City: Louisville, KY
Category: Restaurants
Address: 1007 Bardstown Rd.
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Restaurants
Address: 1285 Bardstown Rd.
48. La Bamba Mexican Restaurant
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (502) 451-1418
Address: 1237 Bardstown Rd.
Description: “Burritos as big as your head” are what you find at this chain establishment offering large portions made in front of you as you wait. Serving both college towns and big cities, primarily in the Midwest, La Bamba has good, cheap food and the atmosphere is very casual. Open late, it’s a popular stop after late-night adventures on Bardstown Road.
49. Lá Quê
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (502) 238-3981
Address: 1019 Bardstown Rd.
Description: No, it’s not another Mexican food joint, or even a French bistro that you’re speeding by on Bardstown Road. It’s actually another Asian restaurant. Lá Quê, pronounced something like “la whey,” is the Vietnamese name for basil (or cinnamon, depending on who you talk to), the fragrant herb that features so predominantly in the cuisine of Southeast Asia. The small restaurant has tile floors, yellow walls, and some Oriental bric-a-brac that make for a somewhat sparse atmosphere, but the Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese dishes on offer are very reasonably priced. Popular is the flavorful and filling onion-studded fried rice with basil and shrimp, and the spring rolls—translucent rolls of rice paper stuffed with fresh herbs and slices of fresh avocado.
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Restaurants
Address: 1147 Bardstown Rd.
51. Molly Malone’S Irish Pub
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (502) 473-1222
Address: 933 Baxter Ave.
Description: Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, Molly Malone’s is a place to enjoy hearty pub fare and lots of libations from the Emerald Isle. Although American bar standards such as queso and hot wings—and local favorites like fried green tomatoes—have found their way onto the menu, a good assortment of dishes re-creates the flavors of Ireland. The mussels are steamed in Harp Lager, and the smoked salmon is served with red onion, horseradish cream, and soda bread. In addition, there are Scotch eggs, bangers and mash, fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, and traditional lamb stew. There’s a popular weekday happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. with $1 off premium drafts.
52. Palermo Viejo
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (502) 456-6461
Address: 1359 Bardstown Rd.
Description: Louisville, Kentucky, might be one of the last places on earth you’d expect to find an authentic Argentinean restaurant, but those in the know say Palermo Viejo is just as good as anything you’d find in its namesake neighborhood in the heart of Buenos Aires. Flaky empanadas with a variety of savory fillings and grilled steak served up on their own little parrilla are just some of the house specialties. With its good, affordable selection of Argentine wines, it’s easy to enjoy a bottle or two of wine with dinner without breaking the bank. It’s a smaller restaurant, not to mention very popular, so it’s good to make reservations in advance. Open for dinner at 5 p.m. every day except Sunday.
53. Pita Hut
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (502) 409-8484
Address: 1613 Bardstown Rd.
Description: Not too long ago, Jordanian native Khaled Imam opened a small restaurant specializing in Mediterranean cuisine on bustling Bardstown Road. Given Jordan’s proximity to Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, Imam’s take on Mediterranean cuisine shows definite influences from the Middle East, and the result is something that pleases falafel fans in the ’Ville. Most find the offerings to be fresh, flavorful, and reasonably priced, and with its hot pitas, hummus, baba ganoush, fresh raw veggies, rice, and meat dishes, the lunch buffet is popular with herbivore and carnivore alike. Although the decor leaves a little to be desired, the value definitely makes up for it.
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Restaurants
Address: 1293 Bardstown Rd.
55. Sapporo Japanese Grill And Sushi
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (502) 479-5550
Address: 1706 Bardstown Rd.
Description: One of the hottest sushi places in town, this sleek and stylish Asian eatery is located in the Deer Park neighborhood in the Highlands. Open daily for dinner at 5:30, Sapporo has a menu that includes an assortment of cold and hot appetizers, chicken and beef teriyaki, and udon (in broth) and yakisoba (pan-fried) dishes, in addition to award-winning sushi and sashimi. There’s also teppanyaki lobster, scallops, and steaks grilled on the hibachi for those wanting be entertained by skilled chefs.
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Restaurants
Address: 1538 Bardstown Rd.
57. Sitar
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (502) 473-8889
Address: 1702 Bardstown Rd.
Description: This unassuming Deer Park restaurant serves “fresh and flavorful authentic South Indian and Indo-Chinese food.” It is a popular retreat for vegetarians because there are so many non-meat items to choose from; however, there are enough selections on the menu to keep meat lovers happy as well. Chicken pulao, mysore dosa, hydarabadi dum ka mutton, and thanjai chicken are some of the house specialties. The vegetable biriyani is a favorite as well. The staff is friendly and accommodating, and on the weekend the $6.99 lunch buffet attracts crowds.
58. August Moon Chinese Bistro
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (502) 456-6569
Address: 2269 Lexington Rd.
Description: Located midway between the Highlands and the neighborhood of Crescent Hill, August Moon serves lunch and dinner seven days a week. Nestled against a park-like swath of trees along Beargrass Creek, the restaurant is housed in a contemporary building with soaring, open dining spaces, and austere walls in muted shades of gray. Throughout the room and lounge, which are divided by matte black knee-high planters, there are undraped tables and chairs and large square windows that reveal pleasant views. Chef Peng Looi, a native of Malaysia, uses the understated surrounding to wow his guests with a colorful hodgepodge of Asian-inspired dishes that include house favorites like Indonesian-style spicy calamari and wok-seared salmon with vegetables and spiced tomato concasse.
59. Blue Dog Bakery & Cafe
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (502) 899-9800
Address: 2868 Frankfort Ave.
Description: When baker Bob Hancock brought his $50,000 Spanish wood-fired oven to town and opened the Blue Dog Bakery & Cafe—a venture partially inspired by the renowned Acme Bakery in Berkeley, California—the bar was set for an entirely new standard of bread in Louisville. His authentic, European-style artisan breads are as good as any you’ll find in this country or abroad. The bakery is located in the left half of the space, and on the other side you’ll find a small restaurant with a nice variety of salads, quiches, soups, and sandwiches that complement the wonderful baked goods. The lemon tart—a sugar cookie crust filled with tangy lemon curd—is a great end to your meal, or a perfect afternoon pick-me-up with a hot cappuccino.
City: Louisville, KY
Category: Restaurants
Address: 2255 Frankfort Ave.