18-06-2025
Hungry? Here are 4 of the best restaurants in and near Louisville, according to Yelp
If you ask anyone that has ever partaken of Louisville's restaurant scene, they will all tell you the same thing: This is a city for foodies.
With hundreds of restaurants around the city — some of them home to James Beard Award semifinalists — something exists for every palate as long as you know where to look for it. Food-savvy minds in Derby City have figured out where a few of the city's most premium eats can be found, helping to elevate them to national notoriety through Yelp's "Best of" lists.
If you happen to be planning to bring anyone to town over the summer (or have a love of good eats yourself,) here are some of the spots that Yelp has lauded as the best in Louisville and the South:
636 E. Market St. | Open Wednesday-Thursday and Sunday, 5-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m.
A fusion of Mediterranean and Appalachian cuisine, MeeshMeesh Mediterranean opened in September 2023 with chef-owner Noam Bilitzer at the helm and quickly landed on Yelp's "Best New Restaurants in the South" list for 2024 at No. 2.
Bilitzer's menu is a wildly popular blend of Mediterranean flavors from Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, all served with a Southern twist. Middle Eastern dips, schmears and small plates meant to be shared with the table are widely featured.
"We want guests to come, relax and enjoy the menu together, building memories to last a lifetime," Bilitzer, a native of Israel, previously told The Courier Journal. "We're highlighting the unique flavors and influences I grew up with, and we can't wait to share them with everyone."
MeeshMeesh's most requested dish, according to Yelp, is the Smoked Lamb Hummus, which includes lamb smoked for 12 hours, mint, pomegranate molasses and pine nuts.
Yelp rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars.
How much you'll pay: About $50 to $100 per person.
1758 Frankfort Ave. | Open Tuesday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m.
A 2024 James Beard Award semifinalist, chef-partner Lawrence Weeks combined his Creole-Cajun heritage, knowledge of Southern cooking and love of Japanese cuisine to create the unique menu at Ensō, which landed him on Yelp's 2024 "Best New Restaurants in the South" at No. 15.
As fate would have it, a devastating fire forced the restaurant into an extended closure months later, but it has since reopened to great fanfare with new dishes that have delighted diners in 2025.
'Creatively, it's been a blessing in disguise,' Weeks previously told The Courier Journal.
Weeks' menu includes dishes such as hamachi crudo, Japanese fried chicken, pork tonkatsu steak and mochi beignet donuts. There is also a raw bar and an eight-top chef's table in the kitchen, where you can watch Weeks cook up a storm.
Yelp rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
How much you'll pay: $50 to $100 per person
2118 S. Preston St. | Open daily, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Rated as the best doughnut shop in Kentucky by Yelp Elites, Nord's Bakery is known for its fast, friendly service and high-quality sweets at affordable prices — if you manage to get one.
Because of its popularity, the shop often sells out early, so anyone looking to try the pastries lauded by many as some of the best in the U.S., you may have to wake up relatively early.
Some notable favorites include the Holland cream doughnut and their signature maple bacon doughnut.
Yelp rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars.
How much you'll pay: $1 to $10 per person
6004 Pleasant Colony Court, Crestwood | Open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
If you love tacos, you have to make a short drive to Oldham County for what Yelp has dubbed the best tacos in the commonwealth at Antojitos By Byanca in Crestwood.
Reviews from Yelpers rave about the fast service and its authentic menu, which includes Mexican classics like street tacos, burritos, ceviche and esquites. The stand also sells jarred salsa for those who cannot get enough of their house-made sauces.
Yelp rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars.
How much you'll pay: $10 to $20 per person
Reporters Marina Johnson and Amanda Hancock, and former CJ reporter Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez contributed.
This story was updated to add a video.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: MeeshMeesh, Ensō, Nord's Bakery among best Louisville restaurants
