There are numerous long-standing restaurants in Kentucky that are legendary, from Bardstown’s Old Talbott Tavern, the oldest bourbon bar in the world, to Burlington’s Tousey House Tavern, a 200-year-old restaurant that’s one of the country’s most historic. In Harrodsburg, Old Owl Tavern is a James Beard Award-winning restaurant that’s part of the Beaumont Inn, a beloved Bluegrass establishment that harkens back to 1845. The Inn and Tavern have been owned and operated by the Dedman Family for over a century, making the Old Owl Tavern one of the oldest — and delicious — family-owned restaurants in Kentucky.
When you’re craving a plate of Southern cooking in Kentucky, you don’t have to look too far. Nor do you have to search too hard for a historic dining experience. Or a longstanding, family-owned restaurant – Kentucky is full of them!
Old Owl Tavern and Owl’s Nest at Beaumont Inn/Facebook
But all three? That’s a horse of a different color – but one you’ll find in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.
Old Owl Tavern and Owl’s Nest at Beaumont Inn/Facebook
The Dedman Family opened the Beaumont Inn in 1919. The site of a former women’s college, the Beaumont quickly became known as much more than a mere B&B.
Mike Conley/Google Local
The Inn’s Old Owl Tavern is, in fact, hailed as one of the top culinary destinations in the country, with signature dishes like yellow-legged chicken, corn pudding, and two-year old Kentucky country ham earning numerous awards – including a coveted James Beard Foundation American Classics Award in 2015.
Old Owl Tavern and Owl’s Nest at Beaumont Inn/Facebook
Despite its culinary clout, however, nothing about the Old Owl Tavern is at all pretentious. You can expect delicious, down-home cooking with a heaping side of Southern hospitality…
Old Owl Tavern and Owl’s Nest at Beaumont Inn/Facebook
…and a darn delicious Kentucky Hot Brown gracing the menu!
Old Owl Tavern and Owl’s Nest at Beaumont Inn/Facebook
Although the Inn changed hands in 2022, it remained in the family. Former Mercer County Judge-Executive Milward Dedman, his wife Kathy, and their family purchased the Beaumont Inn – Chuck and Milward Dedman are cousins.
Old Owl Tavern and Owl’s Nest at Beaumont Inn/Facebook
The Old Owl Tavern isn’t just a longstanding, family-owned Kentucky establishment; it’s truly part of the very fabric of the Bluegrass State. An official sponsor of the acclaimed Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Old Owl Tavern also boasts one of the best bourbon collections in the Bluegrass, with over 70 varieties from which to choose!
Old Owl Tavern/Google Local
We’re so happy to have this long-standing, family-run restaurant in Kentucky. Old Owl Tavern is one of those wholly unique places that make our state so wonderfully, deliciously special.
Old Owl Tavern and Owl’s Nest at Beaumont Inn/Facebook
Have you dined at Old Owl Tavern before? As one of the oldest family-owned restaurants in Kentucky, it most certainly belongs on your Bluegrass bucket list!
Old Owl Tavern and Owl’s Nest at Beaumont Inn/Facebook
Mike Conley/Google Local
Old Owl Tavern/Google Local
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Address: Old Owl Tavern, 638 Beaumont Inn Dr, Harrodsburg, KY 40330, USA
