Louisville has some truly delicious food. You will want to cross off everything on this list! Make sure to try all of Louisville’s famous local foods when you’re visiting. We wanted to make sure to narrow this list down to only food that originated from Louisville or Kentucky. Think local icons like the Hot Brown open faced sandwiches or the delicious Benedictine spread. We will also provide some restaurants that offer these iconic foods or drinks!
Famous Louisville Food
Below you’ll travel from breakfast foods to lunch to spreads and sauces all the way to desserts and drinks that are iconic in Louisville.
Weisenberger Grits
These grits get their name from Weisenberger Mill in Midway, Kentucky. This mill has been owned and operated for 6 generations by the Weisenberger family. Most importantly, they are the best grits you’ll find in Louisville! These grits are fluffy and slightly sweet. The quality is so good that many restaurants exclusively serve Weisenberger grits AND call it out on the menu. Check out the shrimp and grits at Jack Fry’s for these grits.
Hot Brown
Head over to the Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville during your stay to try The Hot Brown, where it was created! A Hot Brown is a warm, baked open-faced sandwich. The bottom is a thick slice of Texas toast, topped with layers of turkey, tomato, bacon, and then Mornay sauce. Finally, cheese is added to the top, then placed under the broiler until it’s brown and bubbly.
While the origins of the Hot Brown are unknown, it is a must-try in Louisville. The original is, naturally, at the Brown Hotel. But you’ll find versions all over town. It is so popular that the tourism board even made a list of all the places you can try a Hot Brown!
Burgoo
Burgoo is a Southern stew that is incredibly popular in Kentucky. Many places claim Kentucky is the Burgoo capital of the world. To match its weird name, Burgoo has weird ingredients too. It is made with whatever is lying around. Generally, you’ll find three types of meat, corn, okra, and lima beans.
Pulled Pork
By far one of my favorite items on this list! Slow-cooked pork, which is shredded and then marinated in a tomato-based sauce, was actually invented in Kentucky. Pulled pork took the world by storm! You can find it just about every BBQ restaurant now. In Louisville, we recommend Feast BBQ or Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse.
Beer Cheese
While the name might sound misleading, beer cheese is exactly what it sounds like. A sauce made of beer and cheese. There are endless combination of craft beer and cheeses that kicks beer cheese up a notch. If you’re interested in a Beer Cheese Trail, you’ll head to Winchester, Kentucky. It is a great way to experience many different beer cheese combinations.
The best beer cheese is on the menu at craft breweries. For the beer-related reasons, really. There are several great options, including Goodwood Brewing or O’Shea’s. Be sure to get a pretzel to dip into your beer cheese.
Benedictine Spread
Created by Ms. Jennie Benedict in the 1890s, Benedictine Spread is a High Tea staple. A delicious mix of cucumber and cream cheese, sometimes served as a dip. Traditionally, it’s served in a finger sandwich. While this one might not be as popular as the other famous Louisville foods on this list, it’s worth a try. The Cafe in Paristown has it on its menu. It is on their Queen Anne sandwich. Luckily, this is also really easy to make yourself! Blend a package of cream cheese with a seeded and grated cucumber, grated onion, and a little dab of mayo. Spread it on bread and enjoy!
Henry Bain’s Famous Sauce
This sauce is designed to complement game, beef, and other meats. It bursts with rich and tangy flavors of tomato sauce, vinegar, tamarind, and soy sauce. These are blended with sweet chutney and pickled walnuts. There are many ways to enjoy this sauce. Put it on tenderloin, cocktail meatballs, or even spread over cream cheese. While you’re in Louisville, be sure to pick up a bottle of this sauce.
Derby Pie
Derby Pie™ is a trademarked Louisville tradition. This pie is a layer of walnuts over a layer of chocolate in a flaky pie crust. Since this pie is trademarked, you cannot find it in all restaurants. However, you can find it frozen at the local grocery store. Be aware of things that sound similar to Derby Pie, but aren’t the real thing.
There are many Derby Pie™ knock-offs. Especially during Derby season, you’ll see it all over the place. Most of the knock-offs are actually made with pecans rather than walnuts. It’ll show up on the menu as Chocolate Pecan Horse Racing Pie. We did get the trademarked ones at Doc Crow’s Southern Smokehouse, and it was delicious!
‘Please & Thank You’ Cookies
Head over to ‘Please & Thank You’ coffee shop in NuLu for some chocolate and incredible chocolate chip cookies. You can even take a packet of cookies home with you. These cookies are chocolatey, gooey, and perfect with a coffee. The coffee shop is a fun experience as well.
Modjeskas
Head over to Muth’s Candies for these original Louisville candies. It is a delicious, soft caramel with a chewy marshmallow center. You can try it dipped in chocolate or rolled in nuts! I know what you’re thinking, “that sounds super sweet and not very different texture-wise,” and you’re right, but wrong. Of course, the ones rolled in nuts have more texture changes, but somehow Muth’s manages not to be overly sweet or soft with the texture.
Bourbon Balls
Since you’re already at Muth’s checking out the Modjeskas, get the bourbon balls as well! Bourbon Balls are the meeting of bourbon and chocolate in a perfect bonbon. There are two versions of bourbon balls. The classic is a bonbon with a soft bourbon cream and chopped pecans. You can get it as dark or milk chocolate. The other option is to get the pecan-free option.
Old Fashion
Louisville’s official cocktail is this classic and straightforward Old Fashioned. It is made with bourbon (duh), simple syrup, bitters, a flamed orange peel, and a cherry garnish. Typically, an Old Fashion is served on the rocks in a lowball glass. While the history of the Old Fashioned might be contentious as to who actually invented it, we are giving the win to Louisville since it’s Louisville’s official drink. Does Kentucky swap basically all drinks with bourbon? Yes, but the Old Fashion is different! It’s cultural. But we also enjoyed the Southern Belle at Down One.
Mint Julep
A traditional mint julep is made with bourbon, simple syrup, and muddled with fresh mint, then served over crushed ice. It is much more bourbon-forward rather than mint-forward, unfortunately. The glass also matters. A traditional mint julep is served in a silver julep cup. If you don’t have a Derby glass, it still works. Mint Juleps are the official drinks of the Kentucky Derby, so be sure to try one at Churchill Downs during your visit.
Wrap Up: Famous Louisville Food
Louisville truly has so many famous foods to taste test while you’re visiting. From breakfast/brunch to dessert and drinks, there is something for everyone. I absolutely loved trying the Hot Brown. It was unexpectedly my favorite new thing to try. We have even made it at home! Stop by the tourist office to get a recipe card. We also enjoyed the candies from Muth’s. Surprisingly, the bourbon balls are quite bourbon-y. Enjoy the food!!
