Main Eatery — Restaurant in Louisville

Let me start by saying I enjoy the food and aesthetic at Main Eatery, even if it does feel a bit pricey for the portions provided. Previously my largest complaint was the cashier having very long conversations with each consumer causing two things 1) Consumers being uncomfortable and simply ready to get their food and 2) very long lines. However, I have always come around to find this nice and remind myself to slow down.

But today I witnessed something that made me uncomfortable and felt the need to share.

I went to Main Eatery with my black, male coworker today and we stood in the line for about 20 minutes, chatting, laughing, and observing the conversations taking place at the front. Upon my coworker ordering there was no attempt at conversation being made and he received customer service that was significantly different than those before. He was also told he would have to show his receipt at the window in order to pick up his food, which I have never heard when visiting before or even in the line today.

When I ordered after my coworker, I was regaled with stories, asked questions about work, had my hand touched, and was not told I would need to show my receipt in order to pick up my food. The ironic thing is the folks at the window never asked my coworker for his receipt at all.

I can not speak for the intent or what the thought process was here, but microaggressions such as letting a black person know they'd have to show a receipt when no one else did, is racist, harmful, and embarrassing for the person on the receiving end. It it offensive and dehumanizing to opt not to have a conversation with the ONE black person in line and offering them a lower class of service. While it may not seem like a big deal to us as white people, it is a familiar and tiring story for black, brown, or indigenous individuals who have lived these experiences.

Main Eatery, be more aware of your...

Main Eatery has the best cooked chicken I've ever had. I can't stress enough how good this chicken was. The gentleman working at the counter explained how it was prepared, with seasoning, cooking, and pressing. I listened and understood, but I didn't fully grasp what he was saying. I ordered a typical salad and got the chicken on top as a protein. As per my usual style, I eat the salad first and save the protein for the end as a little treat. Even after consuming my salad, the chicken was still warm. And it was still moist. And it was definitely delicious. But the thing I couldn't believe was just how moist and tender it was. I'm so used to salads with cold and dry chicken on top. This was anything but typical. The salad came with two cups of dressing on the side. I didn't even use them, that's how good this chicken was. Get whatever else you want here, but make sure you try the grilled chicken too.

My wife got the tuna sandwich and really enjoyed it. She shared a quarter of it with our kid, who also said it was great. Our kid also got the tomato bisque. Our kid's complaint about it was that it was too sweet. I took a few bites and I agreed. However, I also finished the 3/4's of the bowl remaining that my kid didn't eat. So it wasn't my favorite tomato bisque by a long shot (because it was too sweet), but it was still enjoyable as a special treat.

As far as service goes, we loved interacting with the gentleman at the register. He took his time with each customer, explaining the menu items, their origins, how they are prepared, etc. He even took the time to answer all our kid's questions about how the desserts were made. He was a pleasure to speak with and it showed his passion for the business and food. It might have slowed the line down a bit, but nobody in line seemed to mind at all. They knew they'd be cared for and they knew the food would be fresh...

I have been coming here sporadically for many years because I like their Ruben sandwich. And the building they are in is historical and cool.

First off, their hours are annoying. They are literally only open 15 hours a week. No joke. I don’t lead a 9-5 lifestyle so it’s not often that my schedule will allow me to go there and get my favorite Ruben in town. On more than one occasion I’ve arrived there at 1:30pm, 30 minutes before they close, and been turned away for dine-in service. I was told I could order something to go, but they were closing soon (2pm) and I would have to leave immediately with a carry-out. So I guess I’ve been trained to show up really early, when I am able, to get my favorite Ruben in town.

But today, when I showed up after many weeks of not being able to make the 3-hour window of their open hours, my breath was taken away at how much my favorite sandwich costs now. $16.75. On regular sized, store-bought bread. No leftovers here. It was delicious, but still.

Yes the food is good. Yes the people are “nice”. But it’s no wonder they now charge $17 a sandwich. They are only open for 3 hours M-F so they gotta pass the cost of business onto you. I can’t go here...