The Loyal Restaurant & Bar

EE Grimshaw

4 out of 5 stars★★★★☆

When my top-tier chum who literally went to the school of hospitality (down the street!) and I initially checked into the Inn in the late morning this past Tuesday, we actually walked into The Loyal to possibly have a nip to start off our adventures. It was understandably quiet - I don't think there were any customers at the time, and the vibe was just not there so we didn't stay and wandered outside. Flash-forward hours later and we came downstairs around dinner time. Good vibes, and we stayed. The right call. It definitely feels recently renovated in here, which makes sense given that this restaurant apparently replaced something called Preston's within the past few months. It reminded me a bit of a Southern golf course/country club vibe, but maybe not as elitist, if that makes sense. We plopped ourselves at the bar and admired the setup - my chum was officially inspired to start a DIY project in the near future based on the cabinet doors encasing the liquor supply, which was admittedly pretty cool and a nice touch. Both of us decided to get The Loyal off the cocktail menu, which was very obviously a pseudonym for The Old Fashioned. Very, very tasty and one of the best we had on this trip overall, which is a high compliment given that our next adventures took us to a bunch of Kentucky bourbon distilleries. We did specifically request Basil Hayden upgrades so that could have been part of the good times here (and something I'd recommend if you're so inclined), but it was well made and I thought an excellent use of bitters - overdo don't underdo. We liked them so much we got a second round, even though that ended up derailing our tentative dinner plans in town because of how early everything closes around here offseason. Again, a compliment. Since we were starting to get hungry we decided to split an order of the Pimiento Mac & Cheese Hush Puppies, which were just okay. Their big problem (and my experience with this item is pretty limited but this isn't the first time I've had this specific issue so it feels like a trend) was that they were overly fried, which took away from the tastier interior. The cornmeal to me just doesn't have a texture that jives with being burnt or overly fried, so that's one I'd work on in the kitchen. The service was good. It was definitely starting to get a little busier throughout our stay and the staff was spread pretty thin - our bartender often had to vacate the bar area to assist with service in the dining sections, so arguably that delayed the proceedings a bit. But we weren't in a rush and I suspect if we'd needed to prompt a quicker turnaround time for something, it wouldn't have been hard to do. And the bartender was very personable and genuine, so top marks in that department as well. Hotel bars/restaurants can be a little hit or miss, but this was a hit, at least for their cocktail menu.

Joe Nazare

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

We went to this restaurant because we heard they had redesigned the restaurant and had gotten a new chef. The restaurant has been upgraded in design with an open welcoming atmosphere. We ordered the filet. It was prepared perfectly and presented in a very attractive manner. The staff were very friendly, well dressed and attentive to our needs. I have eaten at several 5 star restaurants and this dinner was comparable to them.I highly recommend this restaurant for any occasion.

Nadia Jones

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

Honestly, this was our second time at Prestons, and we came back purely for the shrimp and grits. Omg, they are so good. The first night we had big shrimp, and tonight they were smaller, but both times they were delicious. I also got the smash burger this time, and it was really good. The fries were crispy and tasty. The environment is great, and the staff is so welcoming and kind.