This Louisville-based Tex-Mex chain specializes in mesquite-grilled steaks, chicken and chops, but locals love the burritos and bargain-priced margaritas.
This cherished South End eatery is still a place you go to make discoveries. Recommended: the Vietnamese pancake appetizer and the beef marinated with lime juice as well as anything over rice vermicelli. Don’t neglect the list of traditional Vietnamese dishes at the back of the menu.
This eatery is small on space, but big on authentic West African fare. Try the specialty, Thiebu Jeu, fish stewed in a tomato base served over spicy rice with one of the non-alcoholic West African drinks.
This Indian restaurant’s seven page menu seems daunting, but well-written explanations accompany each dish. If you still can’t decide, try the thali — a sampler plate which can be made with meat or vegetarian. The daily lunch buffet is also a good introduction to Indian cuisine.
Can’t travel? Head over to this new oriental restaurant in St. Matthews for an exotic meal to take you away. Charim loosely translates to “the table is set,” a welcoming message and dishes are prepared by chef Yeon Hee Chung just like she does in her home.
The Fern Creek neighborhood’s best dining spot, the pub boasts an eclectic menu. Favorites include the Kentucky Hot Brown, frog legs, Icelandic cod and jumbo shrimp, along with soup du jour and gumbo. Beer garden in back for private parties.
This offshoot of Louisville’s only Spanish restaurant De la Torres, La Bodega offers a tapas-only menu of hot and cold items in a cozy space next door to its Highlands progenitor. Appetizer-size portions of roasted red peppers and eggplant, mussels picante and other traditional dishes allow for easy mixing and matching.
Sushi chef Yong Tak, formerly of Osaka, brings his sushi skills to Lexington Road, where he serves up food like the Asahi roll, the house specialty, and chicken teriyaki.
