Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
A skeleton on display contemplating its own mortality.
Kid Mai Death Awareness Cafe
This classic London pub has a surprising history behind it.
John Snow
The beef, Guinness, and oyster pie sports a rich, flaky crust.
The Guinea
Welcome to one of the only floating pubs in the world.
Tamesis Dock
This may be the oldest pie in the world.
St Helens 'Oldest Pie' at The Turks Head
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
12 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
16 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
23 days ago
“There may be a collective sense of a dark loneliness,” Dahl says, referring to Norway’s natural landscape.
In Norway, Easter Means Tucking Into Crime Stories
23 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Kentucky Louisville North of Bourbon
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

North of Bourbon

The menus here are a love letter to the culinary history of New Orleans.

Louisville, Kentucky

Added By
Barbara Woolsey
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Royal red shrimp are a seasonal delicacy found along the Florida coast and the Mississippi Delta.   @northofbourbonky used with permission
Royal red shrimp are a seasonal delicacy found along the Florida coast and the Mississippi Delta.   @northofbourbonky used with permission
Executive Chef Lawrence Weeks draws on the history of the region for inspiration.   @northofbourbonky used with permission
The bar is an atmospheric spot to hang out in the evenings.   @northofbourbonky used with permission
Barramundi, cassoulet vert, lacinato kale, arugula gets garnished with parmesan mousse.   @northofbourbonky used with permission
The cocktail program features a formidable selection of bourbons.   @northofbourbonky used with permission
Carolina Gold Rice, a crucial heirloom grain, has a place of honor on the menu.   @northofbourbonky used with permission
Old Maker’s Mark casks have been repurposed in the interior.   @northofbourbonky used with permission
Scallops with salsa verde, spring peas, fava beans, and asparagus are a spring special.   @northofbourbonky used with permission
A rib-sticking muffuletta makes an excellent to-go lunch.   @northofbourbonky used with permission
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

North of Bourbon, located in Louisville’s Germantown, is a celebration of Gullah Geechee, Viet-Cajun, and other cuisines rooted in the diasporic communities of the American South. When compiling the menu, Executive Chef Lawrence Weeks drew on his own family heritage, as well as a deep knowledge of the cultural migrations that have shaped his home region. 

Classic Creole dishes include crawfish boils and red beans and rice. Seafood Clemenceau, a New Orleanian staple perpetually on the menu at restaurants like Dooky Chase’s, is a definite crowd-pleaser when it makes its seasonal appearance on the menu. 

But while there may be gumbo and boudin on the menu, Weeks goes to great lengths to avoid sinking into stereotypical Cajun restaurant tropes. Diners can expect to find West African-inspired fritters on the menu alongside spaetzle—a nod to the restaurant’s neighborhood. There’s always a rotating pasta on the menu, because when Weeks’ Chinese great-great-grandfather immigrated to New Orleans, there was a large Sicilian community living in the French Quarter. 

After a big Sunday brunch of buttermilk-fried quail and biscuits—plus a few Bloody Mary oyster shots—you may find yourself hanging out here all day. Thankfully, North of Bourbon is also a great place for an afternoon or evening tipple. 

The name is a reference to the bourbon trade between Kentucky and New Orleans, as well as a solid indication of what to expect from the cocktail menu. As promised, this is a bourbon lover's paradise, with more than 300 bourbons and ryes available for one-ounce or two-ounce pours. To add to the theme, parts of the interior are made from old Maker's Mark casks.

The cocktail menu features a range of Old Fashioneds and also a section of “Not So Bourbon” creations. For those looking to take a bottle of bourbon home, the bar has a packaged liquor license and offers private, on-premise bourbon lockers.

Related Tags

Food Restaurants Chefs Black History Diaspora

Know Before You Go

In addition to the special Sunday brunch menu, North of Bourbon also offers an excellent happy hour of delicious fried snacks and other sharable sides from Tuesday to Saturday, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Community Contributors

Added By

barbarawoolsey

Published

August 9, 2024

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
North of Bourbon
935 Goss Ave.
Louisville, Kentucky, 40217
United States
38.229669, -85.738714
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Shrine of Saints Magnus and Bonosa

Louisville, Kentucky

miles away

Eastern Cemetery

Louisville, Kentucky

miles away

The Witches' Tree

Louisville, Kentucky

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Louisville

Louisville

Kentucky

Places 17
Stories 4

Nearby Places

Shrine of Saints Magnus and Bonosa

Louisville, Kentucky

miles away

Eastern Cemetery

Louisville, Kentucky

miles away

The Witches' Tree

Louisville, Kentucky

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Louisville

Louisville

Kentucky

Places 17
Stories 4

Related Places

  • The doubles here consist of perfectly fried flatbreads cradling tender chickpeas.

    New Orleans, Louisiana

    Queen Trini Lisa

    Chef Lisa Nelson serves up sensational doubles, jerk chicken, and other Trinidadian staples.

  • Lamb suya pairs perfectly with a multinational riff on jollof rice.

    Los Angeles, California

    Ilé

    Hidden in a Hollywood apartment, this restaurant takes diners on a gastronomic journey through West Africa.

  • Filipino pancit, or stir-fried noodles, are a favorite.

    Houston, Texas

    Soy Pinoy

    Two James Beard Award-winning chefs are putting their own spin on Filipino favorites in a food market stall.

  • The catfish arrives perfectly seasoned.

    Asheville, North Carolina

    Good Hot Fish

    Chef Ashleigh Shanti serves up a classic Appalachian fish fry.

  • Fried catfish commands center stage on a plate with turnip greens, pinto peans, and cornbread.

    Memphis, Tennessee

    The Four Way

    For more than 75 years, this living piece of history has been serving exceptional soul food.

  • Crunch into deep-fried caterpillars in this tacos.

    San Andrés Huayápam, Mexico

    Luz de Luna

    Escape the city for a meal where deep-fried caterpillars, heirloom corn, and cult local mezcals shine.

  • Amicar Hernandez and Paulina Rovilla wanted to properly celebrate these humble legumes.

    Oaxaca, Mexico

    La Frijolería

    Dine on funerary beans alongside off-duty lucha libre wrestlers.

  • Chef Jorge León changes the menu here constantly.

    San Juan Bautista la Raya, Mexico

    Alfonsina

    Venture outside of the city and into a family compound for a meal unlike any other.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.