22 mid-range rooms in Louisville, editor-picked. the comfortable everyday-good rooms in Louisville — no surprise on the bill, real cooking. All Louisville food.
Hammerheads ★ 4.5
germantown · 921 Swan Street, Louisville, KY 40204
Hammerheads in Louisville packs forty seats into a Germantown basement on Swan Street, running smoked lamb ribs and pork sliders out of an open kitchen.
Tip: No reservations. Get there before 18:00 or expect a 45-minute wait on weekends.
Feast BBQ ★ 4.5
nulu · 909 East Market Street, Louisville, KY 40206
Feast BBQ on East Market in Louisville runs a counter-service NuLu pit, slicing brisket and pulled pork until the smoker runs out for the day.
Tip: Get there before 14:00 on weekends. The brisket sells out fastest.
Hammerheads ★ 4.5
germantown · 921 Swan Street, Louisville, KY 40204
Hammerheads in Louisville packs forty seats into a Germantown basement on Swan Street, running smoked lamb ribs and pork sliders from an open kitchen.
Tip: No reservations. Get in before 18:00 or expect a 45-minute wait on weekends.
Feast BBQ ★ 4.5
nulu · 909 East Market Street, Louisville, KY 40206
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.
Tip: Get in before 14:00 on weekends. The brisket sells out fastest.
Coal's Artisan Pizza ★ 4.4
frankfort-avenue · 3730 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40207
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.
Tip: Walk-in for the bar. The Middletown location takes reservations for larger parties.
Royals Hot Chicken ★ 4.4
nulu · 736 East Market Street, Louisville, KY 40202
Royals Hot Chicken on East Market in Louisville fries Nashville-style hot chicken from Ryan Rogers's Eternal Optimist group, the NuLu counter open since 2015.
Tip: Order at the counter. The hot levels run from southern to plain-clucking insane.
Coal's Artisan Pizza ★ 4.4
frankfort-avenue · 3730 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40207
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.
Tip: Walk-in for the bar. The Middletown location takes reservations for larger parties.
Royals Hot Chicken ★ 4.4
nulu · 736 East Market Street, Louisville, KY 40202
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.
Tip: Order at the counter. Heat levels run from southern to plain-clucking insane.
Monnik Beer Co. ★ 4.4
germantown · 1036 East Burnett Avenue, Louisville, KY 40217
Monnik Beer Co. on East Burnett in Louisville brews Belgian-inspired beer in a Schnitzelburg brewpub, the neighbourhood's Friday-night beer-hall headquarters.
Tip: Walk-in for the bar or beer garden. The kitchen serves until late on weekends.
Highland Morning ★ 4.4
highlands · 1416 Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY 40204
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.
Tip: Walk-in only. Get there before 10:00 on weekends or expect a 30-minute wait.
Con Huevos ★ 4.4
frankfort-avenue · 2339 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206
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.
Tip: Walk-in only. Weekend waits run 20 to 40 minutes; weekday mornings are easier.
Wick's Pizza Parlor ★ 4.3
highlands · 975 Baxter Avenue, Louisville, KY 40204
Wick's Pizza on Baxter Avenue in Louisville has poured pints and pulled pizzas out of its Highlands corner since 1995, the neighbourhood's busiest game-day room.
Tip: Walk-in only on weekends. Order at the bar and a runner brings the pizza out.
Wick's Pizza Parlor ★ 4.3
highlands · 975 Baxter Avenue, 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.
Tip: Walk-in only on weekends. Order at the bar and a runner brings out the pie.
Eiderdown ★ 4.3
germantown · 983 Goss Avenue, Louisville, KY 40217
Eiderdown on Goss Avenue in Louisville pulls schnitzel and spaetzle out of a Germantown corner kitchen, a European-Southern hybrid serving the Schnitzelburg neighborhood.
Tip: Walk-in for the bar. The patio is dog-friendly with the full menu.
Garage Bar ★ 4.2
nulu · 700 East Market Street, Louisville, KY 40202
Garage Bar on East Market in Louisville turned a former auto-service shop into a wood-fired pizza pub with a courtyard ping-pong table and a Kentucky bourbon list.
Tip: Kitchen serves until late on weekends. The patio fills first on warm nights.
Garage Bar ★ 4.2
nulu · 700 East Market Street, Louisville, KY 40202
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.
Tip: Kitchen serves late on weekends; the patio fills first on warm nights.
Mussel and Burger Bar ★ 4.2
downtown · 113 South 7th Street, Louisville, KY 40202
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.
Tip: Book on OpenTable for the dining room. The bar runs walk-in and pours craft beer.
Goodwood Brewing NuLu ★ 4.1
nulu · 636 East Main Street, Louisville, KY 40202
Goodwood Brewing's NuLu taproom on East Main in Louisville pours bourbon-barrel-aged stout and IPAs alongside smashed burgers and brewpub plates.
Tip: Walk-in for the taproom. The patio is dog-friendly with the full beer list.
Mark's Feed Store Bar-B-Q ★ 4.0
saint-matthews · 11422 Shelbyville Road, Louisville, KY 40243
Mark's Feed Store on Shelbyville Road in Louisville has hickory-smoked Kentucky BBQ since 1988, the Saint Matthews counter for pulled pork, brisket and a hearty bowl of burgoo.
Tip: Order ahead by phone for catering trays. Burgoo is the Kentucky stew side worth a try.
Mark's Feed Store Bar-B-Q ★ 4.0
saint-matthews · 11422 Shelbyville Road, Louisville, KY 40243
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.
Tip: Order ahead by phone for catering trays. Burgoo runs heartier in cooler months.
Joella's Hot Chicken ★ 4.0
frankfort-avenue · 3400 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40207
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.
Tip: Order at the counter for the dining room or call ahead for pickup.
The Anchorage Cafe ★ 4.0
anchorage · 11505 Park Road, Louisville, KY 40223
The Anchorage Cafe in Louisville cooks farm-fresh breakfast and lunch plates with local-vendor ingredients, set on Park Road in the leafy Anchorage village out east.
Tip: Walk-in only. Outdoor seating available in warm months.