A time-honored Kentucky classic is Maker’s Mark bourbon.

Just outside the hometown of Maker’s Mark is the new Toll Gate Cafe located on the grounds of Maker’s Mark. It’s a nice stop after touring the distillery.

The Toll Gate Cafe opened just about a year ago and is housed in a toll house built in the late 1800s on a road that went through Burks Spring Farm. Completely remodeled, it has a pleasant atmosphere – historical photos on gray-toned walls trimmed with the traditional Maker’s Mark red that makes the toll house decor pop.

There are a few inside tables, but the place to be is out on the patio or porch where the scene is age-old, thriving, Kentucky woods, trees and rolling fields.

The menu has about 25 items, some with bourbon-inspired recipes, some with traditional Southern flair – all with quality ingredients. I’m often a “when in Rome” kind of gal, so I opted for a burger with bourbon sauce. In this house, bourbon is to Kentucky as Caesar was to Rome – king.

The burger came on a large, fresh hoagie roll and even though the burger patty itself was average, the sauce was delicious. Along with the tastes of tomato, sweetness and a bit of spice, the bourbon taste was genuine and apparent, catapulting the patty to one-of-a-kind nobility.

My dining companions opted to split a tossed green salad and turkey sandwich. The salad was pre-made, a traditional leaf lettuce salad with a few veggies and a packaged dressing – with enough healthy greens for the meal. The turkey sandwich was well liked, as it was piled high with fresh turkey, cheese, lettuce and tomato so that it looked like something from a first-rate deli.

Dessert was also a majestic affair in the form of cookies, cookies, cookies – all with a twist of bourbon flavor. Each was a mound of baked cookie dough enhanced with flavors like mint julep or chocolate with bourbon, all generously drizzled over the top. Unique and delicious. While I’ve sent the bourbon chocolates to friends around the country, I would definitely send these cookies instead if they packaged them.

That’s kinda like drinking your lunch, right?
Anonymous review courtesy of the Bowling Green Daily News
TOLL GATE CAFE

3350 Burks Spring Road, Loretto, Kentucky, 40037
(270) 865-2099
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (EST) daily
Cuisine: American
Price range: $2.99 to $6.99
Specialties: Bourbon-inspired recipes