Where To Eat in Louisville: Jack Fry's

If you can afford to eat at a place Jack Fry's on a regular basis you've probably been there at least once and are looking forward to going back. If you can't afford to eat at a place like Jack Fry's on the regular you've probably heard how good it is and wonder when you should spend the money on a meal there. The answer to the question is "as soon as possible, as long as you aren't a vegetarian."

Like everything I've eaten at Jack Fry's the potato gratin is excellent. It is though, the lone vegetarian entree. If you don't like potatoes or mushrooms or if a very rich dish isn't what you're looking for then you're spot out of vegetarian luck.

If you are in fact a meat eater then let me fall all over myself encouraging you to schedule a meal at Jack Fry's. My opinion is completely subjective but for all that is holy start your meal with the dates. I know Jack Fry's is quite well known for their classic shrimp and grits appetizer but take my word on this one and start with the dates. They're stuffed with pork and wrapped with more pork. If you eat pork that is of course music to your ears. I do not believe you can go wrong with any entree you might order from the Jack Fry's menu. Either from my own ordering or bites from the plates of dining companions I've tried nearly every main dish and salad on Jack Fry's menu and have loved each and every bite.

Let me back up a little bit and tell you that if you want a quiet intimate dining experience you should get an early reservation and asked to be seated away from the bar area. The later it gets the louder the restaurant gets, particularly by the bar area and especially when there is live music. I've found that it can sometimes be almost little too loud for comfortable conversation so I like to be away from the action both in terms of the time I dine and where I sit. No matter what time you go or where you sit you can expect impeccable service. I know such service is part of the ticket price in fine dining establishments but let me tell you, the service at Jack Fry's can certainly spoil you. Attentive but not overbearing, helpful but not pushy, polite but not overly chatty, present when you want or need something absent when you want to be left to your dinner conversation. In short, some of the best service I've ever had has been at Jack Fry's. Now it's possible that I just haven't eaten at Jack Fry's often enough to come across less than stellar service (I've been less than five times) but I don't like to think that's the case. I like to think that anyone reading this will have exactly as good service as I've had each time I've been there.

Outstanding food and stellar service are two-thirds of the equation that make Jack Fry's such a special place. The final component is the atmosphere. You'd be hard pressed to identify the year based on the decor at Jack Fry's. It could be 2008 in there but it could just as easily be 1998 or 1968 for that matter. That is to say that the decor is timeless. It doesn't feel dated, doesn't feel trendy. It just feels comfortably upscale. It's nice obviously but it's not pretentious. I can't tell you how much I like that. Sometimes at ultra nice restaurants I fear I might be ejected from the premises for perhaps thinking about using the wrong fork. At Jack Fry's it's equally acceptable to enjoy a filet and an expensive bottle of wine or to have a burger and a beer.

Jack Fry's
1007 Bardstown Road
Louisville, KY 40204
502-452-9244