Heading to the 150th Kentucky Derby? Here are 7 new restaurants to try in Louisville
If you're traveling to town for the 150th Kentucky Derby, you may be looking for some new Louisville restaurants to try.
While the city's thriving food scene is home to a long list of spots that have been around for years, several new restaurants are racing to the status of early favorites.
The following seven eateries have opened within the last year and are worth a visit. So, whether it's a casual sandwich joint, an Instagram-worthy brunch gem or a place run by a James Beard semifinalist, you'll be trying the new-to-Louisville tastes.
As of early April, reservations are available during the week of Derby for these places. Read on for details about seven restaurants worth visiting while you're here.
Enso
1758 Frankfort Ave., 5-10 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday and 5-9 p.m. Sunday, ensolouisville.com
In January, chef Lawrence Weeks made the long list of semifinalists for the coveted 2024 James Beard Awards. He was nominated as a semifinalist in the Emerging Chef category for his work with North of Bourbon, a popular restaurant offering a huge array of bourbon and New Orleans-inspired fare.
If that sounds tasty, you’ll want to try the chef’s newest venture, called Enso. The restaurant is inspired by Japanese and Southern cuisines and the menu features house-made noodles with locally-sourced beef, dry aged in-house. Other menu items include Japanese fried chicken and octopus hushpuppies. Enso also offers craft cocktails, sake, beer, wine, a collection of Japanese whiskey as well as Kentucky bourbon.
House of Marigold
10310 Shelbyville Road, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, thehouseofmarigold.com
This daytime spot was just named the best new restaurant in Kentucky, according to a list chronicling "The Best New Restaurant In Every Southern State 2024." Decorated with fresh flowers, flowery murals and large windows offering natural light, the House of Marigold is also home to seasonal comfort food for breakfast and lunch. Start off your day with a sharable plate of honey cornbread or build-your-own deviled eggs.
Other items include biscuits and gravy, a peaches and cream Belgian waffle, a farmhouse beet salad and a Southern chicken salad croissant sandwich. On a new-ish cocktail menu, drinks are made with Black-owned bourbon companies.
MeeshMeesh
636 East Market St., 5-9 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday-Thursday and 5-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, meeshmeesh.com
In 2018, chef Noam Bilitzer won the top prize on “Chopped.” He went on to host pop-ups around Louisville. One of those, MeeshMeesh Mediterranean, opened as a brick-and-mortar in September, serving eastern Mediterranean flavors in a cozy NuLu setting. The menu leans on sharable items, including small plates, dips, schmears and main courses such as the Harissa Grilled Shrimp and Freedom Run Farms Lamb Merguez.
Other standouts include za’atar fries and crispy cauliflower with sunflower seeds, currants and herbs.
The Misfit Lou
119 S. 7th St., 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and 5-9 p.m. Saturday, misfitlou.com
This eclectic downtown sandwich shop and craft beer bar opened in January, turning a new page in the story of a century-old building. For fans of weird art, sausages, mini sandwiches, and beer served out of vintage Kentucky Derby glasses, this would be worth a stop. If it’s later in the evening, you’ll want to visit The Misfit Lou’s downstairs bar, called the Hereafter. The speakeasy-type lounge with a space for live music and film screenings opens at 5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday.
Paseo
900 Baxter Ave., 4:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and 4:30-10:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, paseolouisville.com
This sleek and spacious restaurant is almost hiding in the Highlands. A gray archway just off the main road invites passersby to walk through and toward Paseo, part of the next-door Myriad Hotel. The Mediterranean-influenced eatery comes with an open-kitchen concept and wood-fired stove, providing patrons a look at how flavorful menu items such as chorizo octopus and grilled lamb burger.
Brunch is also popular at Paseo, with lemon ricotta hot cakes, ham croquetas or steak and eggs on the menu. If it’s nice outside, grab a seat next to the hotel’s pool.
Pig Beach BBQ
1201 River Road, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, pigbeachnyc.com/location/louisville.
Wondering where to dine on the waterfront in Louisville? Look to Pig Beach BBQ, which opened in September in a long-vacant building overlooking the Ohio River. The two-level restaurant has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, vibrant pink neon signs, decorative nods to the Kentucky Derby and chef-driven barbecue and bites that invite you to stay awhile.
Rosettes
730 E. Market St., 5-10 p.m. daily, bunkhousehotels.com/rosettes
Whether you’re in the mood for French toast, oysters or a pork chop, you’ll find it at Rosettes, the ground-floor restaurant of NuLu’s Hotel Genevieve. The bright restaurant decorated with retro light fixtures and plants serves American-French fare for brunch and dinner. A standout on the brunch menu is the roasted banana bread French toast, served with a banana foster sauce infused with bourbon from the nearby Rabbit Hole Distillery.
Other dinner items include a smash burger, savory pepper stew, and beef bourguignon pasta. Rosettes also serves wine by the glass, carafe, or bottle, along with cocktails, beer, and nonalcoholic options.
Reach food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock at ahancock@courier-journal.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Places to eat while visiting Louisville for the Kentucky Derby
