A Louisville tradition!Excellent food served family style.You will not leave hungry.Be sure to bring cash as they do not take credit cards.Try the filet, their specialty.Lots of atmosphere.
Stoney River Steak House
429-8944
$$$$
3900 Summit Plaza Drive
Chain restaurant with Rocky Mountain feel.Very casual attire, but formal prices.The food is very good, you must get the carmelized onion mashed potatoes.Very reasonably priced wine list. www.stoneyriver.com
Jack Fry´s
452-9244
$$$$
1007 Bardstown Road
I once had a client who told me that Jack Fry´s was the reason his wife agreed to move to Louisville from Chicago!If that´s not enough of a recommendation, try it yourself.Get the gnocchi appetizer. A Louisville favorite, www.jackfrys.com
Ruth´s Chris Steak House
479-0026
$$$$
6100 Dutchman´s Lane
Very impressive atmosphere with a beautiful view from the top of the Kaden tower.Food was excellent, wine list was reasonably priced, but the total bill ($150 for two) was a little high for what we got.
Wellinghurst
515-0172
$$$$
401 East Main Street
Located in the Louisville Slugger Baseball stadium.Very good steaks, reasonable pricing, expensive wine list.Atmosphere in the restaurant is a little thin.A baseball stadium is not the greatest place for a fine steak house.
Del Frisco´s
897-7077
4107 Oeschli Ave
Heard good things, haven´t been yet!
Pub Grub and Sandwiches
Restaurant and Phone
Address
Comments
Bluegrass Brewing Co.
899-7070
$$
3929 Shelbyville Road
Great neighborhood bar and grill.If you like microbrewed beer this is the place for you.Try the smoked turkey club and an Alt beer.Don´t miss their festivals in the spring and fall.
Cahoots
454-6687
$
1047 Bardstown Road
Bargain City!!If you are in the mood for a relaxing evening of playing pool, having a burger and a pitcher of beer with friends, this is your place.Huge portions, cheap beer!Not crowded with the bar crowd till after 10:30 or so.
Another Place Sandwich Shop
589-4115
$
119 South 7th Street
Great deli downtown.Try the soup in a bread bowl on a cold winter day.Only open during lunch hours, just down from Sixth and Main.
Clifton´s Pizza
893-3730
$$
2230 Frankfort Avenue
Excellent neighborhood pizza place.Live entertainment most weekends.Excellent pizza.What else is there?
Genny´s Diner
893-0923
$$
2223 Frankfort Avenue
Very eclectic diner on Frankfort Ave.The sweet daddy platter (enormous cheeseburger) and frickled pickles (deep fried pickles) are their specialty.Be sure you are very hungry before ordering the sweet daddy!
Jillian´s
589-9090
$$$
630 Barrett Avenue
Adult entertainment (the PG rated kind) at its best!Interactive video games, pool, dance club, hibachi grill, sports bar all wrapped up into one.Similar to Dave and Busters in other cities.Go for the entertainment, not the food (its not bad, but better food can be had for less money elsewhere).
American Cuisine
Restaurant and Phone
Address
Comments
Indigo Café
893-0106
$$
3930 Chenoweth Square
Casual Bistro with an endless menu.Everything from pizza and sandwiches to nice entrees.Upscale atmosphere with casual prices.Nightly drink specials
Azalea
895-5493
$$
3612 Brownsboro Road
Awesome patio dining area that is a real treat in the spring and fall.Sandwiches and entrees.Try the homemade potato chips or the shrimp tortellini.A little pricey, but a very nice place.
Austin´s
423-1990
$$
4950 Brownsboro Road
Local version of O´Charleys or Rafferty´s.Great sandwiches (I recommend the country club).Nice place to go when you don´t feel like cooking.
Baxter Station
584-1635
$$
1201 Payne Street
Nice blend of cozy atmosphere and great food.Not too big and very popular so be ready to wait for 45 minutes or so on the weekends.Train theme with model train that circles the ceiling.Try the burrito or the chicken tortellini, both are phenomenal!
Bristol
456-1702
$$$
1321
Bardstown Road
A local chain that has been around for a long time.Moderately priced, good food.Try the green chile wontons, the Bristol is famous for them.
Ramsi´s
451-0700
$$
1293 Bardstown Road
Very eclectic variety of food.Lots of vegetarian choices and everything is good.Large portions so you won´t go away hungry!Great for a quick quality meal at lunch downtown.
Restaurant and Phone
Address
Comments
Avalon
454-5336
$$$
1314 Bardstown Road
Great atmosphere, really nice patio for outdoor dining.The food is very good and the prices aren´t bad for gourmet food.I went away hungry.What I did have, however (the pork chop with succotash), was excellent.
Artemisia
583-4177
$$$$
620 East Market Street
Very similar food to Avalon.Very gourmet but not in big quantities.Personally, I thought the food at Avalon was better, but Artemisia has a little more eclectic atmosphere.Great to stop by on your way to Actor´s theatre.
Napa River Grill
893-0141
$$$$
3938 Dupont Circle
Best caesar salad in town comes in a parmesan cheese bowl.Endless wine list with high prices to match.Very good food, but you might be hungry when you leave.Save for a special occasion.
J. Alexander´s
339-2206
$$$
102 Oxmoor Court
High end sandwiches and hearty entrees.Excellent food, big portions, reasonable pricing, mediocre atmosphere.Solid choice for a weekend night when you don´t want to think about where to go!
Judge Roy Bean´s
451-4982
$$$
1801 Bardstown Road
Extensive wine list, great atmosphere, good to average food.Used to be one of my favorites but has slipped recently.The beach burrito is my favorite.Service may be slow at times.
American Cuisine (cont.)
Buck´s
637-5284
$$$$
425 West Ormsby
Great atmosphere downtown.Food is very good but a little pricey.Great place to go on a cold winter night to have a bourbon and smoke a cigar.
Club Grotto
459 5275
2116 Bardstown Road
Haven´t been yet!
Brownings
515-0174
$$
404 East Main Street
Casual cousin of Wellinghurst Steak House in the baseball stadium.Sandwiches, pizza and beer.Great before or after a River Bats game.Microbrewed and national beers.
Furlong´s
896-2610
$$$
2350 Frankfort Avenue
Great cajun seafood.Good atmosphere.My favorite is the shrimp fetuccini.
American Cuisine (cont.)
Restaurant and Phone
Address
Comments
Garrett´s
425-4500
$$
2343 Lime Kiln Lane
Excellent food for reasonable prices.Atmosphere is casual but elegant.The club sandwich and grilled salmon are my favorites.Be sure to get the garlic mashed potatoes.
Ditto´s Grill
581-9129
$$$
1114 Bardstown Road
Casual dining that is a little more than sandwiches, a little less than a gourmet meal.Haven´t been in a while so I can´t make a recommendation on particular items.
Deke´s Marketplace Grill
584-8337
$$
301 West Market Street
Downtown bar and grille owned by local attorney John DeCamillis.Average food for reasonable prices.Wouldn´t make a special trip downtown for it, but if you´re there, try it.
KT´s
458-8888
$$
2300 Lexington Road
Rumored to be the most successful restaurant in Kentucky.KT´s has the same menu as Austin´s and is run by the same people.Be prepared to wait 30 minutes or so.
Corner Café
426-8121
$$$
9307 New LaGrange Road
Really good food in an unlikely location.Corner Café is in a strip mall off New LaGrange Road, doesn´t look like much from the outside, but food is very good and atmosphere isn´t bad once you´re inside.
Tologono
899-2005
$$
3702 Lexington Road
Gourmet carryout that is frozen before it is completely cooked.You finish cooking it at your home for easy, fresh gourmet food!Excellent meals.Chef/owner is former chef for Lilly´s (local favorite).
Irish
Restaurant and Phone
Address
Comments
Irish Rover
899-3544
$$
2319 Frankfort Avenue
Excellent value with Irish bed and breakfast atmosphere.Beer selections like wine list at other restaurants.Bangers and Mash (sausage and mashed potatoes) with authentic Irish sausages.Great place to go on a cold winter evening or in the spring to enjoy St. Patrick´s Day.
Molly Malone´s
473-1222
$$
933 Baxter Avenue
Authentic Irish pub atmosphere.All of the interior materials, flooring, booths, bar etc. were brought from Ireland.Very popular on the weekends as a bar and restaurant.Live entertainment most weekends.
Kitty O´Kirwan´s
894-8030
$$
102 Bauer Avenue
Off the beaten path in St. Matthews.I was not terribly impressed, but the Irish woman in my office was!What do I know?Its been a while since I have been there so its worth trying.
Italian
Restaurant and Phone
Address
Comments
Come Back Inn
627-1777
$$
909 Swan Street
Excellent Chicago style Italian food.HUGE portions.Not a very big place so you will probably have to wait for 30 minutes to an hour on the weekends.Sauce is bottled and sold in local stores (should give you an idea of how good it is!)
Lentini´s
459-3020
$$$
1543 Bardstown Road
Very good food in large portions. The service was not very good (we were there for 2 hours), but that was right after a rave review in the newspaper and the night before Valentine´s Day.Not a trendy place, hearty, down home Italian cooking.
Martini´s
394-9797
$$$
4021 Summit Plaza Drive
Excellent salads, mediocre entrees.I thought it was overpriced for the quality of the food.I had the Pasta Rosa (a house specialty) and it was pretty bland.Atmosphere was OK, reminded me of Las Vegas (manufactured charm).
Porcini
894-8686
$$$
2730 Frankfort Ave.
Very popular Italian spot on Frankfort Ave. frequented by UL coach Rick Pitino.Very trendy spot unlike Lentini´s above.Pricey menu.
Felici Vineyards
Market Street
Has not opened yet.I was there for a private party to sample the food before opening.It is EXCELLENT.Be sure to try it when it opens.The bruschetta is out of this world!
Italian (cont.)
Bravo Cucina Italiana
326-0941
$$
206 Bullitt Lane
Very similar to Martini´s but a little less expensive and better food.Not a whole lot of atmosphere, but its a fair place to go for a good meal.There are other places I would return to before going twice.
Macaroni Grill
423-9220
$$
401 South Hurstbourne Parkway
It´s a chain, but I love it!The penne rustica is absolutely out of this world.Great place to go if you want to have a really good time.You can´t go wrong with a big bottle of red wine and a hearty pasta dinner.Be prepared to wait at least 30 minutes.
Mexican
Qdoba
$
Multiple Locations
Fresh, quick, tasty Mexican food.This is a chain that was started in Louisville.Everything is good, I like the chicken burrito with black beans
Tumbleweed
$$
Multiple Locations
Another chain that was founded in Louisville.Sit down Mexican restaurant with standard Mexican fare.Nothing fancy, but great for a beer and some chips and salsa!
Ernesto´s
893-9297
$$
6201 Dutchman´s Lane
A little more upscale than Tumbleweed, but honestly, how upscale can Mexican food get!They have unique salsa that you won´t find other places.More authentic than the Tex-Mex you find at Tumbleweed.