Here's what to order at the Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel that is not a Hot Brown

Lennie Omalza
·5 min read

Whenever visitors ask me for restaurant recommendations, the Lobby Bar & Grill in The Brown Hotel is always a part of that list. For starters, the home of the Hot Brown is just downstairs at J. Graham’s Cafe — though I prefer to savor the iconic dish in the gorgeous, opulent space that is the Lobby Bar & Grill.

I had my first Hot Brown there in 2021, and a couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of enjoying a five-course dinner there via The Chef’s Table. The unique experience allows guests to dine on dishes from a special menu while seated behind the scenes, amid all the sights, sounds and smells of a bustling kitchen.

Executive chef Dustin Willett and I chatted about The Chef’s Table, crowd favorites, the new menu, and what’s happening for the holidays.

The Chef's Table at The Brown Hotel is an exclusive experience

Chef Dustin Willett at the Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.
Chef Dustin Willett at the Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.

Willett explained that The Chef's Table — a five to seven-course dinner with optional wine or cocktail pairings — is a one-of-a-kind offering that isn’t available every day.

“It’s more of an exclusive kind of deal,” he told The Courier Journal. “We really make sure we can take extra special care of people (and) try to make it a … special experience.”

The menu changes based on availability, but previous dishes by Chef de Cuisine Justin Jones have included center-cut filet mignon, pan-seared yellowfin tuna, bourbon shrimp, grilled Caesar salad, and bourbon pumpkin cake.

Inside the Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.
Inside the Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.

“It’s really a chance for the chefs to be creative and interactive with our guests,” Willett said, adding that the menu is developed using the freshest ingredients they can get their hands on that day.

Pricing for The Chef’s Table, which is limited to small groups, starts at $100 per person. Guests who are interested in making a reservation should call the restaurant to inquire about availability.

Everyday menu offerings at the Lobby Bar & Grill vary by time

Surf & Turf at the Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.
Surf & Turf at the Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.

Willett explained that though the Lobby Bar & Grill is open for five to seven hours straight every night, menu offerings change — and the bar itself opens an hour before dinner service begins. Dinner is available from 5-9 p.m., at which point the late-night menu goes into effect.

Certain items — like the Hot Brown in regular and petite sizes — are on both menus. But the late-night offerings are more pared-down, and include items like chicken wings, a cheese plate, and The Lobby Bar Burger, made with an angus beef patty, iceberg lettuce, white cheddar, bacon, French fries, smoked ketchup, and special sauce, served on a brioche bun.

Thankfully, desserts are also available both during dinner and for a late-night treat. I suggest my personal favorite, the chocolate striptease. The decadent espresso steam cake is filled with chocolate mousse, topped with salted caramel, and arrives at the table on fire.

The chicken lollipop is a popular pick at the Lobby Bar & Grill

A braised pork shank at the Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.
A braised pork shank at the Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.

Though the Hot Brown is the star of the show, Willett said one of the most oft-ordered items is the chicken lollipop, an appetizer on the dinner menu. The Frenched chicken legs are served with bourbon hot sauce, locally produced Pops’ pickles, vegetable crudité salad, and blue cheese dressing.

“And bourbon barrel fries have kind of become a staple for us in the bar,” Willett said of the dish that is served with bourbon-smoked ketchup, fresh herbs, and Kentucky Rose cheese.

When it comes to dinner, the eight-ounce center-cut filet is always a big hit, but Willett recommends the pork osso bucco, which is a new addition to the restaurant’s menu. It is served with saffron mushroom risotto, crispy carrots, scallions, and a pork jus reduction.

Don't miss the new dishes at the Lobby Bar & Grill, including crispy duck

A Crispy Skin Duck special at the Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.
A Crispy Skin Duck special at the Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.

In addition to the pork osso bucco, there are a couple of other new menu items as well. There’s the crispy skin duck breast, made with Maple Leaf Farms duck, parsnip puree, brown butter brussels sprouts, and cherry bourbon gastrique.

Vegetarian diners will appreciate the wild mushroom farrotto, made with farro risotto, wild mushrooms, asparagus, heirloom carrots, Swiss chard, roasted winter squash, basil pesto, and grated parmesan; and roasted cauliflower, served with local mushrooms, blistered tomatoes, roasted eggplant, zucchini, basil-tomato sauce, and herb oil.

A veggie dish at the Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.
A veggie dish at the Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.

Lobby Bar & Grill regulars will notice a couple of smaller changes to the recently released menu as well.

The verlasso salmon, for example, is now pecan-crusted and comes with a butternut squash puree, local mushrooms, Swiss chard grilled asparagus, a maple bacon caramelized onion glaze, and chard crudité.

Celebrate New Year's Eve at Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel

A New Year's Eve special fish dish at the Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.
A New Year's Eve special fish dish at the Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the numerous beverage options at the Lobby Bar. The signature cocktail selection includes nine drinks — all $14 each — most of which are Kentucky-themed. There’s Ali’s Smash, a mix of Rittenhouse rye, muddled mint, PAMA liqueur, and agave nectar; and the Kentucky Derby, a blend of Evan Williams bourbon, sorghum syrup, pink grapefruit juice.

“The old fashioned is the star of the show right now,” Willett said of the classic cocktail, made with Old Forester Bourbon, simple syrup, angostura bitters and orange bitters.

For those looking to ring in 2024 with a drink or two — and an exclusive dinner — there will be two New Year’s Eve plates available.

Inside the Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.
Inside the Lobby Bar & Grill at The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville.

The $56 lamb special includes a piece of Freedom Run braised lamb shank, butternut squash puree, grilled bok choy, and caramelized shallots. The $48 fish special comes with pan-roasted halibut, charred asparagus risotto, house-made lemon beurre blanc sauce, and buttery blue crab. Both will be served in the Lobby Bar & Grill’s glamorous, gilded space on Dec. 31, from 5-10 p.m.

“The lobby is … my favorite room in the hotel,” Willett exclaimed. “I just love the ambiance. … It’s not something you can duplicate. … It’s just a special place.”

Know a restaurant that would make a great feature? Email writer Lennie Omalza at aloha@lennieomalza.com or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@gannett.com.

Lobby Bar & Grill

WHAT: This is The Brown Hotel’s restaurant and bar that serves classic comfort food and handcrafted cocktails for dinner and late-night bites.

WHERE: 335 W. Broadway

SERVICES: Indoor dining; 5 to 11 p.m., Sunday through Thursday; 5 to midnight Friday and Saturday

CONTACT: brownhotel.com, 888-888-5252

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville food: What to order at The Brown Hotel's Lobby Bar & Grill