Louisville, Ky - Summer 2022
Downtown Louisville had this pedestrian entertainment district which was pretty quiet when we visited in the late summer. Maybe it was because it was during the week.
I’m a little embarrassed to say that I didn’t know the Kentucky Derby was in Louisville. For some reason I thought it was in Lexington - not that I could tell one Kentucky city from another anyway. We decided this town would be a good home base to hang out and do distillery excursions.
This was a fun little town and here are some of the spots we went to. We were here during the week so it looked like a lot of work folks out at night vs locals.
Mellwood Tavern - Oldest Bar in Louisville (1885)
To keep going on my thing about visiting the oldest bar in every city, we went to the Mellwood on the outskirts of town. This got us some street cred with other locals when we told them we went here. The inside has been obviously renovated but the walls still show the age.
They have a fried chicken night that everyone seems to rave about. The bartender poured me like 3 fingers worth of whiskey so thumbs up on that. The happy hour prices aren’t bad either.
They have a stage for live music and an outdoor patio.
The Garage - Best Whiskey Bar
This is probably not what I would have imagined for my pick for best whiskey bar but it is. My criteria is per a previous post:
1- Good selection
2- Reasonably priced
3 - Updated menu
This place has all 3. There are many places in Louisville that have the good stuff but they charge at a rate that you would never buy it (at least people like me where money still means something).
The Garage is located in the hipster neighborhood called NuLu in the north side of the city. The area is typical of many urban areas where the young kids come in and remake a run down area into an artsy haven with better shops and eats and bars.
The Garage has good food, a chill atmosphere and in my opinion it’s the best whiskey bar in the city (I’m probably the only person who would think this).
Old Seelbach Bar
Located in the historic Seelbach hotel in downtown, this wound up being our first stop when we got into town. Had a proper old fashioned to kick off our Louisville experience. Nice bar with dining. It’s a historic hotel so of course they have a ghost in residence. Being a historic hotel and all you can also expect it to be a bit on the pricey side.
Merle’s Whiskey Kitchen
A local recommended this place as a spot for something to eat. The place was very popular and crowded with both business people, tourists, and local clientele. They are known for their fried chicken so we had to try it. The salad then makes it healthy right?
This place is situated right on Main Street and across from the events center so it’s no surprise that it gets a lot of business - location, location, location. It’s also very spacious so it can accommodate the crowds.
Swizzle - Galt House
This place high up on the Galt House Hotel was a fun place to get a good view of the Ohio River looking into Indiana. The view was very pretty during sunset. The bar itself is not that big as most of the space is taken up by the restaurant. We got those smokey old fashioned that come in a presentation box.
High Horse
We ventured to this place on the outskirts of downtown to sample some Louisville dive bars. To get here to you keep going past the NuLu district to an area called Butchertown. This is a locals bar and probably the best prices in town as far as I can tell. They had a pop up kitchen for bar snacks in the back.
The place looks very old. It reminds me of the 70’s with the old school TV’s and such but the bartender said that the owners tried to make the place look older than it really is. They did a good job of it as it looks organically old. The designer should work on movie sets or something.
Brown Hotel Bar
Probably the most famous hotel in Louisville, The Brown Hotel opened in 1923. There are pictures on the walls that tell the history of the hotel.
This place is likely is packed during the derby and is famous for its Hot Brown dish which from what I can tell is a very fancy open faced turkey sandwich. I didn’t order one but it seemed all the rage there. The bar was a very convivial spot to have a drink and chat with locals.
Meta
This was a friendly bar situated not far from where we were staying so it was an easy late night drink spot for us. I like how they have some character with the penny floor. Good drinks and very friendly bartenders. They gave us some good recommendations on places to go (and not to go). This seems like a newer bar but had a neighborhood feel.
8Up
This place is just a hotel bar in a Hilton but what it does have is a very nice rooftop view of the city. Definitely worth checking out just for the view and plus rooftop bars are just cool.
Decca
We stopped into this restaurant in the NuLu district as we wanted a place to grab a bit of food for the long walk back to downtown. We sat at the bar and got some drinks and that fancy pasta dish to hold us over for a bit. Behind the bar was this robot looking thing that might be the most impressive espresso machine ever built.
Black Jockeys Lounge
Here is another place we stumbled upon where we were looking for some late night eats. It is located across the street from a historic theater that plays classic films. They had a live band that was pretty lively and a lot of fun but we actually had to sit towards the back if we wanted to have a conversation. Caution - the wings are pretty spicy.
Troll Pub Under the Bridge
This is a place we tried to go to but didn’t realize there was a concert that night and we couldn’t find a seat as the place was just packed. Located near the events center and by the river, you head downstairs and the inside is kind of like a labyrinth as there is not big open space, just kind of seating in small segments until you wind up in the back where the bar is located. Maybe we will sample it the next time we are here.