The Stave - Frankfort, KY

After our second day of tours on our more recent trip, we were looking for a place with a large variety of pours and a good plate of grub.

We were turned on to a place called The Stave by our friends over at Woodford and Buffalo Trace. We happened to be close by so we figured we'd swing in and see what the hype was about.

What we got was a pure slice of down home Kentucky.

The outside wrap-around porch has ample space to support larger parties, and the event deck out back is great for events.

Walking in, the inside space is small and homey. The smell of spices and pie floating from the open concept kitchen lingers in the air.

We were lucky enough to get a spot at the bar, as it had been a rainy day and it wasn't too busy.

When we sat down and looked at the menu, it was full of souther comfort foods and scrumptious staples like homemade biscuits, hot chicken, and fruit pies with ice cream.

The staff was super friendly and took the time to really chat with us in our time there.

We shared cocktail recipes and sampled some of their surprisingly extensive whiskey list. They were also very knowledgable about distilleries, the whiskey trail, and more than willing to share insider tips for the remainder of our trip.

They actually led us to the Whiskey Museum in Louisville which was an absolute delight.

We loaded with appetizers, entrees, and desserts and went to town on some bourbon.

Their wall of whiskey is surprising considering the tuckedaway nature of the venue. There were staple favorites as well as allocated bottles and limited releases giving patrons a great selection to choose from.

The bartenders also mixed a mean cocktail, which we really appreciated. Sometimes you find a place that has a good selection but the actual execution of the cocktails leaves something to be desired. That is absolutely not the case here at The Stave.

If you're looking for some harder to finds to try in the off season, there's a good chance you'll run into your fair share sitting on The Stave's walls.

While the appetizers and the hot chicken sandwich were good, the fruit pies and chocolate walnut bread pudding with bourbon sauce were absolutely out of this world.

The pies are made in house fresh. The crust is flaky and the pie itself was a nice balance of sweet and tart taken over the edge with the scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Listen, I'm a massive bread pudding fan. I can't resist a good slice of it anywhere I go. However, this bread pudding was ridiculously good.

The earthiness of the walnut was great with the sweetness of the chocolate, and the bourbon sauce gave just enough pop as a nice note rather than overtaking the dish.

The staff at The Stave were super kind. They absolutely took their time to get to know us, share their insight, chat extensively about whiskey, serve us delicious food, and send us on our way with warm wishes.

If you're looking for a place with great pours, deliciously elevated comfort foods, and a great slice of southern hospitality, definitely put The Stave on your list of places to visit during your next Bourbon Trail run.