The Best Southern in Louisville

Momma's Mustard, Pickles & BBQ

★★★★☆ 4.2 (953) • $$

"This place is quite cute. It is a house. Once you enter it, you pick your own seat. I prefer go up because of the natural light. The waiter and waitress are nice and warming. The menu looks great. I have been here twice and always love their burnt end and the old fashioned too.My family love it there too. We all agreed that the mac and cheese was the best thing but we do enjoy the smoked meats too. This is the place we would come back for more."

Biscuit Belly - Nulu

★★★★☆ 4.4 (817) • $$

"Our biscuits were so good! Husband got the brisket biscuit and I got the fire in the belly. Yummy!"

Joella's Hot Chicken - St Matthews

★★★★☆ 4 (619) • $$

"Joelle's is here for all your hot chicken needs! The restaurant is a quick service style and was clean, well kept. The staff were friendly and greeted us. We were there on a Sunday afternoon and surprisingly there wasn't anyone there.I tried the Ella's Fav which was not the least spicy but this had no spice whatsoever, still delicious but I expected some level of spice; the coleslaw was great. I look forward to visiting again and trying a higher spice level!"

Big Bad Breakfast - Barret Ave

★★★★☆ 4.2 (542) • $$

"We were in town visiting with our pup and were looking for pet friendly restaurants to enjoy. It was down pouring outside when we got there and found out that our pup could dine with us inside. We were so surprised but our pup loved the experience. She sat quietly under the table and just enjoyed the folks saying hi to her and the music and lights. The staff was super friendly, and we got a few different things to try. I got a scrambler where everything was all in one vessel and it was delicious. I've never had a tomato gravy until this experience and it had a kick to it, but I enjoyed it. We will definitely be back when we're in town again!"

Joella's Hot Chicken - Lexington

★★★★☆ 4 (513) • $$

"top shelf, good got chicken, they need more words but I have none, just try this chicken, it's delicious"

The Local Taco - Lexington

★★★★☆ 4 (486) • $$

"The Local Taco is truly a staple of Lexington, KY - I went to school at UK until 2018 and I swear this is the place that everyone loves and also the place you have your parents take you when they come in to visit you at school. The food is always good and fresh and the staff is always kind as well! Along with good food, I like that you order at the counter, take a number, and seat yourself. They have an option to sit indoors or on the patio which I also love. I had the great pleasure of returning to The Local Taco today and I ordered the Triple Crown Cheese Enchilada which I've never had before and I LOVED it. I also got a side of rice and raja salsa with chips. As always, I loved my meal and left with a full stomach and smile across my face. Thank you, The Local Taco, for being tried and true for me and so many others! Can't wait to be back as always!"

Stella's Kentucky Deli

★★★★☆ 4.1 (422) • $$

"Breakfast was great. The food was fresh and the prices are fair. Super cute location and great service. Come here!!"

Joella's Hot Chicken

★★★★☆ 4.2 (355) • $$

"On a recent trip to Cincinnati we ate here twice. My family and I love Nashville hot chicken and appreciated that they had chicken thighs that were meaty and delicious. They also had a large variety of good tasting sides. The service was top notch. Taylor W waited on us both times and was very friendly and informative. The restaurant itself was nicely decorated, clean, and welcoming. We have tried a handful of other Nashville, hot chicken, restaurants, but Joella's is definitely one of our favorites. The food is very flavorful and you get a lot for the reasonable prices."

Louie's Hot Chicken & Barbecue

★★★★☆ 4.4 (321) • $$

"I popped in here to grab a meal to go. The hot chicken tenders were HUGE! They tasted great. I got Medium spice but it still had a nice subtle heat. I enjoyed the potato salad. The Mac and cheese was pretty dry and room temperature, which is what kept me from giving it 5 stars. The seating area is super limited, so I'm sure most people get their food to go. They seem to run a lot of catering options too.Overall: Great quick, hearty meal."

Tousey House Tavern

★★★★☆ 4.3 (334) • $$

"We came for the infamous Hot Brown.... It was quite tasty... would like a little more bread on the entree as the the 3 meats were very apparent in this dish would have liked a little more taste of the bread and gravy shine through a bit more ... also throw 2 slices of tomato vs. one and it would have been perfect.... The size is a shareable dish in my opinion. Will definitely be back to try more dishes"

Joella's Hot Chicken - Middletown

★★★★☆ 4 (357) • $$

"Solid place to eat. Pretty good chicken - decent overall menu. I usually get the chicken and waffles. Service has been slow sometimes, but the staff is always nice. Always one of my options when I go out to eat."

610 Magnolia

★★★★☆ 4.4 (243) • $$$$

"Food and drinks were really good. So much food too! We had the 5-course tasting and portions were very generous. My group enjoyed the food.Only thing was everything came out super slow. Our meal took way over 3 hours. I had to ask if they could speed it up a bit as it was creeping towards 11pm (our reservation was 7.30pm). I thought the meal was very reasonably priced for what we got. Service was decent. Enjoyable all around!"

J Render's Southern Table & Bar

★★★★☆ 4.1 (276) • $$

"Every visit I've made here has been great. It's such a cute space with nice patio for better weather days. They have excellent happy hour options. Food wise, I've tried several things on the menu and always delicious. Servers are friendly and make great recommendations if you don't know what you want. Definitely recommend this for a nice meal out."

Purple Poulet

★★★★☆ 4.4 (221) • $$

"I've been hearing a lot about this place for a but and remember when it was the Green Derby. I remember hearing about it when it was at Dayton, but never made it over.Came in tonight at 5 on the dot since it was since it was Valentine's Day weekend and we didn't have a reservation. Big upgrade from derby for sure! Very well decorated.Sat down and waited a minute but they were trying to figure out the 30 guests that just walked in. Good sign right! Talked to Dillon, bartender, and gave us a good description of everything and suggested some drinks. We had about all of them lol. Great bourbon selection. Honestly never had chicken cock but was really good. That's a bourbon FYI Ordered some apps..biscuits, fondue, and Caesar. First off thought caesar was, is this a Caesar salad. Omg l, so good. Friend even commented on how it was. The star for me though was the blue cheese fondue, I could have just had a plate of that. Had the biscuits and they were also good. Didn't each much of those as trying to slow down on the carbs. Again, fondue hands down the best!!Entrees were a special of halibut..so freaking good!! The fried chicken my friend had was great but don't know I would say the best, that's a steep one. Had some bred puddin too so don't miss out. Honest opinion 4.5, nothing is perfect, well, mostly. Great atmosphere and I'll definitely be back and I will tell all my friends !"

Biscuit Belly -  St Matthews

★★★★☆ 4.3 (228) • $$

"So had brunch today 8-2-24 with a friend and we had a great time. Food was excellent. I had the Showtime and my friend had biscuits and fruit with some powdered sugar. Great people watching. They were rocking the entire time we were there and we were almost there til close. Friendly counter service. We had barely sat down and I food was out. Go try them if you haven't."

Greyhound Tavern

★★★★☆ 3.7 (281) • $$

"Food: greatService: greatAmbiance: greatIf they're doing the prix fixe when you go, you can't go wrong.Highlight of my trip to Cincy/Northern KY!"

Shirley Mae's Café

★★★★☆ 4.3 (194) • $

"Good food, friendly staff, To go only and very slow service. This small family own and run business can earn a solid 4 or plus if the rating was solely based on the food. While it could earn a 1 if the review was based on quickness of service. Does the good food worth the wait? Not if you are on the go but if you are ordering from here for work, family or yourself, give it an hour or so before you plan to eat, including if you call an order a minute after they open. Good wings, Mac n cheese, mashed potatoes, Chicken N Dumpling, okay tilapia Bon appetit"

Soul Secrets

★★★★☆ 4.2 (190) • $$

"Absolutely a great experience. Catfish was excellent. Fried chicken delicious. We tried several sides and enjoyed everything. The server was great and we met the owner. She told us all the food was based off her grandmother's recipes."

Mi Mi's Southern Style Cooking

★★★★☆ 4.4 (163) • $$

"This place was mediocre at best. I wanted to love it, reminds me of the south with the set up hot bar. We stayed to eat. Order at the counter and seat yourself. There was no real menu, a guy behind us told us they had fish if you ask for it. They didn't give us hot sauce or silverware, we went back to the counter no one was there, so we just grabbed it ourselves. No one even came out lol."

Bootleg Bar-B-Q

★★★★☆ 3.9 (204) • $

"Bootleg bbq is a long-standing fern creek staple located off old Bardstown road in Lousiville Kentucky a mile or so before hitting the Mount Washington city line. For years this was just a small shack with limited to no seating but over the last five years or so they did a complete remodel that features spacious seating, old school 50s and 60s style country decor and a very home feeling vibe to it. Service on my trips here are always pretty good. You order at the counter when walking in at the dine in portion and seat yourself. The opposite side of the counter which has a separate entrance is for carry out. In our history they have always gotten our food out fast, accurately and fresh. My personal go to meal is a pulled pork sandwich with a side of baked beans. I've gotten other sides in the past like max and cheese and there double tater (mashed potatoes with cheese on top) and you can't go wrong. The baked beans is my favorite though and some of my favorite in the city. The sandwich has a good taste and the bbq sauce is very tasty. My wife is a big fan of the pork and loves getting the burgoo side. Kids usually stick to the kids menu and usually finish there plates. So complaints on there end. Overall a nice hole in the wall establishment just a little bit off the beaten path of busy bardstown road that has above average bbq, good service and a good atmosphere."

Eggs Over Frankfort

★★★★☆ 3.7 (219) • $

"We stopped here for breakfast on our way back home... let me say, the 3.5 stars for the reviews do not do this place justice! I was a little skeptical to try the place, but was so glad we did! The hostess was absolutely a gem. Super friendly, energetic, and personable! There was about a 20 minute wait for a table. We decided to grab coffee from the coffee shop next door while we waited. Espresso was great! Food: We ordered a lot of food, lol. We wanted to try literally everything. The hot cinnamon roll was to die for. 4 of us split one as an "appetizer" - it was rich, so I'm glad we split it! All of our food was fresh, hot, and had good flavor. Their homemade jelly was outstanding, and so was their biscuits!Can't wait to go back the next time we visit Louisville!"

Distilled On Jefferson

★★★★☆ 4.2 (143) • $$$

"Distilled on Jefferson is in a really cute building and the atmosphere is great! It is casual enough for a weeknight dinner, but also fancy enough for a special occasion. The food that my husband got was excellent and he raved about it - even the drink. The reason I would give it 4 stars instead of 5 is that our server was not great with my dairy intolerance - I was given things I couldn't eat and had to send back. Overall great food and atmosphere f the server we had was trained a bit better."

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken - Louisville

★★★★☆ 4.2 (127) • $$

"We stopped on a Monday evening after a dance lesson. I didn't realize it was spicy chicken until we were ordering. The server said it wasn't too spicy, so I took a chance. Unfortunately, it was too spicy for me. My tolerance is very low. The flavor was great, I just couldn't handle the heat! The sides were excellent though. The macaroni and cheese was moist and cheesy. The greens had great flavor - even my 13 month loved them. I jokingly told my husband if we came back I would just have to order from the kids menu."

Tack House Pub

★★★★☆ 4.3 (114) • $

"What a charming spot! Always a breakfast or brunch favorite when we are in town. Warm, friendly service and excellent food--the omelets are outstanding and the cheese grits are perfection. Highly recommended."

Neighborhood Services

★★★★☆ 3.6 (152) • $$

"First day in Louisville, staying at the Omni, and this place is in the hotel and was perfect for lunch. I got the special which was 1/2 a sandwich and soup or salad...I had the market sandwich and Caesar salad. Both were very good. I only saw my server once because they were super busy, but i gave the hostess a separate tip because she waited on me more than the waitress. She took my order and refilled my water, and she even got me a drink to go. So sweet and helpful and I neglected to get her name. She deserves kudos!"

Dasha Barbour's

★★★★☆ 3.6 (144) • $$

"While visiting friends in Louisville, we were told we absolutely had to try Dasha Barbour's, and I am so glad we did. From the moment we walked in, the service was impeccable. We were greeted warmly at the door, and our waiter was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout our meal. The entire staff was on point, ensuring a top-notch experience from start to finish. The atmosphere was nice as well. Now, let's talk about the food--AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! Everything came out fresh and piping hot, and we could tell the kitchen was on top of its game. For appetizers, we tried the fried salmon bites and collard greens dip. Both were absolute standouts. The salmon bites were crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside, while the collard greens dip was an absolute flavor bomb--seasoned to perfection.For our entrees, I had the braised short ribs over grits, and my husband had the fried catfish with collard greens and mac and cheese. I've never had short ribs with grits before, but the combination was divine. The short ribs were tender and flavorful, and the grits were the perfect creamy base. As for my husband, his fried catfish was crispy and seasoned just right, but the real stars were the sides. The collard greens were some of the best we've ever had--properly seasoned and cooked to perfection. And the mac and cheese--WOW. It was, without a doubt, the best mac and cheese we've ever tasted. Rich, creamy, and full of flavor, it was the perfect complement to the rest of the meal.Both of us agreed that Dasha Barbour's is worth a trip back to Louisville on its own. We've been raving about this place to everyone we know, and we can't wait for the chance to return. If you're in the area, do yourself a favor and check it out--you won't be disappointed!"

Smokin' Jack's Rib Shack

★★★★☆ 3.6 (142) • $

"Great food, and dining atmosphere. The ribs were to die for. Service was fantastic, very helpful and knowledgeable. Would recommend highly."

Kellie's Homestead Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.5 (144) • $$

"We stumbled into Kellie's the other night as we passed through town in the midst of a storm. The place was fairly empty- just a couple groups when we arrived, about an hour and a half from closing.We were surprised when the friendly hostess informed us that Mondays were Family Style friend chicken night. I was unsure about this, however the dinner surpassed my expectations greatly. The chicken was deliciously lightly breaded and perfectly fried. The sides (green beans, biscuits, mashed potatoes, gravy, and coleslaw) were generously sized and tasty. I was happy to see they had sweet tea on the menu!Throughout our meal, our hostess/waitress made sure we were constantly supplied with whatever we might need- drinks, refills on sides, etc.There is a little shop attached filled with all the things you could hope to find- soap, children's toys, lotions, decor, etc. The bathrooms were quite clean and well stocked. I'd like to try this place again when their full menu is available."

Grimes's

★★★★☆ 4 (108)

"I decided to give them a try after looking at their extensive menu. It was short drive to pick up some food and bring it home. This was the first time I have gone to this restaurant. I have passed by it multiple times but never stopped before. I did go into the drive-thru the wrong way. If you go there, you need to drive around back where the drive-thru lane starts. You have to order the pick up your food from the passenger side. This is due to it being the last space in the strip mall there. Anyway, they were nice about it (I am sure I'm not the first to make this mistake). They took my order and told me I could park anywhere out front and they would bring my food to me. She told me they make it fresh so it would take a few minutes but assured me she would get it out to me as quickly as possible. It was probably about 10 minutes or so. I would order ahead next time and then pick up at the drive-thru. I ordered the 2 pc Boneless Catfish Dinner which comes with two sides and a choice of bread. I tried the Red Beans & Rice and the Potato Salad. For my bread I went with the Cornbread instead of the roll. The fish was good. The potato salad was excellent. The red beans & rice and cornbread were okay. I would come again to order more food for sure.She got the Chicken Sandwich. It was a classic chicken sandwich which would normally come with lettuce, tomato, mayo, they also asked if she wanted pickles. She opted to get it plain. She sometimes doesn't like the sauce or there is too much sauce so she prefers to add the toppings herself if needed.The chicken was lightly fried and came on a large white bun. There are so many places that sell the classic sandwich so she did have some preconceived idea of what it would taste like. She had to say this chicken sandwich, to her surprise, exceeded her expectations. It was cooked perfectly and the flavor was everything she had hoped for. She realizes it is just a piece of fried chicken breast but it gets harder and harder to find a really good one. She will certainly be ordering this again."

Equus and Jack's Lounge

★★★★☆ 3.9 (112) • $$

"My first visit. Great cocktails and small bites with a crisp riesling white wine complimented tasty tender calamari dressed in slightly spicy sauce with wedge Fresh lemon. Service was a friendly a kind face who was attentive. Dining menu offered many options, as well as outdoor dinner for larger groups. Soft lighting mature chill vibe just right for a romantic date evening. Many seating choices. Comfortable couch's with table service. Amenities abound. Parking is lot on the small side. Highly recommend."

Blondie & Jim’s Bistro

★★★★★ 4.5 (84) • $$

"Great food! Great atmosphere! The service was fast and professional. They even had everyone sing happy birthday to my daughter."

Franco's Restaurant and Catering

★★★★☆ 4.2 (82) • $$

"Fire!!! So good! Black owned and operated. Great hospitality and great food. Soul food with flavor and not salt. Grape kool-aid for that at home feel. Will be back! Side note: kids eat free!!"

Indi's Fast Food Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (86) • $

"The food here is superb. Keep in mind, everything is fried, so not for health nuts. But once in a while, you deserve a treat. I've been a fan of Indi's wings for years! They NEVER disappoint. They are perfectly cooked and spicy every time. My wife loves the wedges, basically a giant fluffy French fry. Service here is on point. Friendly, fast and a very clean restaurant. Do your self a favor and schedule a trip to Indi's soon!"

Big Ben's D & M BBQ

★★★★★ 4.5 (71) • $

"Great friendly service and consistently delicious perfect Barbecue every time I go !When I have given other bbq joints a try, I ended up wanting half my money back! Big BEN's is the only place I trust from now on!"

Josanne's Homestyle Kitchen

★★★★☆ 4.2 (80)

"This place has legit fried fish and shrimp. The greens were perfect. Mac and cheese satisfying. The cornmeal pancake topped everything off. The staff was friendly and all was super clean. Highly recommended."