RESTAURANTS IN PROSPECT

We've been Prospect residents for 10 years. And for all 10 years we've also wondered about the restaurant situation here. We drive all over town for decent steaks, seafood, BBQ, or ethnic food -- we eat in Prospect only as a last resort. It's sad.

We've heard "explanations" about the high cost of Prospect locations, unfriendly business environment, yada-yada. The bottom line is that we STILL don't have a reasonable assortment of QUALITY restaurants here. WHY?

The reviews and opinions printed here of the existing restaurants exactly match our experiences. We're really tired of having to go to other areas of town for a decent dining experience. Can anyone explain why this situation continues?

I'll take a stab at this; two things 1. Density of population and 2. Destination area. Excluding the Nortons area Prospect is not a destination area. Restaurant owners/operators mostly have a pack mentality and like to cluster in destination areas however, we have been operational (7) months and
are very pleased with the community support we have received as a fast casual dining choice given the fact that we are located on the outer eastern edge of Prospect and that the majority of the Prospect residents do not know we are in the community.

We've been Prospect residents for 10 years. And for all 10 years we've also wondered about the restaurant situation here. We drive all over town for decent steaks, seafood, BBQ, or ethnic food -- we eat in Prospect only as a last resort. It's sad.

We've heard "explanations" about the high cost of Prospect locations, unfriendly business environment, yada-yada. The bottom line is that we STILL don't have a reasonable assortment of QUALITY restaurants here. WHY?

The reviews and opinions printed here of the existing restaurants exactly match our experiences. We're really tired of having to go to other areas of town for a decent dining experience. Can anyone explain why this situation continues?

I'll take a stab at this; two things 1. Density of population and 2. Destination area. Excluding the Nortons area Prospect is not a destination area. Restaurant owners/operators mostly have a pack mentality and like to cluster in destination areas however, we have been operational (7) months and
are very pleased with the community support we have received as a fast casual dining choice given the fact that we are located on the outer eastern edge of Prospect and that the majority of the Prospect residents do not know we are in the community.

I'll go one further and say part of the problem is staffing the restaurant. When you sit in the middle of a higher income area typically your staff comes from outside that area. Getting them there is a problem. There is very little public transport to be utilized and with gas at over $3 a gallon no one wants to drive too far and burn up all their pay.

Carla, Thanks for pointing that out, I never looked at it that way. That is good to know for the future.

Is Gasthaus in Prospect? I love that place.

I wouldn't consider Gasthaus to be located in Prospect.

I'll take a stab at this; two things 1. Density of population and 2. Destination area. Excluding the Nortons area Prospect is not a destination area. Restaurant owners/operators mostly have a pack mentality and like to cluster in destination areas however, we have been operational (7) months and
are very pleased with the community support we have received as a fast casual dining choice given the fact that we are located on the outer eastern edge of Prospect and that the majority of the Prospect residents do not know we are in the community.

We've eaten at your restaurant and enjoyed it. We will be back.

Gasthous is in Wendy Hills, which is next to St. Mathews, about five minutes from the old Sears building and about 20 seconds from my place, the Shady Lane Cafe. They have great food, a little pricey having been married to a German girl and eating the same food in the Old Country for less than they charge, but still good. They are about 15-20 minutes from Prospect. Think "Its a small world" ride in Disney World with food and you got the right place.

Corbett's is packed almost every night. I do believe that "upscale" suburbs like Prospect will support restaurants that provide good food and a warm ambiance. I know this will annoy some folks, but there is such a plethora of fast food restuarnts or "family casual" chain dining in the Louisville burbs, that there must be room for great dining outside of Downtown, Bardstown Road and Frankfort Avenue. In addition, it seems Louisvillians enjoy a cocktail or two. Why is there an absence of nice cocktail bars in the burbs. I am sure that great places like "Jacks" etc. would do quite well, especially with a bar menu of "small plates." People over the age of 40 still love to go out and have a nice drink. One would think Prospect would be prime territory for such a place. I may be off base due to my "newby" status in the Ville, but dining and drinking in the burbs, outside of a couple of gems, is rather boring.

Phil: Feel free to quit apologizing for your opinions anytime.

Corbett's is packed almost every night. I do believe that "upscale" suburbs like Prospect will support restaurants that provide good food and a warm ambiance. I know this will annoy some folks, but there is such a plethora of fast food restuarnts or "family casual" chain dining in the Louisville burbs, that there must be room for great dining outside of Downtown, Bardstown Road and Frankfort Avenue. In addition, it seems Louisvillians enjoy a cocktail or two. Why is there an absence of nice cocktail bars in the burbs. I am sure that great places like "Jacks" etc. would do quite well, especially with a bar menu of "small plates." People over the age of 40 still love to go out and have a nice drink. One would think Prospect would be prime territory for such a place. I may be off base due to my "newby" status in the Ville, but dining and drinking in the burbs, outside of a couple of gems, is rather boring.

It's ironic that in neighboring Oldham County (where I live) QSR and "family casual" restaurants continue to thrive, despite Oldham's reputation for affluence (supposedly ranked the "wealthiest" county in KY, and among the Top 50 in the U.S.)...yet (with a few notable exceptions) more upscale dining establishments seem to struggle out there. It may simply come down to a matter of demographics -- families tend to dominate the 'burbs, and children can be an influential factor as to where Mom and Dad choose to dine...hence patrons flock toward McDonalds, Cracker Barrel and Ponderosa vs. those which offer a more eclectic and adult-oriented experience.

In addition, it seems Louisvillians enjoy a cocktail or two. Why is there an absence of nice cocktail bars in the burbs.

Phil, there's a dearth of cocktail bars in general in Louisville. There are a few restaurants that have bars that serve great cocktails, but nothing devoted to the cocktail. I'm thinking of places like the Drawing Room (http://www.thedrchicago.com/) or Violet Hour (http://www.theviolethour.com/) in Chicago or the Patterson House (http://www.thepattersonnashville.com/) in Nashville. I think something like that would flourish here, but so far it exists neither in Propect nor anywhere else in Louisville.

[Robin Garr]

so far it exists neither in Propect nor anywhere else in Louisville.

Maybe not yet, but I think Stephen D would love to build it at Majid's. Been there yet?

so far it exists neither in Propect nor anywhere else in Louisville.

Maybe not yet, but I think Stephen D would love to build it at Majid's. Been there yet?

Not yet, but it's on my shortlist of places to get ASAP. And yes, there are likely only a small number of people in Louisville that could pull it off, and Stephen D is definitely one of them.

so far it exists neither in Propect nor anywhere else in Louisville.

Maybe not yet, but I think Stephen D would love to build it at Majid's. Been there yet?

And let it be known for those that have not been there yet that the bar is off the charts. It's enormous, has big comfy VIP booths, a jazz stage, and there are large windows to separate the adjacent dining rooms without isolating the quieter guests.

AND Stephen is the cocktail king who gives free hugs . Good ones, too!