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The B.A. Colonial

3.7 (108 reviews)
Closed • 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

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THE B.A. COLONIAL ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Hipster
Casual
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - The B.A. Colonial

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Kenny W.

Great service from Tristia and Kelsey two super friendly bartenders Premium cocktails especially my many favorite bourbons, wines, drafts and bottle beers. We had tasty appetizers at the bar of tots and pretzel tots. Along with old Drinks of Old Forester, white Zinfandel, ice cold Miller draft. Fantastic communal patio to four different restaurants. ( pizza, sushi, Ramon,American pub style burgers clean facilities, festival atmosphere.

Amanda B.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food here. We picked this spot since it was really close to the Iroquois Ampitheater, and the exterior of the building is very stately. It was pretty busy on a Thursday night, but we got seated and served quickly. I opted for the chicken salad sandwich (without the bread), and regretted the order as soon as it came out of my mouth. What bar-style restaurant does a good chicken salad? Well, this one, apparently. It was not overly dressed in mayo, there was a good ratio of pecans, and the chicken was tender and fresh. 10/10. The portion was slightly on the smaller side for the cost, but I'd still order it again. I also got a side of tots, and they were crispy and salty without being overly oily. My only reservation was the pricing, as some items were strangely high -- an order of boneless nugs was more expensive than their burger. It's certainly a spacious spot for a group of friends and being directly across the street from Iroquois makes it especially convenient on event nights, especially with the surrounding street parking.

The haystack
Lauren D.

I love BA colonial for lunch and dinner. We decided today to try the brunch that had been previously cancelled. Well, brunch is back but the quality wasn't. We order waffles, country ham, a burrito and a chicken biscuit. The waffle and ham was good; the other items however were lacking. The chicken biscuit was incredibly tough and couldn't cut through it. The biscuit itself was almost underdone. The burrito was HUGE and my partner loved it. For me, it lacked seasoning. We will definitely be back to give it another go!

Carrie J.

Service is friendly . Food was hot , fresh and delicious . They go all out for holidays here and it is adorable !!!!! They also offer live music , have a beautiful deck area and different activities as well . Located across from Iroquois park so every window has a beautiful view.

The BA Breakfast and The Zoo burrito.
Cheryl P.

The BA Colonial Brunch! We had a great experience for our first time at BA for Sunday brunch. We arrived a little after 10 AM and it wasn't very busy yet. We were seated promptly. The menu is not overwhelming so we had our order decided by the time the server came to get our drink orders. I got the BA Breakfast with bacon, eggs over medium and wheat toast. My spouse got The Zoo breakfast burrito. Our food was brought out nice and hot and in a timely manor. It looked and smelled great, couldn't wait to dig in. We were surprised by the size of The Zoo. We could have easily split it and both been full. My breakfast was great, eggs were perfect. The home fries were crispy and flavorful. I snuck a bite of the burrito and man was it loaded with everything you'd want in a breakfast burrito. The sauce over it was so good I could have eaten it with a spoon. We took enough home for another meal. Our server was warm and efficient. Our bill was $33 for our meals and drinks. I thought it was comparable to similar brunch menus and a fair price for the quality. My only disappointment was that hot tea isn't available. Coffee was good though. We will definitely be back. I love having this option nearby.

Sign in front of B.A. Colonial listing all of the restaurant options in the complex.
Sarah W.

Group of 6 for a dinner reservation at 5 PM on a Saturday evening. We come here before shows across the street at the Iroquois Ampitheater, but we allow plenty of time, at least 2 hours. This allows us to park before it's crowded, have a leisurely beer or cocktail, and get our food order in before the kitchen gets slammed. Even so, we cut it very close on this visit because a few in our party decided to order dessert. The kitchen was prioritizing delivering entrees to customers, so even getting a slice of pie was a major ordeal at that point in the evening. Our server was WONDERFUL! She was kind, polite, and working like a champ. I doubled my tip because she deserved it after having to run interference between customers and the kitchen. Also, one of the guys who delivered food to our table was crabby and she tried to assist him with placing plates. We witnessed him being a bit of a passive aggressive jerk and she kept her composure. Food is standard American fare and pretty good. No complaints from anyone in our group ever. It would be nice if management staffed a full kitchen and service crew on evenings that events are scheduled at the Ampitheater. We WANT to give you our money! :)

Velvet Elvis (sooooo good!)
Audrey D.

We went here for burger week. Plenty of places to sit but we chose the bar. I had an issue with my salad and our server (also the bartender) took care of it immediately. The burger was good- I like a crispy smash burger. We were given a BW drink and loved it so much we ordered another! This location is a bit far from us, but we definitely have plans to return!

Janet B.

Fish tacos were delicious. They came with large pieces of fried flaky fish. The water was also delicious, and did I mention the large tasty fish!

The B.A. Burger with fries.
Joe B.

A weekday visit to the B.A. Colonial for lunch with an eleven percent discount for seniors from 11-5 pm Monday- Friday proved fruitful. We both chose the B.A. Colonial Burger with fries. They do offer a good burger and the shoestring fries are not greasy. Service was very good and parking was plentiful on a Wednesday. Considering they are only a short distance from our house that made it ideal.

Heather M.

Located in the Historic Colonial Gardens sits the (in my opinion underrated) B.A. Colonial. This sits next to Union 15 Pizza and as of now the only 2 restaurants in Colonial Gardens w/ Biscuit Belly and Taco Luchador gone. There is outdoor seating, inside and bar seating. I came here for Louisville Burger Week because I have never visited this establishment. What a perfect time I picked to visit. It was a slow time of the day and it wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be for Burger week. Inside is very spacious and there is upstairs seating but I didn't go up there. I opted to sit at the bar and ordered their burger week burger w/ a water and Jack Daniels (for extra points). I love how it looks like a Steakburger and not just a regular burger. The fries were very well cooked and tasty. This was my favorite stop for burger week, and I do intend on returning and supporting this local establishment. Why I sat on this so long idk. I encourage anyone who hasn't been here to give this place a try and keep Colonial Gardens alive. I do send my love to Union 15 as well. These 2 places are keeping the historic place going.

Burger week burger
Kristen N.

This is a nice neighborhood spot for me and my partner. They have a great breakfast, and I really enjoy the fish and chips with hushpuppies. We went here on a busier day last week and the experience was so different then normal and off putting. Our waitress came once to ask for drinks and another time to ask for our entree. Our food was dropped off by someone else and the waitress did not come back for around an hour. I had to drop by the kitchen to ask for lemons and tartar sauce. Eventually she came back to our table to ask if my fiance wanted some water after he just got a beer from the nice lady who dropped off the lemons. My water was empty and that's all I was drinking because I am pregnant and she didn't offer a refill. Our check was then dropped off by an entirely different waitress who noticed we had been done a long time. As a person who works in the service industry I find this level of service to 100% miss the mark. I hope it improves because I enjoy having someplace as nice as BA in the neighborhood and want the best for their success.

Fried chicken sandwich

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2 months ago

The service was slow, appeared to be understaffed. The beers were fine, as was the food.

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1 year ago

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6 months ago

Their double smash burgers are really good. It's a little pricey for a burger but good if you're treating yourself occasionally.

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

Great service, great food, great people. The baked potato is awesome and worth the $10 price actually

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6 months ago

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4 years ago

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1 year ago

Nice atmosphere. Delicious burgers. Service is okay. I wish they were not closed on Mondays.

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Ask the Community - The B.A. Colonial

What does the B.A. stand for?

From The Courier-Journal, "The restaurant's name comes from B.A. Watson, who purchased the property, closed the zoo, and renamed the building Colonial Gardens Restaurant and Grill in the 1940s."

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The B.A. Colonial - newamerican - Updated June 2026

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