CuisineKentucky BBQ
Price$$
Neighbourhoodsaint-matthews

Signature dishes: Hickory-smoked pulled pork, Burgoo

Must 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.

Location

Address: 11422 Shelbyville Road, Louisville, KY 40243

More casual dining in Louisville

Joella's Hot Chicken ★ 4.0

Nashville-style hot chicken$$frankfort-avenue

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.

Mussel and Burger Bar ★ 4.2

American bistro, burgers, mussels$$downtown

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 with fries.

Tip: Book on OpenTable for the dining room. The bar runs walk-in and pours craft beer.

North of Bourbon ★ 4.6

Louisiana, Southern, bourbon$$germantown

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 Top 50 Restaurants in America in 2024.

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 to 17:00 Tuesday to Saturday; kitchen stops at 22:00.

Monnik Beer Co. ★ 4.4

Brewpub, Belgian-inspired beer hall$$germantown

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 Co. ★ 4.3

Brewpub, sour beer, American$$nulu

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 Kitchen.

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 ★ 4.2

Diner, breakfast$south-louisville

Wagner's Pharmacy on South 4th in Louisville has cooked breakfast since 1922, the Derby-week diner across from Churchill Downs that locals call the city's true racetrack canteen.

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.

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