About Us
Welcome to the original deSha’s
Nick and Elmer T. Lee selecting deSha’s first private selection Blanton’s barrel in 1991.
Nick Sanders founded Tavern Restaurant Group starting with deSha’s Maysville, KY in 1981. Named for his father, Nick wanted to create a restaurant with a comfortable tavern feel and exceptional hospitality in a town he loved to visit growing up.
Inspired by the success of the Maysville location, Nick opened deSha’s American Tavern in Cincinnati in 1990.
After several trips to the UK, he decided to model his next concepts off of the warmth and hospitality he found in public houses throughout Europe. This led to the opening of Nicholson’s in 1997 and The Pub Rookwood in 2001. The Tavern Group currently operates all of its original concepts, The Backstage Event Center, and an additional seven Pubs in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida.
Cheers!
– Nick Sanders
Founder and CEO of Tavern Restaurant Group

40+ Year Celebration

3 Private & Semi-Private Party Rooms

1 Authentic Tavern & Bar
Kat
Kat Rossmann
Kristy Weber
Eagle Traveler
Excellent Service! Excellent Food! Thank You Server, Mel. You made the experience one to remember!! I have always had good experiences at DeSha’s and today my friends and I had the best experience. We were greeted by a friendly waitress named Mel and she rolled out the red carpet for us. Truly a delight as she gave great recommendations along with great conversation. Thank you DeSha’s and thank you Mel! We will be back! - 8/30/2025
The food is excellent!! Especially the stuffed mushrooms, stuffed banana peppers, coconut chicken, garden burger. I'm not happy that the fish n chips isn't like it used to be. Wish they'd bring it back. Otherwise I enjoy the it fodd and atmosphere. Really nice outdoor patio is really nice. - 8/06/2025
Wendy Longman
Susan H.
Fine dining in an elegant, yet casual atmosphere. The wait staff is friendly and professional and the meals we ordered were well prepared and delicious! The spinach salad was fresh and flavorful as was the Steak deSha's: marinated tenderloin medallions with a wonderful soy citrus sauce and sautéed mushrooms. Nice place for a date, friends, or family dinner. Highly recommend! - 5/02/2025
Kristina T
ang douglas
Jon Ganz
James Taylor
Jodi Cassidy
Rebecca Ward
Shelley Sroufe
Rebecca Boone
Bob Bourque
John O'Mara (MRPIG3804)
Lara Rush
Lacey Thackston-Lang
Sue Weaver
MB L
Marty Spriggs
Becky R.
This place was great! We got there right around 5 and it was already busy. We got seated right away and our service was very nice. I ordered the fried green tomatoes which were amazing, and fish and chips a small order (two pieces of fish) with fries and it's supposed to come with coleslaw but they did substitute another side for me. My mom ordered the three sides with cornbread, the loaded baked potato was really good, the coleslaw was also good. We were both eh about the cornbread. All in all we enjoyed it very much. - 7/10/2024
Chris Cafferky
joseph borovich
Chris C.
My wife and I were driving to Indiana to watch Monday's eclipse, and we decided to stop for an early dinner. We decided to stop at deSha's Restaurant on US 68 in Maysville, Kentucky. We had looked at the menus of upcoming restaurants, and that one caught my eye. A very welcoming hostess showed us to our table. It is a very warm, comfortable dining room, with brick walls, large exposed beams above your head, and a huge fireplace. Being in Kentucky, my wife ordered a shot of Woodfore Reserve Rye, and I ordered Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. My wife, who is a bit of a bourbon and whisky connoisseur said the Rye was so smooth, and she definately picked up the woody fruity caramel-y notes. As for the ale, it had a real caramel flavor and was excellent, even at 8.2% ABV. For starters we had Coconut Chicken. We expected wlamm pieces, but we're served 4 entre-sized pieces. The chicken was juicy and perfectly cooked, and the coconut breading was very delicate. For dinner we both had the pan-seared salmon, served with rice. We both selected sautéed whole mushrooms as a side. The salmon was luscious. A nice "crust" on the outside hid tender salmon. Mushrooms were a bit on the salty side, but the juice left after finishing them helped the rice. All in all it was a very nice dinner. We will be coming through here again, as we have good friends in eastern Indiana, so we will be back. Definitely a place to try. - 4/09/2024
Brian Bressler
Valerie Lynch Rosselot
Diamond traveler
Great place close to the Hampton Inn Service was great. Food was well prepared.. Prices were reasonable.. Would highly recommend. Plenty of parking. Can park and walk done steps. Highly recommend since the upper parking lot has access to light to get out at a light - 11/22/2023
1chevy
Beyond excellent We visit Maysville occasionally. We always stop at DeSha’s. Today we ordered Hot Browns. They were served hot on a hot plate. The coffee was excellent. The service was beyond excellent. We had a waitress with an unusual nickname, Sister. I have not had better service than she provided in years. If you go, ask for her. - 9/08/2023
1chevy
Beyond excellent We visit Maysville occasionally. We always stop at DeSha’s. Today we ordered Hot Browns. They were served hot on a hot plate. The coffee was excellent. The service was beyond excellent. We had a waitress with an unusual nickname, Sister. I have not had better service than she provided in years. If you go, ask for her. - 9/08/2023
omglookakitty
Amazing soup 🤣 My boyfriend and I stopped here while in town for the old pogue distillery tour. It had the best French onion soup I ever had and the steak was awesome. Make sure if you don’t like mushrooms you ask for no mushrooms because they have it on everything, even if it doesn’t say 😅 - 7/14/2023
omglookakitty
Amazing soup 🤣 My boyfriend and I stopped here while in town for the old pogue distillery tour. It had the best French onion soup I ever had and the steak was awesome. Make sure if you don’t like mushrooms you ask for no mushrooms because they have it on everything, even if it doesn’t say 😅 - 7/14/2023
Arilys P.
What a pleasant surprise! We came on a whim and I must say I enjoyed my meal and time here. Hannah our waitress was so sweet. She always had a smile and answered all questions with no issues. However, if you ever come please ask for her and you won't have a bad experience. Out food was really good. Should you ever want food that is simplified but tasty then here is a must. I know it's out of the way but if you are ever in town please stop in. Enjoy!! - 3/29/2023
TWB
Would Return! Family lunch at Desha's did not disappoint. Fried cheese starter was so good but didn't leave much room for the main course. All American burger was great. Really enjoyed the baked potato and fried fish. Broccoli was pretty flavorless but there wasn't much time for it anyway. Server was nice. - 4/11/2022
TWB
Would Return! Family lunch at Desha's did not disappoint. Fried cheese starter was so good but didn't leave much room for the main course. All American burger was great. Really enjoyed the baked potato and fried fish. Broccoli was pretty flavorless but there wasn't much time for it anyway. Server was nice. - 4/11/2022
ahieatt
Wonderful lunch The wife and I stopped on our way to Mt. Olivet and she had the club sandwich and I had the fish slider/chili combo. This may have been the best chili I have ever had. Compliments to the chef. The whole place was decorated beautifully for Christmas. Would like to get back as soon as possible - 12/12/2021
ahieatt
Wonderful lunch The wife and I stopped on our way to Mt. Olivet and she had the club sandwich and I had the fish slider/chili combo. This may have been the best chili I have ever had. Compliments to the chef. The whole place was decorated beautifully for Christmas. Would like to get back as soon as possible - 12/12/2021
Pat McGuire
Supper time! What a nice place! And for the first time in practically forever the hostess didn't put the Bikers in the furthest corner of the restaurant. They actually let us sit among other people. The food was excellent and our Waitress (Thessa, I believe was her name) was very attentive. So I highly recommend this place to my two wheeled brothers. - 9/02/2021
Pat McGuire
Supper time! What a nice place! And for the first time in practically forever the hostess didn't put the Bikers in the furthest corner of the restaurant. They actually let us sit among other people. The food was excellent and our Waitress (Thessa, I believe was her name) was very attentive. So I highly recommend this place to my two wheeled brothers. - 9/02/2021
Cheryl S.
It has been quite a long time since we dined at Desha's. While I miss the atmosphere of the location past, it was still a very pleasurable experience. The food was as good as I remembered. The menu has a variety of Americana options sure to please everyone's cravings; appetizers - dessert. The adult beverage selection offers a variety of wines and beers; not extensive but satisfactory. As a wine drinker I love to see a few more mid-level and above selections added. It is definitely a pleasant dinner option. - 4/26/2021
Tammi. B.
I don't get the poor reviews. My food was fresh and delish. Service was great, but not overbearing. I also don't get the comments about the decor, unless there is a different location then where I visited. I am from out of town and travel here for work several times a year and I will comeback. If you don't like the prices go to McDonald's they are reasonable. - 4/15/2021
The servers were very quick and attentive, the food came out almost too quickly but we didn't get appetizers so that is probably why. The first waters that were brought out tasted funny and the server replaced them with water from a different location and then they were fine. She did it very graciously and did not act like it was an inconvenience at all. We were not rushed from the table when we were finished paying. Very nice experience overall. - 10/26/2020
A few weeks ago I wrote that the salmon was way to salty on two separate occasions. I had it on this visit and it was perfect. I had the vegetable as my side and the broccoli was cooked perfectly. Our service was great. Been there three times in four weeks, deSha's is doing something right. - 10/26/2020
My friend and I chose to eat at Desha's for outdoor eating even though the weather was a bit nippy. There was outdoor heating which was delightful. Both our meals were delicious and beautifully presented; the server was very attentive, polite and timely. Desha's never disappoints! - 10/18/2020
SKOL2U
YAY FOR DESHA'S! I have dined at Desha's (pronounced de-shays, not de-shas) several times this past summer. Most of the time, I ordered the Catfish, which I definitely recommend! The pre-meal bread, which to me is exactly like the bread at Outback, is great as well! The service has always been very friendly and efficient! Desha's started back in 1981 in Maysville and I definitely see why it is still going strong! - 10/07/2020
SKOL2U
YAY FOR DESHA'S! I have dined at Desha's (pronounced de-shays, not de-shas) several times this past summer. Most of the time, I ordered the Catfish, which I definitely recommend! The pre-meal bread, which to me is exactly like the bread at Outback, is great as well! The service has always been very friendly and efficient! Desha's started back in 1981 in Maysville and I definitely see why it is still going strong! - 10/07/2020
We had a family date night and really enjoyed ourselves. The waitress was friendly and immediately took care of it when an item we ordered came out wrong. We got to enjoy some specials from restaurant week during our meal. The atmosphere including the live music was really enjoyable. - 10/04/2020
Another visit to DeSha's and the food was prepared just as expected. The service was appropriate for these COVID times and there was no wait since we had a reservation. Our waiter, Matt was attentive and polite. I had the Fried Buttermilk Chicken which is one of my favorite meals here with green beans and smashed potatoes. The total bill for three was about $20 a person plus drinks. There was plenty of outdoor seating and live music too. I'll be back! - 9/21/2020
Food and service were excellent. We ate on the deck by the pond and there was an internment discharge of water from a pipe by the pond. This discharge was emitted an unpleasant odor. Reported to the server, she checked on it and advised it was a sump pump discharge. I doubt that was it because of the odor. - 9/18/2020
We came for burger week and had a great meal. Two of us had the burger with a Caesar salad and the other two had the prime rib sandwich on a pretzel bun with fries. All of us enjoyed our meal as we sat inside by the pond. Good food with friends with a lovely backdrop. - 8/24/2020
Haven’t been here in a long time. Wife and I were looking for a nice place with outside dining to enjoy the weather, and of course, remain socially distanced from others. Did not expect to see the front side of the building also converted to outdoor dining! Food was outstanding, service was spot on, and the live music was an added bonus! We are already discussing our next visit! - 8/17/2020
The well prepared food is always good at deSha's, but now they are taking extra precautions to keep people safe, requiring masks to enter and when not seated, and having outdoor tables available. We had the stuffed mushrooms for an appetizer and they were the best I've ever had. Such a lovely view from the dining room too! - 8/10/2020
We sat outside on the front patio which was very nice. The food and drinks were both wonderful! The only complaint was that the band was really loud and we weren’t even sitting close to them. It was difficult to have a conversation with the music being so loud. Other than that we had a good experience. - 8/10/2020
Had a casual, early dinner under the driveway porch on a nice summer afternoon. Was seated right away and drink orders quickly followed. Our meals (salad and entrees) were served promptly - at the right temps. Everyone was following hygiene rules (masks, etc). We enjoyed ourselves. - 8/08/2020
With the current situation due to the virus, dining out just any where can be a little uncomfortable. However, our lunch on July 28th at DeSha's was perfect. Loved the area set up for outside dining as it was quiet and provided easy access to the parking lot. Food and service were spot on. One friend could not make it due to a death in her family that morning. We will plan a return visit to DeSha's in a couple weeks when things calm down for her. Thank you DeSha's for making our luncheon perfect. - 7/31/2020
Unfortunately there seem to be confusion between the servers As to who had our table. We waited over 15 minutes for someone to come and greet us and take our drink order. Unfortunately it was 88° that day and a cold glass of water with the been very tasty. We were seated outside. Other guests arrived after us had been seated and served drinks before anyone came to our table. I guess it was just confusion - 7/13/2020
It's been years since I had visited DeSha's in Lexington (which I always enjoyed), so when we stopped in Maysville, we had a good reason to visit the original. Since we weren't starving, we opted for a couple of appetizers ...and dessert. The crab stuffed mushrooms make a great taste combination; I would have preferred them a touch more browned and less cheesy, but the flavor was still excellent. We also tried the cheese stuffed banana peppers. Actually, they could more accurately be described as cheese stuffed wontons with a strip of banana pepper. It's a great combination of flavors, but we were a little disappointed that it wasn't actually a full pepper. But, the dessert made up for any shortcomings -- the turtle cheesecake is actually a perfectly creamy, delicious New York cheesecake that is then sprinkled with Heath Bar chips, chocolate and caramel syrups, and whipped cream. Luscious! Oh, and the iced tea is perfect -- one of my important restaurant checklist factors. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable. - 6/21/2020
Robin S.
Decided to give this restaurant another try as my first experience was a little lackluster, and I must say the second time was a charm. I had the fried fish with slaw and fries, and my boyfriend had a mushroom burger with cheese and a bordelaise sauce.......it did not disappoint. Service was a little slow for the amount of people dining, but our server made up for it by checking in and keeping drinks filled. Will definitely return. - 6/03/2020
My wife and I enjoyed a great casual dinner in the bar side of DeSha’s. They removed some tables and re-positioned the remaining tables to create social distancing. Servers wore masks and I saw several use hand sanitizer. We felt very safe and comfortable. Thank you DeSha’s for doing a great job during this crazy pandemic. - 5/25/2020
I've been a patron of Desha's for many years and always find their choice very good and consistent. If I ever have an issue the management has addressed it quickly and to my satisfaction. Dishes that I order regularly are the Desha burger, Buffalo Chicken Breast (medium), Hot Brown (small), French Onion Soup, and Coconut Chicken. - 5/09/2020 
deSha’s Maysville
1166 US 68 Maysville, KY 41056
606-564-9275
Contact
HOURS:
Monday – Saturday: 11am-10pm
Sunday: 11am – 9pm













































































































































