Hungry Pelican has been around for more than 50 years, and any restaurant that lasts that long is clearly doing something right. Louisville has plenty of great fish options, but this is still the best in town. The fish is always fresh, perfectly fried, and consistently excellent. The place has a very homey feel, and the branding gives it a strong identity without feeling overdone. The owners and staff treat their customers like family, and you notice it the second you walk in. Louisville also has a large Catholic community, and many of the city's fish fries source their fish from Hungry Pelican...they choose them for a reason. If you're visiting from out of town and want to know where the locals actually eat, this is that place. read more

One of my favorite restaurants that was a ok experience today. This was my first time dining in this local business. Unfortunately my grill Salmon was undone in the middle of it. Everything else was superb. Really enjoyed the fried corn on the cob, a new item for me. Service was fast and friendly. The decor is old school vibe that is spotless. They are tops for fried fish. read more

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Food is usually hot and tasty, Price is OK. Wait staff always friendly. Fried onions are great but sometimes a little underdone. Hush puppies are terrible, always. I love puppies but I never eat these. Find out where Moby Dicks or even King Fish (sometimes) get theirs and switch. Improve these and you got 4 stars. read more

No breading on onion rings white fish platter with extra tartar no extra tartar sauce use and coleslaw. What a joke read more

Hungry Pelican - Paid extra for tartar????? - Seafood Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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05/01/26 Today's date ordered to go. My fish wasn't cooked,baked potato was reheated and had a big black spot inside, the coleslaw was dry not creamy at all!!!!! My husband had to throw away his onion rings they tasted like saw dust! read more

Arrived there on Sunday, June 28th, 2026, at 4:12 pm. I was very tired and very hungry, so I wasn't in the best of moods. My husband and I walked in, waiting to be seated. An employee came from in the back and said, "we actually closed at 4pm." I said well if you are closed, you should have the door locked."" An employee yelled at the top of their lungs, "we have customers still in here." Not only was that rude to me, but it was very rude to the customers' eating. I have worked many places where customers were there after closing. We locked the doors so they could finish, thanked them for coming, and unlocked the door to let them out. Because of this, I will never step back into Hungry Pelican again read more

Good seafood is so hard to find and Hungry Pelican has always been a favorite. Service is great on Bardstown Rd Fern Creek

The best white fish sandwich in Louisville Try the green beans great flavor and hush puppies are awesome

Nice selection of appetizers, main dishes, sides and desserts. Had the Sniwfish and it was exceptional. My wife had the catfish plate. The catfish flavor was delicate and the breading tasted great. I'll be back. There are many other dishes I'd like to try. If you love seafood, this restaurant is worth a try. read more

Food has always been very good! They have really good rolled oysters! The restaurant facility itself needs a complete makeover though. The tables/booths have seen their day and some are in bad shape and need a good scrubbing or just replaced. Realizing and understanding that it takes a LOT of money to redo the interior is one of the things that keep us coming back. The other things are service and food quality! It's delicious! You feel like you've stepped back in time to an old diner. Hope they're around for years to come! read more

Food was great recommend the snow fish and crab cakes. Stewed, zucchini, and tomatoes. read more

Hungry Pelican - Saturday night dinner - Seafood Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

This review is kind of difficult because I'm a bit split on my opinion. I'm going with four stars because the good in my opinion outweighs any negative. The first thing you'll notice when you pull up in the parking lot is that the building looks pretty dated and it is. There's a sign when you walk in that says welcome, established in the 1950s. That's impressive, but it also shows in a lot of the areas that have not been maintained well. The staff was all very friendly. My server was great and it only took about 5 to 10 minutes to get my food. I went on Saturday around 3 PM and it was not very busy. The menu was easy to flip through and not overbearing with too many options. I chose fried fish and fried shrimp and then I also got french fries and the stewed tomatoes on the side. The fish was very delicious and the shrimp were as well. The fries are your standard crinkle and the stewed tomatoes were delicious. There's lots of variety of seafood and options to meet anybody's pickiness. Overall, I thought it was a good experience, but they definitely need to do some work making it look nicer and newer Positive: Food and Service Negative: Ambiance, decor, dated building and furnishings read more

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I got the scrod and chips. The scrod still had the skin on it which was gross. The fries were lukewarm and looked like they were just dumped out of the bag. My husband got the whitefish and it was lukewarm. The place wasn't busy so there is no excuse for the food to not be cooked long enough to be hot and the fries crispy. I've gotten the Scrod many times in the past at Hungry Pelican and it never had skin on it so this must be something new. read more

This review will be fairly short. The only positive thing I have to say is that our waitress was the sweetest and most attentive waitress I have experienced in some time. She did everything a waitress is supposed to do, and we made sure she received the tip she deserved. That is where the positive review ends. I was praying to be raptured during the whole meal. The owners need to walk in as a customer, and walk through dining in this restaurant. Take a hard look around, and taste the food that comes out to the table. There is only one way to go, and that is up with any changes. read more

I just want to let anyone who has the chance to come to this locally family owned restaurant to NOT PASS IT UP! Amazing food! Love the Scrod! the chowder is also amazing! comes out piping hot and full of flavor! I always have such a hard time picking an appetizer because they are ALL SO GOOD! Last time here I got the captain and it was so fresh and I had to pack up the rest! Amazing food! Great Prices and the owner is the sweetest! The staff makes you feel like they know u personally! I will be back next week read more

Hungry Pelican - The Captain‍!!! - Seafood Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Hungry Pelican is one of the first places hubby and I dined when restaurants were permitted to open at 33% capacity. If you are afraid of a small dining room from the looks of the outside, you need not worry. The inside is way bigger than it appears. There is plenty of space for social distancing. There are a least 2 divided dining rooms and a separate room for bar. The restaurant space is both spacious and cozy. Our server wore a mask. She was friendly, efficient and respected our apace. The seafood was all fresh as can be. They are seasoned in the classic "New England style"- meaning there is some salt, lots of butter and *maybe* pepper. If you like more seasoning in your food, be sure to ask for each and every condiment. None are on the table thanks to Covid. I loved my clam chowder, oyster stew, and fried scallops. I also tried the crab stuffed fish on another visit. I did not enjoy this dish as much as the other fried goodness. They used "krab" instead of crab. The fish was also a bit overcooked for my liking. Hubby loved his fried white fish. One note: you should only order two pieces if you're ravenous. They are large pieces. We are new fans of this Hungry Pelican! We look forward to returning again! read more

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Great server staff. Wonderful atmosphere with amazing food. Great prices. Highly recommend .

My boyfriend and I came in hungry and we were immediately greeted and sat by the friendly hostess. The restaurant was clean and decorated very nicely for the holidays. We ordered fried green tomatoes which came out hot, crispy, and fast! We ordered the captains platter and the hungry man's platter as our main course which was delicious as well! Thank you so much for a great service and a great experience! read more

Hadn't eaten here in 20 years. Now I remember why. Waiter took our order, 35 minutes before we got our food. People next to us, came in, ordered, ate and left before we got our food. 4 of us dining. 3 warm dinners, one piping hot which indicates they missed a meal, cook it and left 3 under the heat lamp. Food was okay, but honestly, Moby Dick is a better value and more fish. Waiter took our order, never came back to check on us or get refills. Had to flag him down to get our check. It will be another 20 years (a least) before I come back. read more

Fast service & reasonable prices. Food could have been a little warmer. Friendly staff. Ryjfthn gdd sh h o l ggb read more

I worked at the Goose Creek Rd. location some 35 or so years ago, now that location has since closed and what is left is this one on Bardstown Rd. When we went inside, one couldn't help but to go back in time....when things flowed more smoothly. I can imagine the place hasn't been updated in quit some time. But its the food I am after. You know, good "Seafood" places are hard to come by. Hungry Pelican seemed to deliver some pretty good seafood. It was around my birthday when my wife suggested fish since she knows I really love it. She also suggested Hungry Pelican since I mentioned it one Sunday afternoon while sitting on the patio. I ordered the clams, she got the Fish Sandwich. We also tried the Fried Pickles which were pretty good! The fish was cooked just right! The clams were fresh and tasted great! The service was fantastic! My wife mentioned it was my birthday to the server, then the server offered us a free desert! I opted for the turtle cheesecake which was very good! They have a "Children's" menu and a "Senior's" Menu also, which unfortunately I now qualify for...lol read more

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We were greeted and seated within mere minutes of entering the restaurant. I was really surprised by the size of the place. From the outside, the restaurant does not look nearly as large as it actually is. Our server was very friendly and patient with us as we surveyed the entire, long menu. We ordered hush puppies as an appetizer and my husband got the clam chowder. For our entrees, he got the seafood platter and I got the stuffed flounder with two sides (stewed tomatoes and mashed potatoes). Our food was VERY filling. As a matter of fact, we were full from eating the appetizers. We tasted the entrees only so that we could give the server some positive feedback. Overall, this was a good experience at a place that serves seafood with a down-home, filling flair. read more

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To be honest I thought there was too much breading in the rolled oysters. I also had onion rings and slaw as sides. The onion rings were plump and plentiful but like the rolled oysters all the breading was a bit much. To be fair the service was very good and attentive. I even got a refill drink to go. That was nice. The price was reasonable and they had some other specials that looked good. Perhaps another visit I will order something else. read more

Hungry Pelican - Rolled oyster platter. - Seafood Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Back for some more good seafood rarely am I disappointed this was a lunch visit going for the fish , clams and shrimp with onion straws and slaw. I thought the slaw was not as finely cut as it used to be but our waitress says no change I'm pretty picky about slaw and remembered always liking it here but not anymore. Other than that it was good my friend got the rolled oyster they are one of the few places still creating the original style it's worth stopping for it alone read more

Hungry Pelican - Rolled oyster and Onion straws - Seafood Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Great service! Great food! Loved the Whitefish and Shrimp! The restaurant was clean and the service was extremely fast and efficient. Hungry Pelican has been in the Louisville area for as long as I can remember, but there aren't many of them left. This is a gem of a restaurant to have in the Fern Creek area and I hope people continue to support them for a long time to come. read more

Hungry Pelican - Dining room looking toward the front door. - Seafood Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

On this YELP Thankful Thursday, I am just wanting to let you know that we did takeout today for dinner and ur staff could not be more polite and efficient, and get everything right. We picked up meals for the 3 of us and we really appreciate the way u package the grilled fish, separately, in foil, to keep in the buttery grilled juices and warmness from the other items in the dish. We asked for condiments and exactly the number we ask for is what we got. Please, please keep doing it right. Others don't!! We're dining with you every week and we stay committed to helping you stay the course!!! We love your choices of sides!! Your stewed tomatoes are soooo good. Thanks for a job well done!! We are thankful!! read more

For a local fish spot, this one is pretty great. They are one of the few "fish houses" they offer non-fried options. They have everything from cod to salmon to oysters. I always get mine grilled, and here, it was prepared and executed perfectly. Flakey, juicy, tender. I got the cod platter on this visit. It comes with an ample amount of food. You'll definitely leave with a doggie bag. For my sides, I got the kale and green beans. Oh so good! I could have made a meal of these! I'll definitely be back! The ambiance is what you'd expect of a local, family-owned spot. It's not fancy. Wear whatever you'd like, I'd say. They're welcoming, humble and personable. The decor is very much that of the inside (or outside) of a boat. Or, what you'd see at a beachside fish place. The outside looks nothing like the inside though. The service reminds me of what you'd get at a local diner where the patrons are the same every day, they all know each other, and their time to be polite has passed. It's not that they're rude. They're lovely. It's just that there is no pomp or fluff. Very to the business of getting your order, serving it, and moving on- all with a smile and kindness. I recommend it. Get that cod! And the clam chowder seems to be popular, too! read more

Love their food, prices are a bit high but isn't everything. Very nice people and lots of room for indoor dining.

Delicious food!! Freaky fast service!! LOL!! Love the way it's decorated with maritime themed items. Like so many places with seafood these days, the prices are high, but you get what you pay for and this is good tucker!! read more

Hungry Pelican even FEELS like a sea weathered restaurant on the Cape. We don't go here for the atmosphere, though. It's the FOOD and the consistent good service that brings us here frequently. My husband loves their grilled tuna. I love the whitefish, both broiled and fried. The sides are abundant and unique. Try the tomatoes and zucchini if you're a fan of stewed tomatoes. The restaurant is big enough to accommodate large crowds, often without a wait. We recently brought in a group of 20. The staff was so gracious and seated us in a quiet area in one of the back rooms where we enjoyed plates of appetizers and sides, like their clam chowder and their fried veggies and their coleslaw. I recommend this place. Don't expect fancy. Do expect large portions of good food! read more

Friday's are for fish, we were excited to try this place. We showed up after calling it in, they had the inside lined up for social distancing and an easy flow through the building. Tons of food for $20! The box for two came with 3 pieces of fish, 4 hush puppies, and lots of fries. It was pretty good, the breading was a little thick on the fish, otherwise it was good! read more

Hungry Pelican - Fish Box for Two - Seafood Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Food and service was excellent price is little bit high but it's okay and love to try one more time

Hungry Pelican is always a great choice. The service is good and staff is very friendly. It's a good place to take family or friends for some great food and nice atmosphere read more

Hungry Pelican has been a place that I've grown up with. My family would always come here for Lent, and I loved it every time. Years later when I finally moved back to Louisville and my parents moved just down the street from this joint, we came back to try it. My mother kept saying how it wasn't how it used to be, and it had gotten outdated and dirty. Therefore, this was my impression going back in. I have to say though, it wasn't quite the vibe I received. Once we sat down my mom asked if they had made any refurbishments and the waitress told us they had just put down some new floors. It looks a lot nicer on the inside than it has in a long time! The restaurant is big and spacey, however we were the only ones in there at the time. We both split the fish dinner, which was HUGE...I think they emptied an entire pond with our plate... Their fried fish has always been what's kept me coming back, and my mother is a big fan of their cole slaw. It's nothing fancy, but they've got some pretty good seafood and friendly service. read more

Hungry Pelican - This was only half of the fish dinner! - Seafood Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

We went to Hungry Pelican the weekend before last than eight inside. I did a pick up last week as well. The food was absolutely fabulous both times. I'm very picky about good fish. They offer great fish and they cook it very well. I've tried several things there and it's always delicious. read more

Their fish is good but don't order the mushrooms because they're nothing like they used to be, i think they are from a package or something not fresh. read more

I have not eaten here in at least 20 years having moved away from Fern Creek to another county. I ordered takeout. The person who answered the phone was very friendly and attentive. Arriving at the restaurant, my order was already waiting. The employee opened each dinner to confirm the orders and I was out the door within a couple of minutes. My order consisted of two baby fried shrimp dinners and a snowfish platter. The meals were still hot and tasted wonderful. Considering inflation the past few years, I found the price very fair for the amount of food you get. Wonderful service, and very tasty food. It will not take me 20 years to get back here. More like a week or two. Great job! read more

I have fond childhood memories of Hungry Pelican. No more. I had a battered fish platter with two side for $13.99. Fish was very crispy and hot passably tasty. Green beans bland. Slaw was okay. Restrooms are a no go zone. read more

Good food, little pricey....service is getting bad. Young girls with rude attitudes. Fish being filleted badly, bones left in the fish...

My wife and I recently headed back to the Hungry Pelican Restaurant (having not been there for a sit down for a while) on Bardstown Road, Louisville, KY, and wow - we were seriously happy with our choice! This place has a typical old school sea vibe and we were seated quickly.The lady who served us was so friendly and attentive - always there to fill our drinks, answer our questions, or just check in to make sure we were good. Her attitude really added to our experiance. Interestingly, I noted that all the staff seemed very friendly and professional. The food? Awesome! My wife had shrimp scampi with slaw and onion straws. She couldn't stop talking about how tasty the shrimp was and how everything on her plate just went well together. I went with the fried Boston Scrod plate, complete with green beans and a baked potato. The fish was fried perfectly, tasted great and didn't have a strong fishy flavor. The sides were really good, too. BP was perfectly done and the green beans tasted like home cooking (don't look for steamed and crisp here). We both couldn't believe how much we enjoyed our meals. It's not like we eat seafood every day, but the food here was so good that we both agreed it was some of the best we've had. Sad news is, this is the last of the three Hungry Pelican Restaurants in the city. Makes me wish we had more of them around. But, that's even more reason for us to keep coming back. If you're looking for a laid-back spot with good seafood and great service, you've got to give Hungry Pelican a shot. We're definitely planning our next visit soon! Great menu choices (but my seafood knowledge is somewhat limited). read more