Guy Fieri's Smokehouse — Restaurant in Louisville

I recently ventured to the 4th Street Live location of Guy Fieri’s in Louisville, KY, not really knowing what to expect, as I barely partake in restaurants. Having arrived in the late afternoon, the crowd was reasonably light, perhaps 20 persons inside. The colors and motifs in the wall art of the establishment are fun, inviting, and vibrant, and the facility is well kept for cleanliness. On one side of the restaurant is the kitchen which offers ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, and similar items. The sides included macaroni and cheese, beans, coleslaw, and other traditional southern styled foods. The aspect of ordering food is a matter of staying in line with other customers and progressively funneled towards the cash register. Given the design of the building and efficiency reasons, this is understandable.

The food selection is reasonably priced, and I enjoyed a meal of half rack of ribs with juju sauce, alongside coleslaw and beans on less than $20 for one person. The ribs were excellent. I felt the sides could use mild improvement on their subtleties, yet they still adhered to the traditional standards. The food experience I would give perhaps an 8 out of 10 at best. The dishes are common and easily made, though popular anywhere. The meal overall was not made in such a way to be earnestly a memorable experience.

The food experience aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the drinks at the bar, as well as the bartender, Steve-O. I enjoyed an Old Fashioned first, and observed the efficiency, prowess, and skill as the bartender made the drink, perhaps having created it within 2 minutes at most, including the thyme that was lightly singed to bring balance among the drink’s subtleties. Where anyone would be inclined to down his/her drink quickly, the manner in which the drink was made was pure perfection. It is not often that I hold a drink in high regard, yet this one in particular was a meal in its own right, and I took my time with it across perhaps half an hour for its delectable qualities. The second drink had was a Manhattan, which equally proved worth savoring across time. In conversing with the bartender, and observing how he manages the bar area, he loves his role with a passion, keeping up with customers, making sure they are doing well, keeping the area rightfully well stocked and clean. The gleam in his eye whilst he makes a drink speaks deeply of his love for the art, and it becomes most apparent if you might ask him the origins of a drink, lending him to share the history of how it came to pass, when, and where. Should anyone ask about chemistry of a drink, he will delve into the minutiae just as equally. Steve-O embodies being a gentleman and connoisseur of the art, and he knows more than 5000 drinks. I rate the drinking experience a 10/10, and hope the bartender has many successes...

Sooo Excited 2get Away w/my Husband for Cple days from Northwest IN/Chicago Area & what I Really Wanted 2Do fell threw so Threw Yelp- Online Services seen there was a Guy Fieris place 5min ago I wasn’t even aware of So changed & Soooo Excited! ❤️Guy Even my Husband Does & he’s not even a Foodie like me- been Watching him For Yrs.Thru his winning on Challenge, to Diners & Dives, Grocery Games, Judge On Shows, Show at his SWEET looking House, All the Help & Donations he’s Done During Pandemic for Restaurants , O’ So w/Him & Hunter, new Show Chicken 🐔 guy- - Always U Get it BIG Fan & Much Respect!. Soo Excited & High expectations!!. Welllll Soooo Here’s Where All Changes! We Went 2the Restaurant (which was Really Just Bad Fast Food 🙁) Small Menu U Order at Counter 3/4 thgs 2 pick from, & 4 Sides- Drks Buy a Cup if U wanna get yourself a Pop, & IF U Want a High Prices Alcohol Drk wait Different place!. So my Husband order 1/2 Slab of Ribs, (NO Chips Even- & he got 1/4 slab not 1/2 Ordered)& I got Pulled Pork Sandwich w/Chips -Plain NO Choose! But I said we want EVER- Which is 4 Sides on the Menu 2Try them All (Mac & Cheese, Pot Salad, Baked Beans, coleslaw) which were arnd $4/5 a piece- So 1/2 Slab Ribs (O’ & U want Sauce- U NEED dryer than the Dessert Ex) Pulled Pork w/Chips 4/3 (we were Shorted our Slaw) 1 Pop was like $45. Anyways $ wasn’t Issue- got a Margarita idk like $10/13 ask for Top Shelf was ONLY on Rocks in like 12oz Plastic Glass tasted Horrible! I’ve NEVER Not Finished 1 Drk & Threw it Away after Choking Dwn 1/4 Of it! - my Husband w/his 12oz Glass had 2 get Himself up & Refill his Own pop even 10/15min. - I Tried his Ribs & he Bought like 3 Sauces & I Got 2- & Lucky I Didn’t Loose a Tooth Chewing Soo Much & Hard, & even w/Sauce Dryer than the Desert!!!. The Polled Pork (Ha the Bun was prob best Part- the Meat was OK & it did Come w/Some Sauce on it, but I was asked if I wanted Slaw & Said YES & had 2 Specks on Hole Sandwich (which I will show ya pics!) & Funny Side we got Ripped on was the Slaw- Just not our Night idk but thinking Not by Other Reviews & the Staff & Customers in Place! Mac & Cheese was Worse than my Kraft Mac & Cheese I make 4My Kids, Potato Salad had NO Flavor & Potato’s Had as a Rock! Soo Long Story But it SUCKED!!. Threw 3/4 of Food Away!! Very Disappointed ☹️ & C’in What High Standards he Sets 4 his Chicken Show exc. NO Service Food BAD, there was a Closet by Door seemed like Employees Freakweend Every 2min. ??? & I DONT even Cook Ribs but my Local Place Wagner’s is 1,000 times better & my mother in-laws & Mothers with Are not even good cooks R 100 times Better!!.. So GUY IF U Care Reg; Your Place Do Somethg or U Will Go Outta Business!. So I’m Sad & Sorry 2 Sad I Wld Never go Back or Recommend it...

Where to start... Okay, here goes. Ordered "The Smokehouse" at the recommendation of the bar tender. Lets just say, in no way shape or form disappointed. I am Wheat Free, so I ordered without the Garlic-buttered Brioche Bun, and let me tell you, your mouth will begin watering before it gets to your table. Started sampling the brisket that was on top. While,it was a lil more fatty than I'm used too, it was perfectly smoked. The fat carried so much flavor and melted almost instantly in my mouth leaving me wanting a plate full of brisket alone. Continued to sample the pulled pork underneath, incredible flavor. Truly seasoned and not flavored with the spices in perfect proportion. Finally a bite of the smash burger with the smoked gouda and donkey sauce underneath. Well prepared and beautifully seasoned as it hits the pallet. The flavors meld so well... Now, began to eat instead of sample. The three meats, gouda, and donkey sauce create a tango of flavor not to be reconned with. Amid the flavors and textures, the senses flourish and the pallet gets overwhelmed in a very positive way... So good, I actually forgot to try the house made bbq sauce and didn't even take a sip of my beer... Was I sick? Not at all. Completely delighted. Oh yeah...the sides? Smokehouse fri-trio, french fries on steroids with a good amount of a slightly sweeter, slightly more robust seasoning. Think Lowery's only better. Am I satisfied, absolutely. Will I be back, no question. Will I find an answer for the lack of truth in the bad reviews, probably not. However, there may be a true lack of taste and truth in them. Come one, come all, enjoy...