Doc Crow’s

Had a beer while waiting for ZBB concert. I would recommend getting a reservation more than a day ahead of time. We didn’t get a chance to try the food but it smelled great!

Call ahead. The wait is long but have great beer options and the bbq is great. I will be going back.

Just an all around great place; it’s hip, food is over the top, service is always (been here several times) top notch & it is downtown Ville!

This is our 3^rd visit and it has gotten progressively worse every time. We went last year and LOVED it! The big draft beers with ice crystals and the heap chips were the best ever. I couldn’t wait to go back and share with friends. The service and quality have declined each time until tonight was the absolute worst. Our server was rude and stressed and literally ruined our evening out. We will not be going back. 3^rd strike and your out. Too many other options in this city to be treated this way.

I was in town for a conference. And Doc crows was my first Louisville experience. From the cocktails to the vast entrees and desserts, my friends and I enjoyed every single thing. The service was excellent, along with the ambiance.

Doc Crow’s was another on my list of «to visit» places, so I was glad that I was able to cross it off recently.
I arrived after dinner to meet some friends for drinks. This restaurant itself has an unassuming marquee, but you can’t miss the gorgeous sidewalk to high-​ceiling windows across the front of the restaurant. Once inside, the place has a comfortable but rustic elegance with hardwood floors, exposed brick walls, and a large, inviting bar. I sidled up to one of the high-​top tables where my party was already dining.
There is an extensive drink menu, but I decided to go with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. I also tried some of the oysters and found them to have a great flavor.
Our server was good-​natured and attentive, keeping water glasses filled throughout the evening and clearing out dishes as needed. While the southern fare is not so much my cuisine, I will definitely be back for drinks and a few fresh oysters the next time I am downtown!

One might say I’m a barbecue snob. I grew up in western KY, where we smoke pork shoulder and mutton and serve ‘em on toast (buns? what are those?) with a modest squirt of an orangey vinegar-​based sauce. Keep your tomato based sauces, I say, give me vinegar and pepper or give me death! I was skeptical of Doc Crow’s, but for a WKY transplant, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the barbecue.
On a recent visit, I chose the half-​rack of baby back ribs, while my boyfriend went for the St. Louis Style ribs. His were saucy, while mine were dry-​rubbed. Together, we left a sizable pile of bones while bonding over our relief neither was a vegetarian. However, the real star of the meal was our sides. We chose the fried okra and the mac and cheese. I like my fried okra crunchy, not soggy, and Doc’s met the challenge handily, while the mac and cheese was rich, thick, and delicious.
The cocktails are some of the best in Louisville; I ordered my standard Old Fashioned and it was perfectly sweet, warm, and spicy.
In past visits I’ve ordered pulled pork sandwiches, which are also a happy surprise for this western Kentuckian — even if they are served on buns.

Menu looks amazing. Server was awesome and had recommendations for everything (even though in the end, I didn’t agree with everything he said).
I got two amazing cocktails; the Near Eastern Julep was strong and had a great ginger taste. Basil was a great touch too. I also had the Lady Geisha. A bit sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. The Julep was better.
I started my meal with the smoked wings. The server said the hot sauce was very spicy so I opted for the mild sauce. He recommended I get it on the side since the wings are already so flavorful after being smoked. He wasn’t wrong. The smoke flavor was better. And I ended up not liking the mild sauce. It was more of a gazpacho than a wing sauce. The wings were awesome though.
For my entrée, I got the beef brisket. I love brisket, and I figured this place’s brisket would be awesome. I was pretty disappointed… The meat was very fatty and I didn’t get any edge pieces where as my friend did. I always enjoy a good smoke ring and some bark, but alas, I received none. I also got braised greens on the side. Good, not life changing though.
My friend got the smoked half chicken and said that «it was the best he’s ever eaten.» I tried it with her, and both of us agreed that although it was good, it was far from amazing.
The best part of the meal was dessert. Their bread pudding is some of the best I’ve ever had. So gooey and full of flavor. I could have easily gotten another helping and felt no shame doing so.
Ultimately, I’m happy I came here. I’d come back, but would never get the brisket again. Some of my friends said the pulled pork was good so I’ll probably try that. And definitely getting the bread pudding again!

In town for a conference and my Hotel Concierge recommended this as a «must visit» while in Louisville.
It was 9:30 on a Friday night and the place was pretty busy. Sat at the bar and was greeted promptly by a friendly Bartender who recommended an old fashioned as my first cocktail. Nice recommendation! One of the better Old Fashions I’ve had in my day, creating a nice start to my night.
I ordered the sampler plate with a side of fried okra. Overall I thought the items were good, but not great. Most of all I found the ribs to be very disappointing. A bit dry and under seasoned. I’d rate them as mediocre at best and the homemade BBQ sauce also wasn’t very impressive. The brisket however was delicious! Tender, flavorful and paired wonderfully with the okra.
Unfortunately, I didn’t try anything from the rawbar. Being from New England, there was nothing I couldn’t find at a local seafood spot back home.
Overall the food was good, the cocktails & service were great and they offered a fantastic Bourbon menu. I’d visit again.

Doc Crow’s is my go-​to for lunch during the week that is a little bit indulgent at a good price. I often get the shrimp po-​boy, the oyster po-​boy, or fried green tomatoes and a salad. I need to splurge and go after work hours with my lady friend for a good date, because the suppers and the oysters look great! The staff are really nice and service is prompt. It’s a good space with booths and tables. It is convenient to my work.
The po-​boys are really very good. I like the homemade chips fine, but the po-​boys are great. The sauce is rich, the bread is toasted and crispy, and the seafood tastes great. The fried green tomatoes are good, too. Not too thick, but generously cut.

Doc Crow’s is a great spot to have downtown. The menu is pretty big and covers a bunch of different tastes.
I usually get several sides (the fried okra is OMG good!) but sometimes I just go big and order the nachos! :) They give you a huge portion and it makes for a cheap and satisfying dinner.
The staff is nice here. I guess they have the southern hospitality thing going on.
Oh, and they are open on Mondays, when several other downtown/​nulu establishments are not.
Don’t forget to save room for dessert… if you can! The warm bread pudding is yummy!

Great bourbon menu, great food, awesome service! Great recommendations. The bar staff and wait staff was highly educated on whiskey.
The only thing we didn’t like was the apple pie. Too much pastry. We did get recommended the bread pudding but we had a craving for some apple pie.

While this is not my first experience at Doc Crow’s, it was my best experience yet. The service was outstanding, food was good and the price wasn’t terrible.
Currently, I am on a nachos kick. So, I had the heap of chips with brisket at Doc Crow’s since the week before I had nachos with pulled pork at a different BBQ place. These nachos were better than the ones I had the week before. Mainly because the BBQ sauce was already on the nachos. It sounds subtle, but it added to the BBQ Joint feeling. I had the jalapeños on the side, which was easily accommodated. Two people spilt these, and we probably should have spilt one meal after because it is a massive amount you get. These nachos could easily be shared with 4 – 6 people.
I ordered a pulled pork sandwich but opted for the mac-​n-​cheese and green beans instead of the house chips. I have heard good things about the mac-​n-​cheese, so I needed to try it myself. I was not disappointed. There must have been 3 different types of cheese which added a rich flavor and creaminess to the dish. It was perfect and tasted homemade. The green beans were disappointing in my book. The beans weren’t cooked but tasted like they were sautéed, which I loved. However, I believe there was a country ham in the beans which made the dish far too salty for my liking. The sandwich was great and large. Piled high pork with coleslaw and tobacco onions was yummy. The pork was tender and with some BBQ sauces, all the flavors came alive.
Nick had the shrimp and grits. The grits also had sausage as well. I am not a fan of grits, but he made me try it. I was glad he did. The shrimp and sausage together in the cheese grits added a Cajun feel to this Southern dish. I ended up sneaking a few extra bits of this dish and decided if I wanted grits every again, this was the only place I would go.
Overall, this place is good. The pricing I think is about right for the quality of the food, not to mention the quantities are large. We took home half the grits, the sandwich and the mac-​n-​cheese. I am sure a large part of this is because we shared a monster portion size of nachos. If we did not receive the nachos, we would have eaten everything and been full. My only issue is that there is an inconsistency with the service there. Sometimes it is fantastic, like this visit, and other times it is lackluster. Yet, I think that could be an issue everywhere.

We shared the pulled pork, St. Louis ribs and brisket. Also shared the Mac and cheese and cheddar grits. Everything was phenomenal. My only complaint would be that the food came out a bit too fast and the Mac and cheese was luke warm (but still very tasty). This place was pretty busy for a Wednesday night. We also shared a delicious sundae for dessert. Would definitely recommend!

We had great service. However, I don’t really believe in very expensive BBQ. Why? It seems like a weird, inverted ratio of how good the food will be to the price. The ribs were fine, and maybe if I wasn’t raised in place with a great and varied selection of BBQ this place would get another star.
This place seems fashionable, and it appeared to have a good drink selection. However, relative to other BBQ places I’ve been (not from Louisville, so I can’t compare locally), the food just doesn’t cut the mustard… or the vinegar… or dry rub.
Detailed review: Heap O’ Chips appetizer was great. The wedge salad was a wedge salad – maybe it could have used more bacon (like pretty much everything in life). The ribs were fine, but I was disappointed in the sides, and this is extra disappointing when you pay for the sides separately. The cheesy grits were not cheesy and the okra needed seasoning.

First time in Louisville and found this place on Unilocal,and right next to our hotel.
The inside is adorable! Reservations are required if you want to sit by the back window, but to be honest, there doesn’t seem to be a bad seat in the place. We arrived around 5:30pm on a Friday and didn’t have a problem finding a seat.
I ordered a Lady Geisha, a lightly sweetened bourbon cocktail that was delicious with its cinnamon pear aftertaste. I had never tried fried green tomatoes and my husband insisted I give them a shot. They were a bit heavy on the breading, but overall pretty good for an appetizer.
For dinner, I ordered the baked potato with pulled pork. It was a HUGE potato with well cooked and moist pork. A good amount of food if you want to save room for dessert ;)
My husband wanted to go big and got «The Bubba,» a massive burger with pulled pork, brisket, onion rings, fried green tomatoes, and a fried egg. He swears it’s the best burger he’s ever had.
For dessert, we split the bread pudding. I’ve had a lot of bread pudding and I will say this tops the list for some of my favorite bread pudding with large chunks of bread and bourbon raisins.
Overall I would highly recommend this restaurant. The service was attentive and helpful with recommendations. Price was fair and atmosphere was pleasantly quaint in the back room.

Passing through Louisville (15 hour drive) and was in bad need of break… so I stalked some menus of Unilocal recommendations, deciding on stopping here.
When we arrived, there was a wait… about 45 minutes. It was without a doubt worth it.
We sampled their oysters — sublime. We had the mussels, heap of chips with pork, smokehouse sampler, greens and cornbread! Everything was so, so good.
My favorite? The drinks, no doubt. I had a local craft red ale and a Man on Fire. My husband quite enjoyed a sour ale and Sazerac and a shot of some fancy bourbon and a taste of pappy. I finally got to taste it as well — so damn good. Anyhow, he enjoyed the drinks so much I ended up having to drive the rest of the way home!!!
We will definitely be open to stopping by again in the future if we are in the area!

Great food, great service, and fantastic atmosphere! Found this gem thanks to other fellow Unilocal reviews and was not disappointed! Our server was awesome at keeping our drinks filled and checking in on us enough without being overbearing.
I had the brisket and hush puppies with fried okra, all exceeded my expectations and we’re completely demolished. The cocktail menu offered great drinks with all types of excellent bourbons.
Highly recommend to anyone in the area for some great southern food!

As an out of towner I have to say Doc Crow’s looks a little chainy on the outside, especially with huge crowds gathering out front and I probably would not have picked this place out unless it had been for reading the reviews on Unilocal.
We came in on a Saturday night around 7pm. The wait was almost 2 hours. Being from Cincy we are used to waits, so this did not bother us at all! We put our name in and went and had a drink. When we returned we snagged a seat at the raw bar and ditched the rest of the wait for the table. And rightfully so — the raw bar is BEAUTIFUL!
Once inside, we loved the atmosphere and the feel of the place. Swanky, rustic, and comfortable all at the same time — which is hard to pull off. Our bartender was super friendly and very knowledgeable. We ordered up a local brew and a fresh summer berry cocktail that is no longer on the menu. They used the crushed ice for it and a home made mint shrub and it was one of the best dang cocktails I have ever had. Perfectly balanced with fresh blackberry juice and lemon juice this drink was the bomb! I highly recommend coming here even if it’s just for cocktails. They use all home made shrubs and syrups and their list rotates seasonally. Check it out here:
We also ordered some oysters which hit the spot. Not the best I’ve ever had, but good quality and satisfying. Overall I would totally check this place out again next time I’m in Louisville, and I am dying to try one of those Po-​Boys they looked delish!

You will get a different experience at Doc Crow’s depending on where you sit — near the bar, near the kitchen or in the back with tall ceilings and larger area for tables.
I always order a salad and the pork tacos off the appetizer menu. I’ve never been disappointed. You can eat reasonably or expensive, depending on your dish and if drinks are ordered.
Highly recommend you make a reservation. This place gets busy and you will wait a long time for a table.