Jack Fry's — Restaurant in Louisville

The service at Jack Fry's was excellent. I never wanted for drink or felt like the server was too busy for any of my requests. Never felt like I was a burden for asking for drink recommendations or for samples of wines.

The atmosphere was a bit loud for casual conversation but I think that was mainly due to the st Patrick's day celebrations happening that night more so than the usual custom at JFs. I especially enjoyed looking through all the pictures on the walls while listening to their talented pianist play recognizable melodies from Peanuts and Spertramp's discographies.

For a starter my partner and I tried the pork and veal meatballs which was topped with red pepper polenta, which was slightly spicy topped with a dusting of paprika, the polenta was a savory yellow sauce which reminded me of grits in their consistency. I paired my meal with their Zinfadel wine, the waiter having recommended me this based on my request for a fruity red wine. They also gave us a bread basket to enjoy the meatballs with. The corn bread they gave us was light and fluffy, just sweet enough be distinct from the fresh butter I layered on top and blended the myriad flavors from the meatball dish very well.

My main starter was the braised short rib. Reminded me of a well prepared roast beef dish that had been slow cooked all day and allowed to soak in all its flavors and juices. The showcase for this dish was definitely the bacon jam, when used strategically allowed me to eat far more than I usually could without being fatigued from the strong flavors of the short rib. The mashed potatoes were light and savory providing good filler for the rib. The portion sizes for the meat entree were generous, so I was very thankful for the potatoes and broccolini. Excellent fare which was largely wasted on me as I would not consider my tastes high class in the slightest. 10/10

Dessert was a piping hot peach cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream. The peaches were tart and baked to perfection by the resident pastry chef Amy Roberts.

I would like to thank the staff of Jack Frys for a wonderful meal. I hope to come back soon once I have the occassion...

This is THE restaurant to go to if you are in Louisville and want to have an elegant dining experience. It is the closest experience you will get to a Michelin Star restaurant here in Louisville.

In terms of service, all staff are incredible and respectful. They have a coat check, they clean your table and collect your silverware between the appetizers and entrees, and they always have women go first and are served first.

In terms of drinks, they have wonderful curated cocktails. My personal favorite drink is a desert cocktail called A Night At The Movies.

Moving to appetizers, the single handedly best item on the menu is the spicy fried oysters. When someone asks me what is one thing I could eat for the rest of my life, it’s these spicy fried oysters. The other appetizers are good too, but you can’t skip out on these oysters.

For the salads, the Brie Salad is the second best thing on the menu. It is phenomenal, don’t skip it!!

For entrees, I have tried a few: the chicken, the steak, the pork chop and other seasonal dishes, but the best one by far in my opinion is the Short Rib. It falls apart so easily and pairs so well with the goat cheese mashed potatoes. My second favorite is the pork chop.

And last but not least, we have desserts. Usually I am too full for dessert, but the cobbler is a great choice and pair it with the toasted marshmallow ice cream. It’s made by the lovely Louisville Cream and you can only get it at Jack Fry’s.

Long story short, if I knew I was dying and could choose my last meal, I think it would be the following from Jack Fry’s: the spicy fried oysters, Brie salad, braised short rib, the cobbler with ice cream and a final drink, the Night...

What a delightful establishment! You could taste the history long before tasting the food. I could have spent hours soaking it all up. From the pictures hanging on the walls, to the lighting, to the music - sigh. Also, as a people watcher, I was in heaven from arrival to departure.

Service: I'll start with a shout out to Lee. He wasn't helping us, still I stopped him & asked for his name after observing his skillful interactions with a very difficult table & compassion with an elderly couple. Every detail from getting to eye level & maintaining warm eye contact to speed & volume when speaking was on point. Next, the machine of a man - I didn't get a name but did find out that he's been there 4yrs &, while usually a barkeep, was bussing last night. I believe he touched every table in some form & did so with fluidity, grace & non-intrusive motions - amazing. He appeared to be doing a little of everything and doing it all quite well & quickly - always in motion. Overall, the unspoken teamwork was impressive.

We arrived about 15min early for our reservation & were seated immediately. Our first dish: spicy fried oysters. While my hubs bit into a piece of shell (ouch) we still both really liked the dish. Next I had the shrimp & grits (app) as my main. It was perfect and a unique take that I'll likely find myself craving. I'll agree with others, probably the best shrimp & grits I've had to date! My dessert was the creme caramel with a perfectly executed sugar shell. I did take a bite of each of my husband's dishes - his salmon was excellent- cooked to a tender medium with a crispy coating & his raspberry sorbet was a...