Awesome thread idea!

 

I'm definitely taking notes.  This big man loves to eat, even if it means driving.

Hearsay, the best dining venue in Elizabethtown has got to be Social on Main. It encompasses Maillard Wood Fired Kitchen which has great pizza, Taglish Filipino American Kitchen and Ruben’s Delicatessen. All of this in a large dining area. There are also over 40 self-pour taps for beer, wine and cocktails, and eight lanes of duckpin bowling. There is also a newly opened ice cream shop just outside of the main dining area. 

16 hours ago, Hearsay said:

August 23 - Cooper - never been there

 

Whuddya Got?!

KellyQ's & Whippers Dairy, 188 N Main St, Walton, KY 41094 (about 20 minutes from Cooper)

Cooked fresh when you order.  Wide variety of food, prices are great and you won't walk out hungry.  And that then there's the shakes & banana split.

Hidden Gem in Northern Kentucky

For the at Cooper game the answer is Bourbon House Pizza.  While other suggestions are fine, this is the one. 

14 hours ago, hrcarrier said:

The places listed near or close to Cooper are definitely all good. Boone County has a wide variety of restaurants to offer. What type of food do you mostly like or what would be something different you would like to try?

We literally will eat nearly anything, from sports bar fare to white tablecloth. If a local place has a “thing” uniquely theirs, we like to experience that. I will say, though we like things like Indian or Vietnamese, we might avoid digesting that in a 3 hour football game in the heat afterwards. ?

1 hour ago, Hardin County Preps said:

Hearsay, the best dining venue in Elizabethtown has got to be Social on Main. It encompasses Maillard Wood Fired Kitchen which has great pizza, Taglish Filipino American Kitchen and Ruben’s Delicatessen. All of this in a large dining area. There are also over 40 self-pour taps for beer, wine and cocktails, and eight lanes of duckpin bowling. There is also a newly opened ice cream shop just outside of the main dining area. 

OK! My wife has been jonesing to try Taglish, so we may give it a shot. Thanks!

If your destination is Campbellsville, we have many great restaurants… But, One Block from the school is the last Druther’s restaurant in America… Great Double Cheeseburgers and breakfast All Day… Don’t forget the gravy.

For games at Ryle or Cooper for people coming from the south, Cattleman's Steakhouse just opened immediately west of exit 175 on I-75 after the I75/I71 split. Excellent eats!

4 hours ago, bigblue96 said:

For the at Cooper game the answer is Bourbon House Pizza.  While other suggestions are fine, this is the one. 

Exactly what I came to say. This is definitely the best choice. 

RESTAURANT REVIEW - Charred Oak Grill, 305 E. Mt. Vernon St., Somerset, KY. Many thanks to @Jumper_Dad for this excellent recommendation. Charred Oak is 1 block off the fountain in the downtown square, about 2 minutes from where the Briar Jumpers play their high school games at Meece Middle School. Has its own parking lot with about 30-40 spaces. We arrived at 5:45 p.m., and it was already beginning to fill up, though we were seated immediately. Though the online menu and website appear sophisticated (we were concerned dressed in shorts and collared Tiger football shirts that we would be underdressed), the customer base was relaxed and casual. Interior decor of the wide open restaurant is bourbon-themed, with wood-paneled walls and tables, with cool lighting. Long impressive bar area (that was full) with a huge wall with a wide variety of bourbon brands and several televisions playing Olympics and other sports. In the back, they have a couple of pool tables and 3 old-school arcades, including Galaga, which will up their score.

Our server, Kaitlin, was prompt and friendly, and we observed plenty of staff servicing customers both inside and outside on the front patio area. Charred Oak has a large drink menu that includes the array of bourbon, wine, craft beer, and cocktails. Had I not been headed to a high school football game, I would have chosen something off of the 12 specialty martinis list, and Mrs. Hearsay would have gotten the cool-looking bourbon “Daily Drink,” but I did get a Country Boy draft beer which was good. Mrs. Hearsay had an apple cider. Of the several appetizer options, we split the “Tennessee Whiskey Mussels,” about 12-15 mussels soaked in a bourbon-bacon cream sauce. The mussels were fresh and sauce was very good. We saw several other tables ordering apps, including the chicken nachos that looked amazing.

The menu is traditional American bistro with steaks, burgers, fish (salmon and swordfish), sandwiches, salads, etc. I went with the special on the chalkboard, a grilled ribeye and grilled shrimp in a chimichurri sauce on a bed of wild rice with a side of broccoli. Mrs. Hearsay got something called the “Superfood Salad” with grilled chicken, a huge bowl of salad with red quinoa, blueberries, almonds, feta, and avocado with a warm bacon vinaigrette. Both dishes were good portions without feeling overstuffed. The dishes are presented very nicely and look good. The steak was properly cooked, and the chimichurri sauce was a tasty complement. Mrs. Hearsay raved about her salad.

We wish we had had time to stay for dessert, but alas the Friday night gridiron beckoned. Perhaps most impressive, on a busy Friday night, Kaitlin and Charred Oak got our order in in 10 minutes, drinks and app delivered in 5 minutes, our food in 10 minutes, and we were out of there by 6:50 in time to get to the game in time for 7:00 kickoff. Total bill, including alcohol, app, main courses and a 20% tip came to $95.

This is a really good restaurant and Somerset should be proud to have it. I would come back here if I’m ever back through Somerset and definitely recommend it to other guests.

Score (on Dave Portnoy scale): 8.6.

7 hours ago, Hearsay said:

RESTAURANT REVIEW - Charred Oak Grill, 305 E. Mt. Vernon St., Somerset, KY. Many thanks to @Jumper_Dad for this excellent recommendation. Charred Oak is 1 block off the fountain in the downtown square, about 2 minutes from where the Briar Jumpers play their high school games at Meece Middle School. Has its own parking lot with about 30-40 spaces. We arrived at 5:45 p.m., and it was already beginning to fill up, though we were seated immediately. Though the online menu and website appear sophisticated (we were concerned dressed in shorts and collared Tiger football shirts that we would be underdressed), the customer base was relaxed and casual. Interior decor of the wide open restaurant is bourbon-themed, with wood-paneled walls and tables, with cool lighting. Long impressive bar area (that was full) with a huge wall with a wide variety of bourbon brands and several televisions playing Olympics and other sports. In the back, they have a couple of pool tables and 3 old-school arcades, including Galaga, which will up their score.

Our server, Kaitlin, was prompt and friendly, and we observed plenty of staff servicing customers both inside and outside on the front patio area. Charred Oak has a large drink menu that includes the array of bourbon, wine, craft beer, and cocktails. Had I not been headed to a high school football game, I would have chosen something off of the 12 specialty martinis list, and Mrs. Hearsay would have gotten the cool-looking bourbon “Daily Drink,” but I did get a Country Boy draft beer which was good. Mrs. Hearsay had an apple cider. Of the several appetizer options, we split the “Tennessee Whiskey Mussels,” about 12-15 mussels soaked in a bourbon-bacon cream sauce. The mussels were fresh and sauce was very good. We saw several other tables ordering apps, including the chicken nachos that looked amazing.

The menu is traditional American bistro with steaks, burgers, fish (salmon and swordfish), sandwiches, salads, etc. I went with the special on the chalkboard, a grilled ribeye and grilled shrimp in a chimichurri sauce on a bed of wild rice with a side of broccoli. Mrs. Hearsay got something called the “Superfood Salad” with grilled chicken, a huge bowl of salad with red quinoa, blueberries, almonds, feta, and avocado with a warm bacon vinaigrette. Both dishes were good portions without feeling overstuffed. The dishes are presented very nicely and look good. The steak was properly cooked, and the chimichurri sauce was a tasty complement. Mrs. Hearsay raved about her salad.

We wish we had had time to stay for dessert, but alas the Friday night gridiron beckoned. Perhaps most impressive, on a busy Friday night, Kaitlin and Charred Oak got our order in in 10 minutes, drinks and app delivered in 5 minutes, our food in 10 minutes, and we were out of there by 6:50 in time to get to the game in time for 7:00 kickoff. Total bill, including alcohol, app, main courses and a 20% tip came to $95.

This is a really good restaurant and Somerset should be proud to have it. I would come back here if I’m ever back through Somerset and definitely recommend it to other guests.

Score (on Dave Portnoy scale): 8.6.

Really glad that you both enjoyed your meal. I should have given a shout out to the Chicken Nachos in my original post, they are as good as they look.

In Ashland a few places that are local business and not chain restaurants:

 Smokin’ J’s Rib & Brewhouse

Fat Patty's

Crisp Dairy Treat (it is very good but it is drive up and you have to eat in vehicle) Their footlong with homemade sauce is awesome! Good burgers and ice cream as well.

On 8/9/2024 at 8:24 AM, Hearsay said:

We literally will eat nearly anything, from sports bar fare to white tablecloth. If a local place has a “thing” uniquely theirs, we like to experience that. I will say, though we like things like Indian or Vietnamese, we might avoid digesting that in a 3 hour football game in the heat afterwards. ?

I don’t know if you like Thai or not but if you do, Florence has a great Tai restaurant called Mai Thai. It’s a little more out of the way from Cooper, but not too bad. That’s one of my favorite restaurants in Florence.

On 8/9/2024 at 7:17 AM, bigblue96 said:

For the at Cooper game the answer is Bourbon House Pizza.  While other suggestions are fine, this is the one. 

For pizza, I agree. No pizza is close to being as good as Bourbon House. And for whatever reason the one at the Levee in Newport isn’t as good as the Florence location.

Bourbon House is great.  But for an out of towner going to Cooper, Ryle or even Boone County not wanting pizza, I would recommend La Torta Loca or Boomtown Biscuits and Whiskey.  La Torta Loca is Mexican & Venezuelan food with a menu that is completely and utterly unique and absolutely amazing.  Boomtown is a little more upscale, but great food that isn't the same ol same ol.