Props to Baxter Station

I headed out to Baxter Station for the first time last night, and I was very impressed. First of all, the service was very polite and attentive, and they actually managed to keep my glass of water full. (A tall order for some waiters, as I am a compulsive water drinker.)

The calamari was fairly crispy, and cooked perfectly so as not to be chewy. I also loved the mix of chopped peppers that accompanied it added a nice, fresh flavor to the mix. The crab cakes were also cooked perfectly, so as to have that delicious combination of crispiness and moistness. The remoulade that accompanied them was nice and tangy.

For an entree, I had the lemon tarragon chicken. First of all, the portion was huge but I almost managed to finish it. If I hadn't been as hungry as I was, it would have easily lasted me two meals. The chicken was nice and moist, but not too juicy. The sauce was light and zesty, with mushrooms to add a touch of earthiness. The seasonal vegetables included a heaping helping of steamed broccoli, with some steamed yellow squash and carrots. They were steamed to the point where they were still fresh and crispy, without being undercooked. I think they could have used a touch of flavoring (like a squeeze of citrus) but honestly my extra lemon tarragon sauce fit the bill nicely. A large portion of rice pilaf also accompanied the chicken.

Overall, the meal was delicious and the service was top notch. Good work to Mark and all of his staff, and I'll definitely make a return visit in the future.

I headed out to Baxter Station for the first time last night, and I was very impressed. First of all, the service was very polite and attentive, and they actually managed to keep my glass of water full. (A tall order for some waiters, as I am a compulsive water drinker.)

The calamari was fairly crispy, and cooked perfectly so as not to be chewy. I also loved the mix of chopped peppers that accompanied it added a nice, fresh flavor to the mix. The crab cakes were also cooked perfectly, so as to have that delicious combination of crispiness and moistness. The remoulade that accompanied them was nice and tangy.

For an entree, I had the lemon tarragon chicken. First of all, the portion was huge but I almost managed to finish it. If I hadn't been as hungry as I was, it would have easily lasted me two meals. The chicken was nice and moist, but not too juicy. The sauce was light and zesty, with mushrooms to add a touch of earthiness. The seasonal vegetables included a heaping helping of steamed broccoli, with some steamed yellow squash and carrots. They were steamed to the point where they were still fresh and crispy, without being undercooked. I think they could have used a touch of flavoring (like a squeeze of citrus) but honestly my extra lemon tarragon sauce fit the bill nicely. A large portion of rice pilaf also accompanied the chicken.

Overall, the meal was delicious and the service was top notch. Good work to Mark and all of his staff, and I'll definitely make a return visit in the future.

Small world, as I was at Baxter last night as well.

Wasn't my first time, and won't be my last. Had a great meal. The Bailey's Chocolate Cake Dessert was quite good, and that comes from someone who stopped eating chocolate a number of years ago. I'd write more, but I spend my days taking and working through notes, so I put the pen (mental or otherwise) down when dinner starts. Needless to say, the seasonal menu was great, and I look forward to going back.

Their goat cheese salad is one of my fav dishes in the city! Love Baxter.

I had kind of a bad time there in June of last year (both my girlfriend and I were sick after our meal). I've heard they've improved things since then, which is good, but I don't know that I'd honestly want to go back.

I have been craving their Cajun linguine for a couple of weeks now, but keep getting sidetracked with other temptations. I hope to visit tomorrow. One of the true gems of the city.

I had kind of a bad time there in June of last year (both my girlfriend and I were sick after our meal). I've heard they've improved things since then, which is good, but I don't know that I'd honestly want to go back.

I have been eating at Baxter for years and never have had a bad meal or experience.
Just ate there last Thursday and they have updated their menu for the winter. Great salmon patties.
As always, the food and service is never flawed.
I hate it when someone makes a broad statement that they got sick on the food at a restaurant. How do you know it was the restaurant? A statement as such can put a hurt on an establishments business.
Baxter’s is a great local own restaurant with outstanding appetizers, entrée, and the best deserts in town. P.S. good drinks too and hard working staff.

Love Baxter Station! We have been a few times this past month and will be back for a few more...Always good to see you Andrew!

I have been eating at Baxter for years and never have had a bad meal or experience.
Just ate there last Thursday and they have updated their menu for the winter. Great salmon patties.
As always, the food and service is never flawed.
I hate it when someone makes a broad statement that they got sick on the food at a restaurant. How do you know it was the restaurant? A statement as such can put a hurt on an establishments business.
Baxter’s is a great local own restaurant with outstanding appetizers, entrée, and the best deserts in town. P.S. good drinks too and hard working staff.

I have eaten there many times over the years, going very far back (my brother lived around the corner from Baxter Station in the late 1990s, and its one of my parents' favorite restaurants), and this was the only negative experience I've had. But I am quite sure that I did get sick from the food, and I am quite sure that I am not the only person who thinks they had a dip in quality last year (that they've since recovered from, from what I hear).

Furthermore, if I or anyone else can't express a mildly negative opinion on Louisville HotBytes, there's kind of no point in it existing. If you want a restaurant forum that's nothing but cheerleading, go ahead, but it would be an intensely boring forum to read each day.

I've only eaten at Baxter Station once, but it was a great experience. It was god-awful hot outside (our car AC no longer works) and we'd had a lunch reservation through Open Table. Problem is, Baxter Station was not open for lunch on Saturdays at the time, and we were about an hour before dinner opening. The owner let us in about a half hour early or so to get out of the heat, and the food was absolutely delicious. We have to put that back on our "return to" list. Thanks for reminding me.

I have placed many bad reviews on this forum as well as positive ones and that is what this format is all about. However, to say you got sick from any restaurant is like me saying I caught a germ from using a restroom and now I have a cold. If you cannot prove the food made you sick than you should not make such a BROAD statement. There are too many ways you can get sick which is not associated with food.
Doug Chin

Short of opening my intestines, there's nothing I can prove. But I don't have to prove anything to you, either, pal. I ate there, and an hour later I was sick. And so was my girlfriend. End of story.

[Robin Garr]

Furthermore, if I or anyone else can't express a mildly negative opinion on Louisville HotBytes, there's kind of no point in it existing. If you want a restaurant forum that's nothing but cheerleading, go ahead, but it would be an intensely boring forum to read each day.

Joel, don't worry, I absolutely agree with your fundamental premise: We're here to talk about Louisville dining, food and drink, and nowhere is it written that we can't express appropriate criticism.

That said - and please accept that I'm groping for a solid balance here - I would urge individual caution in making allegations about food poisoning in named restaurants. The problem here is that only an epidemiologist upon rigorous evaluation can confirm such a charge, and rumors of this type once started can be damaging. (And possibly defamatory and ground for litigation.)

*I* won't censor such posts. And I most certainly won't discourage negative critical reviews. But I'm just advising you in a friendly way that naming restaurants as a source of food poisoning puts you (and me) on shaky ground.

I'm pretty sure I barfed all night because I was stupid enough to dip my fries into a bowl of homemade mayo sitting out on a table in a rosticeria in Cuzco, Peru. But I can't absolutely prove that it wasn't the anticuchos I had for lunch at a much fancier place for lunch earlier in the day.

It is pretty rare that symptoms will appear one hour after eating bad food. It is usually 6 to 12 hours later. I found this site:
http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?requestURI=/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/food_poisoning.jsp

Might have been what you had for breakfast.

I have been the victim of food poisoning one time. It was at a "good" restaurant in Florida that specialized in South American food. I'm fairly sure I got some off shell-fish.

Will is correct....6 hours later I thought I was going to die and the symptoms lasted about 24-36 hours and were gone in an instant. While from a legal point of view you need an epidemiologist to "confirm" such cases, most ER, Primary Care MDs can make the diagnosis on clinical grounds in terms of diagnosis and treatment.

I wouldn't name names without very convincing evidence.

I have eaten there many times over the years, going very far back (my brother lived around the corner from Baxter Station in the late 1990s, and its one of my parents' favorite restaurants), and this was the only negative experience I've had. But I am quite sure that I did get sick from the food, and I am quite sure that I am not the only person who thinks they had a dip in quality last year (that they've since recovered from, from what I hear).

Furthermore, if I or anyone else can't express a mildly negative opinion on Louisville HotBytes, there's kind of no point in it existing. If you want a restaurant forum that's nothing but cheerleading, go ahead, but it would be an intensely boring forum to read each day.

Joel, I agree that it's fine to post about bad experiences, and I think the other poster's verbal lashing was a bit strong. That being said, you might have included in your post about the possible food poisoning that you have also had many positive experiences there, have eaten there for many years, etc.