Kentucky’s Oldest Restaurant Accompanies a Haunted Inn — SEE PHOTOS
On a number of occasions, I've mentioned that there are restaurants in other cities around that are worth a road trip. "You know, I really want to eat THERE, so let's also do this, this, and this." You see what I'm saying.
And those trips that I have made are always because the food is extraordinarily good and worth a drive. But what if the desired location was also HAUNTED? That's the icing on the cake and sort of turns your dining destination into an ATTRACTION.
THE OLD TALBOTT TAVERN IN BARDSTOWN
Well, Bardstown KY is used to that. It is old. It is picturesque. And it is chock FULL of points of interest. You can spend an entire day there. I mean, the distillery tours are a great way to spend time. And so is having dinner at the Old Talbott Tavern which also accompanies the Talbott Inn.
GREAT FOOD AT THE OLD TALBOTT TAVERN...AND A FEW HAUNTS IN THE INN
Yes, the inn that is HAUNTED. However, when were there, the spirits were not making their presence felt; we just enjoyed a wonderful dinner. In fact, I had the veggie plate and it rocked.
The food gets high marks, but so does the service. Debbie Baker was especially pleased.
THE HISTORY OF THE OLD TALBOTT TAVERN
Kentucky became a state in 1792, but the Old Talbott Tavern was established in 1779. I'd say 243 years is plenty of time to develop a "ghostly" profile. And these folks would agree:
As one of the oldest western stagecoach stops in America, the Old Talbott Tavern has seen plenty of history's "celebrities" walk through its front door. From talbotttavern.com:
Through the welcoming portals of the Old Tavern, there passed a long procession of statesmen, solders, adventures, artist, and rulers. Andrew Jackson knew of the warmth of the hearth fire in the central room. There, Henry Harrison found cheer in its friendly atmosphere. General George Rodgers Clark used the tavern as a base; provisions and munitions were brought overland from Virginia and stored in the cellars of the tavern.
Abraham Lincoln, Jesse James, Washington Irving, and others also graced the Old Talbott Tavern and the Talbott Inn, which stays pretty booked up. If you're thinking about planning a late fall getaway or maybe something around the holidays, you COULD brag about staying where some of the most famous--and I guess INFAMOUS--figures in American history visited.
In the meantime, enjoy your own virtual tour via the gallery below.