We visited at 5PM on a thursday and the place was super dead. The sunset was beautiful and the vibes on the patio were lovely. However, I was disappointed to receive my $14 martini in a plastic cup... Our server took fine care of us at the outdoor bar and we sat in some comfy couch seating where we could get out of the sun. We'd recommend for a pre-dinner drink but sounds like it can get a lil busy so glad we got there early! read more

8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen - Vespers Martini - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

No longer on my list of options to consider for dinner prior to a show at the nearby Palace Theater. The view is the only thing that sets the venue apart and even that is comprised of mostly overlooking parking lots. Also, better seen after dark to hide many of the flaws. Many, many, many better options in the area. Visited the week of Derby and shocked that this may be the impression visitors will have of the local hospitality and food scene. The bar and restaurant seem to have gradually declined with the menu being choked down to bare minimum selection, the food quality and associated value are subpar, and faded decor and neglected facilities appear tattered and worn. The seemingly limited amount of waitstaff seem to wish they were somewhere else. Me, too! read more

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This will be my second time coming to this location that has such a beautiful view, but has such an ugly atmosphere of employees. I literally watched two employees yell at each other and threaten each other and fight while there is customers present. I asked myself where was management in the situation but as anything else, such a beautiful place it's drawled down by such childish behavior. On my last visit we didn't get our food, it was forgotten! One this visit, the wings is the only thing that kept you from getting one star. read more

Yikes, what happened to 8Up?? Stopped in before a show at Mercury Ballroom. The elevator to the restaurant didn't work and honestly I should have taken the hint right then. I did not. Going in through the front lobby we got up to the rooftop restaurant. Significantly scaled back menu - pizza and a chicken sandwich and a smash burger. After 15 minutes waiting for bar service we were told their card machine is down (and had been all week) and it was cash only or we could charge to a room. With no cash machine option. This restaurant has been going downhill for a while. I'll take the hint now and go elsewhere for dinner & drinks before a show. read more

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We could see the rooftop seating g from our hotel and wanted to check it out. This was not what we were expecting unfortunately- I think they were short staffed so couldn't handle anyone additional on the patio. We were seating inside ( the only ones) and the smell from the fryers was SO overwhelming! The ventilation wasn't keeping up even with the place open to the patio. Unfortunately it was too much and even ordering salads not one of the 3 of us could finish our salads or drinks. I am positive it would have been a much better experience setting outside ... the view is beautiful. Just the bartender was also the waiter and dishes were dropped and frankly I think they just didn't have enough staff when we were there on a Monday night. read more

8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Would not recommend Took 20 mins before anyone took our order Apps came out before the drinks Then we didn't see her until an hour later she came back and said I honestly forgot about you We asked for check, it took so long we had to walk to the front and their system was glitching or resetting. We waited another 20 mins just to pay. The food was not good either (salmon bites and artichoke dip) Atmosphere is nice on the roof top read more

Overpriced & underwhelming a nosedive from what they were a few years ago. Waiter "forgot" about us and left for 30minutes while attending to two nearby tables. POS system wasn't working at the end of the night was overcharged on the bill / charged for the bill that was supposed to be split. People say their view is what saves them but it's obstructed compared to Genevieve , high stakes or bourre bonne which are better options. Also they don't serve at the outside bar on the roof anymore. Save your time with this place. read more

Very little food options. mediocre at best. dessert is listed as a surprise, but it's $14?

Highly disappointed in our recent experience at 8UP. Over the years we have had many celebrations here (birthdays, weddings, etc) and has been an clear go-to to bring out of town guests to experience good food/drinks, views, and atmosphere. We brought first-time Louisville visitors here over Derby weekend (our first trip to 8Up since 2022). When we arrived for our reservation, staff let us know that service may be somewhat slow due to Derby rush. We were understanding; However, the restaurant was never more than 60-70% full. Upon being seated, no one checked on us for over 20min. It then took another 45min for our drinks to be brought. And almost 1.5hrs for food to arrive (thank goodness we put in our full order with drinks). I have seen 8UP significantly more busy and received superior service in past trips. Menu is significantly paired down. Food remaining on the menu was, but not worth the current prices. Cocktails were poorly made. There was a DJ playing inside the dining area that made it very difficult to hear others at the table. We were sat right beside the DJ speakers. Staff also opened the door to the patio at one point, which were also sat beside, and it was very cold (44degrees). There were several clearly over served guests who kept coming up to our table to try to talk. The overall experience was poor and a bad look in front of out of town guests. Experience killed everyone's mood. We will not be back. read more

This place was pretty cool when I first went several years ago. The rooftop bar still is. Good view of downtown Louisville. But the menu has changed for the worse. It had been ... not fine dining, but not bar food. Now, it's pizza, burgers, etc. A crummy hotel restaurant... the equivalent of the free breakfast you get at some hotel properties, but not free. The place smelled of cleaning fluids. I ordered a smashburger with fries and a beer. Fries were hot, but something was ... off, unappealing with the flavor. First burger bite, not impressed but I carried on. By bite 3, I noticed a bit too much pink in the burger. Further inspection revealed a very undercooked burger. They offered to remake it but my appetite was shot. They took it off the bill. So, they handled the bad experience properly (bumping them from 1 star to 2), but creating good experiences should be the goal of whomever replaces what must be poor management and cook staff they have now. There's no excuse for what I experienced at a low traffic time of day in a prominent Louisville location. It was just bad. read more

making a poor recommendation just feels terrible... This is a place I've had my eye on going to for a while. Beautiful views, the aesthetics of the layout/architecture all looked amazing. So, when my parents had some friends come in to town from out of country (that they hadn't seen in over 18 years), they left the 'night out planning' to me. This was first on my list. Reservation was made, the group showed up in time. Visually, 8up is beautiful. Bonus, it's in a cool part of town. However, after being sat, 45 minutes went by of no greeting/service/drinks before we called it. Having drove 40 minutes there, and having to go 40 minutes home, the night was mostly gone when all was said and done. I really wish I could say the experience went differently, but by the end, I really felt guilty for making a bad call, at others expense. I can't say I'll risk trying it again for an important outing. I rarely review places, and hate to leave a bad one, but it was enough of a let down I would like to make other people aware so they don't have to be left guilty after an important night. read more

We ordered two Caesar salads (no meat) and it took 40 minutes for them to come out. We also had a reservation at 8 and we had to wait almost an hour to be seated. Just could have been better. read more

The bar tender was great, and he's the only reason I'm giving the 2 stars. I ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio and it was room temp and not chilled. I asked for 'chilled' and found out there were several refrigerators out! What?? Apparently, this is not a new issue. DO BETTER HILTON!! read more

We stayed at the hotel which was where this restaurant is located, so it was only a short ride up the elevator to get there. They were pretty busy so we decided to sit at the bar. The bartenders were super nice and very attentive. We decided to stay and eat there after a few drinks. The drinks were really good but the food was just okay. The sliders had flavor but were dry as in it definitely needed like a wet sauce to help with the bread plus the chicken. I was excited to try the Brussels because of a pic I saw posted but that was not what I received. They were horrible to say the least. If you can't tell by the pic they were undercooked and didn't have and seasoning on them. The wings were the same way. It's like they fried them and then just throw bbq sauce on them. So kind of seasoning what so ever. The only good thing was the fries. I would go for food and the atmosphere but not the food unless they revamp it. read more

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The bar food doesn't match the atmosphere or views, but I don't like fine dining so it's perfect.

The ambiance was the best thing this place had to offer last night when some friends and I went. Service was not it. Our server was not very attentive and the place wasn't crowded at all. Especially for a Friday night. They had live music for a while. The menu doesn't have a whole lot of variety. It smelled amazing. But menu seemed limited. I got the potato wedges and a house salad with shrimp. House salad with shrimp was $27. It was a regular size bowl and not worth $27 if you ask me. My glass of vodka with a splash of cranberry was $14. I realize that cocktails at most places are $13 and up but this wasn't it. So overall, thumbs down for food, service, and drinks. Thumbs up for ambiance. read more

Very limited menu, menu on Yelp doesn't match what was served ! No steaks. Service was ok We recieved our appetizers before our drinks ! read more

8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen - Shrimp and grits, Blackened Salmon with Bourbon Demi - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Mid-South, Mid-tier Rooftop.. 8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen is nice, but it can stand some admin revamping to be great. During a girls' trip, we decided to expand one of the night-outs for some rooftop therapy. 8UP is located on the top floor of the Hilton Garden Inn - Downtown Louisville. A simple elevator ride from the lobby will take you up. The entry off the elevator was really pretty. You're greeted by a hostess at her station, and we were told to have a seat anywhere. The bar and kitchen were kind of backed up, so the service was off. Communication seemed to not be aligned amongst the service staff.. It was a lot to see as patrons, but we pushed through. A bartender was able to serve us and take food orders. The drinks were solid. The food was decent. After conversation indoors, we took the night outside to the patio area. The views from the rooftop were beautiful. From where we stood, we could see the beauty of Louisville and why I stand behind it being a hidden gem of the Mid-South. The firepit, decor lights, and socializing outside made up for the previous indoor debacle. For what it's worth, 8UP has the potential to rise amongst the ranks of Louisville nightlife options. I just believe that a little tweaking could be a game changer. read more

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8up is an elevated eatery and bar located up on the 8th floor of downtown louisvilel hotel Hilton garden inn. After being on my to do list for a few years I finally checked out this unique and lovely looking establishment. Stopped in here for an early weekday dinner with a friend in which we made a reservation. Probably didn't need a reservation on this night as it wasn't very crowded yet. We had the option to dine outside on the elevated patio or inside. Inside was nicely decorated and had a whiskey barrel type theme so we decided to dine in and walk out to patio post meal to check out the views. We have lived in Lousiville our whole life so an 8th floor view of downtown Lousiville wasn't something we absolutely had to see. Our waitress and the entire staff was very friendly, accommodating and fast with our orders. The menu mainly consists of snack sports bar type dishes with a few more "classy" options. I personally went with a wood fire Margherita pizza and it was rather feeling and had unique but good flavor. The sauce had a nice zest and kick to it. Maybe some hot sauce mixed in? Bread was soft and tasty. Overall a good dish. My buddy got the Double Staked Smash Burgers and appeared to enjoy it overall. Overall was a good visit. Very lovely place inside and outside on the patio. For only being 8 floors up it is higher than I imagined. Food was above average to good. Pricing mildly steep but you are in downtown Lousiville so it is expected. Good place overall. I can see myself coming back. I could see it as a nice place to enjoy a drink or two in the future. read more

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Reservation for 7 for a bachelorette trip. Sat 20 minutes without service so we left.

Such a disappointing experience. Our waitress was the worst she would disappear would have to the bar to get our drinks. The food was mediocre at best. Asked to add lettuce to sandwich and her reply was "they don't make changes" $21 chicken sandwich and they cant make changes. Bathrooms were filthy, outdoor patio flooring is loose in spots and unstable. Cant believe how mismanaged this place is truly a shame in such a great location read more

Nice spot at the top of the Hilton Garden Inn. Friendly service, good food. Lots of TV's inside for sports etc.

I would NOT visit this establishment!! We had booked the igloo experience for a party of 14, so we had two igloos. Upon our arrival at 5, one of the igloos had no heat. They moved us to another igloo; however, neither igloo ever got warm. The lights on the igloos weren't turned on until the last 20 minutes of our 2 hour experience. They also put metal chairs in the igloo so they are very cold and uncomfortable. Our server was completely unqualified to be a server. She brought two pitchers of water and had us serve ourselves the water. She never came back to ask if anyone needed a refill the entire time, and we were there for two hours. She didn't come to take our order for our entree until an hour and a half after arrival. We had to ask twice for her to take our order. Since we needed to be out in two hours (we had a show scheduled for 7:30), she suggested we not order the surf and turf and a couple other of the nicer items on the menu since by the time we ordered they wouldn't have time to prepare. Some of us were served cold food while the others had hot food but had to eat extremely fast. The ONLY thing she was timely on was our bill. She brought our bill out before the food arrived. I was prepared to spend the $300 minimum per igloo originally, but when our server never asked us if we wanted another cocktail and suggested we order the cheaper items on the menu, I assumed they would not enforce the minimum. Also, no time for dessert (otherwise, we would have been there three hours) It isn't surprising the restaurant has completely went downhill. Zach, the food and beverage manager, and Tammy, the GM, were equally as unprofessional. At the end, they argued with me over the minimum stating that if I was in a hurry (didn't know 2 hours was a hurry) I should have ordered entrees when we ordered our appetizers. They wouldn't remove the 20% gratuity even though our service was then worst I have ever had!! I could write a book on how horrible our experience was. Please, please do research on this place before you go! We visited this restaurant four years ago and had a great experience. It is either under new management, or it is in financial distress and can't spend the funds necessary to hire competent staff and keep the restaurant clean and presentable. This was suppose to be a nice family outing around the Holiday, and instead every member of our party was disappointed. read more

Agree with the average 3.5 star rating. 8UP has a nice atmosphere that is cozy but classy & the igloos outside look really cool. I felt like the entree prices were really steep for the dishes they were. Overall the food was fine. Nothing you would brag about, but also nothing that was bad. The steak burger was the only disappointing item-the bun might as well have come from Burger King & it didn't have much flavor. Service was also fine. 8UP has great Louisville city views, but there are so many other places with better food. read more

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Watch out for $7 Shirley Temples with zero alcohol and no refills. Very slow service. Loud. Restaurant was full of dirty tables that needed bussing. I spoke to the manager about our experience before our group left, and she was not concerned with our issues. Lesson Learned. Next time I plan my daughter's birthday with 8 of her friends, I won't drive downtown, pay for parking, and spend $150 on Shirley Temples. Many other nicer, accommodating establishments in Louisville. read more

The ambiance here is great. Lots of fun high energy music and a lovely setting. The place seemed clean compared to last time I was here. Our waitress was very friendly and good. We ordered the meatballs and they were very good. 3 meatballs, good sized, the pomodoro sauce on them was spicy more than sweet and was nice. I ordered the pizza. I thought it would be a flatbread but it was a big pizza. Pepperoni. It was very much on the greasy side and that made the thin crust pretty soggy. The pepperoni's were nice and spicy but overall it was just ok. Probably wouldn't get it again. I ate 2 pieces, the outer crust part was very done but the bottom on most of it was pretty soggy. Hubby had the beef skewers. They were supposed to be medium, but came out more medium rare. The flavor was extremely good for the sauce and spice on his. The sweet potato edamame it was served on was so delicious. The sweet potatoes were undercooked making them pretty firm to bite through but the sauce on his was so delicious. He shared his entree with me giving me one of his chunks of meat and I ate a lot of his sweet potatoes. Just need to cook those a bit longer. Drinks were good and service was great. We had wanted to order wings but they didn't have their regular buffalo wings but more sweet chili wings so we ended up passing on those. I was torn because I want to give a 3 1/2 star here. It's close to a 4 but just need to fine tune the meal a bit. They worked hard to get food out and seemed pretty busy with the show at the Palace and service slowed a bit once they got slammed. Glad we came early. I would go back and probably get the beef skewers this time! read more

8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen - Beef skewers - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Although the ambiance of this establishment is super cute, the igloo experience is really what I came for. I am happy I had the opportunity to do so, especially during the colder season. The minimum the tab could be was 250.00 and while we were a party of 7, the food options were just ok so we stuck with flatbreads, pizzas, sliders and a few appetizers. The hummus dip was a complete fail for me. The pita chips were stale and not enjoyable at all. The chicken on the sliders were over fried but I powered through and ate so I could be fine when leaving. The music selection was on the side of light fm-ish which I was hoping for at least top 40. I'm not from the Louisville area so if you're like me and a tourist, this would be a great place to pre-game. The pear and blue cheese pizza and a few drinks would be my recommendation! read more

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What a beautiful venue. Would have loved to sit outside and enjoy the view, alas it was hot as heck and so humid you could cut the air with a knife, so we opted for the nice air conditioned inside. There are various seating options and we chose one of the fancy 2 seaters by the window... big funky red chairs, quite comfy actually. My friend had one of the whiskey flights and the presentation was very nice and professional. Even comes with a water dropper and palate cleansers. The staff is always happy to explain proper tasting procedure to you. I had the chicken sliders and was pleasantly surprised. They by far exceeded my expectations. The chicken light and crisp on the outside, yet nice and juicy on the inside. Delicious. The presentation was pretty cool too. read more

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A cool place to check out to hangout and catch a drink on the rooftop with some friends! Bartenders weren't the best as it wasn't busy, but yet, service was extremely slow and couldn't make certain drinks as requested. We didn't have any food, but I will say it all looked and sounded good! read more

8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen - Street Level Entrance - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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WOW! The igloos are the coolest thing in Louisville. I've always loved coming here for the rooftop bar in the summer, but the igloos take it to the next level. We were able to sit comfortably inside the igloos because they each have a little heater. Each igloo is decorated differently - was very hard to pick which one! We had such a cozy and fun evening. Our server was very attentive and all our orders were accurate. There were 8 of us that fit comfortably inside the igloo. Would highly recommend getting a group together and checking out the igloos! read more

8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

We went here for dinner last night. The view on the rooftop was wonderful. Unfortunately, the service was extremely slow. We sat with empty drinks for a while and took forever to order. Dishes and empty glasses were not cleared. $13 drinks in small glasses weren't even poured more than half way. Appetizer portion for price was really disappointing. Pizza was delicious but nothing out of the ordinary. I don't think we will be back. read more

TRY THE SWEET PEA HUMMUS! I've thought about coming back for just the hummus every week since! Its vegan and worth every penny. The rooftop is of course also nice. read more

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DECEPTIVE PRACTICES: Food wasn't the best. Limited menu. Steak came out cold and lacking seasoning. Chimichurri was bland. Fries were salty. I was too hungry to care. It wasn't horrible by any means, but not a reason to return. Cocktails were limited not great. Service was ok, but at the end was the kicker. We had a large party. Don't get me wrong, I am aware of the large parties and splitting checks and gratuity. Not my first rodeo, but honestly we were all having a decent time and by the time the check came out for 15 people the server says: we can split the check 3 ways or we have to do as one and drops three copies of the bill on the table. Bruh, that's a BAD LINE and a great way to ruin the night. But hey, not like I was planning to return anyway, but ok. So here we all are trying to figure this 700.00 bill and how we split it. Server keeps saying specifically that it is in fine print on the menu. At this point that is irrelevant and should have been made clear when the reservation was booked as well the moment the table was sat. That is fair, sets expectations and reasonable.So we all agree to pay as one, and everyone Zelle the card holder. So we go thru that and we give the card. Server returns with the merchant receipt and oh by the way, "my bad" we didn't give you the original check with the gratuity. No one noticed. WOW another 132.00 added and she literally said, "that was our bad". Tell you what, shit service at this point everyone left frustrated annoyed and the servers literally disappeared. One word here. Deceptive. I get the gratuity, I get the check thing. I don't understand why a server wouldn't kindly remind there party on arrival to set expectations, as well as present the bill WITH the gratuity. Seriously deceptive. read more

Service was HORRIBLE. Rude waitress. None of our drink orders were correct because our waitress didn't know which drinks were which. Food was decent but had orders come out wrong. The bills were an absolute mess so we had to go inside to figure that out. Our waters were never refilled. Don't recommend. read more

Meh is the first thing that comes to mind. You're talking about a hotel restaurant and even though the scenery is cool, the service, price and quality of the food are average hotel restaurant service, price and quality of food. We had a party of eight and parties over six are automatically hit with a 20% gratuity and we didn't get 20% service. My shrimp and grits were ok and my wife's salmon was pretty good. I had two drinks and one was pretty good (Old Fashioned) but the second was below average (Nutty Old Fashioned). The waitress wasn't in a hurry to do anything but she already knew she was getting 20%, so why would she be? I have no plans of returning. read more

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Was in Louisville for a quick business adventure and this place was open. It's taking me some time to get used to sitting at the a table because I am a bar kind of guy and most places these days have their bar area closed due to COVID or very limited seating at the bar. It is what it is and I am getting used to it but I cant wait until we get back to normal. I miss shooting the you know what with the bartenders and just meeting strangers sitting at the bar... any who.. I know you are interested in the food and establishment and not my personal issues.... This place is amazing. The ambiance is spectacular and it has an outdoor area that overlooks downtown Louisville. I hope I get a chance to go back when its not so cold outside. Being in the Bourbon State... this place was packed with all kind of adult spirits and great food. Devin took great care of me... I told him this was my first time at the restaurant and I would take any suggestions he could offer and boy did he knock it out of the park. After all of the suggestions, here is what I ordered..... Smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs, Confit Duck Tacos and a Margherita Pizza.... Now the smoked Salmon Deviled Eggs were on point but those darn Deviled Eggs were out of this world. Pizza is my downfall so its hard for me to have a bad pizza but this Margherita Pizza hit differently. Compliments to the chef on this hand made pizza... It was scrumptious and it even taste as good on the second day. If you are in Louisville you should certainly stop by and if you do.... tell'em Drew sent ya! Y'all be easy! Drew read more

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My buddy and I went in here on a Wednesday evening for dinner while we were in the area. I ordered the burger with fries and it was pretty good. It was a little pricey for just a burger in my opinion but the flavor was still really good. The ambience of the place was nice I enjoyed the artwork and design that the building had itself. And I really liked the outside patio and looking down because you're eight floors up of course. So overall pretty good experience I would recommend it read more

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The heated igloos at 8Up really do provide an impressive or "elevated" experience. It feels private and special to be with just your people in a themed igloo with nice downtown views. Food and drinks are good, but perhaps not super memorable. As some have noted, service in the igloos is spotty/it's easy to feel forgotten about out there. Easy fix though, just order everything you want in one go rather than trying to add on throughout the evening. The igloos are heated with space heaters but you should still dress warmly if you're cold-natured. I'd definitely go again with my friends for whom the experience and/or ambiance is of higher importance than service or having the best food ever. Pro tip: the food & beverage minimums for the igloos are lower earlier in the week than on weekends. I parked free on the street right outside the hotel but a garage is right onsite for easy access. read more

8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen - Space heater in the themed igloo on the rooftop - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Derby weekend visiting family and my mom and her coworker took me to this spot. Super cool. It wasn't too crowded but the people were business professionals looking good. We drank and ate pizza. The wings were okay. Super cool vibe. Marvelous roof top view was the best part. read more

8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen - Roof top view - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

8-up is located on the rooftop, 8th floor of the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Lewisville. Since I arrived a little late , it made sense just to stop in at the hotel bar. Usually Hotel bars are not that fantastic but this is one of the exceptions. It was a little cool outside but the bar had huge heaters and a long fire pit bar. The menu had a great selection of what Kentucky is famous for, Bourbons! The waiter made a couple of recommendations and they did not disappoint. While I was waiting for the princess to arrive, I struck up a conversation with one of Louisville's friendly residents, Sterling. Turned out to be a real nice guy that liked to eat out at the finer places in town and this was one of them. Although I didn't have any food that evening, it was a beautiful Restaurant and Bar with a great menu. Of course if you're staying at the hotel it's extremely convenient and open late. The bar also sets up plastic igloos during cold weather. I was told there's a fee to use them but who wants to sit in the Plastic Bubble when you can enjoy cool winter breezes next to a fire pit. Definitely recommended. read more

8UP Elevated Drinkery & Kitchen - House bourbon rocks - Bars Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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