Wagner’s Pharmacy

This place is just okay. Food came out fast. Was expecting better since it was on a best of list for Louisville. Do NOT bother getting the Derby pie. They take a pre made pie sitting around in a box, throw it on a foam plate and put it in the microwave until it’s sizzling. I’m not kidding. Derby sandwich was good, but on a basic roll you would get at the super market for a back yard cookout. This place is more hype and tradition than quality food.

I have had this ace on my list of «someday» for awhile now and I may have let my anticipation ruin it for me. Although a small diner experience was something I miss from my childhood, my adult self expected a little better food.
The parking lot shows a good business and the place was full of a delightful mix of patrons. The waitress was pleasant. I am not sure how she managed all the tables she serviced, but she did. You can watch the seasoned cooks crew methodically preparing food behind the counter. We got our drinks immediately but it took longer than I thought necessary to get our food.
I ordered the biscuits & gravy due to the notation on the menu «best in Louisville» which came with 4 fresh baked fluffy biscuits amply covered with gravy from a mix. I know, I am a B&G snob, but Bob Evans or Cracker Barrel has gravy that at least tastes closer to homeade.
My BF got the western omelet which had tomato, green pepper and onions. He said he could tell except for the tomatoes, the veggies were from frozen, not fresh.
The walls are filled with Derby pictures which made the trip worth it and the young man busing and dishwashing was on top of things and so very polite!

A pleasant surprise on a family vacation! The place looked and felt like an old fashioned locals only joint but we were warmly welcomed. The food was delicious and portions were enormous! I would eat here again the next time we visit Louisville, a must visit!

Very good spot for breakfast. Pancakes are as big or bigger than your plate. Omelettes are very large also. Wait staff not overly friendly, but the restaurant makes up for that in its character.

If you are looking for an old school diner experience, this is it. Across the street from Churchill Downs, this pharmacy with a diner in the back feels like a step into the past. The service was quick and hospitable. The menu has all the breakfast items you would expect. The breakfast meats and biscuits are the stars. The country ham slice is more than you can eat, the bacon is smoked on the premises and the sausage patty is spicy and just salty enough. The biscuits are pillow soft and fluffy. Loved this place!
Don’t neglect checking out the memorabilia from a hundred years of horse racing and the horse liniment sold in the pharmacy is well known to wake up tired limbs after long Bambi Walk weekend.

Met some friends here today. Had never been before until about 2 yrs ago. Got my favorite — fried bologna samich. It was delicious on toasted wheat, with chips and pickle. I love this place for just a simple meal with real people. Accidentally left my phone on table and came back 20 minutes later and 3 waitresses were trying to figure out how to get in touch with me to get my phone back to me. Doesn’t get more real than that. Love Wagners.

This is definitely a local greasy spoon spot. The service is a little slow but wait staff is super friendly. I ordered the fried bologna sandwich and pork chop sandwich. That was the best pork chop sandwich I have ever have. The bologna sandwich is good too!

This is a must-​stop when in Louisville, especially when you’ll be at Churchill Downs. Is it a restaurant? Is it a pharmacy? The answer is YES!
We stopped by for breakfast before touring the race track. Their food is fresh and delicious — just like Grandma would make for you on a Sunday morning. Biscuits are homemade and won’t last long — I was fortunate to get the last ones that morning.
If you’re looking for a swanky dining experience, forget it. This is a greasy-​spoon setting with banquet tables and chairs — nothing fancy here.
The staff are friendly and warm — happy to answer any questions and keep your coffee topped off. VERY hospitable.
While there, take some time to walk off the food coma and check out the pharmacy. The horse linament is supposedly wonderful for sore muscles, back aches, and bruises. I didn’t get any, but it gets rave reviews. You can also pick up horse racing swag — some cool, some very cheesy.
This place is popular, so try to hit it at an odd time — like Wednesday morning or something. If you go on a race weekend morning, you’ll probably be waiting in line.

It took me years to finally get to Wagner’s, and I’m not sure why. However, since I feel like I end up going at least every couple months, probably more frequently than that. You can’t beat the setting of Wagner’s – right next to historic Churchill Downs – or the history it has itself. It is quite a tasty diner, with daily specials. I love getting the pimento cheese on… just about everything. I actually still haven’t made it for breakfast, but it is an inexpensive lunch and has large tables in the back for bigger parties.
Keep in mind Wagner’s is very much a greasy spoon. You aren’t going to find many (if any) healthy options here, so it’s not somewhere to go if you are watching what you eat (unless you’re watching it go in your mouth). However, for what it is, Wagner’s is a tasty time and worth a stop (or a few)!

Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of the greasy spoon, the mom and pop shop, the local diner. But, with that being said, I don’t even have enough words to truly describe just how terrible this place is. Biscuits nuked until they were hard as rocks, flavorless gel-​textured gravy, fried potatoes that seemed pre-​cooked and possibly nuked as well, omelet that had more diced onions than a White Castle grill, and don’t even get me started on the hot water with a slight coffee flavor. I don’t care if it is a Louisville institution, bad instant/​premade food is just bad food.
My husband, who will eat pretty much anything, and often states, «it’s just food,» felt he couldn’t find the words to properly express his absolute disdain. He took to explaining it as such…
«If I could, I would take my $ 20 back & I would buy a Wagner’s t-​shirt and then I would get every warning & hazard label I could find. Then, I would stick them all over the shirt and wear it, every day, for an entire year, just so I can get my point across about how bad that place it is!»

Its the atmosphere that makes the place. The food is good not great. But you don’t see too many places like this any more. Biscuits and gravy have won best of before but on this particular day they coulda used a little more umph. I’ve had the egg sandwich in the past and like it pretty well (one of those like mommy made deals). Today we opted for the Western omelette. This think was HUGE. Plenty for two maybe three. Just the right amount of cheese. It appears to have a little of everything. I almost bumped ranking up to 5 based off of the omelette alone.

This is a diner, not only a drugstore.
The wide selection of grains and proteins may have you thinking that Wagner is fattening you up for Thanksgiving dinner, but really they’re just good at cooking up some down home delicacies.
Try anything you have a hankering for on the menu because the prices are quite affordable.
They don’t do take-​out on the weekends though… Makes the wait unbearable for the influx of habitual gamblers.

The Mrs. and I went to Wagner’s Pharmacy for breakfast after hearing about it for a number of years. Wagner’s is across the street from Churchill Downs. The Pharmacy is opened from 8AM to 3PM M-​F Saturday 8-​noon with daily lunch specials. The Mrs. had a ham and cheese omelet with toast. It must have been a three egg omelet with good quality ham. It was big enough, I got a few bites of the omelet and we still took some home to the dog. I had sausage gravy and biscuits and fried potatoes. There were two nice sized fluffy biscuits with flavorful gravy with bits of sausage. The fried potatoes were not greasy and the portion ample. Coffee cups and water glasses were refilled.
Wagner’s has been In business since 1922. It appears a lot of regulars show up from the track. The restaurant is clean and a no frills place. The service was quick and efficient with no sweety or deary, which I do not like. Wagner’s is also the go to place if you need horse liniment or a gallon of iodine.
Give Wagner’s a try you won’t be disappointed.

We we came upon this restaurant, we did not know what to expect. We walked in, and a nice lady told us we can pick a seat. We sat at the counter. We got our drinks quickly, and the sweet tea was delicious. All of our family got sandwiches: Grilled cheese, Ham, and Pimento cheese. Are good came out very quickly and was delicious. The fries were fabulous also. The staff was quite humorous and cheerful which was great. There is another part of the restaurant like a gift shop which was very lovely. The cashier even gave all of the family horseshoes for FREE! Overall this was a very nice place and I would definitely come again!

Walked in and sat down at a booth, took about 10min for server to come acknowledge us. She took order for a couple tht walked in 5min after us and then decided to come over while yelling at the cook. I could understand if it’s very busy but there was maybe 10 ppl in the whole place. We then asked for the special and she very rudely responds with all the food they don’t have, which was 4 different plates off the menu. There is only 10 or 12 options on the whole breakfast menu! At tht point she said we’ll figure it out and let me know so we decided to walk out and spend our dollars elsewhere

It’s kinda pathetic that I hadn’t stopped by here before now. Not as if I haven’t been in this area and passed by this very spot likely 100 times in the last 12 years. And how did I not know about Wagner’s during my first stint in Louisville twenty odd years ago? For shame.
As frequent readers may know, I love a good diner. As most may not know, I used to work in an old pharmacy so I like the history behind this place, too. The history is the reason for the extra star, as Wagner’s is as much a testament to Derby history as the museum at Churchill Downs down the road, with original pics of Derby winners from bygone years (there’s Secretariat right near the front door) as well as celebrity shots of those who have stopped in to admire the atmosphere (hey, Bobby Flay cooking with the gals.)
As for the food, very good standard sausage gravy and biscuits and some honking big tomato slices. Not spectacular but definitely yum. I’ll have to pop by for lunch some time.

If you’re looking for great southern style home cookin in a true historic Louisville diner, run don’t walk. Can’t beat the price, great tasting food, healthy (as in large) portions, amazing atmosphere, and great service. I’ve been here many times, and I’m never disappointed. Bring your manners & your appetite, you won’t be disappointed. Seriously Y’all eat up!

Let me start by saying I love places like Wagner’s. You mean you can get your horse linament and a ham sandwich in the same place? Count me in!
Wagner’s is the no frills, greasy spoon of the Churchill Down neighborhood. They serve breakfast and lunch and tend to stay busy. The daily specials are always worth a try. My favorite side has to be the vegetable beef soup. It hardly tastes the same twice depending on how much seasoning you get, but that’s part of why I like it. It’s a diner through and through and the waitstaff are full of character. The main cook is a pistol who is not afraid to give you what for! The food hits the spot, but it’s simple.
Additionally if you want to place a track wager you can do that as well. Oh, I guess they’re also a pharmacy. Don’t want to forget that small detail. Enjoy!

This is a cool place. It’s got a nice atmosphere and it is a good place to see people from the track (if you’re into the horseracing industry). The servers are sweet and it’s got a nice mom and pop vibe.
The food isn’t really good but it’s cheap. I think most everything is frozen or from a can, so as long as you go in not expecting a lot in terms of food quality, you’ll be fine.
I’d recommend this place for breakfast over lunch.

I love wagner’s because of its simple, old fashion and authentic diner atmosphere. The food is decent but not amazing. It’s your basic sandwich, burger, fries etc. something you can easily whip up at home.
Share a table with the men and women working at Churchill Downs and hear their stories.