Karma Cafe on Bardstown closing

[Robin Garr]

I'm reliably informed that Wednesday will be their last day.

Again, folks, if you love our local independent restaurants that make Louisville weird (and wonderful), please, please get out there and support them with your dollars. It matters.

There are only so many dollars available. Unfortunately, it's hard to save every local establishment.

I generally enjoyed the meals I had up at Karma, but the service was always weird there. I'm not sure what it was about that place, but more often than not the waitstaff made it...not unpleasant, just weird to be there.

I remember two exceptions where the waiters were very on the ball, but I still don't get the one waitress handing me my check and then just leaving. As in I saw her walking across the street and disappearing. Since I was the only one in there at the time it was just very strange. I'm glad I had cash and I just left the check, the monies and a tip, since before she left the service was fine, up at the little island they had set up in the middle of the room.

It's a damn shame though, because I really did like the breakfasts up there.

I went two or three times and service was pretty bad. Never went back.

Almost all of my restaurant money is spent on indies, but they have to earn my bucks. Karma did not.

Karma was my default lazy weekend in town I don't want to drive or walk further than the Karma Cafe restaurant. They changed their menu recently and I really missed the spicy omelet, but kept coming back for the lamb burger and the explosive potatoes. Hopefully I'll get to eat there again before they close for good.

Karma was a better choice than 360 for the late late night... true the food was mediocre and the service felt like you were underwater but at 3am what can you expect? sad to see it go.

Per chance does anyone know who owns the building, we are looking for a second location. Karma had potential in spades, but never lived up to it. Last time we were there they were out of eggs, out of eggs!! anyone hear of groceries? I remember waiting 20 min once for a waiter, with about six persons in the whole place. It was like all the wait staff were on valium... sorry to see them go though. Bill and Susi.

Susanne, I might have some info for you on that score. Look for a PM.

[Robin Garr]

Lephat Thanh

Isn't that Mr. Lee, the owner of Egg Roll Machine/Cafe Mimosa and briefly owner of Lentini's during its odd Italian/Vietnamese period?

[Robin Garr]

robin, for cafe mimosa i came up with this name: Tran Thien Houg Thi for 1216 bardstown rd.

Curiouser and curiouser! That would be "Huong," not "Houg," I believe, Annemarie. That's "Coco" Tran, now owner of Zen Garden and Zen Teahouse (and aunt of the Ton brothers who own Basa). I believe she sold Cafe Mimosa to Mr. Le (Le Phat Thanh) a number of years ago. I wonder if the real-estate records are very old - or if Coco actually held on to the building and sold only the business.

The info I PM'd to Susanne had a different name as owner, and was from an email dated November 2008. I would post it, but they asked me to keep it confidential! It was an email in response to my inquiry about a Craigslist "restaurant for sale" listing.

I suspect the "confidentiality" request was because it wasn't yet known the Cafe would be closing, but - I feel I need to honor it, anyway. At least insofar as a public forum post. Surely they won't mind my passing the info along to a potential buyer.

There's a Bardstown Road restaurant on Craig's List right now. "Owner leaving coutnry."

I never went there because I had heard so many horror stories about the service.

I went two or three times and service was pretty bad. Never went back.

Almost all of my restaurant money is spent on indies, but they have to earn my bucks. Karma did not.

Same here. The service we had was borderline awful, the food was delicious though.

I suppose I'm more patient than some people because the service never did bothered me whiling eating at Karma Cafe.