I haven't written a BW review in a while. It's still tough out there for mom & pops. Shop (and eat/drink) local. One of the best parts of the holidays is time with friends in the hometown. Knowing that we wanted a place to sit, eat and chat leisurely, my friends decided on a familiar stretch of Bardstown Road and a new (to me) Taiwanese spot. We came on a Wednesday afternoon and, lucky for us, that meant a lunch special: spring roll, soup, rice, and entree for a reasonable price. Cool. What wasn't cool, unfortunately, was near everything else. Despite it being unseasonably warm, the dining room was pretty empty. Good for us, right? Privacy. Great service. Nope. Our server started off annoyed and got worse from there. When we did see her, she was terse ( at best). We didn't see her that often (so, maybe that was a net positive). And even though the restaurant was smack dab in the middle of Louisville's lefty HQ, a party with vegetarian, GF and other dietary needs was met with indifference (at best) to low-key hostility (probably more accurate). So what was intended to be a leisurely lunch over green tea and other goodies became a rushed meal of steamed rice with mixed vegetables in garlic sauce (fine). And green tea (refreshing and the basis for the 3 stars). Everyone has a bad day; I get that. It's too bad that my experience with The Joy Luck was on one of those days and there won't be an opportunity to turn that frown upside down (theirs and mine). read more

I really like The Joy Luck! I've been here several times because I enjoy the food and the atmosphere, especially that outside patio when it's open. This time we started out with pork soup dumplings. These were pretty good! Unless it's a weird day, I like to get the duck noodle soup, which is delicious with its very flavorful duck skin. It was a weird day, so I got the Cantonese beef rice noodle soup. I enjoyed it, but I think I will stick with the duck noodle soup next time. We were able to be seated right away, and the staff took really good care of us. Can't wait to be back! read more

The Joy Luck - Pork Soup Dumplings - Taiwanese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Sat on the patio for the St. Patrick's parade. Service was OUTSTANDING! Food was fun and delicious!

Absolutely terrible. Food quality went down and the service is horrible ever since ownership changed. I used to love their soup dumplings & mapo tofu dish. Their service has gone down as well as if they do not care. I have not gone back read more

I came to The Joy Luck to give it another chance. I've probably been 2 or 3 times in the past ten years and never cared for it. This time I brought my partner. She has wanted to try it for a while. Upon arrival we were quickly greeted, seated, and provided QR codes for the menu. Unfortunately, jokes on us since there was limited to no cell phone service or wifi available. We requested a physical menu and we're told that it is not accurate. I could rant about this practice but will save it for another time. Like my previous experiences, the food doesn't stack up against competitors. They are pricier and bland. Maybe I'm not ordering properly because a lot of people give a lot of praise but The Joy Luck has not been lucky for me. Will pass in the future and recommend you do too. read more

The Joy Luck - Taiwanese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Stopped in here for my birthday lunch. Even though I couldn't eat the pork buns, it was still a great visit. My sons and husband ordered the chicken general tso. I ordered beef and broccoli. Service was good. Seating was somewhat compact. read more

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I saw that The Joy Luck had some Taiwanese food on their menu so I went to try it. It was my fault for having my expectations so high. The food was alright, and it didn't taste very authentic. I got the pork soup dumplings and braised pork belly stew over rice (substituted the rice with lo mein). The food was okay. I didn't expect much because this isn't a dim sum place but the soup dumplings were okay. The braised pork belly stew was okay too. The lo mein noodles through it off, which I expected, but they didn't have other noodles you could substitute it with. Everything in general tasted like it wasn't authentic and it felt like a collaboration of flavors more than a mixture. The environment was fine. It was pretty empty when I went and had a nice dim atmosphere. The server was friendly and helpful. All in all, The Joy Luck was okay but I don't think I'll come back here. The food isn't bad, but it just doesn't taste very authentic. read more

The Joy Luck - Pork Soup Dumplings - Taiwanese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Sausage roll: the skin is just too tough to chew. Sausage is good flavor and juicy Duck noodle soup is great. Soup is full of the essence of duck. Umami flavor with the creamy soup with a good amount of duck meat. I like the duck taste in the soup. Not too strong that makes you uncomfortable. Noodle is ramen noodle. Soup is better than the noodle in it Corn and duck ragoon: crispy and lots of duck meat. However, I didn't really taste duck in it even with all the meat in it. Overpowered by the other things Soup dumplings pretty good. Personally I prefer more soup in it and thinner skin, but it's still pretty good. Really nice staff and cute little restaurant read more

The joy luck is highlands neighborhood of Louisville Chinese restaurant off the popular strip or bardstown road. Me and majority of the family came in here for dinner after my oldest daughter conducted a search on places in louisvilel that serves pork dumpling soup. After she mentioned joy luck I immediately said let's go because I've heard good things. So we made the trip. Like most highlands establishments it is street parking only. The inside and outside is very elegant but on the smaller side. Has a nice vibe and a fun atmosphere. On the back wall where are family sat they had a chalk wall for kiddos to draw on. So my 7 and one year olds had a blast with that. Food wise they didn't have pork dumpling soup but did have pork dumplings. So my daughter was still happy with that. She said it was amazing and can't wait to try it again. My youngest two Daughters shared a chicken lo mein and both liked it a lot. My wife and I both got the orange chicken. She got the side of rice and I did the lo mein. The orange chicken had very good flavor and was a decent portion size. Lo mein had good flavor too. But I'd say the orange chicken was by far the better food. Service here was hit and miss. Our waitress was very nice and awesome with the kiddos. Food came out fast and was hot. Our waitress was bad on getting refills though. Almost went through our whole meal without getting one and it was not crowded at all in there. Overall we had a great time here. Kids loved the chalk wall art. Oldest daughter has a new top dish and the wife and I enjoyed the orange chicken. Pricing wasn't terrible either. Sometimes I the highlands places will price gouge because of the popularity of the area but this establishment seems to be on the fairer side. Nice place and worth checking Out. We will return for sure. read more

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Joy Luck never disappoints! I can get a bit stuck in my ways once I find one or two things on the menu that I really, really like - I'll continue to order those dishes again and again instead of trying anything new. But! Not this time. This time, I tried out the Spicy Wonton on the starters menu. (It had spicy right there in the name, so obviously I had to give it a go.). And Y'ALL. I found a new dish to add to my regular rotation! It was delicious and perfectly spicy. I loved the sauce all around it so much that I dump some into my noodle dish once it came out. I probably could've eaten several plates of those spicy wontons. Here's to finding new-to-you foods in your favorite places! read more

My book club and I dined at The Joy Luck recently, and overall had a pleasant experience. Our server was delightful, with excellent recommendations and a depth of knowledge about the dishes. We sat outside and the weather was perfect. The food itself however was just fine. Not bad, by any means, but also not mind-blowing, which I prefer when eating out. I was delighted to see the Singapore Rice Noodles could be made meatless; typically this is tricky for dining establishments, and they were very nice, but again, just nice. My portion size was quite reasonable, however my dining companions who ordered other dishes (entrees with rice) noted that their portion sizes left something to be desired (more food). Overall, truly exceptional staff, and a lovely place to sit and people-watch, maybe with a drink or appetizer. read more

Excellent place! From.the moment you walk in the place feels peaceful. Great modern ambiance and plenty of natural light. Great service! The host was also my server and he did a flawless job. Asked enough times of everything was good, took my order and brought the food in a quick and timely manner. The food was excellent as well, amazing flavor good portion and high value lunch. It has indoor and outdoor choice of seating, I went for indoors to enjoy a cool experience. Parking is on the street, but it allows for a great short walk to get to the restaurant. The place is very clean and fresh. I will return to try some other entrées. read more

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The Joy Luck is one of my favorite spots for Asian food in the Highlands. Maybe most notable, they have some of the only soup dumplings I've found in Louisville. Some of my other favorites are the Szechuan chicken (lightly fried chicken with fresh garlic, jalapeño and spicy Szechuan oil) and the braised pork belly stew over rice. I really enjoy their lunch specials because they are served with a spring roll, rice, and choice of soup. I feel like it's a bargain for elevated quality they offer and appreciate the variety that can't be found elsewhere. They have other locations, but I have only been to Highland's location and have always received exceptional service. Pictured below is a the five flavor lunch (ginger, garlic, onion & five spice & lemon zest with mixed vegetables) with wonton soup and a spring roll and the Thai curry lunch (red & green peppers, onion, carrots, potatos, coconut cream), with egg drop soup and spring roll. read more

The Joy Luck - Thai Curry Lunch Special - Taiwanese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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We went to Ramsi's and there was an hour and a half wait so we figured we would check The Joy Luck and we were seated immediately. It's a small place and you could miss it if you weren't looking for it, or parked in front of it looking for a backup restaurant. We started with the Pork Buns, which I've never had before and they were unusual but good. My wife had the Mu Shu with beef and fried rice which she enjoyed and it was a decent sized portion, she had lots of leftovers. I had the 5 Flavor with shrimp and steamed rice and it was like a flavor explosion in my mouth. This was a good find and something different from our ordinary spots. read more

My wife ordered from restaurant via door dash due to Covid 19 restrictions. For 2 entrees and 2 appetizers for total price of $67 is was NOT worth it! It's not that the cost was only factor BUT minuscule portions relevant to cost and mediocre flavor! The Crab Rangoon was only thing that tasted as expected. Everything else was flavorless that even my kids didn't like the Chicken Fried Rice (which they normally love) as it's their typical order. We paid it and learned a lesson! My photo is review posted to Google. I had just arrived from out of town(now have to stay indoors) and normally when we ordered from our usual, there's plenty of food but outrageous the portion, price and mediocre flavor read more

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Restaurant is very nice. Waitresses very cool. Food just wasn't for me. Now I'm not saying that there was anything wrong with it just wasn't my type of food. Please don't let me discourage you from trying this place. read more

Overall a good experience. The main dishes were amazing! The drink special was tasty. The side dishes were just so so. Would definitely go back and not get the sides. read more

When we walked in to the Bardstown Road location, we had to wait for a bit to be noticed. However, we quickly learned that they were having issues with staff calling off for the evening. Being a former server and bartender, I understand these things. There was only one or two people on the kitchen and one person handling service. That didn't stop them from making sure that their customers were cared for and tended to. The cook in the kitchen helped serve the food and made the food taste splendid. Starting off with some signature cocktails and flights, I will say try the smoked cocktail. Cannot for the life of me remember what it was called, but very delicious. We spilt a round of starters, fried pork dumplings, crispy duck wings and egg rolls. They did not disappoint. The duck soup is more than enough for three people to split or a nice leftover for the next day. Pork pad Thai, chicken mushu and cumin beef. All very good. read more

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First time the food was good I ordered General Tso's chicken with chicken fried rice. The service was good. It was nice and warm upon entry then someone from the kitchen turned the heat to air conditioner causing me to start sneezing and being cold but I would return read more

Service was very good. Wait staff was great about answering questions. Yes, the lucky dog sake is in a juice box. But it was cold and tasty. Loved the spicy wonton and crab Rangoon. I was very glad to have a brown rice as an option. You can have white rice or lo mein. read more

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wanted to try something new so opted for The Joy Luck restaurant on Bardstown road. Parking is tricky as it is a busy area and parking is on street. But we parked in the PNC lot less than a block away. Signs say no parking but it was after banking hours and the lot was full and we did not get towed or ticketed. So that was good. We got there early on a Sunday evening (5:30) and hardly anyone there. No folks inside and only a couple outside, but by the time we left it was full capacity. They have a nice outdoor patio that overlooks Bardstown Road, but it was really windy and a bit chilly so we opted for inside dining. Our waitress was very friendly and had great suggestions. Also, the cook came out and was talking to us and answering questions as it was a first visit for all of us. We split the green beans tempura as an appetizer. They were excellent. Lightly fried with a great ginger dipping sauce. We each had a different dish, and everyone tasted everything. We were all very pleased with every dish. The sizzling chicken was so tender and piping hot (sizzling) with excellent flavors. The veggie wraps were light and delicious, the bourbon chicken might have been my favorite, so light and tender with a sweet bourbon coating served with a lettuce salad. I had the cashew chicken that was also light, with a wonderful sauce, lots a fresh veggies that were crisp and super fresh. We had a family size bowl of white rice and I had an individual side of fried rice. The meal was excellent. A little more expensive that most Chinese food restaurants and portions not a big (no leftovers for any of us) but well worth the quality of the food. Only issue was when they rang us our bill (one check) they rang up 2 lettuce wraps and the 20% tip we left was added to that. Not a big deal but we wanted to make it right. We were told it couldn't be credited to the credit card until the next business day. When that didn't happen we had to call but eventually the manager, Cody took care of the problem. All in all a great dining experience. read more

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I enjoyed the food, but their menu online says they have many tofu options. After we ordered, they told us they don't have tofu. I hope they bring that option back for more vegetarian options rather than just veggies. read more

Love this Place, everything is amazingly fresh and delicious . Haven't been back in years and it's just as good as I remember read more

We came here about an hour before closing on a Friday night and were seated right away. The staff were friendly and patient with us choosing what to order. Our out of town guests really loved the atmosphere and the coziness of this restaurant. What I would definitely get again -duck wings - YUM -crab Rangoon - the best i think I've ever had My friends got the Cantonese noodles and the cumin Beef. The cumin beef ended up a little too spicy but the noodles were well reviewed. My husband and I got the bourbon chicken and the Szechuan chicken. We preferred the bourbon chicken but would probably try something else on the menu next time read more

The best Chinese food I've had so far in Louisville. Definitely not the best hot and sour soup but I know how picky I am. It didn't have a lot of flavor and I'm pretty sure there was old white pepper used. Their lomein was awesome as well as their crab rangoon(but that's pretty hard to mess up) All in all, I wasn't sad about it. read more

May good Chinese food in Louisville Kentucky. It has the vibe in a attractive neighborhood. It is an Asian fusion restaurant. It leaning more into Taiwanese style. It is local favorite. We start with Taiwanese Slider. This is guo Bao with pork. The pork is braised. The Bao bun skin is soft. Our second dish is the Formosa Chicken Roll. This is a typical Taiwanese street food. It is herb chicken wrap in tofu skin and lightly fried. The fried roll then chop and top with sweet sauce. Our last dish is the Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. The soup is great with herbal taste. It is complimented the noodle well. The beef is like beef Shank. It it is tasty. Our service is great. Very attentive. The food also come out quick enough. Not much of wait. The capacity of the restaurant is small. May be call ahead is a good ideal. read more

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Only coming back to say that the magic that is Joy Luck has not faded in the slightest. I still stand by my five stars of happiness and coziness with every delicious bite. My favorites have evolved just a teensy bit - we still go splitsies on our order (mainly so that we can eat more from the menu) but our must eats include the spicy chicken pad thai and pork buns (just look at the fluffy perfection! but do note: these tend to make your wait on your food a bit longer.) Other favorites include their egg drop soup which is some extra cozy magic when you need it and the dumplings but honestly I can never imagine I'll be disappointed in my meal no matter what I order from these total charmers. read more

The Joy Luck - Taiwanese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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The spicy dumpling soup will knock your socks off! It was my favorite dish we tried, followed by fried crab rangoon and beef and broccoli! Everything was fresh and cooked perfectly. We brought our large service dog and had zero problems. We also got a kick out of the $2 lazy dog sake in a juice box! read more

The Joy Luck - Lucky dog sake and Mio sparkling sake - Taiwanese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Some of the best Chinese/Thai food I have had. Asian Fusion as they say! The service was fantastic. Friendly, accommodating, drinks kept full. What more could you ask for?! The place itself is awesome. Street parking which was easy to find. Cool little ambience going on too. Started with the Pork buns. They were a meal all by themselves!! Incredibly tasty. Went with the Pad Thai Chicken extra spicy. The dish was great but they couldn't hit the mark with extra spicy. They did try to accommodate though. Brought me ramekins of a spicy oil and siracha. I decided just to skip those and eat as is. Disclaimer - I do have an unusual level for how spicy I can eat food. My son went with the General Tso's chicken. The fact that he inhaled it told me all I needed to know as to what he thought about it. :-) read more

The Joy Luck - Front - Taiwanese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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It's a bit pricey, especially with appetizer (Crab Rangoon) but the food here is some of the best Chinese cuisine I've ever had. The rangoons come with a duck sauce that is THE BEST sauce I've ever had for an appetizer. read more

Excellent flavor, freshness and price! The chicken lettuce wraps do not disappoint! The Wonton soup was yummy. I travel for a living and always look for someplace that can make a good chicken lettuce wrap. This has excellent flavor and portions are perfect, I highly recommend. read more

The Joy Luck - Lettuce wraps and wonton soup delivered by door dash - Taiwanese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

I have tried to remain positive with this restaurant. But I cannot hold my tongue any longer. Especially after how I was treated this evening. We stopped going to Joy Luck two years ago because of a bad attitude server. Our orders would come messed up and once cold. He made it more our fault than theirs and we would have to beg for them to fix the mistake. Well, tonight we decided on take out. The salad was incorrect and whichever one it was tasted like water. both the dressing and greens. I subbed the tofu for shrimp on the $19 honey shrimp dish. They forgot to include my rice even after my three calls with them. So, I had a $19 plus dish that I paid for and it wasn't even worth that. The dish also has barely any sauce on anything. I have had this dish in house and it was not comparable. Just a quick easy way to cheap a to go order. I called to speak with a manager and the same man answered. He said that he would give me a free app in house. But that would involve me coming into the restaurant to spend more money. I thanked him but declined and said I would just have to get it fixed on Postmates... and he hung up on me. This is not the first but will be my last bad attitude server issue or experience with Postmates. They have never respected my time, money, or energy. And I am done. I only wish to support businesses that genuinely care about their customers and know how to take responsibility for their mistakes without being rude. read more

I have visited The Joy Luck on Bardstown many times and always receive the same great service. Food is delicious, full of flavor. read more

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We had: Pork dumplings, Orange Chicken with Fried Rice, the Snow Angel Sake, and a glass of red wine. The orange chicken was delicious! Really, there is none better to be had. I wish they'd go and teach these other restaurant how to make it! But, they could probably stand to improve a bit on the fried rice, and they definitely could improve on the price. This excellent food was truly sustaining, and I believe it reflected God's glory! Have technology problems? Then contact Kornrumpf Technology Services @ 502-813-1610. There's no problem we can't solve! read more

Leaking roof, one waitress, overpriced food, alright food. Ordered the entre portion for $3 more than the lunch special thinking I would have leftovers. Ended up being a smaller portion than the mall, double the price and not as good. read more

Favorites of this place are good prices for happy hour cocktails and yummy appetizers. Also, decent paid thai! Mostly just love the ambiance and the patio option. read more

Reaffirmed. One of my top overall restaurant values in town. My comments in my original review hold true. Been here many times with friends and family over the past year and the food is always great with dependable service and we love the outdoor patio. Kung Pao chicken ($14) is my "go to" and my bride has had numerous entrees here but went with the 5 Flavor chicken ($14) - both on target again. read more

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We LOVED The Joy Luck! Our waiter was so incredibly nice and helpful when we had questions about the menu and gave us some great recommendations. Our food and drinks were awesome! Get the duck EVERYTHING! Also the soup dumplings. We literally have zero complaints about this place and will be back on future trips to Louisville. read more

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If I were to rate The Joy Luck based on the steamed pork buns alone- I would give them 10 stars. Those steamed pork buns are EVERYTHING!! Just order them. The menu is rather large so sometimes I have trouble deciding what to order for my entrée. There is a sweet and spicy fish dish that I love but on my most recent visit, I ordered the shrimp Pad Thai. It was really good though I think I preferred my husband's beef Pad Thai. All of the food I have had here is delicious. The only disappointing item to me was the hot and sour soup. it was neither hot or sour.... it was a little boring. The atmosphere is fun in the summer when you can sit outside and enjoy cocktails on their patio. The bartenders and servers are friendly and the owner is super nice. I do think it is a bit over- priced. For example, 2 cocktails, an appetizer, and 2 entrees was about $85 before tip. That is almost fine dining pricing. read more

The Joy Luck - Taiwanese Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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We were pleasantly surprised. Food was delicious and all 5 of us loved what we got. Highly recommend walnut shrimp!