Closing of Club Grotto

It's with a very sad heart that I report to the forum that Club Grotto has closed it's doors. I talked to owner Jim McKinney yesterday afternoon, and he told me that after a 2 week closing for vacation, he and his wife Juanita decided to not reopen.

Jim and Juanita did a masterful job continuing the restaurant following the unexpected death of their son Jim, the former owner and executive chef. However,as with all of us, time began catching up with them, and Jim told me that it was too taxing on him to continue operations.

Club Grotto has always been one of Louisville's hidden gems and I know a lot of forumites will be sorry to see this local restaurant close. It only goes to emphasize the fact that if we dont support and visit our local institutions, then they will quickly become a fading memory.

Best of luck Jim & Juanita.

[Robin Garr]

That's a real shame, David, but thanks for reporting it. The McKinneys went above and beyond by keeping things going so long after Jim's untimely death. It was consistently among the city's best.

Very sad to hear! I became good friends with Jim before his untimely death, and he helped direct me in opening my restaurant. I've been a regular for many years at Club Grotto. I will miss their liver and onions with corn pudding and beets. I wish Jim and Juanita the best.

I really hate to hear this.

They were one of our go to meals when work gets overwhelming and they were right down the street from us. Clients loved them too and we entertained them there frequently. I'll miss the entire menu as we had eaten there so frequently I'm sure we've been through it multiple times, but I'll miss the veggies most.

I wish we could stop this death by a thousand cuts to our restaurant scene and get the economy back on track. I know we did our best to support them. Just terrible news.

[Robin Garr]

I'll miss the veggies most.

Club Grotto always got cred from me for paying attention to the veggies, treating them with respect and creativity even as an accompaniment on the plate. Too many of our top spots fall down in this one niche, slacking off with the ubiquitous "grilled veggies" or warmed up frozen veggies from a bag.

I think wall was stated earlier his very telling of this restaurant. Everyone who ever wrote on here was positive about Club Grotto! I don't believe I've ever read anything negative about this restaurant. We always had a wonderful meal when we're there and everything we've ever tried on the menu was very good. I was especially in awe of how Jim's parents took over after his death and kept the standards as high as they ever were! They certainly are a great people in so many ways for doing this.

This is one restaurant that certainly will be missed.

Very, very said news indeed. I actually worked there approx 15 yrs ago and Mr. and Mrs. McKinney have always treated me with warmth and kindness since. This is a true loss to our dining community.

My thoughts and thanks to Jim and Juanita for their years at Club Grotto. I have fond memories of training staff there and wonderful meals.

Very sad to hear. I had the pleasure of working their with a very dedicated and talented staff. They should sell the recipe for their scallop app to the highest bidder. Bidding should start around $10,000,000.