Lynn’s Paradise Cafe

Paradise Hot Brown
Touted on «The Best Thing I Ever Ate», «Throwdown! with Bobby Flay» and «Man vs Food Nation»! Home Roasted Turkey Breast baked on Sourdough Bread, with Mornay Sauce, Bacon, Tomato, Monterey Jack and Cheddar Cheeses — $ 12.49
Did somebody say «HEART ATTACK IN A BOWL»? All I’ve gotta’ say is to be prepared and bring out the stretcher… for your pants that is. This meal is so de-​lish, you will not be able to put your fork…(ummm Spoon!) down. I was most impressed with how tender and juicy the turkey was. Biting into it was like biting into a stick of butter (not that I’ve ever done that …) and everything else from the bacon and the cheese worked so well together. Reading the menu description definitely makes you scratch your head for a second but order it and you’ll definitely be a fan.
This place has a kitschy style in both décor and food. Both the exterior and interior are painted vividly and decorated eclectically. It’s definitely worth a visit, especially for those that follow the arts!

Dishes sampled include:
House Coffee
Bourbon Ball French Toast — Thick cinnamon swirl bread dipped in Vanilla nutmeg batter. Grilled and topped with bourbon vanilla custard, chocolate syrup, fresh strawberries, sugar spiced pecans, fresh whipped cream
Quadruple B French Toast — Buttermilk Black Walnut Bread, Slightly sweetened, battered and grilled. Ladled with sweet blackberry sauce and topped with toasted bourbon meringue.
Still early, our final stop of the morning was perhaps Louisville’s most famous dining spot — in part due to the food, but undoubtedly also for the scene/​scenery — Lynn’s Paradise Café. A restaurant once noted in the media as «If Salvadore Dali and Dolly Parton were to team up to open a restaurant, they might come up with Lynn’s Paradise Café» I’d be hard pressed to disagree with this assessment given the absurdity of the decoration both outside and within, but to focus solely on the décor would be short sighted to say the least because underneath its silly exterior Lynn’s turns out some seriously good food and absolutely superlative service.
Truly an «experience» restaurant from the various photo-​ops to the funky store and tabletop games our experience began with warm smiles at the hostess stand and continued with top-​notch service and copious coffee refills from a young man named Shaun who was more than happy to tell us of Lynn’s history and offer his recommendations (or warnings, as they were, to not order too much) which we happily ignored thus leading to two huge plates of French Toast, one apparently featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay and the other from Man vs. Food, both entirely over the top, and both finished with zeal — a tough call as to which was better since both house made breads were delicious, though I think I lean towards the Bourbon Ball given the bread pudding texture and delicate balance of so many hefty ingredients.
Admittedly a glutton for sweets and particularly sweet breakfast foods Lynn’s Paradise Café (and actually the whole morning of ⁶⁄₂₉) would be one of my favorites of the entire trip west — no small feat considering the places we would go — and having heard that Lynn’s has since closed its doors I’m glad I had the chance to visit when I did… I only hope they find a new owner soon.

Lynn’s is a must-​stop place for out-​of-​towners visiting Louisville. But if I lived here, I’d avoid it unless I had friends visiting. It’s loud (literally and in appearance), busy, and expensive. To be fair, it’s also friendly, delicious, and entertaining. I’m glad we went.
The bloody mary was delicious. Sadly, they were out of the bacon infused vodka that comes in the $ 13 bloody mary so we opted for the plain ol’ $ 10 version. At more than $.50 an ounce it was pretty tasty (heavy on the garlic and rimmed with cajun spices) but a lot more garnish would have been appreciated.
The biscuits were OUT OF THIS WORLD amazing. And the gravy was also really damn good. No one had a single bad thing to say about any of our plates (except the prices… but really we left so full and we would have happily paid a dollar or two less, so it isn’t THAT expensive. I guess).
All in all I’d recommend this place. Really good service and really yummy food. Just don’t be surprised if you have sticker shock.
Here’s a list of the best things:
Fried Green Tomatoes with Remoulade Sauce over Baby Greens (appetizer)
BLT Fries
Smoked Sausage Frittata
Cheesy Grits

One of the ladies working at the Louisville Harley-​Davidson dealership recommended we check out Lynn’s when we asked about a good place for breakfast.
We walked in and were immediately seated all the way in the back close to the restrooms. Our senses were immediately assaulted by a strong and rather unpleasant odor. We looked at each other and decided there was no way we were going to enjoy eating in here with that odor.
I don’t get it — this place has a ton of good reviews — no one else appears to have experienced this odor? If it was my restaurant — I’d rip out the gross, disgusting carpet and replace it with tile or hardwood floor. I suspect the odors were coming from the carpet.
So we excused ourselves and opted to eat elsewhere.

Lynn’s Paradise Café… you have A LOT of reviews. What could I possibly add?
This is definitely one of those places you HAVE to try at least once to decide for yourself whether you like it. There is so much going on at Lynn’s that its going to rub every person different. The food is only a part of the entire experience. And I guess when I think about it… thats exactly what Lynn’s is, its an experience as much as it is a place to eat. And that experience will be what ever you make of it. Much like life.
Wow… got deep there for a minute. Sorry about that.
Ive been here twice. The first time was a little over a year ago on a Sunday… that was chaos. At the time I didnt know they do reservations. Knowing what I know now, I would highly recommend reservations. I waited for about an hour only bc I didnt know when I would have a chance to come back and I really wanted to give them a go. I would say it was worth the wait. It gave me time to check out the place.
The second time was recent and around… I think just after 11am-​ish. on a Wednesday and there was no wait.
The food was good, both times. Ive enjoyed Lynn’s, both times. Its a great experience.

Dear Lynn’s,
What?! What do you mean I haven’t reviewed you yet? I’m so sorry! You were definitely never far from my mind. Actually, you’re pretty difficult to forget.
Remember that one time that I played the outdoor pipes with your sandal? Or that pair of «Congratulations you’re 50!» sunglasses that got from you and wore during Derby? I’ll never forget the time we played trivia at the table and tried to find all of the little gismos in that whatchamacallit — such fond memorable memories. What about when I watched all of those people dancing outside… one of them was dressed up as a horse. Weird, but oddly intriguing.
I could spend hours ogling your spandex covered legs. Or counting the tea-​bags that are hanging from your ceiling. You blind me (in a pleasant way) almost every time with the neon flowers, with which you decorate yourself. And those ugly lamps get me every time.
Don’t worry, I’ll be back to see you. And I’ll bring friends.

As I was driving down the road, I remember being confused and wary, wondering if this place was tucked into some untouched nook that I’d somehow passed. And then I saw it.
With its colorful accents and assortment of. .. well. .. «stuff» outside, this café certainly makes quite the statement and walking in, you’ll find that the statement is rather drawn out. From books to little toys to a table of bacon themed items, the number of distractions and diversions is enough to make the wait time go by relatively quickly.
Once your seated, it’s hard to figure out if you should be looking at the menu or the colorful. . «things». . all around the place. There’s definitely a lot of people in one area but the seating is pretty comfortable with enough space.
Food-​wise, there were its ups and downs:
1) Paradise Hot Brown: This was definitely my favorite. I was most impressed with how tender and juicy the turkey was. Biting into it was like biting into a stick of butter (not that I’ve ever done that…) and everything else from the bacon and the cheese worked so well together. Reading the menu description definitely makes you scratch your head for a second but order it and eat it and you’ll definitely be a fan.
2) Bourbon Ball French Toast: Order if you are a fan or french toast. I mostly ordered it just because I was told to and it was pretty good. The french toast was really really dense and really really rich so if that’s what you’re into then you will fully enjoy it. I felt a little overwhelmed and could barely finish one piece, much less the four huge mountains they give you. Definitely split it with others if you’re in the sharing mood, or if you don’t want a food baby.
3) Mom’s Meatloaf: This dish was good right until the special marinara sauce was gone. Then I started to realize that the meatloaf was actually a little dry. If you order this, definitely manage your marinara supply while you’re eating.
With respect to the food, I would say the rating hovers more around a 3 than a 4 but given the look and feel of the place, how can I not round up? The décor is fun and inviting for all types of people from all walks of life and definitely makes your time there an enriching dining experience. And as a side, pick up some bacon-​flavored toothpicks from the bacon themed table. You. will. not. regret.

I brought my parents here while they were in town visiting since it’s been featured on Food Network. Another selling point was that they got to try the Hot Brown.
It kind of reminded of a Cracker Barrel with the gift shop, but much quirkier. I had the baby spinach with bacon and gouda salad because the rest of the menu just seemed a little too much like down home cookin’ to me and that’s not my thing. Regardless, it was a decent salad. The real must-​have here is the bloody mary. The mix is made fresh from scratch and it is the perfect blend. Not too horseradish-​y like many others I’ve had.
With Trivial Pursuit cards at each table and a plethora of items vacillating between knick-​knacks and décor strewn around, there’s plenty for you and your party to talk about. For this reason, it seems like it might make a great place to go with extended family, new coworkers or another group that may need some conversation starters.

If you cross a gift shop that would be right at home in the tackiest, craziest Florida souvenir stand (in a good way) with a place that serves excellent Southern food you get Lynn’s Paradise.
The Hot Brown sandwich is something you only find in Kentucky and is a must try. This is an open faced sandwich with turkey and sourdough bread on the bottom, covered in Mornay cheese sauce and baked. Then they cover the cheese sauce with bacon, tomatoes and cheddar cheese. If you can eat this entire entrée they ought to give it to you free!
Everything on the menu looks excellent and the service is very friendly. If you are heading to Louisville check this place out.

We came here pre-​Derby with our local friends. It was great seeing everyone dressed up in hats and seersucker. The waitresses were all dressed up for the Derby too.
Food was great, portions were HUGE. I had a delicious bloody Mary and the biscuits and gravy. My husband had some frou frou tropical drink and the sausage and eggs. He cleaned his plate. I did serious damage to mine, but it bested me. Some of our friends tried to conquer the bourbon ball French toast, but that thing was massive — buy to share among the whole table rather than try to eat it all.
Décor is quirky, and the staff is super friendly. Service was less chaotic than expected.

There probably isn’t anything I can add that isn’t already stated below, but I will provide a quick summation of the highlights as best I can.
* Extremely kitschy and fun atmosphere and décor… and I mean extremely!
* Amazingly fresh food, without filler, very «in-​your-​face» flavors… bold!
* Super-​friendly and fun-​loving staff! I have never been here without having a great time with the staff, as well!
* Memorable dishes, no matter the time of day!
This joint has been on food/​cooking shows at least three times for the following dishes:
— Bourbon-​ball French Toast (Throwdown w/​Bobby Flay… Lynn won)
— Quadruple «B» French Toast (Man v. Food Nation w/​Adam Richman)
— Paradise Hot Brown (Best Thing I Ever Ate: Sandwiches, final segment w/​Alton Brown)
This last dish, the hot brown… I’ve tried it at the Brown Hotel, and enjoyed it immensely there… and I still prefer Lynn’s. What amazing flavors she has combined, and what an fantastic way of combining them! The ingredients are local (including the bacon and cheeses), and I think that gives it the edge. You can taste the difference between mass-​produced items versus locally-​made small-​batch ones. The bacon and cheese are no exception. Be warned, though, it does come to your table piping hot, and I am not exaggerating! It smells so good, you’ll want to throw caution to the wind and dive in all the same. Resist for a minute or more and then slowly test the temp!
Their sides are southern soul at a kicked-​up level. The mac-​and-​cheese is simple (no lobster, truffles, duck fat, foie gras…); just plain old simple elbow macaroni and locally made cheddar… and a lot of cheddar. Simple perhaps, but the outstanding ingredients make it one of the best macs you’ll ever have. Well, that opinion, but I can say on my behalf it is one of the best *I’ve* ever had! Other notable standouts: cheese grits, herbed lima beans.
I’m told breakfast/​brunch is the main reason most of my Louisville associates go to Lynn’s. I’ve had the bourbon ball french toast and I was so blown away by how balanced they were. Though they look cavity-​inducing at first glance, looks can be deceiving. They are not nearly as sweet as you might think, but they aren’t bland either, so try them first before adjusting for flavor (if needed; I didn’t). They’re hard to describe beyond that; well-​balanced, locally-​made, fresh homemade bread, extremely flavorful and well-​seasoned… a perfect blend of ingredients for the best french toast dish I’ve ever had. Okay, maybe not that hard to describe.
Bottom line: I obviously have a passion for this place, and every time I’m in the area, I try to go there at least once. I have never been disappointed in several visits thus far. I’m shocked that people wouldn’t give it five starts automatically, but I can’t speak for everyone’s tastes or personal experiences. If mine is anything to go by, though, you should love your visit to Lynn’s. Quirky and fun, but serious about huge flavors and intense food. Oh, and the prices? Yeah, more than $ 10 for an entrée, average is probably about $ 12 – 14, but you will not leave hungry, and you will likely have enough left over for at least another meal, if not two. Definitely a great value. A fun place, unique experience, and one of my all-​time favorite restaurants!

Stopped here on the way to Florida. Not far off I65. Found it on
. Serves breakfast all day. Great atmosphere. Great for kids.
Opened in the Crescent Hill neighborhood in 1991, Lynn’s Paradise café moved to its current location three years later. Three meals a day are served seven days a week.
The meals are country comfort food par excellence, from meat loaf and beautiful breakfasts to the Kentucky classic hot brown sandwich. The Godzilla-​size cookware outside is something else altogether!
Louisville’s own hot brown sandwich (invented at the Brown Hotel) is definitely knife-​and-​fork food. Under the mantle of broiled cheese are turkey slices, bacon, tomato, and sourdough bread. Absolutely incredible. This is what I had and my mouth is watering now just thinking about it again. Good stuff!
Great place to play I Spy with the kids.

This place has an excellent breakfast surrounded by over-​the-​top kitschy décor. Lots has been written about the place. I don’t have much clever to say, but here goes it …
Had the Matatdor omelet. Chorizo is hard to pass up. Very good. Cheese grits are the ultimate comfort food (especially when adding pickled jalepeno peppers to them, tableside). Will come again for the meatloaf at lunch — supposed to be killer.
They make a good latte thats not burnt.
Although this place is great for kids, you may want to enter through the side entrance. The knick nack strore in the lobby is loaded with stuff that will drain your pocketbook.
Went on a weekday, and it was about ¹⁄₃ full. Weekends are supposedly always packed.

It’s an interesting place. And it sure draws your eye when you drive past.
But it’s mostly a tourist trap.
I came here with some out of town friends after finding out our first choice for breakfast (The Café) was closed. It’s a fun, colorful place. When you walk in, you suddenly develop ADD because there is so much everywhere to look at.
But my food was mediocre, especially for the price.
Unless a visitor specifically wants to go here, it probably wouldn’t come up in my suggestions for places to eat.

Went here with the recommendation from a local resident. For someone visiting from out of state, this place has the jazz — delightful and festive décor, ambiance, and fun menu, and the small gift shop attached to the restaurant. I can also imagine it being a bit ‘toursity’ for those who live here.
I ordered the bourbon trail burger with cheese grits on the side, and ate the green onions appetizer. The bourbon trail burger was fantastic overall! The bits of bacon and the «tobacco» onions (= fried onion bits) drowned in cheese really added flavor. One downer though — I ordered medium for the meat, but they cooked it fully. However, that didn’t prevent me from gulfing down the ENTIRE huge burger in one sitting.
Oh, and the green onion appetizer was okay.
And, skip the cheese grits. Ordered it because of the number of mentions it got on Unilocal,but was far from impressed.

«Why the Food Network is killing America.»
Episode 1
Imagine that you’re in Louisville. It’s not very hard to do. Now jump back in time to last October (remember that one?) It’s 6:30 in the morning and you’ve just exited the taxi that helped you to escape the diabolical world of hotel conventions and corporate food franchises. You heard (on Unilocal) that Lynn’s was a cool independently and locally owned breakfast landmark, and while you certainly expect to see tourists (and may be one yourself), you don’t really want to see Bobby Flay. But sadly there is no escaping the throw down king, as his exploits play over and over in the gift shop in an infernal infinite loop. And every single one of the menus remind you that indeed Iron Chef Flay was beaten by none other than Lynn herself and that you can test the evidence, for a price, if you remain incredulous.
Pass. Instead I opted for coffee and the «voted best granola» in Louisville. It WAS good, if too sweet for my tastes, but the combination was pleasant enough, and as I ate I enjoyed the eclectic décor, which is impossible to avoid (intentionally so). I received very good service and was not pressured to leave. It felt nice to be in real neighborhood after 3 days in conference hell, and I had plans (big plans!) to spent the next 6 hours walking the streets and visiting the parks and more generally feeling my way into the city, which has some wonderful streets and shops to explore.
But that damn Bobby F. kept intruding on my meal. Then I started to fantasize about Giada covered in yoghurt and rolled oats licking cinnamon (or was it cardamom?) from her famously luscious lips. And all of a sudden, Rachel Ray appeared from under a nearby table and started to beat Giada repeatedly with a gigantic bottle of EVOO, which did indeed take 30 minutes of less. Meanwhile, Paula Deen laughed devilishly in the background and called for more butter on her pancakes while her son Jamie vociferously agreed with a hearty, «me too, y’all from my kitchen to yours.»
You see? The Food Network is killing whatever of the real Louisville that Lynn’s once embodied: Southern flair, funk, and kiss-​my-​grits neighborly goodness at a reasonable price. Now it just seems like a gigantic billboard for cable food porn stars and macho men with knives.
Did you do it for the money, Lynn? Or the fame? Is this what it takes to get out-​of-​town visitors to notice you? Self-​promotion is one thing, and the Paradise Café is living proof that it can be done without sacrificing decent food and casual congeniality. Or it probably was, at any rate. But now we’ll never know.
Because you can’t put the Food Network genie back in the bottle once it’s destructive powers have been uncorked; you can’t ever truly smack Bobby down. Like a wack-​a-​mole, he and his minions will pop up somewhere else. And then things will never be the same, not here in Louisville or anywhere else. Get rid of the Food Network tie-​ins, Lynn. You don’t really need them. You’re pretty enough the way you are.

Yummy

This restaurant is a «must do» when in Louisville. Who knew? I have been visiting Loo-​vil for years and hadn’t been. Why? Well this city is chock full of amazing places to eat, yes this is one of them, but when you only have a few days, its hard to fit it all in.
Décor is nothing but kitschy sensory overload and so unique and fun because of it. There is a cute shop in front with all kinds of gag gifts and other items for kids of all ages. They even have a photo of Hilary Clinton trying on some of their reading glasses, with none other than an aide who has a hubby with a fascination for the Internet.
Service? Nothing but Loo-​vil sweet, nice and warmth abounding here. Breakfast? Delicious. Eggs, grits, biscuits? HELLO happiness!

I was in Kentucky for a week for work. I happened to be at the visitor center downtown with 4 of my colleagues and we asked them for a restaurant recommendation that would be a cultural experience. They immediately recommended Lynn’s and I am so happy they did!
When we pulled in we immediately noticed the fun décor (especially the toaster horse — it’s a thoroughbred, get it?). We spent a good 30 minutes outside taking pictures and having a blast. Then we walked in and the craziness continued! There is a fun gift shop and then a rather large restaurant. They had no problem seating us immediately. Of course there is a tree in the middle of the restaurant, just looking around I knew there would be plenty to talk about during our meal. But just in case we needed help with dinner topics, there were also trivial pursuit cards on the table and a bucket of small horses. The menu is slightly limited, but we figured that was because the few items that were on there were good and we were right!
I had one of their summer specials, the bourbon burger with a side of their mac and cheese (which was apparently featured on Oprah). The burger was pretty good, the bourbon bacon on the burger was mind blowing! There was a weird cheese on the burger that did turn me off slightly, it was thick and runny and not in a good way. The mac and cheese was a giant square that maintained its shape even when I cut into it, but it was delicious! A couple of my friends had the Kentucky hot brown and I stole a bite or two and was so surprised at how tasty it was (considering it doesn’t sound very good). Another friend got the Reuben quesadilla and it was really good. I love everything on a Reuben, but can’t stand the rye bread and these were perfect for my picky palette.
I also love that banana pudding is a side option here and it is also extremely delicious, it is more like banana cream pie with a graham cracker crust and dollops of whipped cream on top.
We finished off the meal by celebrating a birthday, it was so fun I recommend celebrating your next birthday at Lynn’s. First of all, they announce your birthday to the entire restaurant and everyone joins in to sing to you. You get a free delicious warm brownie dessert with vanilla ice cream and of course because they are wacky they take an egg filled with confetti and crack it over your head! Our waitress was nice enough to ask the birthday girl if it was OK to crack the egg over her head first.
Overall, we had an absolute blast at Lynn’s. The service was excellent, one of our friends got someone else’s food and it was handled fast and efficiently and taken off of the check. It was a little bit pricey for Kentucky, but such a fun experience and the food was delicious! I know where I am going if I ever find myself in Kentucky again!

This place has great food and a fun atmosphere. It starts in the parking lot when you approach the place and continues through the entrance novelty shop and throughout the restaurant. Make sure to plan some extra time to look around and place your dot on the map if you’re from out of state.
The menu is somewhat eclectic but the portions are just right and very tasty. I ordered the BLT Fries and they were amazing. My wife ordered the Meatloaf and it was mouth-​wateringly good — she also got the cheesy grits… delicious! My sister ordered the Catfish and it was tasty as well. For the kids, we ordered burgers and chicken and they enjoyed theirs as well.
After reading some of the Unilocal!posts I felt obliged to order the Bourbon Ball Shake and it was worth it! Very tasty… and loaded with bourbon! I forgot that you can’t take it to go since it has alcohol in it so I’d recommend you order it with enough time to sit and enjoy it. It was very potent and the waitress even made sure to check back later to ensure I wasn’t the driver!
The staff is great and all seemed to be enjoying themselves as well! The only reason why I didn’t go up to 5 stars is the parking. You’ll have to drive around some to find a spot and they have 2 lots. One of them is a bit away from the restaurant and all of the surrounding lots have «we will tow you» signs in theirs! Also — they do take reservations and I RECOMMEND YOU CALL AHEAD AND DO THIS! We did and got seated right away… others waited!