Mussel & Burger Bar — Restaurant in Louisville

Overall a classy environment with a staff dedicated to great service. What does great service entail? It means that our server demonstrated friendliness and patience with a side of humor. They can be characterized as the backbone of the restaurant and are really why the restaurant gets a 4 star over a 3 star.

The restaurants burger they tout where not to my preference. They were still delicious, but holistically the burger wasn't what I expected when I came in. I had the Argentinian burger (pictured) at the recommendation of the server. Here's the catch, how well you want it cooked is the name of the game at this fine establishment. They pride themselves on grinding up steaks and then cooking them into patties. This process means that a burger may not have enough fat to hold together or that a burger can be cooked well under what a normal burger should be at because these burgers are from steak cuts (regular ground beef usually contain cuts from all parts of the cow and so must be cooked thoroughly to ensure no bacteria is alive). So at the recommendation of the server I got it medium-rare. (with pomme frites, which are just fries)

To clarify, I am a person that believes in that what ever the cook serves should be how it is eaten. It may be controversial but I do not like holding up the kitchen and if they have served it then it signals to me they are pleased with my order.

The burger about 1.5 inches thick was pink all throughout except with a sliver of gray. This may be a turnoff for some, but for me it was an interesting way to eat a burger. The real problem with the burger that the seasoning was too salty and because it did not have enough fat, the patty kept falling apart. With more structure to the burger and focus on precision of seasoning, I would have easily given this place a 5-star.

If you place how well you want your burger cooked, I would suggest that a medium would be great...

My wife and I were in town for a second honeymoon and bourbon trip and had come to the end of a long day of tasting and wanted a nice dinner downtown without too much fuss. Naturally we checked local reviews and saw the highly rated Mussel & Burger Bar as a nice dinner option. After a short Lyft ride from the hotel, and reassurances from a knowledgeable local driver, We arrived at the location just before the typical dinner rush. We were greeted directly inside and told there was going to be about a 30 min wait but open seating at the bar gave us two spots and we sat down perusing the menu. Being in bourbon country naturally I enquired about their selections and was greeted by an extensive list of typical and accessible bourbons and their wide private select and more rare collection. The bartender was very knowledgeable about their flavor profiles and was able to help narrow down to a pour of Old Forrester Birthday Celebration 2022. My wife enjoyed a lovely peach sangria and we looked at the menu. The burger selection was extensive and we were quickly both in need of a tie breaker between a few selections that sounded good. After another excellent explanation of our choices I chose the curry cream mussels while my wife enjoyed a Local Burger with fries. The food was exquisite with no complaints or criticism. The dinner mussels portion is plenty for even the heartiest of eaters and we were left full and satisfied. The general ambiance was loud and very busy but about as to be expected on a Saturday night downtown in a city. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a nice meal and great drink however plan ahead with a reservation or prepare for a healthy wait as the place is smaller and set in an older...

I was so excited to try this place after researching and following them on Instagram. As soon as I arrived to downtown Louisville Kentucky this was our first stop. I am a bit of a mussel head and order them any time I see them on the menu. My expectations were high with a restaurant that is literally named for one of my favorite mollusks however it fell a little short on delivery. The Moules Basquaise was flavorful but lacked actual mussels. Im used to having 12-18 mussels and there were a total of 10 for 13$ I just expected more. Also the lady sitting directly beside us was apparently the one who makes the Argentinian chorizo that is in the broth and was so unfriendly. I asked a few questions and she was very curt and not at all kind. I had yet to receive any food and was excited to learn some things but apparently thats not in her wheel house. Bummer

Thankfully our bartender was very friendly and the rest of the staff seemed helpful and kind. A huge plus

My husband ordered the BBQ burger and was very underwhelmed at the portion of the burger (shaped like a hockey puck, the bun dwarfed it in size) was over cooked (he asked for medium) and lacked flavor. Calling yourself a burger bar, you really must deliver on the burger!

All in all the only thing I would come back for would be the truffle frites. Absolutely delicious and I'm so thankful I ordered a side of those because it was a redeeming part of the meal. The truffle aioli was one of the best dipping sauces I've had and I would have loved to have tried that sauce lathered on a burger.

Maybe next time will be better I will always give a place that has 11 different locations in a 10 year span...