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Robin Garr

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Noche, the church of Mexican BBQ

by Robin Garr » Wed Jan 22, 2020 9:53 am

Noche, the church of Mexican BBQ

Arrachera steak, a marinated, grilled flank steak at Noche.
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The tall gray stone sanctuary of Calvary Lutheran Church was approaching its 90th anniversary when its congregation, aging and declining in numbers, regretfully decided to pack it in. “Emptying the building. Sad work,” the Rev. Austin Newberry wrote in February 2016 in the final post on Calvary’s Facebook page.

But now the lofty nave is filled with a new kind of spirit as Noche Mexican BBQ, opened early in August, settles in.

Walk up to the tall stone building at the corner of Bardstown Road and Roanoke Avenue, and you might think it’s still a church.

Open the doors and come inside, and you’ll find something completely different. Gone are the altar and pews, although bright organ pipes remain, as do the huge stained-glass windows. A huge Day of the Dead skull gazes down from high above the far end of the room.

The walls are painted a fascinating color, blending gradually from light adobe below to midnight blue above, fading like a good ombre as you look toward the ceiling. Strings of tiny lights dance like stars in the darkness above; large cylindrical orange and white pendants hang in stately rows.

A well-stocked bar with a glowing lavender face lines one side of the large room; an open kitchen offers a good view of chefs at work in the back. Comfortable banquettes line the other sides, with rows of pebble-textured black tables and small but comfortable contour chairs filling the main room. Tables are set with good flatware rolled in soft cloth napkins.

We dropped in on a Sunday evening, grateful that we had reservations since every seat appeared to be taken.

The room was dark enough that it was hard to make out the menu. We persevered, though, and discerned an interesting mix of smoked meats and traditional Mexican dishes. ...

Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/noche ... exican-bbq

You'll also find this review in LEO Weekly's Food & Drink section today.
http://www.leoweekly.com/category/food-drink/

Noche Mexican BBQ
1838 Bardstown Road
http://nochemexicanbbq.com
https://facebook.com/NocheMexicanBBQ
https://instagram.com/nochemexicanbbq

Robin Garr's rating: 83 points.

Noise level: When the cavernous former sanctuary is full, the sound roars as it likely did when the old church's organ and choir rang out "Ein Feste Burg." Conversation was possible, but took some effort, at our banquette on the side of the room. (Average sound level was 81dB, approaching the sound of a leaf blower, with peaks to an ear-shattering 92.5,dB.)

Accessibility: The main entrances to the 93-year-old church are up many steps, but wheelchair users (and everyone) can get in a back entrance via a long ramp from a parking lot with marked handicapped-parking spaces. The dining area is accessible except for the old choir loft, and modern restrooms are fully accessible.

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