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Readers Vote: Louisville's 26 Most Overrated Restaurants

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Last week, Eater Louisville asked what are Louisville's most overrated restaurants and why. Between the comments section and Facebook, we received more than 150 comments, many of which actually named restaurants. The following map shows all the restaurants mentioned for which the commenter supplied a reason, in order of when the comments were received. Got a restaurant that our readers didn't already mention as overrated? Let us know in the comments.


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Bristol Bar and Grille

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"bleh." "agree I've never had a good meal or service at Bristol" "left me wondering 'Why all the hype?' each time I've gone." "Overrated, yes but I love the green chilli wontons. Unfortunately thats the only thing that really stands out." [Photo: Courtesy Facebook/Bristol Bar and Grille]

610 Magnolia

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"left me wondering 'Why all the hype?' each time I've gone." "I thought with all the hype and the price it would be the great meal. I wasn't blown away" [Photo: Courtesy 610 Magnolia]

Proof on Main

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"left me wondering 'Why all the hype?' each time I've gone." "overpriced." "Food is good but way over priced. There are many other restaurants in the high end range that are better." "Nothing impressive there either." [Photo: Courtesy Proof on Main]

Garage Bar

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" It gets written up in everything, but their food is not that good and fairly expensive. I don't get it." "overpriced" "Over priced small pizzas. Nothing special. Small portions too. The Ham tasting platter is a joke for $21.00 4 types of thinly sliced ham. Left hungry. Was not impressed with their pizzas or anything else for that matter." "I like the atmosphere but it's just another pizza joint with funky toppings and prices on the high side. Keep an eye on your bike, it might get stolen while you are there. " [Photo: Courtesy Garage Bar]

Rye On Market

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"overpriced." "Overpriced, small portions, not great food." [Photo: Courtesy Rye on Market]

Harvest

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"overpriced." "First off over priced and you get hardly any food. You leave hungry." "$16.00 for a hamburger on pretzel bread. $5.00 for fries are you kidding me Harvest?" [Photo: Courtesy Harvest]

Hillbilly Tea

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"overpriced" [Photo: Courtesy Hillbilly Tea]

Ramsi's Cafe On the World

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"They try to do too much and wind up doing nothing well." "disinterested service, tired food" [Photo: Courtesy Ramsi's Cafe On the World]

Hammerheads

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"everything at Hammerheads is way too salty. SALTY I SAY." "All of the food I've had has been great but i do think they are overrated. It's the pretzel buns, even Wendy's has them now. I will keep going back." [Photo: Courtesy Facebook/Hammerheads]

Toast on Market

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"Pleasant service, but the food was barely lukewarm and gnats were swarming. To me, it was the definition of overrated." [Photo: Courtesy Toast on Market]
"Overpriced, small portions, not great food." "I have not been for food instead made my way to the downstairs bar and waited for to long to get service from the hipster bartender. I did like his mustache but one look at the prices and i put the bar menu down and walked away empty handed. 12 dollars for a bourbon with a 9 dollar bottle price was just to much so I waited for friends to finish their one drink and we left." [Photo: Courtesy Decca]

Varanese

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"almost unedible." "Varanese is like Hotel-country club food" "Varanese is so much like a cruise ship! I believe he was a country club chef and if you look at the crowd they're all over 60 and look like they're from the club." "OMG Varanese is brie on some lettuce. have you seen the 'martini ceviche' so not good! COUNTRY CLUB!" "Instant grits and canned mandarin oranges out of the cans, is not cool! We saw you on TV and you used instant grits and mandarin oranges." [Photo: Courtesy Varanese]
"Volare is like 1970's dessert presentations and sloppy plating." "Volare desserts are so horrible and remind me of of some old school French place. The piping of sauce filled with other colors is just wrong! Look at their webpage or facebook...it's really quite funny. Some of the food is ok but those presentations are just wrong. Sugar apples LMAO!" [Photo: Volare]

Havana Rumba

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"I have been many times at the request of others and never dug it at all. What's wrong w voicing that?" "Lots of hype before i went and was expecting to be blown away. Everything I tried on my plate and the friends i was with tasted the same. Not bad, just the same." [Photo: Courtesy Havana Rumba]

St. Charles Exchange

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"High priced horrible food." [Photo: Courtesy St. Charles Exchange]

Village Anchor Pub & Roost

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"$15.00 for an overrated reuben sandwich that has hardly any corned beef to speak of at Village anchor." "$15.00 for a chicken salad at Village anchor, for that price I can get a good steak dinner." [Photo: Couresy Facebook/Village Anchor]

El Mundo

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"It's cramped, everything except the drinks are overpriced, and the food sloppy and bland, about on par with meals I ate in Burlington, VT. The service is ok, but not as great as everyone seems to think. El Mundo instantly came to my mind as Louisville's most overrated restaurant." "The food may be good, but the over tatted hipster waitstaff has been a running joke of pretentious rudeness for years. i would rather dine at on of the 187 Mexican restaurants in Louisville, with Genuine staff." "grubby place, watery margaritas" "didn't really get what all the fuss is about" [Photo: Courtesy El Mundo]

Wild Eggs

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"Because of their "30 minute" hour and a half wait." [Photo: Courtesy Facebook/Wild Eggs]

Ditto's Grill

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"Only reason to go in, is to get to Stevens and Stevens in the back." [Photo: Courtesy Ditto's Grill]

Bucks Restaurant And Bar

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" It was sold to the folks that own Joe's Crab Shack, and the food quality plummeted to that of the worst franchise experience on 4th Street." [Photo: Courtesy Bucks]

Wick's Pizza Parlor & Pub

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"offerings are just bland and piled deep with mediocre toppings" [Photo: Courtesy Facebook/Wick's]

Clifton's Pizza

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"offerings are just bland and piled deep with mediocre toppings" [Photo: Clifton's Pizza]

Feast BBQ

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"didn't really get what all the fuss is about" "Being different is fine, but the food has to be good." [Photo: Courtesy Facebook/Feast BBQ]

The Old Spaghetti Factory

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"why would anyone want food from a factory, unless, of course, it was mcdonalds...." [Photo: Courtesy Original Spaghetti Factory]

Papa John's Pizza

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"worst pizza ever on this planet." "papa johns taste like cardboard" [Photo: Courtesy Facebook/Papa John's]

Come Back Inn

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"Microwaved breadsticks that were no match for Fazoli's to go with my greasy chicken entree. I think they have new owners since the last time I've come back inn. I hope the food has improved." [Photo: Courtesy Facebook/Come Back Inn]

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Bristol Bar and Grille

"bleh." "agree I've never had a good meal or service at Bristol" "left me wondering 'Why all the hype?' each time I've gone." "Overrated, yes but I love the green chilli wontons. Unfortunately thats the only thing that really stands out." [Photo: Courtesy Facebook/Bristol Bar and Grille]

610 Magnolia

"left me wondering 'Why all the hype?' each time I've gone." "I thought with all the hype and the price it would be the great meal. I wasn't blown away" [Photo: Courtesy 610 Magnolia]

Proof on Main

"left me wondering 'Why all the hype?' each time I've gone." "overpriced." "Food is good but way over priced. There are many other restaurants in the high end range that are better." "Nothing impressive there either." [Photo: Courtesy Proof on Main]

Garage Bar

" It gets written up in everything, but their food is not that good and fairly expensive. I don't get it." "overpriced" "Over priced small pizzas. Nothing special. Small portions too. The Ham tasting platter is a joke for $21.00 4 types of thinly sliced ham. Left hungry. Was not impressed with their pizzas or anything else for that matter." "I like the atmosphere but it's just another pizza joint with funky toppings and prices on the high side. Keep an eye on your bike, it might get stolen while you are there. " [Photo: Courtesy Garage Bar]

Rye On Market

"overpriced." "Overpriced, small portions, not great food." [Photo: Courtesy Rye on Market]

Harvest

"overpriced." "First off over priced and you get hardly any food. You leave hungry." "$16.00 for a hamburger on pretzel bread. $5.00 for fries are you kidding me Harvest?" [Photo: Courtesy Harvest]

Hillbilly Tea

"overpriced" [Photo: Courtesy Hillbilly Tea]

Ramsi's Cafe On the World

"They try to do too much and wind up doing nothing well." "disinterested service, tired food" [Photo: Courtesy Ramsi's Cafe On the World]

Hammerheads

"everything at Hammerheads is way too salty. SALTY I SAY." "All of the food I've had has been great but i do think they are overrated. It's the pretzel buns, even Wendy's has them now. I will keep going back." [Photo: Courtesy Facebook/Hammerheads]

Toast on Market

"Pleasant service, but the food was barely lukewarm and gnats were swarming. To me, it was the definition of overrated." [Photo: Courtesy Toast on Market]

Decca

"Overpriced, small portions, not great food." "I have not been for food instead made my way to the downstairs bar and waited for to long to get service from the hipster bartender. I did like his mustache but one look at the prices and i put the bar menu down and walked away empty handed. 12 dollars for a bourbon with a 9 dollar bottle price was just to much so I waited for friends to finish their one drink and we left." [Photo: Courtesy Decca]

Varanese

"almost unedible." "Varanese is like Hotel-country club food" "Varanese is so much like a cruise ship! I believe he was a country club chef and if you look at the crowd they're all over 60 and look like they're from the club." "OMG Varanese is brie on some lettuce. have you seen the 'martini ceviche' so not good! COUNTRY CLUB!" "Instant grits and canned mandarin oranges out of the cans, is not cool! We saw you on TV and you used instant grits and mandarin oranges." [Photo: Courtesy Varanese]

Volare

"Volare is like 1970's dessert presentations and sloppy plating." "Volare desserts are so horrible and remind me of of some old school French place. The piping of sauce filled with other colors is just wrong! Look at their webpage or facebook...it's really quite funny. Some of the food is ok but those presentations are just wrong. Sugar apples LMAO!" [Photo: Volare]

Havana Rumba

"I have been many times at the request of others and never dug it at all. What's wrong w voicing that?" "Lots of hype before i went and was expecting to be blown away. Everything I tried on my plate and the friends i was with tasted the same. Not bad, just the same." [Photo: Courtesy Havana Rumba]

St. Charles Exchange

"High priced horrible food." [Photo: Courtesy St. Charles Exchange]

Village Anchor Pub & Roost

"$15.00 for an overrated reuben sandwich that has hardly any corned beef to speak of at Village anchor." "$15.00 for a chicken salad at Village anchor, for that price I can get a good steak dinner." [Photo: Couresy Facebook/Village Anchor]