Hammerheads is a gastropub restaurant in Germantown, Louisville.
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 dishes: Lamb ribs, Smoked sliders
Must 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.
Address: 921 Swan Street, Louisville, KY 40204
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 in the neighborhood.
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 since 2010.
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 for spice fans.
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 burgoo bowl.
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 Crescent Hill counter.
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.
