Sidebar

This place has one of the best burgers in Louisville. I convinced some of my pals to go on a Saturday and they loved it. The burgers are well done and extremely pumped with flavored. Their fries are also good but I would of hoped for more considering I paid an extra ²⁄₃ dollars for them. The milkshakes in my opinion were a little too runny. I just have a personal preference of thicker milk shakes.
The menus are really cool! They have a «Trial» themed menu (Verdict, punishment…). It’s really cool even for the nth time you go.
The waiter was pretty nice. Understanding fellow. Took a while to get served but after that it was smooth sailing.
A bit loud in my opinion but with the layout, it’s impossible not to be in other people’s convos.
A bit pricey but don’t be discouraged, it worth it.
I don’t have a recommendation cause everything I’ve had was pretty tasty!

Mediocre at best. 2 stars are for the very friendly and attentive staff but the edibles and drinkables — meh. Given what I saw in Louisville, there isn’t a lot of good competition.

Sidebar has become one of my «go to» restaurants in downtown Louisville, particularly with its proximity to the KFC Yum! Center – literally steps away. (Side note: In my experience, they do not take any reservations when events are happening there, and half of your party must be present to be seated on those days.) The closest parking is actually probably the parking underneath the arena, but of course there are plenty of garages and street parking available in the vicinity. Inside, the space is nice. It’s not massive, and some tables are fairly close, but it’s not tiny either. There is a nice bar as well.
When it comes to food, Sidebar’s menu is fairly small. While it is primarily a burger restaurant, the place they really shine is the appetizers. The beer cheese comes with tortilla chips and soft pretzels. Those pretzels are some of the best I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a LOT of soft pretzels. There are a number of fries on the menu, but I generally opt for the ones with parmesan – SO addictive. (You can also get all of the fries as a side order, but I love the appetizer version when sharing with a crowd.) I’ve also had the nachos, which were also good.
When it comes to burgers, this is where I takeaway a star. I love burgers! However… with burgers being the main (and only?!) entrée on the menu, I would expect them to be better. They’re certainly not bad, but I guess I just expect a little more, especially with so great burger spots in Louisville. Instead, I generally get the large chopped kale salad as my entrée. It’s VERY large, and you can also add chicken, fish, or a burger (black bean or angus) on top.
Finally, Sidebar has alcoholic and non-​alcoholic milkshakes. Like, so-guilty-I-shouldn’t-do-this-but-I’m-gonna-do-it-anyway milkshakes. I’ve only had one – years ago – but it was GOOD. They were kind enough to split it for my mom and I each to have half. MMMMMMMM!!! (I’m usually full from licking the bowl of beer cheese, so that’s why I generally opt out of the milkshake.)
All in all, this is a great option with consistent service in downtown Louisville.

Great service, comfy atmosphere. Pimento Cheese fritters a must. Huge burboun selection.

Had the Philadelphia Attorney burger and it was one of the best hamburgers I’ve ever eaten. Too bad fries are extra, but then again I don’t need the calories so it was probably a good thing in the end. The braised short rib on top of the Angus beef patty was perfect. Well worth the price.

My husband and I initially wanted to go to Doc Crow’s but the waiting was too long that we went to sidebar instead which was just around the corner from Doc Crow’s. Without much expectation, we ordered Hung Jury burger with zukkini fries on the side and Kale Cobb salad (S). Hung Jury burger was so delicious but much surprisingly, kale salad was super good. It was the most delicious kale salad I’ve ever had. The only minus was I wish there was an option that I can order a burger with salad on the side.

In L’ville for a conference and picked this place for dinner the first night because it had the shortest wait. SCORE. I love burgers, and these guys deliver a simple menu with a tasty myriad of gourmet, law-​themed burgers. So good, I went back for lunch the last day of the conference.
Gourmet burgers are great and all, but you can put fun stuff on crap meat and pass it off as something fancy. This is not that. Even without the toppings, these burgers stand on their own. Ground with a variety of custom beef cuts, perfectly seasoned and cooked to a delicious, tender medium, Sidebar obviously cares about their burgercraft.
The bourbon bbq sauce found on several selections is quite tasty. Do yourself a favor and get the zucchini fries with garlic-​truffle aioli. They also have an extensive offering of local bourbons. This place is a WIN.
Court adjourned.

What a great execution of service and food.
We stopped in on a Saturday afternoon during a NCAA game. It wasn’t too crowded or loud. Didn’t check out the whole spot but looked nice from what I saw from my seat.
Tried the Ambulance Chaser and it was cooked perfectly (I like medium well). The best part of the burger was the tomato jam, even got some to take home with my left over burger. Others at the table tried the Sidebar burger, Death Penalty and the Kale Salad which they all enjoyed.
We will be returning again this month for a birthday celebration.

This was our first stop when we got to town for the NCAA tournament games. We were starving and a burger sounded perfect. We sat in the bar area and were greatly promptly as we sat down. The guys at the table ordered beer, the girls cocktails. I was disappointed that our drinks were served in plastic cups. If I’m going to order a nice bourbon cocktail, I’d like it in a real glass. That’s about the only complaint I have of our experience. Our table ordered the Jail Bird, Material Witness and the Ambulance Chaser. We also had one order of sweet potato fries. I had the Jail Bird and it was simple yet delicious. A fried egg with bacon makes everything better. The sweet potato fries were really good too! Our server was good and patient with us as we made our decisions. Their entire burger menu looks great and I wish I could try them all.

This place is severely overrated, and I know at least two people who have gotten food poisoning from their burgers. However, food aside: Sidebar suffers from Terrible Service Syndrome, wherein its employees — dozens of them! — manage to all be «working» at the restaurant, yet somehow are never present.
Listen, I know nobody wants to listen to an entitled reviewer talk smack about the waitstaff. Trust me, I empathize. I know working for below-​minimum wage for jerks like me is not the best part of anyone’s day (or life), but I am also generally a very kind person, especially to those in the service industry. I’ve been there. However, after being flat-​out ignored by hostesses, and listening to a bartender complain about making a drink (including dropping several f-​bombs) *directly* in front of customers, I’m pretty much done with this place. If you do get lucky enough to interact with an employee, beware of the cloud of marijuana smoke around him/​her.
The posted hours are also meaningless, as the staff uses their discretion to close whenever they want to – as soon as they get any pesky customers out the door. How do I know? I’ve heard the staff discuss it openly on the floor. I prefer to take my money elsewhere, where I can eat a mediocre burger without being considered a nuisance or getting sick.

Enjoyed a decent burger– I had the Ambulance Chaser that had bbq sauce, bacon, and the thin fried onions. The burger was a bit greasy but that was because of the toppings not the beef. I loved the zucchini fries but was so so with the tomatoes and mozzarella. The tomatoes were really tasty but the mozzarella was not fresh.
I loved my Kentucky Maid drink– the lime and cucumber were wonderfully refreshing. I did think it needed more bourbon though my friends Manhattan was just right!

My favorite bar on the Urban Bourbon Trail!!! Just visited Louisville simply for some boubon and bar hopping – so glad this place was on the list. For the 3 days we were in town, we went here two nights in a row! Each time we walked in, we were either greeted with a super energetic & friendly hostess or the manager. We chose to sit at the bar both times – they 2^nd time we were there for a specific bartender & his awesome cocktail-​making skills! We were simply there for drinks and secretly hoping they play the Gator basketball game (which they did switch the TV over for us!).
Our drinks included: Gold Rush (my #1), Whiskey Sour (my #2 – made with egg white!), Kentucky Maid, The Good Word (hubby’s #1 – green chartreuse in a drink is incredible!). Cocktails are $ 10 each, expected, and well worth it. The modern, hip vibe made us feel like we were in the place to be – the wall of bourbons was fun to admire (: They have a pretty sweet tap system coming down from the ceiling, and several options.
There are so many places to try on the trail, but you have to make this one of your stops! There was even a place to hang your coat and the bathrooms were clean – always a plus. Cheers!

I’m not sure what the fuss is about here– I found sidebar to have a nice interior and be good for groups, but the food was not anything special. The best part of the burger was the bun which tasted house-​made.
Our service was very bad here as well– nice waitress, but we were given our food and finished with our meal before she ever came to check on our table.
Bad service + Average food doesn’t make me too interesting in returning.

Great little bar close to the YUM Center. We grabbed a quick dinner before the basketball game. They offer Burgers and a Full Bar, as well as Vegan options.
Try the Sweet potato fries, they are better than regular fries!
Service was quick, and they even accommodated us by switching up the televisions so we could watch the Football Game!

This was a fun place with a law theme. Everything on the menu had names associated with law, court, attorneys, etc. the food was excellent. We shared the Hot vs Brown fries, which were French fries smothered in a creamy cheese sauce with thick slices of turkey, and sprinkled with bacon.
We also shared a burger with a fried green tomato, cheese, and a fried egg. Phenomenal. And they split it for us. For dessert we shared a triple chocolate shake and made it «guilty «which means it has frangelico, Bailey’s and vanilla vodka. Sinful!

Kale salad with pomegranate vinaigrette! Sweet salad, perfect textured kale leaves meant that it was fresh. I had blue cheese on the side because I don’t really like it, but I added it in and it still made it delicious. There were also pieces of hard boiled egg and bacon in it plus a scoop of avocado on top. Yummm.
The truffle fries were also pretty delicious. The garlic aioli that it was served with made it all better. The fries had such great crispy texture, which usually is hard to do with steak fries. The truffle flavor was mild, but constant, and I’m not sure what the green-​colored seasoning was on it, but it made the fries delicious still.
I also went in with a bigger party but the service was superb! The waitresses were super nice and chatty!

Before deciding to go here, I called to see what time the kitchen closed. The young man who answered the phone had wonderful phone etiquette and was jovial and welcoming. Talking to him sealed the deal. We arrived on a cold, busy Sat night around 9:30p. We were greeted by a smiling host, who prepared a table to seat us almost immediately. We were seated in between two groups of LOUD guys. While that dampened our experience a little (because we could not hear one another talk), it did not lessen my overall positive impression of this spot.
This bar/​restaurant is a good place to people-​watch. The legal-​themed menu had some creative selections. I choose the «Informant burger» (I’m not saying why) with sweet potato fries. The Burger has basil pesto, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. While the burger meat was quite juicy, it was not very flavorful. I could taste the flavor of all the ingredients other than the meat. The Sweet potato fries were served with a honey-​dijon sauce that had a nice kick to it. They also had a slightly crunchy exterior with a soft interior, just the way I like them.
The service was very attentive. Both out server and the host frequently asked me if everything was ok and if we needed anything. I believe they felt concern for our unfortunate seat between the loud groups. Once the loud groups left, both the host AND the manager apologized to us for the unlucky spot (that was a considerate touch). But the restaurant was so crowded that there was no place else to seat us.
The atmosphere is great for hanging with friends or for people-​watching and the service was quite attentive. That is the reason for my 4 stars. While my food choice did not tickle my fancy (would be 3 stars), I feel compelled to try a different burger next time and plan to do so.

When I think of my expectations for a gourmet burger place, this place hit all of them! It was a great experience!
We were looking for a place to eat before a show at the Kentucky Center on a Saturday and wanted to be able to walk to and from the restaurant. I let my husband pick as it was his birthday weekend, he discovered Sidebar via Unilocal and we decided to give it a shot.
We get there around 11:50 and we were told they actually don’t open til noon. They admit that the time is posted wrong on their website [and Unilocal] so be aware! The good news is they were fine letting us come in from the heat and get a table. We would just have to wait a bit before they could put our orders in. This was totally fine since we had never been there before and needed time anyways!
Our server came by within minutes and went ahead and took our drink order since we were getting super close to 12. Our server was great, really laid back, friendly, helpful and very attentive! As many have mentioned, the whole place is very themed to court/​law/​etc. I enjoyed the theme, it was fun without being tacky. Definitely take some time to peak at all the touches on the menu and in the building.
We started with drinks, my husband got the Kentucky Maid and I can’t remember the name of mine… I think it was the gimlet. We enjoyed both! We finally decided on food. I got the Informant and my husband got the Hung Jury. We also got two different types of fries, the zucchini fries and the Parmesan truffle fries.
Yea, all the food was awesome! I mean this is what I want when spending more than $ 10 on a burger. Fantastic. Juicy, great flavors, perfect size. And the fries, both were excellent and the dipping sauce, aahhh, so good!
Ok, well, I am hungry now.
We had some more time to kill before our show so we decided to get one of their milkshakes to share, we opted for the «guilty» aka alcoholic version of the orange dreamsicle one. Also fantastic. It was quite boozy but delicious.
All in all, it was a wonderful meal and exactly what we wanted! Highly recommend everything! We were also glad we were able to get through the show without falling asleep after this meal, haha.

Food: I came here for a burger and I’m glad that I found this place! They had 13 different burgers to choose from and they all sounded good. That’s definitely a good sign. Everything on the menu was named after a court or legal system term. I ended up going with the Jail Bird with regular fries. It also came with a dill pickle. The Jail Bird came with bacon, fried egg, and American cheese… all of which are my favorite ingredients for a burger. Their burger patty was definitely as good as they’ve claimed on their menu.
Drinks: When in Rome or in this case, Kentucky, I just had to have something with bourbon in it. Since I wasn’t at all knowledgeable about bourbon, I went with a Bluegrass Brewing Company Bourbon Barrel Stout and fortunately it was a good bourbon barrel stout.
Service: Service was okay. I think my waitress was hungover. If she was, she did a pretty good job. I did eat at a pretty early hour for dinner, so the place was fairly quiet and empty.
Location: Conveniently located on 2^nd St just North of Main St. I like the décor of this restaurant. With the courtroom theme, it looked somewhat formal, yet it still had the casual feeling of a burger and bourbon bar.
Overall: For the price, I would’ve liked a bigger burger, but it was definitely a quality burger. I would definitely come back here to try their other burgers.

During a trip to «The Ville» in February, based upon the reviews of my fellow Unilocalers I had to check out Sidebar. Thank you fellow Unilocalers for not letting me down. This place was a winner!
We had a little trouble finding the location at first due to construction in the area, Then once we found it, we had to park a few blocks away in a paid lot because they do not have a private lot. Geesh! Once we made to the restaurant we were immediately impressed. I absolutely loved the interior. Dark wood. Low lightening. Quirky décor. So cute! The tables were a bit close, so we we able to chat it up with the folks who sat next to us. Our waiter was FANTASTIC. Attentive and he answered the dozen questions we had about the menu. Awesome guy!
Ok, now let’s talk about the legal themed menu. I finally felt as if the all the hours I’ve spent watching Law & Order marathons paid off. The appetizers are called «preliminary hearing» and your main entrees are called «the trial.» Ha! I just love it. We skipped the prelims and went straight into the trial. The Ambulance Chaser immediately stuck out. Not only because of the name, but because I’m a sucker for bbq sauce, cheddar cheese, and bacon. The tomato jam and tobacco onions sealed the deal. For the side, I paid an extra 3 bucks for the zucchini fries. Yes, you read that correctly. This was my first time trying zucchini fries. So hype! I don’t normally have dessert with dinner, but I had to have the caramel apple bacon shake with Maker’s Mark Bourbon. It would be a shame to be in KY and not have bourbon.
It didn’t take long at all for our food to come out. So happy about that because we were hungry and insanely excited about our meal. Everything was soooooo good. The burger, the zucchini fries, and the shake. Oh my! It was almost heavenly. My only complaint is that I wish the portion sizes were a tad larger. I was so sad when I finished my meal. My shake was strong. Wowsa! They did not skimp on the bourbon.
This place has it all. Great service and not just wonderful food, but I loved the uniqueness of the menu items. This place is a must visit.