Wagner's Pharmacy is a diner restaurant in South Louisville, 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 dishes: Country ham breakfast, Hot Brown
Must order: Country ham, two eggs, biscuits and gravy, sweet tea on the side.
Tip: Breakfast until 10:30 weekdays, all day Sunday. Closed Mondays.
Address: 3113 South 4th Street, Louisville, KY 40214
Highland Morning on Bardstown Road in Louisville cooks Highlands breakfast plates and stuffed French toast, named one of USA Today's best brunch spots in America.
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 and tortas.
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, Mississippi original with house-cured bacon and stone-milled grits.
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 to 10:00. Kitchen closes at 14:30.
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 bourbon list.
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 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.
