Most folks will probably be surprised to hear that Louisville, KY is a pretty interesting place. I mean any city that adopts the motto “Keep Louisville Weird” is bound to be. Having lived here for the last four years, I’ve really been able to take that it firsthand, and let me tell you there are some interesting and delicious places The Ville. Here’s my top shelf picks for Louisville, KY eateries.
This probably undermines my list right away, but if this is a list of my favorites places to eat, no matter where I am Taco Bell is on it. I don’t care that they’ve been accused of terrible and disgusting things lately, I still love me some Taco Bell. The number seven, with a soft taco with no lettuce, topped off with a few sides of jalapeno sauce, and a Mountain Dew is always something to get excited about.
This is east coast sliced pizza, and to be honest, that’s not my favorite type, but I’ve included Spinelli’s because for what it lacks in pie, it more than makes up for with character. Inside the main room covered in graffiti is a classic car converted into three different booths to sit in. The second dining room used to be a tattoo parlor…
This place is also not unique to Louisville, but it’s so amazingly delicious that I had to include it. With all its bright colors and crazy decor this place screams spring break to me. The Mexican food is amazing to me. For some reason Elvis is a big deal at this place and to me the Elvis Fried Chicken is the best thing on the menu. It’s a large fried chicken breast covered in queso with Chuy’s amazing rice. Also, they make all their tortillas on site so they are especially good.
This is one of the most interesting looking places you’ll ever eat. The menu is pretty adventurous, but the décor is what really makes this place pop. It’s covered, from the parking lot to the tabletops, with interesting statues, colors, lamps, odds and ends, and all sorts of random weird pieces. There’s even a gigantic world map on the back wall where you can drop a pin on where you’re from and as you can see from the map Lynn’s is known all over.
These little pie kitchens are peppered all over the city, and they are hands down the best place to get dessert. Besides the fact that the food is amazing, they all have a little hometown feel like it’s been run by some sweet set of grandparents for who knows how many years. My favorite is the one at Bardstown Rd. and Taylorsville Rd. but none of them will disappoint.
Best. Sushi. In. Louisville. There’s no contest here, and it’s not like Louisville is lacking good sushi, because it’s not. There are plenty of great places in town, but Hiko-a-mon takes the cake. My favorite is the rainbow roll. It’s a mixture of banana and strawberry, which is not normally something I’d expect from a sushi place, but it is AMAZING.
I’m admittedly a pick eater, so Cuban food makes me hesitant, but I let my friend talk me into this place not too long ago, and man, did I owe her an apology. I should have know it would be amazing after I saw the thirty people lines up outside the restaurant to get a table. Their best dish, which I can’t begin to pronounce, is a friend chicken on a bed of marinara topped with slices ham and melted cheese and a side of sweet potato fries. I got so excited about my meal that when I told my friend with a full mouth that the dipping sauce was so good that I wanted to drink it, she almost spit food across the table with laughter. I want to go back right now.
Lou Lou’s is another very interesting place to eat. It’s another of the eclectic eateries that Louisville is known for. The place is outfitted with bright colors, crazy art, and it’s covered in fleur de lis, which Louisville is also known for. The thing that drew me in is the pizza menu. They have a pretty traditional menu when it come to most foods, but when it comes to pizza they like to try things, and I LOVE this. I’ve always complained that potatoes is not a conventional pizza topping. Well guess what, at Café Lou Lou’s it is! If you’re ever in town look these guys up and have a taste of what Louisville is all about.
Wick’s Pizza is the best pizza I’ve ever had anywhere. That includes all over the country and the world. I’m almost religious about how much I love this place. The pizza is ridiculously amazing. In American, bigger is better, and Wick’s embraces that. They always go overboard with the toppings almost to the point that the pizza looks for like lasagna. The sauce is the perfect amount of sweet and for someone that drink a lot with meals, the glasses are almost bucket sized so no worries about refills. The pizza is stacked so high that it usually doesn’t even take more than a few slices to totally fill you up. If you’re ever in Louisville this needs to be your first stop. Forget Churchill Downs, forget 4th Street live, Wick’s is what Louisville is known for in my book.
This list just made you hungry didn’t it? Don’t lie…
Top Photo Credit: Dawn Gordon