"Stout has been on my list of must try places since before we moved to Kentucky, so when friends suggested a meal out, you pick where , I suggested we try Stout. We met on a Sunday evening and while the bar was hopping, we had no trouble finding a table for 4. And despite there being a game of the tube and people talking, we were able to have a long evening of discussion without feeling interrupted or rushed. Now, none of us are drinkers, so maybe that was a bit of a miss on my part, because their specialty is really pairing beer with food... So, I can 't really give you an accurate review of the establishment from that point of view. However, my husband and I are big on Burgers, so... We ordered beverages and I was a bit taken aback that I couldn 't get an Iced Tea... not even a Sweet Tea! All they serve is Sodas, Beer, Wine, and Water... so, Water is was! We decided on an order of Fried Pickles to Share and they were really some of the best Fried Pickles I 've ever had! They came out hot and crispy without being greasy, and were served with both Ranch and a Spicy Chipotle Sauce that was super tasty! I ordered the Goombah, my Husband had the Stout Burger, and our companions both got American Burgers. The whole table ordered the Seasoned Fries except for me... I opted for the Poutine Fries, because I 've been dying to try Poutine and figured anyone willing to put it on their menu was going to do it up right. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Ort Burgers all came served on tiny little metal plates... probably a sign that we were eating Bar Food, after all.. and if you 're pounding down pitchers of ale, table space would be at a premium. Our sides came separately and the presentation of all of the food was quite lovely. My Goobah was, unfortunately, a little one-noted. While I could SEE the Smoked Mozzarella and Crispy Prosciutto (kinda), I couldn 't take any of it distinctly... and the Lemon Basil Aioli was just lost! So much so that I ended up dipping what should have been an extremely flavorful burger in ketchup, just to add a little sweetness to the beef! Now, the beef itself was well cooked and of high quality.. so it was tasty in and of itself.. and the Brioche Bun was fresh. But I ultimately was just not blown away. My husband said as much about his Stout Burger... while he could SEE all of the ingredients he didn 't really taste the Blue Cheese, Gruyere, Rosemary Bacon, or Caramelized Onions... the one flavor that did come across for him was the Horseradish Cream which he said was very nice. Now, on to the sides. I tried the Seasoned Fries and they were delicious! I love a good fry with rosemary... sublime! However, I was disappointed in the Poutine fries.. and here 's why. They were not Poutine... they were cheesy fries... and if you 're are going to charge more than double for an order of cheesy fries you should call them cheesy fries. Now, as far as cheesy fries go.. they were really quite tasty... But there was no cheese curds, and no gravy... and ultimately they, as well as my burger, just came across as salty. Not... overly so, but, that was the overwhelming theme of the night... not exquisite flavor combinations.. just.. salty. Upon discussing this on the way home, Hubs and I came to the conclusion that that is very much a bar food kind of thing. When people drink beer they want salty food.. and establishments serving beer want their customers to drink more, so they serve salty food. Now, as far as the pairings go, perhaps some of the more subtle notes in the food would be brought out by a correctly paired beer... or maybe the food itself brings something more out in the beer. That 's all well and good, but each item should be able to be enjoyed on it 's own... don 't you think? Especially for those of us that can 't/don 't drink? In any case, the food was good, the service was great, the atmosphere was lovely, and even though it 's pretty pricey, I could see us going back again one day.. perhaps on one of their couples nights."
