Looking for a new restaurant in Louisville? Try these recommendations around the area
Where’s the best place to eat in Louisville? With so many options, it can be hard to choose.
Starting last summer, we decided to document some eateries, bars, distilleries, dessert shops, and marketplaces to feature in our weekly video series, “The Best Thing I Ate This Week.”
With some help from Louisville residents, owners, and our Instagram followers, we’ve found some amazing places to eat and drink. See all the places we’ve been to and declared “the best” in 2024.
Did we miss a place? Tell us which place we should feature in “The Best Thing I Ate” series.
Week 21, April 14-20: Taste of Derby Festival
401 E Main St.
Sometimes you don't have to go to more than one place for a glimpse of Louisville's food scene.
That goes for the Taste of Derby Festival.
The 35th run of the event, held Tuesday at Louisville Slugger Field, featured bites and sips from more than 70 vendors.
More: Taste of Derby Festival returns with tastes of Louisville: Here's what we tried
Week 20, April 7-13: Board & You Bistro & Wine Bar
434 Pearl St, New Albany
A full-scale restaurant, Board & You Bistro & Wine Bar, opened in 2020 in New Albany, Indiana, and then came a next-door cheese shop. A couple of other locations opened and closed and, thanks to its delivery operation, the area’s charcuterie pioneer thrived during the pandemic.
The local charcuterie brand will provide catering services at Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby Week.
More: Local charcuterie brand lands catering gig at Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby Week
Week 19, March 31-April 6: Tikka Tacos
3311 Preston Hwy
Whether you’re in the mood for Mexican or Indian food, Tikka Tacos is the way to go.
The wide-ranging menu is described as Indo-Mexi fusion. On it, you'll find a little bit of everything, from dumplings to chips and queso, lamb tacos, a Philly cheesesteak, chicken tikka masala, and loaded nachos.
More: In the mood for Mexican and Indian food? Find two cuisines in one at Tikka Tacos in Louisville
Week 18, March 24-30: Phalcha Coffee
1001 Mary St.
Between the neon sign reading “good vibes only,” chill background music, and hanging plants, this new Germantown spot might look like your average coffee shop.
Upon closer look, you’ll see ingredients not found anywhere else in Louisville.
Consider colorful drinks made with ube, a type of purple yam, or a strawberry-rose latte with Nutella.
Yes, avocado toast pops up on the menu. So does tuna toast and a prosciutto sandwich. If you’re in search of something sweeter, waffles and freshly scooped ice cream are available.
This is some of what you’ll find at Phalcha Coffee, which opened in early March, alongside classic coffees and tea.
More: New Nepali coffee shop serves purple drinks, ice cream and 'good vibes' in Germantown
Week 12, March 17-23: Hi-Five Doughnuts
1940 Harvard Drive
Before Hi-Five Doughnuts found its new sweet spot in the Highlands, a lot had to happen.
The owners of Louisville’s popular specialty doughnut shop had to find a new location after the lease to their Butchertown brick-and-mortar was not renewed in late 2022. Then they had to battle a year of renovations and construction to the new digs at 1940 Harvard Drive.
Their new home comes with a larger food menu, including a fried chicken doughnut sandwich, and a full-service coffee program that includes lattes made with Hi-Five’s doughnut glaze recipe. The coffee comes from City Girl Coffee Company, a Minneapolis-based business.
Also on the menu is a hint to “Mini Widoughmaker Food Challenge,” consisting of three stacked doughnuts with a pound of fried chicken, a pound of bacon, and sausage gravy all topped with cornflakes and a grape drizzle. Customers can order a miniature version for $20.
You may like: Hi-Five Doughnuts to open in new location. Here's the story behind their sweet success
Week 11, March 10-16: Irish Rover
2319 Frankfort Ave.
Get a glimpse at why Irish Rover has been around for more than 30 years in the Clifton-Crescent Hill neighborhood, where the cozy restaurant/bar serves Irish brews such as Guinness and Harp Lager on tap. Popular plates include Scotch eggs, smoked salmon, cordon bleu fritters, fish and chips, and cottage pie.
The pub features dark wooden booths for dining and its walls are covered with Irish-themed artwork. Depending on the day, you may hear the sounds of live music near the bar.
Green beer and Irish bars: Why you should celebrate St. Patrick's Day at this longtime Louisville Irish bar
Week 10, March 3-9: St. Augustine
1310 W. Broadway
It's fried fish season!
Lent, which this year begins on Feb. 14, is here and that means fish on Fridays, with dine-in, carryout, and drive-thru available at a majority of churches in the Louisville area for the 40-day duration of Lent.
Check your church's website or the Archdiocese of Louisville website for the most updated information. Here is our list of more than 40 local fish fries taking place in Louisville for Lent.
More: It's fried fish season! Here are 44 Louisville places to get your fill during Lent 2024
Week 9, Feb. 25-March 2: Louisville Cream
632 E Market St.
Some of the ice cream flavors change with the seasons at Louisville Cream, such as strawberry cookies and cream or pistachio honeycomb.
But there’s one flavor that will never leave the menu: banana pudding.
“It was immediately very popular,” the shop’s co-owner Darryl Goodner told the Courier Journal. “I think it’s because it really tastes like banana pudding. And it looks pretty.”
More: Find unique flavors at this Louisville shop known for making 'best ice cream in Kentucky'
Week 8, Feb. 18-24: Cask Southern Kitchen & Bar
9980 Linn Station Road
Upon walking into Cask Southern Kitchen & Bar, the little chalkboard sign welcomes you with a handwritten message: “We’re happy you’re here!”
The restaurant opened in late 2019 at 9980 Linn Station Road as a different concept and turned into Cask Southern Kitchen & Bar amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The menu covers a wide span of options, from a cup of gumbo to a smoked meatloaf sandwich to a pan-seared ribeye. There are midday specials called “Lunch Box,” including bowls, smaller starters and the option to order a half-sized sandwich and soup or salad.
Popular items include the pulled pork nachos, topped with pico de gallo, pimento cheese queso, pickled red onions, pickled jalapenos, and avocado. Cask also has a weekly special on oysters, which cost $1.25 every Thursday.
More: Hunting for a new happy hour spot? Try this Louisville restaurant for nachos, oysters and more
Week 7, Feb. 11-17: The Fishery
3624 Lexington Road
After 40 years, not much has changed about The Fishery — it's part of the reason so many people enjoy coming back to the restaurant.
That’s what owners Matt Clark and Carol Clark-Kassai are going for. Thirty years ago, the siblings walked into the little seafood stop with their father to ask if The Fishery’s owner would be open to franchising.
“He said, ‘No, but you can have this one,’” Matt Clark told the Courier Journal about that conversation in 1992. “Within about two weeks, we made a deal.”
Read more: This 40-year-old seafood joint known for 'best fish sandwich' is a favorite during Lent
Week 6, Feb. 4-10: Muth's Candies
630 E Market St.
Maybe it’s the date on the calendar, telling you it’s almost Valentine’s Day, but at Muth’s Candies holidays like Valentine’s Day are celebrated with candy.
The storefront’s seasonal decorations signal that this is a good place to go for something sweet. Window shoppers along East Market Street in NuLu will see an overload of pink, red, hearts and old-timey decor. Once inside, not much changes, except for the rows and rows of chocolates and colorful candy from which to choose.
Week 5, Jan. 28-Feb. 3: Lou Lou on Market
812 E. Market St.
Lou Lou on Market was made with Mardi Gras in mind.
The New Orleans-themed restaurant at 812 E Market St. has upped its festive decor ahead of Fat Tuesday celebrations on Feb. 13. You’ll find lots of carnival masks, colorful beads, and purple, green, and gold touches around the NuLu eatery, which serves Louisiana-inspired dishes such as jambalaya, shrimp-n-grits, gumbo, red beans and rice, and, for dessert, a bundle of beignets. The menu offers a little bit of everything, including a bone-in pork chop, cheeseburger, chicken wings, pizzas and calzones.
Read More: Ready for Fat Tuesday? Here's a sneak peek at what Lou Lou on Market is planning for Mardi Gras
Week 4, Jan. 21-27: Costa del Sol at Colonial Gardens
818 W Kenwood Drive
A new restaurant serving Latin cuisine has opened at Colonial Gardens, the restored historic property in south Louisville.
The food complex near Iroquois Park includes spaces for four restaurants, two of which are currently not operating. Costa del Sol takes over the spot off New Cut Road formerly occupied by Taco Luchador.
Read more: Latin restaurant opens at Colonial Gardens in south Louisville. Here's what to expect
Week 3, Jan. 14-20: The Misfit Lou
119 S 7th St.
Walking into The Misfit Lou feels like walking into a time machine. Or, a helter-skelter museum dedicated to beer and Bigfoot.
Or, it might just feel like an artsy sandwich shop.
In reality, the newest bar and restaurant to open in downtown Louisville doesn’t fit in just one box.
Read more: Meet The Misfit - Sandwiches and live music return to downtown in site of former beloved staple
Week 2, Jan. 7-13: Watch Hill Proper
11201 River Beauty Loop
On this bourbon club and restaurant’s website, there’s an option to take a virtual tour as if to say, “This is a place you gotta see.”
When you step inside Watch Hill Proper in Prospect there’s indeed plenty to see. Your eyes might bounce from the towering shelves of bourbon behind the bar to the premium bottles behind glass to the luxury-style leather seats.
And that’s before anything has been ordered.
Week 1, Jan. 1-6: Kiwa
2235 Frankfort Ave.
Upon opening the doors of Kiwa, you’ll be greeted with a white wall and a message in small, black font. Underneath the cafe’s name, the words read: “Live, Dine, Love. All Under One Roof.”
This is the tone owner Soo Young Cho hopes to set at Kiwa, her Korean coffee and tea shop that recently opened in the Clifton neighborhood.
Read more: Korean cafe specializing in tea, coffee, desserts and art opens in Clifton. Take a peek
Where should we go next week?
Which place should we feature in "The Best Thing I Ate This Week" series? Fill out the form below to submit a location that you want to see us try.
Reach food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock at ahancock@courier-journal.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville restaurants to try in 2024: 'The Best Thing I Ate' series
