Ward 426

By far the best meal I had whilst in Louisville. The seared salmon was a hit, combined with fine wine and excellent wait staff the whole experience made for one of the best meal I have had in a very long time.
Do yourself a favor and get down there… you won’t regret it

Well, I guess we had a new menu because everything I ordered is not noted on the website.
But we had the foie gras which came with strawberries and a strawberry jam
I had halibut which came with more strawberries, rice and a spicy orange purée of some kind
Also had the matcha chiffon dessert which had a lemon curd and black sesame ice cream with it. I was sad because I thought the «chiffon» meant it was like a mousse, and it was actually a very light and spongy cake, but hey, it still rocked.

Went to this restaurant after reading the positive reviews on Unilocal.Could not have been more unpleasantly surprised by the food, and mildly surprised by the poor service.
We ordered the cod, the salmon, the duck risotto, the ravioli and the calamari. Calamari and raviloli were decent — ³⁄₅ stars. Our other dishes were horrible. The cod tasted like nothing, although the accompanying rice tasted like it had been soaked in some sort of cleaning solution. The salmon tasted like a wanna-​be fine dining French beef dish — terrible sauce pairing. I would strongly caution against coming here given the price point for the dishes. Last, while our waiters were very nice and respectful, they were unbelievably slow and awkward. Only further detracted from an already underwhelming experience.
I would not recommend this restaurant, and never plan to come back.

I have been looking for a restaurant that will be my go-​to «nice» restaurant with my boyfriend. I had been bugging the crap out of him to dine at Ward 426 since it opened. Ward 426 was nice but didn’t make the cut.
Food was delicious! Calamari was awesome! I know calamari is such an average appetizer that has absolutely no raving significance, but I loved the calamari here. For my entrée, I ordered the pork tenderloin. The server told me that the chef likes to cook the pork rare. I wouldn’t cook my pork rare, but if the chef wanted to do it, then I’m down. Ah yes, it was wonderful! I wish I had room for dessert. Next time?
Maybe not. My boyfriend had the opposite experience as me. He thought the calamari was average and he did not enjoy his deconstructed lobster pot pie.
Service was weird and I felt it detracted from the dining experience. The host was cold and never smiled. Our server talked to us as she walked away from our table to get to the table behind us. She also addressed us by standing behind me, or maybe she just wanted to address my boyfriend and not me. Either way it was strange. We sat above something, maybe the cooling unit, that kept vibrating the ground and my chair, so that wasn’t very pleasant.

Still love this place. They have the most inventive menu. Husband and I can’t get enough of their pizza. Different everytime, and delicious. It’s a bit off the beaten path, but oh so worth it. Warm, comfortable atmosphere, delicious good, nice company. You must try!

Went for lunch on a weekday, and I’m so glad that I did! I ordered the Bouillabaisse. This dish was wonderful! It was tasty and filling. There was so much seafood in that bowl, how could I not be satisfied! Service was perfect. The dining room was lovely. I would definitely recommend Ward 426 for an upscale lunch.

Didn’t know a whole lot about the place before going in, but we liked the menu online and it sounded like a good outing with the in-​laws. Inside it’s very nicely done with a gorgeous bar. Not too many tables so I can’t see it ever being over-​crowded. The prices are steep and the menu options few, but if you only visit a couple times a year, it’s no big deal.
Now on to the food! The appetizers are by far the best thing on the menu. We had the Calamari (spicy good!), Shrimp & Grits, Steamed Mussels, and Pork Belly –all amazing. Use your bread to soak up the curry sauce they pour over the mussels! I was less than thrilled with the Lobster Bisque, but everyone else liked it. The entrees were beautifully displayed with a minimalist vibe, but just didn’t do anything for us. We ordered the Alaskan Cod, Seared Salmon, Short Rib, Gnocchi, and something else. If there’s a next time, I’ll try the New York Strip or Herb Brined Chicken. For beverages, they have a nice wine, beer, and mixed drink list. Oh, and the Roasted Beet Salad was very good. Just accept the prices and go with it.
I was leaning toward three stars, but bumped it up to four because I can see myself going back for dinner or lunch.

We came to Louisville from Cincinnati for the taping of Secrets of Louisville Chefs. One of the featured chefs was Sean Ward of Ward 426. We liked the dishes he made so much that we decided to stick around the city for the day and visit his restaurant at night for dinner before returning to Cincinnati.
The wait was worth it.
Our two-​and-​a-​half hour culinary journey began with a warm greeting from Nirmesh Argrawal the general manager who guided us to a table on the spacious outside seating area. Chef Ward heard we were on the patio, and came out to say hello, which we really appreciated since he was preparing for a Saturday night dinner service. He offered a few suggestions of what would allow us to appreciate the tastes of Ward 426, and we ultimately selected the Chef’s Course Tasting Menu… with a few additions.
We started with a crab cake on a bed of greens and a tangy remoulade under the crab and brushed on the side of the plate. The crab cake is featured on Ward’s seasonal menu which changes (obviously) four times a year. The crab cake included lobster which gave it a rich taste.
Next up was a fig salad of their main menu. The salad included roasted figs on a bed of arugula, sprinkled with country ham and dressed with a lime-​honey crème fraiche. I liked the choice of arugula in this dish because its underlying peppery flavor mixed well with the sweetness of the figs and dressing. The country ham added a smokiness to the dish (and in case you are wondering he smokes their meats in house) which completed a tasty second choice.
Chef Ward suggested that we try the foie gras, prior to us selecting the course tasting menu, and unfortunately it was not included in the five courses… so we added it anyway. Thank goodness because it delivered as promised. As the star of the dish the foie gras sat on a bed of baby greens with country ham and Sea Island red pea vinaigrette. And yes it was decadent literally melting in your mouth. With that said, I really enjoyed the set up as well with the peas in the vinaigrette offering a lot of great flavor to support this dish.
Our server Chris was helpful in providing us the ingredients for each dish, and I would be remiss in pointing out that despite several reviews which mentioned less than a high quality of service at Ward’s Nirmesh seems to have corrected that area if the hiring of Chris is any indication. Chris brought Nirmesh back to the table to help us select a moderately priced pinot noir to accompany our meal. He was present all night to help guide us through the meal yet unobtrusive enough to allow us to enjoy both a good conversation and lovely Louisville evening.
After a palette cleaning peach sorbet, we moved on to the two featured courses. The first was a fish dish featuring John Dory. Not served often enough in American restaurants the John Dory also known as St. Peter’s fish is found in European waters. It has a mild flavor which lends itself well to how the chef decides to accompany it. Chef Ward chose to pair it with a white mushroom ragout and locally grown white new potato, served on a lettuce purée. Yes, I had to ask twice about that, but boy was it a perfect sauce to flavor the fish without overwhelming it. The potato was grilled and had a nice golden brown outside, but nice and soft inside. We learned from the taping of the television show in the morning Chef Ward has a real passion for mushrooms. Know that if you see them on a dish he has spent a good deal of time sourcing the best possible choices with tastes that are not what you will ordinarily get at the local produce department.
The next stop on our trip provided us with a beautiful petit filet served with a vegetable latke, asparagus and a Beurre Monte sauce. I could talk about how the steak was perfect the latke a wonderful creation, but instead I want to let you know that what makes Ward 426 special is the attention to detail spent on items the casual fine diner may not appreciate. A Buerre Monte sauce is also known as the work horse sauce because its wide variety of uses. If you are not familiar with it, it provides the chef with a way of infusing meats and fish with the flavor of butter. For our dish it provided me with a velvety taste to enhance the powerful beef taste from a perfect cut of meat.
Normally at this point Ward’s would move onto the dessert, and yes it was worth the wait. However, Chef treated us to one last special taste of a favorite of his – the shrimp and grits. Available on the main menu as a starter, yes a starter so you too can enjoy it prior to your main meal, the taste brings up memories of my time in New Orleans when I snuck away from business meetings to have a plate of this southern favorite.
Anyway, all good things must come to an end, and ours finished with the classic Italian dessert of panna cotta with fruit compote bourbon caviar and a pecan tuile. Very talented pastry chef to pull this off perfectly.

Chicken Liver mousse was top notch, veal tenderloin was more like veal custard because it melts on your tongue. Great service and perfect presentations. I also enjoyed the «bluegrass old fashioned.» It was a bit sweeter and less bitter than what I’m accustomed to, but still enjoyed it and ordered a second one!

My father in law brought us here last time we visited Louisville. I’m glad he picked up the check.
The good: excellent local beer list and the food was ok but nothing special. A couple things stood out like the pickled veggies and the cheese board. They also for a country ham board which looked wonderful.
The not so great: improper glassware for the nice local beers. No one needs a 16 once pint glass full of a 10% smoked porter. The food was just ok. The menu is priced like a high end restaurant and the chef has some interesting dishes but the kitchen doesn’t always seem up to it. Nothing was bad, just for the prices I expected more. Finally the service is European, let’s just leave it at that.
You might disagree so it would be worth trying if you are not worried about making your mortgage payment this month.

Tried this place for the first time tonight. Great addition to our neighborhood. Our server was Chris who was so knowledgeable, and made us feel very comfortable. Everything we had was amazing. Shrimp and grits taken up a notch. You need to try them. New York strip and crème brûlée all made a wonderful meal. Be prepared, the prices are high, but worth it for a special occasion place.
The cocktails were great too. I tried the Buddha’s Angel made with Angel’s Envy bourbon. Very tasty and definitely packs a punch.
We were never pressured or felt like we needed to hurry. Great relaxing atmosphere. You’ll need a reservation a the place is small. Beautifully decorated and chic.

I had a lot of trouble with this one. There are times when you go some places and you want to like the food and find everything fabulous but things just don’t go as planned. Hat happened to us on this night. I started out with a bourbon while my wife and I chatted it not often that we get a chance to go out by ourselves anymore. And the server while very nice was very pushy to order food. Finally we gave in and ordered some starters. I tried a salad and my wife had the calamari. The calamari was good but too chewy and the sauce served on top made things kinda mushy but the flavors were very good, the texture was just off. Salad was good but nothing extraordinary. For dinner I had the birder and my wife and the fish special. Again both were good but not anything overly special worth raving about. Burger was a little on the dry side even at medium rare. It needed more salt and pepper for my taste. The desert was something to write about however. We split the s’more desert and it was AMAZING! The toasted marshmallow ice cream was a wow for me. Flavor was amazing texture was a little gritty but overall a very well composed dish and would highly recommend saving some room for this one.
We did go on a Monday which May have had something to do with it and I do plan on giving them another try down the road. And maybe I’ll feel differently

I can cook better and my portions are better
The décor is good but will not go back
Which is sad we live so close. We really wanted to like it
My wife ordered ratatouille worse than dog food she said I will never eat here again
Our friends both ordered something different and they said it was not what they thought would be — lobster pot pie turns out to be a deconstructed skimpy mess on a small plate
Total disappointment second week in business the kinks should have been worked out weeks in advance

I took my fiancé here for his birthday on Thursday and we were pretty pleased with the new restaurant that has taken over the former Brewery. We were greeted promptly and shown to a nice table against the wall and given complimentary bread and butter. That bread is not to be missed. It’s salted and with the creamy butter, it’s absolutely delicious. We started with the calamari which we both loved because it’s sitting atop some delightfully spicy sauce. I had the walleye as an entrée and my fiancé had the lamb chops. The walleye was huge with a yummy walnut topping and it sat on a nice mixture of baby potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes and garlic.
My only criticism of Ward 426 is of the service. We were there for over 2 hours — waiting 10 minutes between drinks and almost 35 minutes for our entrees. I think they might have just been short staffed that night because our waitress was also taking care of a large-​ish party clear across the restaurant.
I would definitely return for a special occasion because it’s pricey and not an everyday kind of place. All in all, 4 stars!

First of all service was excellent. However for this specific area this is a bit pricey. 28 – 44 an entrée.
As for the food, the cheese board was excellent! However they were out of both entrées I attempted to order. The entrées we did get we’re good but at this price they should be great.

This is greeeeeat food and atmosphere. It’s like you take a step through time. Very classy! The menu was top notch! Our service was amazing.
We ordered the calamari with hot sauce to start. It was good. Next came the main course. It blew my mind, lobster pot pie. It had two little lobster tails on top! The presentation was so awesome. It did not look like your average pot pie.
While eating, our server came by with a awesome dinner roll for both of us. The dinner rolls look like an average dinner roll until you bite into it. It was soo good. I’m at a loss for words!
We will be back!

Good food. Nice atmosphere. Not over priced. Nice flavor. Over all would give a 7 out of 10.

This one was a bit of a tough-​y in terms of deciding how many stars to give.
Should I give four stars or five stars? It was a very good dining experience, but I just don’t know …
OK, so here’s my thinking:
I went here for lunch today — my first visit since two of the most celebrated chefs in town, Dean Corbett and Shawn Ward, took over «The Brewery» and rebranded it as «Ward 426.»
And let me start by saying, I love the renovation. I think I read that Bittner’s of Louisville redesigned the space. Well done! It’s very Southern chic with a bit of a big city charm while still staying intimate.
I love the exposed brick and tile floors, with the star beam endcaps on the inside walls and the mid-​century modern brass light fixtures.
There’s also a sitting area with club chairs next to the big windows in the front of the restaurant, looking out over Baxter Avenue. I can’t wait to go back and enjoy a drink from the expansively stocked bar while sitting in this area.
I remember that, as «The Brewery,» this spot had an awesome patio. I can’t wait to take in the warm weather here.
And five stars definitely go to our server, Alice. I went to Ward 426 with another Unilocal Elite member who has a gluten allergy. Alice conferred with the chef about the dishes to make sure they were gluten-​free. My dining companion also needed a to-​go order, and she seemed to put it in at the right time for it to be ready to go when we were leaving. She was attentive, without hovering, and knew the menu well. Definitely great service!
To eat, I ordered the fish sandwich ($ 10), which is made with fried cod, spicy mayonnaise, arugula, red onions and pickles. I chose fries as my side.
My first impression, after seeing the dish in front of me, was that I was still going to be hungry after eating my meal. But I can say it adequately filled me up.
The fish sandwich was good, though maybe a little too heavy on the onions. I tasted more onion than fish a lot of times. But the fish was fluffy, well made. Not the best fish sandwich I’ve ever had, but definitely in the top 25 percent.
You could tell that time had been spent on this sandwich, though I think I would order the shrimp and grits on a return visit. (Though it may be unfair to compare, I love the shrimp and grits at Jack Fry’s, Shawn Ward’s former stomping ground, and I would love to see his take on it at Ward 426.)
The fries were pretty good as well. They had a nice crunch, yet still large enough to be soft on the inside.
So what to give Ward 426? Decisions, decisions …
OK, I’m going to give it five stars because the service was excellent, and I am very excited to go back. Ward 426 has enough great surprises to write home (or on Unilocal) about.
I hope my next visit is for dinner, though. I feel like that will be the time to really see this restaurant shine.

The Mrs. and I had lunch at Ward 426. The food was delicious, the décor interesting and very good service. The Mrs. had the ham sandwich, black forest ham, country ham, smoked mozzarella cheese, onions, cognac mayonnaise and chewy bread very tasty. For a side you could choose white potato fries, sweet potato fries or cauliflower, fortunately the Mrs. choose the white potato fries, crispy not greasy, perfect. I had the short ribs with mashed potatoes and sautéed brussel sprouts. The short ribs were very tender and flavorful, the only complaint is the short rib portion was very small with a portion being fat or not eatable to me. They offered a hamburger, fish sandwich, shrimp & grits, a couple of salads and specials. Entrée prices are $ 10 — $ 14 at lunch.
When you enter the restaurant there is a huge bar made of wood with stained glass, beautiful. They have a full service bar with a good selection of wine by the glass or bottle. There is also eight or so beers on draft stout, porter, IPA and ales, something for everyone’s taste. The Mrs. had a glass of French, Provence Rose’ very nice, dry and floral. I had a glass of porter draft, full bodied with hints of coffee and chocolate, worked with the short ribs.
The dining area to the left of the bar is done nicely with a tile floor, nice wood tables with cloth napkins. There are three or four steps to the dining area, I don’t recall any handicap accessibility. The one thing I didn’t like is there are two very bright chandeliers. The chandeliers were too bright with bare bulbs, a rheostat could fix the problem. My only other complaint is the roll provided was dry without flavor, I would have preferred a slice of bread like my wife’s ham sandwich.
We can’t wait to return to try other items on the menu.

Went with a group of four and jumped around the menu, everything we tried was great! I would especially recommend the squash soup.
My only gripe is the addition of televisions to the bar and seating area.