Must-see restaurants in Kentucky

  • Proof on Main

    Louisville

    Arguably Louisville's best restaurant. The cocktails are incredible, the wine and bourbon 'library' (they're known to pour from exclusive and rare barrels…

  • Smokey Pig Bar-B-Q

    Kentucky

    Smokey Pig specializes in Monroe County barbecue, a south-central Kentucky style known for its hickory smoked, thinly sliced pork shoulder dipped in a…

  • Freight House

    Kentucky

    Chef Sara Bradley has converted an old railroad depot into a rustic venue for her modern Southern farm-to-table dishes. The menu changes with the season,…

  • Boujie Biscuit

    Louisville

    Each dish has the chef’s signature biscuit as its base – a big, square, butter-brushed beauty – that’s then loaded with something comforting and delicious…

  • Gralehaus

    Louisville

    There's breakfast all day at this snug eatery housed in a historic early-20th-century home, and you should indeed indulge in its chef-centric takes on…

  • Butchertown Grocery

    Louisville

    This hot spot rides a delicate line between raw and refined, dishing out European-inspired, American-anchored comfort cuisine in an unassuming 19th…

  • Bottle & Bond

    Kentucky

    There’s lots to love about this slick, modern-industrial restaurant inside Bardstown Bourbon Company: the fried chicken double-dipped in buttermilk, the…

  • Decca

    Louisville

    A beautiful space with a cork-and-wood floor, fountain-strewn patio and gorgeous Laguiole cutlery opened by a chef from San Francisco (albeit a Southerner…

  • Silver Dollar

    Louisville

    Gastronomically noncommittal – we'll call the cuisine California-inspired New Southern – but unrepentantly bourbon obsessed, the Silver Dollar will dazzle…

  • Noodle Nirvana

    Kentucky

    This pocket-sized, fast-casual eatery has a great beatnik vibe. Pick your noodle (ramen, rice, glass), then your sauce (coconut curry, peanut, spicy lime)…

  • Chaney’s Dairy Barn

    Kentucky

    Wave to the cows who provide the milk for your ice cream at this working farm. Top licks among the 32 flavors made onsite include bourbon crunch (mixed…

  • Garage Bar

    Louisville

    The best thing to do on a warm afternoon in Louisville is to make your way to this uber-hip converted NuLu service station (accented by two kissing…

  • Mellow Mushroom

    Kentucky

    Mellow Mushroom is a regional chain known for its thick-crust pizzas, calzones and craft beers. This branch, in the revamped Coca-Cola factory in Midtown,…

  • El Mazatlan

    Mammoth Cave National Park

    It fits the Tex-Mex restaurant stereotype with its bright-hued paintings and lengthy menu of burritos, enchiladas and margaritas, but El Mazatlan does it…

  • MilkWood

    Louisville

    Local celeb chef Edward Lee melds Southern and Asian-style cuisines at MilkWood. Fork into pork shoulder atop coconut rice, burnt miso brussels sprouts…

  • Feast BBQ

    Louisville

    The fried pickles, tater tots and mac-and-cheese balls may clog the arteries, but it’s so worth it. Order at the counter – brisket, pulled pork, chopped…

  • Mayan Cafe

    Louisville

    Check your visions of piñatas and mariachis at the door – Chef Bruce Ucán's subtle farm-to-table Mexican mainstay is all about the (sustainably sourced)…

  • Mammy’s Kitchen

    Kentucky

    Mammy’s dishes up omelets, biscuits and country ham for breakfast, and burgers, pork chops and chicken and waffles for dinner. The kitschy interior is…

  • Kirchhoff’s Bakery and Deli

    Kentucky

    Five generations of Kirchhoffs have been baking here since 1873. The old-school deli is terrific for a big fat sandwich, maybe turkey pesto on focaccia,…

  • Wrigley Taproom & Eatery

    Kentucky

    Burgers, smoked salmon tacos, fried brussels sprouts and other refined pub dishes hit the rustic wood tables, with many ingredients coming from the chef's…

  • Pho Baa Lou

    Louisville

    This modern Butchertown hot spot specializes in Saigon street food, wafting pho (soup with rice noodles), banh mi sandwiches, and spicy noodle and rice…

  • The Post

    Louisville

    In gentrified Germantown, New York–style pizza by the slice, sub sandwiches and great spaces (sunny patio out the front, comfy bar in the back with 16…

  • Gold Rush Cafe

    Kentucky

    Admire the folksy lanterns, skillets, washboards and quilts that hang from the walls as you dig into your chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy, omelets…

  • Turtlelini’s Pizza and Pasta

    Mammoth Cave National Park

    Order at the counter and then grab one of the small tables to chow your pizza with red sauce, baked spaghetti, chicken alfredo and cheese-topped…