Lynn's Paradise Cafe - Louisville, KY

Posted By Michael Stern on October 1, 2009 6:01 PM

The phone number of Lynn’s Paradise Café is spelled out 583-EGGS, which gives you a hint that breakfast is big. It is served from opening at 8am through the lunch hour, and it ranges from beautifully prepared (and locally laid) eggs with grits and biscuits on the side to fruit-sauced tropical French toast, bourbon-ball French toast, and banana split pancakes. You have a choice of classical omelets or Lynn’s scrambles; we like the latter, especially the Manhattan scramble with corned beef, onions, Swiss cheese, and horseradish. There is also a good ol’ plate of Kentucky country ham with eggs and warm granny smith apples. This is true country comfort food!

Not that we want to slight lunch and dinner. Lynn Winter’s “Mom’s Meatloaf” is a square-meal knock out made with marinara sauce, sided by real mashed potatoes and al dente lima beans. Hamburgers are particularly lovely, available with good French fries or one of the several side dishes always available. They include creamy polenta, braised rosemary cabbage, and grilled asparagus. Finally, Lynn’s version of the Kentucky hot brown sandwich is magnificent: slices from a freshly roasted turkey on homemade bread topped with tomato, bacon, and melted cheese.

Of course, if you’ve been to Lynn’s, you know we’ve saved the best for last. Visually, this restaurant is a blast. Décor in (and around) the former grocery store is an ever-changing exhibition of sculptures, collages, assemblages, paintings, and other forms of art that are sometimes so original they are difficult to categorize. Every table has a lamp that is spectacularly tacky (or, viewed in a more positive light, collectable). Last time we looked, the bike rack was shaped like a carrot, the planters were shaped like coffee cups, the place was surrounded by blue concrete animals, and the outside wall was decorated like the South Dakota Corn Palace, with multi-colored ears of corn, but in this formed into a mural showing Muhammad Ali and Secretariat.

Decide for yourself: Is this a great restaurant with amazing art … or an amazing art gallery with a great restaurant?

Overall Rating

meat loaf

Praline French Toast

Cheese Grits

Paradise Hot Brown

Hot Brown Sandwhich

Fried Green Tomatoes

Derby Pie

hot brown

Macaroni & Cheese

Turkey Dinner

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Posted By Lynn Thompson on July 17, 2011 1:17 AM

Lynn's is always worth a special visit. As a native Louisvillian who almost never gets back there anymore, Lynn's is the one must-stop for any trip around, by, or through Louisville.

My favorite meal is breakfast. I almost always get one of the scrambles, a frittata-like dish, usually with small-farm-produced meats and cheeses. The grits are sublime and the biscuits are enormous and incredibly good-tasting. If you're there later in the day, be sure to have a Bourbon Ball milkshake. Uh-huh, that's right! Little pieces of chopped up Kentucky Bourbon Ball chocolates in a rich, creamy milkshake.

Overall Rating

meat loaf

Praline French Toast

Cheese Grits

Pan Fried Pecan Chicken

Crunchcakes

Fried Green Tomatoes

Bourbon Ball Milkshake

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Posted By Angela Morrow on June 19, 2009 11:29 AM

I found out about Lynn's thru Roadfood.com. I took my family and ordered a take-out order for my husband. I called ahead just like it was recommended and I am glad I did make a reservation. I went between 630 pm and 7 pm and it was packed when I arrived. The resturant is eye candy for sure. So many things to look at and some things were just downright funny! My kids asked me if those were some of the clothes I wore in the 70s, and I said yes; that was funny.

One of my kids had the meatloaf, mac and cheese, and cabbage, and the other had the burger with bacon dressed with mac and cheese. I had the Browns. When the food arrived it was hot and it was dressed well on the plate. I could not finish what I ordered and had to take some of it to go and so did one of my kids. I am so glad I went and most importantly I got more than I paid for. I was not disappointed with the choice.

Thanks Roadfood.com.

Overall Rating

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