Andalusian Mediterranean Restaurant

Anybody know anything about Andalusa, a Mediterranean restaurant that appears nearly ready to open on lower Brownsboro across the street from the McDonald's next to the "dirty Kroger"??

Not really. I just saw the sign this morning. Looks like it's going in where Mexico Viejo used to be, which closed back in the fall.

[Robin Garr]

We saw the sign too and were thinking it's too bad that both the Mexican place and Chicago Gyros are down now. I focused on "Mediterranean" and assumed another Shiraz-type, but Andaluz definitely evokes Spain. Hmm. Worth watching!

We actually called about that space and the owner was already in talks with the place opening. She said Moroccan - which I suppose if we're talking Spainish and Mediterranean it makes sense to be at least kind of in line with that region.

[Robin Garr]

We actually called about that space and the owner was already in talks with the place opening. She said Moroccan - which I suppose if we're talking Spainish and Mediterranean it makes sense to be at least kind of in line with that region.

Historically, the Muslim empire at its peak reached from the Eastern Mediterranean across Northern Africa (including Morocco), and across Gibraltar into Spain, where it reached its high-water mark in ... Andalusia!

Liz, are you planning a bricks-and-mortar restaurant? Burgers, or a different concept?

+10 pts for Robin rocking the history lesson.

My wife and I got take out from Andalous today. The beef and lamb gyro was scrumptious as was my wife's chicken shawarma. Delicious tzatziki came with the gyro and a decent garlic sauce with the shawarma. Both were served with a short grain, well-seasoned rice (couscous being the other option) and a choice of "Moroccan" house salad or a cup of soup. We both opted for the harira soup which was well seasoned but didn't have as many lentils or chickpeas as the other iterations we've come across. The food seemed well executed and the ingredients were quality. The combos were in the $10 range, but a gyro or shawarma a la carte is only $5.50.

Does anyone know if these folks just thawed out from cryo chambers after 20 years, or do they have some Web presence I am unable to find? Tried Andalusian, Andalusia, Andalusa, etc., etc. It's difficult to imagine opening a business without at the very least an active FB page going a week or two in advance.

I would be amazed and happy if local restaurateurs were able to grasp that mediterranean, northern Africa, Turkish and Greek food consisted of something other than gyros and kabobs.

There is only one place in town I know of doing moussaka and no one doing pastitsio that I know of, and thats just the greek dishes. They are really doing a disservice to the amazing dishes from this vastly differing region by lumping everything from Iran/Persian to Morocco as being based on gyros.

I know Americans are typically dumb when it comes to geography but in a foodie town like Louisville, they ought to try a bit harder.

My wife and I got take out from Andalous today.

It turns out Barry meant this literally! When I searched on this spelling I did find a FB link. It's pretty sparse so far, no menu, but the basics of hours, address & phone are there:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Andalous/1447960872101127

I would be...happy if local restaurateurs were able to grasp that mediterranean, northern Africa, Turkish and Greek food consisted of something other than gyros and kabobs... no one doing pastitsio that I know of...

+1 on Doug's comment. We have to go out of town for pastitsio, good dish. I guess around here in 1980, maybe even 1990, Italian was pizza & buckets of red sauce. OK, that's still my fave but they do have a lot of other kinds of dishes.
I wonder about the name, though. We've been in modern Andalusia in Spain and the cuisine was not a lot different from central and eastern Spain and none of it was gyros / kebobs / etc. There was no more of what most Americans would associate with the term 'Mediterranean' than you'd find in Mediterranean countries like France & Italy. We didn't make it to the Gibraltar vicinity so maybe there's more influence there.

I'm taking the liberty of changing the name on this part of the the thread anyway to one that would actually show up when you do a search.
My wife and I went there for the first time after a workout at the LAC, perfect time for a protein meal! As much as the meat dishes looked good, I wanted to try the combo of tagine - chickpea, green bean & lentils that came with rice and some soft pita triangles for the yogurt.cucumber sauce. The pita was very nearly as tender as Ethiopian injera. I had a Moroccan coffee in an espresso cup. It was not at all like espresso or Turkish coffee. It was less thick but with an added stew of herbs to give it it's own character, with the usual layer of mud on the bottom when done. My wife got the kufta. Service made sure we were taken care of without 'hovering'. We've been to Andalusia in Spain and there was nothing we saw on the menu like the food we had there, so I guess it's a name to indicate Morocco is nearby. They do have other southern & eastern Mediterranean dishes mixed in as well as what looks like a really attractive breakfast / brunch menu that is served all day! Check THAT out, I am posting scans of the carry out menu. Brunch looks quite attractive with a number of usual suspects and a number of twists to keep it interesting. The facility is totally spiffed up and comfortable. If it's on a shoestring they don't show it. I think Andalous is worth patronizing regularly based on our single experience. How about some more of you guys go and report back?