Emma Lou’s Cafe & Vintage Boutique

I love the atmosphere for a girls lunch. I had the salad/​sandwich combo, which may have been a bit pricey for the portion. The berry salad was wonderful, along with the blackberry balsamic. The chicken salad sandwich was a bit skimpy on plain white bread. We had great service and were able to sit in one of the window seats and watch Bardstown Rd.

I was going to take my boyfriend here to enjoy their delicious soups and salads. We checked Unilocal to make sure they were open on Sundays for brunch. Unfortunately, we walked up to a note on the door saying that the owners are expecting a baby in February 2014 and that they will only be available for catering from October 15^th on. Very sad to lose this café because a good salad is hard to find!

My friend and I went to Emma Lou’s for lunch this week and it was another delightful experience! There was no wait at all. Hooray! We were seated immediately and our server got our drinks out right away. I got the peach ginger iced tea. It was the perfect refreshment for the steamy 90 temps outside.
I am a creature of habit and I can’t go to Emma Lou’s without ordering the Harvest Salad. It didn’t disappoint. I got the ½ pimento cheese sandwich with it and it was also great. My friend had never been there before and she loved everything about the place. She had a very difficult time deciding what to order. She ended up getting the corn chowder and the Asian Salad. She said the soup was great and wanted me to try it, but it had bacon and I don’t eat meat. She gave me a bite of the salad and it was wonderful.
We split the chocolate peanut butter gooey cake and I spent the rest of the day in a blissful sugar coma!

This was my first venture to this location since it became Emma Lou’s instead of the Butterfly Garden. I was surprised at the name change but pleased to see that not much has changed otherwise.
A group and I gathered here to celebrate an upcoming wedding and were able to sit in the private party room in the back. In addition to a room that is cozy but spacious, we also had our own bathroom tucked back in the corner, complete with a yummy-​smelling sugar hand scrub.
The meal was perfect, as usual. Diners could choose between a tuscan tomato and a roasted red pepper bisque as soup. I went out on a limb and got the roasted red pepper bisque, thinking it would be creamier and more filling. It was delicious! Tangy without the bite that red peppers sometimes have, creamy texture and parmesan cheese in the bottom of the bowl kept me satisfied.
The second course was salad and half a sandwich. The sandwich was a chicken salad with just enough mayo for the perfect texture, and not so much that it seemed greasy or took away from the flavor of the chicken, celery and grapes. The salad had a homemade dressing and was served with a tiny pitcher on each plate so we could dress our own salad — how ingenious! Everything washed down nicely with a tropical tea, highly recommended with a packet of Splenda if you go.
I actually skipped dessert the day I was there but I can imagine it would be just as delicious as the rest of the meal was. The setting was perfect for a girly wedding brunch and Emma Lou did not disappoint with her cooking!

I had long been meaning to sit down at Emma Lou’s, and finally upon doing so this weekend, I regretted that it had taken me so long. As another reviewer called it, it is indeed ‘dainty’ on the inside but certainly that is part of the appeal to its chief constituency. I acknowledge that I’m not the target audience for the décor, but even as an outsider, I can tell it’s very nice, a lovely, clean and comforting establishment. If you’re looking to plan a wedding or baby shower or just a girl looking to have a ‘girly’ lunch, this should sit high upon your list of options.
Now let’s talk about the food. I loved everything I ate and all of what my fiancé had as well. The chai was a wonderful, sweet start and worth every bit the price so don’t doubt it, just do it. We each had the 10 dollar half salad, half sandwich combos, myself a tasty ham and brie while my fiancé had benedictine. I’ll tell you, I don’t even care for benedictine and I probably could have eaten a half sandwich of it, the stuff here is so good. And do not fear leaving with your appetite intact, the portions here were far more than we had anticipated and we both whiled away the remainder of the day hovering just above a food coma, watching Downton Abbey, and for my part at least, silently considering what to order the next time I head to Emma Lou’s.

Emma Lou’s has been a yearly tradition for a close friend of mine and myself for years (since it was the Butterfly Garden). We like the cute, cozy aesthetic, friendly staff and boutique to poke around while we wait for a table (or each other to show up).
Mostly though, we come for the warm, frothy and whipped-​cream topped spiced chai, which warms up even the coldest January day. We’ve been known to order a second to go. They also have a steller line up of soups, salads and sandwiches, and their $ 9 combo lunch is a perfect way to enjoy a couple at once. Right now I’m big on their tuscan tomato soup with the warm ham and brie sandwich. The daily dessert is almost always a delight, though we passed on a most recent visit.
Easy going lunch spot in the heart of the Highlands, and within walking distance to Baxter Avenue Movie Theater, in case you’re in the market for a pre-​show bite.

Great place for a lunch date! Excellent food. Kind owner. Sweet server. What more can you ask for?! I ordered the 3-​way which included the ½ olive nut sandwich, ½ brie, apple, bacon sandwich, and the mixed green salad. All were terrific. I also ordered the chai tea which was super! I love chai and am afraid of ordering it out since I don’t know how it will taste but theirs was yummy and thick! I will go back and I highly recommend you go check it out.
** Also, know that this is also a boutique and has lots of neat little quirky knick nacks. It was fun to look around!

The lunch special is great, you get a choice of any half sandwich, soup, and salad. It quickly became apparent how fresh and hearty the food is here when the tomato soup came out. The Brie sandwich with ham was put together well, as the bread, meat, and of course, Brie cheese complimented each other in just the right way. The mixed green salad was excellent, every piece of fruit on it was ripe and went perfectly with the raspberry dressing. Also tried their ginger peach tea, which was very light, just how I like it.

This is such an adorable place!
I visited Louisville and so glad to have found this place!
The food was pleasant, the server was friendly & attentive.
One star was taken off for the 30′ wait to get a table.

I’m withholding one star until I can try their tea, but man, I cannot get enough of a soup, salad and sandwich place — especially this one! If the fresh, seasonal and interesting ingredients weren’t enough of a sell, they’re on their own level with the combo possibilities too. A half and half option isn’t enough — they also do a three item lunch combo with a soup, salad and a sandwich! It’s a tad pricy at $ 12.95, but based on the one grilled cheese with apple and bacon sandwich I had the other day it just might be worth it. The only room for improvement is the sides. I was not very happy to see chips accompany my sandwich. What a let down.
The atmosphere? Purely adorable and lots of the décor is for sale if you love it so much you want to take it home with you. It’s a perfect place to grab lunch with a friend.
FYI– Emma Lou’s Café used to be called Butterfly Garden Café and then there was Emma Lou’s Vintage Boutique attached. But, for the sake of cohesion and brevity they’re both now Emma Lou’s.

Even though the appearance of this wonderful place is a bit dainty, and I tend to be the only male in the building that is not part of the restaurant staff, I love getting lunch here.
I love the seasonal menus; chilled soups in the summer, fresh greens in the spring, warm and hearty soups in the autumn… and on, and on.
With the friendly, attentive staff, and wonderful food, I can’t imagine every having a bad experience. I always recommend it to people looking for somewhere local, different and enjoyable for lunch in the area.

This is the epitome of what I miss about the Highlands and Bardstown Road. Cute and quirky, Butterfly Garden is like a crazy Aunt’s old Victorian mansion. There are plenty of little knickknacks to catch your eye and I love that every table is decorated differently. That the food is really good and cheap is an added bonus. Great lunch spot!

The ultimate girlie restaurant! I’ve been going here for many years now and I love it so. The tea is great, the food is great, the atmosphere is great. I simply love this place.
Every season the menu changes slightly but its super fun. Every season is super good, fall is my favorite because of her butternut squash soup. Summer has lots of fruits and light things, winter its more heavy and super yummy.
I love the owner, known her for a couple of years. Super sweet just like the place. It’s a must see place.
Recommend reservations and this place is only open for lunch.

Who would have thought that a lovely place like this would exist in Kentucky??? Not me!
The atmosphere is quaint and cozy. The service was top notch, and the menu was awesome.
The salads are creative and fresh, as are the sandwiches. I had the chicken salad with grapes in it (YUM) and another time a grilled cheese with apple in it. It was amazingly good.
I also had a fantastic squash soup too!
It is amazing that this place thrives in Kentucky. I mean, I drove there a while back to visit an old friend, and living in Kentucky turned her into a rude, white-​trash housewife in a land of BBQ drenched lard. But the Butterfly Garden Café does not reflect this culture.
AMAZING FOOD Butterfly Café!!!

FANTASTIC SALADS! Wow! Substitutions no problem. They’ll make any of the salads vegan. I am craving that Asian Salad right now. Really outstanding salad choices.
My only complaint is that for a café that looks like a tea shop would be nice for them to serve loose teas instead of standard Stash tea bag tea.

Excellent customer service. Unique atmosphere. Superb food. Only issue was the limited menu.

I LOVE this place. It may well be my new favorite lunch spot. It is absolutely adorable and the food is fantastic!
They have an option to Pick 2 or Pick 3 for a combo. I did the Pick 2 and had the Chicken and Artichoke sandwich and Curried Squash soup. Both were absolutely deliciously fantastic. I’m not sure what was in that artichoke spread, but it was amazing. The Curried Squash soup was just as delicious. My friend had the Autumn Salad and Hot Ham and Brie sandwich. Super delicious as well. Plates were accompanied by some sort of sweet corn cake with onion which was perfection.
The atmosphere was completely adorable– tea themed with an English feel, «Keep Calm and Carry On». Adorable gift items in the front. Good service.
I just learned a second location has opened up on Shelbyville Rd above Dolfinger’s. That location is even closer to me than Bardstown Rd so I will be checking it out soon.
Overall, I was very impressed by this place and will definitely be back.

this place is so cute & unique and i like the way the menu adds a little something to make ordinary plates less ordinary. very fun!

I went to elementary school with the owner so I thought I’d swing by and try it out. I was super impressed. Especially with the Benedictine sandwich. It’s fairly simple, but almost no restaurant offers this cucumber based southern delicacy. Just get it without bacon for a vegetarian friendly option.
Also, shout outs to the Olive Nut sandwich.
Seriously. Give it a shot. It might not be a place that will always pop into your mind when you’re hungry, but you will always leave pleasantly surprised.