Mike Linnig's Restaurant - Louisville, KY

Posted By Michael Stern on March 7, 2006 6:13 PM

We visited Mike Linnig's in the winter, which is a shame because sitting outside under shade trees at a picnic table by the Ohio River is a near-perfect setting to enjoy massive amounts of fried seafood and beer. Actually, inside dining is pretty swell, too. It's a huge place with cavernous dining space in back, but we relished sitting in the smaller front room opposite the bar where you step up to place your order (table service is available in back). Here the wood-paneled walls are crowded with trophies of animals from land, sea and air, as well as nostalgic photos, clippings and nick-nacks going back some eighty years, to when this place opened as a fruit and vegetable stand on Mike Linnig's farm.

The menu includes just about every kind of seafood that can be fried, including sea scallops, crawfish, and salmon, but its highlights are such Indiana fish camp specialties as catfish, white fish, and frog legs. You can have a taste of nearly everything if you order from the "Seafood Lovers" area of the menu, which is huge plates that include some of everything. We were especially fond of the spicy fish nuggets and the freshly-breaded shrimp. The fish, the frog legs, the scallops, and the oysters had a seriously nice crunch to their crust, but weren't otherwise memorable.

Portions are immense. Each seafood lover platter is enough for two normal appetites. As we walked towards the front door, we happened to chat with a large couple who were leaving with a huge plate of leftovers. When we inquired about all the food they were taking home, they explained that the two of them had both had gastric bypass surgery and therefore no longer had the vast appetite necessary to consume an entire Mike Linning meal in one sitting.

Onion rings are a specialty. They are big chunky things, extremely brittle and mostly crust with just a hint of onion flavor emanating from the slick ribbon within. Tartar sauce and cocktail sauce, while served in the sort of individual cups typical of institutional meals, are Mike Linnig's own recipe, and both are outstanding.

Oh, and by the way, among the beverage choices are iced tea (sweet or not), lemonade (which tasted a lot like the tea), and genuine Kool-Aid, listed on the menu as fruit punch.

Overall Rating

15 out of 18 people found the review helpful. Was it helpful to you?

No Yes

Posted By David McDonald on October 3, 2011 1:10 PM

Jeff's earlier negative review lines up exactly with our experience. We went to the restaurant excited because of the other positive review. Unfortunately, that wasn't our experience.

The onion rings were big and chunky, large pieces of barely cooked onion in a forgettable crust. Ditto the seafood: overcooked, with a bland breading. My youngest daughter had the best dish: a grilled chicken sandwich (not much of an endorsement for a seafood place).

I do not understand why this place so popular, except perhaps for the huge portions.

Overall Rating

Condiments

Onion Rings

Seafood Plate

1 out of 1 people found the review helpful. Was it helpful to you?

No Yes

Posted By Jeff on October 12, 2010 2:20 PM

After reading the Roadfood reviews, I was really excited to get there and eat, and didn't care that it was way out of the way from where we were staying in Louisville. That being said, after 2 weeks of eating on our recent road trip, this was probably the worst meal I ate. We had the highly recommended seafood platter, and although the portion was massive, the breading was very heavy and much of the seafood was tough and chewy. I din't mind the white fish filet, but the rest of the platter was dissappointing. the fried clams were decent, and the condiments were fine as well. Maybe we just didn't order the right stuff, but I am not dying to get there again. Bigger doesn't necessarily mean better.

Overall Rating

1 out of 1 people found the review helpful. Was it helpful to you?

No Yes