Riverport / Dixie Best Options

I work out in this area and there are disappointing few interesting options, particularly when I am hosting out of town visitors. (Hard to support my bragging of the great restaurants we have unless we go to dinner).

Obviously Mike Linnig's has tradition but I wanted input from the forum on other not so visible options that are interesting or have some special character.

Thanks

[Robin Garr]

I work out in this area and there are disappointing few interesting options, particularly when I am hosting out of town visitors. (Hard to support my bragging of the great restaurants we have unless we go to dinner).

Obviously Mike Linnig's has tradition but I wanted input from the forum on other not so visible options that are interesting or have some special character.

In all my years writing about eats in and around Louisville, I've always been puzzled and disappointed that there's not more in the way of interesting eats out Dixie. You mentioned Linnig's, and it's certainly the star attraction. Mexico Tipico was one of the city's first "real" Mexican places (in the general style of Los Aztecas, El Nopalito, etc.), and of course you've got a little ethnic community in the close-in South End around Iroquois Park. In Valley Station, Bake's Barbecue. And if I recall correctly, there's an old-fashioned A&W out that way. But the pickins are slim, I'm afraid. If anybody can come up with some good, non-chain targets, I'll make it a point to get out that way and check 'em out.

Jesse's offers a good breakfast and lunch. I cannot comment on dinner.

It's a value, too.

Yeah, Jessie's is good - we took some visitors there last week. I don't know Bake's BBQ, if anyone has a location that would be appreciated.

If there is an old-fashioned A&W still around would like more info also -I am a fan of the old drive in version from when I was a kid in Michigan.

[Robin Garr]

Yeah, Jessie's is good - we took some visitors there last week. I don't know Bake's BBQ, if anyone has a location that would be appreciated.

If there is an old-fashioned A&W still around would like more info also -I am a fan of the old drive in version from when I was a kid in Michigan.

Bakes recently changed hands, and may have moved a few doors from its former location, but the former owner trained the new, and I doubt they've changed much. It's on Valley Station Road just a short distance east of Dixie, directly opposite Valley High School. I'll try to dig up the new address if no one else posts it.

The A&W Website - http://www.awrestaurants.com/ - doesn't show a property any close than Radcliff, so I may be out of date here.

Speaking of Radcliff, though, there are said to be some interesting German and Korean restaurants down around Fort Knox, Radcliff and Vine Grove, plus Maria Bell's Greek place, Gyros Express. I don't know if that's close enough to suit you, but worth keeping in back of your mind. Ed Vermillion recently posted some stuff about that.

Yeah, Jessie's is good - we took some visitors there last week. I don't know Bake's BBQ, if anyone has a location that would be appreciated.

If there is an old-fashioned A&W still around would like more info also -I am a fan of the old drive in version from when I was a kid in Michigan.

I travel way down Dixie on my way to Tioga Falls and always drop in the A&W. It's located at 14126 DIXIE HIGHWAY. Past the Snyder on the way towards Kosmosdale. If you're going south, it will be on the right side of the road. It's not one of the new and sparkly A&W's that are attached to another of the YUM restaurants. Rather, it's an old one that still retains the charm of a bygone era. Hope this helps.

Click for map

Certainly nothing fancy, but for good home cooking and above-par diner food you should try the Frontier Diner. It's on Dixie near Frisch's. The employees are sweet Southern ladies, prices are cheap, and the food is good! Of course, just my luck to discover this place now that I am getting ready to start a new position downtown and will never be out this way again!

-Frontier Dinner has a really good breakfast.

-O'Brians(bryans?) pub has an excellent fish sandwich.

-It's a shame they closed Thai Kitchen, that was my favorite Thai place in town.

-I had a terrible experience at Tipico so I haven't been back since.

Other than that it sucks out there. Not many options at all and I typically drive across town for dinner.

[Robin Garr]

It's a shame they closed Thai Kitchen, that was my favorite Thai place in town.

I agree. It was an attractive successor to the long-standing House of Chen, and I thought it was smart of them to keep on a few of Chen's favorites, like the egg roll. It was <i>excellent</i> Thai food, an eggplant curry I had there one day at lunch made me want to dance on the table.

Assuming that the selection of eats in the Southwest has evolved to serve the marketplace, I'm afraid there's probably just not enough call for ethnic food in the region to support a Thai place, but it's sad.

Whenever I am going down Dixie I pass this place but have never been. I did find an online review, if you wish to peruse it.

http://www.insiderpages.com/b/3714999547

Dude I was a vegetarian in the south end. I had even less options. I had hoped that post the cityc ounty merger, with all the zoning issues cleare dup more local stuff would open up out there. Unfortuantely so far it's not the case.

We used to eat at Issis when I lived near there in high school, and the place was great, but since that was (ahem!) more than a decade ago, I can't verify whether or not they have maintained that level of quality. However, according to that review, maybe they have! I will definitely have to try it again soon.

I too work in Riverport and the options are poor. After five years down here, I've tried just about everything and there aren't a lot of winners. However, I do have one little spot that I frequent which I don't think too many Gringos know about - El Zarape. It's on Dixie just north of Rockford in what used to be, I think, a coffee shop. Best authentic Mexican taqueria food in the area. I give it props over most stuff on Preston since they use hand-made tortillas for their sopes and gorditas. It delicious, if at little slow. Menu options expand on the weekend with stuff like carnitas, menudo, birria de chivo, etc. and although I'm not around there outside the work week, I'm sure it would be worth the trip.