Had a cocktail and dinner on a girls' night out. The cocktail was very good. The dinner was original, fresh and unique. Delicious! Will most certainly be back!
(4)
Jim G.
When you step into Rye, you are stepping into a world of courtesy, camaraderie, and stellar food. For me, a former resident of San Francisco familiar with several decades of highfalutin' cuisine, none exceed Rye. From the half-shell oysters my friend and I ordered (he is a close friend and visitor from San Francisco who was here for a serendipitous convention assignment in my hometown) to the delicious salads (we shared the kale and citrus salads), on through to the wonderful plates we ordered, everything was as it should be. Rye's ambitions are just as high as its performance, but the environment is in no way uptight or out of place in everyday Louisville's burgeoning NuLu district. So, my friend, who teaches classes during said convention, took 27 students and others back here a few nights later. I can't say that I blame him.
(5)
Adam K.
When I eat out, there are really only 3 things I want: 1. To leave full and satisfied 2. To have what I eat be something I couldn't make myself 3. To have a great experience To say that Rye over delivered on all 3 would be an understatement. There's a sign in the kitchen that says "sense of urgency." The staff completely embody that idea. They were all attentive, helpful and friendly. The whole vibe was warm and fun. The food was phenomenal. Certainly, the best I've had in Louisville. The drinks were creative and tasty. There was nothing I could find to critique. I'm serious. If you go, 4 things to know: 1. The menu changes often. That said the Brussel sprouts were out of this world and apparently one of the few items that stay on the menu. 2. The buns they bring you are life changing. If you want a second helping, they do charge a $1 per roll. It's worth it. 3. There's parking and it's relatively plentiful. 4. The meat and cheese plate are huge. If you get them, pass on the sides. You won't need them. After a horrible experience at Jack Fry's it was great to eat at a place that was fantastic and will leave a lasting memory.
(5)
Liz W.
Rye is really good. Simple, straightforward, and exceptionally well-executed. On the night we visited, the tobacco smoked duck breast was the undeniable star. The crispy skin was like candy, and the duck was cooked to perfection. The service was lovely, laid back but attentive. The menu is short but has a sense of humor (one of the desserts being the option to buy the kitchen a beer, which we did). I highly recommend this spot.
(5)
Gisha J.
My husband and I were in Louisville, KY for New Years 2013. We had never been previously and was excited to experience the city. A weekend in Louisville is more than enough to explore the whole city. Before coming to Rye, we had read great reviews on it. I didn't think the food was best I've ever had but it was very tasty. The drinks on the other hands, were fabulous! The drinks were different and unique. Between my husband and I, we probably tried if not all, majority of the drinks of the menu. Rye is hands down the best place I would recommend for drinks!
(4)
Rhonda G.
Our meal started with the Charcuterie Board which included fried pork bites, pickled beets, country ham, and chicken liver mousse. it was interesting and fun to share but not something I would order again. The salads, however, are a different story. Our favorite was the kale salad with goat cheese and apple cider vinaigrette. It was wonderful. Creamy and tart at the same time. The watercress salad was also very good with feta and citrus vinaigrette. We were a bit disappointed with our entrees. Both the seared yellowtail and the pork loin was a little overcooked to our liking, although I do appreciate the crispy sear they put on the yellowtail. The cocktails are so interesting that we had trouble selecting. We settled on the Bite the Bullet and the Maple Leaf, which was so wonderful that we headed home to try to recreate it. Our dessert was also amazing even though it looked a bit messy. The Salt of the Earth is chocolate, salted caramel and a hint of coffee rocks. What could be better than salty, chocolately, caramel, and gooey. The service we received was outstanding. She was friendly and professional. Our party of four enjoyed our evening at Rye but I doubt we will return because there are so many outstanding NuLu places that succeed where Rye falls slightly short. That said, I could see us stopping in just for the very interesting cocktails and a dessert.
(4)
Hannah E.
What a great relaxed Nulu environment! Went here on a double date night and had a great time. We ordered the meat and cheese plate and spit it between the 4 of us, it was delicious! So tasty and what a great way to open your palate! We also ordered 2 fries that were amazing and the asparagus vegetarian pasta. We had great wine and beer throughout the entire night and ended up buying the entire kitchen a round of beers because they had it as an option on their dessert menu! We highly recommend this place for a date or group. The atmosphere was so laid back and comfortable, after trying every restaurant on Market St we will def be going back.
(5)
Timothy H.
Not a bad dinning experience in an up and coming neighborhood. I only wish there were more selections on the menu, and you didn't have to pay for rolls!
(3)
Martin M.
We went to the HonoNulu event one Sunday Summer night. The tickets were $15 per person and allowed you to eat as much of the buffet food as you like. The selection was very poor, only about 4 items. We started to eat one plate and felt the food was undercooked. The Hawaiian punch we had was overpriced at $7 as it was very small and didn't seem to have much if any alcohol in it. We left after 15 minutes. Very disappointed.
(1)
Keri S.
Friday evening I had the privilege of dining at RYE for the first time. IT certainly won't be the last, as every dish we had was phenomenal. Fried butternut squash with fresno chilies and fried sage? YES PLEASE! Can't wait to go back and see what new things they're cookin' up.
(5)
Andy M.
Louisville is a wonderful place. A fantastic food scene that seems to get better every time I visit. Add Rye to the list of restaurants you must try the next time you visit this jewel of a City. And for those of you who live in Louisville and haven't tried Rye...what the hell are you waiting for? First thing I noticed was the wide selection of Bourbon's Rye offered. I have never heard of Bardstown Bourbon, but I was a fan after the first sip. And I had a Steak dinner that was fabulous. The meat was tender, juicy and delicious. The service, decor and over all vibe at Rye were all top-notch. As you have probably gathered, I love Louisville and I love the restaurant's in Louisville. All I need to do now is find a job in Louisville so I can dine at Rye more often. Yes folks!! It was that good.
(5)
Alan K.
Pretentious, trendy, loud and crowded scene for wannabe Louisville hipsters- that's if you can actually be a hipster in Louisville. Food ok but really reaching to be something they are not - and that is special. But everyone in the place thinks they are- LOL! If you've been anywhere in the world that counts- then you'll realize Rye is trying too hard to be a hot restaurant but doesn't come close. Goes to show money does not suffice for a lack of talent dans Le cuisine. If you are part of the upper crusted Louisville crony club you may get better service. But if you were actually somebody - like a New York Times critic- but unknown to the local elite don't count on it. This place isn't even worth a second chance.
(1)
Cason R.
Very good but not great. I had the pork loin which was very well cooked but the beans accompanying it were a touch too salty for what seems to be a restaurant trying to break into the upper tier. I'd say there are other places like wiltshire and Proof where you can get as-good food at not quite so high a price. That said, the burrata and kimchi crostini is a must-order.
(4)
Philippa P.
My mom and I came for dinner on a Monday night to Rye and we loved it! There were only a few other people there when we arrived at 730 but by 830 it was filling up! We started with the meat plate which was presented beautifully and was delicious. We also had the buttered shrimp, which were THE MOST DELICIOUS. They tasted like tiny lobsters. The Berkshire pork was also ridiculously good and so light. We didn't order dessert but the menu was hilarious. Our server Jonathan was pleasant and efficient, we loved that they were all dressed down and seemed to have a great time at work. Rye is my new favorite place!
(5)
Sandy G.
Stopped in for some libations before getting dinner at the Wilshire. They have an extensive list of original drinks and the one's we decided on were: "The Shit", a spicy drink, " Cucumber Collins" a refreshing strong drink, and the "Hemingway daiquiri" a not too sweet concoction. I refrain from mentioning exact liquors-because I can't remember them...however, these were wonderful artisan beverages. I would come here again! Prices range between 9-12-not bad!
(4)
Tonya S.
Six of my close friends and I ventured out to L-ville for the weekend and decided to give Rye a try, per the recommendation of a few local friends in the industry. We had a dinner reservation and were celebrating a friend's birthday. We ended up sitting on the patio as this was all that was available upon arrival. First of all, the interior is inviting. Very modern and rustic design. The kitchen is open...always like that. The patio was nice. We had a table big enough for all seven of us and we were comfortable. The only problem we experienced on the patio was mosquitos, but they quickly and gladly brought citronella candles after our request for bug spray. The drinks were great. One guest only drinks vodka and highly enjoyed the Between the Sheets with rum in it. So delish, she ordered two. Another guest, the birthday girl, ordered a drink called, "The Shit". Cool name and also a good drink. I am an IPA fan and just asked them to bring me their best IPA draft. Good choice. I loved it. As for the food, they started us out with baskets of rolls. Those were amazing. Our starters were the Pickle Plate (loved the Cauliflower!!), the Cheese Plate (I didn't try, but others seemed to love), the Oysters (a few French Kiss's and Marin Miyagi's (both were delish) and the Thai Parsnip & Carrot Soup (raved about by those who tried it). The entrees....myself and a few others opted for the Quinoa Salad and Burrata Toast for an "entree". We LOVED the salad and the toast was good, but not outstanding. Another guest had the Duck Leg Confit and loved it. I am not even a duck fan, but tried it and it was fabulous. One couple shared the Lane Snapper and loved it so much that they were still raving about it the day after. They also ordered a side of the Roasted Candy-Striped Beets and shared them with the table....YUMMY! The last guest had the Coulotte Steak and was very pleased. Overall great experience at Rye. Our service was great. Our experience was great. We left overly pleased with our choice to dine there...and yes, we would go back. Note: I apologize to Rye for running into the server with the extremely large tray of wine glasses and sending them crashing to the floor. Not entirely my fault, but a shared fault of the server and I. I just felt bad and wanted to help clean up the mess, but wasn't allowed.
(5)
Victor R.
I really want this place to succeed. I admire the concept - farm to table, rustic ambiance, and trendy location. But the menu and overall value leaves much to be desired. The four of us at the table all got different dishes, but they all tasted the same. It may be a reliance on a particular spice or seasoning...something from the curry or peri-peri family...something I couldn't quite put my finger on. You either love it, or hate it - and my small table unfortunately sided with the latter. I think there's not enough diversity on the menu, especially when it comes to main courses. If you're going to charge $27 in Louisville for the one chicken dish on the menu, it had better be the best half chicken I've ever eaten. And it's not anywhere close, sadly. I really don't mind spending a lot of money on dinner, as long as it's good. But the bill for our four people was nearly $300. It didn't help to be charged $1 for the bread they bring out before your meal (which was the one memorable food item we had). There are a lot of great restaurants in Louisville, and I just don't think this one has the menu to support the price they're charging.
(2)
Erin J.
Boyfriend took me here for our anniversary. I should preface this by stating I'm not a big fan of the NuLu area. I find it to be a poorly done knock-off from other cities, almost as if Louisville is trying to hard. But hey, they're trying. We were sat in the bar area. Something I HATE. I think all guests should be asked if they mind sitting in the bar area upon arrival. If it means an extra 40 minute wait, I would prefer to wait for the main dining room. The bar area has four two-topper tables against the back wall. They're pretty close together but that doesn't bother me. What does bother me is the lady in her 50s, in a fur coat and hat (yikes) who is trying to feel important by loudly calling every waiter to the table by name to ask him a million questions. I hope this isn't there usual clientele. I couldn't even hear my date over her silly questions. Waiter offered us drinks. I got the East, Hudson, and Harlem. Pretty tasty drink. I ordered the monkfish and my date ordered the steak, we split a side of fries. Both were good, not fabulous but good. Waiter was very attentive...and attractive. I'm not entirely sure I would return. Food was good but not a great value.
(3)
Eric B.
Many moons ago I wandered into Rye, a pilgrim on the Bourbon Trail, a wanderer in the bluegrass wilderness, seeking the source of our sustenance, our sweet, corn soaked sustenance. I found not the burning corn bushel but I did find culinary satisfaction. I recall wearing the Parisian Nightsuit as if it were bespoke; the rye, aperol and madeira coalesced as a smoky sexy lover coating my throat. The cardamaro and Fernet of the Schnitzelberg silenced my vocal chords but its flavors caressed my taste buds. Rye's oysters slid down my throat as children down a waterslide, and the tempura avocado melted in my mouth, sinful as fried butter, yet flaky and free as angel food. I was utterly spent. My darling Kelly basked in the sophistication of the Amelia Earhart and its aviation aspirations as we lolled carelessly in the escaping sun, grazing on cheese and late summer regrets. We were spent but not unsatisfied.
(4)
M E.
Either over the top delicious or underwhelming, there doesn't seem to be an in-between here. Love the Brussel sprouts, also an amazing and spicy little cocktail called "the shit". Worth going-- when it's good, it's VERY good.
(3)
Dani S.
We did not eat here, we just had a couple glasses of Bourbon. However, the bartenders were super friendly and gave great service!
(5)
Michael B.
We stopped in for dinner between shows at the Forecastle Festival, and it was the right choice. Even though we were probably under dressed, they welcomed us with open arms. Everything we at was amazing. The lobster waffles (like chicken and waffles, but amazing!), the drinks were delicious. One of the best, most original, meals I have had in a long time. Go to this place.
(5)
Mike P.
Just got back from Rye and we had one the best experiences in our lives. The people were awesome and the food and drinks were very well prepared and thoughtful. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. They even comped us some free food because they felt like we had waited too long. We never even noticed.
(5)
Toree P.
Several of us ended up at Rye on last Saturday night after a wedding reception. They closed at midnight and about 15 of us walked in at 11:30... I expected some death states, potential spit on our drinks, and plenty of grumbling workers. What we were met with was big smiles, enthusiasm about the wedding, and patient explanations about all their drinks!! Their cocktail menu is expansive and their list of whiskey even more so. My beer drinking husband and my gin loving self were both very pleased! I ended up with a gin concoction that cooled my tongue and then burned with a slight delayed bite. For the life of me I can't remember what it was called. If you are looking for a place to have a fun cocktail and different experience this is the place for you. It's a little more upscale on the price but a treat every once in a while. If you are just wanting a PBR and some beer pretzels... I would look elsewhere. I can't wait to go back and try some actual food off their menu. Rye is just another reason Nulu is becoming one of my favorite spots on Louisville!
(4)
Katherine P.
What can I say about Rye? Well, for starters, I wouldn't write home about it. All the reviews I have seen on yelp rave about it, but we were completely disappointed in our experience. The waitstaff was good, however, the food was mediocre at best and definitely over priced. I feel like all of the people on here that gave Rye excellent reviews have never eaten at Jack Fry's or Lilly's, because those two places are definitely top notch and worth the price. The cheese plate was good, and my boyfriend and our friend enjoyed the oysters. However, between 4 people, we ordered 3 of the 5 available entrees and none of us were remotely excited about our orders. Will not be back to Rye.
(2)
Sarah W.
(a) I am seriously going to have to become a cocktail drinker. I usually just drink wine or bourbon, but Louisville is getting way too many establishments with stellar cocktail menus. The Standard Issue Pea Coat at Rye was everything I look for in a cocktail. It was complex and yummy without being cloyingly sweet or so potent you have trouble behaving yourself at dinner. (b) The service is stellar. When we stopped in during restaurant week, everyone was friendly and attentive. When one dish we ordered wasn't to our liking, the staff bent over backwards to find a substitute and ensure that we enjoyed every aspect of our meal. (c) The food is really good. Despite the one hiccup with our starter, everything else was delicious. I look forward to trying more of the menu.
BOTTOM LINE: The folks at Rye are really putting a lot of care and effort into what they do. If you can afford the ride - take the ride. So, Mrs. Sorrentino and I were in L'ville yesterday and decided to grab a bite around 4:30ish before heading home. She was hipped to Rye by an upscale acquaintance who knows we're looking for digs up there and graciously gave us a short list of places she thought we might like. Rye is housed in a standalone brick building on Market St. and is decorated with lustrous simplicity - exposed brick, gleamy hardwoods et al. It has shiny-warm feel and a enthusiastic casually-dressed hipster staff. Our server knew her menu pretty well. But, she didn't really try to sell us anything, and she left things like a beer-tasting glass we used at the very front of the meal un-bussed until after we got the check. Patio or not, if we're gonna spend $60 for an afternoon snack...you'll wanna be on point. Rye is a for-real Cocktail Palace! You'll pay about $10 for a drink, but it's gonna be a crafted, topshelf-poured, properly prepared drink; deserving of a sipped and admired approach. Do they have PBR in cans for $3? (your little hipster heart is wondering) Yes they do. Honey ordered a delicious bourbon and grapefruit something cocktail from their "borrowed recipe" (nice touch) menu - served in a Tom Collins glass..it was strong and yum. I ordered an Old Fashion. I wanted to see what they did with a classic. They offer most of them. It was good...simplified...no muddled fruit, huge orange zest and emplying one of their multiple bitters choices (one sign of a true Cocktail Palace) It actually tasted more like a potent and delicious orange Manhattan. The food at Rye is a delicious and beautiful (and maybe a wee bit precious) mashup of world-foodie farm-to-table style ingredients meeting rustic classic "Euro -Southern" and Norcal preparations. It's a KY restaurant named after the spirit of spirits so you know there's gonna be pork and whiskey somewhere - the trick for their design was to find them some agreeable companions with which to be paired. They offer a meat plate or a cheese plate ($15) as the only choices in a "Bar snacks and Starters" section that seemed under construction -being that having yummy fried or tapas-ey bar snacks would be a natural here. They have an Oyster section (five good choices - $3 per) Small Plates in the $10-16 range...Main Eats (duck, shrimp and calamari, swordfish or pork loin from $24-28) and Market Sides ($6-8)...We chose the meat plate ($15), a smoked-burrata panzanella salad($12), and some "Merguez-seasoned" fries ($6)..because we wanted to check them out before going all-in and because we knew it was too-early in the day for it to be our last meal. You could spend a whole lotta dough at Rye..We weren't going to ..just yet haha The meat plate stars were a small mound of a soft and delicious rabbit rillette, an amazing pork and hazelnut sausage and some pickled items (squash slices, beet chunks, and watermelon rind pearls)..the also-rans were small and round slices of a not-so-partularily-good hard chorizo and a coffee-cured duck breast that was jerkied enough as to have been almost anything .. the board came with proper crustades and smears of whole grain mustard. I think it would be nice to have a good finishing salt on the table to pop some of the popables...but all-in-all it was wonderful and we'd order it (and everything we ordered really) again. The smoked-burrata panzanella salad was more like a caprese in summer heat than a trad panzanella. It had a delicious basil pistou and every ingredient was lovely..even the wafer thin toasty bits. The burrata didn't taste or look smoked but the overall effect when eaten slowly with a sipped cocktail was excellent. The fries were crunchy-great chubby little dudes ..served in a little bucket. They were seasoned with what we assume are merguez sausage spices and served with harissa ketchup and a tzatziki sauce made with labna. Here, though, is the KY-grown, heirloom, Estill County, Shinicock pickle ....calling out every single ingredient nuance doesn't make the food or cocktail good, or make for a necessarily good value-for-the-price of purchase. It can get that little bit precious and even uppity..it can also be wlldly time-consuming for the staff to have to explain the tids and bits to bourbon-addled hooples......The wrap...Everything we ordered at Rye was delicious, plated beautifully, and served by a smiley staff of motivated service pros. Were there "little things worth mentioning"? Sure, there usually are - that's what reviews try to balance. Rye seems to be succeeding at balancing their friendly with their uppity..It is a great place to be able to go when you want to (for instance) take your sweetie out for two perfect manhattans and some fries ($30 plus tip haha). We'll be back to eat everything they have..Pig Roast?! Saaaalute
(4)
Daniel P.
I've eaten dinner at Rye twice in the last few months and both visits were excellent. Jonathan was our server both times and he recommended great choices of wine on both occasions. Great food. Great atmosphere. Will definitely be back soon.
(5)
Felipe Z.
I loved this place! So nice and cozy! Lots of different drinks and cocktails to choose. (I personally didn't like any of the cocktails we got in our table, but also I'm not very into cocktails in general) We had the Meat Appetizer and the Cheese Appetizer. I think the cheese one was better, but the meat one had some fun stuff to try. I had the Seafood (mussels) main dish, and it was delicious, but I wish they had given me some more bread to dip in the plate haha. Their fries were pretty good. In all honesty though, I'm giving this place 5 stars not so much for the food, although is in the 4-4 1/2 star range, I'm giving them 5 stars for their service. My friend made the reservations for Valentine's day, and our crowd fluctuated so much starting with 9 coming, then to 3, and then to 6... It was a joke! Yet. the guy helping us with the seating changed our reservations everytime, moved tables, and chairs, and made it possible for us final 6 to be there and enjoy our time without problems. He actually gave us probably the best table in the house. Just his effort alone was hands down the best. Then, our actual server was off the hook, and quuuuiiite pleasant to the eyes I might add hahaha. Everything was well done and planned. The lighting and the location of the tables and the kitchen right there, open and ready to be explored, is definitely a great sight for any new comer into Rye. We had an absolutely great Valentine's evening there, and I, being a visitor, must thank this place and the people working there, because they made it happen.
(5)
Lauren C.
Everything about this restaurant rocks. The music is hip, the decor is warm and inviting, the service is impeccable, and the food is dreamy. Not to mention some of the best cocktails Louisville has to offer. I had a potato soup, oysters, a pork dish, and some of my fiance's hamachi. The hamachi definitely outshined my pork (sadly), but they were both delicious and presented beautifully. There's a sign by the bar that if you like your food, you can add $8 to your tab to buy the kitchen a round. Kitchen, you deserved it!
(5)
Maheen F.
Randomly followed the "food" sign and it let me to this beautiful little spot. Pricy but delish. My hubby and I enjoyed ourselves throughly, and the cheese platter was fantastic. Our meal was yummy and service was excellent.
(4)
Kyle S.
Admittedly, I came for the live music outside, but I quickly grew to appreciate Rye. The layout is spectacular with cozy seating inside, an open kitchen and a long bar. The outside patio is even better if the weather permits it. Large, airy and tucked behind the main building in a way that shields it from the setting sun, it is a great way to spend a spring or summer evening with good friends and good drinks. I haven't eaten here, so I can't comment on the food. The drinks were excellent. Cocktails were well mixed, the beer selection was not notably expansive, but it was good, and the wine list looked to have something that anyone could appreciate.
(4)
Ellen A.
Rye is my favorite place in Louisville. The drinks are amazing, food is better than anywhere in town, and the staff are always attentive and genuine. The decor and ambiance is bar none while the playlist always keeps you there for "one more song". My husband and I have made it our regular for drinks and Brad always looks after us. Try "The sh*t" cocktail if you are a gin drinker, the triple cooked French fries as a bar snack (delicious), and the swordfish for dinner (best meal I have had in a long time). You can't go wrong with any of the deserts!! I promise you will not be disappointed. Unlike some other service industry workers, the staff at Rye go out of their way to look after you (without being a nuisance). Do yourself a favor and get there!!
(5)
Jori G.
Rye has some of the most delicious food I've ever tried. Their drinks are ridiculously yummy, their duck confit was so tender I only had to gaze at it for the meat to fall off the bone, and the guys they hire are super cute. Tie that in with their summer patio concert series and this is a win-win combo. Sadly I was only able to afford this place thanks to my Grandma wanting to take me out somewhere nice, but despite the prices this place manages to not be pretentious.
(4)
Jason G.
LOVE LOVE LOVE. My friends and I always go here first for drinks. Unique cocktails, inviting ambiance and locally sourced everything. Ben the bartender is the best bartender in all of Louisville, and if you don't get drinks from him, you're missing out. I can't speak much to the food except that everything I've snacked on while sitting at the bar has been delicious! Great local spot.
(5)
Melissa C.
Dinner on the patio at Rye was a pleasure. The food was great and the staff graciously accommodated dietary restrictions.
(5)
Patrick T.
Good food, interesting drink menu and nice quiet but friendly atmoshphere.
(4)
Rachel F.
I am a bit torn - 3 or 4 stars. Love the spot. The decor is simple, clean, rustic, and yet trendy. The menu is unique to say the least, and the execution well done. I left with 3 things in my head. 1) yummy 2) overpriced 3) trying a bit too hard to be interesting/cutting edge with the menu. That being said, I will probably be back. The potato gnocchi was quite tasty (the only entree under 20 and none of them come with sides - they are an extra 7ish a piece.) Most entrees were 22-29, significantly higher than Hillbilly Tea and quite comparable to Jack Fry's. So for me, I expect the experience to be same level as Jack Fry's. It wasn't quite there for me. I've had drinks here twice now, and the menu is upscale and the quality is fairly high. The cocktails are all 9 bucks, but quite nice. The service was wonderful. If they knocked a couple bucks off of everything it would go up a star, but still glad to have this new addition in NuLu/Butchertown. I shall add it to my cocktail tour. Tips: Reservations only for 6 or more and it gets pretty packed by 7, even on a weekday. Also, if heading east on Market, there is a little lot right behind the building.
(3)
David I.
Great atmosphere and staff. Pretty boys and girls work here, the wife and I had no problem with the eye candy. Beer in cans, gross. Even poured into a glass, they need to turn that up a notch, cans suck. Too many local breweries that sell wholesale to restaurants, a trendy restaurant that turns $50pp checks shouldn't sell poor college student beer (canned). My wife and our guests got cocktails and they were great, highly recommended. The decor is great and the retro bathroom looks cool. The kitchen is open to the dining area and wasn't noisy at all. I gave the waiter a bit of a hard time about a few things but he handled it like a champ and got a huge tip. On to the food.... French fries. For all that is good in the world, get the french fries while you decide what to order for entrees. They must sprinkle them with crack. Best french fries I ever had. The pre-meal bread was fantastic, I could eat baskets of the bread. We got the asparagus side ($8) and it was a complete waste of money. It was soggy and the sauce was runny. Which runs into my entree, the scallops (5) that were cooked ok, but they were served in a watery sauce that I would call a broth/soup. Not bad but I wouldn't get it again. For $26 (entree only) I expect top notch hits for everything. My wife got the steak, it was buried under another watery sauce with veggies. The flavors for the steak were good but the portion was about 5oz, ok for her, but not for me. She also ordered it medium but it came well done (sacrilegious!) I WILL go back. They do have a rotating menu so this review is limited in scope since the dishes will be different on any given day. Like others I'm torn between 3 or 4 stars but the entree holds more weight with me so I had to go with 3. Postscript: I got a very nice email from the owner after my review and I will try Rye again. Everyone has an off night and he seems genuinely concerned about his customers.
(3)
Thor N.
Great food. Great space. Great cocktails. Everything is made im house. Food is sourced from top notch local vendors. I highly recommend to anyone visiting Louisville or in Louisville.
(5)
Jeff J.
The food and drinks were great. Recommend the Pork and the Brown Derby. Great service, great vibe.
My review of Rye is based on 3 trips there, and it's what happened between the last two trips that earns them the 5 star rating and cements their place as my favorite restaurant in Louisville. First off, the restaurant is situated in the newly reclaimed East Market district known as NuLu. The area is now quite popular with the young and hip, you can't throw a rock without hitting a bearded plaid or a poodle skirt with bobby socks. The bar and tables are all well made reclaimed wood with tasteful decorations and decent lighting. Whatever, it's all about the food. And oh, the food. Holy bawls. These guys care about the food. Our favorite appetizer was the fried Head Cheese. Head Cheese is the scraps of meat taken from the head of the pig during butchering - some of the best cuts you can find. Tender, flavorful, delicious. Rye served it very lightly breaded and fried with a simple tarter and a small tart salad on the side. The dish was so perfectly balanced, the acid from the salad cut into the richness of the meats, turning it into an amazing flavorful bite. As it turns out, they are purchasing hogs whole and breaking them down onsite so that they can get the exact cuts of meat they want, exactly the way they want them. Amazing! On our previous visit, we had a not-so positive experience with the Seafood Sausage dish. It's ok, it happens. Not every dish is going to agree with everyone. Being pretty vocal about what we like and don't like, we shared our findings with Michael, the proprietor. As we found out on our most recent trip, unlike some places in town, Rye actually CARES what their customers think and use feedback as an opportunity to learn and improve. That night they took the dish off the menu and rebuilt it. When we arrived, they brought the new and improved version over for us to sample. Oh my gobsmack - this is my new favorite seafood dish in Louisville. The newly made Seafood Sausage is plump and a delightful shade of pink with great sear marks. Breaking into it, the skin popped and the juices flowed. The fish and shrimp were perfectly firm, yet tender, juicy and sumptuous. The sausage rested on a bed of lightly pickled cabbage, Kabocha squash, apples and pickled mustard seed along with a deeply satisfying sweet and sour broth that perfectly complimented the seafood. Every kitchen that's designing their own dishes is going to have some that don't hit at first. The fact that Michael and Chef Tyler care enough to tear down and keep improving in search of perfection put the 5th star on this review.
(5)
Kathy V.
I'm gonna bump them up a star because I got a message from someone at Rye asking me about my experience. Knowing that a place cares and wants to improve bodes well for their future of offering good service and a great experience. No joke, it is noticed and appreciated :-)
(4)
Duke Of Frisco X.
Came here to check out Rye LV kinda reminded me of Rye SF~ The bartender were friendly and very educational. I was very impressed with the drinks/ food~ the only bad part was they close to early but overall it was a well decorated chill and relaxing bar to hangout @. Come here for great food/ drinks.
(5)
Melissa W.
The fennel salad is wonderful!
(4)
Brett T.
Ahhhhh NuLu. I don't know where you came from or how you got here, but you're alright in my book. I visited Rye with my friend Kyle a few weeks ago during holiday vacation. We arrived around 6 pm, the place wasn't very busy at all and, being 2 youngish borderline-alcoholics (well me anyway), we decided to sit at the bar. I don't usually complain about service or base my review score on it. I think ultimately the quality of the food is the deciding factor in review rating. You don't want to check my water but once every 30 minutes? Fine, I can deal with that. Don't really seem enthusiastic at all about your job? That's ok too, we're only human. But to not even look my way for 20 minutes after entering the restaurant and sitting at your bar (with 4 other people at the bar and nobody else even sitting in the room) is just unacceptable. The bartender looked like he was stoned out of his mind and was one of the slowest drink makers I have ever seen. If you had glanced over in the first 5 minutes and just said "I'll be with you soon," this would have been a 4-star review. Anyway, the food itself was quite good. We ordered a cheese plate, meat plate, scotch egg, and lightly fried pickled vegetables. All delicious, especially the scotch egg, which I have never had the honor of partaking in before. They had quite a good whiskey collection, including a 15 year pappy, and a pretty cool cocktail list, so no complaints there. We didn't try any main courses but the aforementioned appetizers were enough to fill up 2 guys. I don't remember price exactly, but I want to say we spent around $20 each. Not too shabby.
(3)
Mookie M.
We shared the cheese plate and buffalo/roasted tomato apps. We all tried the specialty cocktails, which were great. Three entrees we ordered were also quite good. Service was wonderful. Bar was hopping when we entered - a bit too fun. Some of the bar-goers ended up in the dining room at a table of ten or so and the volume of their voice increased with their alcohol levels. Other than the drunken table, we had a great meal and service.
(4)
Heather K.
Fun and unique cocktails. Great craftsmanship on the cocktails and excellent bourbon knowledge by the bartenders. Cocktails are pricey- ($9-12). Food is also good and not as expensive as anticipated (The decor looks like it should be $40-50 per plate not $15-$30). The decor is fresh and cozy. The open air kitchen is wonderful because the aroma comes and greets you as you enter!
(5)
Corey A.
Fresh oysters, an in-house charcuterie program, and a global pantry - there's not much to dislike. The FOH and BOH seemed pretty young so I would expect even bigger things from them in the future.
(4)
Jordan M.
Poor service, so so food, small portions, high prices. That about sums up Rye. I wanted to like Rye, I thought this restaurant would be another great addition to the awesome market street restaurant scene. Rye is not even competitive with the other restaurants around town in this price range. The only plus side is the nice space. There are much better restaurants in Louisville. Basically, Rye is a wanna-be, they didn't earn a good reputation with food, service, or prices, they came in with little market research and overpriced mediocre food based on a hip atmosphere.
(1)
Megan F.
I just want to express my undying love for their cocktails, Bite the Bulleit in particular. Honey, lemon, ginger and bourbon--it's a Hot Tottie for the healthy! It's also just what I need on a night when I may be feeling a little under the weather but not enough so to stay in. Perfectly named, the bite is not only in the Bulleit bourbon, but also in the uber fresh ginger. The bartenders are super knowledgeable and that's clear in not only their recommendations and bar banter, but more importantly you can see their experience in the flicks of their wrists as they quickly throw together fresh fruit and splashes of various liquors to create their spiritedly named concoctions. These people are friendly, skilled--and usually very busy.
(4)
William B.
One of the best! Absolutely love the food, drinks, and atmosphere. I have been to Rye several times now and each time is as good as the first. The menu rotates which makes me want to come everyday and see what delicious creation they came up with that day. Everyone at the table got different things and it was ALL amazing. Great work, make sure to show the beards some love!
(5)
Jes P.
I initially went to this new spot in town with a group of 5 and none of us felt like we'd go back. I decided to give it a second try, as you always should. I brought a new group of 6 (who hadn't been previously), 6 is Rye's minimum threshold for a reservation. My phone call for a reservation was never returned. We went by the restaurant to see if they maybe had a table and just didn't call back. No table. We were told the manager would come speak to us. We waited for about 10 minutes and the manager never came. The hostess apologized, but we left. I wish this place the best, but I just brought another group of people who won't be back and I won't either. As some members of our group said, as a new restaurant managers and owners should be on site and addressing any issues that arise in a timely manner. If only one manager is on site on a busy Saturday night that is a red flag.
(1)
Peyton R.
In retrospect, my first review should have been a five star-er. Rye is truly fantastic, and better with each visit.
(5)
Sharon B.
This restaurant was really good. I went while I was visiting Louisville - handsome decor. You could taste the passion in the food - both beautifully plated and so fresh. I will definitely go back again.
(5)
Susan T.
Tried to make a reservation because we were taking some older people with us and didn't want them to have to wait for a table, but were informed when I called that they don't take reservations for parties under 6. When we showed up we were asked by two different "hosts" if we had a reservation. There was an hour long wait....we ended up at The Garage and had excellent service and delicious food. It wasn't the kind of place we intended to go that evening, but it was delish!
(1)
Jamie F.
Decided to try out Rye for our anniversary based on the Yelp 18 Essential Louisville Restaurants. The interior decor is fab and I love the concept it is a great room to go hang; the best part of Rye are the drinks and great selections of liquor their bartender is amazing. We arrived but they had no menus---just a little weird since she said they print them up every night I guess they blew their printing budget on a Sunday night; not the end of the world but "really" . We started with a mix of the cheese and meat plate and the Tempura Fried Vegetables-the meat and cheeses were amazing except the server and the menu left out that the pickles were very spicy you do not serve with great cheese like Humbolt Fog and rich Duck Liver Pate' spicy pickles...I just do not understand who thought up that one so basiclly it killed our palet. Note to chef. ...so we plow on to the Tempura Veggies...very well battered but 1/2 of the dish were crumbs not veggies all on the bottom of the bowl and it was a salt fiesta whick killed the chili-lime aoli. Glad I had a great cocktail. I really think there is a disconect with the food and lack of harmony in the dishes it seems that they try to create layers and on paper it works but when it came to execution especially with the main courses it just fell flat.The Winter Squash Agnolotti lacked complexity it was a big wet dish of mushy pasta with a sauce that was over salted(again) and heat but no balance from the curry and the lemon was way too much acid for the sauce....what they were looking for just got lost. I must give a thumbs up to the Korean Brussel Sprouts but again way over salted but underneath was a great bundle of flavor and spice countered by the earthy brussel sprouts.My wife ordered the Red Wine Braised Beef and it came out looking amazing and the beef was kudos with beautiful Chanterelle's and the sauce worked then came the grits and it was like eating the ocean........again the salt. I knew they were using a sea salt so I asked for the manager and she was proud that they use sea salt....OK but does anyone actually taste the food before they serve it? We were kind of done at that point and I was really bummed beacuse the place has this amazing feel and groove- you read the menu and it sounds amazing but again what a disconnect. Was it the "C" team a the helm last night since the front hostess said they did not expexct to get slammed (revisit lack of menu's) I do not know and underneath it all there is this wonderful conception of food that just got washed out buy a lot of sea-salt and poor execution. On a plus - the server was great and did not miss a beat and the bar is amazing- sorry I really wanted to eat a kick ass meal for such a great event.
(2)
David R.
Great location in Louisville hot NULU district. Food was very good and same for service. Had the salmon and it was good but nothing too special. House salad was very good. Appetizer and salad were better than entree.
(4)
Sharon B.
I was a little skeptical after reading some of the reviews on this site, but two friends and I really enjoyed our meal at Rye. The environment is great, the servers are knowledgeable and attentive, and the food is wonderful. The potato gnocchi was terrific, the chicken was tasty and tender, and the seafood sausage was spectacular. I enjoyed both the Dark and Stormy cocktail and the Bite the Bullet cocktail. Great cheeses on the appetizer list and very good homemade pickles. Give it a try!
(4)
Makan A.
Menu was well thought and execution at best decent. Flavors were good but below temperature. Maybe too much sous vide technique involved in the production.
(3)
Michael P.
Caveat: I've not tried the food here yet. I understand their noteworthy specialty is: should you have a large group, you can order an entire pig brought out. A whole goddamn pig. As a long-time fan of the 1995 feature film Babe, I may never coax myself into doing this, but the option is *ahem* on the table. Oink. So no, I come here to drink after work to help alleviate the gaping hole in my soul. First, Rye's bar and restaurant are separate rooms, which I dig. The bar stock offers a wide variety of bourbons and, expectedly, ryes. Bulleit is the house bourbon, and it's awesome, not that I need to tell any Louisvillian that. The drink that most impressed me though, and I'm not shitting you here... Tacate. You know Tacate? It's like the Mexican PBR. Or think of it this way - if you're a dad, you go for the Corona, a 20 or 30-something, Tacate. Love this nasty beer in the bright red can. However, when you order one, the bartender will fill the top of the can, to just under the lip, with lime juice and sprinkle some salt rocks over the top. Crack open the can, the bold flavors dive in, and it makes a beer that you might order ironically into a remarkably good bev solution. And with all their beer and liquors coming in at the $3 to $6 range, it's undoubtedly the most economical place to have some social elixirs in Nulu. As well, the tables, bar, and decor were often constructed from rehab materials. Not that this has any bearing on the quality of drink or service (which are great by the way), but inventiveness should always be applauded. Rye is a welcome addition to the sometimes-a-little-too-bourgie-for-its-own-good Market Street corridor.
(4)
Adam H.
My wife and I decided to try the place out on their second officially open night after hearing weeks of buzz. Our experience explained said buzz. First off we sampled four of the ten or so house cocktails and they all, ALL were killer. From memory we had the Maple Manhattan, New York Sour, Elderflower Fizz, and the Rock 'n Rye. The Fizz and Sour were some of the best cocktails we've had in a long time! Our appetizer was delicious, soft egg, ricotta, broccoli rabe on toast. We decided to split an entree and sample some sides. The gnocchi with brussels and winter squash was seriously ridiculous. A huge portion but we were splitting it and momentarily considered ordering another. Probably the smoothest texture gnocchi I've ever had. We opted for the fries with w/ chipotle aioli, which we were told are cooked 3 times to ensure a crisp exterior and soft inside. Also had the butter beans with chipotle and feta. Both were superb. For dessert since the place was new and we were stricken with indecisiveness we each ordered our own. The pear panna cotta was drizzled in the most flavorful floral honey I've ever eaten. It actually took me a second to get used to it as it tasted like flowers smell... good! My wife had the sticky toffee spoon bread which was also delicious and walked the line between sweet and savory almost. Great meal, drinks, atmosphere and service... we'll be back, on the reg.
(5)
Becki H.
Went by on their first Friday open. It was also the First Friday Trolley Hop, so I decided to channel my inner elderly lady and have an early dinner to avoid the rush. For drinks, my date had the Maple Manhattan, and I had a glass of the house red wine. Both were quite good - I'd like to go back and try some of their other cocktails, because that Manhattan was delicious. Food-wise everything was excellent. The cheese plate was phenomenal (the St. Angel Triple Cream was like butter). We also really enjoyed the meatballs and the smoked whitefish with capers & chickpeas. On suggestion from our server, we also got an order of the french fries with aioli - they were perfectly executed homestyle fries - crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. The decor is typical of the Nulu area - repurposed materials and clean lines - and everything looks very modern and hip. Definitely worth repeat visits. Beware of long waits for the next few weeks as everyone flocks to try the new spot! (Edited for grammar, oh my!)
(4)
G. S.
The place was good and the music festival they had was great, but the waiter was rude and the food was quite simple, definitively not worth how expensive it is!
(2)
Emily G.
Corn fritters and every single cocktail here!! But especially the "I fink you freeky"
(5)
A A.
I love RYE. They have fresh high quality food and a menu that is constantly changing with the seasonal availability of food. I've eaten here probably a dozen times and I've never had a bad meal. I love piecing together the sides, appetizers and salads to make a meal, but that is probably because I can try more things and everything on the menu always looks so good. Cocktails are also delish. Highly recommend.
(5)
Megan J.
Although we didn't see a huge crowd inside, we decided to check it out. I'm so glad that we did! We had such a great experience, from delicious food, to amazing drinks, we decided to revisit it while we were in town. The second time was equally as impressive. The atmosphere is modern, yet relaxing and quaint. The only reason not to give this place a 5 star rating was that the menu was quite small, and being a vegan, that doesn't always want to eat lettuce, there was very little to choose from. But again, sampling my fiance's food and digging into dessert, the food they do offer is incredible!
(4)
Amanda F.
What are you looking for in a bar? Rye probably has it. It's trendy, clean, inviting, the drinks are great and the food is reasonably priced and delicious. Everything about this place made me feel like I was in a different city. The entire menu is interesting so you will definitely find yourself trying something new. The cocktails are divine. This is going to sound bizarre but be sure you visit the restroom at least once - it was beautiful. I'm a sucker for old architecture.
(4)
Nathalie R.
Rye is good but not great. It is definitely overpriced.
(3)
Tamara D.
Delicious! Wonderful atmosphere and fantastic service. The menu is created daily, based on available local ingredients, and is clean enough that just about anyone with any food preferences. If you're in Louisville, you should put this on your short list of places to eat.
(5)
Erika Y.
We had a fabulous dining experience at this farm-to-table style gem of a restaurant in Louisville. From the complimentary mind-blowing rolls with salted butter to the fantastic specialty cocktails, we knew the meal was off to a promising start. Our table of four ordered almost every appetizer and side on the menu and we were extremely impressed with the complex flavor profiles and creativity that each dish brought to the table. We were also surprised that our entire meal was practically vegetarian (and we do love meat!) but we didn't even notice because it was all so fresh, flavorful and delicious. Our server was fantastic and we absolutely loved discovering that he also was a farmer who provided produce to the restaurant! Even coming from Portlandia, that was a first. The meal was perfectly finished with French press coffee and three unique desserts that each of us argued was our favorite. We would all highly recommend this restaurant to any foodie visiting "Luvull"! :)
(5)
Sam S.
We didn't stay for dinner, but the drinks were gratifying.
(4)
Plastic Palace A.
I only sat at the bar and had, well, a rye, but I am going to give it 5 stars for the good service, the friendly patrons, and the cool atmosphere. Had a below average dinner up the street at Decca and wish, wish, wish I had eaten here at Rye. Menu looks great. Screw you Decca. Rye is where it is at!
(5)
Stacey S.
Thanks to Joe B. who confirmed the grilled cheese is only on the lunch menu. So make your lunch plans soon!
(4)
Ellen R.
We had a great experience at Rye. I agree with another reviewer who said that one of the things they wanted in a restaurant is well executed food that you wouldn't or couldn't execute yourself. I loved the smallish menu which included 3 entrees and many sides and small plates, The food was truly delicious. The cocktails were lovely and the house red for $7 was an exceptional grenache, Montes Oton. We started with Japanese roasted peppers with a delicious sauce that included peanuts. There were plenty for everyone to taste. We also tasted the triple cooked fries with aoili which were very good. The oysters were excellent. Although I amoriginally from near Cape Cod, I found the Fanny Bay the very best of the varieties. I was grateful that they were all cold water sourced oysters. A salsify soup with a fried oyster was excellent. Other dishes included the pork (the best I've had in any restaurant), a lobster and cornbread dish that was full of large chunks of sweet lobster, a pasta with porcini, and halibut. Everyone was more than happy. Our service was excellent and knowledgeable. I might lower the volume on the music to enhance conversation but the restaurant was not crowded. I will definitely return to Rye and hope it becomes a fixture in Louisville.
(5)
Brett W.
After eating at Rye last night, I realize that I continue to be amazed by Louisville's food scene. Since Rye has opened, it has definitely been on my list to go to, but I never gave it a ton of thought. In fact, I was fully prepared to be underwhelmed. But, like so many of the other gems in this city, Rye totally delivers. Rye goes on my short list of joints in this city that actually feel like they belong in a bigger, even more renowned city. To be honest, the feeling of this place reminds me a bit of a cross between Proof and the old 732 Social. Rye does have the prices to go with this bigger city feel (think $9+ cocktails and appetizers in the $12-$15 range) but really, they backup those higher prices with quality. The other fun component of my visit to Rye was that it occurred during "Pescatarian Week". As a result, there was no meat on the menu. This really was a bonus to me, as I am definitely a fan of the fish, and if anything is encouraging me to go back soon to sample some of their more regular offerings. I ended up having two great cocktails in the Rock n' Rye and the Maple Manhattan. Both really well executed. On the food side, the wife and I shared the Fried Blowfish appetizer (worth trying, but probably my least favorite dish of the night), the Octopus Salad (definitely a standout, really great flavor profile), the Seafood Sausage (definitely very unique, at least to me, very glad I tried), and the Heirloom Beans (awesome side, up there with the Octopus Salad as my favorite). We finished off our meal with a delightful dessert, the Bananas Luscious. Highly, highly recommended! The funny thing about having this dessert is that I felt like I had a revelation when it comes to desserts at spendier restaurants. This particular dessert was $9, about what you'd expect from a place like this. I usually feel like that is a bit much for one dessert, but usually order anyway (at least when I've had a great restaurant experience and want to give the restaurant a chance to show me all of their offerings for a complete assessment). Whenever I get dessert, I always share and always am satisfied with my half. So now, I'm essentially looking at a $4.50 dessert for myself. Compare that to a scoop of ice cream at a premium place like Graeter's or Comfy Cow and you're looking at what, $4.50 compared to $3-3.50 maybe? Really not much of a difference in price and considering the ambiance, presentation, service, and everything else you get with it, I really have concluded that those desserts are totally worth it. Sorry for that huge tangent, but purposes it will encourage someone else to order more desserts. All in all, Rye is just one more bullet on the checklist of why I love Louisville. I definitely loved the feel of the place inside and could see it being a great place to come to hang out and try a bunch of different drinks and various food offerings. If you have not been yet, definitely add it to your list and continue to think about what a great food city Louisville really is!
(4)
Ryan M.
While the food, atmosphere, and service was great, I do not believe that the price was justified. I may be back for cocktails but will likely choose somewhere else to dine.
(3)
Jesse B.
Rye is a really good restaurant in a neat space with good attention to detail in design overall. Sadly the attention to detail doesn't extend to the service, which was just plain bad the first time I was there and on the negative side of mediocre the second. The charcuterie is all done in house and everything I've had has been great. The only criticism I'd have is that the staff isn't knowledgeable about the products and the menu only lists them by name. Not a big deal on items like rabbit liver pate and pancetta, but for a sausage like Thuringer which, like bourbon, has specific legal stipulations regarding its production, it can be the difference between someone trying that product or not. We pretty much got talked out of ordering not by what our server told us about it, but more the fact that she couldn't accurately answer our questions and made no effort to find out. The food in general is very good, but the menu changes frequently and popular items are intentionally eliminated in development of new menus so the chef and kitchen staff can avoid having to make the same thing from now until eternity and to force people to try new things and keep the kitchen focused on developing new ideas and dishes. this might be off-putting for some, but I personally really respect that decision. By the same token though, it doesn't hurt to ask for recommendations as we had one dish that fell a little flat and when we mentioned it to the server she said that it was still in a more experimental phase. Of course, the quality of the recommendation will depend on the quality of service you're getting that day, so from my experience I wouldn't bank on it too heavily. Your chances are still good for getting a good meal though, as we were only really disappoint by one out of 15 dishes over the course of two visits. I would definitely recommend this place just based on the food alone.
(4)
Melanie K.
With such great buzz I have to to ask myself, Rye did this happened? I feel slightly torn about my review since my boyfriend and have met and know about both owners. We are also friends with the owners friends, but I must be honest as a friend, that some constructive criticism is the only way to improve. As everyone knows, it is easier to write longer about the bad things that happened then to mention everything went well. We decided to attend on a Wednesday night in hopes of better chance to take in a slower evening. For a Wednesday this place was pretty crowded, but when we walked in we were sat immediately. Our server told us then she would be with us in a minute. Multiple minutes later after we both had time to not only choose our drinks, food, and talk about how are days went someone with water came over. I think once they noticed we still had not been served our server came over and took our full order with no apologies. As a server I always take note of the service area that a server has. Being observant I can usually pick out if the server has a large party or a larger section then normal. Considering that Rye is more of a gutted old style shot gun house, I could clearly see our server was chatting with friends while ringing in her orders, talking with other guests for an extended time, and just not prioritizing well. After the initial delay all other service came in a timely fashion, which is why we still tipped well and did not take a way a complete star for service. During our whole meal we had to repeat and scream at each other from across our small table. I understand about the brick being aesthetic in some cases but it also reverberates sound. If this place hung a couple carpet murals or artistic sound panels in the main dining room they would notice a HUGE difference in sound. Our server even commented on the noise and asked us to repeat our order at one time. For a cocktail I got the KY Breakfast. The menu stated there would be Bacon Bourbon and "ORANGE" in my drink. The way the drink described I thought I was getting an up drink or a twist of orange, what came to the table was an Irish Aspirin. My drink was just bourbon and orange juice, a ton of juice. I could not even taste anything besides ORANGE until the last few sips of my drink. I would not have ordered it if I thought the drink was going to be mostly juice. For dinner we ordered the chickpea croquettes which were presented well and tasted amazing. This appetizer was the quality of food you would expect from Rye. The one owner we met stated that the Gnocchi was his favorite dish to make and man was it mine to eat. It was the best Gnocchi that I have ever tasted, absolutely amazing. In fact, my boyfriend did me the favor of finishing my burger so I could have the rest of his Gnocchi. I was craving a simple burger that they asked how I like prepared, but was recommended Medium Rare. I asked for it Medium but I guess the chief was insistent because it still came out Medium Rare. The only toppings were butter pickles and white cheddar every thing else was tasteless. Perhaps this is a personal preference, but if I am not going to use condiments or have a full burger setup of toppings, I am expecting the burger to have a flavor or seasoning to it. Hence, I gave the burger to my boyfriend to finish so I could have the better of the two entrees. My boyfriend and I always try to be a perfect check when we dine at a restaurant for the first time. Perfect check patrons always get a cocktail, appetizer/salad, entree, and dessert; using this method we get the full experience and help generate the business more revenue. Now even though our ears where ringing and we were not satisfied with our meal, we still decided to order dessert. I am a huge fan of toffee so we ordered the toffee cake. The dessert had great presentation, but the cake was dry, the cherry compote was decent, and the toffee pieces were burnt. We are not certain if was intended to have a spice seasoning on the toffee but there was. If this was a seasoning accident I can understand. If this is how the dessert is suppose to come then it should be described on the menu. I would be highly upset if I ordered a dessert, had a spice aversion, and got spicy burnt toffee that was not listed as a ingredient on the menu. I am still giving this restaurant three stars due to the concept, the Gnocchi, and a supportive star for the personal ties I have. I will be back because I so desperately want to see my Rye friends take my opportunities for improvement to heart. I want to upgrade my star review and shrug this off as a bad first impression for a new restaurant.
(3)
Karen M.
We had a fantastic dinner here. The service was fast, hot rolls and butter are to die for, and the entrees were delicious. We will definitely be coming back again soon.
(4)
Carl F.
As my father used to say, "Nothing to write home about". Wife and I liked our dining experience, but it was not as memorable as we would have expected for the price and the hype we'd read from other Yelp reviews.... Food: Not bad, but again not memorable. My wife had the English Pea Agnolotti and I the Culotte Steak. We shared a starter of "Crab & Corn Fritters while enjoying cocktails.....I will admit that the Crab & Corn Fritters were excellent and perhaps the highlight of the meal. Wife's dish while tasty was a disappointingly small portion for the price. My steak was cooked exactly as I ordered, but came with little flavor to mark it as a memorable steak. Drinks: Cocktails are excellent. My wife's Margarretta and my Manhatten were greatly enjoyed. The beer I had (off their draft selections) came too warm for my taste. Service: Excellent! The staff greated us and really made us feel comfortable and checked on us regularlly. Service was a highlight of our experience at Rye. Atmosphere: Comfortable Casual is best way to describe the decor and atmosphere. It all worked with the gracious staff! Overall: A good meal, but the limited menu and the price point probably wont be drawing us back to Rye....unless for drinks over a few shared appetizers.
(2)
Craig M.
class place. everything was great. cocktails are stars.
Great atmosphere; incredible food; very good wine list. Terrific attention to detail by the staff. This is a great new spot.
(5)
Emily S.
Four of us went to dinner on a Saturday night and were able to get a table quickly -- plus. We were excited about the menu and a new restaurant in the area. The food was fine but didn't live up to the prices. Among the four of us, we had small plates, sides, and appetizers, and we split a dessert. Nothing was bad, but it just wasn't quite there. Couldn't taste the capers or the anchovies in the cauliflower dish; the croquettes were described as "eh." The fries got high marks, however. The waiter said good things about the pastrami sandwich, but we ended up canceling the order for it when everything else was on the table and it hadn't been made yet. In addition, with such an emphasis on local foods/sustainability at many other restaurants in the neighborhood and in town now, it was interesting that Rye couldn't give a lot of information on where their meat came from. Since it's new, I'm willing to give it another try and see if some of the menu bumps get smoothed out.
(3)
Marla L.
A friend of mine from Libertyville, IL recommended Rye when he found out I was going to Louisville with a group of friends. He couldn't have chosen a better place. We started with fantastic cocktails, heirloom radish salad and king salmon ceviche, both fresh and delicious...seasoned nicely. Then moved on to Seared Hawaiian Ono and broiled Maine Herring, each very different but perfectly cooked and more than enjoyable. We finished with chocolate, caramel, sea-salt, blueberries, and hazelnut. I almost forgot what we ate prior it was soooooo good. If that wasn't enough, the service was perfection; attentive, helpful, friendly. I felt like I was invited into their home for dinner!
(5)
Lynn N.
I was visiting Kentucky for the weekend and I found this resistant on thrillist. I felt that the story behind the chef was kind of cool so I have this restaurant a try. The cheese plate was superb. Lots of rich flavors. We also order the ceviche and felt that it was okay. The best thing on the menu was the dessert. I forgot the exact name but it had something to do with "earth". Really great chocolate moose and dark shavings. For a Sunday night, I was surprised that this place was so empty. Louisville in general was just really empty. It's like no one goes to the city on the weekends.
(4)
Rose M.
Went here for an anniversary dinner and was so incredibly pleased. I'd been to Rye once before, but only for a bourbon on the rocks with some friends (can't mess that up). My first drink was my favorite - Light in the Attic! So light, fresh, and a little spicy. Next time I go back I will have another of these, maybe two! The boy got the Brown Derby and another that were both quite delicious as well. I got the Charlie Hustle as well, but my dislike of candy watermelon flavor got the best of me. Won't dock any stars for that - it's a personal preference thing, anyone who loves watermelon flavor would like it! We got the salmon ceviche to start and it was delicious. The dinner rolls that came out first were so good I could have eaten 10,000 of them. We got the steak to share, around 40oz of perfectly cooked rib eye with a great sauce, garlic, and lemons. There were some fries on the side, but I barely touched them because I had already gotten so full. Overall an amazing dinner, great vibe, and super tasty drinks. We had a great time and will be back again soon!
(5)
Karen R.
We went to Rye on a whim. My husband wanted a steak, I wanted whatever. Anything sounded good at the moment. Once we found out the steak was a whole cow and destined for 2 people (and around $60-80ish) we decided to go a different route. And that route was a beautiful one. We ordered the cheese & charcuterie board. $30 and totally worth it. It came to the table and I didn't want to eat it because it was STUNNING. Such a beautiful presentation. Good thing we were the only ones there, because this deserved a photo shoot. I was standing on my chair to get everything in one shot (not really, but I was close ). Anyway, besides it looking gorgeous, it was heavenly. The textures and flavors were paired perfectly and we ate EVERYTHING. We were full afterwards and very content. Ahhh, happy belly.
(5)
Michelle W.
Great drinks and great conversation with the bartenders Doug and Nick. I am in town with some coworkers and we'll definitely be stopping by again before we leave. Had the Flying Hawaiian - delish but sour/sweet so you better be into that... and a Bite the Bulleit - perfect ginger kick. My friends had the Yankee clipper, Charlie hustle, and a few high end whiskey/scotch glasses...and lets just say there were no complaints. This review is just based on the bar, but the entire ambiance is a cool neo-rustic vibe and we've heard good things about their menu. Experience to be continued...
(5)
Amy L.
Classy sassy and bad-assy. I love the atmosphere of this place. It is warm, rustic and high-end all the same time. I can't wait to go back. I had been here a few times before for cocktails but this was my first for dinner. I was so impressed with the bartenders. True mixologists making unique, amazing cocktails with fresh ingredients. Keep 'em coming! It's difficult to pick a favorite drink since I loved all that I tried but the one called "The Shit" is seriously THE SHIT! So refreshing with a kick. The Miss Elizabeth is very tasty too. Vodka, Five Spice, Ginger, Lime, Baked Apple Bitters-Yum! For dinner my husband and I decided to order several small plates to share. We had 2 different types of oysters on the half shell which were so elegant and fresh. We also ordered the kale salad, soft egg toast and smoked salmon. All amazing flavors. The kale salad was seriously out of this world. I love that Rye uses seasonal ingredients and keeps a small menu. The focus is on quality. Our server was attentive and knowledgable. She wished me happy birthday right away and I appreciated that. We will be back!
(5)
Amber H.
I had the salmon ceviche it was very Peruvian style inspired. I thought it was good and fresh. Very small menu not a lot to choose from. They give you a "free roll" which I thought was very good. Staff reminds me of LA. If you are hipster and like a cool vibe and food. Come here. And def if you like bourbon or mixology, This is the place for you!
(4)
Kaopectate P.
Excellent food with perfect execution. The salmon collar was the best dish I've had in Louisville. Drinks great, dessert great. Talked to the kitchen staff after and all were a friendly bunch. Highly recommend this place for someone looking for a nicer meal in town.
(5)
Deborah L.
First, I had visited Rye a number of times since they opened and was consistently blown away by their food, their chef is amazing, the management and service unfortunately not. We went there a few weeks ago to celebrate my daughters high school graduation on a Monday nite and were a party of 9. I chose this place from all the restaurants in town as I had always been so impressed with the menu, the food ect and this was such a once in a lifetime event, not a birthday that comes every year. I hadn't been there in over 6 months and wasn't aware how the menu had changed. They used to offer a great variety of entrees yet when we were there we had 4 to choose from with one being a " market price" steak for 2 which turned out to be approx. $40.00 per person...hugely overpriced. While we ordered 2 appetizer platters, both the cheese and the meats our group was starving...so we asked for more rolls. Our waiter told us they were out of rolls in the kitchen which sounded odd, so I asked the asst. manager about that and she said no, they had plenty of rolls but if you want more than one they were $1.00 each...alienating policy to say the least so we passed. The person next to me asked for iced tea 3x before receiving it and my daughter complained about having trouble getting refills for her drink...our waiter often rolled his eyes when we asked for anything....even a to go box. I gave up as I had asked for salt and pepper when the food came, and finally got pepper more than halfway through dinner and never did receive the salt. We had planned on having dessert there but when I asked everyone if they'd like dessert my daughter asked to speak with my privately and said she didn't want dessert as this was the rudest place she'd ever been and just wanted to leave. Please know none of my 3 children have ever refused dessert when out. That's how bad our service was. To make matters worse, they added a mandatory 20% tip which due to the inflated pricing translated to close to $80.00 which I flatly refused to pay as any tip is based on service received which was severely lacking. The only way I could settle this was to offer to pay 50% of the tip which the owner reversed the next day. I have never posted a negative review anywhere online however after thinking about this for several weeks i felt it important for people to know about our experience. We're huge foodies and there are so many options in Louisville with great food, stellar service, a more diverse menu and more reasonable prices with complimentary rolls/bread that I unfortunately have to share Rye just doesn't cut it any longer. If you're seeking a great place to celebrate a special event I would absolutely go elsewhere.
(1)
Priscilla P.
3.5 very limited menu. restaurant itself is beautiful. loved the minimal/industrial/rustic decor. got a salad and the 35 oz rib eye to share. ordered the steak medium but got well done! many parts of it were charred. the fries that accompanied it were not memorable. salad was okay but a couple bites of it were super salty. service was great.
(3)
Joe G.
Drinks: 3/5. Service: 3/5. Koopa Troopa Beach (mezcal, passion fruit, citrus, cilantro), Sherbet Land (tequila, sherry, line, sherbet). Well made, creative cocktails. The appearance, decor was more formal than the actual atmosphere.
(3)
Nathan C.
Great. Country ham hanging over the line, perfect frites, delicious through & through.
(5)
Nikki M.
I went there last night for a dinner training for my job. I was initially unimpressed with the selections offered for us, being that I'm vegan. BUT after I asked the waitress if there was anything that I could have modified for my meal they brought me out a beautiful salad that was above and beyond what most restaurants give me. The salad was void of the typical iceberg lettuce restaurants provide and actually had dark greens! Along with grapefruit and quinoa. I was very happy! It's very important to me when a restaurant caters to special diet restrictions. Also, my waitress was awesome! The ambiance was beautiful. My only complaint is the chairs upstairs were merely benches that didn't have a back to lean on, they had little splinters sticking out so it was uncomfortable. I would return more often if they had regular vegan options on the menu though! Overall I was very pleased.
(4)
Sean M.
Visiting for Derby Weekend we were expecting service to be a little off everywhere. Not at Rye. Arrived early for our reservation and were promptly seated after some delicious bourbon concoctions. Our waiter mentioned the restaurant was the busiest he had ever seen, but you would have never known. The service was impeccable. Never a dry glass. Now to the food- de.li .cious. A friend and I opted for the 3# steak- yes 3#. Paired with the spinach and fries we were in carnivore heaven. Not sure when we'll be back to Louisville, but rest assured Rye will be at the top of the list.
(5)
Kellee K.
Four of us dined at Rye for dinner. We practically had the place to ourselves and we nearly ordered every item on their limited menu. We started with the meat ($15) and cheese plate ($15), which offered a selection of pork, cow, sheep and goat cheeses. I couldn't resist the Bone-in Berkshire Pork Chop with chestnut confit and sweet potato ($35), two selected the steak ($30) from the menu and one had the lobster bisque ($10). We could not choose from the side selections so we had one of each: Butternut Gratin ($8), Triple Cooked Fries ($6) and Korean Roasted Brussels Sprouts ($8) and a concoction of beans that I don't quite recall. Everything was nicely executed. The chop was one of the best I've eaten, and the steaks were thoroughly enjoyed. The favorite side was the butternut gratin. It was so comforting, perfect for a cold winter night.
(4)
raquel a.
Came here for dinner after the derby. Had the pork and grits. Pork was cooked to perfection! The grits were just right. The portion was perfect as well as the prices. For desert had the salted caramel n nuts which was so yummy even though it was filling. No espresso, bummer, so had the French pressed coffee. So darn good! All in all it was a great dining experience and worth going back to.
(5)
Michael E.
The wife and I came here for our first anniversary dinner, and we were not disappointed! We had the ahi tuna and shrimp as starters--the tuna was delicious, and the shrimp just fine albeit a bit creepy to eat. We shared the ribeye as a main dish, and it was incredible--I could almost feel my arteries clogging as I ate. Simply awesome. Don't skip a peek at the dessert menu--we bought the kitchen a round of beers (happy new year!) and sampled the chocolate cremeaux (chocolate pudding on steroids). Our server was reasonably attentive and very gracious. Took one star off for the prices, which are a little high in my opinion.
(4)
Jesse B.
Rye is a really good restaurant in a neat space with good attention to detail in design overall. Sadly the attention to detail doesn't extend to the service, which was just plain bad the first time I was there and on the negative side of mediocre the second. The charcuterie is all done in house and everything I've had has been great. The only criticism I'd have is that the staff isn't knowledgeable about the products and the menu only lists them by name. Not a big deal on items like rabbit liver pate and pancetta, but for a sausage like Thuringer which, like bourbon, has specific legal stipulations regarding its production, it can be the difference between someone trying that product or not. We pretty much got talked out of ordering not by what our server told us about it, but more the fact that she couldn't accurately answer our questions and made no effort to find out. The food in general is very good, but the menu changes frequently and popular items are intentionally eliminated in development of new menus so the chef and kitchen staff can avoid having to make the same thing from now until eternity and to force people to try new things and keep the kitchen focused on developing new ideas and dishes. this might be off-putting for some, but I personally really respect that decision. By the same token though, it doesn't hurt to ask for recommendations as we had one dish that fell a little flat and when we mentioned it to the server she said that it was still in a more experimental phase. Of course, the quality of the recommendation will depend on the quality of service you're getting that day, so from my experience I wouldn't bank on it too heavily. Your chances are still good for getting a good meal though, as we were only really disappoint by one out of 15 dishes over the course of two visits. I would definitely recommend this place just based on the food alone.
(4)
Melanie K.
With such great buzz I have to to ask myself, Rye did this happened? I feel slightly torn about my review since my boyfriend and have met and know about both owners. We are also friends with the owners friends, but I must be honest as a friend, that some constructive criticism is the only way to improve. As everyone knows, it is easier to write longer about the bad things that happened then to mention everything went well. We decided to attend on a Wednesday night in hopes of better chance to take in a slower evening. For a Wednesday this place was pretty crowded, but when we walked in we were sat immediately. Our server told us then she would be with us in a minute. Multiple minutes later after we both had time to not only choose our drinks, food, and talk about how are days went someone with water came over. I think once they noticed we still had not been served our server came over and took our full order with no apologies. As a server I always take note of the service area that a server has. Being observant I can usually pick out if the server has a large party or a larger section then normal. Considering that Rye is more of a gutted old style shot gun house, I could clearly see our server was chatting with friends while ringing in her orders, talking with other guests for an extended time, and just not prioritizing well. After the initial delay all other service came in a timely fashion, which is why we still tipped well and did not take a way a complete star for service. During our whole meal we had to repeat and scream at each other from across our small table. I understand about the brick being aesthetic in some cases but it also reverberates sound. If this place hung a couple carpet murals or artistic sound panels in the main dining room they would notice a HUGE difference in sound. Our server even commented on the noise and asked us to repeat our order at one time. For a cocktail I got the KY Breakfast. The menu stated there would be Bacon Bourbon and "ORANGE" in my drink. The way the drink described I thought I was getting an up drink or a twist of orange, what came to the table was an Irish Aspirin. My drink was just bourbon and orange juice, a ton of juice. I could not even taste anything besides ORANGE until the last few sips of my drink. I would not have ordered it if I thought the drink was going to be mostly juice. For dinner we ordered the chickpea croquettes which were presented well and tasted amazing. This appetizer was the quality of food you would expect from Rye. The one owner we met stated that the Gnocchi was his favorite dish to make and man was it mine to eat. It was the best Gnocchi that I have ever tasted, absolutely amazing. In fact, my boyfriend did me the favor of finishing my burger so I could have the rest of his Gnocchi. I was craving a simple burger that they asked how I like prepared, but was recommended Medium Rare. I asked for it Medium but I guess the chief was insistent because it still came out Medium Rare. The only toppings were butter pickles and white cheddar every thing else was tasteless. Perhaps this is a personal preference, but if I am not going to use condiments or have a full burger setup of toppings, I am expecting the burger to have a flavor or seasoning to it. Hence, I gave the burger to my boyfriend to finish so I could have the better of the two entrees. My boyfriend and I always try to be a perfect check when we dine at a restaurant for the first time. Perfect check patrons always get a cocktail, appetizer/salad, entree, and dessert; using this method we get the full experience and help generate the business more revenue. Now even though our ears where ringing and we were not satisfied with our meal, we still decided to order dessert. I am a huge fan of toffee so we ordered the toffee cake. The dessert had great presentation, but the cake was dry, the cherry compote was decent, and the toffee pieces were burnt. We are not certain if was intended to have a spice seasoning on the toffee but there was. If this was a seasoning accident I can understand. If this is how the dessert is suppose to come then it should be described on the menu. I would be highly upset if I ordered a dessert, had a spice aversion, and got spicy burnt toffee that was not listed as a ingredient on the menu. I am still giving this restaurant three stars due to the concept, the Gnocchi, and a supportive star for the personal ties I have. I will be back because I so desperately want to see my Rye friends take my opportunities for improvement to heart. I want to upgrade my star review and shrug this off as a bad first impression for a new restaurant.
(3)
Karen M.
We had a fantastic dinner here. The service was fast, hot rolls and butter are to die for, and the entrees were delicious. We will definitely be coming back again soon.
(4)
Carl F.
As my father used to say, "Nothing to write home about". Wife and I liked our dining experience, but it was not as memorable as we would have expected for the price and the hype we'd read from other Yelp reviews.... Food: Not bad, but again not memorable. My wife had the English Pea Agnolotti and I the Culotte Steak. We shared a starter of "Crab & Corn Fritters while enjoying cocktails.....I will admit that the Crab & Corn Fritters were excellent and perhaps the highlight of the meal. Wife's dish while tasty was a disappointingly small portion for the price. My steak was cooked exactly as I ordered, but came with little flavor to mark it as a memorable steak. Drinks: Cocktails are excellent. My wife's Margarretta and my Manhatten were greatly enjoyed. The beer I had (off their draft selections) came too warm for my taste. Service: Excellent! The staff greated us and really made us feel comfortable and checked on us regularlly. Service was a highlight of our experience at Rye. Atmosphere: Comfortable Casual is best way to describe the decor and atmosphere. It all worked with the gracious staff! Overall: A good meal, but the limited menu and the price point probably wont be drawing us back to Rye....unless for drinks over a few shared appetizers.
(2)
Craig M.
class place. everything was great. cocktails are stars.
Great atmosphere; incredible food; very good wine list. Terrific attention to detail by the staff. This is a great new spot.
(5)
Emily S.
Four of us went to dinner on a Saturday night and were able to get a table quickly -- plus. We were excited about the menu and a new restaurant in the area. The food was fine but didn't live up to the prices. Among the four of us, we had small plates, sides, and appetizers, and we split a dessert. Nothing was bad, but it just wasn't quite there. Couldn't taste the capers or the anchovies in the cauliflower dish; the croquettes were described as "eh." The fries got high marks, however. The waiter said good things about the pastrami sandwich, but we ended up canceling the order for it when everything else was on the table and it hadn't been made yet. In addition, with such an emphasis on local foods/sustainability at many other restaurants in the neighborhood and in town now, it was interesting that Rye couldn't give a lot of information on where their meat came from. Since it's new, I'm willing to give it another try and see if some of the menu bumps get smoothed out.
(3)
Rose M.
Went here for an anniversary dinner and was so incredibly pleased. I'd been to Rye once before, but only for a bourbon on the rocks with some friends (can't mess that up). My first drink was my favorite - Light in the Attic! So light, fresh, and a little spicy. Next time I go back I will have another of these, maybe two! The boy got the Brown Derby and another that were both quite delicious as well. I got the Charlie Hustle as well, but my dislike of candy watermelon flavor got the best of me. Won't dock any stars for that - it's a personal preference thing, anyone who loves watermelon flavor would like it! We got the salmon ceviche to start and it was delicious. The dinner rolls that came out first were so good I could have eaten 10,000 of them. We got the steak to share, around 40oz of perfectly cooked rib eye with a great sauce, garlic, and lemons. There were some fries on the side, but I barely touched them because I had already gotten so full. Overall an amazing dinner, great vibe, and super tasty drinks. We had a great time and will be back again soon!
(5)
Lynn N.
I was visiting Kentucky for the weekend and I found this resistant on thrillist. I felt that the story behind the chef was kind of cool so I have this restaurant a try. The cheese plate was superb. Lots of rich flavors. We also order the ceviche and felt that it was okay. The best thing on the menu was the dessert. I forgot the exact name but it had something to do with "earth". Really great chocolate moose and dark shavings. For a Sunday night, I was surprised that this place was so empty. Louisville in general was just really empty. It's like no one goes to the city on the weekends.
(4)
Karen R.
We went to Rye on a whim. My husband wanted a steak, I wanted whatever. Anything sounded good at the moment. Once we found out the steak was a whole cow and destined for 2 people (and around $60-80ish) we decided to go a different route. And that route was a beautiful one. We ordered the cheese & charcuterie board. $30 and totally worth it. It came to the table and I didn't want to eat it because it was STUNNING. Such a beautiful presentation. Good thing we were the only ones there, because this deserved a photo shoot. I was standing on my chair to get everything in one shot (not really, but I was close ). Anyway, besides it looking gorgeous, it was heavenly. The textures and flavors were paired perfectly and we ate EVERYTHING. We were full afterwards and very content. Ahhh, happy belly.
(5)
Michelle W.
Great drinks and great conversation with the bartenders Doug and Nick. I am in town with some coworkers and we'll definitely be stopping by again before we leave. Had the Flying Hawaiian - delish but sour/sweet so you better be into that... and a Bite the Bulleit - perfect ginger kick. My friends had the Yankee clipper, Charlie hustle, and a few high end whiskey/scotch glasses...and lets just say there were no complaints. This review is just based on the bar, but the entire ambiance is a cool neo-rustic vibe and we've heard good things about their menu. Experience to be continued...
(5)
Amy L.
Classy sassy and bad-assy. I love the atmosphere of this place. It is warm, rustic and high-end all the same time. I can't wait to go back. I had been here a few times before for cocktails but this was my first for dinner. I was so impressed with the bartenders. True mixologists making unique, amazing cocktails with fresh ingredients. Keep 'em coming! It's difficult to pick a favorite drink since I loved all that I tried but the one called "The Shit" is seriously THE SHIT! So refreshing with a kick. The Miss Elizabeth is very tasty too. Vodka, Five Spice, Ginger, Lime, Baked Apple Bitters-Yum! For dinner my husband and I decided to order several small plates to share. We had 2 different types of oysters on the half shell which were so elegant and fresh. We also ordered the kale salad, soft egg toast and smoked salmon. All amazing flavors. The kale salad was seriously out of this world. I love that Rye uses seasonal ingredients and keeps a small menu. The focus is on quality. Our server was attentive and knowledgable. She wished me happy birthday right away and I appreciated that. We will be back!
(5)
Amber H.
I had the salmon ceviche it was very Peruvian style inspired. I thought it was good and fresh. Very small menu not a lot to choose from. They give you a "free roll" which I thought was very good. Staff reminds me of LA. If you are hipster and like a cool vibe and food. Come here. And def if you like bourbon or mixology, This is the place for you!
(4)
Kaopectate P.
Excellent food with perfect execution. The salmon collar was the best dish I've had in Louisville. Drinks great, dessert great. Talked to the kitchen staff after and all were a friendly bunch. Highly recommend this place for someone looking for a nicer meal in town.
(5)
Marla L.
A friend of mine from Libertyville, IL recommended Rye when he found out I was going to Louisville with a group of friends. He couldn't have chosen a better place. We started with fantastic cocktails, heirloom radish salad and king salmon ceviche, both fresh and delicious...seasoned nicely. Then moved on to Seared Hawaiian Ono and broiled Maine Herring, each very different but perfectly cooked and more than enjoyable. We finished with chocolate, caramel, sea-salt, blueberries, and hazelnut. I almost forgot what we ate prior it was soooooo good. If that wasn't enough, the service was perfection; attentive, helpful, friendly. I felt like I was invited into their home for dinner!
(5)
Deborah L.
First, I had visited Rye a number of times since they opened and was consistently blown away by their food, their chef is amazing, the management and service unfortunately not. We went there a few weeks ago to celebrate my daughters high school graduation on a Monday nite and were a party of 9. I chose this place from all the restaurants in town as I had always been so impressed with the menu, the food ect and this was such a once in a lifetime event, not a birthday that comes every year. I hadn't been there in over 6 months and wasn't aware how the menu had changed. They used to offer a great variety of entrees yet when we were there we had 4 to choose from with one being a " market price" steak for 2 which turned out to be approx. $40.00 per person...hugely overpriced. While we ordered 2 appetizer platters, both the cheese and the meats our group was starving...so we asked for more rolls. Our waiter told us they were out of rolls in the kitchen which sounded odd, so I asked the asst. manager about that and she said no, they had plenty of rolls but if you want more than one they were $1.00 each...alienating policy to say the least so we passed. The person next to me asked for iced tea 3x before receiving it and my daughter complained about having trouble getting refills for her drink...our waiter often rolled his eyes when we asked for anything....even a to go box. I gave up as I had asked for salt and pepper when the food came, and finally got pepper more than halfway through dinner and never did receive the salt. We had planned on having dessert there but when I asked everyone if they'd like dessert my daughter asked to speak with my privately and said she didn't want dessert as this was the rudest place she'd ever been and just wanted to leave. Please know none of my 3 children have ever refused dessert when out. That's how bad our service was. To make matters worse, they added a mandatory 20% tip which due to the inflated pricing translated to close to $80.00 which I flatly refused to pay as any tip is based on service received which was severely lacking. The only way I could settle this was to offer to pay 50% of the tip which the owner reversed the next day. I have never posted a negative review anywhere online however after thinking about this for several weeks i felt it important for people to know about our experience. We're huge foodies and there are so many options in Louisville with great food, stellar service, a more diverse menu and more reasonable prices with complimentary rolls/bread that I unfortunately have to share Rye just doesn't cut it any longer. If you're seeking a great place to celebrate a special event I would absolutely go elsewhere.
(1)
Priscilla P.
3.5 very limited menu. restaurant itself is beautiful. loved the minimal/industrial/rustic decor. got a salad and the 35 oz rib eye to share. ordered the steak medium but got well done! many parts of it were charred. the fries that accompanied it were not memorable. salad was okay but a couple bites of it were super salty. service was great.
(3)
Joe G.
Drinks: 3/5. Service: 3/5. Koopa Troopa Beach (mezcal, passion fruit, citrus, cilantro), Sherbet Land (tequila, sherry, line, sherbet). Well made, creative cocktails. The appearance, decor was more formal than the actual atmosphere.
(3)
Nathan C.
Great. Country ham hanging over the line, perfect frites, delicious through & through.
(5)
Nikki M.
I went there last night for a dinner training for my job. I was initially unimpressed with the selections offered for us, being that I'm vegan. BUT after I asked the waitress if there was anything that I could have modified for my meal they brought me out a beautiful salad that was above and beyond what most restaurants give me. The salad was void of the typical iceberg lettuce restaurants provide and actually had dark greens! Along with grapefruit and quinoa. I was very happy! It's very important to me when a restaurant caters to special diet restrictions. Also, my waitress was awesome! The ambiance was beautiful. My only complaint is the chairs upstairs were merely benches that didn't have a back to lean on, they had little splinters sticking out so it was uncomfortable. I would return more often if they had regular vegan options on the menu though! Overall I was very pleased.
(4)
Sean M.
Visiting for Derby Weekend we were expecting service to be a little off everywhere. Not at Rye. Arrived early for our reservation and were promptly seated after some delicious bourbon concoctions. Our waiter mentioned the restaurant was the busiest he had ever seen, but you would have never known. The service was impeccable. Never a dry glass. Now to the food- de.li .cious. A friend and I opted for the 3# steak- yes 3#. Paired with the spinach and fries we were in carnivore heaven. Not sure when we'll be back to Louisville, but rest assured Rye will be at the top of the list.
(5)
Kellee K.
Four of us dined at Rye for dinner. We practically had the place to ourselves and we nearly ordered every item on their limited menu. We started with the meat ($15) and cheese plate ($15), which offered a selection of pork, cow, sheep and goat cheeses. I couldn't resist the Bone-in Berkshire Pork Chop with chestnut confit and sweet potato ($35), two selected the steak ($30) from the menu and one had the lobster bisque ($10). We could not choose from the side selections so we had one of each: Butternut Gratin ($8), Triple Cooked Fries ($6) and Korean Roasted Brussels Sprouts ($8) and a concoction of beans that I don't quite recall. Everything was nicely executed. The chop was one of the best I've eaten, and the steaks were thoroughly enjoyed. The favorite side was the butternut gratin. It was so comforting, perfect for a cold winter night.
(4)
raquel a.
Came here for dinner after the derby. Had the pork and grits. Pork was cooked to perfection! The grits were just right. The portion was perfect as well as the prices. For desert had the salted caramel n nuts which was so yummy even though it was filling. No espresso, bummer, so had the French pressed coffee. So darn good! All in all it was a great dining experience and worth going back to.
(5)
Michael E.
The wife and I came here for our first anniversary dinner, and we were not disappointed! We had the ahi tuna and shrimp as starters--the tuna was delicious, and the shrimp just fine albeit a bit creepy to eat. We shared the ribeye as a main dish, and it was incredible--I could almost feel my arteries clogging as I ate. Simply awesome. Don't skip a peek at the dessert menu--we bought the kitchen a round of beers (happy new year!) and sampled the chocolate cremeaux (chocolate pudding on steroids). Our server was reasonably attentive and very gracious. Took one star off for the prices, which are a little high in my opinion.
(4)
Stacie R.
Had a cocktail and dinner on a girls' night out. The cocktail was very good. The dinner was original, fresh and unique. Delicious! Will most certainly be back!
(4)
Jim G.
When you step into Rye, you are stepping into a world of courtesy, camaraderie, and stellar food. For me, a former resident of San Francisco familiar with several decades of highfalutin' cuisine, none exceed Rye. From the half-shell oysters my friend and I ordered (he is a close friend and visitor from San Francisco who was here for a serendipitous convention assignment in my hometown) to the delicious salads (we shared the kale and citrus salads), on through to the wonderful plates we ordered, everything was as it should be. Rye's ambitions are just as high as its performance, but the environment is in no way uptight or out of place in everyday Louisville's burgeoning NuLu district. So, my friend, who teaches classes during said convention, took 27 students and others back here a few nights later. I can't say that I blame him.
(5)
Adam K.
When I eat out, there are really only 3 things I want: 1. To leave full and satisfied 2. To have what I eat be something I couldn't make myself 3. To have a great experience To say that Rye over delivered on all 3 would be an understatement. There's a sign in the kitchen that says "sense of urgency." The staff completely embody that idea. They were all attentive, helpful and friendly. The whole vibe was warm and fun. The food was phenomenal. Certainly, the best I've had in Louisville. The drinks were creative and tasty. There was nothing I could find to critique. I'm serious. If you go, 4 things to know: 1. The menu changes often. That said the Brussel sprouts were out of this world and apparently one of the few items that stay on the menu. 2. The buns they bring you are life changing. If you want a second helping, they do charge a $1 per roll. It's worth it. 3. There's parking and it's relatively plentiful. 4. The meat and cheese plate are huge. If you get them, pass on the sides. You won't need them. After a horrible experience at Jack Fry's it was great to eat at a place that was fantastic and will leave a lasting memory.
(5)
Liz W.
Rye is really good. Simple, straightforward, and exceptionally well-executed. On the night we visited, the tobacco smoked duck breast was the undeniable star. The crispy skin was like candy, and the duck was cooked to perfection. The service was lovely, laid back but attentive. The menu is short but has a sense of humor (one of the desserts being the option to buy the kitchen a beer, which we did). I highly recommend this spot.
(5)
Rhonda G.
Our meal started with the Charcuterie Board which included fried pork bites, pickled beets, country ham, and chicken liver mousse. it was interesting and fun to share but not something I would order again. The salads, however, are a different story. Our favorite was the kale salad with goat cheese and apple cider vinaigrette. It was wonderful. Creamy and tart at the same time. The watercress salad was also very good with feta and citrus vinaigrette. We were a bit disappointed with our entrees. Both the seared yellowtail and the pork loin was a little overcooked to our liking, although I do appreciate the crispy sear they put on the yellowtail. The cocktails are so interesting that we had trouble selecting. We settled on the Bite the Bullet and the Maple Leaf, which was so wonderful that we headed home to try to recreate it. Our dessert was also amazing even though it looked a bit messy. The Salt of the Earth is chocolate, salted caramel and a hint of coffee rocks. What could be better than salty, chocolately, caramel, and gooey. The service we received was outstanding. She was friendly and professional. Our party of four enjoyed our evening at Rye but I doubt we will return because there are so many outstanding NuLu places that succeed where Rye falls slightly short. That said, I could see us stopping in just for the very interesting cocktails and a dessert.
(4)
Hannah E.
What a great relaxed Nulu environment! Went here on a double date night and had a great time. We ordered the meat and cheese plate and spit it between the 4 of us, it was delicious! So tasty and what a great way to open your palate! We also ordered 2 fries that were amazing and the asparagus vegetarian pasta. We had great wine and beer throughout the entire night and ended up buying the entire kitchen a round of beers because they had it as an option on their dessert menu! We highly recommend this place for a date or group. The atmosphere was so laid back and comfortable, after trying every restaurant on Market St we will def be going back.
(5)
Timothy H.
Not a bad dinning experience in an up and coming neighborhood. I only wish there were more selections on the menu, and you didn't have to pay for rolls!
(3)
Martin M.
We went to the HonoNulu event one Sunday Summer night. The tickets were $15 per person and allowed you to eat as much of the buffet food as you like. The selection was very poor, only about 4 items. We started to eat one plate and felt the food was undercooked. The Hawaiian punch we had was overpriced at $7 as it was very small and didn't seem to have much if any alcohol in it. We left after 15 minutes. Very disappointed.
(1)
Keri S.
Friday evening I had the privilege of dining at RYE for the first time. IT certainly won't be the last, as every dish we had was phenomenal. Fried butternut squash with fresno chilies and fried sage? YES PLEASE! Can't wait to go back and see what new things they're cookin' up.
(5)
Andy M.
Louisville is a wonderful place. A fantastic food scene that seems to get better every time I visit. Add Rye to the list of restaurants you must try the next time you visit this jewel of a City. And for those of you who live in Louisville and haven't tried Rye...what the hell are you waiting for? First thing I noticed was the wide selection of Bourbon's Rye offered. I have never heard of Bardstown Bourbon, but I was a fan after the first sip. And I had a Steak dinner that was fabulous. The meat was tender, juicy and delicious. The service, decor and over all vibe at Rye were all top-notch. As you have probably gathered, I love Louisville and I love the restaurant's in Louisville. All I need to do now is find a job in Louisville so I can dine at Rye more often. Yes folks!! It was that good.
(5)
Alan K.
Pretentious, trendy, loud and crowded scene for wannabe Louisville hipsters- that's if you can actually be a hipster in Louisville. Food ok but really reaching to be something they are not - and that is special. But everyone in the place thinks they are- LOL! If you've been anywhere in the world that counts- then you'll realize Rye is trying too hard to be a hot restaurant but doesn't come close. Goes to show money does not suffice for a lack of talent dans Le cuisine. If you are part of the upper crusted Louisville crony club you may get better service. But if you were actually somebody - like a New York Times critic- but unknown to the local elite don't count on it. This place isn't even worth a second chance.
(1)
Cason R.
Very good but not great. I had the pork loin which was very well cooked but the beans accompanying it were a touch too salty for what seems to be a restaurant trying to break into the upper tier. I'd say there are other places like wiltshire and Proof where you can get as-good food at not quite so high a price. That said, the burrata and kimchi crostini is a must-order.
(4)
Philippa P.
My mom and I came for dinner on a Monday night to Rye and we loved it! There were only a few other people there when we arrived at 730 but by 830 it was filling up! We started with the meat plate which was presented beautifully and was delicious. We also had the buttered shrimp, which were THE MOST DELICIOUS. They tasted like tiny lobsters. The Berkshire pork was also ridiculously good and so light. We didn't order dessert but the menu was hilarious. Our server Jonathan was pleasant and efficient, we loved that they were all dressed down and seemed to have a great time at work. Rye is my new favorite place!
(5)
Sandy G.
Stopped in for some libations before getting dinner at the Wilshire. They have an extensive list of original drinks and the one's we decided on were: "The Shit", a spicy drink, " Cucumber Collins" a refreshing strong drink, and the "Hemingway daiquiri" a not too sweet concoction. I refrain from mentioning exact liquors-because I can't remember them...however, these were wonderful artisan beverages. I would come here again! Prices range between 9-12-not bad!
(4)
Tonya S.
Six of my close friends and I ventured out to L-ville for the weekend and decided to give Rye a try, per the recommendation of a few local friends in the industry. We had a dinner reservation and were celebrating a friend's birthday. We ended up sitting on the patio as this was all that was available upon arrival. First of all, the interior is inviting. Very modern and rustic design. The kitchen is open...always like that. The patio was nice. We had a table big enough for all seven of us and we were comfortable. The only problem we experienced on the patio was mosquitos, but they quickly and gladly brought citronella candles after our request for bug spray. The drinks were great. One guest only drinks vodka and highly enjoyed the Between the Sheets with rum in it. So delish, she ordered two. Another guest, the birthday girl, ordered a drink called, "The Shit". Cool name and also a good drink. I am an IPA fan and just asked them to bring me their best IPA draft. Good choice. I loved it. As for the food, they started us out with baskets of rolls. Those were amazing. Our starters were the Pickle Plate (loved the Cauliflower!!), the Cheese Plate (I didn't try, but others seemed to love), the Oysters (a few French Kiss's and Marin Miyagi's (both were delish) and the Thai Parsnip & Carrot Soup (raved about by those who tried it). The entrees....myself and a few others opted for the Quinoa Salad and Burrata Toast for an "entree". We LOVED the salad and the toast was good, but not outstanding. Another guest had the Duck Leg Confit and loved it. I am not even a duck fan, but tried it and it was fabulous. One couple shared the Lane Snapper and loved it so much that they were still raving about it the day after. They also ordered a side of the Roasted Candy-Striped Beets and shared them with the table....YUMMY! The last guest had the Coulotte Steak and was very pleased. Overall great experience at Rye. Our service was great. Our experience was great. We left overly pleased with our choice to dine there...and yes, we would go back. Note: I apologize to Rye for running into the server with the extremely large tray of wine glasses and sending them crashing to the floor. Not entirely my fault, but a shared fault of the server and I. I just felt bad and wanted to help clean up the mess, but wasn't allowed.
(5)
Victor R.
I really want this place to succeed. I admire the concept - farm to table, rustic ambiance, and trendy location. But the menu and overall value leaves much to be desired. The four of us at the table all got different dishes, but they all tasted the same. It may be a reliance on a particular spice or seasoning...something from the curry or peri-peri family...something I couldn't quite put my finger on. You either love it, or hate it - and my small table unfortunately sided with the latter. I think there's not enough diversity on the menu, especially when it comes to main courses. If you're going to charge $27 in Louisville for the one chicken dish on the menu, it had better be the best half chicken I've ever eaten. And it's not anywhere close, sadly. I really don't mind spending a lot of money on dinner, as long as it's good. But the bill for our four people was nearly $300. It didn't help to be charged $1 for the bread they bring out before your meal (which was the one memorable food item we had). There are a lot of great restaurants in Louisville, and I just don't think this one has the menu to support the price they're charging.
(2)
Erin J.
Boyfriend took me here for our anniversary. I should preface this by stating I'm not a big fan of the NuLu area. I find it to be a poorly done knock-off from other cities, almost as if Louisville is trying to hard. But hey, they're trying. We were sat in the bar area. Something I HATE. I think all guests should be asked if they mind sitting in the bar area upon arrival. If it means an extra 40 minute wait, I would prefer to wait for the main dining room. The bar area has four two-topper tables against the back wall. They're pretty close together but that doesn't bother me. What does bother me is the lady in her 50s, in a fur coat and hat (yikes) who is trying to feel important by loudly calling every waiter to the table by name to ask him a million questions. I hope this isn't there usual clientele. I couldn't even hear my date over her silly questions. Waiter offered us drinks. I got the East, Hudson, and Harlem. Pretty tasty drink. I ordered the monkfish and my date ordered the steak, we split a side of fries. Both were good, not fabulous but good. Waiter was very attentive...and attractive. I'm not entirely sure I would return. Food was good but not a great value.
(3)
Eric B.
Many moons ago I wandered into Rye, a pilgrim on the Bourbon Trail, a wanderer in the bluegrass wilderness, seeking the source of our sustenance, our sweet, corn soaked sustenance. I found not the burning corn bushel but I did find culinary satisfaction. I recall wearing the Parisian Nightsuit as if it were bespoke; the rye, aperol and madeira coalesced as a smoky sexy lover coating my throat. The cardamaro and Fernet of the Schnitzelberg silenced my vocal chords but its flavors caressed my taste buds. Rye's oysters slid down my throat as children down a waterslide, and the tempura avocado melted in my mouth, sinful as fried butter, yet flaky and free as angel food. I was utterly spent. My darling Kelly basked in the sophistication of the Amelia Earhart and its aviation aspirations as we lolled carelessly in the escaping sun, grazing on cheese and late summer regrets. We were spent but not unsatisfied.
(4)
M E.
Either over the top delicious or underwhelming, there doesn't seem to be an in-between here. Love the Brussel sprouts, also an amazing and spicy little cocktail called "the shit". Worth going-- when it's good, it's VERY good.
(3)
Dani S.
We did not eat here, we just had a couple glasses of Bourbon. However, the bartenders were super friendly and gave great service!
(5)
Michael B.
We stopped in for dinner between shows at the Forecastle Festival, and it was the right choice. Even though we were probably under dressed, they welcomed us with open arms. Everything we at was amazing. The lobster waffles (like chicken and waffles, but amazing!), the drinks were delicious. One of the best, most original, meals I have had in a long time. Go to this place.
(5)
Mike P.
Just got back from Rye and we had one the best experiences in our lives. The people were awesome and the food and drinks were very well prepared and thoughtful. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. They even comped us some free food because they felt like we had waited too long. We never even noticed.
(5)
Toree P.
Several of us ended up at Rye on last Saturday night after a wedding reception. They closed at midnight and about 15 of us walked in at 11:30... I expected some death states, potential spit on our drinks, and plenty of grumbling workers. What we were met with was big smiles, enthusiasm about the wedding, and patient explanations about all their drinks!! Their cocktail menu is expansive and their list of whiskey even more so. My beer drinking husband and my gin loving self were both very pleased! I ended up with a gin concoction that cooled my tongue and then burned with a slight delayed bite. For the life of me I can't remember what it was called. If you are looking for a place to have a fun cocktail and different experience this is the place for you. It's a little more upscale on the price but a treat every once in a while. If you are just wanting a PBR and some beer pretzels... I would look elsewhere. I can't wait to go back and try some actual food off their menu. Rye is just another reason Nulu is becoming one of my favorite spots on Louisville!
(4)
Katherine P.
What can I say about Rye? Well, for starters, I wouldn't write home about it. All the reviews I have seen on yelp rave about it, but we were completely disappointed in our experience. The waitstaff was good, however, the food was mediocre at best and definitely over priced. I feel like all of the people on here that gave Rye excellent reviews have never eaten at Jack Fry's or Lilly's, because those two places are definitely top notch and worth the price. The cheese plate was good, and my boyfriend and our friend enjoyed the oysters. However, between 4 people, we ordered 3 of the 5 available entrees and none of us were remotely excited about our orders. Will not be back to Rye.
(2)
Sarah W.
(a) I am seriously going to have to become a cocktail drinker. I usually just drink wine or bourbon, but Louisville is getting way too many establishments with stellar cocktail menus. The Standard Issue Pea Coat at Rye was everything I look for in a cocktail. It was complex and yummy without being cloyingly sweet or so potent you have trouble behaving yourself at dinner. (b) The service is stellar. When we stopped in during restaurant week, everyone was friendly and attentive. When one dish we ordered wasn't to our liking, the staff bent over backwards to find a substitute and ensure that we enjoyed every aspect of our meal. (c) The food is really good. Despite the one hiccup with our starter, everything else was delicious. I look forward to trying more of the menu.
BOTTOM LINE: The folks at Rye are really putting a lot of care and effort into what they do. If you can afford the ride - take the ride. So, Mrs. Sorrentino and I were in L'ville yesterday and decided to grab a bite around 4:30ish before heading home. She was hipped to Rye by an upscale acquaintance who knows we're looking for digs up there and graciously gave us a short list of places she thought we might like. Rye is housed in a standalone brick building on Market St. and is decorated with lustrous simplicity - exposed brick, gleamy hardwoods et al. It has shiny-warm feel and a enthusiastic casually-dressed hipster staff. Our server knew her menu pretty well. But, she didn't really try to sell us anything, and she left things like a beer-tasting glass we used at the very front of the meal un-bussed until after we got the check. Patio or not, if we're gonna spend $60 for an afternoon snack...you'll wanna be on point. Rye is a for-real Cocktail Palace! You'll pay about $10 for a drink, but it's gonna be a crafted, topshelf-poured, properly prepared drink; deserving of a sipped and admired approach. Do they have PBR in cans for $3? (your little hipster heart is wondering) Yes they do. Honey ordered a delicious bourbon and grapefruit something cocktail from their "borrowed recipe" (nice touch) menu - served in a Tom Collins glass..it was strong and yum. I ordered an Old Fashion. I wanted to see what they did with a classic. They offer most of them. It was good...simplified...no muddled fruit, huge orange zest and emplying one of their multiple bitters choices (one sign of a true Cocktail Palace) It actually tasted more like a potent and delicious orange Manhattan. The food at Rye is a delicious and beautiful (and maybe a wee bit precious) mashup of world-foodie farm-to-table style ingredients meeting rustic classic "Euro -Southern" and Norcal preparations. It's a KY restaurant named after the spirit of spirits so you know there's gonna be pork and whiskey somewhere - the trick for their design was to find them some agreeable companions with which to be paired. They offer a meat plate or a cheese plate ($15) as the only choices in a "Bar snacks and Starters" section that seemed under construction -being that having yummy fried or tapas-ey bar snacks would be a natural here. They have an Oyster section (five good choices - $3 per) Small Plates in the $10-16 range...Main Eats (duck, shrimp and calamari, swordfish or pork loin from $24-28) and Market Sides ($6-8)...We chose the meat plate ($15), a smoked-burrata panzanella salad($12), and some "Merguez-seasoned" fries ($6)..because we wanted to check them out before going all-in and because we knew it was too-early in the day for it to be our last meal. You could spend a whole lotta dough at Rye..We weren't going to ..just yet haha The meat plate stars were a small mound of a soft and delicious rabbit rillette, an amazing pork and hazelnut sausage and some pickled items (squash slices, beet chunks, and watermelon rind pearls)..the also-rans were small and round slices of a not-so-partularily-good hard chorizo and a coffee-cured duck breast that was jerkied enough as to have been almost anything .. the board came with proper crustades and smears of whole grain mustard. I think it would be nice to have a good finishing salt on the table to pop some of the popables...but all-in-all it was wonderful and we'd order it (and everything we ordered really) again. The smoked-burrata panzanella salad was more like a caprese in summer heat than a trad panzanella. It had a delicious basil pistou and every ingredient was lovely..even the wafer thin toasty bits. The burrata didn't taste or look smoked but the overall effect when eaten slowly with a sipped cocktail was excellent. The fries were crunchy-great chubby little dudes ..served in a little bucket. They were seasoned with what we assume are merguez sausage spices and served with harissa ketchup and a tzatziki sauce made with labna. Here, though, is the KY-grown, heirloom, Estill County, Shinicock pickle ....calling out every single ingredient nuance doesn't make the food or cocktail good, or make for a necessarily good value-for-the-price of purchase. It can get that little bit precious and even uppity..it can also be wlldly time-consuming for the staff to have to explain the tids and bits to bourbon-addled hooples......The wrap...Everything we ordered at Rye was delicious, plated beautifully, and served by a smiley staff of motivated service pros. Were there "little things worth mentioning"? Sure, there usually are - that's what reviews try to balance. Rye seems to be succeeding at balancing their friendly with their uppity..It is a great place to be able to go when you want to (for instance) take your sweetie out for two perfect manhattans and some fries ($30 plus tip haha). We'll be back to eat everything they have..Pig Roast?! Saaaalute
(4)
Daniel P.
I've eaten dinner at Rye twice in the last few months and both visits were excellent. Jonathan was our server both times and he recommended great choices of wine on both occasions. Great food. Great atmosphere. Will definitely be back soon.
(5)
Felipe Z.
I loved this place! So nice and cozy! Lots of different drinks and cocktails to choose. (I personally didn't like any of the cocktails we got in our table, but also I'm not very into cocktails in general) We had the Meat Appetizer and the Cheese Appetizer. I think the cheese one was better, but the meat one had some fun stuff to try. I had the Seafood (mussels) main dish, and it was delicious, but I wish they had given me some more bread to dip in the plate haha. Their fries were pretty good. In all honesty though, I'm giving this place 5 stars not so much for the food, although is in the 4-4 1/2 star range, I'm giving them 5 stars for their service. My friend made the reservations for Valentine's day, and our crowd fluctuated so much starting with 9 coming, then to 3, and then to 6... It was a joke! Yet. the guy helping us with the seating changed our reservations everytime, moved tables, and chairs, and made it possible for us final 6 to be there and enjoy our time without problems. He actually gave us probably the best table in the house. Just his effort alone was hands down the best. Then, our actual server was off the hook, and quuuuiiite pleasant to the eyes I might add hahaha. Everything was well done and planned. The lighting and the location of the tables and the kitchen right there, open and ready to be explored, is definitely a great sight for any new comer into Rye. We had an absolutely great Valentine's evening there, and I, being a visitor, must thank this place and the people working there, because they made it happen.
(5)
Lauren C.
Everything about this restaurant rocks. The music is hip, the decor is warm and inviting, the service is impeccable, and the food is dreamy. Not to mention some of the best cocktails Louisville has to offer. I had a potato soup, oysters, a pork dish, and some of my fiance's hamachi. The hamachi definitely outshined my pork (sadly), but they were both delicious and presented beautifully. There's a sign by the bar that if you like your food, you can add $8 to your tab to buy the kitchen a round. Kitchen, you deserved it!
(5)
Maheen F.
Randomly followed the "food" sign and it let me to this beautiful little spot. Pricy but delish. My hubby and I enjoyed ourselves throughly, and the cheese platter was fantastic. Our meal was yummy and service was excellent.
(4)
Kyle S.
Admittedly, I came for the live music outside, but I quickly grew to appreciate Rye. The layout is spectacular with cozy seating inside, an open kitchen and a long bar. The outside patio is even better if the weather permits it. Large, airy and tucked behind the main building in a way that shields it from the setting sun, it is a great way to spend a spring or summer evening with good friends and good drinks. I haven't eaten here, so I can't comment on the food. The drinks were excellent. Cocktails were well mixed, the beer selection was not notably expansive, but it was good, and the wine list looked to have something that anyone could appreciate.
(4)
Gisha J.
My husband and I were in Louisville, KY for New Years 2013. We had never been previously and was excited to experience the city. A weekend in Louisville is more than enough to explore the whole city. Before coming to Rye, we had read great reviews on it. I didn't think the food was best I've ever had but it was very tasty. The drinks on the other hands, were fabulous! The drinks were different and unique. Between my husband and I, we probably tried if not all, majority of the drinks of the menu. Rye is hands down the best place I would recommend for drinks!
(4)
Ellen A.
Rye is my favorite place in Louisville. The drinks are amazing, food is better than anywhere in town, and the staff are always attentive and genuine. The decor and ambiance is bar none while the playlist always keeps you there for "one more song". My husband and I have made it our regular for drinks and Brad always looks after us. Try "The sh*t" cocktail if you are a gin drinker, the triple cooked French fries as a bar snack (delicious), and the swordfish for dinner (best meal I have had in a long time). You can't go wrong with any of the deserts!! I promise you will not be disappointed. Unlike some other service industry workers, the staff at Rye go out of their way to look after you (without being a nuisance). Do yourself a favor and get there!!
(5)
Jori G.
Rye has some of the most delicious food I've ever tried. Their drinks are ridiculously yummy, their duck confit was so tender I only had to gaze at it for the meat to fall off the bone, and the guys they hire are super cute. Tie that in with their summer patio concert series and this is a win-win combo. Sadly I was only able to afford this place thanks to my Grandma wanting to take me out somewhere nice, but despite the prices this place manages to not be pretentious.
(4)
Jason G.
LOVE LOVE LOVE. My friends and I always go here first for drinks. Unique cocktails, inviting ambiance and locally sourced everything. Ben the bartender is the best bartender in all of Louisville, and if you don't get drinks from him, you're missing out. I can't speak much to the food except that everything I've snacked on while sitting at the bar has been delicious! Great local spot.
(5)
Melissa C.
Dinner on the patio at Rye was a pleasure. The food was great and the staff graciously accommodated dietary restrictions.
(5)
Patrick T.
Good food, interesting drink menu and nice quiet but friendly atmoshphere.
(4)
Kathy V.
I'm gonna bump them up a star because I got a message from someone at Rye asking me about my experience. Knowing that a place cares and wants to improve bodes well for their future of offering good service and a great experience. No joke, it is noticed and appreciated :-)
(4)
Rachel F.
I am a bit torn - 3 or 4 stars. Love the spot. The decor is simple, clean, rustic, and yet trendy. The menu is unique to say the least, and the execution well done. I left with 3 things in my head. 1) yummy 2) overpriced 3) trying a bit too hard to be interesting/cutting edge with the menu. That being said, I will probably be back. The potato gnocchi was quite tasty (the only entree under 20 and none of them come with sides - they are an extra 7ish a piece.) Most entrees were 22-29, significantly higher than Hillbilly Tea and quite comparable to Jack Fry's. So for me, I expect the experience to be same level as Jack Fry's. It wasn't quite there for me. I've had drinks here twice now, and the menu is upscale and the quality is fairly high. The cocktails are all 9 bucks, but quite nice. The service was wonderful. If they knocked a couple bucks off of everything it would go up a star, but still glad to have this new addition in NuLu/Butchertown. I shall add it to my cocktail tour. Tips: Reservations only for 6 or more and it gets pretty packed by 7, even on a weekday. Also, if heading east on Market, there is a little lot right behind the building.
(3)
David I.
Great atmosphere and staff. Pretty boys and girls work here, the wife and I had no problem with the eye candy. Beer in cans, gross. Even poured into a glass, they need to turn that up a notch, cans suck. Too many local breweries that sell wholesale to restaurants, a trendy restaurant that turns $50pp checks shouldn't sell poor college student beer (canned). My wife and our guests got cocktails and they were great, highly recommended. The decor is great and the retro bathroom looks cool. The kitchen is open to the dining area and wasn't noisy at all. I gave the waiter a bit of a hard time about a few things but he handled it like a champ and got a huge tip. On to the food.... French fries. For all that is good in the world, get the french fries while you decide what to order for entrees. They must sprinkle them with crack. Best french fries I ever had. The pre-meal bread was fantastic, I could eat baskets of the bread. We got the asparagus side ($8) and it was a complete waste of money. It was soggy and the sauce was runny. Which runs into my entree, the scallops (5) that were cooked ok, but they were served in a watery sauce that I would call a broth/soup. Not bad but I wouldn't get it again. For $26 (entree only) I expect top notch hits for everything. My wife got the steak, it was buried under another watery sauce with veggies. The flavors for the steak were good but the portion was about 5oz, ok for her, but not for me. She also ordered it medium but it came well done (sacrilegious!) I WILL go back. They do have a rotating menu so this review is limited in scope since the dishes will be different on any given day. Like others I'm torn between 3 or 4 stars but the entree holds more weight with me so I had to go with 3. Postscript: I got a very nice email from the owner after my review and I will try Rye again. Everyone has an off night and he seems genuinely concerned about his customers.
(3)
Thor N.
Great food. Great space. Great cocktails. Everything is made im house. Food is sourced from top notch local vendors. I highly recommend to anyone visiting Louisville or in Louisville.
(5)
Jeff J.
The food and drinks were great. Recommend the Pork and the Brown Derby. Great service, great vibe.
My review of Rye is based on 3 trips there, and it's what happened between the last two trips that earns them the 5 star rating and cements their place as my favorite restaurant in Louisville. First off, the restaurant is situated in the newly reclaimed East Market district known as NuLu. The area is now quite popular with the young and hip, you can't throw a rock without hitting a bearded plaid or a poodle skirt with bobby socks. The bar and tables are all well made reclaimed wood with tasteful decorations and decent lighting. Whatever, it's all about the food. And oh, the food. Holy bawls. These guys care about the food. Our favorite appetizer was the fried Head Cheese. Head Cheese is the scraps of meat taken from the head of the pig during butchering - some of the best cuts you can find. Tender, flavorful, delicious. Rye served it very lightly breaded and fried with a simple tarter and a small tart salad on the side. The dish was so perfectly balanced, the acid from the salad cut into the richness of the meats, turning it into an amazing flavorful bite. As it turns out, they are purchasing hogs whole and breaking them down onsite so that they can get the exact cuts of meat they want, exactly the way they want them. Amazing! On our previous visit, we had a not-so positive experience with the Seafood Sausage dish. It's ok, it happens. Not every dish is going to agree with everyone. Being pretty vocal about what we like and don't like, we shared our findings with Michael, the proprietor. As we found out on our most recent trip, unlike some places in town, Rye actually CARES what their customers think and use feedback as an opportunity to learn and improve. That night they took the dish off the menu and rebuilt it. When we arrived, they brought the new and improved version over for us to sample. Oh my gobsmack - this is my new favorite seafood dish in Louisville. The newly made Seafood Sausage is plump and a delightful shade of pink with great sear marks. Breaking into it, the skin popped and the juices flowed. The fish and shrimp were perfectly firm, yet tender, juicy and sumptuous. The sausage rested on a bed of lightly pickled cabbage, Kabocha squash, apples and pickled mustard seed along with a deeply satisfying sweet and sour broth that perfectly complimented the seafood. Every kitchen that's designing their own dishes is going to have some that don't hit at first. The fact that Michael and Chef Tyler care enough to tear down and keep improving in search of perfection put the 5th star on this review.
(5)
Brett T.
Ahhhhh NuLu. I don't know where you came from or how you got here, but you're alright in my book. I visited Rye with my friend Kyle a few weeks ago during holiday vacation. We arrived around 6 pm, the place wasn't very busy at all and, being 2 youngish borderline-alcoholics (well me anyway), we decided to sit at the bar. I don't usually complain about service or base my review score on it. I think ultimately the quality of the food is the deciding factor in review rating. You don't want to check my water but once every 30 minutes? Fine, I can deal with that. Don't really seem enthusiastic at all about your job? That's ok too, we're only human. But to not even look my way for 20 minutes after entering the restaurant and sitting at your bar (with 4 other people at the bar and nobody else even sitting in the room) is just unacceptable. The bartender looked like he was stoned out of his mind and was one of the slowest drink makers I have ever seen. If you had glanced over in the first 5 minutes and just said "I'll be with you soon," this would have been a 4-star review. Anyway, the food itself was quite good. We ordered a cheese plate, meat plate, scotch egg, and lightly fried pickled vegetables. All delicious, especially the scotch egg, which I have never had the honor of partaking in before. They had quite a good whiskey collection, including a 15 year pappy, and a pretty cool cocktail list, so no complaints there. We didn't try any main courses but the aforementioned appetizers were enough to fill up 2 guys. I don't remember price exactly, but I want to say we spent around $20 each. Not too shabby.
(3)
Mookie M.
We shared the cheese plate and buffalo/roasted tomato apps. We all tried the specialty cocktails, which were great. Three entrees we ordered were also quite good. Service was wonderful. Bar was hopping when we entered - a bit too fun. Some of the bar-goers ended up in the dining room at a table of ten or so and the volume of their voice increased with their alcohol levels. Other than the drunken table, we had a great meal and service.
(4)
Heather K.
Fun and unique cocktails. Great craftsmanship on the cocktails and excellent bourbon knowledge by the bartenders. Cocktails are pricey- ($9-12). Food is also good and not as expensive as anticipated (The decor looks like it should be $40-50 per plate not $15-$30). The decor is fresh and cozy. The open air kitchen is wonderful because the aroma comes and greets you as you enter!
(5)
Corey A.
Fresh oysters, an in-house charcuterie program, and a global pantry - there's not much to dislike. The FOH and BOH seemed pretty young so I would expect even bigger things from them in the future.
(4)
Jordan M.
Poor service, so so food, small portions, high prices. That about sums up Rye. I wanted to like Rye, I thought this restaurant would be another great addition to the awesome market street restaurant scene. Rye is not even competitive with the other restaurants around town in this price range. The only plus side is the nice space. There are much better restaurants in Louisville. Basically, Rye is a wanna-be, they didn't earn a good reputation with food, service, or prices, they came in with little market research and overpriced mediocre food based on a hip atmosphere.
(1)
Duke Of Frisco X.
Came here to check out Rye LV kinda reminded me of Rye SF~ The bartender were friendly and very educational. I was very impressed with the drinks/ food~ the only bad part was they close to early but overall it was a well decorated chill and relaxing bar to hangout @. Come here for great food/ drinks.
(5)
Megan F.
I just want to express my undying love for their cocktails, Bite the Bulleit in particular. Honey, lemon, ginger and bourbon--it's a Hot Tottie for the healthy! It's also just what I need on a night when I may be feeling a little under the weather but not enough so to stay in. Perfectly named, the bite is not only in the Bulleit bourbon, but also in the uber fresh ginger. The bartenders are super knowledgeable and that's clear in not only their recommendations and bar banter, but more importantly you can see their experience in the flicks of their wrists as they quickly throw together fresh fruit and splashes of various liquors to create their spiritedly named concoctions. These people are friendly, skilled--and usually very busy.
(4)
William B.
One of the best! Absolutely love the food, drinks, and atmosphere. I have been to Rye several times now and each time is as good as the first. The menu rotates which makes me want to come everyday and see what delicious creation they came up with that day. Everyone at the table got different things and it was ALL amazing. Great work, make sure to show the beards some love!
(5)
Jes P.
I initially went to this new spot in town with a group of 5 and none of us felt like we'd go back. I decided to give it a second try, as you always should. I brought a new group of 6 (who hadn't been previously), 6 is Rye's minimum threshold for a reservation. My phone call for a reservation was never returned. We went by the restaurant to see if they maybe had a table and just didn't call back. No table. We were told the manager would come speak to us. We waited for about 10 minutes and the manager never came. The hostess apologized, but we left. I wish this place the best, but I just brought another group of people who won't be back and I won't either. As some members of our group said, as a new restaurant managers and owners should be on site and addressing any issues that arise in a timely manner. If only one manager is on site on a busy Saturday night that is a red flag.
(1)
Peyton R.
In retrospect, my first review should have been a five star-er. Rye is truly fantastic, and better with each visit.
(5)
Sharon B.
This restaurant was really good. I went while I was visiting Louisville - handsome decor. You could taste the passion in the food - both beautifully plated and so fresh. I will definitely go back again.
(5)
Susan T.
Tried to make a reservation because we were taking some older people with us and didn't want them to have to wait for a table, but were informed when I called that they don't take reservations for parties under 6. When we showed up we were asked by two different "hosts" if we had a reservation. There was an hour long wait....we ended up at The Garage and had excellent service and delicious food. It wasn't the kind of place we intended to go that evening, but it was delish!
(1)
Jamie F.
Decided to try out Rye for our anniversary based on the Yelp 18 Essential Louisville Restaurants. The interior decor is fab and I love the concept it is a great room to go hang; the best part of Rye are the drinks and great selections of liquor their bartender is amazing. We arrived but they had no menus---just a little weird since she said they print them up every night I guess they blew their printing budget on a Sunday night; not the end of the world but "really" . We started with a mix of the cheese and meat plate and the Tempura Fried Vegetables-the meat and cheeses were amazing except the server and the menu left out that the pickles were very spicy you do not serve with great cheese like Humbolt Fog and rich Duck Liver Pate' spicy pickles...I just do not understand who thought up that one so basiclly it killed our palet. Note to chef. ...so we plow on to the Tempura Veggies...very well battered but 1/2 of the dish were crumbs not veggies all on the bottom of the bowl and it was a salt fiesta whick killed the chili-lime aoli. Glad I had a great cocktail. I really think there is a disconect with the food and lack of harmony in the dishes it seems that they try to create layers and on paper it works but when it came to execution especially with the main courses it just fell flat.The Winter Squash Agnolotti lacked complexity it was a big wet dish of mushy pasta with a sauce that was over salted(again) and heat but no balance from the curry and the lemon was way too much acid for the sauce....what they were looking for just got lost. I must give a thumbs up to the Korean Brussel Sprouts but again way over salted but underneath was a great bundle of flavor and spice countered by the earthy brussel sprouts.My wife ordered the Red Wine Braised Beef and it came out looking amazing and the beef was kudos with beautiful Chanterelle's and the sauce worked then came the grits and it was like eating the ocean........again the salt. I knew they were using a sea salt so I asked for the manager and she was proud that they use sea salt....OK but does anyone actually taste the food before they serve it? We were kind of done at that point and I was really bummed beacuse the place has this amazing feel and groove- you read the menu and it sounds amazing but again what a disconnect. Was it the "C" team a the helm last night since the front hostess said they did not expexct to get slammed (revisit lack of menu's) I do not know and underneath it all there is this wonderful conception of food that just got washed out buy a lot of sea-salt and poor execution. On a plus - the server was great and did not miss a beat and the bar is amazing- sorry I really wanted to eat a kick ass meal for such a great event.
(2)
David R.
Great location in Louisville hot NULU district. Food was very good and same for service. Had the salmon and it was good but nothing too special. House salad was very good. Appetizer and salad were better than entree.
(4)
Sharon B.
I was a little skeptical after reading some of the reviews on this site, but two friends and I really enjoyed our meal at Rye. The environment is great, the servers are knowledgeable and attentive, and the food is wonderful. The potato gnocchi was terrific, the chicken was tasty and tender, and the seafood sausage was spectacular. I enjoyed both the Dark and Stormy cocktail and the Bite the Bullet cocktail. Great cheeses on the appetizer list and very good homemade pickles. Give it a try!
(4)
Makan A.
Menu was well thought and execution at best decent. Flavors were good but below temperature. Maybe too much sous vide technique involved in the production.
(3)
Michael P.
Caveat: I've not tried the food here yet. I understand their noteworthy specialty is: should you have a large group, you can order an entire pig brought out. A whole goddamn pig. As a long-time fan of the 1995 feature film Babe, I may never coax myself into doing this, but the option is *ahem* on the table. Oink. So no, I come here to drink after work to help alleviate the gaping hole in my soul. First, Rye's bar and restaurant are separate rooms, which I dig. The bar stock offers a wide variety of bourbons and, expectedly, ryes. Bulleit is the house bourbon, and it's awesome, not that I need to tell any Louisvillian that. The drink that most impressed me though, and I'm not shitting you here... Tacate. You know Tacate? It's like the Mexican PBR. Or think of it this way - if you're a dad, you go for the Corona, a 20 or 30-something, Tacate. Love this nasty beer in the bright red can. However, when you order one, the bartender will fill the top of the can, to just under the lip, with lime juice and sprinkle some salt rocks over the top. Crack open the can, the bold flavors dive in, and it makes a beer that you might order ironically into a remarkably good bev solution. And with all their beer and liquors coming in at the $3 to $6 range, it's undoubtedly the most economical place to have some social elixirs in Nulu. As well, the tables, bar, and decor were often constructed from rehab materials. Not that this has any bearing on the quality of drink or service (which are great by the way), but inventiveness should always be applauded. Rye is a welcome addition to the sometimes-a-little-too-bourgie-for-its-own-good Market Street corridor.
(4)
Adam H.
My wife and I decided to try the place out on their second officially open night after hearing weeks of buzz. Our experience explained said buzz. First off we sampled four of the ten or so house cocktails and they all, ALL were killer. From memory we had the Maple Manhattan, New York Sour, Elderflower Fizz, and the Rock 'n Rye. The Fizz and Sour were some of the best cocktails we've had in a long time! Our appetizer was delicious, soft egg, ricotta, broccoli rabe on toast. We decided to split an entree and sample some sides. The gnocchi with brussels and winter squash was seriously ridiculous. A huge portion but we were splitting it and momentarily considered ordering another. Probably the smoothest texture gnocchi I've ever had. We opted for the fries with w/ chipotle aioli, which we were told are cooked 3 times to ensure a crisp exterior and soft inside. Also had the butter beans with chipotle and feta. Both were superb. For dessert since the place was new and we were stricken with indecisiveness we each ordered our own. The pear panna cotta was drizzled in the most flavorful floral honey I've ever eaten. It actually took me a second to get used to it as it tasted like flowers smell... good! My wife had the sticky toffee spoon bread which was also delicious and walked the line between sweet and savory almost. Great meal, drinks, atmosphere and service... we'll be back, on the reg.
(5)
Melissa W.
The fennel salad is wonderful!
(4)
Becki H.
Went by on their first Friday open. It was also the First Friday Trolley Hop, so I decided to channel my inner elderly lady and have an early dinner to avoid the rush. For drinks, my date had the Maple Manhattan, and I had a glass of the house red wine. Both were quite good - I'd like to go back and try some of their other cocktails, because that Manhattan was delicious. Food-wise everything was excellent. The cheese plate was phenomenal (the St. Angel Triple Cream was like butter). We also really enjoyed the meatballs and the smoked whitefish with capers & chickpeas. On suggestion from our server, we also got an order of the french fries with aioli - they were perfectly executed homestyle fries - crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. The decor is typical of the Nulu area - repurposed materials and clean lines - and everything looks very modern and hip. Definitely worth repeat visits. Beware of long waits for the next few weeks as everyone flocks to try the new spot! (Edited for grammar, oh my!)
(4)
G. S.
The place was good and the music festival they had was great, but the waiter was rude and the food was quite simple, definitively not worth how expensive it is!
(2)
Emily G.
Corn fritters and every single cocktail here!! But especially the "I fink you freeky"
(5)
A A.
I love RYE. They have fresh high quality food and a menu that is constantly changing with the seasonal availability of food. I've eaten here probably a dozen times and I've never had a bad meal. I love piecing together the sides, appetizers and salads to make a meal, but that is probably because I can try more things and everything on the menu always looks so good. Cocktails are also delish. Highly recommend.
(5)
Megan J.
Although we didn't see a huge crowd inside, we decided to check it out. I'm so glad that we did! We had such a great experience, from delicious food, to amazing drinks, we decided to revisit it while we were in town. The second time was equally as impressive. The atmosphere is modern, yet relaxing and quaint. The only reason not to give this place a 5 star rating was that the menu was quite small, and being a vegan, that doesn't always want to eat lettuce, there was very little to choose from. But again, sampling my fiance's food and digging into dessert, the food they do offer is incredible!
(4)
Amanda F.
What are you looking for in a bar? Rye probably has it. It's trendy, clean, inviting, the drinks are great and the food is reasonably priced and delicious. Everything about this place made me feel like I was in a different city. The entire menu is interesting so you will definitely find yourself trying something new. The cocktails are divine. This is going to sound bizarre but be sure you visit the restroom at least once - it was beautiful. I'm a sucker for old architecture.
(4)
Nathalie R.
Rye is good but not great. It is definitely overpriced.
(3)
Tamara D.
Delicious! Wonderful atmosphere and fantastic service. The menu is created daily, based on available local ingredients, and is clean enough that just about anyone with any food preferences. If you're in Louisville, you should put this on your short list of places to eat.
(5)
Erika Y.
We had a fabulous dining experience at this farm-to-table style gem of a restaurant in Louisville. From the complimentary mind-blowing rolls with salted butter to the fantastic specialty cocktails, we knew the meal was off to a promising start. Our table of four ordered almost every appetizer and side on the menu and we were extremely impressed with the complex flavor profiles and creativity that each dish brought to the table. We were also surprised that our entire meal was practically vegetarian (and we do love meat!) but we didn't even notice because it was all so fresh, flavorful and delicious. Our server was fantastic and we absolutely loved discovering that he also was a farmer who provided produce to the restaurant! Even coming from Portlandia, that was a first. The meal was perfectly finished with French press coffee and three unique desserts that each of us argued was our favorite. We would all highly recommend this restaurant to any foodie visiting "Luvull"! :)
(5)
Sam S.
We didn't stay for dinner, but the drinks were gratifying.
(4)
Plastic Palace A.
I only sat at the bar and had, well, a rye, but I am going to give it 5 stars for the good service, the friendly patrons, and the cool atmosphere. Had a below average dinner up the street at Decca and wish, wish, wish I had eaten here at Rye. Menu looks great. Screw you Decca. Rye is where it is at!
(5)
Stacey S.
Thanks to Joe B. who confirmed the grilled cheese is only on the lunch menu. So make your lunch plans soon!
(4)
Ellen R.
We had a great experience at Rye. I agree with another reviewer who said that one of the things they wanted in a restaurant is well executed food that you wouldn't or couldn't execute yourself. I loved the smallish menu which included 3 entrees and many sides and small plates, The food was truly delicious. The cocktails were lovely and the house red for $7 was an exceptional grenache, Montes Oton. We started with Japanese roasted peppers with a delicious sauce that included peanuts. There were plenty for everyone to taste. We also tasted the triple cooked fries with aoili which were very good. The oysters were excellent. Although I amoriginally from near Cape Cod, I found the Fanny Bay the very best of the varieties. I was grateful that they were all cold water sourced oysters. A salsify soup with a fried oyster was excellent. Other dishes included the pork (the best I've had in any restaurant), a lobster and cornbread dish that was full of large chunks of sweet lobster, a pasta with porcini, and halibut. Everyone was more than happy. Our service was excellent and knowledgeable. I might lower the volume on the music to enhance conversation but the restaurant was not crowded. I will definitely return to Rye and hope it becomes a fixture in Louisville.
(5)
Brett W.
After eating at Rye last night, I realize that I continue to be amazed by Louisville's food scene. Since Rye has opened, it has definitely been on my list to go to, but I never gave it a ton of thought. In fact, I was fully prepared to be underwhelmed. But, like so many of the other gems in this city, Rye totally delivers. Rye goes on my short list of joints in this city that actually feel like they belong in a bigger, even more renowned city. To be honest, the feeling of this place reminds me a bit of a cross between Proof and the old 732 Social. Rye does have the prices to go with this bigger city feel (think $9+ cocktails and appetizers in the $12-$15 range) but really, they backup those higher prices with quality. The other fun component of my visit to Rye was that it occurred during "Pescatarian Week". As a result, there was no meat on the menu. This really was a bonus to me, as I am definitely a fan of the fish, and if anything is encouraging me to go back soon to sample some of their more regular offerings. I ended up having two great cocktails in the Rock n' Rye and the Maple Manhattan. Both really well executed. On the food side, the wife and I shared the Fried Blowfish appetizer (worth trying, but probably my least favorite dish of the night), the Octopus Salad (definitely a standout, really great flavor profile), the Seafood Sausage (definitely very unique, at least to me, very glad I tried), and the Heirloom Beans (awesome side, up there with the Octopus Salad as my favorite). We finished off our meal with a delightful dessert, the Bananas Luscious. Highly, highly recommended! The funny thing about having this dessert is that I felt like I had a revelation when it comes to desserts at spendier restaurants. This particular dessert was $9, about what you'd expect from a place like this. I usually feel like that is a bit much for one dessert, but usually order anyway (at least when I've had a great restaurant experience and want to give the restaurant a chance to show me all of their offerings for a complete assessment). Whenever I get dessert, I always share and always am satisfied with my half. So now, I'm essentially looking at a $4.50 dessert for myself. Compare that to a scoop of ice cream at a premium place like Graeter's or Comfy Cow and you're looking at what, $4.50 compared to $3-3.50 maybe? Really not much of a difference in price and considering the ambiance, presentation, service, and everything else you get with it, I really have concluded that those desserts are totally worth it. Sorry for that huge tangent, but purposes it will encourage someone else to order more desserts. All in all, Rye is just one more bullet on the checklist of why I love Louisville. I definitely loved the feel of the place inside and could see it being a great place to come to hang out and try a bunch of different drinks and various food offerings. If you have not been yet, definitely add it to your list and continue to think about what a great food city Louisville really is!
(4)
Ryan M.
While the food, atmosphere, and service was great, I do not believe that the price was justified. I may be back for cocktails but will likely choose somewhere else to dine.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street, Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Hipster Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Stacie R.
Had a cocktail and dinner on a girls' night out. The cocktail was very good. The dinner was original, fresh and unique. Delicious! Will most certainly be back!
(4)Jim G.
When you step into Rye, you are stepping into a world of courtesy, camaraderie, and stellar food. For me, a former resident of San Francisco familiar with several decades of highfalutin' cuisine, none exceed Rye. From the half-shell oysters my friend and I ordered (he is a close friend and visitor from San Francisco who was here for a serendipitous convention assignment in my hometown) to the delicious salads (we shared the kale and citrus salads), on through to the wonderful plates we ordered, everything was as it should be. Rye's ambitions are just as high as its performance, but the environment is in no way uptight or out of place in everyday Louisville's burgeoning NuLu district. So, my friend, who teaches classes during said convention, took 27 students and others back here a few nights later. I can't say that I blame him.
(5)Adam K.
When I eat out, there are really only 3 things I want: 1. To leave full and satisfied 2. To have what I eat be something I couldn't make myself 3. To have a great experience To say that Rye over delivered on all 3 would be an understatement. There's a sign in the kitchen that says "sense of urgency." The staff completely embody that idea. They were all attentive, helpful and friendly. The whole vibe was warm and fun. The food was phenomenal. Certainly, the best I've had in Louisville. The drinks were creative and tasty. There was nothing I could find to critique. I'm serious. If you go, 4 things to know: 1. The menu changes often. That said the Brussel sprouts were out of this world and apparently one of the few items that stay on the menu. 2. The buns they bring you are life changing. If you want a second helping, they do charge a $1 per roll. It's worth it. 3. There's parking and it's relatively plentiful. 4. The meat and cheese plate are huge. If you get them, pass on the sides. You won't need them. After a horrible experience at Jack Fry's it was great to eat at a place that was fantastic and will leave a lasting memory.
(5)Liz W.
Rye is really good. Simple, straightforward, and exceptionally well-executed. On the night we visited, the tobacco smoked duck breast was the undeniable star. The crispy skin was like candy, and the duck was cooked to perfection. The service was lovely, laid back but attentive. The menu is short but has a sense of humor (one of the desserts being the option to buy the kitchen a beer, which we did). I highly recommend this spot.
(5)Gisha J.
My husband and I were in Louisville, KY for New Years 2013. We had never been previously and was excited to experience the city. A weekend in Louisville is more than enough to explore the whole city. Before coming to Rye, we had read great reviews on it. I didn't think the food was best I've ever had but it was very tasty. The drinks on the other hands, were fabulous! The drinks were different and unique. Between my husband and I, we probably tried if not all, majority of the drinks of the menu. Rye is hands down the best place I would recommend for drinks!
(4)Rhonda G.
Our meal started with the Charcuterie Board which included fried pork bites, pickled beets, country ham, and chicken liver mousse. it was interesting and fun to share but not something I would order again. The salads, however, are a different story. Our favorite was the kale salad with goat cheese and apple cider vinaigrette. It was wonderful. Creamy and tart at the same time. The watercress salad was also very good with feta and citrus vinaigrette. We were a bit disappointed with our entrees. Both the seared yellowtail and the pork loin was a little overcooked to our liking, although I do appreciate the crispy sear they put on the yellowtail. The cocktails are so interesting that we had trouble selecting. We settled on the Bite the Bullet and the Maple Leaf, which was so wonderful that we headed home to try to recreate it. Our dessert was also amazing even though it looked a bit messy. The Salt of the Earth is chocolate, salted caramel and a hint of coffee rocks. What could be better than salty, chocolately, caramel, and gooey. The service we received was outstanding. She was friendly and professional. Our party of four enjoyed our evening at Rye but I doubt we will return because there are so many outstanding NuLu places that succeed where Rye falls slightly short. That said, I could see us stopping in just for the very interesting cocktails and a dessert.
(4)Hannah E.
What a great relaxed Nulu environment! Went here on a double date night and had a great time. We ordered the meat and cheese plate and spit it between the 4 of us, it was delicious! So tasty and what a great way to open your palate! We also ordered 2 fries that were amazing and the asparagus vegetarian pasta. We had great wine and beer throughout the entire night and ended up buying the entire kitchen a round of beers because they had it as an option on their dessert menu! We highly recommend this place for a date or group. The atmosphere was so laid back and comfortable, after trying every restaurant on Market St we will def be going back.
(5)Timothy H.
Not a bad dinning experience in an up and coming neighborhood. I only wish there were more selections on the menu, and you didn't have to pay for rolls!
(3)Martin M.
We went to the HonoNulu event one Sunday Summer night. The tickets were $15 per person and allowed you to eat as much of the buffet food as you like. The selection was very poor, only about 4 items. We started to eat one plate and felt the food was undercooked. The Hawaiian punch we had was overpriced at $7 as it was very small and didn't seem to have much if any alcohol in it. We left after 15 minutes. Very disappointed.
(1)Keri S.
Friday evening I had the privilege of dining at RYE for the first time. IT certainly won't be the last, as every dish we had was phenomenal. Fried butternut squash with fresno chilies and fried sage? YES PLEASE! Can't wait to go back and see what new things they're cookin' up.
(5)Andy M.
Louisville is a wonderful place. A fantastic food scene that seems to get better every time I visit. Add Rye to the list of restaurants you must try the next time you visit this jewel of a City. And for those of you who live in Louisville and haven't tried Rye...what the hell are you waiting for? First thing I noticed was the wide selection of Bourbon's Rye offered. I have never heard of Bardstown Bourbon, but I was a fan after the first sip. And I had a Steak dinner that was fabulous. The meat was tender, juicy and delicious. The service, decor and over all vibe at Rye were all top-notch. As you have probably gathered, I love Louisville and I love the restaurant's in Louisville. All I need to do now is find a job in Louisville so I can dine at Rye more often. Yes folks!! It was that good.
(5)Alan K.
Pretentious, trendy, loud and crowded scene for wannabe Louisville hipsters- that's if you can actually be a hipster in Louisville. Food ok but really reaching to be something they are not - and that is special. But everyone in the place thinks they are- LOL! If you've been anywhere in the world that counts- then you'll realize Rye is trying too hard to be a hot restaurant but doesn't come close. Goes to show money does not suffice for a lack of talent dans Le cuisine. If you are part of the upper crusted Louisville crony club you may get better service. But if you were actually somebody - like a New York Times critic- but unknown to the local elite don't count on it. This place isn't even worth a second chance.
(1)Cason R.
Very good but not great. I had the pork loin which was very well cooked but the beans accompanying it were a touch too salty for what seems to be a restaurant trying to break into the upper tier. I'd say there are other places like wiltshire and Proof where you can get as-good food at not quite so high a price. That said, the burrata and kimchi crostini is a must-order.
(4)Philippa P.
My mom and I came for dinner on a Monday night to Rye and we loved it! There were only a few other people there when we arrived at 730 but by 830 it was filling up! We started with the meat plate which was presented beautifully and was delicious. We also had the buttered shrimp, which were THE MOST DELICIOUS. They tasted like tiny lobsters. The Berkshire pork was also ridiculously good and so light. We didn't order dessert but the menu was hilarious. Our server Jonathan was pleasant and efficient, we loved that they were all dressed down and seemed to have a great time at work. Rye is my new favorite place!
(5)Sandy G.
Stopped in for some libations before getting dinner at the Wilshire. They have an extensive list of original drinks and the one's we decided on were: "The Shit", a spicy drink, " Cucumber Collins" a refreshing strong drink, and the "Hemingway daiquiri" a not too sweet concoction. I refrain from mentioning exact liquors-because I can't remember them...however, these were wonderful artisan beverages. I would come here again! Prices range between 9-12-not bad!
(4)Tonya S.
Six of my close friends and I ventured out to L-ville for the weekend and decided to give Rye a try, per the recommendation of a few local friends in the industry. We had a dinner reservation and were celebrating a friend's birthday. We ended up sitting on the patio as this was all that was available upon arrival. First of all, the interior is inviting. Very modern and rustic design. The kitchen is open...always like that. The patio was nice. We had a table big enough for all seven of us and we were comfortable. The only problem we experienced on the patio was mosquitos, but they quickly and gladly brought citronella candles after our request for bug spray. The drinks were great. One guest only drinks vodka and highly enjoyed the Between the Sheets with rum in it. So delish, she ordered two. Another guest, the birthday girl, ordered a drink called, "The Shit". Cool name and also a good drink. I am an IPA fan and just asked them to bring me their best IPA draft. Good choice. I loved it. As for the food, they started us out with baskets of rolls. Those were amazing. Our starters were the Pickle Plate (loved the Cauliflower!!), the Cheese Plate (I didn't try, but others seemed to love), the Oysters (a few French Kiss's and Marin Miyagi's (both were delish) and the Thai Parsnip & Carrot Soup (raved about by those who tried it). The entrees....myself and a few others opted for the Quinoa Salad and Burrata Toast for an "entree". We LOVED the salad and the toast was good, but not outstanding. Another guest had the Duck Leg Confit and loved it. I am not even a duck fan, but tried it and it was fabulous. One couple shared the Lane Snapper and loved it so much that they were still raving about it the day after. They also ordered a side of the Roasted Candy-Striped Beets and shared them with the table....YUMMY! The last guest had the Coulotte Steak and was very pleased. Overall great experience at Rye. Our service was great. Our experience was great. We left overly pleased with our choice to dine there...and yes, we would go back. Note: I apologize to Rye for running into the server with the extremely large tray of wine glasses and sending them crashing to the floor. Not entirely my fault, but a shared fault of the server and I. I just felt bad and wanted to help clean up the mess, but wasn't allowed.
(5)Victor R.
I really want this place to succeed. I admire the concept - farm to table, rustic ambiance, and trendy location. But the menu and overall value leaves much to be desired. The four of us at the table all got different dishes, but they all tasted the same. It may be a reliance on a particular spice or seasoning...something from the curry or peri-peri family...something I couldn't quite put my finger on. You either love it, or hate it - and my small table unfortunately sided with the latter. I think there's not enough diversity on the menu, especially when it comes to main courses. If you're going to charge $27 in Louisville for the one chicken dish on the menu, it had better be the best half chicken I've ever eaten. And it's not anywhere close, sadly. I really don't mind spending a lot of money on dinner, as long as it's good. But the bill for our four people was nearly $300. It didn't help to be charged $1 for the bread they bring out before your meal (which was the one memorable food item we had). There are a lot of great restaurants in Louisville, and I just don't think this one has the menu to support the price they're charging.
(2)Erin J.
Boyfriend took me here for our anniversary. I should preface this by stating I'm not a big fan of the NuLu area. I find it to be a poorly done knock-off from other cities, almost as if Louisville is trying to hard. But hey, they're trying. We were sat in the bar area. Something I HATE. I think all guests should be asked if they mind sitting in the bar area upon arrival. If it means an extra 40 minute wait, I would prefer to wait for the main dining room. The bar area has four two-topper tables against the back wall. They're pretty close together but that doesn't bother me. What does bother me is the lady in her 50s, in a fur coat and hat (yikes) who is trying to feel important by loudly calling every waiter to the table by name to ask him a million questions. I hope this isn't there usual clientele. I couldn't even hear my date over her silly questions. Waiter offered us drinks. I got the East, Hudson, and Harlem. Pretty tasty drink. I ordered the monkfish and my date ordered the steak, we split a side of fries. Both were good, not fabulous but good. Waiter was very attentive...and attractive. I'm not entirely sure I would return. Food was good but not a great value.
(3)Eric B.
Many moons ago I wandered into Rye, a pilgrim on the Bourbon Trail, a wanderer in the bluegrass wilderness, seeking the source of our sustenance, our sweet, corn soaked sustenance. I found not the burning corn bushel but I did find culinary satisfaction. I recall wearing the Parisian Nightsuit as if it were bespoke; the rye, aperol and madeira coalesced as a smoky sexy lover coating my throat. The cardamaro and Fernet of the Schnitzelberg silenced my vocal chords but its flavors caressed my taste buds. Rye's oysters slid down my throat as children down a waterslide, and the tempura avocado melted in my mouth, sinful as fried butter, yet flaky and free as angel food. I was utterly spent. My darling Kelly basked in the sophistication of the Amelia Earhart and its aviation aspirations as we lolled carelessly in the escaping sun, grazing on cheese and late summer regrets. We were spent but not unsatisfied.
(4)M E.
Either over the top delicious or underwhelming, there doesn't seem to be an in-between here. Love the Brussel sprouts, also an amazing and spicy little cocktail called "the shit". Worth going-- when it's good, it's VERY good.
(3)Dani S.
We did not eat here, we just had a couple glasses of Bourbon. However, the bartenders were super friendly and gave great service!
(5)Michael B.
We stopped in for dinner between shows at the Forecastle Festival, and it was the right choice. Even though we were probably under dressed, they welcomed us with open arms. Everything we at was amazing. The lobster waffles (like chicken and waffles, but amazing!), the drinks were delicious. One of the best, most original, meals I have had in a long time. Go to this place.
(5)Mike P.
Just got back from Rye and we had one the best experiences in our lives. The people were awesome and the food and drinks were very well prepared and thoughtful. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. They even comped us some free food because they felt like we had waited too long. We never even noticed.
(5)Toree P.
Several of us ended up at Rye on last Saturday night after a wedding reception. They closed at midnight and about 15 of us walked in at 11:30... I expected some death states, potential spit on our drinks, and plenty of grumbling workers. What we were met with was big smiles, enthusiasm about the wedding, and patient explanations about all their drinks!! Their cocktail menu is expansive and their list of whiskey even more so. My beer drinking husband and my gin loving self were both very pleased! I ended up with a gin concoction that cooled my tongue and then burned with a slight delayed bite. For the life of me I can't remember what it was called. If you are looking for a place to have a fun cocktail and different experience this is the place for you. It's a little more upscale on the price but a treat every once in a while. If you are just wanting a PBR and some beer pretzels... I would look elsewhere. I can't wait to go back and try some actual food off their menu. Rye is just another reason Nulu is becoming one of my favorite spots on Louisville!
(4)Katherine P.
What can I say about Rye? Well, for starters, I wouldn't write home about it. All the reviews I have seen on yelp rave about it, but we were completely disappointed in our experience. The waitstaff was good, however, the food was mediocre at best and definitely over priced. I feel like all of the people on here that gave Rye excellent reviews have never eaten at Jack Fry's or Lilly's, because those two places are definitely top notch and worth the price. The cheese plate was good, and my boyfriend and our friend enjoyed the oysters. However, between 4 people, we ordered 3 of the 5 available entrees and none of us were remotely excited about our orders. Will not be back to Rye.
(2)Sarah W.
(a) I am seriously going to have to become a cocktail drinker. I usually just drink wine or bourbon, but Louisville is getting way too many establishments with stellar cocktail menus. The Standard Issue Pea Coat at Rye was everything I look for in a cocktail. It was complex and yummy without being cloyingly sweet or so potent you have trouble behaving yourself at dinner. (b) The service is stellar. When we stopped in during restaurant week, everyone was friendly and attentive. When one dish we ordered wasn't to our liking, the staff bent over backwards to find a substitute and ensure that we enjoyed every aspect of our meal. (c) The food is really good. Despite the one hiccup with our starter, everything else was delicious. I look forward to trying more of the menu.
(4)Mark M.
Amazing food. Reasonably priced. Innovative cocktails.
(5)E.J. S.
BOTTOM LINE: The folks at Rye are really putting a lot of care and effort into what they do. If you can afford the ride - take the ride. So, Mrs. Sorrentino and I were in L'ville yesterday and decided to grab a bite around 4:30ish before heading home. She was hipped to Rye by an upscale acquaintance who knows we're looking for digs up there and graciously gave us a short list of places she thought we might like. Rye is housed in a standalone brick building on Market St. and is decorated with lustrous simplicity - exposed brick, gleamy hardwoods et al. It has shiny-warm feel and a enthusiastic casually-dressed hipster staff. Our server knew her menu pretty well. But, she didn't really try to sell us anything, and she left things like a beer-tasting glass we used at the very front of the meal un-bussed until after we got the check. Patio or not, if we're gonna spend $60 for an afternoon snack...you'll wanna be on point. Rye is a for-real Cocktail Palace! You'll pay about $10 for a drink, but it's gonna be a crafted, topshelf-poured, properly prepared drink; deserving of a sipped and admired approach. Do they have PBR in cans for $3? (your little hipster heart is wondering) Yes they do. Honey ordered a delicious bourbon and grapefruit something cocktail from their "borrowed recipe" (nice touch) menu - served in a Tom Collins glass..it was strong and yum. I ordered an Old Fashion. I wanted to see what they did with a classic. They offer most of them. It was good...simplified...no muddled fruit, huge orange zest and emplying one of their multiple bitters choices (one sign of a true Cocktail Palace) It actually tasted more like a potent and delicious orange Manhattan. The food at Rye is a delicious and beautiful (and maybe a wee bit precious) mashup of world-foodie farm-to-table style ingredients meeting rustic classic "Euro -Southern" and Norcal preparations. It's a KY restaurant named after the spirit of spirits so you know there's gonna be pork and whiskey somewhere - the trick for their design was to find them some agreeable companions with which to be paired. They offer a meat plate or a cheese plate ($15) as the only choices in a "Bar snacks and Starters" section that seemed under construction -being that having yummy fried or tapas-ey bar snacks would be a natural here. They have an Oyster section (five good choices - $3 per) Small Plates in the $10-16 range...Main Eats (duck, shrimp and calamari, swordfish or pork loin from $24-28) and Market Sides ($6-8)...We chose the meat plate ($15), a smoked-burrata panzanella salad($12), and some "Merguez-seasoned" fries ($6)..because we wanted to check them out before going all-in and because we knew it was too-early in the day for it to be our last meal. You could spend a whole lotta dough at Rye..We weren't going to ..just yet haha The meat plate stars were a small mound of a soft and delicious rabbit rillette, an amazing pork and hazelnut sausage and some pickled items (squash slices, beet chunks, and watermelon rind pearls)..the also-rans were small and round slices of a not-so-partularily-good hard chorizo and a coffee-cured duck breast that was jerkied enough as to have been almost anything .. the board came with proper crustades and smears of whole grain mustard. I think it would be nice to have a good finishing salt on the table to pop some of the popables...but all-in-all it was wonderful and we'd order it (and everything we ordered really) again. The smoked-burrata panzanella salad was more like a caprese in summer heat than a trad panzanella. It had a delicious basil pistou and every ingredient was lovely..even the wafer thin toasty bits. The burrata didn't taste or look smoked but the overall effect when eaten slowly with a sipped cocktail was excellent. The fries were crunchy-great chubby little dudes ..served in a little bucket. They were seasoned with what we assume are merguez sausage spices and served with harissa ketchup and a tzatziki sauce made with labna. Here, though, is the KY-grown, heirloom, Estill County, Shinicock pickle ....calling out every single ingredient nuance doesn't make the food or cocktail good, or make for a necessarily good value-for-the-price of purchase. It can get that little bit precious and even uppity..it can also be wlldly time-consuming for the staff to have to explain the tids and bits to bourbon-addled hooples......The wrap...Everything we ordered at Rye was delicious, plated beautifully, and served by a smiley staff of motivated service pros. Were there "little things worth mentioning"? Sure, there usually are - that's what reviews try to balance. Rye seems to be succeeding at balancing their friendly with their uppity..It is a great place to be able to go when you want to (for instance) take your sweetie out for two perfect manhattans and some fries ($30 plus tip haha). We'll be back to eat everything they have..Pig Roast?! Saaaalute
(4)Daniel P.
I've eaten dinner at Rye twice in the last few months and both visits were excellent. Jonathan was our server both times and he recommended great choices of wine on both occasions. Great food. Great atmosphere. Will definitely be back soon.
(5)Felipe Z.
I loved this place! So nice and cozy! Lots of different drinks and cocktails to choose. (I personally didn't like any of the cocktails we got in our table, but also I'm not very into cocktails in general) We had the Meat Appetizer and the Cheese Appetizer. I think the cheese one was better, but the meat one had some fun stuff to try. I had the Seafood (mussels) main dish, and it was delicious, but I wish they had given me some more bread to dip in the plate haha. Their fries were pretty good. In all honesty though, I'm giving this place 5 stars not so much for the food, although is in the 4-4 1/2 star range, I'm giving them 5 stars for their service. My friend made the reservations for Valentine's day, and our crowd fluctuated so much starting with 9 coming, then to 3, and then to 6... It was a joke! Yet. the guy helping us with the seating changed our reservations everytime, moved tables, and chairs, and made it possible for us final 6 to be there and enjoy our time without problems. He actually gave us probably the best table in the house. Just his effort alone was hands down the best. Then, our actual server was off the hook, and quuuuiiite pleasant to the eyes I might add hahaha. Everything was well done and planned. The lighting and the location of the tables and the kitchen right there, open and ready to be explored, is definitely a great sight for any new comer into Rye. We had an absolutely great Valentine's evening there, and I, being a visitor, must thank this place and the people working there, because they made it happen.
(5)Lauren C.
Everything about this restaurant rocks. The music is hip, the decor is warm and inviting, the service is impeccable, and the food is dreamy. Not to mention some of the best cocktails Louisville has to offer. I had a potato soup, oysters, a pork dish, and some of my fiance's hamachi. The hamachi definitely outshined my pork (sadly), but they were both delicious and presented beautifully. There's a sign by the bar that if you like your food, you can add $8 to your tab to buy the kitchen a round. Kitchen, you deserved it!
(5)Maheen F.
Randomly followed the "food" sign and it let me to this beautiful little spot. Pricy but delish. My hubby and I enjoyed ourselves throughly, and the cheese platter was fantastic. Our meal was yummy and service was excellent.
(4)Kyle S.
Admittedly, I came for the live music outside, but I quickly grew to appreciate Rye. The layout is spectacular with cozy seating inside, an open kitchen and a long bar. The outside patio is even better if the weather permits it. Large, airy and tucked behind the main building in a way that shields it from the setting sun, it is a great way to spend a spring or summer evening with good friends and good drinks. I haven't eaten here, so I can't comment on the food. The drinks were excellent. Cocktails were well mixed, the beer selection was not notably expansive, but it was good, and the wine list looked to have something that anyone could appreciate.
(4)Ellen A.
Rye is my favorite place in Louisville. The drinks are amazing, food is better than anywhere in town, and the staff are always attentive and genuine. The decor and ambiance is bar none while the playlist always keeps you there for "one more song". My husband and I have made it our regular for drinks and Brad always looks after us. Try "The sh*t" cocktail if you are a gin drinker, the triple cooked French fries as a bar snack (delicious), and the swordfish for dinner (best meal I have had in a long time). You can't go wrong with any of the deserts!! I promise you will not be disappointed. Unlike some other service industry workers, the staff at Rye go out of their way to look after you (without being a nuisance). Do yourself a favor and get there!!
(5)Jori G.
Rye has some of the most delicious food I've ever tried. Their drinks are ridiculously yummy, their duck confit was so tender I only had to gaze at it for the meat to fall off the bone, and the guys they hire are super cute. Tie that in with their summer patio concert series and this is a win-win combo. Sadly I was only able to afford this place thanks to my Grandma wanting to take me out somewhere nice, but despite the prices this place manages to not be pretentious.
(4)Jason G.
LOVE LOVE LOVE. My friends and I always go here first for drinks. Unique cocktails, inviting ambiance and locally sourced everything. Ben the bartender is the best bartender in all of Louisville, and if you don't get drinks from him, you're missing out. I can't speak much to the food except that everything I've snacked on while sitting at the bar has been delicious! Great local spot.
(5)Melissa C.
Dinner on the patio at Rye was a pleasure. The food was great and the staff graciously accommodated dietary restrictions.
(5)Patrick T.
Good food, interesting drink menu and nice quiet but friendly atmoshphere.
(4)Rachel F.
I am a bit torn - 3 or 4 stars. Love the spot. The decor is simple, clean, rustic, and yet trendy. The menu is unique to say the least, and the execution well done. I left with 3 things in my head. 1) yummy 2) overpriced 3) trying a bit too hard to be interesting/cutting edge with the menu. That being said, I will probably be back. The potato gnocchi was quite tasty (the only entree under 20 and none of them come with sides - they are an extra 7ish a piece.) Most entrees were 22-29, significantly higher than Hillbilly Tea and quite comparable to Jack Fry's. So for me, I expect the experience to be same level as Jack Fry's. It wasn't quite there for me. I've had drinks here twice now, and the menu is upscale and the quality is fairly high. The cocktails are all 9 bucks, but quite nice. The service was wonderful. If they knocked a couple bucks off of everything it would go up a star, but still glad to have this new addition in NuLu/Butchertown. I shall add it to my cocktail tour. Tips: Reservations only for 6 or more and it gets pretty packed by 7, even on a weekday. Also, if heading east on Market, there is a little lot right behind the building.
(3)David I.
Great atmosphere and staff. Pretty boys and girls work here, the wife and I had no problem with the eye candy. Beer in cans, gross. Even poured into a glass, they need to turn that up a notch, cans suck. Too many local breweries that sell wholesale to restaurants, a trendy restaurant that turns $50pp checks shouldn't sell poor college student beer (canned). My wife and our guests got cocktails and they were great, highly recommended. The decor is great and the retro bathroom looks cool. The kitchen is open to the dining area and wasn't noisy at all. I gave the waiter a bit of a hard time about a few things but he handled it like a champ and got a huge tip. On to the food.... French fries. For all that is good in the world, get the french fries while you decide what to order for entrees. They must sprinkle them with crack. Best french fries I ever had. The pre-meal bread was fantastic, I could eat baskets of the bread. We got the asparagus side ($8) and it was a complete waste of money. It was soggy and the sauce was runny. Which runs into my entree, the scallops (5) that were cooked ok, but they were served in a watery sauce that I would call a broth/soup. Not bad but I wouldn't get it again. For $26 (entree only) I expect top notch hits for everything. My wife got the steak, it was buried under another watery sauce with veggies. The flavors for the steak were good but the portion was about 5oz, ok for her, but not for me. She also ordered it medium but it came well done (sacrilegious!) I WILL go back. They do have a rotating menu so this review is limited in scope since the dishes will be different on any given day. Like others I'm torn between 3 or 4 stars but the entree holds more weight with me so I had to go with 3. Postscript: I got a very nice email from the owner after my review and I will try Rye again. Everyone has an off night and he seems genuinely concerned about his customers.
(3)Thor N.
Great food. Great space. Great cocktails. Everything is made im house. Food is sourced from top notch local vendors. I highly recommend to anyone visiting Louisville or in Louisville.
(5)Jeff J.
The food and drinks were great. Recommend the Pork and the Brown Derby. Great service, great vibe.
(4)Trevor L.
This is my new favorite restaurant in town. First off, the service is top notch. From waitstaff to bar staff and management, the service was fast, friendly, personal, and everyone was very knowledgeable. The decor is warm and comfortable; southern charm with a modern flair. Obviously, the food is the most important part. It was fantastic. I am usually scared to order raw oysters this far from the ocean, but the ones that we had were very fresh, a perfect way to start the meal. Next, we split an endive salad and an appetizer of mussels. Both were terrific, especially the salad. For an entree, we shared the coulotte steak. The steak was beautifully cooked, and the mushroom purée was life changing. Dessert was a very nice salted chocolate mousse. We tried several different cocktails, and all were pretty tasty. I'm not really a cocktail kind of guy, so my input about that can probably be ignored. Overall, Rye was the source of a very nice dinner for us, and we will be back often.
(5)Rob Y.
My review of Rye is based on 3 trips there, and it's what happened between the last two trips that earns them the 5 star rating and cements their place as my favorite restaurant in Louisville. First off, the restaurant is situated in the newly reclaimed East Market district known as NuLu. The area is now quite popular with the young and hip, you can't throw a rock without hitting a bearded plaid or a poodle skirt with bobby socks. The bar and tables are all well made reclaimed wood with tasteful decorations and decent lighting. Whatever, it's all about the food. And oh, the food. Holy bawls. These guys care about the food. Our favorite appetizer was the fried Head Cheese. Head Cheese is the scraps of meat taken from the head of the pig during butchering - some of the best cuts you can find. Tender, flavorful, delicious. Rye served it very lightly breaded and fried with a simple tarter and a small tart salad on the side. The dish was so perfectly balanced, the acid from the salad cut into the richness of the meats, turning it into an amazing flavorful bite. As it turns out, they are purchasing hogs whole and breaking them down onsite so that they can get the exact cuts of meat they want, exactly the way they want them. Amazing! On our previous visit, we had a not-so positive experience with the Seafood Sausage dish. It's ok, it happens. Not every dish is going to agree with everyone. Being pretty vocal about what we like and don't like, we shared our findings with Michael, the proprietor. As we found out on our most recent trip, unlike some places in town, Rye actually CARES what their customers think and use feedback as an opportunity to learn and improve. That night they took the dish off the menu and rebuilt it. When we arrived, they brought the new and improved version over for us to sample. Oh my gobsmack - this is my new favorite seafood dish in Louisville. The newly made Seafood Sausage is plump and a delightful shade of pink with great sear marks. Breaking into it, the skin popped and the juices flowed. The fish and shrimp were perfectly firm, yet tender, juicy and sumptuous. The sausage rested on a bed of lightly pickled cabbage, Kabocha squash, apples and pickled mustard seed along with a deeply satisfying sweet and sour broth that perfectly complimented the seafood. Every kitchen that's designing their own dishes is going to have some that don't hit at first. The fact that Michael and Chef Tyler care enough to tear down and keep improving in search of perfection put the 5th star on this review.
(5)Kathy V.
I'm gonna bump them up a star because I got a message from someone at Rye asking me about my experience. Knowing that a place cares and wants to improve bodes well for their future of offering good service and a great experience. No joke, it is noticed and appreciated :-)
(4)Duke Of Frisco X.
Came here to check out Rye LV kinda reminded me of Rye SF~ The bartender were friendly and very educational. I was very impressed with the drinks/ food~ the only bad part was they close to early but overall it was a well decorated chill and relaxing bar to hangout @. Come here for great food/ drinks.
(5)Melissa W.
The fennel salad is wonderful!
(4)Brett T.
Ahhhhh NuLu. I don't know where you came from or how you got here, but you're alright in my book. I visited Rye with my friend Kyle a few weeks ago during holiday vacation. We arrived around 6 pm, the place wasn't very busy at all and, being 2 youngish borderline-alcoholics (well me anyway), we decided to sit at the bar. I don't usually complain about service or base my review score on it. I think ultimately the quality of the food is the deciding factor in review rating. You don't want to check my water but once every 30 minutes? Fine, I can deal with that. Don't really seem enthusiastic at all about your job? That's ok too, we're only human. But to not even look my way for 20 minutes after entering the restaurant and sitting at your bar (with 4 other people at the bar and nobody else even sitting in the room) is just unacceptable. The bartender looked like he was stoned out of his mind and was one of the slowest drink makers I have ever seen. If you had glanced over in the first 5 minutes and just said "I'll be with you soon," this would have been a 4-star review. Anyway, the food itself was quite good. We ordered a cheese plate, meat plate, scotch egg, and lightly fried pickled vegetables. All delicious, especially the scotch egg, which I have never had the honor of partaking in before. They had quite a good whiskey collection, including a 15 year pappy, and a pretty cool cocktail list, so no complaints there. We didn't try any main courses but the aforementioned appetizers were enough to fill up 2 guys. I don't remember price exactly, but I want to say we spent around $20 each. Not too shabby.
(3)Mookie M.
We shared the cheese plate and buffalo/roasted tomato apps. We all tried the specialty cocktails, which were great. Three entrees we ordered were also quite good. Service was wonderful. Bar was hopping when we entered - a bit too fun. Some of the bar-goers ended up in the dining room at a table of ten or so and the volume of their voice increased with their alcohol levels. Other than the drunken table, we had a great meal and service.
(4)Heather K.
Fun and unique cocktails. Great craftsmanship on the cocktails and excellent bourbon knowledge by the bartenders. Cocktails are pricey- ($9-12). Food is also good and not as expensive as anticipated (The decor looks like it should be $40-50 per plate not $15-$30). The decor is fresh and cozy. The open air kitchen is wonderful because the aroma comes and greets you as you enter!
(5)Corey A.
Fresh oysters, an in-house charcuterie program, and a global pantry - there's not much to dislike. The FOH and BOH seemed pretty young so I would expect even bigger things from them in the future.
(4)Jordan M.
Poor service, so so food, small portions, high prices. That about sums up Rye. I wanted to like Rye, I thought this restaurant would be another great addition to the awesome market street restaurant scene. Rye is not even competitive with the other restaurants around town in this price range. The only plus side is the nice space. There are much better restaurants in Louisville. Basically, Rye is a wanna-be, they didn't earn a good reputation with food, service, or prices, they came in with little market research and overpriced mediocre food based on a hip atmosphere.
(1)Megan F.
I just want to express my undying love for their cocktails, Bite the Bulleit in particular. Honey, lemon, ginger and bourbon--it's a Hot Tottie for the healthy! It's also just what I need on a night when I may be feeling a little under the weather but not enough so to stay in. Perfectly named, the bite is not only in the Bulleit bourbon, but also in the uber fresh ginger. The bartenders are super knowledgeable and that's clear in not only their recommendations and bar banter, but more importantly you can see their experience in the flicks of their wrists as they quickly throw together fresh fruit and splashes of various liquors to create their spiritedly named concoctions. These people are friendly, skilled--and usually very busy.
(4)William B.
One of the best! Absolutely love the food, drinks, and atmosphere. I have been to Rye several times now and each time is as good as the first. The menu rotates which makes me want to come everyday and see what delicious creation they came up with that day. Everyone at the table got different things and it was ALL amazing. Great work, make sure to show the beards some love!
(5)Jes P.
I initially went to this new spot in town with a group of 5 and none of us felt like we'd go back. I decided to give it a second try, as you always should. I brought a new group of 6 (who hadn't been previously), 6 is Rye's minimum threshold for a reservation. My phone call for a reservation was never returned. We went by the restaurant to see if they maybe had a table and just didn't call back. No table. We were told the manager would come speak to us. We waited for about 10 minutes and the manager never came. The hostess apologized, but we left. I wish this place the best, but I just brought another group of people who won't be back and I won't either. As some members of our group said, as a new restaurant managers and owners should be on site and addressing any issues that arise in a timely manner. If only one manager is on site on a busy Saturday night that is a red flag.
(1)Peyton R.
In retrospect, my first review should have been a five star-er. Rye is truly fantastic, and better with each visit.
(5)Sharon B.
This restaurant was really good. I went while I was visiting Louisville - handsome decor. You could taste the passion in the food - both beautifully plated and so fresh. I will definitely go back again.
(5)Susan T.
Tried to make a reservation because we were taking some older people with us and didn't want them to have to wait for a table, but were informed when I called that they don't take reservations for parties under 6. When we showed up we were asked by two different "hosts" if we had a reservation. There was an hour long wait....we ended up at The Garage and had excellent service and delicious food. It wasn't the kind of place we intended to go that evening, but it was delish!
(1)Jamie F.
Decided to try out Rye for our anniversary based on the Yelp 18 Essential Louisville Restaurants. The interior decor is fab and I love the concept it is a great room to go hang; the best part of Rye are the drinks and great selections of liquor their bartender is amazing. We arrived but they had no menus---just a little weird since she said they print them up every night I guess they blew their printing budget on a Sunday night; not the end of the world but "really" . We started with a mix of the cheese and meat plate and the Tempura Fried Vegetables-the meat and cheeses were amazing except the server and the menu left out that the pickles were very spicy you do not serve with great cheese like Humbolt Fog and rich Duck Liver Pate' spicy pickles...I just do not understand who thought up that one so basiclly it killed our palet. Note to chef. ...so we plow on to the Tempura Veggies...very well battered but 1/2 of the dish were crumbs not veggies all on the bottom of the bowl and it was a salt fiesta whick killed the chili-lime aoli. Glad I had a great cocktail. I really think there is a disconect with the food and lack of harmony in the dishes it seems that they try to create layers and on paper it works but when it came to execution especially with the main courses it just fell flat.The Winter Squash Agnolotti lacked complexity it was a big wet dish of mushy pasta with a sauce that was over salted(again) and heat but no balance from the curry and the lemon was way too much acid for the sauce....what they were looking for just got lost. I must give a thumbs up to the Korean Brussel Sprouts but again way over salted but underneath was a great bundle of flavor and spice countered by the earthy brussel sprouts.My wife ordered the Red Wine Braised Beef and it came out looking amazing and the beef was kudos with beautiful Chanterelle's and the sauce worked then came the grits and it was like eating the ocean........again the salt. I knew they were using a sea salt so I asked for the manager and she was proud that they use sea salt....OK but does anyone actually taste the food before they serve it? We were kind of done at that point and I was really bummed beacuse the place has this amazing feel and groove- you read the menu and it sounds amazing but again what a disconnect. Was it the "C" team a the helm last night since the front hostess said they did not expexct to get slammed (revisit lack of menu's) I do not know and underneath it all there is this wonderful conception of food that just got washed out buy a lot of sea-salt and poor execution. On a plus - the server was great and did not miss a beat and the bar is amazing- sorry I really wanted to eat a kick ass meal for such a great event.
(2)David R.
Great location in Louisville hot NULU district. Food was very good and same for service. Had the salmon and it was good but nothing too special. House salad was very good. Appetizer and salad were better than entree.
(4)Sharon B.
I was a little skeptical after reading some of the reviews on this site, but two friends and I really enjoyed our meal at Rye. The environment is great, the servers are knowledgeable and attentive, and the food is wonderful. The potato gnocchi was terrific, the chicken was tasty and tender, and the seafood sausage was spectacular. I enjoyed both the Dark and Stormy cocktail and the Bite the Bullet cocktail. Great cheeses on the appetizer list and very good homemade pickles. Give it a try!
(4)Makan A.
Menu was well thought and execution at best decent. Flavors were good but below temperature. Maybe too much sous vide technique involved in the production.
(3)Michael P.
Caveat: I've not tried the food here yet. I understand their noteworthy specialty is: should you have a large group, you can order an entire pig brought out. A whole goddamn pig. As a long-time fan of the 1995 feature film Babe, I may never coax myself into doing this, but the option is *ahem* on the table. Oink. So no, I come here to drink after work to help alleviate the gaping hole in my soul. First, Rye's bar and restaurant are separate rooms, which I dig. The bar stock offers a wide variety of bourbons and, expectedly, ryes. Bulleit is the house bourbon, and it's awesome, not that I need to tell any Louisvillian that. The drink that most impressed me though, and I'm not shitting you here... Tacate. You know Tacate? It's like the Mexican PBR. Or think of it this way - if you're a dad, you go for the Corona, a 20 or 30-something, Tacate. Love this nasty beer in the bright red can. However, when you order one, the bartender will fill the top of the can, to just under the lip, with lime juice and sprinkle some salt rocks over the top. Crack open the can, the bold flavors dive in, and it makes a beer that you might order ironically into a remarkably good bev solution. And with all their beer and liquors coming in at the $3 to $6 range, it's undoubtedly the most economical place to have some social elixirs in Nulu. As well, the tables, bar, and decor were often constructed from rehab materials. Not that this has any bearing on the quality of drink or service (which are great by the way), but inventiveness should always be applauded. Rye is a welcome addition to the sometimes-a-little-too-bourgie-for-its-own-good Market Street corridor.
(4)Adam H.
My wife and I decided to try the place out on their second officially open night after hearing weeks of buzz. Our experience explained said buzz. First off we sampled four of the ten or so house cocktails and they all, ALL were killer. From memory we had the Maple Manhattan, New York Sour, Elderflower Fizz, and the Rock 'n Rye. The Fizz and Sour were some of the best cocktails we've had in a long time! Our appetizer was delicious, soft egg, ricotta, broccoli rabe on toast. We decided to split an entree and sample some sides. The gnocchi with brussels and winter squash was seriously ridiculous. A huge portion but we were splitting it and momentarily considered ordering another. Probably the smoothest texture gnocchi I've ever had. We opted for the fries with w/ chipotle aioli, which we were told are cooked 3 times to ensure a crisp exterior and soft inside. Also had the butter beans with chipotle and feta. Both were superb. For dessert since the place was new and we were stricken with indecisiveness we each ordered our own. The pear panna cotta was drizzled in the most flavorful floral honey I've ever eaten. It actually took me a second to get used to it as it tasted like flowers smell... good! My wife had the sticky toffee spoon bread which was also delicious and walked the line between sweet and savory almost. Great meal, drinks, atmosphere and service... we'll be back, on the reg.
(5)Becki H.
Went by on their first Friday open. It was also the First Friday Trolley Hop, so I decided to channel my inner elderly lady and have an early dinner to avoid the rush. For drinks, my date had the Maple Manhattan, and I had a glass of the house red wine. Both were quite good - I'd like to go back and try some of their other cocktails, because that Manhattan was delicious. Food-wise everything was excellent. The cheese plate was phenomenal (the St. Angel Triple Cream was like butter). We also really enjoyed the meatballs and the smoked whitefish with capers & chickpeas. On suggestion from our server, we also got an order of the french fries with aioli - they were perfectly executed homestyle fries - crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. The decor is typical of the Nulu area - repurposed materials and clean lines - and everything looks very modern and hip. Definitely worth repeat visits. Beware of long waits for the next few weeks as everyone flocks to try the new spot! (Edited for grammar, oh my!)
(4)G. S.
The place was good and the music festival they had was great, but the waiter was rude and the food was quite simple, definitively not worth how expensive it is!
(2)Emily G.
Corn fritters and every single cocktail here!! But especially the "I fink you freeky"
(5)A A.
I love RYE. They have fresh high quality food and a menu that is constantly changing with the seasonal availability of food. I've eaten here probably a dozen times and I've never had a bad meal. I love piecing together the sides, appetizers and salads to make a meal, but that is probably because I can try more things and everything on the menu always looks so good. Cocktails are also delish. Highly recommend.
(5)Megan J.
Although we didn't see a huge crowd inside, we decided to check it out. I'm so glad that we did! We had such a great experience, from delicious food, to amazing drinks, we decided to revisit it while we were in town. The second time was equally as impressive. The atmosphere is modern, yet relaxing and quaint. The only reason not to give this place a 5 star rating was that the menu was quite small, and being a vegan, that doesn't always want to eat lettuce, there was very little to choose from. But again, sampling my fiance's food and digging into dessert, the food they do offer is incredible!
(4)Amanda F.
What are you looking for in a bar? Rye probably has it. It's trendy, clean, inviting, the drinks are great and the food is reasonably priced and delicious. Everything about this place made me feel like I was in a different city. The entire menu is interesting so you will definitely find yourself trying something new. The cocktails are divine. This is going to sound bizarre but be sure you visit the restroom at least once - it was beautiful. I'm a sucker for old architecture.
(4)Nathalie R.
Rye is good but not great. It is definitely overpriced.
(3)Tamara D.
Delicious! Wonderful atmosphere and fantastic service. The menu is created daily, based on available local ingredients, and is clean enough that just about anyone with any food preferences. If you're in Louisville, you should put this on your short list of places to eat.
(5)Erika Y.
We had a fabulous dining experience at this farm-to-table style gem of a restaurant in Louisville. From the complimentary mind-blowing rolls with salted butter to the fantastic specialty cocktails, we knew the meal was off to a promising start. Our table of four ordered almost every appetizer and side on the menu and we were extremely impressed with the complex flavor profiles and creativity that each dish brought to the table. We were also surprised that our entire meal was practically vegetarian (and we do love meat!) but we didn't even notice because it was all so fresh, flavorful and delicious. Our server was fantastic and we absolutely loved discovering that he also was a farmer who provided produce to the restaurant! Even coming from Portlandia, that was a first. The meal was perfectly finished with French press coffee and three unique desserts that each of us argued was our favorite. We would all highly recommend this restaurant to any foodie visiting "Luvull"! :)
(5)Sam S.
We didn't stay for dinner, but the drinks were gratifying.
(4)Plastic Palace A.
I only sat at the bar and had, well, a rye, but I am going to give it 5 stars for the good service, the friendly patrons, and the cool atmosphere. Had a below average dinner up the street at Decca and wish, wish, wish I had eaten here at Rye. Menu looks great. Screw you Decca. Rye is where it is at!
(5)Stacey S.
Thanks to Joe B. who confirmed the grilled cheese is only on the lunch menu. So make your lunch plans soon!
(4)Ellen R.
We had a great experience at Rye. I agree with another reviewer who said that one of the things they wanted in a restaurant is well executed food that you wouldn't or couldn't execute yourself. I loved the smallish menu which included 3 entrees and many sides and small plates, The food was truly delicious. The cocktails were lovely and the house red for $7 was an exceptional grenache, Montes Oton. We started with Japanese roasted peppers with a delicious sauce that included peanuts. There were plenty for everyone to taste. We also tasted the triple cooked fries with aoili which were very good. The oysters were excellent. Although I amoriginally from near Cape Cod, I found the Fanny Bay the very best of the varieties. I was grateful that they were all cold water sourced oysters. A salsify soup with a fried oyster was excellent. Other dishes included the pork (the best I've had in any restaurant), a lobster and cornbread dish that was full of large chunks of sweet lobster, a pasta with porcini, and halibut. Everyone was more than happy. Our service was excellent and knowledgeable. I might lower the volume on the music to enhance conversation but the restaurant was not crowded. I will definitely return to Rye and hope it becomes a fixture in Louisville.
(5)Brett W.
After eating at Rye last night, I realize that I continue to be amazed by Louisville's food scene. Since Rye has opened, it has definitely been on my list to go to, but I never gave it a ton of thought. In fact, I was fully prepared to be underwhelmed. But, like so many of the other gems in this city, Rye totally delivers. Rye goes on my short list of joints in this city that actually feel like they belong in a bigger, even more renowned city. To be honest, the feeling of this place reminds me a bit of a cross between Proof and the old 732 Social. Rye does have the prices to go with this bigger city feel (think $9+ cocktails and appetizers in the $12-$15 range) but really, they backup those higher prices with quality. The other fun component of my visit to Rye was that it occurred during "Pescatarian Week". As a result, there was no meat on the menu. This really was a bonus to me, as I am definitely a fan of the fish, and if anything is encouraging me to go back soon to sample some of their more regular offerings. I ended up having two great cocktails in the Rock n' Rye and the Maple Manhattan. Both really well executed. On the food side, the wife and I shared the Fried Blowfish appetizer (worth trying, but probably my least favorite dish of the night), the Octopus Salad (definitely a standout, really great flavor profile), the Seafood Sausage (definitely very unique, at least to me, very glad I tried), and the Heirloom Beans (awesome side, up there with the Octopus Salad as my favorite). We finished off our meal with a delightful dessert, the Bananas Luscious. Highly, highly recommended! The funny thing about having this dessert is that I felt like I had a revelation when it comes to desserts at spendier restaurants. This particular dessert was $9, about what you'd expect from a place like this. I usually feel like that is a bit much for one dessert, but usually order anyway (at least when I've had a great restaurant experience and want to give the restaurant a chance to show me all of their offerings for a complete assessment). Whenever I get dessert, I always share and always am satisfied with my half. So now, I'm essentially looking at a $4.50 dessert for myself. Compare that to a scoop of ice cream at a premium place like Graeter's or Comfy Cow and you're looking at what, $4.50 compared to $3-3.50 maybe? Really not much of a difference in price and considering the ambiance, presentation, service, and everything else you get with it, I really have concluded that those desserts are totally worth it. Sorry for that huge tangent, but purposes it will encourage someone else to order more desserts. All in all, Rye is just one more bullet on the checklist of why I love Louisville. I definitely loved the feel of the place inside and could see it being a great place to come to hang out and try a bunch of different drinks and various food offerings. If you have not been yet, definitely add it to your list and continue to think about what a great food city Louisville really is!
(4)Ryan M.
While the food, atmosphere, and service was great, I do not believe that the price was justified. I may be back for cocktails but will likely choose somewhere else to dine.
(3)Jesse B.
Rye is a really good restaurant in a neat space with good attention to detail in design overall. Sadly the attention to detail doesn't extend to the service, which was just plain bad the first time I was there and on the negative side of mediocre the second. The charcuterie is all done in house and everything I've had has been great. The only criticism I'd have is that the staff isn't knowledgeable about the products and the menu only lists them by name. Not a big deal on items like rabbit liver pate and pancetta, but for a sausage like Thuringer which, like bourbon, has specific legal stipulations regarding its production, it can be the difference between someone trying that product or not. We pretty much got talked out of ordering not by what our server told us about it, but more the fact that she couldn't accurately answer our questions and made no effort to find out. The food in general is very good, but the menu changes frequently and popular items are intentionally eliminated in development of new menus so the chef and kitchen staff can avoid having to make the same thing from now until eternity and to force people to try new things and keep the kitchen focused on developing new ideas and dishes. this might be off-putting for some, but I personally really respect that decision. By the same token though, it doesn't hurt to ask for recommendations as we had one dish that fell a little flat and when we mentioned it to the server she said that it was still in a more experimental phase. Of course, the quality of the recommendation will depend on the quality of service you're getting that day, so from my experience I wouldn't bank on it too heavily. Your chances are still good for getting a good meal though, as we were only really disappoint by one out of 15 dishes over the course of two visits. I would definitely recommend this place just based on the food alone.
(4)Melanie K.
With such great buzz I have to to ask myself, Rye did this happened? I feel slightly torn about my review since my boyfriend and have met and know about both owners. We are also friends with the owners friends, but I must be honest as a friend, that some constructive criticism is the only way to improve. As everyone knows, it is easier to write longer about the bad things that happened then to mention everything went well. We decided to attend on a Wednesday night in hopes of better chance to take in a slower evening. For a Wednesday this place was pretty crowded, but when we walked in we were sat immediately. Our server told us then she would be with us in a minute. Multiple minutes later after we both had time to not only choose our drinks, food, and talk about how are days went someone with water came over. I think once they noticed we still had not been served our server came over and took our full order with no apologies. As a server I always take note of the service area that a server has. Being observant I can usually pick out if the server has a large party or a larger section then normal. Considering that Rye is more of a gutted old style shot gun house, I could clearly see our server was chatting with friends while ringing in her orders, talking with other guests for an extended time, and just not prioritizing well. After the initial delay all other service came in a timely fashion, which is why we still tipped well and did not take a way a complete star for service. During our whole meal we had to repeat and scream at each other from across our small table. I understand about the brick being aesthetic in some cases but it also reverberates sound. If this place hung a couple carpet murals or artistic sound panels in the main dining room they would notice a HUGE difference in sound. Our server even commented on the noise and asked us to repeat our order at one time. For a cocktail I got the KY Breakfast. The menu stated there would be Bacon Bourbon and "ORANGE" in my drink. The way the drink described I thought I was getting an up drink or a twist of orange, what came to the table was an Irish Aspirin. My drink was just bourbon and orange juice, a ton of juice. I could not even taste anything besides ORANGE until the last few sips of my drink. I would not have ordered it if I thought the drink was going to be mostly juice. For dinner we ordered the chickpea croquettes which were presented well and tasted amazing. This appetizer was the quality of food you would expect from Rye. The one owner we met stated that the Gnocchi was his favorite dish to make and man was it mine to eat. It was the best Gnocchi that I have ever tasted, absolutely amazing. In fact, my boyfriend did me the favor of finishing my burger so I could have the rest of his Gnocchi. I was craving a simple burger that they asked how I like prepared, but was recommended Medium Rare. I asked for it Medium but I guess the chief was insistent because it still came out Medium Rare. The only toppings were butter pickles and white cheddar every thing else was tasteless. Perhaps this is a personal preference, but if I am not going to use condiments or have a full burger setup of toppings, I am expecting the burger to have a flavor or seasoning to it. Hence, I gave the burger to my boyfriend to finish so I could have the better of the two entrees. My boyfriend and I always try to be a perfect check when we dine at a restaurant for the first time. Perfect check patrons always get a cocktail, appetizer/salad, entree, and dessert; using this method we get the full experience and help generate the business more revenue. Now even though our ears where ringing and we were not satisfied with our meal, we still decided to order dessert. I am a huge fan of toffee so we ordered the toffee cake. The dessert had great presentation, but the cake was dry, the cherry compote was decent, and the toffee pieces were burnt. We are not certain if was intended to have a spice seasoning on the toffee but there was. If this was a seasoning accident I can understand. If this is how the dessert is suppose to come then it should be described on the menu. I would be highly upset if I ordered a dessert, had a spice aversion, and got spicy burnt toffee that was not listed as a ingredient on the menu. I am still giving this restaurant three stars due to the concept, the Gnocchi, and a supportive star for the personal ties I have. I will be back because I so desperately want to see my Rye friends take my opportunities for improvement to heart. I want to upgrade my star review and shrug this off as a bad first impression for a new restaurant.
(3)Karen M.
We had a fantastic dinner here. The service was fast, hot rolls and butter are to die for, and the entrees were delicious. We will definitely be coming back again soon.
(4)Carl F.
As my father used to say, "Nothing to write home about". Wife and I liked our dining experience, but it was not as memorable as we would have expected for the price and the hype we'd read from other Yelp reviews.... Food: Not bad, but again not memorable. My wife had the English Pea Agnolotti and I the Culotte Steak. We shared a starter of "Crab & Corn Fritters while enjoying cocktails.....I will admit that the Crab & Corn Fritters were excellent and perhaps the highlight of the meal. Wife's dish while tasty was a disappointingly small portion for the price. My steak was cooked exactly as I ordered, but came with little flavor to mark it as a memorable steak. Drinks: Cocktails are excellent. My wife's Margarretta and my Manhatten were greatly enjoyed. The beer I had (off their draft selections) came too warm for my taste. Service: Excellent! The staff greated us and really made us feel comfortable and checked on us regularlly. Service was a highlight of our experience at Rye. Atmosphere: Comfortable Casual is best way to describe the decor and atmosphere. It all worked with the gracious staff! Overall: A good meal, but the limited menu and the price point probably wont be drawing us back to Rye....unless for drinks over a few shared appetizers.
(2)Craig M.
class place. everything was great. cocktails are stars.
(5)Neal C.
A Gem With Only One Complaint Rye is a great addition to the NuLu district. I expected it to be hopping and difficult to get in, but picking Tuesday night I think made a big difference. The bar was indeed loud and crowded with what appeared to be a 25-35 age crowd, but the dining room only had a few tables. From other reviews, I'd been led to believe the cocktails were special here, as they should be with a name like Rye. They didn't disappoint. The Cucumber Smash was delicious but in a small glass packed with ice, crushed cucumber, lime and Basil, it took only 4 good swigs and it was gone. $9 gone. The Cool James was also a wonderful, creative martini. The Dark and Stormy was good but I've had better. All cocktails are $9. We shared 3 starters with our cocktails, Marinated Olives (they come hot, as in temperature), Smoked Salmon Pâté and Chickpea Croquettes. The waiter graciously added a 4th croquette so we each got one and they came with a delicious yogurt sauce. Salmon was good but a generous portion came with only 2 "Sally Lunn" rolls. The olives were quite good but for $6, I'd expect more than a dozen olives. We had 2 entrees, the Whole Roasted Balck Bass and the Carrot Agnolotti (a ravioli). Both were delicious with the agnolotti served with peas mint and a very light lemon sauce. A wonderful refreshing and light dish. We also tried several sides, all delicious, Borlotti Beans, Kale and Onions, Braised Greens and the Vegetable Panzanella salad with Advocados and Cucumber and Fries with Chipotle Aioli. The service was attentive but not overbearing. The one complaint, the prices were too high across the board. Don't get me wrong, the food was superb but appeared priced for the restaurant to make good money, not to give the customer good value. I don't mind spending money for good food, but even the fries for $6 came with only a dozen or so fries. I mentioned the olives earlier and a bowl of beans and kale for $8 or the bowl of braised greens for $8 seem way to high. You could go with just an entree and they do have vegetables included in the dish, but the sides looked so tempting .... except additional rolls for $1.50 each. With all the great restaurants both in the NuLu district and elsewhere, this is probably not one I'd return to for this simple reason.
(3)Scott M.
Great atmosphere; incredible food; very good wine list. Terrific attention to detail by the staff. This is a great new spot.
(5)Emily S.
Four of us went to dinner on a Saturday night and were able to get a table quickly -- plus. We were excited about the menu and a new restaurant in the area. The food was fine but didn't live up to the prices. Among the four of us, we had small plates, sides, and appetizers, and we split a dessert. Nothing was bad, but it just wasn't quite there. Couldn't taste the capers or the anchovies in the cauliflower dish; the croquettes were described as "eh." The fries got high marks, however. The waiter said good things about the pastrami sandwich, but we ended up canceling the order for it when everything else was on the table and it hadn't been made yet. In addition, with such an emphasis on local foods/sustainability at many other restaurants in the neighborhood and in town now, it was interesting that Rye couldn't give a lot of information on where their meat came from. Since it's new, I'm willing to give it another try and see if some of the menu bumps get smoothed out.
(3)Marla L.
A friend of mine from Libertyville, IL recommended Rye when he found out I was going to Louisville with a group of friends. He couldn't have chosen a better place. We started with fantastic cocktails, heirloom radish salad and king salmon ceviche, both fresh and delicious...seasoned nicely. Then moved on to Seared Hawaiian Ono and broiled Maine Herring, each very different but perfectly cooked and more than enjoyable. We finished with chocolate, caramel, sea-salt, blueberries, and hazelnut. I almost forgot what we ate prior it was soooooo good. If that wasn't enough, the service was perfection; attentive, helpful, friendly. I felt like I was invited into their home for dinner!
(5)Lynn N.
I was visiting Kentucky for the weekend and I found this resistant on thrillist. I felt that the story behind the chef was kind of cool so I have this restaurant a try. The cheese plate was superb. Lots of rich flavors. We also order the ceviche and felt that it was okay. The best thing on the menu was the dessert. I forgot the exact name but it had something to do with "earth". Really great chocolate moose and dark shavings. For a Sunday night, I was surprised that this place was so empty. Louisville in general was just really empty. It's like no one goes to the city on the weekends.
(4)Rose M.
Went here for an anniversary dinner and was so incredibly pleased. I'd been to Rye once before, but only for a bourbon on the rocks with some friends (can't mess that up). My first drink was my favorite - Light in the Attic! So light, fresh, and a little spicy. Next time I go back I will have another of these, maybe two! The boy got the Brown Derby and another that were both quite delicious as well. I got the Charlie Hustle as well, but my dislike of candy watermelon flavor got the best of me. Won't dock any stars for that - it's a personal preference thing, anyone who loves watermelon flavor would like it! We got the salmon ceviche to start and it was delicious. The dinner rolls that came out first were so good I could have eaten 10,000 of them. We got the steak to share, around 40oz of perfectly cooked rib eye with a great sauce, garlic, and lemons. There were some fries on the side, but I barely touched them because I had already gotten so full. Overall an amazing dinner, great vibe, and super tasty drinks. We had a great time and will be back again soon!
(5)Karen R.
We went to Rye on a whim. My husband wanted a steak, I wanted whatever. Anything sounded good at the moment. Once we found out the steak was a whole cow and destined for 2 people (and around $60-80ish) we decided to go a different route. And that route was a beautiful one. We ordered the cheese & charcuterie board. $30 and totally worth it. It came to the table and I didn't want to eat it because it was STUNNING. Such a beautiful presentation. Good thing we were the only ones there, because this deserved a photo shoot. I was standing on my chair to get everything in one shot (not really, but I was close ). Anyway, besides it looking gorgeous, it was heavenly. The textures and flavors were paired perfectly and we ate EVERYTHING. We were full afterwards and very content. Ahhh, happy belly.
(5)Michelle W.
Great drinks and great conversation with the bartenders Doug and Nick. I am in town with some coworkers and we'll definitely be stopping by again before we leave. Had the Flying Hawaiian - delish but sour/sweet so you better be into that... and a Bite the Bulleit - perfect ginger kick. My friends had the Yankee clipper, Charlie hustle, and a few high end whiskey/scotch glasses...and lets just say there were no complaints. This review is just based on the bar, but the entire ambiance is a cool neo-rustic vibe and we've heard good things about their menu. Experience to be continued...
(5)Amy L.
Classy sassy and bad-assy. I love the atmosphere of this place. It is warm, rustic and high-end all the same time. I can't wait to go back. I had been here a few times before for cocktails but this was my first for dinner. I was so impressed with the bartenders. True mixologists making unique, amazing cocktails with fresh ingredients. Keep 'em coming! It's difficult to pick a favorite drink since I loved all that I tried but the one called "The Shit" is seriously THE SHIT! So refreshing with a kick. The Miss Elizabeth is very tasty too. Vodka, Five Spice, Ginger, Lime, Baked Apple Bitters-Yum! For dinner my husband and I decided to order several small plates to share. We had 2 different types of oysters on the half shell which were so elegant and fresh. We also ordered the kale salad, soft egg toast and smoked salmon. All amazing flavors. The kale salad was seriously out of this world. I love that Rye uses seasonal ingredients and keeps a small menu. The focus is on quality. Our server was attentive and knowledgable. She wished me happy birthday right away and I appreciated that. We will be back!
(5)Amber H.
I had the salmon ceviche it was very Peruvian style inspired. I thought it was good and fresh. Very small menu not a lot to choose from. They give you a "free roll" which I thought was very good. Staff reminds me of LA. If you are hipster and like a cool vibe and food. Come here. And def if you like bourbon or mixology, This is the place for you!
(4)Kaopectate P.
Excellent food with perfect execution. The salmon collar was the best dish I've had in Louisville. Drinks great, dessert great. Talked to the kitchen staff after and all were a friendly bunch. Highly recommend this place for someone looking for a nicer meal in town.
(5)Deborah L.
First, I had visited Rye a number of times since they opened and was consistently blown away by their food, their chef is amazing, the management and service unfortunately not. We went there a few weeks ago to celebrate my daughters high school graduation on a Monday nite and were a party of 9. I chose this place from all the restaurants in town as I had always been so impressed with the menu, the food ect and this was such a once in a lifetime event, not a birthday that comes every year. I hadn't been there in over 6 months and wasn't aware how the menu had changed. They used to offer a great variety of entrees yet when we were there we had 4 to choose from with one being a " market price" steak for 2 which turned out to be approx. $40.00 per person...hugely overpriced. While we ordered 2 appetizer platters, both the cheese and the meats our group was starving...so we asked for more rolls. Our waiter told us they were out of rolls in the kitchen which sounded odd, so I asked the asst. manager about that and she said no, they had plenty of rolls but if you want more than one they were $1.00 each...alienating policy to say the least so we passed. The person next to me asked for iced tea 3x before receiving it and my daughter complained about having trouble getting refills for her drink...our waiter often rolled his eyes when we asked for anything....even a to go box. I gave up as I had asked for salt and pepper when the food came, and finally got pepper more than halfway through dinner and never did receive the salt. We had planned on having dessert there but when I asked everyone if they'd like dessert my daughter asked to speak with my privately and said she didn't want dessert as this was the rudest place she'd ever been and just wanted to leave. Please know none of my 3 children have ever refused dessert when out. That's how bad our service was. To make matters worse, they added a mandatory 20% tip which due to the inflated pricing translated to close to $80.00 which I flatly refused to pay as any tip is based on service received which was severely lacking. The only way I could settle this was to offer to pay 50% of the tip which the owner reversed the next day. I have never posted a negative review anywhere online however after thinking about this for several weeks i felt it important for people to know about our experience. We're huge foodies and there are so many options in Louisville with great food, stellar service, a more diverse menu and more reasonable prices with complimentary rolls/bread that I unfortunately have to share Rye just doesn't cut it any longer. If you're seeking a great place to celebrate a special event I would absolutely go elsewhere.
(1)Priscilla P.
3.5 very limited menu. restaurant itself is beautiful. loved the minimal/industrial/rustic decor. got a salad and the 35 oz rib eye to share. ordered the steak medium but got well done! many parts of it were charred. the fries that accompanied it were not memorable. salad was okay but a couple bites of it were super salty. service was great.
(3)Joe G.
Drinks: 3/5. Service: 3/5. Koopa Troopa Beach (mezcal, passion fruit, citrus, cilantro), Sherbet Land (tequila, sherry, line, sherbet). Well made, creative cocktails. The appearance, decor was more formal than the actual atmosphere.
(3)Nathan C.
Great. Country ham hanging over the line, perfect frites, delicious through & through.
(5)Nikki M.
I went there last night for a dinner training for my job. I was initially unimpressed with the selections offered for us, being that I'm vegan. BUT after I asked the waitress if there was anything that I could have modified for my meal they brought me out a beautiful salad that was above and beyond what most restaurants give me. The salad was void of the typical iceberg lettuce restaurants provide and actually had dark greens! Along with grapefruit and quinoa. I was very happy! It's very important to me when a restaurant caters to special diet restrictions. Also, my waitress was awesome! The ambiance was beautiful. My only complaint is the chairs upstairs were merely benches that didn't have a back to lean on, they had little splinters sticking out so it was uncomfortable. I would return more often if they had regular vegan options on the menu though! Overall I was very pleased.
(4)Sean M.
Visiting for Derby Weekend we were expecting service to be a little off everywhere. Not at Rye. Arrived early for our reservation and were promptly seated after some delicious bourbon concoctions. Our waiter mentioned the restaurant was the busiest he had ever seen, but you would have never known. The service was impeccable. Never a dry glass. Now to the food- de.li .cious. A friend and I opted for the 3# steak- yes 3#. Paired with the spinach and fries we were in carnivore heaven. Not sure when we'll be back to Louisville, but rest assured Rye will be at the top of the list.
(5)Kellee K.
Four of us dined at Rye for dinner. We practically had the place to ourselves and we nearly ordered every item on their limited menu. We started with the meat ($15) and cheese plate ($15), which offered a selection of pork, cow, sheep and goat cheeses. I couldn't resist the Bone-in Berkshire Pork Chop with chestnut confit and sweet potato ($35), two selected the steak ($30) from the menu and one had the lobster bisque ($10). We could not choose from the side selections so we had one of each: Butternut Gratin ($8), Triple Cooked Fries ($6) and Korean Roasted Brussels Sprouts ($8) and a concoction of beans that I don't quite recall. Everything was nicely executed. The chop was one of the best I've eaten, and the steaks were thoroughly enjoyed. The favorite side was the butternut gratin. It was so comforting, perfect for a cold winter night.
(4)raquel a.
Came here for dinner after the derby. Had the pork and grits. Pork was cooked to perfection! The grits were just right. The portion was perfect as well as the prices. For desert had the salted caramel n nuts which was so yummy even though it was filling. No espresso, bummer, so had the French pressed coffee. So darn good! All in all it was a great dining experience and worth going back to.
(5)Michael E.
The wife and I came here for our first anniversary dinner, and we were not disappointed! We had the ahi tuna and shrimp as starters--the tuna was delicious, and the shrimp just fine albeit a bit creepy to eat. We shared the ribeye as a main dish, and it was incredible--I could almost feel my arteries clogging as I ate. Simply awesome. Don't skip a peek at the dessert menu--we bought the kitchen a round of beers (happy new year!) and sampled the chocolate cremeaux (chocolate pudding on steroids). Our server was reasonably attentive and very gracious. Took one star off for the prices, which are a little high in my opinion.
(4)Jesse B.
Rye is a really good restaurant in a neat space with good attention to detail in design overall. Sadly the attention to detail doesn't extend to the service, which was just plain bad the first time I was there and on the negative side of mediocre the second. The charcuterie is all done in house and everything I've had has been great. The only criticism I'd have is that the staff isn't knowledgeable about the products and the menu only lists them by name. Not a big deal on items like rabbit liver pate and pancetta, but for a sausage like Thuringer which, like bourbon, has specific legal stipulations regarding its production, it can be the difference between someone trying that product or not. We pretty much got talked out of ordering not by what our server told us about it, but more the fact that she couldn't accurately answer our questions and made no effort to find out. The food in general is very good, but the menu changes frequently and popular items are intentionally eliminated in development of new menus so the chef and kitchen staff can avoid having to make the same thing from now until eternity and to force people to try new things and keep the kitchen focused on developing new ideas and dishes. this might be off-putting for some, but I personally really respect that decision. By the same token though, it doesn't hurt to ask for recommendations as we had one dish that fell a little flat and when we mentioned it to the server she said that it was still in a more experimental phase. Of course, the quality of the recommendation will depend on the quality of service you're getting that day, so from my experience I wouldn't bank on it too heavily. Your chances are still good for getting a good meal though, as we were only really disappoint by one out of 15 dishes over the course of two visits. I would definitely recommend this place just based on the food alone.
(4)Melanie K.
With such great buzz I have to to ask myself, Rye did this happened? I feel slightly torn about my review since my boyfriend and have met and know about both owners. We are also friends with the owners friends, but I must be honest as a friend, that some constructive criticism is the only way to improve. As everyone knows, it is easier to write longer about the bad things that happened then to mention everything went well. We decided to attend on a Wednesday night in hopes of better chance to take in a slower evening. For a Wednesday this place was pretty crowded, but when we walked in we were sat immediately. Our server told us then she would be with us in a minute. Multiple minutes later after we both had time to not only choose our drinks, food, and talk about how are days went someone with water came over. I think once they noticed we still had not been served our server came over and took our full order with no apologies. As a server I always take note of the service area that a server has. Being observant I can usually pick out if the server has a large party or a larger section then normal. Considering that Rye is more of a gutted old style shot gun house, I could clearly see our server was chatting with friends while ringing in her orders, talking with other guests for an extended time, and just not prioritizing well. After the initial delay all other service came in a timely fashion, which is why we still tipped well and did not take a way a complete star for service. During our whole meal we had to repeat and scream at each other from across our small table. I understand about the brick being aesthetic in some cases but it also reverberates sound. If this place hung a couple carpet murals or artistic sound panels in the main dining room they would notice a HUGE difference in sound. Our server even commented on the noise and asked us to repeat our order at one time. For a cocktail I got the KY Breakfast. The menu stated there would be Bacon Bourbon and "ORANGE" in my drink. The way the drink described I thought I was getting an up drink or a twist of orange, what came to the table was an Irish Aspirin. My drink was just bourbon and orange juice, a ton of juice. I could not even taste anything besides ORANGE until the last few sips of my drink. I would not have ordered it if I thought the drink was going to be mostly juice. For dinner we ordered the chickpea croquettes which were presented well and tasted amazing. This appetizer was the quality of food you would expect from Rye. The one owner we met stated that the Gnocchi was his favorite dish to make and man was it mine to eat. It was the best Gnocchi that I have ever tasted, absolutely amazing. In fact, my boyfriend did me the favor of finishing my burger so I could have the rest of his Gnocchi. I was craving a simple burger that they asked how I like prepared, but was recommended Medium Rare. I asked for it Medium but I guess the chief was insistent because it still came out Medium Rare. The only toppings were butter pickles and white cheddar every thing else was tasteless. Perhaps this is a personal preference, but if I am not going to use condiments or have a full burger setup of toppings, I am expecting the burger to have a flavor or seasoning to it. Hence, I gave the burger to my boyfriend to finish so I could have the better of the two entrees. My boyfriend and I always try to be a perfect check when we dine at a restaurant for the first time. Perfect check patrons always get a cocktail, appetizer/salad, entree, and dessert; using this method we get the full experience and help generate the business more revenue. Now even though our ears where ringing and we were not satisfied with our meal, we still decided to order dessert. I am a huge fan of toffee so we ordered the toffee cake. The dessert had great presentation, but the cake was dry, the cherry compote was decent, and the toffee pieces were burnt. We are not certain if was intended to have a spice seasoning on the toffee but there was. If this was a seasoning accident I can understand. If this is how the dessert is suppose to come then it should be described on the menu. I would be highly upset if I ordered a dessert, had a spice aversion, and got spicy burnt toffee that was not listed as a ingredient on the menu. I am still giving this restaurant three stars due to the concept, the Gnocchi, and a supportive star for the personal ties I have. I will be back because I so desperately want to see my Rye friends take my opportunities for improvement to heart. I want to upgrade my star review and shrug this off as a bad first impression for a new restaurant.
(3)Karen M.
We had a fantastic dinner here. The service was fast, hot rolls and butter are to die for, and the entrees were delicious. We will definitely be coming back again soon.
(4)Carl F.
As my father used to say, "Nothing to write home about". Wife and I liked our dining experience, but it was not as memorable as we would have expected for the price and the hype we'd read from other Yelp reviews.... Food: Not bad, but again not memorable. My wife had the English Pea Agnolotti and I the Culotte Steak. We shared a starter of "Crab & Corn Fritters while enjoying cocktails.....I will admit that the Crab & Corn Fritters were excellent and perhaps the highlight of the meal. Wife's dish while tasty was a disappointingly small portion for the price. My steak was cooked exactly as I ordered, but came with little flavor to mark it as a memorable steak. Drinks: Cocktails are excellent. My wife's Margarretta and my Manhatten were greatly enjoyed. The beer I had (off their draft selections) came too warm for my taste. Service: Excellent! The staff greated us and really made us feel comfortable and checked on us regularlly. Service was a highlight of our experience at Rye. Atmosphere: Comfortable Casual is best way to describe the decor and atmosphere. It all worked with the gracious staff! Overall: A good meal, but the limited menu and the price point probably wont be drawing us back to Rye....unless for drinks over a few shared appetizers.
(2)Craig M.
class place. everything was great. cocktails are stars.
(5)Neal C.
A Gem With Only One Complaint Rye is a great addition to the NuLu district. I expected it to be hopping and difficult to get in, but picking Tuesday night I think made a big difference. The bar was indeed loud and crowded with what appeared to be a 25-35 age crowd, but the dining room only had a few tables. From other reviews, I'd been led to believe the cocktails were special here, as they should be with a name like Rye. They didn't disappoint. The Cucumber Smash was delicious but in a small glass packed with ice, crushed cucumber, lime and Basil, it took only 4 good swigs and it was gone. $9 gone. The Cool James was also a wonderful, creative martini. The Dark and Stormy was good but I've had better. All cocktails are $9. We shared 3 starters with our cocktails, Marinated Olives (they come hot, as in temperature), Smoked Salmon Pâté and Chickpea Croquettes. The waiter graciously added a 4th croquette so we each got one and they came with a delicious yogurt sauce. Salmon was good but a generous portion came with only 2 "Sally Lunn" rolls. The olives were quite good but for $6, I'd expect more than a dozen olives. We had 2 entrees, the Whole Roasted Balck Bass and the Carrot Agnolotti (a ravioli). Both were delicious with the agnolotti served with peas mint and a very light lemon sauce. A wonderful refreshing and light dish. We also tried several sides, all delicious, Borlotti Beans, Kale and Onions, Braised Greens and the Vegetable Panzanella salad with Advocados and Cucumber and Fries with Chipotle Aioli. The service was attentive but not overbearing. The one complaint, the prices were too high across the board. Don't get me wrong, the food was superb but appeared priced for the restaurant to make good money, not to give the customer good value. I don't mind spending money for good food, but even the fries for $6 came with only a dozen or so fries. I mentioned the olives earlier and a bowl of beans and kale for $8 or the bowl of braised greens for $8 seem way to high. You could go with just an entree and they do have vegetables included in the dish, but the sides looked so tempting .... except additional rolls for $1.50 each. With all the great restaurants both in the NuLu district and elsewhere, this is probably not one I'd return to for this simple reason.
(3)Scott M.
Great atmosphere; incredible food; very good wine list. Terrific attention to detail by the staff. This is a great new spot.
(5)Emily S.
Four of us went to dinner on a Saturday night and were able to get a table quickly -- plus. We were excited about the menu and a new restaurant in the area. The food was fine but didn't live up to the prices. Among the four of us, we had small plates, sides, and appetizers, and we split a dessert. Nothing was bad, but it just wasn't quite there. Couldn't taste the capers or the anchovies in the cauliflower dish; the croquettes were described as "eh." The fries got high marks, however. The waiter said good things about the pastrami sandwich, but we ended up canceling the order for it when everything else was on the table and it hadn't been made yet. In addition, with such an emphasis on local foods/sustainability at many other restaurants in the neighborhood and in town now, it was interesting that Rye couldn't give a lot of information on where their meat came from. Since it's new, I'm willing to give it another try and see if some of the menu bumps get smoothed out.
(3)Rose M.
Went here for an anniversary dinner and was so incredibly pleased. I'd been to Rye once before, but only for a bourbon on the rocks with some friends (can't mess that up). My first drink was my favorite - Light in the Attic! So light, fresh, and a little spicy. Next time I go back I will have another of these, maybe two! The boy got the Brown Derby and another that were both quite delicious as well. I got the Charlie Hustle as well, but my dislike of candy watermelon flavor got the best of me. Won't dock any stars for that - it's a personal preference thing, anyone who loves watermelon flavor would like it! We got the salmon ceviche to start and it was delicious. The dinner rolls that came out first were so good I could have eaten 10,000 of them. We got the steak to share, around 40oz of perfectly cooked rib eye with a great sauce, garlic, and lemons. There were some fries on the side, but I barely touched them because I had already gotten so full. Overall an amazing dinner, great vibe, and super tasty drinks. We had a great time and will be back again soon!
(5)Lynn N.
I was visiting Kentucky for the weekend and I found this resistant on thrillist. I felt that the story behind the chef was kind of cool so I have this restaurant a try. The cheese plate was superb. Lots of rich flavors. We also order the ceviche and felt that it was okay. The best thing on the menu was the dessert. I forgot the exact name but it had something to do with "earth". Really great chocolate moose and dark shavings. For a Sunday night, I was surprised that this place was so empty. Louisville in general was just really empty. It's like no one goes to the city on the weekends.
(4)Karen R.
We went to Rye on a whim. My husband wanted a steak, I wanted whatever. Anything sounded good at the moment. Once we found out the steak was a whole cow and destined for 2 people (and around $60-80ish) we decided to go a different route. And that route was a beautiful one. We ordered the cheese & charcuterie board. $30 and totally worth it. It came to the table and I didn't want to eat it because it was STUNNING. Such a beautiful presentation. Good thing we were the only ones there, because this deserved a photo shoot. I was standing on my chair to get everything in one shot (not really, but I was close ). Anyway, besides it looking gorgeous, it was heavenly. The textures and flavors were paired perfectly and we ate EVERYTHING. We were full afterwards and very content. Ahhh, happy belly.
(5)Michelle W.
Great drinks and great conversation with the bartenders Doug and Nick. I am in town with some coworkers and we'll definitely be stopping by again before we leave. Had the Flying Hawaiian - delish but sour/sweet so you better be into that... and a Bite the Bulleit - perfect ginger kick. My friends had the Yankee clipper, Charlie hustle, and a few high end whiskey/scotch glasses...and lets just say there were no complaints. This review is just based on the bar, but the entire ambiance is a cool neo-rustic vibe and we've heard good things about their menu. Experience to be continued...
(5)Amy L.
Classy sassy and bad-assy. I love the atmosphere of this place. It is warm, rustic and high-end all the same time. I can't wait to go back. I had been here a few times before for cocktails but this was my first for dinner. I was so impressed with the bartenders. True mixologists making unique, amazing cocktails with fresh ingredients. Keep 'em coming! It's difficult to pick a favorite drink since I loved all that I tried but the one called "The Shit" is seriously THE SHIT! So refreshing with a kick. The Miss Elizabeth is very tasty too. Vodka, Five Spice, Ginger, Lime, Baked Apple Bitters-Yum! For dinner my husband and I decided to order several small plates to share. We had 2 different types of oysters on the half shell which were so elegant and fresh. We also ordered the kale salad, soft egg toast and smoked salmon. All amazing flavors. The kale salad was seriously out of this world. I love that Rye uses seasonal ingredients and keeps a small menu. The focus is on quality. Our server was attentive and knowledgable. She wished me happy birthday right away and I appreciated that. We will be back!
(5)Amber H.
I had the salmon ceviche it was very Peruvian style inspired. I thought it was good and fresh. Very small menu not a lot to choose from. They give you a "free roll" which I thought was very good. Staff reminds me of LA. If you are hipster and like a cool vibe and food. Come here. And def if you like bourbon or mixology, This is the place for you!
(4)Kaopectate P.
Excellent food with perfect execution. The salmon collar was the best dish I've had in Louisville. Drinks great, dessert great. Talked to the kitchen staff after and all were a friendly bunch. Highly recommend this place for someone looking for a nicer meal in town.
(5)Marla L.
A friend of mine from Libertyville, IL recommended Rye when he found out I was going to Louisville with a group of friends. He couldn't have chosen a better place. We started with fantastic cocktails, heirloom radish salad and king salmon ceviche, both fresh and delicious...seasoned nicely. Then moved on to Seared Hawaiian Ono and broiled Maine Herring, each very different but perfectly cooked and more than enjoyable. We finished with chocolate, caramel, sea-salt, blueberries, and hazelnut. I almost forgot what we ate prior it was soooooo good. If that wasn't enough, the service was perfection; attentive, helpful, friendly. I felt like I was invited into their home for dinner!
(5)Deborah L.
First, I had visited Rye a number of times since they opened and was consistently blown away by their food, their chef is amazing, the management and service unfortunately not. We went there a few weeks ago to celebrate my daughters high school graduation on a Monday nite and were a party of 9. I chose this place from all the restaurants in town as I had always been so impressed with the menu, the food ect and this was such a once in a lifetime event, not a birthday that comes every year. I hadn't been there in over 6 months and wasn't aware how the menu had changed. They used to offer a great variety of entrees yet when we were there we had 4 to choose from with one being a " market price" steak for 2 which turned out to be approx. $40.00 per person...hugely overpriced. While we ordered 2 appetizer platters, both the cheese and the meats our group was starving...so we asked for more rolls. Our waiter told us they were out of rolls in the kitchen which sounded odd, so I asked the asst. manager about that and she said no, they had plenty of rolls but if you want more than one they were $1.00 each...alienating policy to say the least so we passed. The person next to me asked for iced tea 3x before receiving it and my daughter complained about having trouble getting refills for her drink...our waiter often rolled his eyes when we asked for anything....even a to go box. I gave up as I had asked for salt and pepper when the food came, and finally got pepper more than halfway through dinner and never did receive the salt. We had planned on having dessert there but when I asked everyone if they'd like dessert my daughter asked to speak with my privately and said she didn't want dessert as this was the rudest place she'd ever been and just wanted to leave. Please know none of my 3 children have ever refused dessert when out. That's how bad our service was. To make matters worse, they added a mandatory 20% tip which due to the inflated pricing translated to close to $80.00 which I flatly refused to pay as any tip is based on service received which was severely lacking. The only way I could settle this was to offer to pay 50% of the tip which the owner reversed the next day. I have never posted a negative review anywhere online however after thinking about this for several weeks i felt it important for people to know about our experience. We're huge foodies and there are so many options in Louisville with great food, stellar service, a more diverse menu and more reasonable prices with complimentary rolls/bread that I unfortunately have to share Rye just doesn't cut it any longer. If you're seeking a great place to celebrate a special event I would absolutely go elsewhere.
(1)Priscilla P.
3.5 very limited menu. restaurant itself is beautiful. loved the minimal/industrial/rustic decor. got a salad and the 35 oz rib eye to share. ordered the steak medium but got well done! many parts of it were charred. the fries that accompanied it were not memorable. salad was okay but a couple bites of it were super salty. service was great.
(3)Joe G.
Drinks: 3/5. Service: 3/5. Koopa Troopa Beach (mezcal, passion fruit, citrus, cilantro), Sherbet Land (tequila, sherry, line, sherbet). Well made, creative cocktails. The appearance, decor was more formal than the actual atmosphere.
(3)Nathan C.
Great. Country ham hanging over the line, perfect frites, delicious through & through.
(5)Nikki M.
I went there last night for a dinner training for my job. I was initially unimpressed with the selections offered for us, being that I'm vegan. BUT after I asked the waitress if there was anything that I could have modified for my meal they brought me out a beautiful salad that was above and beyond what most restaurants give me. The salad was void of the typical iceberg lettuce restaurants provide and actually had dark greens! Along with grapefruit and quinoa. I was very happy! It's very important to me when a restaurant caters to special diet restrictions. Also, my waitress was awesome! The ambiance was beautiful. My only complaint is the chairs upstairs were merely benches that didn't have a back to lean on, they had little splinters sticking out so it was uncomfortable. I would return more often if they had regular vegan options on the menu though! Overall I was very pleased.
(4)Sean M.
Visiting for Derby Weekend we were expecting service to be a little off everywhere. Not at Rye. Arrived early for our reservation and were promptly seated after some delicious bourbon concoctions. Our waiter mentioned the restaurant was the busiest he had ever seen, but you would have never known. The service was impeccable. Never a dry glass. Now to the food- de.li .cious. A friend and I opted for the 3# steak- yes 3#. Paired with the spinach and fries we were in carnivore heaven. Not sure when we'll be back to Louisville, but rest assured Rye will be at the top of the list.
(5)Kellee K.
Four of us dined at Rye for dinner. We practically had the place to ourselves and we nearly ordered every item on their limited menu. We started with the meat ($15) and cheese plate ($15), which offered a selection of pork, cow, sheep and goat cheeses. I couldn't resist the Bone-in Berkshire Pork Chop with chestnut confit and sweet potato ($35), two selected the steak ($30) from the menu and one had the lobster bisque ($10). We could not choose from the side selections so we had one of each: Butternut Gratin ($8), Triple Cooked Fries ($6) and Korean Roasted Brussels Sprouts ($8) and a concoction of beans that I don't quite recall. Everything was nicely executed. The chop was one of the best I've eaten, and the steaks were thoroughly enjoyed. The favorite side was the butternut gratin. It was so comforting, perfect for a cold winter night.
(4)raquel a.
Came here for dinner after the derby. Had the pork and grits. Pork was cooked to perfection! The grits were just right. The portion was perfect as well as the prices. For desert had the salted caramel n nuts which was so yummy even though it was filling. No espresso, bummer, so had the French pressed coffee. So darn good! All in all it was a great dining experience and worth going back to.
(5)Michael E.
The wife and I came here for our first anniversary dinner, and we were not disappointed! We had the ahi tuna and shrimp as starters--the tuna was delicious, and the shrimp just fine albeit a bit creepy to eat. We shared the ribeye as a main dish, and it was incredible--I could almost feel my arteries clogging as I ate. Simply awesome. Don't skip a peek at the dessert menu--we bought the kitchen a round of beers (happy new year!) and sampled the chocolate cremeaux (chocolate pudding on steroids). Our server was reasonably attentive and very gracious. Took one star off for the prices, which are a little high in my opinion.
(4)Stacie R.
Had a cocktail and dinner on a girls' night out. The cocktail was very good. The dinner was original, fresh and unique. Delicious! Will most certainly be back!
(4)Jim G.
When you step into Rye, you are stepping into a world of courtesy, camaraderie, and stellar food. For me, a former resident of San Francisco familiar with several decades of highfalutin' cuisine, none exceed Rye. From the half-shell oysters my friend and I ordered (he is a close friend and visitor from San Francisco who was here for a serendipitous convention assignment in my hometown) to the delicious salads (we shared the kale and citrus salads), on through to the wonderful plates we ordered, everything was as it should be. Rye's ambitions are just as high as its performance, but the environment is in no way uptight or out of place in everyday Louisville's burgeoning NuLu district. So, my friend, who teaches classes during said convention, took 27 students and others back here a few nights later. I can't say that I blame him.
(5)Adam K.
When I eat out, there are really only 3 things I want: 1. To leave full and satisfied 2. To have what I eat be something I couldn't make myself 3. To have a great experience To say that Rye over delivered on all 3 would be an understatement. There's a sign in the kitchen that says "sense of urgency." The staff completely embody that idea. They were all attentive, helpful and friendly. The whole vibe was warm and fun. The food was phenomenal. Certainly, the best I've had in Louisville. The drinks were creative and tasty. There was nothing I could find to critique. I'm serious. If you go, 4 things to know: 1. The menu changes often. That said the Brussel sprouts were out of this world and apparently one of the few items that stay on the menu. 2. The buns they bring you are life changing. If you want a second helping, they do charge a $1 per roll. It's worth it. 3. There's parking and it's relatively plentiful. 4. The meat and cheese plate are huge. If you get them, pass on the sides. You won't need them. After a horrible experience at Jack Fry's it was great to eat at a place that was fantastic and will leave a lasting memory.
(5)Liz W.
Rye is really good. Simple, straightforward, and exceptionally well-executed. On the night we visited, the tobacco smoked duck breast was the undeniable star. The crispy skin was like candy, and the duck was cooked to perfection. The service was lovely, laid back but attentive. The menu is short but has a sense of humor (one of the desserts being the option to buy the kitchen a beer, which we did). I highly recommend this spot.
(5)Rhonda G.
Our meal started with the Charcuterie Board which included fried pork bites, pickled beets, country ham, and chicken liver mousse. it was interesting and fun to share but not something I would order again. The salads, however, are a different story. Our favorite was the kale salad with goat cheese and apple cider vinaigrette. It was wonderful. Creamy and tart at the same time. The watercress salad was also very good with feta and citrus vinaigrette. We were a bit disappointed with our entrees. Both the seared yellowtail and the pork loin was a little overcooked to our liking, although I do appreciate the crispy sear they put on the yellowtail. The cocktails are so interesting that we had trouble selecting. We settled on the Bite the Bullet and the Maple Leaf, which was so wonderful that we headed home to try to recreate it. Our dessert was also amazing even though it looked a bit messy. The Salt of the Earth is chocolate, salted caramel and a hint of coffee rocks. What could be better than salty, chocolately, caramel, and gooey. The service we received was outstanding. She was friendly and professional. Our party of four enjoyed our evening at Rye but I doubt we will return because there are so many outstanding NuLu places that succeed where Rye falls slightly short. That said, I could see us stopping in just for the very interesting cocktails and a dessert.
(4)Hannah E.
What a great relaxed Nulu environment! Went here on a double date night and had a great time. We ordered the meat and cheese plate and spit it between the 4 of us, it was delicious! So tasty and what a great way to open your palate! We also ordered 2 fries that were amazing and the asparagus vegetarian pasta. We had great wine and beer throughout the entire night and ended up buying the entire kitchen a round of beers because they had it as an option on their dessert menu! We highly recommend this place for a date or group. The atmosphere was so laid back and comfortable, after trying every restaurant on Market St we will def be going back.
(5)Timothy H.
Not a bad dinning experience in an up and coming neighborhood. I only wish there were more selections on the menu, and you didn't have to pay for rolls!
(3)Martin M.
We went to the HonoNulu event one Sunday Summer night. The tickets were $15 per person and allowed you to eat as much of the buffet food as you like. The selection was very poor, only about 4 items. We started to eat one plate and felt the food was undercooked. The Hawaiian punch we had was overpriced at $7 as it was very small and didn't seem to have much if any alcohol in it. We left after 15 minutes. Very disappointed.
(1)Keri S.
Friday evening I had the privilege of dining at RYE for the first time. IT certainly won't be the last, as every dish we had was phenomenal. Fried butternut squash with fresno chilies and fried sage? YES PLEASE! Can't wait to go back and see what new things they're cookin' up.
(5)Andy M.
Louisville is a wonderful place. A fantastic food scene that seems to get better every time I visit. Add Rye to the list of restaurants you must try the next time you visit this jewel of a City. And for those of you who live in Louisville and haven't tried Rye...what the hell are you waiting for? First thing I noticed was the wide selection of Bourbon's Rye offered. I have never heard of Bardstown Bourbon, but I was a fan after the first sip. And I had a Steak dinner that was fabulous. The meat was tender, juicy and delicious. The service, decor and over all vibe at Rye were all top-notch. As you have probably gathered, I love Louisville and I love the restaurant's in Louisville. All I need to do now is find a job in Louisville so I can dine at Rye more often. Yes folks!! It was that good.
(5)Alan K.
Pretentious, trendy, loud and crowded scene for wannabe Louisville hipsters- that's if you can actually be a hipster in Louisville. Food ok but really reaching to be something they are not - and that is special. But everyone in the place thinks they are- LOL! If you've been anywhere in the world that counts- then you'll realize Rye is trying too hard to be a hot restaurant but doesn't come close. Goes to show money does not suffice for a lack of talent dans Le cuisine. If you are part of the upper crusted Louisville crony club you may get better service. But if you were actually somebody - like a New York Times critic- but unknown to the local elite don't count on it. This place isn't even worth a second chance.
(1)Cason R.
Very good but not great. I had the pork loin which was very well cooked but the beans accompanying it were a touch too salty for what seems to be a restaurant trying to break into the upper tier. I'd say there are other places like wiltshire and Proof where you can get as-good food at not quite so high a price. That said, the burrata and kimchi crostini is a must-order.
(4)Philippa P.
My mom and I came for dinner on a Monday night to Rye and we loved it! There were only a few other people there when we arrived at 730 but by 830 it was filling up! We started with the meat plate which was presented beautifully and was delicious. We also had the buttered shrimp, which were THE MOST DELICIOUS. They tasted like tiny lobsters. The Berkshire pork was also ridiculously good and so light. We didn't order dessert but the menu was hilarious. Our server Jonathan was pleasant and efficient, we loved that they were all dressed down and seemed to have a great time at work. Rye is my new favorite place!
(5)Sandy G.
Stopped in for some libations before getting dinner at the Wilshire. They have an extensive list of original drinks and the one's we decided on were: "The Shit", a spicy drink, " Cucumber Collins" a refreshing strong drink, and the "Hemingway daiquiri" a not too sweet concoction. I refrain from mentioning exact liquors-because I can't remember them...however, these were wonderful artisan beverages. I would come here again! Prices range between 9-12-not bad!
(4)Tonya S.
Six of my close friends and I ventured out to L-ville for the weekend and decided to give Rye a try, per the recommendation of a few local friends in the industry. We had a dinner reservation and were celebrating a friend's birthday. We ended up sitting on the patio as this was all that was available upon arrival. First of all, the interior is inviting. Very modern and rustic design. The kitchen is open...always like that. The patio was nice. We had a table big enough for all seven of us and we were comfortable. The only problem we experienced on the patio was mosquitos, but they quickly and gladly brought citronella candles after our request for bug spray. The drinks were great. One guest only drinks vodka and highly enjoyed the Between the Sheets with rum in it. So delish, she ordered two. Another guest, the birthday girl, ordered a drink called, "The Shit". Cool name and also a good drink. I am an IPA fan and just asked them to bring me their best IPA draft. Good choice. I loved it. As for the food, they started us out with baskets of rolls. Those were amazing. Our starters were the Pickle Plate (loved the Cauliflower!!), the Cheese Plate (I didn't try, but others seemed to love), the Oysters (a few French Kiss's and Marin Miyagi's (both were delish) and the Thai Parsnip & Carrot Soup (raved about by those who tried it). The entrees....myself and a few others opted for the Quinoa Salad and Burrata Toast for an "entree". We LOVED the salad and the toast was good, but not outstanding. Another guest had the Duck Leg Confit and loved it. I am not even a duck fan, but tried it and it was fabulous. One couple shared the Lane Snapper and loved it so much that they were still raving about it the day after. They also ordered a side of the Roasted Candy-Striped Beets and shared them with the table....YUMMY! The last guest had the Coulotte Steak and was very pleased. Overall great experience at Rye. Our service was great. Our experience was great. We left overly pleased with our choice to dine there...and yes, we would go back. Note: I apologize to Rye for running into the server with the extremely large tray of wine glasses and sending them crashing to the floor. Not entirely my fault, but a shared fault of the server and I. I just felt bad and wanted to help clean up the mess, but wasn't allowed.
(5)Victor R.
I really want this place to succeed. I admire the concept - farm to table, rustic ambiance, and trendy location. But the menu and overall value leaves much to be desired. The four of us at the table all got different dishes, but they all tasted the same. It may be a reliance on a particular spice or seasoning...something from the curry or peri-peri family...something I couldn't quite put my finger on. You either love it, or hate it - and my small table unfortunately sided with the latter. I think there's not enough diversity on the menu, especially when it comes to main courses. If you're going to charge $27 in Louisville for the one chicken dish on the menu, it had better be the best half chicken I've ever eaten. And it's not anywhere close, sadly. I really don't mind spending a lot of money on dinner, as long as it's good. But the bill for our four people was nearly $300. It didn't help to be charged $1 for the bread they bring out before your meal (which was the one memorable food item we had). There are a lot of great restaurants in Louisville, and I just don't think this one has the menu to support the price they're charging.
(2)Erin J.
Boyfriend took me here for our anniversary. I should preface this by stating I'm not a big fan of the NuLu area. I find it to be a poorly done knock-off from other cities, almost as if Louisville is trying to hard. But hey, they're trying. We were sat in the bar area. Something I HATE. I think all guests should be asked if they mind sitting in the bar area upon arrival. If it means an extra 40 minute wait, I would prefer to wait for the main dining room. The bar area has four two-topper tables against the back wall. They're pretty close together but that doesn't bother me. What does bother me is the lady in her 50s, in a fur coat and hat (yikes) who is trying to feel important by loudly calling every waiter to the table by name to ask him a million questions. I hope this isn't there usual clientele. I couldn't even hear my date over her silly questions. Waiter offered us drinks. I got the East, Hudson, and Harlem. Pretty tasty drink. I ordered the monkfish and my date ordered the steak, we split a side of fries. Both were good, not fabulous but good. Waiter was very attentive...and attractive. I'm not entirely sure I would return. Food was good but not a great value.
(3)Eric B.
Many moons ago I wandered into Rye, a pilgrim on the Bourbon Trail, a wanderer in the bluegrass wilderness, seeking the source of our sustenance, our sweet, corn soaked sustenance. I found not the burning corn bushel but I did find culinary satisfaction. I recall wearing the Parisian Nightsuit as if it were bespoke; the rye, aperol and madeira coalesced as a smoky sexy lover coating my throat. The cardamaro and Fernet of the Schnitzelberg silenced my vocal chords but its flavors caressed my taste buds. Rye's oysters slid down my throat as children down a waterslide, and the tempura avocado melted in my mouth, sinful as fried butter, yet flaky and free as angel food. I was utterly spent. My darling Kelly basked in the sophistication of the Amelia Earhart and its aviation aspirations as we lolled carelessly in the escaping sun, grazing on cheese and late summer regrets. We were spent but not unsatisfied.
(4)M E.
Either over the top delicious or underwhelming, there doesn't seem to be an in-between here. Love the Brussel sprouts, also an amazing and spicy little cocktail called "the shit". Worth going-- when it's good, it's VERY good.
(3)Dani S.
We did not eat here, we just had a couple glasses of Bourbon. However, the bartenders were super friendly and gave great service!
(5)Michael B.
We stopped in for dinner between shows at the Forecastle Festival, and it was the right choice. Even though we were probably under dressed, they welcomed us with open arms. Everything we at was amazing. The lobster waffles (like chicken and waffles, but amazing!), the drinks were delicious. One of the best, most original, meals I have had in a long time. Go to this place.
(5)Mike P.
Just got back from Rye and we had one the best experiences in our lives. The people were awesome and the food and drinks were very well prepared and thoughtful. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. They even comped us some free food because they felt like we had waited too long. We never even noticed.
(5)Toree P.
Several of us ended up at Rye on last Saturday night after a wedding reception. They closed at midnight and about 15 of us walked in at 11:30... I expected some death states, potential spit on our drinks, and plenty of grumbling workers. What we were met with was big smiles, enthusiasm about the wedding, and patient explanations about all their drinks!! Their cocktail menu is expansive and their list of whiskey even more so. My beer drinking husband and my gin loving self were both very pleased! I ended up with a gin concoction that cooled my tongue and then burned with a slight delayed bite. For the life of me I can't remember what it was called. If you are looking for a place to have a fun cocktail and different experience this is the place for you. It's a little more upscale on the price but a treat every once in a while. If you are just wanting a PBR and some beer pretzels... I would look elsewhere. I can't wait to go back and try some actual food off their menu. Rye is just another reason Nulu is becoming one of my favorite spots on Louisville!
(4)Katherine P.
What can I say about Rye? Well, for starters, I wouldn't write home about it. All the reviews I have seen on yelp rave about it, but we were completely disappointed in our experience. The waitstaff was good, however, the food was mediocre at best and definitely over priced. I feel like all of the people on here that gave Rye excellent reviews have never eaten at Jack Fry's or Lilly's, because those two places are definitely top notch and worth the price. The cheese plate was good, and my boyfriend and our friend enjoyed the oysters. However, between 4 people, we ordered 3 of the 5 available entrees and none of us were remotely excited about our orders. Will not be back to Rye.
(2)Sarah W.
(a) I am seriously going to have to become a cocktail drinker. I usually just drink wine or bourbon, but Louisville is getting way too many establishments with stellar cocktail menus. The Standard Issue Pea Coat at Rye was everything I look for in a cocktail. It was complex and yummy without being cloyingly sweet or so potent you have trouble behaving yourself at dinner. (b) The service is stellar. When we stopped in during restaurant week, everyone was friendly and attentive. When one dish we ordered wasn't to our liking, the staff bent over backwards to find a substitute and ensure that we enjoyed every aspect of our meal. (c) The food is really good. Despite the one hiccup with our starter, everything else was delicious. I look forward to trying more of the menu.
(4)Mark M.
Amazing food. Reasonably priced. Innovative cocktails.
(5)E.J. S.
BOTTOM LINE: The folks at Rye are really putting a lot of care and effort into what they do. If you can afford the ride - take the ride. So, Mrs. Sorrentino and I were in L'ville yesterday and decided to grab a bite around 4:30ish before heading home. She was hipped to Rye by an upscale acquaintance who knows we're looking for digs up there and graciously gave us a short list of places she thought we might like. Rye is housed in a standalone brick building on Market St. and is decorated with lustrous simplicity - exposed brick, gleamy hardwoods et al. It has shiny-warm feel and a enthusiastic casually-dressed hipster staff. Our server knew her menu pretty well. But, she didn't really try to sell us anything, and she left things like a beer-tasting glass we used at the very front of the meal un-bussed until after we got the check. Patio or not, if we're gonna spend $60 for an afternoon snack...you'll wanna be on point. Rye is a for-real Cocktail Palace! You'll pay about $10 for a drink, but it's gonna be a crafted, topshelf-poured, properly prepared drink; deserving of a sipped and admired approach. Do they have PBR in cans for $3? (your little hipster heart is wondering) Yes they do. Honey ordered a delicious bourbon and grapefruit something cocktail from their "borrowed recipe" (nice touch) menu - served in a Tom Collins glass..it was strong and yum. I ordered an Old Fashion. I wanted to see what they did with a classic. They offer most of them. It was good...simplified...no muddled fruit, huge orange zest and emplying one of their multiple bitters choices (one sign of a true Cocktail Palace) It actually tasted more like a potent and delicious orange Manhattan. The food at Rye is a delicious and beautiful (and maybe a wee bit precious) mashup of world-foodie farm-to-table style ingredients meeting rustic classic "Euro -Southern" and Norcal preparations. It's a KY restaurant named after the spirit of spirits so you know there's gonna be pork and whiskey somewhere - the trick for their design was to find them some agreeable companions with which to be paired. They offer a meat plate or a cheese plate ($15) as the only choices in a "Bar snacks and Starters" section that seemed under construction -being that having yummy fried or tapas-ey bar snacks would be a natural here. They have an Oyster section (five good choices - $3 per) Small Plates in the $10-16 range...Main Eats (duck, shrimp and calamari, swordfish or pork loin from $24-28) and Market Sides ($6-8)...We chose the meat plate ($15), a smoked-burrata panzanella salad($12), and some "Merguez-seasoned" fries ($6)..because we wanted to check them out before going all-in and because we knew it was too-early in the day for it to be our last meal. You could spend a whole lotta dough at Rye..We weren't going to ..just yet haha The meat plate stars were a small mound of a soft and delicious rabbit rillette, an amazing pork and hazelnut sausage and some pickled items (squash slices, beet chunks, and watermelon rind pearls)..the also-rans were small and round slices of a not-so-partularily-good hard chorizo and a coffee-cured duck breast that was jerkied enough as to have been almost anything .. the board came with proper crustades and smears of whole grain mustard. I think it would be nice to have a good finishing salt on the table to pop some of the popables...but all-in-all it was wonderful and we'd order it (and everything we ordered really) again. The smoked-burrata panzanella salad was more like a caprese in summer heat than a trad panzanella. It had a delicious basil pistou and every ingredient was lovely..even the wafer thin toasty bits. The burrata didn't taste or look smoked but the overall effect when eaten slowly with a sipped cocktail was excellent. The fries were crunchy-great chubby little dudes ..served in a little bucket. They were seasoned with what we assume are merguez sausage spices and served with harissa ketchup and a tzatziki sauce made with labna. Here, though, is the KY-grown, heirloom, Estill County, Shinicock pickle ....calling out every single ingredient nuance doesn't make the food or cocktail good, or make for a necessarily good value-for-the-price of purchase. It can get that little bit precious and even uppity..it can also be wlldly time-consuming for the staff to have to explain the tids and bits to bourbon-addled hooples......The wrap...Everything we ordered at Rye was delicious, plated beautifully, and served by a smiley staff of motivated service pros. Were there "little things worth mentioning"? Sure, there usually are - that's what reviews try to balance. Rye seems to be succeeding at balancing their friendly with their uppity..It is a great place to be able to go when you want to (for instance) take your sweetie out for two perfect manhattans and some fries ($30 plus tip haha). We'll be back to eat everything they have..Pig Roast?! Saaaalute
(4)Daniel P.
I've eaten dinner at Rye twice in the last few months and both visits were excellent. Jonathan was our server both times and he recommended great choices of wine on both occasions. Great food. Great atmosphere. Will definitely be back soon.
(5)Felipe Z.
I loved this place! So nice and cozy! Lots of different drinks and cocktails to choose. (I personally didn't like any of the cocktails we got in our table, but also I'm not very into cocktails in general) We had the Meat Appetizer and the Cheese Appetizer. I think the cheese one was better, but the meat one had some fun stuff to try. I had the Seafood (mussels) main dish, and it was delicious, but I wish they had given me some more bread to dip in the plate haha. Their fries were pretty good. In all honesty though, I'm giving this place 5 stars not so much for the food, although is in the 4-4 1/2 star range, I'm giving them 5 stars for their service. My friend made the reservations for Valentine's day, and our crowd fluctuated so much starting with 9 coming, then to 3, and then to 6... It was a joke! Yet. the guy helping us with the seating changed our reservations everytime, moved tables, and chairs, and made it possible for us final 6 to be there and enjoy our time without problems. He actually gave us probably the best table in the house. Just his effort alone was hands down the best. Then, our actual server was off the hook, and quuuuiiite pleasant to the eyes I might add hahaha. Everything was well done and planned. The lighting and the location of the tables and the kitchen right there, open and ready to be explored, is definitely a great sight for any new comer into Rye. We had an absolutely great Valentine's evening there, and I, being a visitor, must thank this place and the people working there, because they made it happen.
(5)Lauren C.
Everything about this restaurant rocks. The music is hip, the decor is warm and inviting, the service is impeccable, and the food is dreamy. Not to mention some of the best cocktails Louisville has to offer. I had a potato soup, oysters, a pork dish, and some of my fiance's hamachi. The hamachi definitely outshined my pork (sadly), but they were both delicious and presented beautifully. There's a sign by the bar that if you like your food, you can add $8 to your tab to buy the kitchen a round. Kitchen, you deserved it!
(5)Maheen F.
Randomly followed the "food" sign and it let me to this beautiful little spot. Pricy but delish. My hubby and I enjoyed ourselves throughly, and the cheese platter was fantastic. Our meal was yummy and service was excellent.
(4)Kyle S.
Admittedly, I came for the live music outside, but I quickly grew to appreciate Rye. The layout is spectacular with cozy seating inside, an open kitchen and a long bar. The outside patio is even better if the weather permits it. Large, airy and tucked behind the main building in a way that shields it from the setting sun, it is a great way to spend a spring or summer evening with good friends and good drinks. I haven't eaten here, so I can't comment on the food. The drinks were excellent. Cocktails were well mixed, the beer selection was not notably expansive, but it was good, and the wine list looked to have something that anyone could appreciate.
(4)Gisha J.
My husband and I were in Louisville, KY for New Years 2013. We had never been previously and was excited to experience the city. A weekend in Louisville is more than enough to explore the whole city. Before coming to Rye, we had read great reviews on it. I didn't think the food was best I've ever had but it was very tasty. The drinks on the other hands, were fabulous! The drinks were different and unique. Between my husband and I, we probably tried if not all, majority of the drinks of the menu. Rye is hands down the best place I would recommend for drinks!
(4)Ellen A.
Rye is my favorite place in Louisville. The drinks are amazing, food is better than anywhere in town, and the staff are always attentive and genuine. The decor and ambiance is bar none while the playlist always keeps you there for "one more song". My husband and I have made it our regular for drinks and Brad always looks after us. Try "The sh*t" cocktail if you are a gin drinker, the triple cooked French fries as a bar snack (delicious), and the swordfish for dinner (best meal I have had in a long time). You can't go wrong with any of the deserts!! I promise you will not be disappointed. Unlike some other service industry workers, the staff at Rye go out of their way to look after you (without being a nuisance). Do yourself a favor and get there!!
(5)Jori G.
Rye has some of the most delicious food I've ever tried. Their drinks are ridiculously yummy, their duck confit was so tender I only had to gaze at it for the meat to fall off the bone, and the guys they hire are super cute. Tie that in with their summer patio concert series and this is a win-win combo. Sadly I was only able to afford this place thanks to my Grandma wanting to take me out somewhere nice, but despite the prices this place manages to not be pretentious.
(4)Jason G.
LOVE LOVE LOVE. My friends and I always go here first for drinks. Unique cocktails, inviting ambiance and locally sourced everything. Ben the bartender is the best bartender in all of Louisville, and if you don't get drinks from him, you're missing out. I can't speak much to the food except that everything I've snacked on while sitting at the bar has been delicious! Great local spot.
(5)Melissa C.
Dinner on the patio at Rye was a pleasure. The food was great and the staff graciously accommodated dietary restrictions.
(5)Patrick T.
Good food, interesting drink menu and nice quiet but friendly atmoshphere.
(4)Kathy V.
I'm gonna bump them up a star because I got a message from someone at Rye asking me about my experience. Knowing that a place cares and wants to improve bodes well for their future of offering good service and a great experience. No joke, it is noticed and appreciated :-)
(4)Rachel F.
I am a bit torn - 3 or 4 stars. Love the spot. The decor is simple, clean, rustic, and yet trendy. The menu is unique to say the least, and the execution well done. I left with 3 things in my head. 1) yummy 2) overpriced 3) trying a bit too hard to be interesting/cutting edge with the menu. That being said, I will probably be back. The potato gnocchi was quite tasty (the only entree under 20 and none of them come with sides - they are an extra 7ish a piece.) Most entrees were 22-29, significantly higher than Hillbilly Tea and quite comparable to Jack Fry's. So for me, I expect the experience to be same level as Jack Fry's. It wasn't quite there for me. I've had drinks here twice now, and the menu is upscale and the quality is fairly high. The cocktails are all 9 bucks, but quite nice. The service was wonderful. If they knocked a couple bucks off of everything it would go up a star, but still glad to have this new addition in NuLu/Butchertown. I shall add it to my cocktail tour. Tips: Reservations only for 6 or more and it gets pretty packed by 7, even on a weekday. Also, if heading east on Market, there is a little lot right behind the building.
(3)David I.
Great atmosphere and staff. Pretty boys and girls work here, the wife and I had no problem with the eye candy. Beer in cans, gross. Even poured into a glass, they need to turn that up a notch, cans suck. Too many local breweries that sell wholesale to restaurants, a trendy restaurant that turns $50pp checks shouldn't sell poor college student beer (canned). My wife and our guests got cocktails and they were great, highly recommended. The decor is great and the retro bathroom looks cool. The kitchen is open to the dining area and wasn't noisy at all. I gave the waiter a bit of a hard time about a few things but he handled it like a champ and got a huge tip. On to the food.... French fries. For all that is good in the world, get the french fries while you decide what to order for entrees. They must sprinkle them with crack. Best french fries I ever had. The pre-meal bread was fantastic, I could eat baskets of the bread. We got the asparagus side ($8) and it was a complete waste of money. It was soggy and the sauce was runny. Which runs into my entree, the scallops (5) that were cooked ok, but they were served in a watery sauce that I would call a broth/soup. Not bad but I wouldn't get it again. For $26 (entree only) I expect top notch hits for everything. My wife got the steak, it was buried under another watery sauce with veggies. The flavors for the steak were good but the portion was about 5oz, ok for her, but not for me. She also ordered it medium but it came well done (sacrilegious!) I WILL go back. They do have a rotating menu so this review is limited in scope since the dishes will be different on any given day. Like others I'm torn between 3 or 4 stars but the entree holds more weight with me so I had to go with 3. Postscript: I got a very nice email from the owner after my review and I will try Rye again. Everyone has an off night and he seems genuinely concerned about his customers.
(3)Thor N.
Great food. Great space. Great cocktails. Everything is made im house. Food is sourced from top notch local vendors. I highly recommend to anyone visiting Louisville or in Louisville.
(5)Jeff J.
The food and drinks were great. Recommend the Pork and the Brown Derby. Great service, great vibe.
(4)Trevor L.
This is my new favorite restaurant in town. First off, the service is top notch. From waitstaff to bar staff and management, the service was fast, friendly, personal, and everyone was very knowledgeable. The decor is warm and comfortable; southern charm with a modern flair. Obviously, the food is the most important part. It was fantastic. I am usually scared to order raw oysters this far from the ocean, but the ones that we had were very fresh, a perfect way to start the meal. Next, we split an endive salad and an appetizer of mussels. Both were terrific, especially the salad. For an entree, we shared the coulotte steak. The steak was beautifully cooked, and the mushroom purée was life changing. Dessert was a very nice salted chocolate mousse. We tried several different cocktails, and all were pretty tasty. I'm not really a cocktail kind of guy, so my input about that can probably be ignored. Overall, Rye was the source of a very nice dinner for us, and we will be back often.
(5)Rob Y.
My review of Rye is based on 3 trips there, and it's what happened between the last two trips that earns them the 5 star rating and cements their place as my favorite restaurant in Louisville. First off, the restaurant is situated in the newly reclaimed East Market district known as NuLu. The area is now quite popular with the young and hip, you can't throw a rock without hitting a bearded plaid or a poodle skirt with bobby socks. The bar and tables are all well made reclaimed wood with tasteful decorations and decent lighting. Whatever, it's all about the food. And oh, the food. Holy bawls. These guys care about the food. Our favorite appetizer was the fried Head Cheese. Head Cheese is the scraps of meat taken from the head of the pig during butchering - some of the best cuts you can find. Tender, flavorful, delicious. Rye served it very lightly breaded and fried with a simple tarter and a small tart salad on the side. The dish was so perfectly balanced, the acid from the salad cut into the richness of the meats, turning it into an amazing flavorful bite. As it turns out, they are purchasing hogs whole and breaking them down onsite so that they can get the exact cuts of meat they want, exactly the way they want them. Amazing! On our previous visit, we had a not-so positive experience with the Seafood Sausage dish. It's ok, it happens. Not every dish is going to agree with everyone. Being pretty vocal about what we like and don't like, we shared our findings with Michael, the proprietor. As we found out on our most recent trip, unlike some places in town, Rye actually CARES what their customers think and use feedback as an opportunity to learn and improve. That night they took the dish off the menu and rebuilt it. When we arrived, they brought the new and improved version over for us to sample. Oh my gobsmack - this is my new favorite seafood dish in Louisville. The newly made Seafood Sausage is plump and a delightful shade of pink with great sear marks. Breaking into it, the skin popped and the juices flowed. The fish and shrimp were perfectly firm, yet tender, juicy and sumptuous. The sausage rested on a bed of lightly pickled cabbage, Kabocha squash, apples and pickled mustard seed along with a deeply satisfying sweet and sour broth that perfectly complimented the seafood. Every kitchen that's designing their own dishes is going to have some that don't hit at first. The fact that Michael and Chef Tyler care enough to tear down and keep improving in search of perfection put the 5th star on this review.
(5)Brett T.
Ahhhhh NuLu. I don't know where you came from or how you got here, but you're alright in my book. I visited Rye with my friend Kyle a few weeks ago during holiday vacation. We arrived around 6 pm, the place wasn't very busy at all and, being 2 youngish borderline-alcoholics (well me anyway), we decided to sit at the bar. I don't usually complain about service or base my review score on it. I think ultimately the quality of the food is the deciding factor in review rating. You don't want to check my water but once every 30 minutes? Fine, I can deal with that. Don't really seem enthusiastic at all about your job? That's ok too, we're only human. But to not even look my way for 20 minutes after entering the restaurant and sitting at your bar (with 4 other people at the bar and nobody else even sitting in the room) is just unacceptable. The bartender looked like he was stoned out of his mind and was one of the slowest drink makers I have ever seen. If you had glanced over in the first 5 minutes and just said "I'll be with you soon," this would have been a 4-star review. Anyway, the food itself was quite good. We ordered a cheese plate, meat plate, scotch egg, and lightly fried pickled vegetables. All delicious, especially the scotch egg, which I have never had the honor of partaking in before. They had quite a good whiskey collection, including a 15 year pappy, and a pretty cool cocktail list, so no complaints there. We didn't try any main courses but the aforementioned appetizers were enough to fill up 2 guys. I don't remember price exactly, but I want to say we spent around $20 each. Not too shabby.
(3)Mookie M.
We shared the cheese plate and buffalo/roasted tomato apps. We all tried the specialty cocktails, which were great. Three entrees we ordered were also quite good. Service was wonderful. Bar was hopping when we entered - a bit too fun. Some of the bar-goers ended up in the dining room at a table of ten or so and the volume of their voice increased with their alcohol levels. Other than the drunken table, we had a great meal and service.
(4)Heather K.
Fun and unique cocktails. Great craftsmanship on the cocktails and excellent bourbon knowledge by the bartenders. Cocktails are pricey- ($9-12). Food is also good and not as expensive as anticipated (The decor looks like it should be $40-50 per plate not $15-$30). The decor is fresh and cozy. The open air kitchen is wonderful because the aroma comes and greets you as you enter!
(5)Corey A.
Fresh oysters, an in-house charcuterie program, and a global pantry - there's not much to dislike. The FOH and BOH seemed pretty young so I would expect even bigger things from them in the future.
(4)Jordan M.
Poor service, so so food, small portions, high prices. That about sums up Rye. I wanted to like Rye, I thought this restaurant would be another great addition to the awesome market street restaurant scene. Rye is not even competitive with the other restaurants around town in this price range. The only plus side is the nice space. There are much better restaurants in Louisville. Basically, Rye is a wanna-be, they didn't earn a good reputation with food, service, or prices, they came in with little market research and overpriced mediocre food based on a hip atmosphere.
(1)Duke Of Frisco X.
Came here to check out Rye LV kinda reminded me of Rye SF~ The bartender were friendly and very educational. I was very impressed with the drinks/ food~ the only bad part was they close to early but overall it was a well decorated chill and relaxing bar to hangout @. Come here for great food/ drinks.
(5)Megan F.
I just want to express my undying love for their cocktails, Bite the Bulleit in particular. Honey, lemon, ginger and bourbon--it's a Hot Tottie for the healthy! It's also just what I need on a night when I may be feeling a little under the weather but not enough so to stay in. Perfectly named, the bite is not only in the Bulleit bourbon, but also in the uber fresh ginger. The bartenders are super knowledgeable and that's clear in not only their recommendations and bar banter, but more importantly you can see their experience in the flicks of their wrists as they quickly throw together fresh fruit and splashes of various liquors to create their spiritedly named concoctions. These people are friendly, skilled--and usually very busy.
(4)William B.
One of the best! Absolutely love the food, drinks, and atmosphere. I have been to Rye several times now and each time is as good as the first. The menu rotates which makes me want to come everyday and see what delicious creation they came up with that day. Everyone at the table got different things and it was ALL amazing. Great work, make sure to show the beards some love!
(5)Jes P.
I initially went to this new spot in town with a group of 5 and none of us felt like we'd go back. I decided to give it a second try, as you always should. I brought a new group of 6 (who hadn't been previously), 6 is Rye's minimum threshold for a reservation. My phone call for a reservation was never returned. We went by the restaurant to see if they maybe had a table and just didn't call back. No table. We were told the manager would come speak to us. We waited for about 10 minutes and the manager never came. The hostess apologized, but we left. I wish this place the best, but I just brought another group of people who won't be back and I won't either. As some members of our group said, as a new restaurant managers and owners should be on site and addressing any issues that arise in a timely manner. If only one manager is on site on a busy Saturday night that is a red flag.
(1)Peyton R.
In retrospect, my first review should have been a five star-er. Rye is truly fantastic, and better with each visit.
(5)Sharon B.
This restaurant was really good. I went while I was visiting Louisville - handsome decor. You could taste the passion in the food - both beautifully plated and so fresh. I will definitely go back again.
(5)Susan T.
Tried to make a reservation because we were taking some older people with us and didn't want them to have to wait for a table, but were informed when I called that they don't take reservations for parties under 6. When we showed up we were asked by two different "hosts" if we had a reservation. There was an hour long wait....we ended up at The Garage and had excellent service and delicious food. It wasn't the kind of place we intended to go that evening, but it was delish!
(1)Jamie F.
Decided to try out Rye for our anniversary based on the Yelp 18 Essential Louisville Restaurants. The interior decor is fab and I love the concept it is a great room to go hang; the best part of Rye are the drinks and great selections of liquor their bartender is amazing. We arrived but they had no menus---just a little weird since she said they print them up every night I guess they blew their printing budget on a Sunday night; not the end of the world but "really" . We started with a mix of the cheese and meat plate and the Tempura Fried Vegetables-the meat and cheeses were amazing except the server and the menu left out that the pickles were very spicy you do not serve with great cheese like Humbolt Fog and rich Duck Liver Pate' spicy pickles...I just do not understand who thought up that one so basiclly it killed our palet. Note to chef. ...so we plow on to the Tempura Veggies...very well battered but 1/2 of the dish were crumbs not veggies all on the bottom of the bowl and it was a salt fiesta whick killed the chili-lime aoli. Glad I had a great cocktail. I really think there is a disconect with the food and lack of harmony in the dishes it seems that they try to create layers and on paper it works but when it came to execution especially with the main courses it just fell flat.The Winter Squash Agnolotti lacked complexity it was a big wet dish of mushy pasta with a sauce that was over salted(again) and heat but no balance from the curry and the lemon was way too much acid for the sauce....what they were looking for just got lost. I must give a thumbs up to the Korean Brussel Sprouts but again way over salted but underneath was a great bundle of flavor and spice countered by the earthy brussel sprouts.My wife ordered the Red Wine Braised Beef and it came out looking amazing and the beef was kudos with beautiful Chanterelle's and the sauce worked then came the grits and it was like eating the ocean........again the salt. I knew they were using a sea salt so I asked for the manager and she was proud that they use sea salt....OK but does anyone actually taste the food before they serve it? We were kind of done at that point and I was really bummed beacuse the place has this amazing feel and groove- you read the menu and it sounds amazing but again what a disconnect. Was it the "C" team a the helm last night since the front hostess said they did not expexct to get slammed (revisit lack of menu's) I do not know and underneath it all there is this wonderful conception of food that just got washed out buy a lot of sea-salt and poor execution. On a plus - the server was great and did not miss a beat and the bar is amazing- sorry I really wanted to eat a kick ass meal for such a great event.
(2)David R.
Great location in Louisville hot NULU district. Food was very good and same for service. Had the salmon and it was good but nothing too special. House salad was very good. Appetizer and salad were better than entree.
(4)Sharon B.
I was a little skeptical after reading some of the reviews on this site, but two friends and I really enjoyed our meal at Rye. The environment is great, the servers are knowledgeable and attentive, and the food is wonderful. The potato gnocchi was terrific, the chicken was tasty and tender, and the seafood sausage was spectacular. I enjoyed both the Dark and Stormy cocktail and the Bite the Bullet cocktail. Great cheeses on the appetizer list and very good homemade pickles. Give it a try!
(4)Makan A.
Menu was well thought and execution at best decent. Flavors were good but below temperature. Maybe too much sous vide technique involved in the production.
(3)Michael P.
Caveat: I've not tried the food here yet. I understand their noteworthy specialty is: should you have a large group, you can order an entire pig brought out. A whole goddamn pig. As a long-time fan of the 1995 feature film Babe, I may never coax myself into doing this, but the option is *ahem* on the table. Oink. So no, I come here to drink after work to help alleviate the gaping hole in my soul. First, Rye's bar and restaurant are separate rooms, which I dig. The bar stock offers a wide variety of bourbons and, expectedly, ryes. Bulleit is the house bourbon, and it's awesome, not that I need to tell any Louisvillian that. The drink that most impressed me though, and I'm not shitting you here... Tacate. You know Tacate? It's like the Mexican PBR. Or think of it this way - if you're a dad, you go for the Corona, a 20 or 30-something, Tacate. Love this nasty beer in the bright red can. However, when you order one, the bartender will fill the top of the can, to just under the lip, with lime juice and sprinkle some salt rocks over the top. Crack open the can, the bold flavors dive in, and it makes a beer that you might order ironically into a remarkably good bev solution. And with all their beer and liquors coming in at the $3 to $6 range, it's undoubtedly the most economical place to have some social elixirs in Nulu. As well, the tables, bar, and decor were often constructed from rehab materials. Not that this has any bearing on the quality of drink or service (which are great by the way), but inventiveness should always be applauded. Rye is a welcome addition to the sometimes-a-little-too-bourgie-for-its-own-good Market Street corridor.
(4)Adam H.
My wife and I decided to try the place out on their second officially open night after hearing weeks of buzz. Our experience explained said buzz. First off we sampled four of the ten or so house cocktails and they all, ALL were killer. From memory we had the Maple Manhattan, New York Sour, Elderflower Fizz, and the Rock 'n Rye. The Fizz and Sour were some of the best cocktails we've had in a long time! Our appetizer was delicious, soft egg, ricotta, broccoli rabe on toast. We decided to split an entree and sample some sides. The gnocchi with brussels and winter squash was seriously ridiculous. A huge portion but we were splitting it and momentarily considered ordering another. Probably the smoothest texture gnocchi I've ever had. We opted for the fries with w/ chipotle aioli, which we were told are cooked 3 times to ensure a crisp exterior and soft inside. Also had the butter beans with chipotle and feta. Both were superb. For dessert since the place was new and we were stricken with indecisiveness we each ordered our own. The pear panna cotta was drizzled in the most flavorful floral honey I've ever eaten. It actually took me a second to get used to it as it tasted like flowers smell... good! My wife had the sticky toffee spoon bread which was also delicious and walked the line between sweet and savory almost. Great meal, drinks, atmosphere and service... we'll be back, on the reg.
(5)Melissa W.
The fennel salad is wonderful!
(4)Becki H.
Went by on their first Friday open. It was also the First Friday Trolley Hop, so I decided to channel my inner elderly lady and have an early dinner to avoid the rush. For drinks, my date had the Maple Manhattan, and I had a glass of the house red wine. Both were quite good - I'd like to go back and try some of their other cocktails, because that Manhattan was delicious. Food-wise everything was excellent. The cheese plate was phenomenal (the St. Angel Triple Cream was like butter). We also really enjoyed the meatballs and the smoked whitefish with capers & chickpeas. On suggestion from our server, we also got an order of the french fries with aioli - they were perfectly executed homestyle fries - crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. The decor is typical of the Nulu area - repurposed materials and clean lines - and everything looks very modern and hip. Definitely worth repeat visits. Beware of long waits for the next few weeks as everyone flocks to try the new spot! (Edited for grammar, oh my!)
(4)G. S.
The place was good and the music festival they had was great, but the waiter was rude and the food was quite simple, definitively not worth how expensive it is!
(2)Emily G.
Corn fritters and every single cocktail here!! But especially the "I fink you freeky"
(5)A A.
I love RYE. They have fresh high quality food and a menu that is constantly changing with the seasonal availability of food. I've eaten here probably a dozen times and I've never had a bad meal. I love piecing together the sides, appetizers and salads to make a meal, but that is probably because I can try more things and everything on the menu always looks so good. Cocktails are also delish. Highly recommend.
(5)Megan J.
Although we didn't see a huge crowd inside, we decided to check it out. I'm so glad that we did! We had such a great experience, from delicious food, to amazing drinks, we decided to revisit it while we were in town. The second time was equally as impressive. The atmosphere is modern, yet relaxing and quaint. The only reason not to give this place a 5 star rating was that the menu was quite small, and being a vegan, that doesn't always want to eat lettuce, there was very little to choose from. But again, sampling my fiance's food and digging into dessert, the food they do offer is incredible!
(4)Amanda F.
What are you looking for in a bar? Rye probably has it. It's trendy, clean, inviting, the drinks are great and the food is reasonably priced and delicious. Everything about this place made me feel like I was in a different city. The entire menu is interesting so you will definitely find yourself trying something new. The cocktails are divine. This is going to sound bizarre but be sure you visit the restroom at least once - it was beautiful. I'm a sucker for old architecture.
(4)Nathalie R.
Rye is good but not great. It is definitely overpriced.
(3)Tamara D.
Delicious! Wonderful atmosphere and fantastic service. The menu is created daily, based on available local ingredients, and is clean enough that just about anyone with any food preferences. If you're in Louisville, you should put this on your short list of places to eat.
(5)Erika Y.
We had a fabulous dining experience at this farm-to-table style gem of a restaurant in Louisville. From the complimentary mind-blowing rolls with salted butter to the fantastic specialty cocktails, we knew the meal was off to a promising start. Our table of four ordered almost every appetizer and side on the menu and we were extremely impressed with the complex flavor profiles and creativity that each dish brought to the table. We were also surprised that our entire meal was practically vegetarian (and we do love meat!) but we didn't even notice because it was all so fresh, flavorful and delicious. Our server was fantastic and we absolutely loved discovering that he also was a farmer who provided produce to the restaurant! Even coming from Portlandia, that was a first. The meal was perfectly finished with French press coffee and three unique desserts that each of us argued was our favorite. We would all highly recommend this restaurant to any foodie visiting "Luvull"! :)
(5)Sam S.
We didn't stay for dinner, but the drinks were gratifying.
(4)Plastic Palace A.
I only sat at the bar and had, well, a rye, but I am going to give it 5 stars for the good service, the friendly patrons, and the cool atmosphere. Had a below average dinner up the street at Decca and wish, wish, wish I had eaten here at Rye. Menu looks great. Screw you Decca. Rye is where it is at!
(5)Stacey S.
Thanks to Joe B. who confirmed the grilled cheese is only on the lunch menu. So make your lunch plans soon!
(4)Ellen R.
We had a great experience at Rye. I agree with another reviewer who said that one of the things they wanted in a restaurant is well executed food that you wouldn't or couldn't execute yourself. I loved the smallish menu which included 3 entrees and many sides and small plates, The food was truly delicious. The cocktails were lovely and the house red for $7 was an exceptional grenache, Montes Oton. We started with Japanese roasted peppers with a delicious sauce that included peanuts. There were plenty for everyone to taste. We also tasted the triple cooked fries with aoili which were very good. The oysters were excellent. Although I amoriginally from near Cape Cod, I found the Fanny Bay the very best of the varieties. I was grateful that they were all cold water sourced oysters. A salsify soup with a fried oyster was excellent. Other dishes included the pork (the best I've had in any restaurant), a lobster and cornbread dish that was full of large chunks of sweet lobster, a pasta with porcini, and halibut. Everyone was more than happy. Our service was excellent and knowledgeable. I might lower the volume on the music to enhance conversation but the restaurant was not crowded. I will definitely return to Rye and hope it becomes a fixture in Louisville.
(5)Brett W.
After eating at Rye last night, I realize that I continue to be amazed by Louisville's food scene. Since Rye has opened, it has definitely been on my list to go to, but I never gave it a ton of thought. In fact, I was fully prepared to be underwhelmed. But, like so many of the other gems in this city, Rye totally delivers. Rye goes on my short list of joints in this city that actually feel like they belong in a bigger, even more renowned city. To be honest, the feeling of this place reminds me a bit of a cross between Proof and the old 732 Social. Rye does have the prices to go with this bigger city feel (think $9+ cocktails and appetizers in the $12-$15 range) but really, they backup those higher prices with quality. The other fun component of my visit to Rye was that it occurred during "Pescatarian Week". As a result, there was no meat on the menu. This really was a bonus to me, as I am definitely a fan of the fish, and if anything is encouraging me to go back soon to sample some of their more regular offerings. I ended up having two great cocktails in the Rock n' Rye and the Maple Manhattan. Both really well executed. On the food side, the wife and I shared the Fried Blowfish appetizer (worth trying, but probably my least favorite dish of the night), the Octopus Salad (definitely a standout, really great flavor profile), the Seafood Sausage (definitely very unique, at least to me, very glad I tried), and the Heirloom Beans (awesome side, up there with the Octopus Salad as my favorite). We finished off our meal with a delightful dessert, the Bananas Luscious. Highly, highly recommended! The funny thing about having this dessert is that I felt like I had a revelation when it comes to desserts at spendier restaurants. This particular dessert was $9, about what you'd expect from a place like this. I usually feel like that is a bit much for one dessert, but usually order anyway (at least when I've had a great restaurant experience and want to give the restaurant a chance to show me all of their offerings for a complete assessment). Whenever I get dessert, I always share and always am satisfied with my half. So now, I'm essentially looking at a $4.50 dessert for myself. Compare that to a scoop of ice cream at a premium place like Graeter's or Comfy Cow and you're looking at what, $4.50 compared to $3-3.50 maybe? Really not much of a difference in price and considering the ambiance, presentation, service, and everything else you get with it, I really have concluded that those desserts are totally worth it. Sorry for that huge tangent, but purposes it will encourage someone else to order more desserts. All in all, Rye is just one more bullet on the checklist of why I love Louisville. I definitely loved the feel of the place inside and could see it being a great place to come to hang out and try a bunch of different drinks and various food offerings. If you have not been yet, definitely add it to your list and continue to think about what a great food city Louisville really is!
(4)Ryan M.
While the food, atmosphere, and service was great, I do not believe that the price was justified. I may be back for cocktails but will likely choose somewhere else to dine.
(3)