Lynn's Paradise Cafe

11/25/08

A favorite place to bring out-of-town guests

by tbud

I love to bring people who are visiting to Lynn's as a unique Louisville dining experience. Most if not all people I bring enjoy the food and service.

• Pros: Good food, lots of fun for kids and adults
• Cons: sometimes a long wait

07/17/08

It used to be about the food

by billinthehighlands

I remember in the early 90's going to Lynns. Back then, it was great and unique food which was well worth the wait (and even that wasn't long). But then Lynn became famous, got on Food Network, and now she's forgotten what a restaurant is about.

I went recently and I was just disappointed in the whole experience. Long wait in a crowded gift shop full of touristy junk. Then, we are shoved into a corner while depressed-looking servers dodge around me. The food was mediocre and on the level of any chain restaurant. The portions were smaller, the prices were higher, and the kitsch just got in the way.

I used to remember that the servers smiled more. Worst thing that happened to Lynn's is it became too popular.

• Pros: Some of the food had promise
• Cons: Just crowded, slow, and touristy

07/12/08

Still crazy and great after all these years.

by tempest183

Lynn's has been one of my favorite places for years, but as I now live outside of Louisville I don't get there as often as I once did. When I had the opportunity for lunch there today, I found the ser vice to be attentive and the food still wonderful. Yes, the prices are up there, just as they are up everywhere these days.

06/02/08

...she ain't what she used to be...

by BeckZ

I've been frequenting Lynn's for the last 15 years and it's been sad to see such a once-fab establishment sink so low. I remember the days of fresh on-site prepared scones and desserts, I remember the days when it was not at all odd to have Ms. Lynn herself stop by your table for a chat. I remember the biscuits as big as your head days. I remember the days when staff actually seemed glad to see people come in the doors. Sadly, Lynn's has sunk to the depths of pitiful mediocrity. I don't even bother trying to go there anymore when I'm in town. I know I'd just be out a lot of cash, out a lot of time waiting and would leave sad 'cause I remember it in its hey-day. So sad.

• Pros: Nice decor
• Cons: too expensive, inconsistent portion size / food quality / service

03/25/08

Food? Decor? Service? What's the big deal here?

by ja_sone

Meh. Lynn's is famous for the decor and too-big-too-eat portions, but when you take that away you're left with slightly better than average cafe fare. My complaints are the service and the price. $18.95 for a really bad plate of Eggplant Parm sums it up. My last trip there for breakfast was nearly comedic -- while waiting for my order I drank the one cup of coffee I'd been served, I added sugar to the empty cup to prepare it for a refill and ... my server finally came by to see if she could take my creamer to a different table. I had to ask for everything -- to place an order, for silverware, for cream and sugar, ketchup, coffee refill, you name it. The only thing this server did offer to me was the check.

01/25/08

Great Menu!

by LizzieP

Great atmosphere, fantastic service with a menu full of different items. A great place for locals and visiting out of towners.

01/20/08

There can be too much of a good thing.

by artishealing

Having lived in Louisville for over a decade, Lynn's was always in the top five places to take out-of-towners. But after my last trip, I don't think I'll be going back any time soon. Wait times for not only seating, but also services seemed to have increased. On my recent trip, I waited for 25 minutes to be seated, not because there was a line, but because from the hostess stand I could count FIVE tables that needed clearing [and that's just what I could see]. My waitress, though friendly, did not seem to happy to have a table of one, and stopped by only minimally. The food offerings were once unique, but even now the bourbon french toast seems to be a 'has-been' to anyone other than first time guests. At one time, Lynn's was unique with both atmosphere and food offerenings, but it seems little in the business formula has changed, and seems like just a place for out-of-towners. The prices are typical for a place that is charging you for the 'coolness' of having certain ingredient combos on the menu, but for what other local places are offering in comparison, Lynn?s is over-priced or under delivered. If someone has never experienced a place like Lynn's, they might like it. I just wish it had the same enthusiam for locals, as it seems to now have for out-of-towners.

• Pros: Variety of menu options
• Cons: bad parking, over priced

01/19/08

Coasting on their reputation

by kywy

Went to Lynn's on a Saturday morning, we were seated right away since it was not bust at all. We waited for 30 minutes and were never waited on. We finally got up to leave when the hostess noticed and came over saying someone would be there, I'm sorry but 30 minutes with no water or coffee and watching the wait staff talk among themselves, no thak you. I will never to back and I cannot recommend Lynn's to anyone no matter how much hype they get.

• Pros: None
• Cons: terrible service, over priced

11/09/07

Fun atmosphere

by bethanien

This is a fun restaurant, it is full of quirky art which keeps your eyes busy through out your meal. The cuisine was full of flavor.

Your inner child is bound to come out at this kooky restaurant that serves sophisticated food in a playful setting.

by Contributor

The Scene
Famous for its funky decor inside and out (a pair of wearable pants made of teabags, a giant coffeepot fountain and concrete animals) and enormous breakfasts, Lynn's has a surprisingly sophisticated dinner menu. Rubber fish and wind-up toys provide entertainment as diners wait at the Formica tables.

The Food
Omelets, homemade granola, and biscuits and gravy start mornings off right. Later in the day, try the spinach salad with bacon, Gouda and poppyseed vinaigrette. Try a heaping helping of mashed potatoes and the popular mac and cheese featured on Oprah. The scrumptious meatloaf and roast turkey dinner (think Thanksgiving) are just like mom's. Order a famous Bloody Mary or giant mimosa with freshly squeezed orange juice, a must at brunch.