Porch Kitchen & Bar: Southern Tradition Meets Modern Creativity
Porch Kitchen & Bar is downtown Louisville’s hip new eatery, exuding the timeless charm of the iconic American front porch through a modern culinary lens.
Porch Kitchen & Bar opened up a few months ago and is still one of the hottest watering holes in Downtown Louisville. After multiple visits, it’s definitely worth its salt in some of the best upscale comfort food the city has to offer. Connected to the Louisville Marriott Downtown, Porch is not your average “hotel restaurant” — there was an immense amount of thought and careful attention to detail put into this fresh new concept.
Chefs Josh Carter and Graham Weber were inspired by the idea of the old neighborhood front porch, a communal space where everyone gathers to sip, chat and watch the world go by. “The neighborhood porch coincides with a feeling of community,” says Graham. “It’s the iconic American gathering place.”
Every seat in the house has a prime view of bustling Jefferson Street through massive windows encircling this porch-like design concept. With the chic and warm industrial aesthetic, paired with classic, wooden kitchen tables and chairs, it’s the perfect blend of slow-paced sittin’ with a fast-paced hustle just outside the doors.
With more than 500 different ingredients across the menu, including sourced cheeses from Mexico, this may be the most intentional concept yet. Many dishes at Porch Kitchen & Bar are filling but not overwhelming, creative but not pretentious and encompassing classic American cuisine with a gourmet twist, served on classic-styled stoneware and cutlery.
RELATED: The Louisville Food Truck Bible
“This is more than just a restaurant or a bar — it’s an experience,” says Chef Josh. “There is thought put into every single ingredient.”
As one might have guessed, with a concept such as this, Kentucky’s iconic meal will be on the menu. But these over-achieving chefs did not take that responsibility lightly — both chefs tested their own versions of the Kentucky Fried Chicken for one year before adding it to the menu. And the rest of the menu items have been held to the same high standards.
For breakfast, Porch offers everything from donuts to classic bacon and eggs. Begin your morning on a sugar high with “Everything” cake donuts, served with powdered sugar and hot fudge. Or go for something a little healthier with one of their juices or smoothies. The Ginger Sunrise is made with carrot, golden beet, orange, ginger, lemon and turmeric. Or opt for a dish that sticks to your ribs and warms your soul — a big bowl of steel-cut oats, topped with almonds, dried fruit and caramel apples. The substantial bacon and egg sandwich with aged cheddar, thick-cut peppered bacon and fried eggs on a toasted English muffin hits the spot, too!
RELATED: The 6 Louisville Donut Shops You’ve Simply Gotta Try
At lunch, the chips and dip get a luxury upgrade with Porch’s made-to-order truffle chips with onion dip. After you’ve devoured the old American favorite, stay on the lighter side with a freshly made smoked turkey Cobb salad with deviled eggs, avocado, charred sweet corn, Campari tomato, radish, pickled onion, sunflower seed and buttermilk ranch. Or gear up for an afternoon of touring Downtown Louisville with the Mother Clucker, a sandwich with roasted chicken breast, guacamole, carrot slaw and Pepper Jack cheese.
And before you celebrate at Fourth Street Live or enjoy a theater production or concert downtown, begin your evening with dinner at Porch. Try the grilled fish tacos with mahi mahi, pico de gallo, iceberg lettuce, guacamole, baja sauce and elote-style creamed corn. SB TIP: The creamed corn is a game changer! Or, move away from the Latin-inspired cuisine to a British favorite: fish and chips. Porch puts a creative twist on their beer-battered fish and chips by adding lightly fried calamari, shrimp, mahi mahi and vegetables into the mix, served with french fries and tartar sauce. Or if you’re steering clear of meat, the quinoa and vegetable chili, served with tortilla chips, lime crema, avocado and Oaxaca cheese, will warm the soul and fill the belly.
Sitting on the Porch wouldn’t be the same without something to sip on. Forget trekking across Bourbon Country; just sit back and try a little bit of everything right here. Porch features several local distilleries on the menu such as Coopers’ Craft, Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace, Maker’s Mark, Four Roses, Woodford Reserve, Stitzel-Weller, Kentucky Bourbon Distillery and other Kentucky and American favorites. Aside from their extensive bourbon selection, Porch Kitchen & Bar offers a variety of wines, as well as local brews and craft cocktails SB TIP: We suggest the next-level Porch Old Fashioned, made with Elijah Craig Small Batch, vanilla demerara and black walnut bitters — yum! And don’t forget to stop by for happy hour on Fridays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., when you can grab a Bourbon flight, $2 “Old Man Cans” or half-price wine and barrel-aged cocktails.
There is something for everyone on Louisville’s Porch. If you are in the downtown Louisville area, we encourage you to stop by and sit for a spell.
Porch Kitchen & Bar is located at 280 W. Jefferson St., Louisville, KY 40202. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Sunday, 6:30 a.m. to midnight. Happy Hour is on Fridays, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (502) 671-4246 or visit porchlouisville.com.
Thank you to White Lodging for the gorgeous and mouth-watering images of Porch Kitchen & Bar and their beautiful food.
**********
Check out all our restaurant reviews and recipes in our Food and Dining section on StyleBlueprint!
