We picked up a couple of new places while in Kentucky, in addition to visiting old favorites like Mammy’s and the Old Talbot Tavern.
Frankfort Avenue Beer Depot Smokehouse
We came here at the recommendation of a Louisville local.
The BBQ smokers are sitting out front doing their thing. The smell is amazing! In fact, the vibe of the entire place is great. And the staff is friendly and fast.
Real winners from our meal: The smoked salmon. Oh my gosh. So good. Loved the potato salad, Texas toast and onion rings as well.
What I didn’t care for was the BBQ sauce. It tastes like pizza sauce to me. Oregano and sugar made it sweet and, well, pizza like. And that was unfortunate for me because the brisket is prepared wet – so the sauce was unavoidable for it. The brisket itself was tasty but I would have liked less sauce. Or a different sauce.
I would definitely come back to FABD again if we’re in town. I’d order just the salmon and a couple of simple sides. Perfection!
Cliffside Restaurant
We had a great meal at Cliffside.
Cliffside is the epitome of a local joint – in fact, it is totally a local diner. Small, homey and everyone knows everyone.
We all ended up ordering burgers – the cheeseburger delux, which comes with lettuce, onions, dill pickle slices (long ones, not coins) and mayo. I asked them to grill my onions and hold the mayo…I’ve lived in Texas long enough to know mustard is the way to go for a perfect burger. My native-born Texan husband lost his mind and ordered it as is. Then he declared it Good with the mayo. When Hell freezes over you know who to blame.
Anyway, the burger was greasy juicy, the grilled onions peppery and sweet. I’m guessing the patty is around 1/4 lb. Not super large at all, and neither is the tender bun it’s served in. (BTW the bun is dairy free if you are allergic like my dining companion.)
I had onion rings on the side. The batter is crunchy, like the crust on a crunchy fish fillet. The rings were crisp to bite into but not over cooked.
Based on recommendations I ordered a chocolate malt to go with extra malt. Perfect! Thick (spoon and straw provided) and delicious. Kelly ordered the same but with a request to go light on the malt – perfect for him as well. The shake was honestly too much for one person (12 oz cup) but order it anyway and just enjoy what you want.
Our waitress was fantastic – answered a billion questions and gave great recommendations. In fact everyone in there was super friendly and even regulars weighed in with their opinions on what we should order. Just what you’d expect from a local joint.
