35 Best Southern Restaurants in Louisville

“Dined here in early July. The food is to die for (especially a curry-style dish on the menu when we visited), the service is excellent (and not too hurried), and the ambiance is charming. The bread is also out of this world. The wine pairings also nicely complement the food, and the desserts are definitely worth having (especially the drunken banana cake). It is one of the nicest special occasion restaurants in Louisville. One caveat of interest to certain diners is the restaurants lax policy on pets. When we dined there, another table came in with a small dog. It wasn't a service or support dog because the diners kept passing it around the table, and even that table's server petted it. The dog's presence didn't bother us (it was well-behaved and quiet), but I could see some diners not enjoying dinner with a dog at the next table.“

“Really enjoyed our visits at the bar here. Mike was an excellent bar tender, and went above and beyond. He also has a great personality, and we really enjoyed talking to him! Bourbon selection was excellent, and Mike went the extra time to make our bourbon sipping very enjoyable. Our light bites were decent, though not anything to write home about. I would continue to come back for the atmosphere, bar selection, and for Mike!“

“amazing food and amazing atmosphere highly recommend“

“I’m actually afraid to tell how special this place is! Because I’m selfish like that. But I’ll share. I have never had a negative experience here! Food great , service great, environment great!“

“First off kuddos to the Chef!! We had an absolutely phenomenal dining experience. The staff was amazing and so attentive. Special thank you to Ashley the owner, your energy was amazing and you were so inspirational and motivating to your team. Thank you for seating us at the chef's table it was a one-of-a-kind experience! I wish you and the team nothing but success in the future you guys were all amazing!! GD“

“Great place to come and eat with your family and friends or even just by yourself if you need a place to grab a bite and get some work done“

“A quiet and relaxing gem a feel of a speakeasy with the Kentucky flair. Good drinks + great food.“

“We had a memorable meal on our anniversary. Food, wine, service, and ambience were top-notch“

“I highly recommend this place. Best food we had i. The week we spent in Louisville. The Merle’s Melt was fabulous as were the garlic Parmesan fries and candied maple bacon.“

“The brunch menu is my favorite. I love the food, cocktails, and the entire experience!“

“Phenomenal experience as always“

“We loved the friendly service, great food and quick food delivery. We had the chicken biscuit with gravy and omelet plus bloody marys and coffee. Thank you- we will return!!“

“I love it but my last visit was ruined by a terrible manager, Middletown location do not know if we will go back, she really ruined our whole experience“

“I was leaving from a friend's birthday celebration when I decided to stop in. I've passed by this corner for years, but I've never stopped in. My friend didn't have any food at his gathering, so I thought I would stop and check this place out.The lone woman came to the window and waited on me and one other woman (they seemed to know each other), she was polite, but I could tell she was tired. I order the "6-piece wings" special "with wedges and a roll" - and when there weren't wings ready, she was nice enough to substitute a thigh in there for me. I also got a 12 oz can of Diet Pepsi. The portion was good, and everything was hot and fresh. The wings were crispy and delicious, and though I'm not usually a fan of wedges, I enjoyed these potatoes.The only thing I take issue with was that the other workers who are employed by this business are apparently too lazy to show up to the job; that's why the one woman who was there (hat's off to you, sis! Keep up the good work!) appeared to be so tired. Perhaps the owner of this business will see the wisdom of replacing them with people who want to work! I don't live in the Louisville's West End, but I may pay another visit next time I'm in the area.“

“Amazing food and great service!“

“Me and my girlfriend went here on a Friday night it was exceptional. some of the best food we've both had in our entire lives I had the lamb chops my girlfriend she had the duck it was phenomenal. fairly expensive, but you definitely get what you pay for here. My only caveat was it was a little too loud for us to talk without raising our voice due to it being busy .“

“Bourbons Bistro has long been a favorite, and we had another great experience. It was date night, and we started with drinks at the bar. I enjoyed a Manhattan, and my date enjoyed an Old Fashioned. Both were nicely crafted. We were seated immediately at our table for our reservation time, and started with the goat cheese dip. It was flavorful, the consistency of the dip was perfect, and the toasted bread was done just right. For dinner I had the filet of beef, medium rare. My steak was cooked to perfection, and the fingerling potatoes were seasoned just right. My date enjoyed the Bourbons Chop, also cooked to perfection, and he stated the haricots verts was the best he ever had. Our server was great, and we enjoyed an amazing meal. Afterwards we moved back to the bar and enjoyed a couple of drinks provided by the Blue Run distiller bar take over. We had a great night out and Bourbons remains one of my favorite restaurants.“

“We love River House....This visit was lackluster simply because of service. The waiter, although a very pleasant man, was either overworked with all the other tables or simply inattentive. The drinks were tasty. Old Fashion, Figs Old Fashion, Manhattans...all very good. The oysters were very disappointing in their size for price value, but they were good. The steak and seafood entrees were very good. Always top notch. The desserts were not stellar. They were simply without the normal wow flavor. We shared the banana bread pudding and peanut butter cheesecake.“

“Stopped in this morning and if you want a biscuit like your South Carolina grandmother made This is Your Place Honestly one of the Best biscuits I’ve had since I was a little boy knee high to my grandma. Excellent food, very friendly and helpful folks Just an Outstanding visit, We Will be Back,“

“I rarely leave reviews but today I am. I ate at Gus’s for the first time today and I must say it was amazing. The waitress was lovely, welcoming and attentive. Everything came out hot, the fried chicken wasn’t over breaded, it was perfect with the perfect amount of spice and reasonably priced. I give it an 11 out of 10 and I will definitely be going back on the regular.“

“Our food was amazing! Best fried chicken ever!!! Our server Will was the best!“

“I love it but my last visit was ruined by a terrible manager, Middletown location do not know if we will go back, she really ruined our whole experience“

“Very good food! We will be back.“

“We loooooove the Silver Dollar!! We're so happy that our favorite neighborhood restaurant has reopened. We are looking forward to trying all of their new menu items. My dog & I enjoy sitting out back on their cute patio & my son is addicted to the Chicken & Waffles. I'd highly recommend Silver Dollar to anyone who wants to refine their bourbon palate. We've been indulging in the $40 bourbon flight specials on Wednesdays. All the Silver Dollar bartenders are very demure, very mindful especially Jay! We loooooove Whiskey by the Drink“

“Awesome first time experience. Damon was our server and was totally helpful and sure to make our visit memorable. We had a hard time deciding what to get everything looked delicious. Damon gave us the scoop on everything.Ordered a sample of things for the table. Highly recommend the wings.. they’re 🔥 but honestly everything we had was amazing. Will definitely be returning very soon!“

“food was fresh hott and everything tasted good very friendly and welcoming can't wait to come back“

“Home away from home.. I can't find a dish in their menus, that I have not liked. They can cook like no other!!

Parking: Parking to the front door, and around the bui

Kid-friendliness: Home like vibe.. Totally.“

“Food and service was awesome sauce… I definitely will be returning… ….“

“I had never been here before but it was highly recommended to me when looking for a main dish for a baby shower. The ease for ordering and pickup was great and everyone enjoyed the mini croissants and the variety of salads I picked out. The Broccoli salad was a huge hit!!! Beth Gruner“

“Went in with a group , we like to try different places and this place not only had great service but the food was amazingly great. I never had a NY strip before and it was perfect!“

“Delicious grilled salmon on bed of seasoned rice with steamed broccoli and green beans accompanied by sweet fresh brewed iced tea. Meal was so tasty I almost returned the next night for repeat performance. Server was attentive, despite her having a large party demanding her attention. I almost asked her to marry me, but reason prevailed. My previous two visits to this Cheddar's were mediocre, but everything about this visit was excellent! Plus, a terrific value in taste, quality and quantity. I hope my next visit will be as terrific, as I hope your visit will also be!“

“Lack of beer.“

“Cheddar's always good if you get there early there's plenty of seating

Vegetarian options: Food is always good

Dietary restrictions: They do have a gluten-free menu their vegetable plate is always good

Parking: Best to get there early

Kid-friendliness: Family Restaurant they have high chairs

Wheelchair accessibility: They have sidewalks for wheelchairs also handicap parking“

“Finally got to try the food yesterday! The owner is very friendly. The food was amazing! I got a variety to try. Chicken wings, big fried pork chop, tender ribs, Mac and cheese, yams and potato wedges. I will definitely be back!!“