Red River Gorge restaurant has more than 100 beers, healthy eats and a special tribute
You’ve probably heard of Miguel’s, the iconic pizza joint and rock climber hangout in the Red River Gorge. But are you familiar with the place just four miles down KY-11 with more than 100 beers and a menu utilizing seasonal local ingredients?
Hop’s Beer Garden & Restaurant regularly hosts live music, a farmers market (the second Friday of every month from 5-9 p.m. from April-October), Taco Tuesdays and more in the Eastern Kentucky town of Campton, the county seat of Wolfe County.
“We’re trying to fit a different niche in the Gorge,” said owner April Reefer. “There’s already places to get burgers, pizza and barbecue. A recent study by the (Red River Gorge) Climbing Commission and EKU’s Dr. James Maples found overwhelming support for more healthy food options in the region.”
Reefer is growing some of the ingredients for dishes in a garden at her own home but the goal is to have beds where they grow 100% of the herbs for the restaurant on site.
Hop’s Beer Garden menu
For Taco Tuesday, Hop’s offers a variety of meaty and vegan friendly options such as a roasted veggie taco (with carrots, corn, and sweet potato and topped with pickled onions), Cali fish tacos (made with cod and topped with a cream sauce and pickled onions), refried bean tacos (with cheddar cheese and topped with tomatoes) and beef tacos (enchilada seasoned beef with sour cream and topped with tomatoes).
More regular menu items include stuffed shells (with sausage, greens and more), sweet potato curry (with chicken or tofu) and the “Three Arch” sandwich, a triple-decker sandwich featuring a turkey pesto bottom (with home-made pesto), grilled cheese middle and hot brown on top. Despite it’s three gooey layers, Reefer says that the behemoth creation is meant to be eaten like a normal sandwich rather than open-faced like most hot browns, although customers are free to have it their way.
“The idea for the Three Arch came from a customer who said that we ought to serve a triple-decker sandwich because of the zoo arches nearby,” said Reefer. “All three sandwiches are great on their own but I wasn’t sure how they’d work all-in-one. As soon as we tried it in our test kitchen we knew it needed to become a regular item.”
No counting desserts, 11 of the 18 regular menu items contain locally sourced ingredients. The beer cheese, kombucha cheese and corn chips are made in-house.
Hop’s also features well over 100 beers, most of which are displayed under the awning extending from its walk-up ordering window, along with special cocktails like “The Holler” (Old Forester bourbon with a splash of lime and triple sec topped with Cherry Ale-8-One over ice). Other popular items include bourbon flights and a selection of Kentucky-made tequilas, vodkas and gins.
Hop’s origins come from tribute to late husband
The idea for Hop’s began in 2011 with Reefer’s late husband John “Hoppy” Haight, who envisioned having his own place in the Gorge for people to gather after a long day of climbing and exploring to grab a bite. However, after a battle with severe anxiety John died by suicide in December 2016. Needing a career change, in July 2018 Reefer decided to leave her position as the Director of Morehead State University’s Center for Environmental Education in order to carry out John’s dream.
“After John’s death I had a hard time getting back into work. I needed to do something different,” said Reefer, who still wanted to keep in touch with her previous duties at Morehead. She found that niche with Hop’s, making sure her restaurant focuses on local ingredients and reducing their environmental impact.
After initially opening in October 2018 as Hop’s Fork, it rebranded in August 2020 to just Hop’s after a temporary closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“John loved the Gorge and first introduced me to it on our second date,” said Reefer. “An ideal day for him would be to go on a bike ride, climb, paddle, run or hike followed by beers and bourbon with his friends. It’s that same kind of environment that we’re hoping to cultivate at Hop’s.”
Hop’s Beer Garden & Restaurant
Where: 2613 KY-11 in Campton
Hours: Tue., Fri.-Sat. noon-10 p.m.; Wed. 1 p.m.-8p.m.; closed Sun., Mon., Thur.
Online: HopsAtRRG.Weebly.com