So long, farewell: 18 restaurants have closed so far in Louisville in 2024

Amanda Hancock, Louisville Courier Journal
Updated ·3 min read
The Back Door bar.
The Back Door bar.

The first day of 2024 marked the end of the road for a well-known Louisville restaurant.

One of the first restaurant closures of the year was Taco Luchador's original location in the Highlands. The taco joint shut its doors after about eight years in business. Señora Arepa, a Venezuelan restaurant with another location in St. Matthews, will take over the former home of Taco Luchador.

Several other restaurant closures, including the abrupt closure of The Back Door, a Louisville institution for almost 40 years, have happened so far this year. We will update this list as the year goes on.

In 2023, we reported on more than 40 eateries in the Louisville area that closed.

Take a look at the list of Louisville-area restaurants that shut down in 2024. Know one we missed? Send a note to ahancock@courier-journal.com. 

Restaurants that closed in Louisville in 2024

1. *Annie May's Sweet Cafe — 3110 Frankfort Ave. This allergen-free bakery closed its doors in March and will transition into a home-based operation.

*2. Anoosh Bistro — 4864 Brownsboro Road. Chef David Danielson purchased this restaurant space after longtime chef Anoosh Shariat retired and renamed it Ata.

3. The Back Door — 250 Bardstown Road. A nearly 40-year-old beloved dive bar abruptly closed in May.

4. The Cheddar Box — 3909 Chenoweth Square. This deli in St. Matthews closed in January, after originally opening in 1979. The Cheddar Box Cafe in Middletown is still open.

Dad's Coffee Shop offers the Strawberry Blondie Latte, which is made with white chocolate and strawberry.
Dad's Coffee Shop offers the Strawberry Blondie Latte, which is made with white chocolate and strawberry.

5. Dad's Coffee — 2204 Dundee Road. This coffee shop in the Douglass Loop announced it would be closing in late April.

6. Dundee Tavern — 2224 Dundee Road. This bar and restaurant announced plans in May to close and rebrand as Derby City Pizza.

7. FDKY Barbecue — 9606 Taylorsville Road. After 10 years in business, this barbecue restaurant in Jeffersontown announced it would close in late April.

*8. Haraz Coffee House — 1541 Highland Ave. This popular coffee and tea shop in the Highlands rebranded from Haraz Coffee House to Moka & Co. in the late spring.

9. Jason's Deli — 410 N. Hurstbourne Parkway. This sandwich shop's location at Shelbyville Road Plaza closed in March.

Grilled Wahoo at Jerusalem Kitchen
Grilled Wahoo at Jerusalem Kitchen

10. Jerusalem Kitchen — 4413 St. Rita Dr. After more than 10 years in business, this restaurant that serves Palestinian cuisine closed in mid-January.

11. The Raven Irish Pub — 3900 Shelbyville Road. This Irish restaurant, known as a go-to spot for rugby games, live music on the weekends, and a menu full of traditional Irish fare, announced it will close May 31.

*12. Red Lobster — 4639 Outer Loop. As part of a recent bankruptcy filing announcing the shuttering of dozens of the brand’s locations, one of the remaining Red Lobster spots in Louisville is expected to close.

Cajun Crawfish from The Seafood Lady.
Cajun Crawfish from The Seafood Lady.

13. Seafood Lady — 601 E Jefferson St. This popular creole seafood restaurant, known for its seafood platters, opened its NuLu location in 2019. It closed in late February. The Seafood Lady's food truck is expected to keep rolling.

Three tacos from Taco Luchador: The Barbacoa with braised short ribs, Baja Fish that has Mexican beer battered and Veggie. Some of the ingredients include poblanos, guacamole, pickled cabbage and crema.
Three tacos from Taco Luchador: The Barbacoa with braised short ribs, Baja Fish that has Mexican beer battered and Veggie. Some of the ingredients include poblanos, guacamole, pickled cabbage and crema.

14. Taco Luchador — 938 Baxter Ave. Taco Luchador closed its longstanding taco location in the Highlands in early January. Señora Arepa, a Venezuelan restaurant with another location in St. Matthews, will take over the former home of Taco Luchador.

15. Toast on Market — 141 E. Market St., New Albany, Indiana. This breakfast spot in New Albany, which began in Louisville in 2006 before expanding across the Ohio River about a decade ago, closed in mid-May.

16. Union 15 — 816 W. Kenwood Drive. Union 15, a pizzeria and taphouse and the first-ever tenant of Colonial Gardens, shut down in early January. It previously shut down, then reopened with new owners, in 2022.

17. *Wiltshire at the Speed — 2035 S. 3rd St. Wiltshire At The Speed, the Speed Art Museum's in-house cafe, closed on Dec. 31, 2023, after eight years. A new cafe will open in the museum in Spring 2024.

Zeggz's Middletown location, 11615 Shelbyville Road.
Zeggz's Middletown location, 11615 Shelbyville Road.

18. Zeggz — 11615 Shelbyville Road. Zeggz in Middletown has closed with plans to relocate, though customers will have to wait to find out where the new space will live.

*Denotes future closure date or restaurant concept/name change

Reach food reporter Amanda Hancock at ahancock@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville restaurants, food spots that closed in 2024