Review of Lynn's Paradise Cafe in Louisville, Kentucky

Lynn's Paradise Cafe is a locally-owned Louisville, Kentucky restaurant located on Barret Avenue. It is not hard to find Lynn's; the restaurant is an explosion of Technicolor hues on both the inside and out. The restaurant's owner, Lynn Winter, is an avid local art collector, and she displays her collection proudly all over the walls of her restaurant. The result is a restaurant decor that is similar to a Cracker Barrel on LSD-where Cracker Barrel embraces its country roots, Lynn's embraces the weirdness that Louisville is proud to embody.

But Lynn's Paradise Cafe is not merely a local legend-it is famous all over the country. Articles on Lynn's have been published in The New York Times, Esquire, and Southern Living, and the restaurant has been featured on shows like The Today Show, Oprah, and the Food Network's The Best Of.

The Review
Lynn's Paradise Cafe is one of those places you can't resist stopping at because it is so bizarre. The bright blues, reds, pinks, and yellows alongside large brightly-painted sculptures are certain to make you wonder what weird business occupies the building. But Lynn's oddity doesn't stop on the outside-the inside is even weirder. With a gift shop carrying gag gifts and locally-crafted souvenirs, tables topped with ugly lamps, and walls adorned with art that would be tacky anywhere else in the world, Lynn's is certainly Louisville's most decorated restaurant.

Lynn's Paradise Cafe accepts reservations, and you're probably going to need one. The restaurant is always packed, for one, because it has one of the best breakfast menus in town. And since you can order breakfast at any time of the day, you're sure to find people eating omelets every time you visit. My personal favorite Lynn's breakfast dishes are The Matador (made with chorizo, new red potatoes, and Monterey Jack, among other ingredients) and the Breakfast Burrito (filled with black bean chili, cheddar cheese, scrambled eggs, sour cream, and salsa).

Though a breakfast at Lynn's Paradise Cafe is one of my favorite meals at any local restaurant, I'm less impressed with their lunch and dinner menus. The lunch and dinner menus sport offerings like meatloaf, salmon, and burgers, and though I haven't tried everything offered for lunch and dinner, what I have tried has been somewhat bland and not really worth the cost. My suggestion would be to order off of the breakfast menu no matter what time of day you visit Lynn's.

One last thing worth mentioning is the cocktails offered at Lynn's. It's probably not a good idea for breakfast actually eaten in the morning, but if you're having breakfast food for dinner at Lynn's Paradise Cafe, you need to try one of Lynn's World Famous Bloody Marys with your meal. The spicy drink mixes as brilliantly with a Lynn's breakfast as fine wine does with Italian food. But if Bloody Marys aren't something you can stomach, the Bourbon Ball Milkshake and Mint Juleps are tasty takes on local favorites.