The Lobby Bar

When in Louisville... you have to have a Hot Brown. Walked here for dinner our first night in Louisville. Didn't realize really nothing opens until 5 for dinner, so we were a little early and were directed to a seating area to wait, but we got to look around at the gorgeous decor. The hotel is just over 100 years old and is a really amazing piece of architecture. I felt really under-dressed but since it's the lobby bar, there were all sorts of people in and out of the bar. If I was going to the main dining room, I would definitely dress up.We were seated right at 5 and unfortunately I misplaced our server's name but she was very friendly and attentive. Found it - her name was Rein. We started with an Old Fashioned and a Kentucky Mule with a charcuterie board and then had the small hot brown and steak frites. The charcuterie was good- not enough cheese for my taste, but a nice starter. The hot brown was good what I expected and I'm glad I got the smaller o e because it's so rich. The steak frites took the cake - the steak was so tender with amazing flavor and the fries had a delicious seasoning that went perfectly with the steak. I would definitely come back for the ambiance and would order steak frites for both of us.

Stopped in here for dinner. The only reservation was 815pm, however the dining area was sparse. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. I opted for the Lobster Mac and Cheese side. My first entree came out lukewarm but the waiter brought me a fresh, hot dish! The Mac and cheese did not really have any signs of lobster, so I was a little thrown off. The Mac and cheese was a tad bland but the breadcrumbs added a nice crunchy texture. The derby pie was delicious! First time trying the walnut, chocolate pie.

Very much enjoyed our dinner at the bar of the Lobby Bar at the Brown Hotel. We shared a Caesar salad and the famous hot brown, which was warm, rich, and delicious (but honestly *much* smaller than I expected for the $30 entree price!). Cocktails were delicious and expertly made by our bartender who also provided friendly service (including offering helpful suggestions for the rest of our trip). Definitely worth checking out!

The Lobby Bar at the Brown Hotel holds a special place for us. This is actually where I first saw an old college friend after ten years when we met up for a drink. We got married four years later, and now live in Louisville. So we come back here on special occasions to have a cocktail and celebrate.We recently decided to make a return to the restaurant for our two-year wedding anniversary. This place is normally off the charts with ambiance, but this most recent time, things were different than our prior trips.The food and drinks were great. For cocktails, I had the Kentucky Derby and an Old Fashioned, and both were incredible. We started things off with an exquisite cheese plate with three distinct ones to choose from. I'm not normally a jam guy, but I smothered this all over the crackers. As for the entrees, I enjoyed my duck breast, but the sea scallops that my wife ordered were out of this world. She says it was probably the best seafood dish she's had in Louisville. The steak frites is also another favorite of mine along with, of course, the hot brown.On this specific night, there was a wedding going on the floor above where we were sitting. I'm no stick in the mud and love to have a good time at a party. But for a romantic anniversary dinner with a reservation, this was not ideal. I wish we had sat closer to the piano or gotten seats at the bar, which was much quieter than the open restaurant area.Another note --- if you have a gluten allergy, make sure to talk with your server and be thorough. The menu is not marked, but they can make modifications to some dishes. The scallops dish was safe, but the duck breast came with brussel sprouts that went through a shared fryer. My wife has Celiac disease, so we had to be careful.Overall: we do love this place very much and will be back at the lobby sooner rather than later. And you can probably count on us sitting at the bar, talking with visitors and the friendly bartender.

I made a reservation here during our trip to Louisville because this is the inventor of the Hot Brown. We fucked up a few things on this occasion. For one, I thought our reservation was 7:30 and arrived at that time but it was actually at 7:15. We also didn't realize how beautiful and elegant the space was and definitely did not dress up for the occasion. You can imagine the embarrassment when we walked up the beautiful staircase to the sound of a fucking live pianist. Anyway, the staff at the Lobby Bar were kind enough to not outwardly notice either of our errors and were nothing but gracious and friendly. We both started with one of their cocktails from a lovely cocktail menu. I can't find it online so I can't provide details. Probably bourbon. Mine was good enough that I wanted to order another. I didn't because either I was not asked or because GF guilted me out of it. From the looks of it, GF ordered a mint julep. There were a few things on the menu I was interested in ordering including a salad. The fries with bourbon something ketchup were too good to pass up so we ordered that to start. I'm glad I didn't try to squeeze in a salad because this serving was ridiculous in a good way. Think a mount everest of fries. They were extremely crispy and seasoned to perfection. Definitely in my top 5 of best fries I've ever eaten.GF ordered the hot brown and reported that it was extremely rich and heavy but seemed to enjoy it. I ordered the pesto dish with veggies and rotini. The veggies were a nice touch but the sauce was wayyyyyy too creamy for me. The creaminess overpowered any other flavor of the dish and it wasn't worth the calories to finish. Very disappointing. My dish was enough to knock this down to at least a 3 but the ambiance of the space, the fantastic staff, and the delicious fries bumped it up to a 4 in my book. Perhaps their non-vegetarian dishes are better?

Home of the Original Hot Brown !!!I was with a group of business colleagues in the Louisville area. They had asked me where we should go for a casual business dinner. The first question I asked was, "Who has had a Hot Brown?". The Hot Brown is a Louisville staple and countless restaurants in and around Louisville have their version of the Hot Brown. This sandwich was created at the Brown Hotel in 1926. It is an open-faced Turkey sandwich with shame and bacon, topped with creamy Mornay sauce and cooked in a skillet until the bread starts to brown. There are variations of the Hot Brown but most versions have four or five of the traditional ingredients. The Brown Hotels version, which is the original is described as ' Roasted Turkey Breast, toast points, Mornay Sauce, Pecorino Romano Cheese, baked golden brown, then finished with bacon and Tomatoes. We arrived at the hotel and went upstairs to the Lobby Bar where the restaurant is located and took some time to take the ambiance, elegance and history of the hotel. We were seated in the dining room and shared a few apps and then each of us ordered either a 'petit' Hot Browon or the full-size one. The dish comes out still sizzling hot and now with shredded cheese on top. Each of them dug in and tasted a staple of the Louisville and Kentucky region. Everyone at the table enjoyed this meal and of course, took many photos of it. After drinks and more photos, most of us were stuffed as the Hot Brown, even the petit version is a hearty meal in itself. We ordered a few desserts and coffees to help stave off the food comas. An impressive meal in an impressive place. If you're in the Louisville area you must visit the Lobby Bar and Grill during your trip.

The Lobby Bar did not disappoint. The food was wonderful and service was spot on. I highly recommend eating at the historic Brown Hotel

I stopped in especially for the Hot Brown as this was its birthplace. The dining area with its beautiful wood, stained glass windows, high backed cushioned chairs, white table cloth and linen napkins was so nice. Service was impeccable starting with friendly and attentive Jeannie, continuing with Kris, who helped create my bourbon flight based on my tastes and price point of the evening, and concluding with the food runners. The salad was amazing with the greens, pecans, cherries, pears and shaved Parmesan. The Hot Brown was made with turkey breast, not sliced turkey, creamy cheese sauce and bacon cooked just right in my opinion. And of course the bourbon. I liked all 3, but did have a favorite.

This was my first trip to Kentucky and I was told I HAD to stop at the the Hot Brown here. The service was great. The bar staff and hostess were beyond kind and the drinks were wonderful. I must say I was not a fan of the food. All of the food needed salt (especially the grits) and the shrimp was overcooked. The "famous" hot brown was a huge letdown. Aside from needed salt it didn't have any real flavor. It is a highly overpriced dish in my opinion. The automatic piano was a bit loud and it was hard to have conversation over it.

Visiting Louisville, I came across the great debate for Kentucky's infamous Hot Brown. Seeing that every restaurant seemed to have their own take on the dish, I had to try the original at the Brown Hotel.The Lobby Bar at The Brown Hotel was very classy. Service was top notch and our waiter was very witty.Now onto the dish. The Hot Brown lived up to all its expectations, the gooeyness of the cheese, the juiciness of the turkey, all baked to perfection. I don't think there's any other place that I'd try it, nor could compare to it.