By Hunter Boschert
From interesting cuisine to Oriental rug shops, Bardstown Road is full of unique finds. Nestled between a vintage clothing shop and LouVino is the gourmet burger shop, Stout Burger.
Located at 1604 Bardstown Road, Stout Burgers, known by many as just “Stout,” is an upscale eatery boasting an extensive burger menu along with many beer options from local and national microbreweries. Patrons get to enjoy dinner with friends in an intimate dining room with a contemporary and industrial design.
Your inner carnivore will be more than satisfied with a rotation of nine Angus-beef burgers and two organic chicken options. Foodies seeking out a lighter options can select a variety of veggie burgers made fresh daily from a quinoa and bean base. Artisan salads are also available, complete with decadent dressings and parmesiano flakes.
A group of four friends and I decided to check out the restaurant one Sunday night. We decided to start the evening with the pretzel appetizer ($6). The pretzel gives you the option of picking as many sauces as you would like, for $0.50 each, to accompany the appetizer. Beer cheese is the newest sauce along with others such as lemon basil aioli, thousand island, chipotle mayo, horseradish, BBQ, chutney mayo, and truffle aioli.
For sauces, we decided on the beer cheese, truffle aioli and chipotle mayo. The beer cheese was very tasty with subtle warm spicy undertones, great texture and perfect consistency. The truffle aioli spread was also very good; the truffle was not overpowering yet very noticeable. The chipotle mayo combined perfectly with the pretzels adding a small spicy kick to the salty pretzel bun.
I enjoyed the “HOT BROWN” burger ($12) which was garnished with pepper jack cheese, bacon, mornay sauce, tomatoes, spicy chipotle sauce, and slaw. The burgers are cooked to order, so I decided to have my burger well-done and opted to go without the slaw. The burger was prepared perfectly. The burger was grilled just as I asked, and the two sauces paired together wonderfully. Note that the burgers do not come with sides. Seasoned fries can be added to your order ($5-$7) and come in a large basket that can be shared between two people.
Stout is highly recommended especially if you are looking for a nice night out on the town or if you need to celebrate a special occasion. If you are looking for a bite out on a budget, then it may not be the best option. Plan to spend a minimum of $18 per person if you are an adequate tipper and upward of $30 if you include an appetizer and beverage to the bill. Stout is one of unique finds tucked away on Bardstown Road that students should try before they finish their degrees at Bellarmine.