14 editor picks in Louisville.
14 brunch places in Louisville we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Louisville | Brunch across every city.
Brunch in Louisville runs from old diner counters to hotel dining rooms, with biscuits, eggs and Southern plates the common thread. Wagner's Pharmacy near Churchill Downs in South Louisville is the classic counter, while Highland Morning on Bardstown Road and J. Graham's Cafe at the Brown Hotel downtown cover the neighborhood and grand-hotel ends of the day.
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.
OrderCountry ham, two eggs, biscuits and gravy, sweet tea on the side.
TipBreakfast 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.
OrderThe stuffed French toast or biscuits and gravy with a side of bacon.
TipWalk-in only. Get there before 10:00 on weekends or expect a 30-minute wait.
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.
OrderHouse-cured bacon plate with two eggs and stone-milled grits, plus a $5 happy-hour cocktail.
TipWalk-in only. $5 cocktails Monday to Friday from 07:00-10:00. Kitchen closes at 14:30.
Wagner's Pharmacy across from Churchill Downs in Louisville is a 1922 diner where Derby trainers, jockeys and stable workers eat at the breakfast counter.
TipBreakfast until 10:30 weekdays, all day Sunday. Closed Mondays.
Wagner's Pharmacy in Louisville cooks the city's cheapest country ham breakfast across from Churchill Downs, the 1922-built diner with breakfast plates.
OrderCountry ham breakfast plate
TipWalk-in counter. Breakfast until 10:30 weekdays, all day Sunday. Closed Mondays.
Highland Morning on Bardstown Road in Louisville cooks all-day brunch and stuffed French toast in the Highlands, named one of USA Today's best brunch spots.
OrderStuffed French toast with bourbon syrup and a side of bacon.
TipWalk-in only. Get there before 10:00 on weekends to skip the 30-minute wait.
Con Huevos on Frankfort Avenue in Louisville cooks fresh Mexican breakfasts and brunch out of a Clifton corner kitchen, with chilaquiles, breakfast tacos.
OrderChilaquiles con huevos with green sauce, plus a horchata.
TipWalk-in only. Weekend waits run 20 to 40 minutes; weekday mornings are easier.
Blue Dog Bakery and Cafe on Frankfort Avenue in Louisville bakes European-style hearth breads and runs a Sunday brunch from a Crescent Hill kitchen.
OrderCroque madame on house sourdough with a side of pickled vegetables.
TipWalk-in. Bread sells out by 13:00; arrive earlier for breakfast pastries.
Wild Eggs on South Floyd Street downtown serves the Kelsey KY Brown, a breakfast take on Louisville's Hot Brown, plus biscuits and stone-ground grits.
OrderKelsey KY Brown: sourdough, roasted turkey, bacon, white cheddar mornay, fried egg.
TipWeekdays open at 06:30, weekends at 07:00. Walk east on Market Street afterwards and you are in NuLu in ten minutes.
J. Graham's Cafe in the Brown Hotel serves Louisville's original Hot Brown for brunch and lunch, the open-faced turkey-and-Mornay sandwich invented.
OrderThe Hot Brown, the original 1926 recipe with house Mornay sauce.
TipWalk-in for the bar. The dining room takes reservations on Resy through the hotel.
Wagner's Pharmacy in Louisville has cooked diner breakfast since 1922, the Derby-week racetrack canteen across from Churchill Downs with breakfast plates.
OrderCountry ham, two eggs, biscuits and gravy, sweet tea.
TipWalk-in counter. Closed Mondays. Breakfast all day Sunday Weekends fill by noon.
Proof on Main inside the 21c Museum Hotel runs weekend brunch with bison burgers and Ohio Valley plates, the city's most-photographed brunch room.
OrderBison burger with house pickles and a bourbon flight on the side.
TipBook on OpenTable. The bar takes walk-ins for the brunch menu.
Biscuit Belly NuLu on East Main in Louisville stacks Southern biscuit sandwiches at the chain's original NuLu storefront, the weekend brunch counter.
OrderSweet Heat biscuit sandwich with fried chicken, plus a side of cheddar grits.
TipWalk-in only. Weekend mornings draw 20 to 40-minute waits; arrive before 09:30 to skip the queue.
Lou Lou on Market in Louisville cooks Sunday brunch with shrimp and grits, New Orleans-rooted plates and bourbon cocktails on East Market in the former Decca.
OrderShrimp and grits with andouille sausage and a mimosa.
TipBook the dining room on OpenTable. Bar takes walk-ins for brunch.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Get to know the story of Louisville one bite at a time on a guided food and history tour of the city's trendy NuLu District. Sample local favorites like bourbon balls ...
Guided tour · 3 hours
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