has stayed in business. Someone needs to take some serious cooking lessons. Also, my daughter's boyfriend got a tasting of the Weller 12 yr for $25 and swears it tasted like Woodford Reserve (he is a Weller bourbon man). For just under $200 after the tip, this was my...