The Best Burgers in Kentucky: Louisville Burger Guide (2026)

The best burgers in Kentucky are easiest to find in Louisville, where smash burger taverns, bourbon-friendly burger bars and a butcher shop all compete for the title. Start with Toasty's Tavern for a smash burger, Grind Burger Kitchen for a very Louisville pimento cheese burger and Ollie's Trolley for a one-of-a-kind classic.

This roundup is built from the spots in our Louisville burger guide, grouped by style and neighborhood. Check hours before you go, especially at the small take-out stands.

How Louisville does burgers

Louisville doesn't have one signature burger style, but it has a strong local flavor. Pimento cheese, bacon jam and pickles show up on a lot of menus, and many burger bars back up the food with a long bourbon list. The best spots are spread across NuLu and downtown, the Highlands along Bardstown Road, Shelby Park, Old Louisville, Frankfort Avenue and the South End.

Smash burgers and bar burgers

• Toasty's Tavern: the spot locals keep pointing to for a smash burger. The cheeseburger is a smashed patty with sharp American cheese, iceberg, griddled onions, pickles and Toasty's sauce, with a double upgrade. It's on South Shelby Street in Shelby Park, and there's a vegan burger too.
• Week-end Burgers: a South End favorite on National Turnpike serving smash-style burgers. It ranked among the area's highest-rated burger restaurants in 2025.
• Bambi Bar: a no-frills Bardstown Road bar where a simple burger and a cold beer are the whole point. It ranked in the area's top five highest-rated burger spots in 2025.

See more on our best smash burgers page.

Gourmet burgers and bourbon

• Grind Burger Kitchen: a NuLu burger kitchen on East Market Street that has been on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Patties are one-third pound of fresh-ground, grass-fed beef. The Southern Burger, with sharp cheddar pimento cheese, bacon and spicy dill pickles, is the local order, and the bar carries more than 50 bourbons.
• Holy Grale: a beer bar in a former church on Bardstown Road in the Highlands. Its burger uses local beef from 3D Valley Farm on a pretzel bun with white cheddar, smoked bacon and onion jam.
• 80/20 @ Kaelin's: a Newburg Road restaurant with a patio. The Ribeye Burger is a house blend of ribeye, tri-tip and sirloin with bacon jam, pickled onions, a sunny-side egg and bacon on a pretzel bun.
• Mussel & Burger Bar: burgers and mussels on equal footing, with lamb, crab, chorizo and veggie burgers alongside beef. The Argentinian, with chorizo and chimichurri, is a standout. The downtown location on South 7th Street is handy for visitors near Whiskey Row.

For more, see our best gourmet burgers page.

Only-in-Louisville stops

• Ollie's Trolley: a take-out stand built into an old trolley car on South 3rd Street, at the edge of Old Louisville. The seasoned Ollie Burger with Ollie sauce has been a local favorite for decades. It's take-out only and cash only.
• Red Hog: a craft butcher shop on Frankfort Avenue that also serves food. The Dry Aged Cheese Burger comes with house-made bacon jam, aged white cheddar, burnt onion and pickles. Read why aging matters in our guide to dry-aged beef burgers.
• Game: a restaurant in a wooden cabin on Lexington Road serving burgers and sliders made with wild game, such as elk, venison and wild boar. Order a few sliders to compare.

How to plan a Louisville burger crawl

1. Start downtown or in NuLu. Grind Burger Kitchen and Mussel & Burger Bar are both close to the bourbon distilleries on Whiskey Row.
2. Do a Bardstown Road night. Holy Grale and Bambi Bar are on the same corridor through the Highlands.
3. Bring cash for Ollie's Trolley. It's take-out only, so plan to eat on the go.
4. Make Shelby Park its own stop. Toasty's Tavern is just southeast of downtown.
5. Save a sunny afternoon for 80/20. The patio is the draw.

What to order

• Toasty's Tavern: the cheeseburger, as a double.
• Grind Burger Kitchen: the Southern Burger and a bourbon.
• Ollie's Trolley: the Ollie Burger.
• Holy Grale: the burger with a local beer.
• 80/20 @ Kaelin's: the Ribeye Burger.
• Red Hog: the Dry Aged Cheese Burger.
• Game: a mix of wild game sliders.

Make a Kentucky-style burger at home

A pimento cheese burger is an easy Louisville tribute: mix sharp cheddar, mayonnaise and diced pimentos, then spoon it on a hot patty with bacon and pickles. Our bacon cheeseburger is a good base, and caramelized onions stand in nicely for onion jam. Cook ground beef to 160°F for USDA-recommended doneness.

Know a great burger in Lexington, Bowling Green or northern Kentucky? Suggest a spot.

FAQ

What is the best burger in Kentucky?

In Louisville, Toasty's Tavern is the local favorite for a smash burger, Grind Burger Kitchen is the best-known burger restaurant and Ollie's Trolley is the classic one-of-a-kind stop.

What is the Ollie Burger?

It's the seasoned burger topped with Ollie sauce at Ollie's Trolley, a take-out stand built into an old trolley car on South 3rd Street.

Where can I get a burger and bourbon in Louisville?

Grind Burger Kitchen in NuLu has more than 50 bourbons, and Mussel & Burger Bar downtown is near Whiskey Row.

Where can I try a wild game burger in Louisville?

Game, on Lexington Road, serves burgers and sliders made with meats like elk, venison and wild boar.

Is Ollie's Trolley cash only?

Yes. It's cash only and take-out only.