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City Guide: Louisville
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I spent a year and a half traveling every week to Louisville back in 2016-2018 timeframe. I absolutely loved my time there though lots has changed. I've shared some of my recommendations that are STILL in operations that I think are worth a visit!
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Eats
Funky restaurant within the 21c Hotel - lots of wall art and (at least when I dined) the bill was brought out with a puffy cloud of cotton candy
Proof on Main Restaurant + Bar | Downtown Louisville, KY
This used to be “Manny and Merle's” and they served tacos and whiskey and then one day…Manny disappeared and it was just Merle's. Not sure if they still do the tacos, but those were gooooood
Merle's Whiskey Kitchen
I don't like spicy hot chicken, but I'll eat it here because it's flavorful, not just hot
Royals Hot Chicken
Fantastic Mexican and Pan-Latin American food served in a farm-to-table style
Mayan Cafe
Funky little barbeque joint with great options (but still not my favorite barbeque joint in the city because the mac and cheese elsewhere has my heart)
Feast BBQ
This place is still my favorite restaurant mac and cheese offering - it's a perfect dry mac and the bbq is fantastic
Momma's Mustard, Pickles & BBQ
Is it a little divey and tucked away under a bridge? Yes. Is it also a very solid option for burgers and where I first discovered chopped kale salads (get it with salmon) and haven't been able to find another that I like better? Also yes.
Sidebar At Whiskey Row
For when you want to ball out - this is one of the few steakhouses in the US that is authorized to serve authentic Miyazaki wagyu beef, with a certified calf nose print. It's pricey but I swear you can taste the difference. A fun way to go in with a ...
Le Moo
A super solid breakfast option in the middle of downtown Louisville
Wild Eggs
This place really shines on summer nights - the pizza is great but it's also just a fun atmosphere for group dining
Garage Bar
A solid place to find southern comfort in the middle of downtown. I would normally not trust seafood in a landlocked city, BUT this is the FedEx hub so I've had some great sushi in the city!
Doc Crow's Southern Smokehouse and Raw Bar
So I'm pretty sure this wasn't open the last time I was in Louisville but it looks good and the name is eyecatching!
MoonDog
I don't think this place was open when I was last here either, but I've been on a Korean kick after watching all of those K-Dramas on Netflix!
Jin Doshirak
See
Actually a beautiful place to walk around and catch the sunset from.
Waterfront Park
Maybe you'd like to walk over the river and not just alongside it on this pedestrian bridge - there's even seasonal lighting to help guide you back once you've seen sunset from the middle of the Ohio River!
Big Four Bridge
Perfect for the baseball fans in your life - but even as a very casual fan, I found it a pretty fascinating visit.
Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory
A beautiful space to share Muhammad Ali's life story and offer space to reflect. I found it quite restful
Muhammad Ali Center
A gorgeous historical hotel, which is famous for the Hot Brown sandwich as well as being supposedly very haunted. Fun to pop in and look around, but I'm not brave enough to stay.
The Brown Hotel
One of the most storied racing venues in the US. I actually did a whole presentation on this venue, the architectural highlights, how to bet on racing, and what to wear to the races back in the day. Either way, it's a great place to visit and still f...
Churchill Downs
Drink
Honestly a beautiful distillery. I did a bourbon wheel tasting and a tour and found both to be super educational as someone who doesn't naturally gravitate towards the taste of bourbon.
Woodford Reserve Distillery
Worth going slightly outside Louisville (to towards Frankfurt) to hit Buffalo Trace!
Buffalo Trace Distillery
Not huge, but awesome tasting experience. Stop here if you're looking for one of the quicker-but-better Bourbon Trail stops.
Rabbit Hole Distillery
Right in the heart of Louisville, a must-stop
Angel's Envy Distillery