Steakhouse Bourré Bonne — Restaurant in Louisville

I want to preface that I've never written a negative review for a restaurant. Bourre Bonne is receiving a good amount of attention on social media apps, which is what enticed me to try it, but I feel strongly about warning folks that you might not get what you expect. This was the worst dining experience I've ever had. Over two hours waiting patiently for our food and/or any acknowledgement from the staff. Finally, at a quarter til 10:00 I gave up, but had to make several attempts to track down a manager to pay for drinks so we could leave.

This was so disappointing. I was so eager to try the food - the menu looks great, and the decor and atmosphere are lovely. I invited my mom and my friend so we could celebrate our birthdays, which fall in the same week, with a special meal. I left feeling a bit humiliated that I chose this spot and pretty heated at the way we were treated. I have been a server for 5 years as my side-hustle job, so I understand the chaos and unpredictability of a kitchen, and the stress that can come with serving, especially when being over seated. With this being said, I am still perplexed at the service, or lack thereof, from Bourre Bonne.

Details of visit Ordered escargot and drinks to start - my drink was incorrect. Server was apologetic, said keep it, but still didn't get the drink correct with the second attempt. For dinner, we only ordered several appetizers and side dishes - no entrees which take longer to cook. Server disappeared for 30 minutes, then 45, then 1 hour. Hostess greeted us and asked who our server was. Still no sign of the server going on 1+ hour. The table next to us had not been greeted for approximately 30 minutes. The table across had eaten but were waiting on their check for 30 minutes to an hour. We asked the hostess to speak with a manager. The hostess came out of the kitchen with a manager. She was explaining the situation and pointing to our table numerous times while relaying details. All other tables had cleared out by this point except for our table and our two neighboring tables (one with no food, one still waiting to pay). We were relieved to get some help; however, the manager turned and walked back in the kitchen without coming to speak with us. At this point, we desperately wanted to pay so we could leave and find food elsewhere. We scoured the place for someone to help. Finally, we found a different manager - Ryanne. She was very apologetic and sincere. She offered to take the escargot off our bill and said, "I'm not going to offer any excuse because there is none." She brought our bill, gave us her card, and told us to reach out to her. She was the best part of Bourre Bonne.

Fortunately, many others have had a great experience, but I had a very similar experience to @Toby Morley. Just know, you are taking a chance if you dine here. I see the potential, but the grave inconsistencies with service are not acceptable for fine dining. I truly hope this restaurant can get it together. Conceptually appealing, but the execution is lacking...

Positives: The atmosphere was lovely. It was a little too noisy for my comfort. I was with a party of 11 for a birthday and it was only possible to speak to the person either next to you or across from you, unless you shouted. We were seated on the first level. We visited the rooftop, which was nice. Regarding mixed drinks, they were made better downstairs as compared to the rooftop bar.

Negative: My disappointment with the food is another matter. I ordered the Salt Beet salad, which was good but nothing to write home about. I shared the lamb and creamed spinach with my sister. I took the much smaller portion of lamb which was cooked medium rare. My sister's much larger chop was rare inside. The chef was called over to address it. His solution was to take that undercooked portion of lamb and cook it well done. So disappointing. I could not dip a spoon into the "creamed spinach" because of the unusually thick coating of melted cheese on the top. I asked for an exchange for a dish of creamed spinach without the cheese topping. What I got was a watery version of creamed spinach, so unappetizing. Let's just say Birdseye's Creamed Spinach is much better. I ordered three desserts for the table to share. The carrot cake was gorgeous. If you got a piece with icing it was enjoyable. After it made it around the table and back to me, the cake by itself without icing was noticeably dry. The strawberry rhubarb dessert was tasty but so tough, you needed a steak knife to cut it. The peach cheesecake was such a tiny square of cheesecake it was a bit of a joke to share with one other person let alone 11. The birthday girl's dessert was just plain horrible. It was a dry cream puff shell without any cream.

I loved our waiter and though the tip was included in the tab, I tipped him extra separately. It was not his fault the food (at least for my sister and I) was unacceptable. It cost $20 to park, but that is expected in downtown Louisville. All in all, I would...

TL:DR the food is very good, the service was next level.

I booked an early meal on a Monday, including a note that our 5 year old was so excited every time we passed the hotel to go to a 'fancy' dinner with the pretty chairs, and asking the restaurant if they could please make sure she got a pretty chair. Not only did they give her a 'princess' chair, they treated her like a true VIP. The hostesses made over her, and showed her to 'her' special table. Our server Sebastian was so sweet with her, making her a variety of fancy napkins and giving her special attention throughout the meal. The manager Ryanne gave her a little tour of some of the other tables and suggested that we ask for Kevin's corner next time (which we definitely will), and was so welcoming with some lovely chitchat for me when my kiddo was off exploring.

That alone would be grounds for us to come back again, but we also loved the croissant loaf (I may order one for just myself next time!) and the beet salad was perfection - cooked just right with a perfectly creamy cheese and bright vinegar dressed greens. My kiddo got the chicken tenders and fries, which were met with enthusiastic approval. I really appreciated the detailed answers we were given, and the fact that much of the menu is ethically and humanely sourced.

On a Monday the room was on the quieter side, but with such an opulent feel to the decor it didn't feel dead or empty. I personally can't take this heat wave, but when it cools down I cannot wait to spend time at the rooftop bar which had ample seating and firetables for...