Fun, music, and five local eateries at The Village Market

[Robin Garr]

Fun, music, and five local eateries at The Village Market

Banditz Pizza's margherita pie is built on an oval base of fresh, crisp flatbread and topped with the traditional tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.


Here's the thing you should probably understand about the five restaurants that line the walls of cavernous Village Market in Paristown: This is a place to have fun and grab a bite and a drink and enjoy music, and that's a good thing.

Just don't expect a destination dining experience. That’s my conclusion after a Saturday visit and stops for a bite at each of the five eateries and a long look at its extensive bar.

Our dishes from the side-by-side stands housing Bunz Burgers, Banditz Pizza, Noche Mexican BBQ, and Sarap Filipino Eatery rose to the level of pretty good in a local fast-food kind of way. Well, we might need to talk about that taco, Noche.

What’s more, a couple of oversize donuts from Jeff’s Donut on the other side of the hall were so good that I can’t understand why there wasn’t a squadron of LMPD cruisers lined up waiting for a stereotypical snack.

The tiny Paristown neighborhood borders Germantown and the Highlands two miles east of downtown Louisville. It got a new look in recent years as an evolving arts and culture hub anchored by historic Louisville Stoneware and the old Louisville Leather Co. Tannery building (now home to The Café) and the new Old Forester Paristown Hall, a 28,000 square foot performing arts venue.

Still in the planning stages is a $183 million proposal by Paristown Preservation Trust to convert the old Urban Government Center property nearby as apartments, offices, a boutique hotel, and more. (LEO Weekly, March 23, 2022)

The Village Market, a modern food hall and bar, joined the mix last autumn. Here's a quick look at a run through all five eateries ...
Read my full review on LouisvilleHotBytes:
https://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/fun- ... age-market

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

The Village Market Food Hall & Bar
712 Brent St.
No published phone number
villagemarketfoodhall.com
facebook.com/TheVillageMarketFoodHall
instagram.com/villagemarketfoodhall

Noise Level: The combination of loud music and a happy crowd can make this large hall difficult for conversation when the roar hits a peak.

Accessibility: A step bars independent wheelchair access to the door closest to Brent Street, but wheelchair users may navigate a longer route through an outdoor seating area to a level side door.

I'm a little shook by the pizza photo. Is the cheese warm? Do margherita pizzas usually have cold tomatoes on top?

[Robin Garr]

I'm a little shook by the pizza photo. Is the cheese warm? Do margherita pizzas usually have cold tomatoes on top?

Heather, you're kind of picking up on my lack of enthusiasm. The pizza wasn't bad. The crust is interesting, not Neapolitan but good, crisp on the outside and fluffy within, and the red-sauce base was spicy and good. But no, the sliced tomatoes on top aren't traditional (and a minus for the wan winter tomatoes). The cheese was funny. The menu says it's fresh mozz, and maybe it is, but when I first saw it I thought they had melted a Baby Bel. It was soft but not hot or melty.

"This is a place to have fun and grab a bite and a drink and enjoy music, and that's a good thing. Just don't expect a destination dining experience. That’s my conclusion ....."

I pretty much agree with you here. Its part of a well-developed square block or so in Paristown that has some worthwhile stuff going on here and there. Paristown itself is certainly worth checking out if one hasn't been there yet. The Village Market was a needed addition to roundoff the site in my opinion.

[Robin Garr]

I completely agree, James. It's a very cool corner of town, and strategically located where Germantown, Downtown, and the Highlands meet. It's a huge improvement. And the food options work as probably intended ... affordable bites to go with the drinks and music. Still, I'd like it even more if the food on balance was a little better.

Let' not forget that The Cafe is directly across the street. So considering the small terroir that Paristown occupies, there are decent options.

[Robin Garr]

Let' not forget that The Cafe is directly across the street. So considering the small terroir that Paristown occupies, there are decent options.

The Cafe is excellent! Although that said, I haven't been back there since the ownership change. Did it stay the course, as far as you know?

We've been there since they moved, but quite some time ago. Our breakfast was very good.

Their space is large with an open, atrium dining area and a smaller bar, bistro style cove in the back. Its a pretty cool place generally speaking.