Historic Louisville Restaurants

For an excellent restaurant town, Louisville has very few long term survivors. Excluding hotels and chains, I would divide the survivors into two groups. The first group includes places that survived in the original location with continuous operation. The second group places that moved but enjoyed more or less continuous operation. In the first group my winner would be Mike Linnig's (1925) and in the second group Cunningham's (1870.) I am old enough to have been in an older Mike Linnig's building just east of the present building but it was on the same property. I also did a little underage drinking upstairs at the original Cunningham's, Can you think of any older and why did so few survive?

I've heard that the dizzy whizz has been around the odd decade or so. My parents met there on a blind date. I'm guessing in '55 or '56. If that doesn't make it historic, I don't know what does.

[Robin Garr]

Great topic, Bob. Cottage Inn is about as old as Kaelin's, but management has changed occasionally over the years. Early 1930s, I believe. Linnig's is padding its resume a bit. For ages they claimed a 1947 start date - that's when the restaurant opened. In the past few years they've taken it back to the '20s on the basis of the family's produce stand. I'm not sure that's legit, but even 1937 places them among the long-term survivors. With the recent loss of Mazzoni's one of the oldest fell, as they went back maybe a few years before Cunningham's. In your other category, do you think Selena's/Willow Lake Tavern counts? Willow Lake goes back quite a while, I believe. And of course the Oakroom and English Grill if you count earlier manifestations of the hotels - 1903 (?) for the Seelbach, and I think the early '20s for the Brown.

[Robin Garr]

Cleanup in Aisle Four now complete.

What about Kingfish? I remember going to the original sickly green location on upper River Road when it was a nothing more than a single level cinder-block building. That was in 1960 and by that time they had been there a while. (I checked their web site which says they've been around since 1948.)

Is Checks still around?

Doe Run Inn (built in 1778 and has been a restaurant of some sort since 1901 when it was called the Sulfur Wells Hotel)

I can't find exactly when Science Hill turned from a school into a restaurant but it was sometime after 1939.

Least we forget KT's......granted, it was absent for a while, but it's back with gusto!

[Robin Garr]

Least we forget KT's......granted, it was absent for a while, but it's back with gusto!

Is KT's that old, Bill? I remember reviewing it when it was new ... mid '80s?

Least we forget KT's......granted, it was absent for a while, but it's back with gusto!

Is KT's that old, Bill? I remember reviewing it when it was new ... mid '80s?

KT's (Kentucky Tavern) was popular during the 50s and 60s. Don't remember if they served any food than. It was mainly a bar. Been there many times in ancient history. The only real connection is that the present day restaurant was built in the same area and uses the name.

Is Checks still around?

Check's is definitely still around. Not sure when it opened, but I'd be surprised if it was older than the 1950s.

I had the good fortune to hear Bill Tinker speak to the Southern Foodways Alliance when they were here in 2008. Mr. Tinker was a beloved regular at Check's until he passed away this past Saturday. Amy Evans captured a wonderful bit of history when she interviewed him, and it is still available on the site. She also interviewed Billy Reynolds, one of Check's bartenders. It states that Check's opened in 1935. It's a great read.

http://www.southernfoodways.com/documen ... ecks.shtml

Interesting, I didn't know Check's had been around that long. Thanks!

Least we forget KT's......granted, it was absent for a while, but it's back with gusto!

Is KT's that old, Bill? I remember reviewing it when it was new ... mid '80s?

KT's (Kentucky Tavern) was popular during the 50s and 60s. Don't remember if they served any food than. It was mainly a bar. Been there many times in ancient history. The only real connection is that the present day restaurant was built in the same area and uses the name.

Oh yes, my father loved to tell tales of going to KT's during his "party" days, and delighted in the fact that he got to take us "back" when they reopened. Dad always knew the best places

Captain's Quarters has been around as long as i can remember