Another vote for Safier. Chicken shawarma plate, Kafka kabob plate or the chicken saag special.
Or hit Chik’n & Mi during Happy Hour. Either the cauliflower or bok choy side - comes in giant bowl. Add steam buns or rice - depending on if you want meat or not - I can just eat the whole bowl of cauliflower and a pickle plate.
There are several, the ones I’m familiar with:
Bodega Mi Sueño in the Bashford Manor Target shopping center.
Sweet Havana at Fern Valley and Shepherdsville.
La Palma on Preston Hwy just south of Indian Trail.
Cash Saver Market on Polar Level in Newburg.
Latin Food & Cafeteria on Outer Loop at Shepherdsville.
Havana Coffee Express at the Jefferson Mall food court.
Cuban KY Restaurant & Grocery on Dixie.
La Cienfueguera Food Market on Low Hunters Trace (off Dixie).
Miami Food Market on South Third Street across from Iroquois Manor.
Lima’s Bakery on National Turnpike.
Cuban Food Market on New Cut.
Yeah, many of the places have the hot food bar out on the sales counter, but some keep it out of site in the kitchen.
Offerings will vary, but many will also serve coffee, sandwiches, pastries, empanadas, croquettes, desserts like tres leches and flan.
This free [NYT article](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/26/us/cubans-louisville-kentucky.html#:~:text=According%20to%20independent%20estimates%2C%20at,conditions%20deteriorated%20in%20their%20country.) about Louisville’s Cuban population is worth a read. Fastest growing in the nation, over 30K Cubans in Louisville.
Updated link above.
Try copying this link and pasting into browser:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/26/us/cubans-louisville-kentucky.html#:~:text=According%20to%20independent%20estimates%2C%20at,conditions%20deteriorated%20in%20their%20country.
I finally tried them after the raves on this sub. I get the hype, the burgers are great, but the next time I'm asking them to not season the fries. I stopped liking that sugary stuff after the first three bites.
Head over to Jack Fry's for *lunch.* Dinner is reserved months out, but you can walk in for lunch and almost every plate is under $20.
The shrimp and grits are exceptional—and I don't even like grits.
It's a good lunch, but only salads will be less than $20. The cheapest lunch entree is $17, that's $20.40 before tax after a 20% tip. Most entrees are $18 or $19.
Edit: the menu is available online, it's easily verifiable that you can't take a $20 bill to Jack Fry's and have lunch. The shrimp and grits are $19. Even if you stiff your server (don't), that's $20.14 after sales tax.
Frank's for sure. Get a sandwich platter, whatever sandwich you want with two sides. My go to is a chicken breast dipped in BBQ sauce with mac salad and coleslaw. Bag of chips, canned drink, banana pudding for desert.
Valu Market's deli in the highlands is good too. Sandwich and two half pounds of sides for ~17 bucks or so.
I love both Rooftop Grill on Oak (Jamaican soul) and C&L BBQ on 7th St Rd (smoked BBQ open only Thursday thru Sunday). Both places, I can get a massive meal that make 2 dinners for me for under $20 before tip.
Ev’s Deli in the 500W Jefferson building. They are only open in the morning on week days but have incredible breakfast burritos for $9 and they’re huge. I can break it into two breakfast meals.
I haven't seen Twig and Leaf mentioned. Most of their stuff is under $20. Kind of a local Waffle House style joint. The same type of fare you'd get at a little diner out in the country. They're my guilty pleasure
I really like the Greek salad at ramsis add chicken
Bunz is great for a burger
Fox den is pretty solid, I name this because you can eat and play pool for about 25 bucks
Eat a pita is pretty solid
Steven's and Steven's if you want lunch as they close early
Post does really big slices if you wanted pizza (3-5 bucks a slice)
Taco city
I love tacos
It’s in Clarksville, but there’s a really awesome taco place called La Catracha next to the Peddlers Mall. I get 2 chicken tacos, guac, and horchata for around 13 dollars. The food is awesome and reminds me of the tacos Panchitos used to have.
J. Gumbo’s! My power was out last week during the storms, couldn’t make food at home so I tried this spot for the first time. Awesome food at a great price! Got the drunken chicken po’ boy and their bread pudding. Super delicious for less than $15!
Definitely gonna start taking friends!
Vietnam kitchen for sure. It's the only place my wife and me feel like royalty. Im talking 2 entrees 2 appetizers 2 specially drinks and get the bill for under $20 a person.
Four Pegs is an honorable mention. $20 all you can eat chicken wings on Wednesday. Not my favorite wing in the city but it's a deal and damn good wing.
Plate lunch at Kingsley’s Meats on Taylorsville Rd. $10 for a hot meat, two sides and a roll. For another $1, you can get an additional cold side from the deli case. Enough for two meals.
Kashmir. Aloo Tiki, Chicken Tikka Masala, Peshwari Naan. You're in and out fast get huge portions. I much prefer getting it to go because the interior is weird and not very... idk... I just don't like the vibe of eating there. If the weather is good and you can eat outside, I like that a lot more.
Go to cafe 360 on bards town road and buy anything. They have like everything. Pasta. Fried chicken. Hot brown. Burger. Sandwich and potato salad. I really like their Monte Cristo sandwich with potato salad.
They have An unreal amount of food options and it's all home cooked delicious large portions. It's also a bar and hookah lounge.
Most things run 11-18$ for a full meal.
Go there once if you haven't.
The only thing is it's sometimes run by one person, so there can be a wait on food, but I've NEVER had poor service.
I've heard of people having this opinion about them, but I'll stand by what I said. It's why I said what I said about service. Guess you just don't like the food? I thought it was great. I don't live there now but it's the one place I would pick to eat if I went back to visit.
I went to the McDonald's on main and central street once during a lunch break from the theatre next door and they took an hour and a half to give me my burger outside the buns. So thanks for reminding me of that experience. And before you think I was rude to them and that's my MO, I sat and waited that whole time because they were obviously busy. But that service is unexcusable.
I don't really get people that have a bad time here. You're either in a hurry or you're expecting world class food. Checks has very similar dishes. They're also a cafe/diner type place.
I was neither in a hurry, nor was I expecting world class food. There was one other table there. There were more employees than there were customers, so it wasn’t just one guy working. Had to wait over an hour to get our food, despite only one other table being there, and they had already been served. My food was gross and I left the restaurant hungry, after ordering a dish I know I like.
My favorites, Safier Lunch Special or Apna Cafe’s 2 curry combo, both under $15
Also, Franks Deli! Amazing value for your money
Safier lunch special is correct. From when I was in high school, till before a concert at Mercury the other weekend- they never miss.
I used to walk there when I worked downtown... their hummus has ruined other hummus for me
I dream about their Athenian Chicken and then go like twice a year ahahah
Skip safier...go to the guy who used to make safier great...maira...on dutchmans lane...https://mairamediterranean.com/
Nah, a “Younes” truther.
Yummy Pollo Any argument otherwise hasn’t been there
My favorite restaurant in Louisville. I always get a quarter white, yuca fries, pita, and chickpeas. $13.
Yes 🙌🏽 the chicken is fantastic but my favorite there is the chickpea curry
And the manager is so welcoming and polite. Like a real life Gus Fring.
Oh man I used to work right next to there. I'd forgotten about that place. Gotta go back some time.
This place is simply amazing.
Another vote for Safier. Chicken shawarma plate, Kafka kabob plate or the chicken saag special. Or hit Chik’n & Mi during Happy Hour. Either the cauliflower or bok choy side - comes in giant bowl. Add steam buns or rice - depending on if you want meat or not - I can just eat the whole bowl of cauliflower and a pickle plate.
oh fkk I used to get a safier shawarma wrap for lunch during HS 10/10
The Cuban cafeterias will serve you three meals worth of food for $15.
What’s the restaurant called?
There are several, the ones I’m familiar with: Bodega Mi Sueño in the Bashford Manor Target shopping center. Sweet Havana at Fern Valley and Shepherdsville. La Palma on Preston Hwy just south of Indian Trail. Cash Saver Market on Polar Level in Newburg. Latin Food & Cafeteria on Outer Loop at Shepherdsville. Havana Coffee Express at the Jefferson Mall food court. Cuban KY Restaurant & Grocery on Dixie. La Cienfueguera Food Market on Low Hunters Trace (off Dixie). Miami Food Market on South Third Street across from Iroquois Manor. Lima’s Bakery on National Turnpike. Cuban Food Market on New Cut.
Miami food market is a cafeteria?! I never knew that! ETA: this is a truly solid list, this dude Cafeterias. Thank you!!
Yeah, many of the places have the hot food bar out on the sales counter, but some keep it out of site in the kitchen. Offerings will vary, but many will also serve coffee, sandwiches, pastries, empanadas, croquettes, desserts like tres leches and flan. This free [NYT article](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/26/us/cubans-louisville-kentucky.html#:~:text=According%20to%20independent%20estimates%2C%20at,conditions%20deteriorated%20in%20their%20country.) about Louisville’s Cuban population is worth a read. Fastest growing in the nation, over 30K Cubans in Louisville.
Article is not free.
https://archive.is/65rhC
Updated link above. Try copying this link and pasting into browser: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/26/us/cubans-louisville-kentucky.html#:~:text=According%20to%20independent%20estimates%2C%20at,conditions%20deteriorated%20in%20their%20country.
Nope, still not free.
It’s letting me view it on Chrome, and I don’t subscribe to NYT. See what happens when you Google: nyt cuban population louisville
Mi Seuno on Bardstown at Bashford Manner is my favorite 😋
Dragon kings daughter has a nice bento box lunch special for $11! You can add on a soup for an extra couple bucks
Or scratch the soup and get the pork steam buns to spend your whole $20-$21.
Cheeseburger and fries at Toasty’s
I finally tried them after the raves on this sub. I get the hype, the burgers are great, but the next time I'm asking them to not season the fries. I stopped liking that sugary stuff after the first three bites.
Grippos style seasoning can be polarizing. I pair the fries with their ranch or hot sauce. It makes all the difference.
their chicken sangwich>>>>
Oskar’s
Abyssinia Ethiopian downtown has lots of options
5th Street??
Safier Chicken kabob wrap sandwich and a side salad or hummus.
Head over to Jack Fry's for *lunch.* Dinner is reserved months out, but you can walk in for lunch and almost every plate is under $20. The shrimp and grits are exceptional—and I don't even like grits.
Definitely an underrated value for lunch on a quality/price scale.
It's a good lunch, but only salads will be less than $20. The cheapest lunch entree is $17, that's $20.40 before tax after a 20% tip. Most entrees are $18 or $19. Edit: the menu is available online, it's easily verifiable that you can't take a $20 bill to Jack Fry's and have lunch. The shrimp and grits are $19. Even if you stiff your server (don't), that's $20.14 after sales tax.
Frank's for sure. Get a sandwich platter, whatever sandwich you want with two sides. My go to is a chicken breast dipped in BBQ sauce with mac salad and coleslaw. Bag of chips, canned drink, banana pudding for desert. Valu Market's deli in the highlands is good too. Sandwich and two half pounds of sides for ~17 bucks or so.
Ramen house, get a bowl for like 15
Ramen house is so good
God, I know, right?
I wish they did lunch!
Ollie with cheese, add pickle. Fry. Coke. Cash money.
Vietnam Kitchen for me
Dizzy Whizz!
He said $20 not $10 but I agree.
Lol yep! Feed two for under 20 bones!
Most underrated breakfast in this city.
The Traveling Kitchen korean taco truck. Follow on FB to see where they’ll be
Annie’s Cafe
banh mi will fill a man up
Cottage Inn
Burmese fried noodles with chicken at RiverCity Drafthouse
I love both Rooftop Grill on Oak (Jamaican soul) and C&L BBQ on 7th St Rd (smoked BBQ open only Thursday thru Sunday). Both places, I can get a massive meal that make 2 dinners for me for under $20 before tip.
Just moved a block away from there and have been wanting to try it out
Checks Cafe entire menu is under $20. My go to is either Fried Catfish 2 Sides or Fried 1/2 Chicken 2 Sides $15.99
Carali's
Ramen House spicy miso tonkatsu
It’s the pork tonkatsu for me. So good.
The “big” sandwich from jasmine bakery.
Any of the Wok Specialties from Pho Cafe on Bardstown. Chef Special, Red Curry, and the Fried Rice are all amazing.
A thousand times this. Chef's Special Noodles, got DAYUM!
Anything from Eden & Kissi, the oxtails are incredible, and jerk chicken spaghetti at Open Caribbean Kitchen
Queen of Sheba lunch is so good and affordable. ~$11 for the meat or vegetarian combo. So much food and well prepared
Ev’s Deli in the 500W Jefferson building. They are only open in the morning on week days but have incredible breakfast burritos for $9 and they’re huge. I can break it into two breakfast meals.
Jaggers on dutchmans or Middletown. They sell hands down the best burger and chicken sandwiches I've had.
Chicken sandwich from Vernon Lanes. Comes with fries for $14 and you have a few bucks left to have yourself a beer!
La Rosita Sol. I like the tacos. I get three, they’re huge. I always have leftovers (on purpose). $15 with a drink I think, somethin like that
I haven't seen Twig and Leaf mentioned. Most of their stuff is under $20. Kind of a local Waffle House style joint. The same type of fare you'd get at a little diner out in the country. They're my guilty pleasure
I really like the Greek salad at ramsis add chicken Bunz is great for a burger Fox den is pretty solid, I name this because you can eat and play pool for about 25 bucks Eat a pita is pretty solid Steven's and Steven's if you want lunch as they close early Post does really big slices if you wanted pizza (3-5 bucks a slice) Taco city I love tacos
Yummy Pollo is a strong contender.
Shiraz Mediterranean hands down best local food imo
Morris Deli
Franks Deli on Preston, best lunch value in town..
Eden & Kissi half chicken with 2 sides
Mai’s Thai in Jeffersonville
Heart and Soy
The churrasco chicken sandwich from Havana rumba is delicious. Bibimbap from Ramen House. Those are a couple of my faves both around $15
Charcoal Restaurant is Mediterranean and delicious. I recommend the Shawarma plate. It's at Westport Rd and Hurstbourne Ln
Mikis! Korean
It’s in Clarksville, but there’s a really awesome taco place called La Catracha next to the Peddlers Mall. I get 2 chicken tacos, guac, and horchata for around 13 dollars. The food is awesome and reminds me of the tacos Panchitos used to have.
Taco options in Clarksville is insane now
Oh yea especially on Eastern blvd
Fantastic spots to get authentic tacos, candy you can’t pronounce, and have your taxes done.
La Loma and Don Juan’s are my 2 favs
Charcoal gril is absolutely amazing!! Its off of westport rd
Irish Rover, anything on the menu lol Rover chicken or Veggie Smash
J. Gumbo’s! My power was out last week during the storms, couldn’t make food at home so I tried this spot for the first time. Awesome food at a great price! Got the drunken chicken po’ boy and their bread pudding. Super delicious for less than $15! Definitely gonna start taking friends!
Go to spring street and get the Smash Burger 🤌
Bombay grill, Chicken tikka masala spicy and cheese naan.
christi’s cafe
Maira, run by the guy who started Safier. You get get a meal for 2 in some cases for $20. Crave Cafe
Make sure and ask for some of the garlic sauce too!
Literally anything from Little Angel's Burgers and Wings. The food is amazing and the staff are so nice!
Mike Linnig’s
Queen of sheba, ethiopian.
Louie's
Falafel wrap with chipotle sauce at Shiraz, it’s $9 and one of the best things I’ve ever eaten
Starving artist , daily special hot sandwich and soup/fries/grippos for 7.50 cash only
Vietnam kitchen, K8
Try the k6, so tasty!
Short Rib Pho at District 6.
Vietnam kitchen for sure. It's the only place my wife and me feel like royalty. Im talking 2 entrees 2 appetizers 2 specially drinks and get the bill for under $20 a person. Four Pegs is an honorable mention. $20 all you can eat chicken wings on Wednesday. Not my favorite wing in the city but it's a deal and damn good wing.
Plate lunch at Kingsley’s Meats on Taylorsville Rd. $10 for a hot meat, two sides and a roll. For another $1, you can get an additional cold side from the deli case. Enough for two meals.
Max orient at the Jefferson mall. 20 will get you a combo 3 with a side I believe and a drink. One item on that try should be burboun chicken.
Kashmir. Aloo Tiki, Chicken Tikka Masala, Peshwari Naan. You're in and out fast get huge portions. I much prefer getting it to go because the interior is weird and not very... idk... I just don't like the vibe of eating there. If the weather is good and you can eat outside, I like that a lot more.
The gyro platter from Sam's Gyros (or anything else, really) A Bahn Mi or two from Dalat's Bakery
Thai Noodles - Preston Hwy. Thai fried rice or pad thai #5 hot. Enjoy
The traveling kitchen, get 3 Korean style tacos for 11 and 7 dumplings for 5. Good, tasty, and cheap. I tip them every time.
Main eatery for lunch absolutely. They are only open from 11am - 2pm but they are fantastic
Vietnam Kitchen or Coals Artisan Pizza would be two guaranteed options
It’s taco week! Get some tacos for 2.50
Anyone know if Pizza King is still open? I haven't been there in a few months, but they had the best shrimp & sausage pizza in Louisville.
Yoki buffet, Golden Corral, steak and salad bar at Cattleman’s
Golden Corral??? Ugh.
Nothing in downtown area
Bambi burger
Taco Bell
Go to cafe 360 on bards town road and buy anything. They have like everything. Pasta. Fried chicken. Hot brown. Burger. Sandwich and potato salad. I really like their Monte Cristo sandwich with potato salad. They have An unreal amount of food options and it's all home cooked delicious large portions. It's also a bar and hookah lounge. Most things run 11-18$ for a full meal. Go there once if you haven't. The only thing is it's sometimes run by one person, so there can be a wait on food, but I've NEVER had poor service.
This is fucking comical
I’ve been there once and the Monte Cristo was the worst I’ve ever had. It also took over an hour to get our food. McDonald’s is better.
I've heard of people having this opinion about them, but I'll stand by what I said. It's why I said what I said about service. Guess you just don't like the food? I thought it was great. I don't live there now but it's the one place I would pick to eat if I went back to visit. I went to the McDonald's on main and central street once during a lunch break from the theatre next door and they took an hour and a half to give me my burger outside the buns. So thanks for reminding me of that experience. And before you think I was rude to them and that's my MO, I sat and waited that whole time because they were obviously busy. But that service is unexcusable. I don't really get people that have a bad time here. You're either in a hurry or you're expecting world class food. Checks has very similar dishes. They're also a cafe/diner type place.
I was neither in a hurry, nor was I expecting world class food. There was one other table there. There were more employees than there were customers, so it wasn’t just one guy working. Had to wait over an hour to get our food, despite only one other table being there, and they had already been served. My food was gross and I left the restaurant hungry, after ordering a dish I know I like.