J. Graham’s Cafe

I got a Hot Brown, because it’s J. Graham’s. If you are going to eat one, eat it here.

Wow. The first time I visited Louisville I was brought here straight from the airport, three years later I live here and have several Hot Browns from here in my record, all of them excellent. Treat yourself to one, and then let me know how your life was changed.

I went to this café like many others, to try the famous sandwich. Yes, it’s a plate of toasted bread and carved turkey, covered in a super cheesy sauce, topped with bacon. Recipe for a heart attack? Maybe. However, it was worth it! I gladly finished most of it and my wife finished off the rest.
Also ordered a cheeseburger which was outstanding as well but i wish we just ordered two hot browns because it was that good!!!
We came in 10 minutes before closing not knowing but they still seated us and could not be more nice about it.

After being gone for some time we went back to the Brown to go to J. Grahams café for lunch. The redecorations are lovely and the designer took care to work with the architecture of this historic building. Our guests enjoyed the Hot Brown and we enjoyed soup and sandwich. Our server Lindsay S. was a true example of what a Brown Hotel employee is; gracious, efficient and on top of our needs at table. She deserves employee of the month award. Glad we went!

Obviously the Hot Brown has been reviewed a million times, so I cannot add much to the conversation. However, I will reinforce what you know in your heart to be true… the Hot Brown from J Graham’s, where it was invented (!), is a masterpiece of pure gluttonous glory. Toast, bacon, Mornay sauce, tomato, and glorious cheese, all piled high into a caloric castle that might as well be enchanted, will make your day greater and your belt tighter. I got it with over-​easy eggs, which were graciously added into the mix. I could eat this day after day, although I’m not sure my insurance company or doctors would support that. However, this should be a stop on everyone’s list while staying in Louisville. You won’t be disappointed.
The only problem I had with anything at all was the the mimosas were a little overpriced at $ 10. Everything else more than made up for the inconvenience of that cost.

When in Louisville a hot Brown is apparently a must. Came for breakfast to try a hot Brown and it definitely did not disappoint. I was personally afraid to try and consume one on my own so simply had a few bites from my boyfriend’s plate but those bites really got me filled.
The other plates were good but nothing special but the hot Brown is definitely worth trying.

Came here for the original Kentucky Hot Brown. It was the best I ever had everything was fresh and a large portion. My wife wish they had a half portion. It is the first Hot Brown I had with real carved off the bone turkey it was moist and tender. The bacon and tomatoes were cooked perfectly. The Mornay sauce was creamy and tasty.
This is the only place I will ever order a Kentucky Hot Brown again.

Very rarely can a restaurant do all three things great at once: hospitality, food, décor; this is one of such example. To enter the café, you have to go pass the hotel. The café is decorated in brown and there is 20’s music playing to set the atmosphere.
Once seated, you are immediately greeted by the hostess. I went to the café because of it’s highly rated Derby pie which did not disappoint. While waiting for the pie, the host happily indulged us in some history as well as haunted places around Louisville. Everyone at the hotel was extremely friendly.
The warm Derby pie itself was soft, sweet, and dressed with homemade thick whipped cream and strawberry. Although I am not a big fan of sweets, the pie plus a glass of ice cold milk definitely hits the spot.

My review follows suit with the others. Best in Louisville. Best Hot Brown on the planet.

You have to have a Hot Brown while in Louisville and J. Graham’s is the place to do it! After all, it originates from The Brown so getting it where it was created just feels right.
The Hot Brown is an open-​face turkey sandwich on Texas toast topped with bacon, tomato slices, and a Mornay cheese sauce. It’s even more delicious than what it sounds! It’s hearty, rich, and the portion is pretty large so splitting one might be the best option.
The service is quick and friendly. Getting a Hot Brown at The Brown Hotel is definitely another «Louisville bucket list» item. I can’t wait to return!

Relaxed atmosphere. Luxurious surroundings prompt service and good food.
I always get a blueberry pancake. Very good. For my second breakfast here this time I got an omelette. Very nicely done.
Potatoes were great and the orange juice was fresh squeezed.
This is a very good option.

My husband and I both got the buffet and we were not disappointed. At first we weren’t sure if it was worth $ 26, but we felt like it was worth it in the end.
Everything was delicious and the portion sizes were not too big or small. They have a good variety to choose from, including the hot brown, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, fresh fruit, scones, cheeses, smoked salmon and capers, and a whole dessert bar with macaroons and bread pudding. The service was good too. Excellent all around.

Definitely a hot Brown breakfast hit the spot. Perfectly smooth Mornay with super juicy and tender roast turkey. Like a turkey sandwich fondue! A perfect Belgian waffle with fresh berries, and a tasty cinnamon anise syrup that’s just special. And great coffee, too.
Service is outstanding and being a part of the historic Brown hotel means you’ll see a slice of Louisville history with every moment.

OMG… it was heaven on earth and worth every darn calorie!!! Thick moist slices of turkey cover in pure heaven, oh I said that already. Service was great by Lindsey along with the maitre-​d and bus“man” highly highly recommend!!! As you can see by my plate I ate the whole thing (oh by the way I am little) but I just couldn’t stop! Ok new at this i will post other pics separately.

The one thing that I wanted to eat while in Louisville was a Hot Brown. So if I am going to eat one, I deiced to get one at the place that created it. This was one of the best sandwiches that I ever have eaten. The flavors were all amazing and delicious. The turkey was so moist and flavorful. Add the bacon, cheese and sauce and you have a party in your mouth.
Can’t wait to come back for another!

This place was unfortunately a huge disappointment for me after I had been looking forward to going for months. Based on the other reviews, maybe I just didn’t go on a good day. The service was very slow and poor. I had called the day before to see if they are busy at Sunday lunch and I was told no and that I did not need a reservation. When we arrived they were crowded, which is fine, but they seemed to lack any organization. People were lining up and there was no host or hostess. When someone did come they didn’t ask for anyone’s name.
After about 20 minutes we were seated and the server came over right away, which seemed like a good sign. We did not want the buffet, we wanted to order fresh hot browns. It must be unusual for people to not order the buffet because our server did not come back for a long time to take our order. I also ordered a soft drink and he never brought it out.
All of these things would be forgivable if the food had been great. While they may have invented the hot brown, I wouldn’t say they perfected it. I found the sauce to be rather sweet and not cheesy. The turkey was high quality but dry. The BF enjoyed it though so it is obviously just a matter of preference. I wouldn’t say it was bad, I would just say I didn’t enjoy it as much as others I have had. This, paired with the disorganization and slow service makes it unlikely I will stop here again on my next trip to Louisville. I could tell the staff is polite and wanted to provide good service, I think they were just understaffed. Maybe they were a lot busier than usual? I don’t know.

The ‘Hot Brown’ is a hot item — especially for visitors from Minneapolis, MN (The Hot Dish capitol). What is a Hot Brown? It’s an open-​faced sandwich of turkey and bacon, covered in Mornay sauce and baked or broiled until the bread is crisp and the sauce begins to brown. The Hot Brown was created here, at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, by Fred K. Schmidt in 1926 — And it has aged very well.
Think ’ baked Mac and Cheese’ with bread and turkey instead of noodles. It’s hot, cheesy and hearty. So hot, in fact, that you’ll want to admire it for a few minutes before taking a bite — or risk searing your mouth… particularly with the baked tomato slices.
The Brown Hotel is a great place to eat. Friendly service in a beautiful, historic setting.

One of my favorite places to eat lunch during the week. A stunning chef prepared buffet awaits. Today’s menu offered flank steak and tilapia as a protein accompanied with a stellar salad offering and a phenomenal dessert bar.
I had never heard of yellow beet salad until today and it’s delicious. Who knew?

This is by far the best breakfast place and lunch out here… we were oh so blessed to stay at the brown and enjoy breakfast here almost everyday we were here. I recommend the «hot brown» and split it, they will split it for you and the portions are still perfect, the hot brown is an open face sandwich made with their house brioche bread, top with tender juicy turkey slices, than covered in hearty delicious gravy, and the best bacon you will have in the world… super crunchy and not even greasy.
The french toast is tasty as well.
Their yogurt and fruits parfait is awesome, if your feeing guilty about finishing the hot brown… you should order this the next morning… They have nice fresh berries that comes with it.
They have a good tea section, my fav was their green tea, and rain forest.
THeir version of eggs benne is tasty too.
We had the eggs pouched instead of baked… and it went so well with the smoke salmon and hollandaise sauce.
wish you were on the west coast… north west coast that is.

This is a hotel restaurant in the fancy Brown Hotel, and is not very remarkable, EXCEPT…
This is the home of the original «Hot Brown» sandwich. A Hot Brown is baked turkey chunks on open-​faced toast with some type of gravy, cheese, tomato and bacon. Then the whole mess is baked until golden brown.
In a word — AWESOME. A great (albeit heavy and calorie filled) meal. I loved it. I have had this type of sandwich before, but never realized where it came from.
A word or warning — several others who had the Hot Brown thought it was far too much, or a bit off-​putting. To each his own.
So the restaurant is nothing special, but worth it to get an original Hot Brown the next time you are in Louisville.