Mellow Mushroom

Yikes. I’ve never really been a fan of Mellow Mushroom (I have thought that it is overpriced for the quality of the pizza, and could go to a much better, much cheaper restaurant), and my most recent experience confirmed my beliefs. I decided to give it another shot with one of my friends for an early dinner, sitting up on a nice outside patio upstairs. Our waitress was nice and had that «mellow» vibe, and felt comfortable enough to cuss around us which was interesting (I kind of liked it cause I felt like a rebel).
They do have a nice beer selection, so I ordered a PBR and got it within a couple minutes. Our waitress promptly checked on us every 10 mins or so to make sure things were going okay, which I appreciated.
Things were going okay until I got my calzone, 45 mins after ordering, which was undercooked, cutting it open to reveal the shredded cheese not melted, the dough not cooked etc. I brought it up to the waitress and she took it off my tab and made me a new one, which I couldn’t muster up the courage to eat.
My experience could have been a fluke, but if you’re a pizza establishment, you would think you would be able to cook a pizza/​calzone well enough. Severely disappointed, and so was my friend who ordered a sad hoagie– overall, bad quality, over priced, go to a major chain pizza delivery restaurant and you’ll get better quality.

Stopped by here just for a bit during Derby week, actually to catch the end of a NBA playoff game. Had a drink, no food. But I did like the selection of craft beer and the pizza did look pretty good. Its like 2 floors and looked like a lot of fun. Heard its a chain and next time I see one I will deff grab something to eat. Seems like a great place to watch a game or chill with friends. But really liked the vibes here.

This place consistently impresses me with every visit. Mellow Mushroom in the highlands has friendly employees that are great at their jobs and fast on their feet. The food is always hot, fresh, and delicious! I have visited maybe four or five times and each time, I leave more impressed than the last time.
This time, it was extremely busy due to it being a Saturday night– ANNNND a lot of schools were having their proms that night, apparently. Parking, even on the street, was scarce. My friend and I were immediately greeted by the hostess who informed us that if we wanted a table for two, the wait would be about 45 minutes. However, if we wanted to sit at the bar upstairs there was no wait. We opted for the bar and it proved to be a wise decision.
The girl that helped us was named Caitlyn and she was a rock star! She was taking/​bringing out food AND drink orders as well as making drinks, AND taking dirty dishes. All the while she was friendly, accommodating, and knowledgeable.
We got an appetizer of salted soft pretzels which were delicious. The beer cheese was not ready yet so we were offered mustard. Mustard + pretzels= pretty good! However, the beer cheese wins every time. For our actual dinner my friend ordered a calzone with a beer and I ordered a Tullamore Dew and Sprite (which was only $ 3!), a Lil’ Enlightened Salad, and a pizza. I couldn’t decide between the Red Potato pizza and the Thai pizza, so Caitlyn suggested I do half and half. I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW I COULD DO THAT! Boy, I am so glad that I got both because I LOVED both.
I would like to compliment Mellow Mushroom again on their speedy service, friendly employees, and fabulous food. It is slowly but surely becoming one of my favorite pizza places. Thanks Mellow Mushroom, I will DEFINITELY be back!

I admit — I was skeptical when Mellow Mushroom moved into the Highlands.
I very much favor local over chains — obvs — and I was a bit sad that a chain was moving into the busy intersection of Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue.
But I have to say that I’ve been pleasantly surprised by MM. And after now a few visits, I feel confident giving MM four stars.
Here’s my reasoning:
* The pizza is pretty good. The pizza competition is tough in the Highlands. You can’t really throw a rock along this stretch and *not* hit a pizzeria. But MM holds its own. The crust is very buttery and doughy, which I like. I’ve enjoyed the toppings, and MM doesn’t skimp. The Kosmic Karma with tomatoes and pesto is my favorite.
* The MM restaurant is rather large, with indoor and outdoor seating. And it has its own parking lot — a luxury in the Highlands.
* If you want to watch a game, try MM. During the March Madness before the March Sadness (UofL … tear), I went with a group to watch a game. While every sports bar was filled, we were able to quickly get a table, within clear view of several TVs.
* MM has a decent beer list. You’ll find your Bud Light as well as some local offerings.
* Great apps. MM has what you’d expect to find at a pizza restaurant, like bruschetta and pretzels made out of the pizza dough, but it also has some surprises. I tried the stuffed portobello mushroom tonight. It was plated beautifully, with artichoke hearts, feta cheese, sun-​dried tomatoes, spinach and mozzarella, drizzled with a balsamic glaze.
The service has also been relatively dependent and quick. MM is not too shabby when you want a slice and a fun atmosphere.

The worst dining experience I’ve had in a long time. My wife and I met some friends here for dinner on a not-​so-​busy Wednesday evening. We ordered our drinks, pretzel bite appetizers, a tossed salad and a few pizzas as soon as the waitress finally made it to our table. After asking our waitress about our salad and appetizers twice with no results, I finally had to get up and go find a manager about our pretzel bites and to see about getting some refills on our drinks. Neither our waitress nor the manager seemed to have any sense of urgency. We eventually received our salad which was very disappointing. It consisted of lettuce, sliced mushrooms and 4 tomato slices. After 1 hour and 10 minutes and still no pretzel bites or pizza, we finally decided we just had to leave if we wanted some food… at least the other manager apologized before we left.

I stopped by the Mellow Mushroom because I heard they were under new management. Previously, the service was terrible so I was hoping for redemption and that is what I received. The staff was courteous, prompt and the food was very good. We had cold beer and hot food, our server Justin was awesome. Hopefully, with the new changes people will give it another chance. We will be back.

Horrible service and food. I have been in here several times and every time I leave frustrated and saying I will never be back. We sit at the bar both down and upstairs and it takes the bartenders forever to ask us for a drink order. Then even after order is for a drink is given they seem to forget and leave us sitting there forever. Once we finally get a drink they go away and take forever to come back to get a food order. I would say it takes at least 30 mins from sitting down to ordering. Once food is ordered it takes a while to get the food and then it usually comes out cold, pizza burnt or not a great quality. I paid almost a $ for tomatoes in my salad that were mushy not anything anyone would want to eat. They really need to do something about how incoherent the staff at the bar and in the kitchen are at this location. This is always when they are not busy so there is no excuse.

You probably will find yourself at the mellow mushroom for the pizza — which is a great start, because the pizza is delicious; but if you look closely, you will find subtle nods to our state’s bourbon heritage everywhere. Start with the tv’s — at first glance, you’ll notice there are lots of tv’s — but look closer and you’ll notice they are framed with bourbon staves! Now find the menu folders on the walls upstairs — more recycled bourbon barrel bits. The light fixtures hanging from the up-​recycled doors upstairs are bourbon bottled adorned with Edison bulbs! Someone really put a great deal of time and thought into the smallest of design details. Sitting at the mushroom for any length of time, you’ll notice it is clean and taken care of with obvious pride. Plus — several walls are actually garage bars; which can be opened for a nice breeze. The upstairs features both a large and small outdoor patio.
So, you’re here for the pizza and you’ve fallen in love with the décor — now check out the bars — as in 2 full bars, each with up to 50 beers at any given time. You’ll be proud to know they feature plenty of local craft selections. Sitting at the bar now I’m tempted with 3 goodwood choices, 3 rhinegeist, falls city and a KY ale. They’ve got ciders, IPA’s, Porters, wheats and even the super delicious Abita Root Beer. (Go ahead and judge me – it’s awesome).
Lastly, the hostess, servers and bartenders were all friendly and welcoming. I am definitely coming back for a lazy Saturday afternoon on that patio. A breeze, a pizza and a brew right here in the Highlands. Yes please.

I waited to do this review, just because I wanted this place to succeed so badly, and gave this place too many chances. Great product as a franchise. That being said, this place fails due to poor execution, slow service, and horrible business practices.
We just ate here today for the last time voluntarily. We had 3 bourbon and cokes, and split 4 apps. This was to be a relatively quick after work dinner and drinks. We were there for almost 2 hours! The last 30 minutes, we were just waiting for extra marinara to dip pretzels, and toast points for the spinach and artichoke dip. Never got it. Timely service has always been an issue, despite the servers otherwise being friendly.
This place, at one point, advertised happy hour daily with half off draft beers. Then you find out they make exceptions. Tons of exceptions. For the in demand beers, they still charge full price, and I find this out the hard way on my bill. They sent out coupons through the mail and did not honor them on alcohol, though the coupon does not exclude alcohol. Once again, found out the hard way. The happy hour got switched to Mon — Thurs without notice as well, despite advertising saying daily. I mean, this is so sketchy!
I am done with this location. I love Mellow Mushroom, but this one is horrible.

Mellow Mushroom’s pizza is not my favorite, but there are a number of things I like about this place.
First, the space is actually pretty nice. I’m not really a fan of the aesthetic, but I do appreciate a layout with ample seating. Next, they built to the street, and they even built a patio over their driveway, so they have even more space while catering to people that want a place to park their car, all without pissing off people like me that want a pedestrian friendly neighborhood.
They have an honest to goodness happy hour with half off appetizers (except wings) and beer (I think unless it’s a special draft, but I don’t know what constitutes special). As of this writing, their happy hour is Monday through Thursday from 3 to 6.
Their beer selection is actually pretty good. I mean, it’s not going to compare to Holy Grale across the street, but even a snob like me can find something.
Overall, I think it’s a great place to meet up with friends. If you are going for food, I like the rich and decadent Holy Shitake and the sodium-​laden Muffaletta Cheese Bread.

We had the gourmet white pizza, house pizza (hold the black olives) and the house calzone. All were stellar, but we ordered for take out and they were 15 minutes later than promised by phone. The service was incredibly lackluster due to their being short staffed. Considering this was on an evening that was an advertised fundraising event, I find it hard to believe they weren’t prepared. I would give this location a second shot. Maybe it was an uncharacteristically off night. The food was still worth all the trouble and part of my bill still went to a good cause.

First of, the service here is hit or miss. Most times its been very very good but on one occasion it was horrible. If they get rid of the bad seed I would give this place a perfect 5. You must try their gluten free pizza whether you are gluten intolerant or not this pizza is killer. I would have never believed the crust is gluten free unless you told me. So much flavor. We got the white and the toppings and sauce blend perfectly together. I felt healthy after eating it which you can’t say frequently when you’re eating pizza. I also ordered the mushroom soup, which was very good but the portion size is a bit small.

I really did like this place, great location in the Highlands, trendy décor, the staff is friendly and the food is fresh.
However, I do not care for whole wheat crust for Pizza, call me a purist or an unhealthy eater but no, no and no. There is some odd aftertaste thing that does not have the flavor like authentic pizza crust to me, the chewiness is not the same, the golden crunchy edges taste different. Meh. I tried to like it, as how can you go wrong with tons of yummy sauce and cheese and toppings? I asked for crust options for next time and was told only whole wheat. Hmmmm.
Maybe it’s a bad flashback to my hippie upbringing filled with alfalfa sprouts and vegans… and lots of whole wheat… but my friend had the same feeling of disappointment with the crust.
Call me crazy, but my personal preference is for traditional crust– refined flour, gluten and all that other crap. I prefer my pizza unhealthy.
I will return for drinks and to watch a game, I wish them the best and I will patiently wait for any unhealthy menu additions to crust options!

GO FOR LUNCH! I was pleasantly suprised by the price and selection of lunch at Mellow Mushroom. I had never been to any location of Mellow Mushroom and a myself and a colleague found ourselves in need of a lunch place in the Highlands. We were not really in the mood for pizza but wanted something hot and relatively cheap. The only downfall from our entire time was the first 10 minutes. It took about that long before we were greeted and received our drinks. I ordered a salad and the house dressing was AMAZING. The size of the salad was way more than I expected for lunch! Our table also ordered 2 of the lunch pairings for $ 5.99. The amount was perfect and the price was even better! Take a chance and stop here for lunch. I can’t wait to go back for a pizza dinner and sit out on the patio!

Mellow Mushroom has it all. Great pizza. Great beer. A great patio. And… great pretzels. Yes, I know there are several pizza places in the Highlands and we may or may not have needed another one. However, Mellow Mushroom is solid and I’m glad it came to the Highlands.
First, the building is brand new and pretty amazing. The architecture is fairly modern for the neighborhood but I love that it has a second level with a patio and garage doors that can be opened when it’s nice outside. I also appreciate it when abandon property in the Highlands is turned into something great because we need that to keep the neighborhood strong.
On to the beer: Mellow Mushroom has several taps (around 25) and most of them are craft beers. I’m a bit of a beer snob so I love that they have several consistently good drafts to choose from. We came here one time because they randomly had a really rare beer on draft during a weeknight and just sat and enjoyed it at the bar. It wasn’t even busy. If you like good beer, this place will make you happy.
Now the food: I love the pretzels. They take awhile to make but they are soft and delicious. I really like the garlic and parmesan pretzels with marinara sauce. I’ve come to accept the fact that my favorite pizza is the Magical Mystery Tour with added sausage. It has mushrooms and other yummy stuff. I’ve tried other specialties and while I’ve liked them, I always go back to my favorite. They also have really delicious salads like the spinach salad if you are into the healthy thing while at a pizza place.
I’ve always had great service at the Highland’s location and I even saw someone propose to his girlfriend while my husband and I got dinner there one night. (That was a little strange but oh well). Yes, it’s pizza but yes… it’s worth it.

I really like this Mellow Mushroom! The location and building alone accounts for half of the stars. The building is prominent yet still somehow hidden among the other businesses so it does not appear gaudy. So much so that I wondered why it took me so long to notice it. Hubby and I just love those garage door windows on a beautiful day. Their upstairs patio might just be the only one on Bardstown Rd that does not have an army of mosquitoes waiting for a meal.
The food: hubby and I like their pizza lots! The dough is yeasty and chewy, thin on the bottom but thick around the edges. My favorite is definitely the Holy Shiitake: I just love white pies with plenty of mushrooms. Although I will do without the garlic aioli the next time. The mayonnaise-​y sauce gets a bit heavy after a couple of slices. Hubby says his House Special was one of the best pizzas he’s had. I also love their mushroom soup! It has the most concentrated mushroom flavor. This one is for the mushroom fans only. I also tried their Tempeh Hoagie. Meh… the whole thing was just dry and does not taste like much. I think more of that garlic aioli could have helped here. Hubby’s Steak and Cheese Hoagie was also just meh…“dry” was his verdict.
So, yes! Come to this Mellow Mushroom while the weather is still gorgeous! Stick with the pizzas and mushroom soup. You might even amuse some out-​of-​town guests with this location.

You can’t go wrong with Mellow Mushroom. They have pretty good pizzas, hoagies, and calzones. I also really enjoy their pretzels. My favorite thing about this Mellow Mushroom is the ambiance and seating. The upstairs seating and bar is cool, as well as the patio area downstairs.
Although I will note, that the service was pretty slow this weekend.

I know I have already reviewed the St Matthews location but figured I should give props to the newer location in the highlands as well.
I love the daily drink specials that mellow mushroom offers as well as the large array of draft beers available on a rotating basis. And of course I dig the pretzels and beer cheese!
If you like al fresco dining, this is right up your alley. They have a great outdoor patio that looks out over Bardstown rd. Perfect people watching and also a nice getaway from the frigid AC of the inside. :)
I think my favorite pie is still the Cosmic Karma… though the magic mushroom (I think that’s the name) is also a tasty one.

This is one of the few «chain» restaurants I enjoy going to. To be fair this review is based solely on my experience at the upstairs bar. The bartenders are always friendly and upbeat amd the beer selection is better than most other big name restaurants. (If mm has hit the big name yet)
I have to say the best thing next to the beer selection at mm is the pretzels, don’t get me wrong they have awesome pizza also but for some odd reason I’m a pretzel guy. A pretzel with cheese or mustard is always the go to food. I’ve also tried the calzone here, it’s pretty damn good.
This location is pretty unique compared to others, two stories with an outside patio on the second. Bars on both floors along with table seating. The one thing I like is the first time you drive by it doesn’t stick out like a franchise would on bardstown, after my 2^nd or 3^rd drive down bardstown I figured out it was a mm. Unlike some of the other big box places that stick out like a sore thumb, especially on bardstown with so many locally owned and operated establishments (that I do frequent as well :).
I guess you can always count on a mm in any city you travel to, the beer selection is going to be good and the food quality doesn’t change.

I love Mellow Mushroom. I used to live in Lexington, and they have a location there that we frequented. And we’ve been to Pigeon Forge/​Gatlinburg countless times, and we visit the locations there pretty much every time we’re in those areas. So, upon moving to Louisville and discovering they had a Mellow Mushroom in the St. Matthews area, I was very happy. Now, having a second location in the Highlands, that I live within walking distance too, is wonderful!
I know Mellow Mushroom is a chain. And I’m not usually a fan of chain restaurants; however, I think the place is funky enough, and makes itself local enough, to fit in to a place like the Highlands. Plus, they have an amazing patio, which doesn’t hurt!
My favorite thing on the menu is the pretzels and beer cheese. I’ll be honest and tell you that pretzels and beer cheese is usually my favorite thing on any menu that contains those items, but seriously, Mellow Mushroom has really tasty chewy pretzels and delicious beer cheese. If I have any complaint about them it’s that sometimes they don’t fill the beer cheese cup completely and I’m left rationing my cheese towards the end of the pretzels. Other than that they’re fantastic and I order them every time I go.
They also have delicious pizza, of course! My favorite is the Buffalo chicken pizza. It’s just spicy enough and it’s covered in bacon. Honestly, what doesn’t bacon improve?
Finally, they have a great draught beer menu that’s always changing, so it’s fun to go try out new items you haven’t had before. They also have happy hour specials daily, for example $ 2.50 glasses of wine *all day* on Thursdays. I love that it’s all day instead of a specified two hours like most restaurants. And the wine is actually really good! They also have some tasty cocktails on their menu.
I highly recommend trying Mellow Mushroom out for dinner or happy hour the next time you’re looking for a casual spot!