Written by: Tyler Himes, Senior Brand Manager – James B. Beam Distilling Co.
Key Takeaways
- The Louisville-to-Bardstown drive works as a 45-minute dining corridor with four main restaurant clusters in driving order.
- Shepherdsville at I-65 Exit 117 offers the fastest on/off access and the densest cluster of quick-bite and sit-down options.
- Clermont’s The Kitchen Table at James B. Beam Distilling Co. turns lunch into the first act of a bourbon day with Kentucky-inspired classics and a signature sourdough pizza.
- Mount Washington on KY-44 fits a short detour or a light snack when you want to save your appetite for Bardstown, which serves as the arrival-meal destination.
- James B. Beam Distilling Co. anchors the midpoint stop, pairing The Kitchen Table’s walk-in dining with the Beam Made Bourbon Tour & Tasting for a seamless bourbon-trail experience.
Best Restaurants Between Louisville And Bardstown: The Route At A Glance
The four towns below are listed in true driving order from Louisville. Each entry names the town, the road that serves it, and a standout dining option. Drive times reflect typical Saturday-morning conditions from downtown Louisville.
- Shepherdsville (~20–25 Min Via I-65, Exit 117): This is the first and easiest stop, with the densest restaurant cluster on the route and simple on/off from I-65. Standout options include Cattleman’s Roadhouse (139 Historical Trl) and The Fish House & Grill (441 Joe B. Hall Ave).
- Mount Washington (~30–32 Min Via KY-44): This slower detour off I-265 or I-65 has no direct interstate exit and suits travelers taking the scenic route. Crystal’s Country Diner (1123 N Bardstown Rd) anchors the stop for homestyle breakfast or quick comfort food.
- Clermont (~30 Min Via I-65): This midpoint anchor features The Kitchen Table at James B. Beam Distilling Co. (522 Happy Hollow Rd), which turns lunch into the first act of your bourbon day.
- Bardstown (~45 Min From Louisville Via US-31E, 37 Miles): The Bourbon Capital Of The World offers arrival dining at The Old Talbott Tavern (107 W Stephen Foster Ave) or The Rickhouse.
If you are weighing whether a stop is worth the detour, these exit and time notes show which towns add the most driving time:
- Mount Washington: No direct interstate exit, so access requires KY-44 or KY-61 surface streets from I-265 or I-65. This adds extra drive time compared with staying on I-65.
- Shepherdsville: Served by I-65 Exit 117 (KY-44 E / Highway 44), with restaurants clustered close to the exit.
- Clermont: Reached via I-65 to KY-245 toward Happy Hollow Rd and typically adds 60–90 minutes when you combine a sit-down meal with a distillery tour.
Best Restaurants In Mount Washington, KY (KY-44)
Mount Washington sits about 25 miles southeast of downtown Louisville along the KY-44 and KY-61 corridors. Because there is no interstate exit that drops directly into Mount Washington, reaching it requires a surface-street detour. This stop works best for travelers saving their appetite for Bardstown who want a genuinely quick bite before rejoining the highway.
Three options worth knowing:
- Crystal’s Country Diner, 1123 N Bardstown Rd – Homestyle comfort food such as meatloaf, burgers, and breakfast plates. The barnyard burger is a local standout. Expect a quick-stop diner format.
- Gallant Fox Brewing Co., 155 N Bardstown Rd – A microbrewery with more than 150 varieties of bourbon in its collection alongside craft beers, pub burgers, Nashville hot-sauce tots, and soft pretzels. This is a sit-down option with a relaxed pace.
- Sissy’s Tacos, 580 N Bardstown Rd – Creative tacos and butter burgers in a faster, casual setting.
The routing reality is simple. If you are driving I-65 south and your tour is booked for early afternoon, the KY-44 detour into Mount Washington adds meaningful time. Choose this route when you are deliberately taking the scenic way or have a later start.
Where To Eat In Shepherdsville Off I-65
If Mount Washington’s surface-street detour feels like more time than you want to spend, Shepherdsville offers the opposite kind of stop. Shepherdsville is the highest-volume dining cluster on the corridor and the most convenient option for drivers staying on I-65. Exit 117 off I-65 puts you inside a dense strip of restaurants within minutes, which makes it a natural choice for a quick bite.
- Cattleman’s Roadhouse, 139 Historical Trl – Hand-cut steaks and an unlimited salad bar, rated 4.2/5 from 496 Tripadvisor reviews. This is a sit-down roadhouse format, so plan 45–60 minutes.
- The Fish House & Grill, 441 Joe B. Hall Ave – A family-owned spot for fried fish, shrimp, and seafood rolls that feels like a local institution rather than a chain.
- The Boondocks Bar & Grill, 3850 Beech Grove Rd – A relaxed riverside setting with burgers, loaded tots, and catfish sandwiches. This works well for groups who want a casual sit-down without a long wait.
Travelers who need to keep moving can use Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers at 450 Conestoga Pkwy, which opens at 10:30 a.m. daily and offers a fast steakburger-and-custard stop with minimal time cost. The I-65 corridor at Shepherdsville also includes familiar chains such as Arby’s, KFC, and Taco Bell for the fastest possible stop.
Clermont: The Kitchen Table At James B. Beam Distilling Co.
Past Shepherdsville, the corridor shifts from quick highway stops to something more deliberate. About 30 minutes south of Louisville, just off I-65, The Kitchen Table at James B. Beam Distilling Co. (522 Happy Hollow Road, Clermont, KY 40110) turns a simple meal into the opening act of a bourbon day. Built in 2022 and named for the most important place in the Beam family home, it operates as a full-service restaurant and cocktail bar open to walk-ins, with no tour reservation required to eat here.
The menu leans on Kentucky-inspired classics: burgers, sandwiches, barbecue, and fried chicken by day, all given a Beam twist. The signature dish is a sourdough pizza made with the same wild yeast strain used in Beam’s bourbon production and baked in a proper Italian pizza oven. That detail ties the plate directly to the distillery’s 230-year story. The menu rotates with the seasons, and the cocktail list highlights the family’s whiskeys across the full portfolio.
The Kitchen Table works as a standalone lunch stop or as the anchor of a full bourbon day. Pair the meal with the flagship Beam Made Bourbon Tour & Tasting ($30 plus tax and fees, approximately 75 minutes) and the stop becomes the first chapter of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. The tour moves grain to glass in stages. Guests taste five bourbons along the way, fill and dump a real barrel, and can bottle their own Knob Creek on the T-Line, pressing a thumbprint into the wax seal. The distillery holds a 4.7-star rating across more than 1,400 independent reviews. Tours should be booked in advance at beamdistilling.com, while The Kitchen Table remains open to walk-ins.
The Kentucky Distillers’ Association reports that average visitor dwell time at distilleries with full kitchens jumped from 2.1 hours to 4.3 hours between 2023 and 2025. That increase reflects exactly what The Kitchen Table makes possible. Come as friends, leave as family.
Reserve Your Spot At The Kitchen Table And Beam Tour
How To Choose Between Quick Bites And Sit-Down Meals On The Drive
Most travelers decide between a quick bite and a full sit-down meal based on time, appetite, and how central the meal feels to the day. Those three variables shape where each town fits into your plan.
A practical framework:
- Under 30 Minutes To Spare: Stay on I-65 and use Shepherdsville’s Exit 117. Freddy’s, Arby’s, or a drive-through keeps you on schedule.
- 60–90 Minutes And Want A Sit-Down Meal That Doubles As Part Of The Bourbon Experience: Exit at Clermont for The Kitchen Table. Pair lunch with the Beam Made Bourbon Tour and the stop becomes the anchor of the day.
- Saving Your Appetite For Bardstown: Grab a quick bite in Mount Washington on KY-44, such as Crystal’s Country Diner or Sissy’s Tacos, and arrive in Bardstown ready for a full meal.
If you are choosing a stop based on what you feel like eating, this breakdown shows the dominant cuisine at each town:
- Mount Washington: Diner fare, breakfast plates, pub burgers, and creative tacos.
- Shepherdsville: Roadhouse steaks, fried seafood, and casual bar food.
- Clermont: Kentucky-inspired classics, sourdough pizza, and bourbon cocktails.
- Bardstown: Tavern-style comfort food and historic dining rooms.
Timing matters because most Kentucky distilleries close around 4–6 p.m.. That schedule makes lunch the natural meal for a route stop, since it fits between distillery visits and leaves the afternoon free. The Kitchen Table works for either a midday meal or a relaxed early-afternoon stop.
A responsible note: any day that includes bourbon tastings requires a clear plan. Designate a driver who abstains for the full day, or arrange hired transportation in advance. Rideshare coverage thins quickly once you leave Louisville, so do not rely on it for the return leg. All tastings at James B. Beam Distilling Co. are 21+ with valid ID, consistent with Drink Smart® responsible-enjoyment standards. Please enjoy responsibly.
Arriving In Bardstown: A Few Final Stops
Once you have decided how to handle meal stops along the way, Bardstown marks the end of the drive. Bardstown sits 37 miles south of Louisville and has its own deep roster of dining options covered extensively elsewhere. For arrival meals, The Old Talbott Tavern (107 W Stephen Foster Ave), built in 1779 and considered the oldest western stagecoach stop in America, and The Rickhouse are the two most-cited anchor stops. Both serve lunch and dinner. If Clermont serves as the midpoint anchor of the drive, Bardstown is the destination, and the meal there lands best after the distillery day is already underway.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s The Best Restaurant In Bardstown, Kentucky?
The Old Talbott Tavern at 107 W Stephen Foster Ave is one of the most historically significant dining rooms in the state, built in 1779 and serving both lunch and dinner. The Rickhouse is a well-regarded contemporary option in the same area. Both are solid arrival-meal choices after driving the Louisville-to-Bardstown corridor.
What Is A Must-Eat In Kentucky?
The Hot Brown, an open-faced turkey sandwich with Mornay sauce and crispy bacon invented at Louisville’s Brown Hotel in the 1920s, is Kentucky’s signature dish. On the bourbon trail specifically, The Kitchen Table’s signature sourdough pizza, mentioned above, is a standout. Kentucky burgoo, country ham, and fried chicken round out the regional canon.
Are There Quick Bites Between Louisville And Bardstown?
Yes. Shepherdsville at I-65 Exit 117 offers a convenient restaurant cluster, with Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers (450 Conestoga Pkwy), Arby’s, Taco Bell, and KFC all within a short drive of the exit. Mount Washington on KY-44 has Sissy’s Tacos and Crystal’s Country Diner for slightly slower quick bites, but requires a surface-street detour off the interstate.
What’s The Best Sit-Down Restaurant Between Louisville And Bardstown For A Bourbon Trail Day?
The Kitchen Table at James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont (522 Happy Hollow Road) is the standout option. It is a full-service restaurant and cocktail bar open to walk-ins and located directly on the route. The menu features Kentucky-inspired classics and a signature sourdough pizza made with Beam’s own yeast strain. Paired with the Beam Made Bourbon Tour & Tasting, it turns a lunch stop into the first act of a full bourbon day.
Do I Need Reservations For The Kitchen Table?
The Kitchen Table accepts walk-ins for dining. If you plan to combine lunch with the Beam Made Bourbon Tour & Tasting, book the tour in advance at beamdistilling.com, because popular tour times sell out, especially on weekends and during football and Derby seasons. Arriving at least 30 minutes before your tour time is recommended, as tours depart promptly and guests cannot join one already in progress.
How Far Is Clermont From Louisville And Bardstown?
Clermont is approximately 30 minutes south of downtown Louisville via I-65. Bardstown sits about 15 miles (24 km) from Clermont via KY 245, roughly a 20-minute drive. From Louisville, take I-65 south 35 miles to Exit 112 (the Clermont-Bardstown exit), then follow HWY 245 for 15 miles into Bardstown. The James B. Beam Distilling Co. campus at 522 Happy Hollow Road sits just off I-65, with no significant detour required.
Conclusion & Next Steps
The drive between Louisville and Bardstown functions as a dining corridor with four distinct stops, each suited to a different time budget and appetite. Mount Washington on KY-44 handles the quick detour. Shepherdsville at Exit 117 handles the fastest on/off. Bardstown handles the arrival meal. The midpoint anchor is Clermont, the stop that turns the drive into the beginning of a bourbon day.
The Kitchen Table at James B. Beam Distilling Co. is the only restaurant on this route where lunch and a distillery tour share the same stop. The Kentucky Bourbon Trail counts nearly 70 participating distilleries, and 2.7 million visitors made the trip in 2025. Travelers who get the most out of the day plan the meal before they plan the route. Start here.
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This article is promotional content of James B. Beam Distilling Co. Please practice responsible drinking.
