Bistros, trattorias and the everyday places where Louisville actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Louisville actually eats.
Garage Bar on East Market in Louisville turned an old auto-service shop into a NuLu wood-fired pizza pub with a courtyard ping-pong table and a Kentucky.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Pork meatballs
Order: The pork-meatball wood-fired pizza, with a Kentucky bourbon old fashioned.
Tip: Kitchen serves late on weekends; the patio fills first on warm nights.
Hammerheads in Louisville packs forty seats into a Germantown basement on Swan Street, running smoked lamb ribs and pork sliders from an open kitchen.
Signature: Lamb ribs, Smoked sliders
Order: The lamb ribs and a pork-belly slider, plus a local draft.
Tip: No reservations. Get in before 18:00 or expect a 45-minute wait on weekends.
Wick's Pizza on Baxter Avenue in Louisville has poured pints and pulled deep-dish pies out of its Highlands corner since 1995, the busiest game-day room.
Signature: The Big Wick, Stromboli
Order: The Big Wick pizza with sausage, pepperoni and mushroom.
Tip: Walk-in only on weekends. Order at the bar and a runner brings out the pie.
Coal's Artisan Pizza on Frankfort Avenue in Louisville pulls thin-crust pies from a coal-fired oven, the city's most consistent neighbourhood pizzeria.
Signature: Coal-fired pizza, Burrata appetizer
Order: The Brownsboro pie with sausage and roasted peppers, plus a burrata to start.
Tip: Walk-in for the bar. The Middletown location takes reservations for larger parties.
Feast BBQ on East Market in Louisville runs a counter-service NuLu pit, slicing brisket and pulled pork until the smoker runs dry for the day.
Signature: Smoked brisket, Pulled pork
Order: A brisket plate with two sides and a side of pickles.
Tip: Get in before 14:00 on weekends. The brisket sells out fastest.
Royals Hot Chicken on East Market in Louisville has fried Nashville-style hot chicken from Ryan Rogers's Eternal Optimist group since 2015, the NuLu counter.
Signature: Hot chicken sandwich, Tachos
Order: The hot chicken sandwich at medium heat, with a side of tachos.
Tip: Order at the counter. Heat levels run from southern to plain-clucking insane.
Mark's Feed Store on Shelbyville Road in Louisville has hickory-smoked Kentucky BBQ since 1988, the Saint Matthews counter for pulled pork, ribs and a hearty.
Signature: Hickory-smoked pulled pork, Burgoo
Order: A pulled-pork plate with two sides and a cup of burgoo on the side.
Tip: Order ahead by phone for catering trays. Burgoo runs heartier in cooler months.
Joella's Hot Chicken on Frankfort Avenue in Louisville cooks Nashville-style hot chicken across six heat levels with hormone-free birds, a family-friendly.
Signature: Hot chicken tenders, Pimento mac and cheese
Order: The hot chicken tenders at Southern style, plus pimento mac and cheese.
Tip: Order at the counter for the dining room or call ahead for pickup.
Mussel and Burger Bar in Louisville pours pots of steamed mussels and grills smashed burgers at a casual American bistro counter on South 7th Street downtown.
Signature: Steamed mussels, Burgers
Order: A pot of mussels in white wine and garlic, plus the house burger.
Tip: Book on OpenTable for the dining room. The bar runs walk-in and pours craft beer.
North of Bourbon on Goss Avenue in Louisville cooks Louisiana-rooted Southern plates with over 300 bourbons in a Germantown room named to The New York Times.
Signature: Gumbo, Cornmeal-fried catfish
Order: Cornmeal-fried catfish and gumbo, with a bourbon flight from the 300-bottle wall.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Happy hour runs 15:30-17:00 Tuesday to Saturday; kitchen stops at 22:00.
Monnik Beer Co. on East Burnett in Louisville brews Belgian-inspired beer in a Schnitzelburg brewpub, the neighbourhood's Friday-night beer-hall headquarters.
Signature: House-brewed beer, Pretzel and beer cheese
Order: A pretzel with house beer cheese and a flight of four house beers.
Tip: Walk-in for the bar or beer garden. The kitchen serves until late on weekends.
Akasha Brewing on East Market in Louisville turns up the funk with wild-fermented sour beers from a NuLu taproom tucked between Feast BBQ and Grind Burger.
Signature: Wild-fermented sour beer, Brewpub plates
Order: A flight of wild sours and an IPA alongside a brewpub burger or shareable.
Tip: Walk-in for the taproom. Closed Mondays; weekend afternoons run busiest.
Wagner's Pharmacy on South 4th in Louisville has cooked breakfast since 1922, the Derby-week diner across from Churchill Downs that locals call one.
Signature: Country ham breakfast, Hot Brown
Order: Country ham, two eggs, biscuits and gravy, sweet tea on the side.
Tip: Breakfast until 10:30 weekdays, all day Sunday. Closed Mondays.
Highland Morning on Bardstown Road in Louisville cooks Highlands breakfast plates and stuffed French toast, named one of USA Today's best brunch spots.
Signature: Biscuits and gravy, Stuffed French toast
Order: The stuffed French toast or biscuits and gravy with a side of bacon.
Tip: Walk-in only. Get there before 10:00 on weekends or expect a 30-minute wait.
Con Huevos on Frankfort Avenue in Louisville cooks fresh Mexican breakfasts from a Clifton corner kitchen, the brunch counter locals lean on for chilaquiles.
Signature: Chilaquiles con huevos, Chipotle poached huevos
Order: Chilaquiles con huevos with green sauce, plus a horchata.
Tip: Walk-in only. Weekend waits run 20 to 40 minutes; weekday mornings are easier.
Big Bad Breakfast on Barret Avenue in Louisville cooks Chef John Currence's all-morning Southern menu in the Highlands, the city's outpost of the Oxford.
Signature: House-cured bacon plate, Southern fried chicken biscuit
Order: House-cured bacon plate with two eggs and stone-milled grits, plus a $5 happy-hour cocktail.
Tip: Walk-in only. $5 cocktails Monday to Friday from 07:00-10:00. Kitchen closes at 14:30.