Steak & Bourbon

There have been rumors floating around that Steak & Boubon has closed for good. I started hearing this early last week, and heard similar rumors regarding Mojito as well (I know/think they're not directly connected anymore). I've gone to their fb pages and gathered that they had "closed for the duration". Any insight on these restaurants, or any Ole restaurants?

[Robin Garr]

Tough times ahead, Kim, but I don't know anything specific. The owners of Ole Group started with Havana Rumba, then Mojito. Then they left Louisville for a while, selling out to their partners. When they came back they started new restaurants - Guacamole, Mussel & Burger Bar, Mercato (closed), Red Barn Kitchen (ditto), Steak and Bourbon, and a bunch of Taco Luchadors. I get the impression that the growth and expansion of Taco Luchador as a chain is their big deal now, so it wouldn't entirely surprise me to see them shedding some of the other properties to focus on Luchador, but again, I'm guessing and have no knowledge at all.

Just a couple of clarifications. To my knowledge and according to their Facebook page Mercato is still open and doing takeout. The OLE crew did sell it some time back but it is not closed. Same is true of MBB though OLE may still have some interest in that. As for Steak and Bourbon I hope deeply that their closure is temporary due to the ongoing virus crisis.

[Robin Garr]

Thanks for the clarification, Kris! I was under the impression that Mercato had closed, then later re-opened under new management, but what do I know?

Robin,
There may have been a brief down period during the transition! I just didn’t want people to think it was closed now! Hope you are wel!

Also, back to the original post, I talked with some of the OLE crew and Steak and Bourbon WILL reopen. Just didn’t work in the current environment so they chose to focus on the other places that do! Saving the energy to focus on reopening when they can!

Also, back to the original post, I talked with some of the OLE crew and Steak and Bourbon WILL reopen. Just didn’t work in the current environment so they chose to focus on the other places that do! Saving the energy to focus on reopening when they can!

That makes sense, especially for this restaurant and others of that type the experience as well as the food creates a total experience. Take out just wouldn't come close to the same experience and to most people wouldn't justify the cost.
.

Finally got around to getting takeout from Steak & Bourbon last week. I ordered the salmon dinner, which comes with broccoli and a giant slab of mashed potatoes, and a side of the Brussels sprouts with bacon, and a margarita to go. When I arrived to pick up my order, all three of the people working the host counter were preoccupied with moving an irritated guest to another table. Apparently, the guest had made a reservation for three people, and had additional people join the party once they arrived, which is 100% not the restaurant's fault, and they were trying to accommodate them, but I'm not sure why it took three people to handle the situation, leaving nobody to greet people coming in the door. After several minutes, one of the hosts eventually greeted me and retrieved my take out order. They did not bring the margarita, which I had to remind them about.

The salmon was very good, cooked medium as I had ordered it, and not dried out. The included potatoes and broccoli were only okay. They included a container of garlic butter, which was a tasty topper for both the salmon and the potatoes. The meal included two rolls (which looked suspiciously like the Sister Schubert dinner rolls you can buy in the frozen goods section). They came with a whipped maple butter that was very good. The Brussels sprouts were top-notch. The margarita was small but had good flavor.

Overall, I thought Steak & Bourbon was rather expensive for what it is. Given my preference for ethnic food, I miss Artesano Tapas occupying that space.

[Robin Garr]

Swapping out Artesano for that mediocre steak house was the stupidest thing ever. I expect they're making more money on it, though.

Swapping out Artesano for that mediocre steak house was the stupidest thing ever. I expect they're making more money on it, though.

Robin, we felt the same back when they opened, but have been back several times in the past few months and have changed our opinion about the restaurant!

1. The steaks are much better than when they opened; not sure if a different purveyor, longer aging, better trained grill team, or what.

2. They are ALWAYS crowded! We've eaten at 5pm and 8:30pm on weekdays, with no open tables. Even more interesting, it's possibly the most diverse group of patrons of any steak place in town. We see all ages, all ethnicities, a wide range of attire, and all anyone has in common is that everyone appeared to be having a good time.

I agree that it's likely not the "best" steakhouse in Louisville, but it's turned out very good and a fun night out.

[Robin Garr]

Andrew, thanks for the reality check! I need that sometimes ...