Road Trip: Louisville, Kentucky

Fall in Kentucky means – bourbon, bowties and great food.

“Bourbon is made in America, and it’s part of who we are here,” says Kimberlie Thompson, US Foods® Territory Manager, who lives in Louisville. Still, she adds, “There’s so much more here than just bourbon, big hats, baseball and bluegrass. Louisville has this incredible sense of community – you see it everywhere, from the restaurants to the nonprofits.”

US Foods Food Fanatics® Chef Tyler Herald, who works with customers in the Louisville region, agrees. “I liken the growth in Louisville to where Nashville was years ago,” he says. “It’s a Southern city with a strong heritage steeped in rich tradition, but it has also seen an influx of young professionals moving in – which has led to a boom in the culinary scene! There’s a calling for more regional and ethnic cuisine, and things people haven’t seen yet. Plus, bourbon’s definitely having a moment and pairs nicely with a lot of the inventive dishes coming out.”

Here's a look at some of the veterans and newbie US Foods customers in the region.

The Veterans

Volare Italian Ristorante 

2300 Frankfort Avenue

Executive Chef and Managing Partner Josh Moore, a “Chopped” champion and lifelong cook, has led the culinary direction at this beloved fine-dining staple for more than 20 years. Blending Italian cuisine with seasonal Kentucky ingredients, Moore even incorporates year-round produce from his family-run, 10-acre farm in nearby Taylorsville, where he grows lettuces, kale, collard greens, eggplant, peppers and more than 80 varieties of tomatoes, featured in everything from gazpacho to a four-night tomato-tasting dinner. Seafood fans flock for Moore’s legendary Friday fish specials – from whole, 300-pound grouper to line-caught snapper – while signatures like the Chilean sea bass with lemon-butter piccata sauce, creamy polenta and Moore’s heirloom tomatoes keep regulars coming back. Pastas, pastries and sauces are all made from scratch.

To be officially featured on the Urban Bourbon Trail® in Louisville – part of the greater Kentucky Bourbon Trail® – a restaurant or bar must stock 60+ bourbon labels, have a significant bourbon culture, offer a signature Old Fashioned and serve at least three bourbon-infused dishes if they serve food. As a longtime member of this trail, Volare’s menu features several dishes with bourbon, from the short ribs braised in pomegranate-bourbon-banana pepper demiglace to the New York strip with bourbon-balsamic reduction, and housemade bourbon ball gelato with praline and chocolate.

“Louisville has always been an amazing melting pot of cultures and cuisines – we have such a diverse restaurant scene here, and there are always new places opening,” Moore says. 

Del Frisco’s

101 Whittington Parkway

An independent Louisville institution – not part of the national chain – Del Frisco’s first opened in 1981 and has remained locally owned and beloved ever since. A partial roof collapse in July 2019 forced the original St. Matthews location to close, and the restaurant reopened in November 2020 in a new East End location formerly occupied by another steak and seafood concept. Menu favorites include Del Frisco’s Trio (three filets with Oscar-style or truffle sauce), king crab cocktail and Kentucky bourbon pie.

80/20 @ Kaelin’s

1801 Newburg Road

This burger and milkshake joint – housed in the historic Kaelin’s building that was once billed as Louisville’s “birthplace of the cheeseburger” – has been a favorite among families and younger crowds alike since 2017, with its retro-modern vibes and lively patio. Diners can order classic and boozy milkshakes from the in-house 80/20 Malt Shoppe. Menu favorites include the 80/20 Burger with white cheddar, bacon, grilled pickled onion, tomato and 80/20 sauce on a pretzel bun; The Ribeye Burger with ribeye-tri-tip-sirloin and fried egg; and fried Brussels sprouts with bacon jam.

CASK Southern Kitchen & Bar

9980 Linn Station Road

A woman-owned business by Louisville native Ashley Sayler, CASK puts inventive spins on Southern favorites in a stylish, relaxed setting. Sayler originally opened the space as an upscale concept in late 2019, but she quickly reimagined it as CASK at the onset of the pandemic – revamping the menu, interior and patio in just six weeks while expecting her first child. She also runs International Catering LLC, serving major events like the Kentucky State Fair and Bourbon & Beyond; and is launching a new retail line, Scratch Brands, featuring CASK’s signature sauces and seasonings. Menu favorites include the juicy CASK Burger, bourbon-braised short rib, deviled eggs, and Southern doughnuts with tres leches dipping sauce.

The Newbies

House of Marigold

10310 Shelbyville Road

Opened in 2023, this breakfast and lunch spot owned by husband-wife duo Adrienne and Chef Kris Cole builds off of their long-running, successful Marigold Catering Company (a proudly Black- and female-owned company), with a menu featuring seasonal comfort food alongside craft cocktails and a robust coffee program. While the patio once went viral on TikTok as the most beautiful in Louisville, the interior design boasts a bright, feminine approach, with plenty of natural lighting and pink-pastel hues. The Coles also operate est. 1927 by Marigold, a counter-service café at the gorgeous Speed Art Museum, and plan to open a second location of The House of Marigold this fall. Menu favorites include smoked salmon dip with bagel chips, hot honey fried chicken biscuit, and waffle vibes (cookie crunch batter, strawberries and cream, with fried chicken).

Hauck’s Corner

1000 Goss Avenue

Owners Allan Rosenberg and Fred Pizzonia took over this longtime Germantown bar and grill – housed in a former 1912 handy store – in 2023, bringing fresh energy and an updated gastropub menu. Rosenberg, a Louisville native and chef with past stints in New York and LA, returned home in 2019 to launch the Pizza AF food truck. Since then, the duo has expanded the brand to include Breakfast AF(2023) and Baked AF (2024), all housed in historic, shotgun-style homes in the up-and-coming Germantown neighborhood, connected by a bustling 10,000-square-foot, family- and pet-friendly patio at Hauck’s (the “AF” branding nods both to millennial-Gen Z slang and the owners’ initials). The group also recently opened Dirty Bird, a fried chicken spot just down the street, and are working on a new concept – Dirty Roll,a 300-square-foot downtown walk-up window slinging their popular smoked brisket egg rolls (plus shrimp kimchi, sausage gravy and other creative fillings). Menu favorites at Hauck’s Corner include an eight-hour smoked brisket French dip, sticky ribs, and giant pretzels with housemade beer cheese, modeled after the stout-based beer cheese – said to have been “invented” in the 1930s at Johnny Allman’s restaurant near Winchester, Kentucky, about 85 miles from Louisville proper.

Steakhouse Bourré Bonne

143 W. Market Street

Executive Chef Henry Wesley is an established name in Louisville (he even founded the Louisville Black Chef Showcase). Now, he’s taken the helm of this swanky steakhouse, which opened in July 2025 at the new downtown boutique hotel Bourré Bonne. Menu favorites include beef tallow fries, Shanghai rolls with berry beef and strawberry sambal, and a 12-ounce wagyu picanha.

Lou Lou on Market

812 E. Market Street

Jared Matthews is the owner and founder of the Lou Lou restaurant group, which owns the original Lou Lou Food + Drink in St. Matthews, this hotspot in NuLu – Louisville’s up-and-coming neighborhood with many young professionals and new restaurants – and the most recent location, Lou Lou at The Joe (opened in 2024) in a new Butchertown development. Lou Lou on Market (opened in 2022) boasts a Cajun-inspired menu and lively patio featuring live jazz and bands, as well as a speakeasy in the basement. It’s also a regular vendor at the annual NuLu Block & Wurst Fest in March, where 25,000 people flock to see billy goat races, sausage-making contests, and food and beers from local restaurants. Menu favorites include jambalaya, NOLA-style shrimp and grits, crawfish bayou dip and bourbon salmon.