great little gem...fresh food, friendly staff, so happy we stopped in!

THE CHEESECAKE!! We had their homemade croissants, chicken salad, homemade soup, and their AMAZING cheesecake. A total lucky find on our trip! We will definitely be going back anytime we are in Louisville. read more

this place has my heart! i loved it, and everyone was so nice. the entire place felt like some sort of simulation specifically designed for my liking. it's gorgeous with the plants everywhere and the stained glass and the bannisters, etc etc. the food was tasty. perfect place read more

This is the absolute worst experience in my life. I received my chicken salad sandwich and was over run with relish. I received it, saw this and asked if they could remake the sandwich or recommend something else while I pay the difference if any. The employee got the owner and the exact words from the owner was "I don't have time to do anything special for you" in a very nasty manor. I was shocked. I said "Okay" and walked away. I returned to my seat and he came storming out the door and said "you are not listening to me!", again in a nasty raised voice. After I tried to calmly explain myself again he says "You are not welcome here anymore." I have never seen such poor customer service in my life. Not to worry, I will never come back to this sandwich shop again. This is the owner of the shop. If he will act like this to his customers in front of others, imagine what he is doing in the back of the shop with your food. I strongly strongly recommend not to spend your hard earned money at this shop. Still amazed that this happened... read more

Very good soup. Had the black bean soup of the day. One thing is bring cash, because there is a $6 minimum for cards and a bowl of soup comes short of that. read more

It's a sandwich shop. Plain and simple they make plain and simple sandwiches. I went in for lunch time and began looking at the choices. I told the cashier (who by the previous posts) i now know is the owner, that I wanted the turkey sandwich I asked how big it was he said what are you looking for ? I said 6" to 12" .. He says you're looking for subway ..he then gives this weak attempt to look outside the window searching for a subway that clearly is not there and pretty much is turning my business away. I didn't mean to offend his sandwich limits. I just answered his question. So i said just give me two.. And he is like refusing to give them to me.. He's says"are you sure you don't want to see the sandwich before you order 2? " and then he looks out the window again for the non existent subway. Dammit man I've been eating sandwiches my whole life! Me and sandwiches go back! I know what a plain white bread sandwich looks like! I have never had such a hard time attempting to buy more food at a restaurant that I'm positive benefits from making money. So I finally convince him to sell me two sandwiches by telling him I'd eat one later if it was too much. It was Like I was adopting the sandwiches and he wanted to make sure they went home to a good stomach. However, I appreciate how much he cares about his sandwiches. Will I go back ? Likely not. Judging by his personality I highly doubt he cares. read more

Very friendly and comfortable atmosphere. Owner was super nice and very personal! Food was fresh and very tasty, and quick service!! Would highly recommend and will be back!!!! read more

I've Never had a bad sandwich-turkey, roast beef, Fridays grilled cheese, but the chicken salad is my favorite by far!!!! Paired with a steaming cup of their broccoli cheese soup and you have THE perfect lunch!! The tomato is also outstanding along with the potato, but nothing compares to that broccoli cheese!! The service is top notch and they even offer a discount when you pay with cash!! I'm hungry now! read more

This place is excellent!! I work downtown so there are many options to choose from. I find myself walking 10 blocks every week to go to this place! I have not had a bad meal here. You can tell that they take extra care to pay attention to quality! They even give a discount for paying with cash! I usually get the Blue Plate Specials and they are very tasty! I've had Tuesday Roast Beef, Wednesday Char Burger, Thursday Chicken Salad and Cheesecake (yum!!) and Friday grilled cheese and tomato soup. I miss TC's on Market, and this place is reminiscent of that place. read more

I went with a co-worker for lunch. Nice, quaint location - love the setting. The service is great too. I had the chicken cordon bleu. It was good but as other reviewers have mentioned it wasn't anything special. It's something I could make at home so I felt guilty spending $7+. I'll go back to try the other sandwiches and their soups. read more

I started going to The Main Eatery in the summer of 2004 when I was working downtown right after high school. My best friend and I ended up going 2 or 3 times a week that summer, and became friends with the owners, David and Floyd (David runs the register, Floyd is in the kitchen). Any time I've been in there, I've always felt like family, and David takes time to welcome everyone warmly, whether they're old friends or first-time visitors. Everything on the menu is delicious, but my absolute favorites are the tuna salad sandwich, the chili, and the Friday soup special, home-made tomato bisque. The tuna salad is the best I've ever had; enough sweetness from the relish, tang from the mayo, and substantial chunks of tuna, plus the soft texture of the wheat bread and cool crunch of the lettuce make it an all around fantastic and simple (in a good way!) sandwich. The chili is thick, meaty, and can stand on its own (no noodles needed). A bit spicy and a bit sweet, I always get it with some onions and cheese on top. It doesn't matter if it's a bitterly cold January afternoon or a scorching hot July day, I'll get this chili because it's that good. Finally, the tomato bisque is wonderful. It's Floyd's mom's recipe, only available Friday's, and if you don't go early enough, it sells out usually about 12:30. Creamy, thick, rich, and a perfect balance of sweet and acidity from the tomatoes. I promise it will not disappoint. I live in St. Louis now, so I don't get to see my friends there as often as I'd like. But the few times a year I get to go in and have a tuna salad sandwich with a side of chili, David gives me a big hug, then asks if I want mustard on that tuna sandwich today. It's just like being at home with family. read more

Great staff and food. Home made soup and creative, tasty sandwiches. Beautiful location.

So the lady 2 in front of me in line ordered the special of the day and then he rung her up for more than what was listed on the board... The cashier who is part owner said he would make an exception in this case. The next lady in line ordered the same thing but the owner said that if she ordered it, she would have to pay more, not what is listed on the board, haha. The lady said she would but was a bit argumentative. When I got up to order my food the cashier said to me: 'Some people" and shook his head... I thought the same thing... That was my last visit to the place. It was close to my work but the food is like ordering a sack lunch or heating soup up in a microwave. read more

Main Eatery is the bomb! I walked into a line that was almost out the door. The cashier quickly got through the orders and was beyond friendly, I ordered the combo (sandwich, soup and a drink for $8), the food came out quickly and was very good. Overall, I will definitely be visiting this place again. read more

Great prices and food. Their sandwiches (especially grilled cheese and PB&J) and soups are really good. The best deals are usually the Blue Plate Specials. If they have cheesecake get it! They usually run out fast and it is to die for. The co-owner also works the register which is pretty cool. read more

Absolutely amazing staff. Foods always fresh. Does always have a line but moves swiftly.

This place is a gem! I wandered in as a tourist and the owner could not have been more lovely or welcoming. He suggested the Blue plate special which was delicious. I highly recommend this place for a quick bite! read more

Love this place! Awesome food, awesome service and awesome atmosphere! One of my favorite lunch specials is their Friday grilled cheese and tomato soup combo. The soup is out of this world delish! They also have wonderful chicken salad and amazing corn muffins. One of my fave downtown lunch spots!! read more

Eat there most every day at that I'm in the office. Nothing fancy, just consistently good food at a fair price. Sandwiches, soups, and salads. Always check out their daily Blue Plate Special. David and Floyd are the best. read more

My boyfriend and I stopped here for lunch in between sights on our fun filled day of sight seeing and museum hopping. We were attracted by the big, colorful blue plate special sign which outlined a great deal on a roast beef sandwich. When we went in, we found a deli with reasonable prices and good combo meals. Dave got a half tuna sandwich and a ceasar salad, while I got black bean soup and half a turkey sandwich. Their wheat bread was AMAZING. The sandwich was just delicious. Dave loved his tuna, although I wasn't a huge fan because it had miracle whip instead of mayo (yeah, I'm a brat). My soup was okay. It was vegan black bean but it tasted like it lacked substance. While there is great seating inside the deli, we decided to walk across the street and eat our meal in a park with a fountain. Definitely worth it. All in all, I got a filling yet light meal for $6, so I was pretty damn happy. read more

Read the reviews and decided to try the Thursday chicken salad special. So glad I did. The service was friendly and the food was awesome. If you are there on Thursday, get the croissant. So melt in your mouth delicious! read more

This place serves a decent sandwich. But frankly, it's a sandwich so how hard could it be? I was turned off by the posting of so many rules. No strollers? The space simply isn't small enough to justify the policy. But I didn't have a stroller so I overrode my instincts and went inside instead. That was my mistake, of course. The next crazy rule is that they'll cut a sandwich in half, but not in quarters (ever tried to get a five year old to manage a thick sandwich?). The owner (and he seemed awkwardly proud to identify himself as such working at the cash register) was unyielding. Absolutely no sandwich quarters. Like it was a religious conviction or something. It's also the kind of place that charges 25 cents for tap water (I suppose I should not have been surprised when I noticed as much on my receipt). And there's a 4% "rebate" for cash purchases. Plus, they apparently have no clue what it means to go light on the mayo. Is this getting petty? Perhaps. But that all shaped my view of the establishment and experience. And the little things really do matter. I will say they have cheap prices (other than for tap water) and in this case I received the service I paid for. read more