Gary’s on Spring

This was such a great date night spot! We loved everything from the signature cocktails, tuna tar-​tar guac, and entrees! We will definitely be back!

Another wonderful dinner at Gary’s during Derby week 2016. Only sorry that it rained and we were unable to have a drink on their rooftop. Gary’s is a must every time I’m in Louisville.

Stopped for an early Derby week dinner for two. The staff were kind, friendly and knowledgable. Service was exceptional-​was a slow night but get the impression they can handle the busier pace of Derby week just as well. I started with a Caesar salad that was as garlicky as mine (that’s a good thing!), and my wife had the lobster bisque. Both were on point, and her bisque was so rich you could almost eat it with a fork. We had the scallops New Orleans (blackened and served over pasta and vegetables in a very rich sherry cream sauce (4.5÷5), and the shrimp and grits (at least 4.4÷5). Neither of us could finish and are looking forward to lunch tomorrow!

All I can say is I feel duped! I rely and Unilocal and rarely does a restaurant disappoint. I had a rare night out with some wonderful friends and wanted to find the perfect spot with great atmosphere and terrific food. I read the reviews on Unilocal and was certain I found the place. I really, really believe that some of the reviews are staged. Their descriptions of over the top delicious food and service just didn’t fit out experience. In my opinion, the food was overpriced and the service was just okay.
When I called to get reservations, they couldn’t have been nicer. When we got to the restaurant, they were wonderful in greeting us and seating us. It went down hill from there. We ordered drinks and they were just ok. While our waiter was friendly, it took a while to get him to focus and let us order. I tried to wave him down to order and he walked by our table 4 times with me trying to get his attention and he never saw me waving.
We ordered the tuna guacamole and the «award winning» meatballs. Guac was bland and not impressive. Ordering this was partly my fault because the waiter told me it was average and I still ordered it. The award winning meatballs were not at all impressive. We receive 4 meatballs and there were 5 of us. I went to cut a meatball in half and it almost shot across the table when I tried to cut it in half. We ended up laughing as I tried several times to break up the meatball. It was like a hard little turd. Once I got the meatball in half and tasted it — it was okay. Good, not great… certainly not award winning.
Everything else we ordered was just barely okay. Not decadent or delicious as many of the other reviews described. In the end, I ordered one drink and the potato crusted grouper. The bill (with tip) was $ 46.
One last positive note and negative note. I liked the atmosphere a lot. However, my chair was right over a vent and I had freezing cold air blowing on me through the whole meal. I don’t know what they could do to change it, but it was miserable and the cold air never stopped. If you are cold blooded and go there, don’t sit next to the wall by the vents. I thought it was just me, but when we were leaving one of the other dinner guests mentioned the freezing cold air blowing through the whole meal.

We had heard that we needed to try a hot brown sandwich while in Kentucky so we ordered the mini hot brown sandwiches. Their hot brown sandwiches were fancier than most hot browns but they were really good!
They are very flexible with their menu. I wanted the scallops but didn’t want the pasta with it. So instead they made me some scallops with vegetables and mashed purple potatoes. The scallops were blackened and cooked perfectly. The potatoes were delicious!
I tried my friend’s shrimp and grits dinner. The sauce on the dish is a BBQ sauce so it was different than traditional shrimp and grits.
Service was decent. The waiter brought us a classic Kentucky bourbon drink on the house since it was our first time in Kentucky. The restaurant was pretty empty so we received quick service.

Exceptional service and attention to detail. The chef and captain helped guide us to a terrific experience. Located in an early 1800 building with interesting history, a real gem.

Gary’s on Spring is divine! You must eat here if you get the chance. For starters, the atmosphere is upscale casual. Not overly fancy or stuffy. Additionally, the service is great. You’re treated like a guest, and you know you’re eating at a fine establishment. Now, onto the best part: the meal.
They have a large wine list, but I went with one of the signature cocktails, the Justified. When I saw it on the menu, with references to Raylan and Boyd, I had to get it. This drink is named after my favorite show of all time. The drink is their take on the Old Fashioned, and wow, it is amazing. One of the best Old Fashioned’s I’ve had. I started with a bowl of Lobster Bisque, which was absolutely perfect. Creamy and decadent with pieces of fresh lobster. For my main course, I had the filet. You can’t go wrong with this option. The filet is cooked to perfection, flavorful, and tender. I’m pretty sure I could have cut it with a fork. It comes with mashed purple potatoes and a vegetable medley. Both sides were a great compliment to the meat. I do wish that the vegetable medley wasn’t sprinkled with breadcrumbs, but that’s just my personal preference. Not a breadcrumb fan and they were a bit overpowering. I also tried some of the NY Strip, which was very good, but I preferred the filet.
Gary’s on Spring’s location has made it easy for me to forget about in the past. Not far or hard to get to by any means, but there isn’t much else around to remind you that they’re there. They’re not in a centralized area, like Bardstown Road or Frankfort Avenue. In fact, it’s right in between. After experiencing Gary’s, however, it will be at the top of my list for fine dining in Louisville. I highly recommend you put it on yours too.

Excellent! From beginning to end this was a perfect dining experience. The service was great and the atmosphere relaxed. Our table had the grouper, salmon, crab cakes, and filet. The food was delicious all around. The portions were large and loaded with some of my favorite vegetables: asparagus, Brussel sprouts and peas. I had wine; my husband really enjoyed his cocktail. They brought us a free dessert for my moms birthday. I will definitely go back and look forward to dining in the patio this summer.

I experienced a wonderful dining experience last night at Gary’s. It was my first time dining at this establishment in Louisville. It will definitely be a regular of mine. The staff was professional and the food presentation was top-​notch. Usually I take pictures of my food with my review however it did not take my cell phone. The menu was very savvy because I wanted to try everything on it. BRAVO ! Great wine selection and a fabulous mixed drink selection. Try the Hawaii 5O! Can’t wait to go back and try the hot brown appetizer and other entrées off the menu.

Five star food and service. I had the shrimp and grits with collard greens.
From the bottom up — grits yellow corn course, creamy, a bit of cheese — gouda maybe.
Shrimp — extra large wrapped in lean country ham — Oh my!
Collards on top — could have been braised — hammy, with a bit of heat and a bit of sweet.
Just the way I love them — flat leafed, spines removed. Cut to about ¼ size of a palm.
Better than any I’ve had — including in Charleston, SC, where this is signature dish!
Our server Joey was excellent!

My husband and I went for our anniversary and the food, service and ambience was amazing! This is a very nice place with a very relaxed atmosphere! The staff was excellent and lots of food for the money! We will definitely come back!

Go early! We arrive at 5:45 on a Friday night and were the only ones downstairs for about a half hour. The crowd was coming in when we left at 7pm and friends have said there are many nights when it’s very busy. I can totally see why! I cannot honestly remember when I’ve had a better steak. I love rare steak and it’s very difficult to find a chef who can get it right without erring on the side of overcooked or raw. Neither my steak nor my husband’s really needed a steak knife. It was so tender that I barely had to chew!
A caution– bring your appetite as there’s a lot of food in each course. The three cheese platter was mounded with fruit, three big cuts of cheese, a pot of honey, 6 crostini and a nut/​grain mix. It was big enough for three people! My husband’s lobster bisque was terrific– creamy, hot and with tender chunks of lobster. My beef medallions came with purple potato puffs, a slew of vegetables and a lot of sauce that stayed where it was put until I dipped something into it.
For dessert, I wanted the strawberry shortcake but thanks to a bad experience with Grand Marnier in the past, I almost opted out. The server was kind enough to just use plain strawberries but also brought out a tiny snifter of raspberry liqueur in case I wanted something to spice it up. The whipped cream was real whipped cream and the raspberry flavor wound up being my new favorite way to eat strawberries.
The service was exceptional– always near but never hovering. We will absolutely be back again!

Although my brother-​in-​law is named Gary, this is not his restaurant. In fact, it has nothing to do with him. All of that withstanding, it’s still a restaurant of perfection. My wife had the table to farm salad, and I had the groper sandwich. Groper is my favorite, and it was truly fishtacular!

Excellent food and excellent service. The chef’s seasonal vegetable plate came with almost any vegetable I possibly could imagine. Underneath the spinach and grilled carrots was a potato pancake. d baby brussel sprouts were perfect. There’s enough vegetables for two people to share. Mike had the chopped steak burger with cheddar cheese and mushrooms. He said the burger was excellent and didn’t need any condiments. The seasonal fries were kind of spicy, yet good and the Maytag blue cheese coleslaw was delicious. The strawberry shortcake macerated in Grand Marnier was an absolute must-​have. It was the best I’ve ever tasted. Definitely worth eating here. You might want to make a reservation.

Food is out of this world good!
Loud and packed, this off the beaten path restaurant is well worth seeking out. I would go as far to say if you only eat one dinner in Louisville, it should be at Gary’s.
Service was a bit slow with a disconnect between app and entrée but we did not seem to mind. The food was fantastic. The meat balls melt in your mouth at $ 9 and the lobster bisque was rich and creamy made with real lobster, so you know it’s good.
When we inquired about the greens with the shrimp and grits ($ 28), Selena, our server, returned with the chef who walked us through his creation. You bet I’ll be trying my best to recreate it. I love greens but don’t do the bitter so they have to be cooked slow and low, that is the tempo. And these were outstanding. The blackened scallops for $ 28 were perfect. Just a couple minutes on each side, no fuss and fantastic.
The evening was a great success and I could not have been happier with our decision to take on Gary’s. It’s a winner!

The Oysters Rockefeller is out of this world! I always order it for an appetizer when we dine at Gary’s. My husband and I have become regulars at this hidden neighborhood gem and for good reason too!
Gary’s is casual fine dining at its best. The atmosphere is elegant but very laid-​back. There is a quiet downstairs dining area or a bustling upstairs bar/​dining area with live music a few nights a week. We have always been greeted with a smile and the service is great. In warmer months the upstairs deck is open to dine.
We typically follow our Oysters with the house salad. It is an amazing blend of greens, almond slivers, strawberries, and a tasty house made vinegarette. Yum! I have tried several entrees and loved them all but the filet is my favorite. Scallops are a close second. My husband is a huge fan of the lamb en croute and the burger.
Thursday is half-​price wine night and the wine prices are already decent. We had a very good Cabernet for $ 16.It’s difficult for me to go anywhere else on Thursday for dinner and wine!

This place is truly a hidden treasure. I sat upstairs near the bar and window. The ambiance is more casual upstairs and a more romantic setting on the main floor dining. I ordered the spring salad special, an Old Forrester cocktail, and the pork chops for my main entrée. I was completely blown away with the pork chops being cooked perfectly soft in a cherry sauce, the purple whipped potatoes and yummy veggies. This meal was fabulous! The chef is amazing and the presentation on the plate appetizing. You definitely want to give this place a try, and will be a return customer again and again. The server was friendly and attentive during the meal. Five Stars!!!

I’ve always been impressed with Gary’s, which is why this review is getting 4 stars over 3 today.
My husband and I have been a handful of times and impressed with the food each time. My favorite menu item is the hot brown appetizer (I like it even better than The Brown’s hot brown!), so we make sure to get that each time.
On our most recent trip during 502 Restaurant Week, we were ecstatic to see on the website that Gary’s was one of the restaurants offering a meal for $ 50 a couple. We thought this was a great deal for Gary’s, so we went for my husband’s birthday dinner. We were surprised to learn that that website was incorrect and that the price was per person, so double what we were planning on spending (we later went back to the website where it was listed for $ 50/​person, but we both swear we saw $ 50/​couple when we originally looked).
We obviously opted for the hot brown appetizer again since we love it so, but unfortunately, much of it was burnt. We both had fish, which was delicious, and split the crème brûlée dessert. Service was excellent, I was just disappointed by the confusion in pricing and the appetizer that wasn’t as perfect as I had remembered. We’ll still be back, but may be more cautious.

I ordered the Earth-​Wind and Sea. It was cooked fine but I really didn’t care for it. I thought it would be chunks of chicken and lobster but it was ground so you couldn’t even taste the lobster. One person in my party got the filet and said it was good. Another got the scallop special and said it was great. We also had the ahi tuna nachos and they were ok. The Shea crab soup was also great.

One of my favorite new restaurant in Louisville. The food was innovative and delicious. My potato encrusted grouper came out as a crazy wild nest. It was fun to see and fun to eat (I would pick something else next time though).
Most of the entrees are around the $ 20 — $ 30 range but the portions are big and the foods are good. if you want something cheaper on the menu, the burgers are delicious. My husband enjoyed his beef burger and the grouper burger came highly recommended ($ 11).
Despite the building looking old and in a residential neighborhood, the inside is nice and a great place for a fancy dinner. If you want a more casual atmosphere, head out to the upstairs porch area. There’s a man serenading the crowd with lovely guitar music, the manager stops by every table to talk and the waiters are just super nice.
Also, the baby hot brown is a must. My favorite version so far in Louisville. it’s huge and can feed up to 3 people as an appetizer ($ 10)