Royals Hot Chicken is a nashville-style hot chicken restaurant in Nulu, Louisville.
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 dishes: Hot chicken sandwich, Tachos
Must 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.
Address: 736 East Market Street, Louisville, KY 40202
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.
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.
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 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. 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 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.
