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Lynn Winter's little slice of paradise has become a national attraction and local treasure. As unique and quirky as Lynn herself, Lynn's Paradise Cafe offers the tastiest down-home cooking, the wackiest decor and genuine southern hospitality. Our fun and family-friendly atmosphere, the World of Swirl gift shop and our central Louisville/Highlands location has made Lynn's Paradise Cafe a popular destination for anyone out for lunch or on vacation. The Paradise has received extensive local and national media attention, including features on television programs such as ?Throwdown! With Bobby Flay,? the Oprah Winfrey Show, the Food Network's "Best Of", "Throwdown! with Bobby Flay," the Discovery Channel's "Christopher Lowell Show," and CBS Evening News' "Travels with Harry", as well as numerous print articles in newspapers and magazines.
I love eating breakfast here! The restaurant itself is very eclectic. The food is great and the service is good. I love the seasonal menu that accompanies the regular menu. I always end up with an item from it as it is always changing. This is a great place to take kids and out of town guests. My only complaint is that the prices are a bit high.
Posted 01/06/09 | Report Abuse
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Have gone to Paradise Cafe several times and always have had a great experience. A very unique decor (we found this place because of the ugly lamp contest) inside and out. They serve a great hot-brown. If ever in Louisville, try this place.
Posted 08/01/08 | Report Abuse
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If you want "comfort" food, this is the place. Reminded me of an old hippy hangout from the '70's. Quite entertaining. If you're some kind of health nut, steer clear! This place has one of the best burgers in town!
Posted 08/01/08 | Report Abuse
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Horrible experience. Most of the food is served in mega-supersized portions which is OK if you want to supersize yourself, but a waste of money otherwise. Large portions of the "specialty" menu feature otherwise sugary fattening foods DIPPED IN SUGAR AND CHOCOLATE AND WHIPPED CREAM!!!! HOW SPECIAL IS THAT??? Plus, I accidentally left my digital camera at my table; came back an hour later; gone. Wait staff unsympathic; probably happens all the time. Restaurant is located in a scuzzy area of town; all kinds of "used" clothing stores and junk shops masquerading as "antique" stores and "consignment" shops. Skip this armpit and check out the nice restaurants on Bardstown Road. Wish I had.
Posted 06/23/08 | Report Abuse
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Lynn's Paradise is different. Even with their move to a larger location into a former Kroger store the yard sale/flea market decorations still grace the inside.
I've been satisfied with the food each time I've been there though it's been awhile. It's a good place for those non meat eating customers and is known for it's breakfasts.
Posted 12/01/07 | Report Abuse
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Lynn's Paradise Cafe is always talked about in Louisville, KY especially around the time of the KY Derby. When I moved here, I was excited to make my first visit to the restaurant. The outside has stone statues of cows and pigs and the inside was even more eclectic, with ugly lamps, plastic grass on the walls and a miss matched bunch of decorations and details to keep you entertained while you wait for your meal. We ordered burgers and fries and were disappointed with the entire meal. The food was mediocre, nothing to brag about, the service was slow and the young waiter seemed to have an attitude. The prices were twice what we expected. It was a fun experince but we will not go back and there are better places to take first timers to in Louisville, without breaking the bank.
PROS: Crazy decor
CONS: Over priced & over rated
Posted 06/22/06 | Report Abuse
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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
Posted 11/24/08
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
Posted 07/16/08
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.
Posted 07/11/08
...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
Posted 06/01/08
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.
Posted 03/24/08
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.
Posted 01/24/08
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
Posted 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
Posted 01/18/08
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.
Posted 11/08/07
Funky Place, Good Eats
by thway
You can't miss Lynn's Paradise Cafe. It 's a funky, fun place with giant tea cups of flowers out front. We went on a Sunday morning around 9:30 and had no wait. Our server was prompt with service and refills. The french toast is especially yummy with vanilla/nutmeg flavors. The crunch pancakes and regular pancakes with cornmeal and whole wheat flour were light and huge. They took up the whole plate. Next time we go to Louisville, we will definitely be stopping at Lynn's.
Posted 06/03/07
Really Good
by markpriddy
I have eaten four meal here and each one was excellent! Highly recommended, but sometimes the wait can be up to thirty minutes.
Posted 11/23/06
Different
by stephdeputy
Food isn't the same traditional fare you'll find everywhere else. If you're looking for something off of the beaten path, Lynn's is the place.
Posted 10/25/06
Nice place for Breakfast
by joepent
An ecclectic atmosphere with a cute little gift shop attached. Especially recommended for breakfast when you'll find original spins on otherwise normal breakfast offerings.
Posted 10/02/06
hipper than thou
by xymox1971
First of all, you have to park way down the street and walk blocks to get there as there is never any parking. Then you have to wait to be seated and forced to browse the cheesy local artist gift shop, and why is it so expensive for those items?
First look you think it looks cool, but then as you sit and really look at the art surrounding you, you realize how tacky and annoying it all is.
Everyone that eats and serves here is terminally hip and think they are too cool for school. Actually it tries so hard to be hip it is un-hip.
I have no complaints on food. Although overpriced.
Pros: different setting from usual dining
Cons: parking, crowded, waiters slow
Posted 06/29/06
Perfectly eccentric and quirky
by bethg193
Lynn's is a Louisville staple. Anytime friends come from out of state to visit, we make at least one trip to Lynn's. I have only eaten breakfast there, but others swear by their lunch and dinner menu. There is nothing pretentious about the atmosphere or the staff. The staff is tattooed, genuine, and hard-working. It's a locally owned business that radiates with good values and fun. You will see everyone from hippies, to senior citizens, to the upper-class dining at Lynn's at any given time. As for the food . . . the biscuits are amazing and huge, and their paradise pancakes are worth breaking your diet for. The wait for a table can be long, but they take reservations for groups of any size. The prices may seem a little steep on some items, but it's worth it to know that you're spending money on a good meal at a local establishment as opposed to a national chain.
Posted 06/07/06
Much ado about nothing really...
by rancid_reviewer
This is where the liberal elite meet to eat. No doubt it. This is the "We're too cool for you" crowd." If they spent half as much time improving the food as they did proving how hip the place is with all of the "festive" decorating, it would be a good thing. The food was amazingly bland. And how do you screw up the taste of toast? Well, they managed to do just that. If you want artsy-fancy, eat here. If you want really tasty food, go somewhere else. $4.50 for OJ is way too much for breakfast unless you're eating in Manhattan.
Posted 04/21/06
Too much breakfast Hype.
by bluelightnin
I visited this restaurant for breakfast. It was busy, and very loud. The breakfast food was good, though average. And overpriced. However, they did offer parking and did take reservations. I don't see what the big deal is.
Pros: fresh sqz OJ, parking available
Cons: overpriced
Posted 03/26/06
Interesting and different.
by mntntrvlr
Recommended by the hotel we stayed at. Visited with another couple and all of us agreed this is a very good place for breakfast with an interesting menu better than the average restaurant. Food was good. At the time we were there the restaurant was very crowdedand a little difficult to manuever between tables, but the atmosphere made up for the crowded feeling. Prices were about average and a good value.
Posted 08/14/05
keeps me coming back
by titletrack
i'm a local, and i must admit that lynn's is one of my favorite places to eat. they may be famous for their breakfast, but i would reccomend their mac and cheese; it's made casserole style. even though it's not romantic my boyfriend and i love to eat there.
Pros: atmosphere
Cons: feta cheese, wait
Posted 07/27/05
Very Overrated
by bpt29
The one thing I like about Lynn's is its quirkiness. But the food is so consistently bad that I wouldn't go there even for the cute overpriced boutique in front of the restaurant and the novelty. The first time I went, I got the biscuits and gravy, and the whole concoction was actually frozen inside! It was also gray, tasteless, and goopy. Another time I got French toast and it was tasteless. My mom had the ham, and she said it tasted like what she imagines the leather sole of a shoe would taste like. For the expensive price, there is no excuse for the food to be so below par, and no matter how cute and kitschy a place is, NOTHING makes up for bad food. I would never go to Lynn's again, and I would not recommend it to anyone either.
Pros: Interesting
Cons: Bad Food, Too Expensive, Overrated
Posted 02/14/05
A fun place to eat
by lnanaa
The food is great especially the sweet potatoes fries and french toast. They have alot of cool stuff to look at from the 60's and 70's. From my experience there, it can get pretty loud and the waits are long if you don't make reservation especially for breakfasts and dinner on the weekend. It's slow around lunchtime during the week. I also agreed that it's a bit pricey. Parking can be difficult to find. Sometimes the service is very slow too. But for the food, I would say it's worth it to go there once a month.
Pros: good food, cool atomsphere
Cons: , long waits, loud
Posted 06/17/04
breakfast
by hcaswell
You do get a lot of food, but I would not eat breakfast there again because it is too expensive.
Posted 08/31/03
Ms.
by grtlou
Lynn's is GREAT!! I always take out-of-town company there because they have great food, a memorably fun atmosphere, FANTASTICALLY happy service, and they have always done a great job with our big parties. I recommend making reservations....they take them any time for ANY sized party!!!
Posted 07/13/03
You need to be in a mood
by paulspsp
Everyone is different, and I know that everyone I know worships Lynn's, but IMHO... I have been several times. The best time is breakfast. The gravy and biscuit with orange juice is superlative anywhere. The rest of the breakfast fare is good. Lunch and dinner have never been winners for me. I like the restaurant, but I have to be in a mood for the bright colors and the long wait to sit - it is busy. Most love the festive decor. Parking can be a chore as well anytime of day. And I found it a bit overpriced.
Pros: breakfast, fun, good part of town
Cons: expensive for Lou., parking, crowded
Posted 06/20/03
Biscuits and Grave Above the Rest
by kurtmaddox
Louisville has many great breakfast spots but Lynn's combines great food quality, fun atmosphere, and true neighborhood locale to stand above the rest.
Posted 01/06/03
Never Missed a breakfast
by ImNoSt920
I'm an ex-louisville resident and whenever I'm in town with my family, it always includes at least one trip to Lynn's for breakfast. It's definitely one of the many things I miss about home in Louisville.
Posted 01/05/03
Pretty-People Food
by cyndy_lewis
It's too artsy-fancy for me. I like all the toys, but I can do without the food. A suggestion for ALL restaurants: Not ALL vegetarians eat fancy, exotic food covered in peppers and onions!
Posted 11/25/02
Delicious and Great Value
by CWDobbins
Creativity withoue equal ; Fun ; Delicious ; Great Value - huge portions !
Posted 11/23/02
Lynn's is unique and fun!
by acthom0
If you're tired of the same boring chain restaurants, this is the place for you. If you go on a Sunday morning, you may be faced with an hour wait, but it's definitely worth it. While waiting, you can enjoy a cup of hot coffee and sit outside on a concrete pig. When you finally get seated, you can order anything from a Greek scramble with feta and artichoke hearts or the most fabulous french toast ever. I highly recommend Lynn's if you're looking for something different.
Pros: great food, eclectic atmosphere, good value
Cons: parking not good, service may be slow, long weekend wait
Posted 11/05/02
kooky is right
by melanie_wyatt
I live 3 blocks from Lynn's Paradise Cafe and have eaten there several times.but no more. I don't know why this eatery recieves the attention that it gets. Not kidding at all, but everytme I go there my order is messed up(I would be given the wrong food)they will correct the order but leave the other half of your food with you. So, you eat your breakfast in sections. If you don't sit at the counter where all the servers tend to be behind, you can forget about coffee refills. Smoker? Don't expect to find an ashtray in the smoking section. own. I think that this restaurant is maintaining mostly on the publicity of its "kooky" surroundings.Believe me, if you were a frequent patron, soon you would wonder, Why am I still coming here.It was close to go to, but now we drive further and have a great breakfast. melanie
Posted 10/18/02
worth getting up early
by tidle
The food is innovative and plentiful enough to skip lunch. The atmosphere is um interesting . Out of town guests always remember breakfast at Lynns .
Posted 08/20/02
Breakfast Paradise
by star6172
Lynn's is full of whimsy, the waiters and waitresses all dress funky and eclectic. Food portions too huge to mention. Free coffee in glass mugs while you wait for your breakfast with a paper. This is a great way to start your weekend or relax on Sunday morning. Be prepared for loud a loud conversation, the place is packed. Great for a group. So many choices its hard to decide on which comfort food you'll have next. Great Place, I wish everyone didn't know about it!!!!
Pros: eclectic, keeps your attention, fun
Cons: crowded, parking problems
Posted 08/19/02
paradise for the tummy
by sissycow
The outside of the restaurant first caught my attention, and I just had to go in. The atmosphere, friendly service and quality food at a reasonable price, brings me back.
Posted 08/19/02
Great Food
by william_lawson
Lynns serves up some of the best food in town. The atmosphere is great with an offbeat approach to decorations that is fun and out of the ordinary for Louisville restaurants. The food isnt cheap, but is well worth the price!
Pros: Taste Great, Atmosphere, Fun
Cons: The wait
Posted 08/16/02
fun
by rebeccaz
lynn's is lots of fun...be prepared to wait in line on weekends.
Posted 08/12/02
kitschy & fun
by charlesr24
Wonderfully wacky. Takes disregarded items and arranges in an off center artistic sort of way. Food is very good with large portions. Don't eat at chains when one of kind local places like this are available.
Pros: food, atmosphere, eccentricities
Posted 08/09/02
Very good
by panore
I especially enjoy the breakfast and lunch menu. I'm not as taken wit the present supper menu, except for the fact that some of the breakfast items are on it.
Posted 07/30/02
Bloody wonderful!
by agcasebeer
The only place in Louisville to take out of town guests for breakfast. The only place in Louisville that has a clue what a proper bloody is supposed to taste like. The only place in Louisville where pajamas and nightgowns are acceptable breakfast attire. The best breakfast place in any city I know of. It's like eating breakfast at your mom's old kitchen table, with 150 of your best friends at their mom's tables. Oh, yeah: the food is inventive, features ingredients and breakfast dishes that you would never expect, and is served with the utmost of friendliness, despite the busy pace.
Pros: Atmosphere, Unique food, Great service
Cons: Crowded, Long waits, Parking
Posted 07/23/02
Serious Comfort Food !
by BruceandLori
What a find ! If you go, make sure you give yourself enough time to look around at all of the neat, kitchy stuff. From the serving tables, one of which I swear was my moms from the 1960's to the front lawn full of painted animals, this place is a must see. Come hungry, because the portions are plentiful (or plan to split an entree). I had the chicken and my wife had turkey, both complete with such Sunday Dinner specialites as mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. A fun place to go and eat!
Pros: fun night out
Cons: slightly overpriced
Posted 07/21/02
Excellent!
by onoyes
Everything is wonderful. They have the best side dishes in town...from banana pudding to lima beans!
Posted 07/21/02
falling in love all over again!
by kristenphillips
I recently ventured back to Lynn's for the 1st time since my son was born a year ago. What a different perspective I have now! We have been, for the past year, sticking to super-fast, mediocre restaurants, and decided to go out on a limb and attempt a nicer place. This place really is for everyone! Not only did I have the best filet I've had in a long, long time, but my son remained occupied for the ENTIRE MEAL with all of the visual stimulation, as well as the toys. Not to mention the fact that our server remembered my husband and I from over a year ago! I definitely have a new appreciation for the restaurant that I always loved! FYI:they take reservations so there's no need to ever wait again!
Pros: great service/decor, amazing food, VERY kid friendly
Posted 06/06/02
