Majid’s St. Matthews

very nice and quiet place. They have live music everyday starting at 7pm. They close on Sunday!

Know how it is when you step out of the world into a place which suspends your notion of reality? Or brings you to a new reality? That’s Majid’s.
Before we go on. Chenoweth Square, located across the tracks from the heart of St. Matthews, has one most prominent feature: «The Parking Lot.» Very Large Quantities of Asphalt. It is an homage-​to-​the-​car detracting from everything surrounding it and little is done to soften it. Too bad. There are some treasures attached to «The Parking Lot.» Majid’s is one of them.
Your first step into Majid’s is trans-​formative. Modern Elegance without the sterility of Mesh. Friendly and professional service without the overly familiar «How are ya’ hon?» The real world left behind, we settled into a nest of comfort and elegance. Our reservation was noted with grace as the hostess moved us to another table when she sensed our reserved table might be too cold for us. Perfect.
Robin appeared quickly and offered what you’d expect: a beverage while we studied the menu. Eventually, after deciding upon entrees, we asked for 2012 Angeline Pinot Noir, a perfect compliment to the following.
M asked for Grilled Quail. I had Lamb Shank. The quail was roasted to crispy perfection in an orange marmalade and served with the daily vegetable mélange. When M leaves no trace on her plate, you know something perfect has happened. My Lamb Shank was a larger-​than-​expected chunk of perfectly braised lamb in a tomato sauce seasoned with turmeric and lime. Delicately seasoned brown rice was served on the side. Magnifigue!
Incredible dining. Impeccable service. With tip, less than $ 50 each. And the best was yet to come.
I had asked M if she would go out to dance with me. The selection of Majid’s was key to this. The requirement for the music was that it be smooth, jazz, and dance-​able. M graciously agreed even though the two of us had NEVER danced together before tonight. Bobby J and Michael Roy made our inaugural dance so easy, so romantic.
Could not have been better. We will be back!

Well, nothing really good to say, but nothing so egregious that I feel I did not get my money’s worth. I last visited this restaurant two years ago and it seemed destined to be a happenening place; now the menu, décor, and ambience are more like what your grandparents would consider novel. Prices were reasonable but menu was blah — ½ «Amercianized» Mediterranean and ½ «Italianized» American. Appetizers were chewy and soggy calamari, a cheese plate that looked one-​half step above the grocery store, and Ahi tuna which appeared beautiful but tasted like nothing. I had the «crispy» duck that was coated in some type of orange jelly — which made it no longer crispy! It was cooked to medium well, of course a duck no-​no; my wife has an odd shaped steak for a NY Strip — narrow and tall which tasted well but looked unappetizing at presentation. Our guests had the signature rack of lamb which was cooked well but barely seasoned and another NY Strip that was returned for more cooking. The waitress was kind and thoughtful (birthday cheesecake on the house), but her timing was quite uneven for an under packed night. The owner always greets you and is so nice. Once again, if it had been 25% more I would have felt ripped. But with so many good dining options in Louisville, I think I would only go back if I needed a last minute, prime-​hour Saturday night reservation in a pinch. Otherwise, pass, unless they attempt a menu redo… this is not the same place as two years ago.

Lousy service! The worst bar service I have ever had! My friends and I go there regularly on Wednesday. Great singers! We have to flag down the bartenders to order anything and they rarely ever come back to ask if we need anything else. They act as if they are annoyed when we order. A couple of us told the owner they were rude and non attentive and he could sell a lot more food and drink if they would just be more attentive. He seemed as if he could care less!

My date and I went to Majid’s this past Saturday night and I have been thinking of the experience ever since. We sat at the bar; both Mijad and the bartender were very responsive and provided excellent service. We started off the meal with a glass of wine and the Sabzi salad. Excellent choice & it was served with warm Pita bread. For my meal, I ordered the Soup of the Day (which was Red Potato Soup) and the cheese board. I cannot say enough about how wonderful that soup was. The cheese plate was full of wonderful cheeses and the portion was larger here than typically seen at similar restaurants. I ended the meal with a Tobacco Manhattan cocktail; it didn’t disappoint either.
I will definitely be back here soon!

Gave 5 stars for service and friendliness of staff and for the great entertainment that’s there. Unfortunately, the food isn’t my fave but the rest makes up for that. Owner makes it known how important his business is and I was very impressed with him. Wish the crowd was a little younger– were in mid 30s and feel that most are older there. Check it out!

Great happy hour, love the Ahi tuna and the Gorgonzola cheese with bread, yum! Live music is a plus, friendly staff. Nice atmosphere, I highly recommend. Monday thru Thursday 5 – 7.

I called for a resy and the owner politely answered the phone. This set the scene for a great night of dining. The restaurant is beautiful and intimate with live music. We sat on the covered patio which was nice and a bit romantic. I read they’re known for their lamb chops but chose the special of the night Chicken Gorgonzola. It didn’t disappoint. Tender moist medallions covered in a dreamy sauce with capers served with mashed potatoes were perfection. My friend had the chicken tortellini and was equally pleased. I ordered chicken Alfredo to go for my husband and they promptly prepared the serving eagerly. The sangria was a tad aweful which is saying something because I typically love most sangria. The service was slow but I’ll take that trade off for a fabulous meal any day.

Salmon was a bit dry and basa was a bit oily but ahi tuna appetizer and live music made me a fan of this place.

Been there twice… love the lamb. Service is super attentive and the owner came over to my table both times I ate here and had a nice conversation with us. They also gave us a free dessert.

Our dining experience at Majid’s a few weeks ago left a bad taste in our mouths (pun unintended). My wife and I popped in on a Thursday night for dinner with our 4-​month old. The hostess was kind enough to give us a cozy corner, which probably was a source of relief for our fellow diners too. Our server Mallory was excellent — friendly, attentive, kept her voice down so the baby wouldn’t stir, offered great recommendations and had a great personality. We started with the meatball slider and shrimp cocktail, both of which were very good. I ordered the rack of lamb and my wife got the salmon. I enjoyed the lamb which was delicious but my wife was disappointed with the fish. Not one to usually complain at a restaurant or anywhere for that matter, my wife felt she had to speak up because the portion was measly for $ 23 and the salmon did not taste fresh (she cooks salmon regularly and very well, I must add — this was distinctively frozen fish). When she mentioned this to Mallory, the server apologized profusely and went to get the owner who, on staring morosely at the fish, remarked «That is not the usual serving size. I’m sorry. We’ll take care of it». After he stepped away, Mallory apologized once again and said «Don’t worry — he’ll take care of it». When the bill came out, the «taking care of it» bit was merely deducting $ 6 off the price of the salmon. Now I don’t know what most of you would have expected when the owner or manager says «we’ll take care of it» but here are some ideas that spring to mind:
1. Replace the entrée — bring out a bigger piece of fish.
2. Take the salmon off the bill
3. Provide a gift card for the next time you visit
I’m not trying to get a free meal or anything but when you spend that kind of money at a fancy restaurant, you expect a certain level of service. Even McDonald’s would have «taken care of it’ a lot better than this restaurant did. Knocking $ 6 off the price of an entrée is sort of like a slap in the face. What’s the incentive to go back?
Most of you have had good experiences here but I think a true test of a restaurant is how the staff responds when you’ve had a bad experience… or if they consistently provide an exceedingly high quality of service (which to be perfectly honest is not possible — it’s the law of averages… people are prone to mistakes). We don’t plan on going back to Majid’s. The 3 stars is for the lamb and for Mallory’s stellar service.

It’s a nice date night spot, definitely a little on the pricy side (for me) so it’s definitely better suited for special occasions or a treat yourself kind of dinner. We sat in what the hostess called «the best seat in the house»
Even though it’s a nicer place, there was still a «when you’re here, you’re family» kind of mentality in the air (not sure what chain restaurant I just borrowed that phrase from but do NOT take it that Majid’s is cheesy or anything like a chain — luckily it is neither of those things). Not only did Majid himself come out and ensure we enjoyed the experience a few times but the couple at the table next to ours wanted to trade thoughts on the cocktails that both me and her husband had both ordered and generally chat us up like if we had been sitting next to each other at a neighborhood pub.
We’d heard wonderful things about the rack of lamb and ended up getting that and, my favorite thing to do these days, splitting several appetizers. The Sabzi, a traditional Persian starter was my favorite of those. Its a salad with some greens, feta cheese, mint, basil, cucumber and you eat it by putting those ingredients on pieces of pita kinda like a taco.
You’ll find traditional Mediterranean dishes on the menu but there’s also an element of American fare too like potato skins as a starter. As someone who most frequently dines in the Highlands, I find this to be quite an interesting restaurant… or rather going to places like this out in St. Matthews reminds me just how different each little nook of Louisville truly is. It just stuck out to me as very emblematic of St. Matthews.

For a date night, for a special occasion, or for any reason, Majid’s is the place to be. My date chose Majid’s St. Matthews, based on the recommendation of some macho male friends, ones who know how to treat their lady.
We started with the wine recommendation from Stephen who knows the bar and the menu well. Stephen, mixologist, is awesome, specializes in truly wonderful & exotic drinks. Add to that his diverse knowledge and appreciation of fine foods. A master chef in his own rights. His guidance in the kitchen at Majid’s guarantees a wonderful dining experience. His attention was not intrusive of our server, and very much appreciated by both of us.
My focus was on the grilled, bone-​in pork chop, mashed potato, vegetable du jour cranberry jus, and I was pleasantly surprised. The flavor was fantastic, enough so I forgot about the potato.(who needs potato?)
The Alfredo Pasta caught the attention of my date: farfalle, smoked salmon, rich cream sauce, parmesan. He was indeed impressed, shown by the clean dish.
We passed on the deserts, but graciously accepted the single long stem red rose, presented by the owner himself, Majid.
What a wonderful and romantic evening. One I will remember forever.

Milady and I do not dine out often, so when we do, we like to make it count. In bygone years, one of our favorite eateries was a place called Saffron’s, but we have not eaten there in years, mainly due to the fact that we rarely get to go downtown. The proprietor, Majid Ghavami, has opened up a new restaurant in Chenoweth Square, a stone’s throw from Seafood Connection, another favorite of ours. He is obviously a modest fellow, for he has named this restaurant after himself.
The restaurant is divided into two areas; a small, quiet dining room, and a larger, more boisterous area with a bar. When we arrived, the place was fairly quiet, so we were somewhat alarmed when our hostess led us to the bar area. Our dismay was short-​lived; she led us to a table in an elevated area at the back, which gave us a commanding view of lesser mortals and was more than satisfactory. The music was perfect, and the environment convivial without being noisy.
Moments later our waiter appeared. His name was Brian. He bought us some bread with an indolently rich blue-​cheese dip which was irresistible and took our order. When he bought our starter — escargots (Milady’s favorite) — he bought us some more bread and dip. It was dangerously easy to find yourself sated before the main event rolled around.
And roll around it did; our entrees arrived pleasantly quickly, but not suspiciously so. Milady had ordered the Seafood Stew; fish, scallops and huge shrimp that were, in her words, «cooked to perfection». Though it was a little spicier than we had been expecting, it was still highly enjoyable. I had ordered the Lamb Shank, a staple favorite at Saffron’s, but boy, was I surprised when it arrived — this thing was massive — as big as every Saffron’s Lamb shank I had eaten all put together, I said, only half-​jokingly. Apparently they sourced their lamb locally, and this was one of the better ones that they could not always obtain; apparently we had been lucky. It was, to put it bluntly, simply glorious.
While we were eating, Majid, who had been «working the room», happened by our table. He greeted us warmly, and remembered us from our days at Saffron’s. The ever-​solicitous but never annoying Brian kept our water-​glasses filled, laughed at my attempts at humor, and generally made the evening a memorable occasion. We passed on dessert, and went on our way with most of my lamb shank in a box.
As we started the engine, we marveled at the fact that we had only been in the restaurant a little over an hour. The food had been excellent and the service beyond reproach — Brian was a prince among men; any nubile young women reading this are exhorted to throw themselves at him. It was not cheap, but it was worth every penny.
We shall return.

First time doing a review so don’t critique me too much.
My younger sister was back in town for her fall break from Centre and mom just happened to have a Groupon for Majid’s. I was impressed with the atmosphere and the ambiance inside the restaurant and being greeted at the door by the host was nice as well. Our waitress (regrettably forgot her name, will make note to remember names next time) was very prompt and polite to me and my family. She was able to give a very tasty overview of what tonight’s special was which my mom went ahead and ordered. I wanted to eat a little light and got the Vegetarian Pastitsio which was very good and had a decent amount of veggies in it. Little sister got the seafood stew and dad had the roasted duck. All of our portions were very generous given the price and I thought it was money well spent, groupon or no groupon. After finishing our entrees, we told our waitress how we loved the food and I think she passed the message on to the chef in charge for the evening because he came out and took the time to greet us and ask how everything was. He was a very personable and I appreciate the gesture.
The ONLY thing that prevents me from giving a full 5 star review is the spacing of the tables and the lack of privacy from the other patrons. Had some loud guests sit near us and you can overhear their conversations. There was a group of people sitting a good 30 feet from us and you could hear what they were saying. This is in no way the fault of the restaurant for how loud these people were, in fact if I were able to I would only deduct half a star instead of a whole star.
I would definitely come back here again and try the lamb this time. I would also ask for a more private table too as well as dress better since I felt under dressed for a place like this.

As the hubs said to me at dinner, «this is pretty much the definition of a three, isn’t it?»
We arrived for a late dinner after a movie and were greeted enthusiastically and sat in the bar area, as there was a private party in the regular restaurant area. The bar area had live music, which was nice, but we soon realized we were pretty young compared to the rest of the crowd.
We started with the eggplant dip appetizer, which was served with pita. It was very good, but not very memorable. The flavors reminded me of pizza.
For entrees, I ordered the lemon chicken and hubs got the pork with horseradish. Our plates arrived, almost identical, except his protein was a bit darker. Otherwise it was the same — protein covered with a sauce, with various vegetables. The veggies were very good, and the best thing about the plate. My chicken, while very moist, could have used salt, and some lemon — I didn’t taste much of anything. The hubs liked his pork just fine, but if you asked him what he got in about a month, I don’t think he’d be able to tell you.
The true highlight of the night was dessert — we shared a slice of the house-​made banana cream pie and it was pretty perfect. I thought about ordering another slice but showed some restraint. If you ever end up at Majid’s, get the pie.
I can see how this place would really appeal to some people, but considering the flavors and the price point (entrees range from $ 19-​$ 44) it just wasn’t for us. I’d order that pie anytime though.

Warning: RAVE REVIEW
I most recently visited Majid’s for a birthday party. The guest of honor wanted lamb — «the best in town» — and the birthday coordinator suggested Majid’s in Chenoweth Square after having heard many good things about the restaurant and particularly the lamb.
We were able to secure a reservation with no hassle, and were met by a courteous hostess who knew exactly who we were when we arrived. The server greeted us promptly once we were seated and had excellent recommendations for both appetizers and wine. We enjoyed the Ahi Tuni and the Calimari before moving onto the main course, which included — of course — lamb.
I don’t know how he does it, but Majid makes the best lamb in the city of Louisville. I usually don’t like the «stockyard» taste that many lamb is left with even after it’s prepared, but at Majid’s, the lamb is tender, flavorful, and enjoyable. Even one person in my party commented that while he typically only likes lame smothered in mint sauce, this lamb was out of this world without it.
We ordered the banana dessert, and while we were enjoying the last part of our meal, Majid came out and personally thanked us for our patronage and asked how we liked our meal. He was truly the consummate host and capped the evening by seeing us out at the door and thanking us again for coming.
For hospitality as good as the unique menu, visit Majid’s in Chenoweth Square. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!

Majid’s was great. My wife and I went there on Christmas Eve 2011 and enjoyed the night. We were greeted by the hostess who was very personable. She allowed us to choose whether or not we wanted to eat in the restaurant area or the bar area. We chose the bar area to be swooned by the sounds of the live music. The hostess also allowed us to pick which table we wanted so we would be comfortable.
Majid, himself, then came over and welcomed us to his restaurant. We told him how we found his establishment in a local Food rag and that the décor and the food pictures impressed us very much. His personal story in the article was great as well.
Our server was very helpful, cheerful and overall helped us with whatever we needed. His service was exceptional and there are no complaints.
The live music was incredible. The two musicians are a hidden gem here in Louisville. To have a nice quiet piano bar with two professional musicians and in a place where you can still hear what your wife is saying to you is unheard of in Louisville. The acoustics in this restaurant are just right. The musicians were also very personable taking requests and making the rounds to each table and were very easy to talk to. Being in the arts, we all had something in common to talk about.
Now let me tell you about the FOOD! The portions were perfect. The prices were worth it. We did not mind having to save for a month to come here. This is a place where we will visit again. My wife and I shared the Kashke Bademonjon. It was delicious and the flavors that flourished in your mouth were a surprise with each bite.
For the main course, my wife ordered the Salmon. Cooked to perfection, she loved it. I ordered the duck and loved it. I even ate the vegetables and I usually never eat the vegetables. Everything was cooked with such care and time.
Finally, for dessert my wife shared the Banana Cream pie, if my memory serves me correct. Again, nothing bad to say.
As we were leaving, the musicians wished us a good night and Majid came back over us and thanked us for coming and told us to make Majid’s our own. We surely will Majid.

We’re in town, visiting, and a friend brought us here. The food was tasty, the service very good, and I liked the ambiance. Though there was outside seating, we chose indoors, and were seated by a beautiful fish tank.
I had an appetizer of shrimp with grits that was well-​seasoned, and I wished for more; as to my entrée (tornados Rossini), I cleaned the plate. The dessert was very good, including chocolate ice cream made on the premises. Our friend chose two wines, a white from the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, the red from the Negev in Israel. Both were exceptional.
We don’t get to Louisville often, but I would enjoy another opportunity to eat here.

Majid’s is a new restaurant in Chenoweth Square that opened up just after the start of the new year. Majid’s is a quasi upscale restaurant that has quite a few influences in its food (American, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean to name a new) I was a little skeptical at first to check out Majid’s because I usually like to wait a bit to check out new restaurants so that they can work out the kinks. Well by happenstance I ended up at Majid’s for dinner and I was glad I did. Unfortunately, I did not have that big of an appetite so I was not able to try various courses to give a thorough review, but I still wanted to write a review since one has not been written yet. I tired the rack of lamb and my mom and my aunt had the salmon. When the food arrived I was glad to see that the portions were fairly large, almost large enough to skip a salad if I had more of an appetite. My rack of lamb was excellently seasoned with sumac and had subtly smokey grill flavors on the back end. It was served with dill rice with lima beans and a veggie medley. Both of which complemented the lamb really well. My mom and my aunts salmon was a very large portion, larger than you get at most restaurants. It was grilled with a nice light dill lemon butter on top. While I only had a few bites of my moms salmon I can say it was very moist and flaky and the dill lemon butter flavored the salmon superbly. It came with the same rice and vegetables that came with my lamb The prices of the dinner menu might be a turnoff for some ($ 29 for my lamb and $ 19 for the salmon), but let me assure you for what we had I though the prices were well justified.
Majid’s interior is laid out into two connected yet distinct areas, the dining area and the bar/​lounge area. The two areas areas are separated by a glass wall that looked like a café front you would see in New York. The dining area has been decorated in light lavender, black and silver. This, along with the dim lighting, helps to create a very intimate and romantic setting. The bar/​lounge area is quite a large room, it makes up at least half of the restaurant. Its darkly decorated and has a very modern, swanky feel to it. It looks like it would be big fun to grab drinks there. The only bad thing is that the restaurant closes at 11 so if you want to grab drinks you have to grab them early. I think the bar/​lounge has potential to be quite a popular place to grab drinks. Also, the bar/​lounge area offers a special tailored menu for the area and a creative drink menu (I didn’t get to try any unfortunately). Once the weather gets a little warmer Majid’s has a very cozy area out front of the restaurant to eat dinner.
I’ll definitely be back to Majid’s soon to explore more of the menu and the bar/​lounge area.