Top 10 Best Bars in Louisville
The Back Door bar.
01. The Back Door – The Back Door Pour. Enough said.
02. Brownie’s The Shed – What it lacks in ambiance it more than makes up for in great prices, awesome staff, and a chill crowd.
03. Sergio’s World Beers – It’s the best hidden gem in the city, if you don’t already know where it is then you probably have no business being there anyway.
04. Four Pegs – Great beer selection, great food, great patio…what more is there to love?
05. Amy Z’s – 2 for $1 Jell-o shots all the time…why aren’t you already there? Not to mention the fact that at some point in your life you should probably meet Amy, she is a one of a kind bundle of awesome.
06. Zanzabar – One of the best live music venues in the city and they don’t gouge you on drink prices, not to mention they have pinball machines and retro video games.
07. Fern & Moody’s – It’s all in their slogan: “Smoke crack, worship Satan, and fuck midgets.”
Gerstle’s on a weekend night in St. Matthew’s.
08. Gerstle’s – Killer patio and great live music. The Merry Pranksters, anyone?
09. Hill Top Tavern – Great signature cocktails, laid back atmosphere, and The Walking Dead parties.
10. Silver Dollar – Bourbon. Lots and lots of bourbon. Bourbon on top of bourbon. In addition to bourbon they serve Chicken & Waffles.
The 10 Worst Effing Bars in Louisville
01. 4th Street Live – All of it. The whole damn place. The people that hang-out there are the stuff that nightmares are made of, and everything in the place is gross and sticky like some back alley porn shop.
02. Tin Roof – It’s an overpriced east end version of 4th Street Live.
03. Baxter’s – It’s an overpriced Highlands version of 4th Street Live.
04. Cahoots – Read a newspaper.
05. Mr. G’s – In theory it should work, but the layout with an excessively large bar in the center of the room makes the place frustrating to navigate when there is any kind of a crowd. In addition, their shady past with drugs and violence…ugh.
06. R Place – Shootings and stabbings and fights, oh my!
07. Hideaway – Their covers are always too high, their bands are too loud for the small room, takes forever to get service, and their bartenders smell like patchouli.
08. Patrick O’Shea’s (Downtown) – On the weekends it’s not sure if it wants to be a restaurant, Irish pub, or night club.
09. Drake’s – They are trying to be a hipster, sushi serving hotspot and Hooters, both at the same time.
10. The Highland Taproom – Ok, there’s really nothing wrong with The Highland Taproom; it’s just that the old Highland Taproom was so damn great the new one pales in comparison.
louisville effing rocks 
Who wrote this ? I have lived here my whole life and this list is so far off base.
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Definitely love that your number one is The Back Door. That place was my first bar in Louisville and now it is my go to spot. However, Drakes ‘ being in your worst bars is sad. I have been there multiple occasions (Paddock Shop location) and it is anything but hipster oriented. It’s beer and bourbon selection is vast and I love that I can go there during the day with my family and also have a relaxed and fun time with the girls when they turn into a club. Maybe do some more research. Different locations may have different vibes but the Paddock Shops location is amazing!
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There hasn’t been a shooting at Rplace Pub since 2002. No stabbings that I know of and coming from me…who works security…there are few fights.
This list is ridiculous. Nice blog..
Said no one ever.
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I’m pretty sure the Drake’s he’s referring to is in St. Matthews. That location is like a rats nest and has been run into the ground by its management. The Drake’s at the Paddock is much more chill and service is night and day to the St. Matt’s location. Most of the list is ok but whoever wrote this didn’t venture past 4th Street.
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This article was discredited as soon as it listed Brownie’s as number 2. When I went, I ordered an old fashioned and the bartender asked me how to make it. Welcome to Louisville. Ordered the pretzel bites, and it was just a soft pretzel fried again, becoming hard and dry. Drakes is very enjoyable with pretty good food. Baxters is my favorite go to on that block. Large enough for a little bit of everything. Seems this list was just the writers personal favorites and judgemental dislikes, rather than the best and worst of Louisville.
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I must recommend Barasti bar for the best chill out place in Louisville
Barasti 12 flavors or wings in a Tuesday poker night. Love it
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brownies….hahaha. What a joke
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R Place would be OK if they just cleaned the place more than once every 20 years, had waitresses and took the rap music off the juke box.
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Totally disagree with R place on list. Yes place had problems in past but over the last few years staff and security has gone above and beyond to clean the place up you safer their by far then any night at fourth street and if you like volleyball its the place to be.
Regular for fifteen yrs
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