4. Restaurants

MilkWood

Actor's Theatre,316 W Main St, Louisville, KY, 40202
  • (502) 584-6455
  • Store is closed

MilkWood Menu

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  • Ryan S.

    Delicious food. Wonderful service. Relaxed atmosphere. I look forward to going back soon!

    (5)

  • Kelly P.

    Phenomenal. Chef Edward Lee is a genius. Every item I've tried from the menu (I think I'm up to four entrees, three sides, and a dessert) has been amazing, and every cocktail I've tasted (I'm up to 5 of those) has been delicious. I've always had attentive service here and the staff seems to really know the menu, ingredients, and food in general. The location is fabulous. It's located in the basement of Actors Theatre in downtown Louisville, so it's perfect for date night or catching dinner before/after a show. I can't speak highly enough of this place. Do yourself a favor and go check it out.

    (5)

  • Christina A.

    The cheesecake and cocktails are awesome at Milkwood. I'm sure the food is incredible too but we had already eaten by the time we made it here. It's staying in my bookmarks. On our next trip down, we will be stopping in for dinner.

    (4)

  • Ken K.

    Food and atmosphere was awesome. Definitely on my list to visit again when I'm in Louisville. The food came out promptly...maybe even a bit too promptly. We had the dim sum, so it makes sense -- but having missed lunch as we travelled in that day, the pace only forced me to eat faster to keep up with incoming, beautiful and delicious plates of food. PS, never thought the Firth on Forth drink I ordered would work, vanilla, worstershire, and bourbon, but somehow it did. Worth a try if you are in a daring mood.

    (4)

  • Ed W.

    Milkwood is located in a theater in downtown Louisville. Owned by celebrity chef Edward Lee, the restaurant is new to the city, and is in a growing phase. Purposefully keeping reservations low to now overly inundate the new kitchen staff, MilkWood does a nice job at offering a small menu filled with interesting/trendy choices. That being said, because of the amazing other food I had in my 17 night trip to town, I am not sure I would eat here again, but that is only a tribute to other places, not an attack on MikWood. It's a pretty good spot. I remember two things about MilkWood that deserve praise. First, the menu is grouped by cooking style, not by meat vs fish vs salads vs etc. "Low and slow" and "Seared in a Skillet" are examples. I liked this concept, as it gives you a better understanding on what you'll be eating (and how specifically it will taste). Second, I remember the homemade macaroons at the end of the night. Wow, they were ridiculous. The food was fine, but the portion sizes were quite small. I had some fish, and it was tasty but nothing over the top. I highly recommend the hot and sour soup. The wine list was decent. The service was outstanding. The tables are a bit crowded together, almost Manhattan-like, but it was luckily not very crowded. I consider it a solid 3 star spot. With time, it could easily become a 4 star place.

    (3)

  • Cory W.

    I think my expectations were too high. If I could give 3.5 stars I would. The menu was phenomenal and flavors were amazing but....service was dull. My waitress was great but her colleagues looked annoyed to be there. Overall energy was just not good. Bartender seemed annoyed when I decided to move to the bar for dessert and one more drink (I think he was worried about tip). The pork shoulder was very dry which was really disappointing. All that great flavor to waste. I don't know. Maybe I caught them off guard on slow weeknight but it just wasn't the wow I had hoped for.

    (3)

  • Romel F.

    Great atmosphere and phenomenal food. I wouldn't expect anything less coming from the same chef as 610 Magnolia. I loved the wines on tap and the suggestions that the bartender made when I wanted to switch drinks to go along with my food. Very helpful and it definitely made my experience more than complete.

    (5)

  • Amber S.

    Not sure if we were here on an off night or what.. But it wasn't good. We were a group of eight, restaurant isn't that big but wasn't even half full. We had to wait on or food for a very long time. Too long. Half the people at our table got burgers which seemed good enough (how do you mess up a burger?)... But my $20 entree that was a recommendation of the waiter just wasn't good. At all. Seemed to be some stress in the kitchen.... All said and done, bad experience.

    (1)

  • Jenn A.

    What to say about Milkwood that hasn't been said before? Momofuku in NY, but better? Yes. Affordable and distinctive small plates to cater to every discerning taste? Yes. Home to the amazingly creative Chef Edward Lee, and servicing it's patrons with helpful, articulate and knowledgeable waitstaff and mixologists, Milkwood has made it's new home in the Actor's Theatre grotto-esque restaurant and bar in the heart of downtown Louisville. The atmosphere is as enticing as the wide array of libations and appetizers, and you absolutely cannot leave without trying the Fried Chicken and Waffle starter. (Trust me, it will look and taste nothing like the traditional ideal of the chicken and waffle combo; it's unbelievably delicious and meticulously crafted.) I had a mild, herbaceous white wine recommended by our waiter, and enjoyed a sampling of the rock lobster and scallop sausage which, in a word, was mouthwatering. I look forward to visiting again soon for dinner, as this was an after work meeting with a colleague. (Speaking of which, I called ahead and explained the nature of my visit a few days before hand, and a nice, quiet table was reserved for our purpose.) If you are in Louisville for a day, a week, or a forever... do not miss this award-winning, eclectic gem!

    (4)

  • Susan C.

    After a long drive from NJ, we made a special stop for this restaurant because we are fans of the chef and have heard such good reviews about the food. What a waste of time and money. First, the hostess wanted to seat us at a crappy table when the place was half full. Then I suggested another table which was more comfortable and she said no, "it's a service issue, you understand." uh no. I don't have to understand because I am not in the service industry. I came here to dine. That is why I am here. To enjoy my dining experience, not to understand why you need to seat me at a undesirable table so I can have an unenjoyable dinner. Then the waitress comes over with the worst attitude I have ever seen. A puss on her face and an abrupt attitude to match. If you are having a crappy day, don't come to work because you will affect others! Like customers who ultimately pay you darn salary. So come to work happy or at the least, pretend! After an abrasive exchange when taking our order, she randomly comes by to fill my husbands water but not mine when it was half full. Then she returns to clears the dishes and she almost stabs him with the knife. Mind you not once did she even inquire how we were finding the food. No panache, no etiquette, most of all no professionalism at all. Now for the food, the oyster bacon is all hype. It's an explosion of flavors all right -not in a good way. Salty salty salty. Next the lardo corn bread tasted like day old supermarket cornbread that was soaked in fat and it was cold! Served like an after thought and be a cook team who could care less about the food. In fact all the food was cold! The collar greens tasted like a salt box. The fried chicken was a plate of everything the chef had in the kitchen and of course, over salted. Biscuit might have well been served straight from the fridge. The pork burger was a sloppy mess with the bottom of the bun soppy with fat juices. The cottage fries was cold and overly lemony. Salt is not supposed to compensate for flavor, chef Edward! Overall for a "top chef"restaurant, it was a disappointment further enhanced by an unfriendly and un-personable staff. The chef and management team should be embarrassed. To our "waitress" you are lucky that I have extended you some sympathy and given you the standard 15% gratuity because you do not even deserve that. And no I did not want to pack my fries. I would have told you that if you had the decency to ask.

    (1)

  • Sonia C.

    Great concept but literally every single thing we tried was over salted and smoked, giving a similar and overpowering flavor to all the dishes. It unfortunately overtook all the possible flavor nuances and thought processes that went into designing the dish. Also seating feels a bit crowded and socked in. Drinks were pretty interesting but otherwise I probably would not try this again unless the menu execution changed.

    (3)

  • Rachel S.

    One star... Just for effort. The "chicken and waffles" tasted like Chinese food and the so called waffle was a sliver. It was about three bites for 8 dollars. The so called brisket for 20 was a hard piece of flavorless mold meat. My dogs eat better than this. Absolutely disappointed. We couldn't leave fast enough. We left and went to Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant and ate outside. Much much better. I would've preferred Wendy's over Milkwood.

    (1)

  • Emily G.

    This was an amazing meal!!! We started with the shrimp sausage-- different and delicious! I had the miso chicken and two amazing cocktails. They were different than anything I have ever had, but still yummy. We even saw Chef Lee wandering around, which was awesome! Very reasonably priced for the quality. If you are in Kentucky, you must eat here!

    (5)

  • Lisa T.

    Went to MilkWood during a business trip to Louisville based on Yelp reviews. The description as American comfort food is somewhat inaccurate, in fact our waiter described it more as Korean fusion -- that I'd agree with. Since we were all in the mood for American comfort rather than Asian fusion, all but one of us stuck with the more comfort food-type menu options. I got a burger, which was simply okay. The slaw on it was overwhelming and I removed most of it. The burger had a piece of hard gristle or bone that I had to surreptitiously spit out into my napkin. My colleagues opted to split the ribs for two, and based on how they devoured it, I'd say they were good. My other coworker ordered the octopus bacon, which he was somewhat hesitant about at first, but declared that it didn't turn him off of octopus, so it was considered a win. Pricing was good, but as a NYer, I found myself repeatedly awed by how inexpensive things in Louisville were. Our waiter was nice, albeit inattentive, and not especially helpful when he was around. All in all, if I found myself in Louisville again and craving Asian fusion, I'd check out MilkWood again.

    (4)

  • Phyllis Y.

    I tried the steak dish last. WOW. It was great although I didn't care too much for the squash. That is a personal preference. There was nothing wrong with it, I just didn't have the taste for it. The fingerling potatoes had a light smoked flavor (unexpected). Overall this was great.

    (5)

  • Tina H.

    She said: the tofu was amazing with perfectly blended flavors. Best restaurant we have tried in Louisville. Nice small restaurant. If you cannot get a reservation the entire menu is available at the bar. He said; brisket belongs with the 15B Porter. Ran thru the pickles and biscuit long before I got thru all the brisket. Found the SC mustard sauce on the corner of the plate to get me thru the rest of the meal. Great balance of flavors .., and I don't normally eat pickles. If you've tried the dry BBQ down the street and want something juicy, come here and get it. Makes a southern boy proud.

    (5)

  • Melanie K.

    My dinner deserved a standing ovation. Exposition: The restaurant name pays homage to Dylan Thomas' play Under Milk Wood. MilkWood is owned by Chef Edward Lee. Chef Lee is best known for Top Chef Season 9 and being reigning champ on Iron Chef. Chef Lee was a NYC resident who moved to Louisville inspired by our local culinary scene. Rising Action This space was completely remodeled from a Sunday Matinee experience to a hip Opening Night Friday. Crushed velvet couches and heavy color tones have been replaced by bench seating, long oak bars, and open spaces. MilkWood makes the theater space above seem trendy and special again. Climax The drink menu is based on taste profiles and offers a full bar. Our group tried everything from Martini's, sparkling wine, to bottles of red. All of our beverages were delicious. The menu featured small plates, single portions, and meals for two. My favorite dish was the Rock Shrimp Sausage. The rock shrimp dish had fantastic Asian flavor, perfect texture, and great presentation on the plate. Falling Action The service was built on a team work environment. I believe everyone who worked at MilkWood stopped by our table to serve and assist us. Our group was in what people call "a blissful food coma" from all the whole experience. Dénouement I was most surprised by the price of my amazing experience. This Chef has another restaurant called 610 Magnolia that has a fixed price menu, that is a reasonable value but much more expensive then MilkWood. I believe for the whole party of four we averaged about 30 dollars a person including cocktails. This restaurant will always be a 5 Star favorite with Gustav Freytag and myself. I am look forward to an encore.

    (5)

  • Betsy A.

    Stopped in for a quick bite (I thought) and a drink at the bar. The space is so warm and inviting, I just had to make an evening out of my visit. The menu presents an eclectic wine list, an impressive list of (mostly) local microbrews, and imaginative cocktails. I tried the Smashed Potatoes (with octopus bacon... yes, that's right - octopus bacon!), the Caramelized Scallops with Shaved Pork Belly, and the Sorghum and Grits Ice Cream. To drink, I had a glass of Glatzer Gruner Veltliner. I'm not overly familiar with the grape, but my bartender told me it would pair well with the scallops and he was 100% correct. Crisp, clean, delicious. Rather than listing the wines by grape, the wine list is divided by flavor profiles (as is the cocktail list and the food menu - a really interesting and unique concept). The Smashed Potatoes are more like twice baked, oven roasted potatoes - fingerlings that are cooked up crisp and dressed with sour cream, jalapeno puree, kalamata olives, preserved lemon and, of course, octopus bacon. Tender, smoky, meaty goodness! Next, the Scallops. Perfectly seared, served over cashew puree (peanut butter for adults), grilled bok choy, next to a thick slab of crispy, juicy pork belly smeared with a tamarind glaze and topped with grilled, shredded mango and cashews. This dish was decadent. The creaminess of the cashew butter, the sweet-tart grilled mango, and the salty pork belly melded delightfully with the succulence of the scallops. For dessert, I had to try the Sorghum and Grits Ice Cream. While I admit, grits in ice cream is a little strange, it totally works. The toasted croissant crumbles, berry compote, and coffee syrup drizzle make it taste like breakfast for dessert. YUM! I can't wait to bring my guy back here to sit in their cozy dining room!

    (5)

  • Michael S.

    Sunday night and not very busy. Cocktails are unique and anywhere with Three Floyds on tap get bonus points off the bat. I ordered the lamb sausage starter which was OK with nothing really outstanding. The pork burger was extremely messy (not a big problem) but the flavor did not follow. Also had chicken and waffles which was plated as a novel idea and was slightly above average. Overall this is an average restaurant. I bet a few cocktails would improve the food.

    (3)

  • Doug D.

    My wife and I went this evening with two friends prior to see Actors Theater's new play "Girlfriend". One word: Phenomenal In a town filled with some amazingly talented chefs and recognized around the country as a foodie destination, it was quite simply phenomenal. From the unique pre-dinner cocktails, to the appetizers, to the main courses and finally the creative desserts it was all exceptional. I was even delightfully impressed with how the wine menu was laid out. Rather than your standard dueling lists of white versus red, the menu breaks them down into further subcategories based on titles such as "Earthy", "Spicy", etc. The same was done with the mixed drink menu which highlighted the areas of the tongue (sweet, bitter, sour, salty, etc) the drink would entice. You MUST put this place on your lists of restaurants to try. Its going to be an amazing down town dining destination for anyone down town, not just the theatre crowd.

    (5)

  • Kevin Z.

    I walked into Milkwood not knowing what to expect, but was immediately greeted by a warm and welcoming yet sophisticated atmosphere. We took a seat at the bar, and since it was late, we ordered Hamachi as well as a chicken waffle dish from the late night menu. Both were amazingly unique and delicious, I would order both again. We also ordered drinks after talking to Allison the bartender. She was amazing and really took her time to explain the drinks we ordered in detail. She masterfully made our drinks, they were awesome. I highly recommend the milkwood as a umami drink, the green chartreuse really carries well with the other ingredients. We then had an insightful and pleasant conversation with Allison, and wrapped the evening up with a satisfying goat cheese, spiced cheesecake with blackened pineapple on top. I had a great experience here and I highly recommend it for a nice place to go with a date.

    (5)

  • Amy H.

    Second time I've been wowed by Milkwood. If you say "oh my god" and "holy s@!t" more than three times during a dining experience, they must be doing it right! Just saying Milkwood is good doesn't do it any justice. From the moment we walked in, everything was outstanding. My friend and I shared more plates of food than should be allowed for consumption in one sitting. Highlights of the meal: Chicken and waffles (of course), the rock shrimp sausage, and the pork shoulder. What an interesting combination of flavours in each dish! They developed and grew in complexity with each bite. And then the desserts. Oh my. Yes. We had a poppy seed cake with rhubarb something or other. Wow. And the togarashi cheesecake with blackened pineapple was amazing. The service is also noteworthy. Chase was friendly, attentive, knowledgeable and downright charming. I can't imagine having had a better experience. The entire staff were pleasant and helpful.

    (5)

  • Jay K.

    We found ourselves hungry after a full day and our original choice for restaurant closed. We yelped and decided to try Millwood. So happy we did. I had the chicken and waffles and it was awesome. My wife enjoyed the pork burger. The chicken and waffles s delightfully spicy and yummy. The pork burger had Kim chee on it and was simply wonderful. I also got a side of the collards and Kim chee. Fabulous. Go and enjoy.

    (4)

  • Beth H.

    Mehhhhh. I don't know...I went here after a Humana Festival show. The waiter wasn't great, the food was good, but not excellent. The starters we got were good, but super duper teeny. Maybe I'm an old codger, but I wasn't into the menu sorted by cooking style. The best thing by far was the doughnut holes. Yes all the way. I would try this place again, and if I do I will review and hopefully give more stars, but I would say you don't get what you pay for here.

    (3)

  • Kyle P.

    Really interesting drink menu. Bar tenders were friendly. Didn't try the food. Just drinks. Check it out!

    (5)

  • Evan T.

    This place is pretty good, mostly because it is attached to the theatre. It has a surprisingly simple menu that is not traditionally arranged. The food and the experience were complex so this review will be also. The server seemed rushed. She was rushing us. With no explanation of the menu...which maybe she should've given us...we needed some time. As an aside, what the F is an earthy wine? I get it. That's what people say.. but it bugs me. How often do you eat dirt to know what earth tastes like? The flavor combinations were nice. I had the brisket. The garlic jam was good but extremely overpowering. I didn't taste anything else. I barely got the flavor of the milk gravy and couldn't find any pieces of biscuit. My piece of brisket was the fatty end of the second cut...so basically over half fat. Don't get me wrong, the fat tasted good, but my arteries can't take more than one bite. When I make brisket, I give that piece to my dog. My wife's okra was over ripe and inedible. It is okra season in KY so it was probably local, but they need to pay more attention to quality control if they are using a local supplier. With all that said, I'm willing to give it another shot. I'll go back and hope for the best.

    (2)

  • Krista M.

    Wow, Just Wow. I don't anything about celebrity chefs, but everything I put in my mouth here felt like an alchemic concoction! The cocktail, I believe I had a "call me daisy" (due to the name more then anything), felt like taking in 3 drinks at once. Then I had the Pork Loin mixed with a read wine that I asked for the bartender to pick and slam dunk. It was a beautiful presentation and delish beyond measure. It was by far one of the best meals I've had in a very long time with a myriad of different tastes!

    (5)

  • Jared W.

    I had the opportunity to dine at Chef Edward Lee's new restaurant MilkWood located at Actors Theater. I was fortunate enough to be in a group for this experience. We were able to order several of the small plate appetizers and enjoyed several of the deserts. We started are evening with the Fried Chicken and Waffles, Frog Legs in bourbon brown butter, smashed potatoes featuring octopus bacon and finally the Vietnamese lamb sausage. There is not much to say about the chicken and waffles , while very tasty they could not compare to the other three dishes. The frog legs were tender and the bourbon brown butter paired perfectly with the delicate taste of the frog legs. The smashed potatoes were just that, smashed potatoes served with sour cream. What set these off was the addition of the octopus bacon. I am now a huge fan of octopus bacon. This smokey morsel replaced traditional pork bacon on the potatoes and had me searching in the bowl for more when the potatoes were gone. Finally came the Vietnamese lamb sausage. In a word, WOW. The other couple I was there with sat looking at the empty plates amazed that these dishes while so simple were so tasty. We could hardly wait for the main dishes. I ordered the beef brisket with grilled mortadella. The smoke flavor of the tender cut of meat was truly incredible. For a side i ordered the lardo cheese cornbread. My wife ordered the ginger bourbon carrots to go with her Caramelized scallops. These two dishes and sides were incredible. For desert, our table ordered the sorghum and grits ice cream, the doughnut holes and cheese cake. This was the perfect ending to our meal. The doughnut holes were served over a chocolate ganache with candied ginger and condensed milk ice cream. Whether you are a Louisville native or visiting here, you need to plan a night and go visit MilkWood. You will not be disappointed. The food, service and atmosphere was all great. Usually new restaurants suffer growing pains at first. This restaurant in my opinion is hot right out of the gate. I hope they continue on the path they are on. Very excited to see how this restaurant will evolve.

    (5)

  • Gina C.

    Best restaurant in Louisville, I think. 610 Magnolia at a great price!

    (5)

  • Tracey D.

    This is my second time eating at Milwood. My meals has been two of the best meals I have had in Louiville. The menu and drink list is diverse.

    (5)

  • David C.

    Incredibly unique food and cocktails. GREAT service and prices aren't bad. Good spot for a date or family meal. Swanky but not pretentious.

    (5)

  • Al L.

    My daughter and son in law took my wife and I out to dinner here, when we were visiting them. I been to many good restaurants, but this is by far the best of best. I can't wait to go back to Louisville and try a different meal on the menu. The appetizers were also great, I can' t say enough about this place. Everything is top draw at MilkWood.

    (5)

  • Kelly B.

    The waitstaff gave us so much attention and answered all of our questions about the food. They also gave us directions to a great blues club to go to afterwards. I was reluctant to go here at first because the menu had chicken and waffles on it as an appetizer, and that sounded way too diner-ish for a fine dining place, but the chicken and waffles dish was actually a delicate appetizer with small slivers of "waffle" on top of morsels of chicken. All of the flavors in everything we ordered were intricate and delicious. They used a lot of fresh vegetables and herbs.

    (5)

  • John S.

    The food here was fantastic and creative. The service was attentive and professional. But there was one major problem - the a/c, and unfortunately it ruined the experience for our whole table. We almost left without ordering, and I wish we had. The dining room is flanked by two massive air pipes that run the length of the place. Those pipes are studded with vents along the whole length. The cold air blows out at high speed. I'm a large, hairy, burly man. I'm rarely cold. I could not find a comfortable seat in the place, and we moved twice. I can't recommend you go until they fix this problem. It was truly bizarre, and a real bummer since I was excited to have Edward Lee food at very reasonable prices. I know this all sounds silly, but if you go, I suspect you'll understand. At any rate, bring a sweater or a jacket!

    (2)

  • Rick S.

    Really good food... romaine salad and miso chicken both terrific. Nice environment, easy going and sophisticated. And Hope at the bar was fantastic. Let her make up a cocktail for you. She might blow you away. It's not easy to impress a road warrior. Great job.

    (5)

  • Emily W.

    If you're looking for a five-star dining experience that stretches from the taste of the food, to the ambiance, all the way to the service, then you really can't go wrong with Milkwood! I had a reservation for 5:45 on a Friday evening and was the only table taken at that time. The server explained to us that there was a special dining event happening at 6:30, so this was why all of the normal dining times were reserved when we tried to make reservations. It was neat to have the restaurant to ourselves! Our server was also great about checking on us at appropriate times and providing us some insight into the meal (the caviar is local!) without being too overbearing. I appreciate that. I had a glass of wine and my husband had the Smoke & Pickle to start with as drinks. Both were incredible...but the pickle on the drink was something I'd never seen before and a delicious and creative touch. My husband also commented about how he liked that there wasn't a ton of ice in his drink. We also started with the pimento cheese and caviar on pork rinds as an appetizer. The combination is incredible, and the green sauce (I believe was pesto) added a nice savory flavor. He had the pork burger with lardo-cheese cornbread...I had the fried chicken. Both were good, but I liked mine better. It came with a ponzu sauce, which I didn't feel went well with the chicken, so I just left it. The biscuit was soft and creamy and the chicken was seasoned perfectly. If you're intimidated by some of the more exotic menu items, you can't go wrong with this fried chicken! For two drinks, an appetizer, and two entrees, our total came to $61 which I thought was a pretty sweet deal for a place as swanky and hip as Milkwood! We opted for dessert elsewhere, but I'd like to try the cheesecake in the future.

    (5)

  • Tony H.

    I had the good fortune to watch Edward Lee at the Wait Wait Don't Tell Me! taping here in Louisville. His charm, wit, and food knowledge convinced me that I had to try his restaurants as soon as possible. Reservations for Milkwood were immediately available, so I headed there with Anastasia (my wife) the next night. Arriving a few minutes before 8 PM, we were the beneficiaries of a crowd departing for the show at Actors' Theater and were seated immediately. Service was prompt, informative, and very social; our waiter was not shy about making recommendations or generally making us feel at home and comfortable. We listened to him on our choice of wine (2012 Borsao Garnacha) and appetizer (a Chili Dog of some sort). Both were excellent choices, and the brisket chili on that sausage was one of the most delicious plates I've ever consumed. Many thanks to a well informed serving staff for that advice! Moving on to our main dishes, Anastasia selected the Fried Chicken Plate while I opted for the Pork Shoulder. Both were excellent choices, and in particular were distinguished by the beds of biscuit and coconut rice that they respectively featured. My sampling of her chicken was pleasing, but the Pork Shoulder was transcendent. The black BBQ sauce was more Mole than BBQ, and the coconut rice was perfectly textured. The addition of both okra and edamame was fascinating and appropriate for this restaurant's theme. I had cleared my plate before Anastasia was even 3/4 of the way through her meal. We decided that we had room for dessert, and chose the Togarashi Cheesecake. A mix of sweet goat cheese and spicy Togarashi, its blend of flavors was exactly on point. We devoured it in minutes. At the end of the meal, we found that our portion sizes had been appropriate and the cost somewhat lower than expected. I had gone into Milkwood looking for excellent flavors; I had not expected it to be a good value for a high-end restaurant! This is the kind of restaurant that I'd have expected to see in New York City, so it brings me great pleasure to see it in my hometown. Anastasia and I will definitely be coming back, and next time we'll bring friends!

    (5)

  • Yoko K.

    I really liked their Asian inspired tasty food. We had the Octopus Bacon as an appetizer. The octopus was tender and very tasty. It was a really good start for the dinner. My friend and I shared the fish of the day for a main course and had Kale Kimchi for the side dish. Both of them were really good. I like Kimch but never thought mixing it with Kale. After that, we felt like trying their signature Ramen. It was different from Japanese Ramen that I am familiar with but still it was tasty. We had some of their signature cocktails too and loved them.

    (5)

  • Kellen L.

    Milkwood is nothing short of amazing! We had a reservation for about 15 for a birthday party. They were so accommodating and gave us appetizers on the house as well as dessert! Every single person in our party was blown away by their food and to be honest I was with some picky eaters. The fried chicken may be some of the best I've ever had! It was this phenomenal tender chicken thigh that had to have been braised before frying to be that tender! Try it, I promise you won't be disappointed. If you need dinner downtown, make a reservation here and don't thing twice about it.

    (5)

  • Rachel R.

    Super disappointed in Milkwood. I came here for my birthday and left hungry and in search of dinner. The octopus was very good. The pimento cheese was solid if unexpectedly spicy. The fried chicken was lukewarm at best and while fine, not a standout flavor wise by any definition. The accompanying very tall, dense biscuit was dry on the edges and raw in the middle. The charred green beans were okay but there were only 3 of them. I ordered the kimchi collards and they were completely flavorless without a hint of spice and quite tough. My husband had the MW Ramen which was fine but again, not noteworthy. I had been looking forward to dessert but the meal was such as disaster, I couldn't see spending $9 to be disappointed again. I had many lovely meals in Louisville, this was not one of them. The staff was very pleasant and friendly. The waitress took my chicken off the bill and the hostess offered to get the manager but I declined, I was too hungry and needed to find a place still serving dinner.

    (2)

  • Bethany Z.

    Boy,,, this was a great discovery. We tried many things. The fried chicken is to die for, my husband had the pork shoulder . We were so happy! We also tried the app bacon octopus. We couldn't agree on that. It wasn't bad ! It wasn't my fav! Now to the end we ordered the old fashioned ice cream sandwich. Not your general ice cream sandwich! Service was great! They had lots of input on our orders! The decor is cool too lots of horns! Just do it!

    (5)

  • Jay O.

    4.25 stars. I loved everything about Milkwood. The decor, friendly staff and hostess, but 2 things just stuck with me. My cocktail and dessert. Made reservations on yelp, it was painless and easy. Got to MW and loved that it was downstairs from the street level. I don't know why, but I love basement bars and restaurants. We were quickly greeted by our waiter who got our drink and apps coming. I ordered the "big in bankok" a peanut butter cocktail with Thai bitters, lime and four roses. The first one was amazing! The peanut butter smell was great but wasn't too overwhelming in the taste. The apps came out shortly after, octopus bacon and the pimento cheese with spoon bill caviar. As per the waiters suggestion we mixed up the octopus bacon as there is sour cream on the bottom and this melded all the flavors together. A+! The cheese and caviar is served on pork rinds, it was interesting and pretty good. On to the mains, I love ramen so when I saw they had two offerings I had to try one. I decided on the MW, spicy tare, pork belly, country ham, shiitake mushrooms and a poached egg. This was some damn good broth, noodles were great! Nice spicy and rich! My girlfriend got the bánh mì so of course I had a bite, awesome flavor without any one ingredient running over the others. It came time for another drink and the waiter asked if I would like to try something different, I loved the "bib" so I decided to have another. The 2nd one was completely different. Zero peanut butter smell or flavor, it was kind of a let down because of how great the first one was. Oh well.....on to dessert. We decided on the Togarashi cheesecake, blackened pineapple with sea salt and miso caramel, yes please. This too was a let down. I understand that cheesecake has to be made ahead of time and stored due to the time it takes to prepare. But when the whole dessert was made up and stored it kind of loses its luster. The pineapple and drizzle were just as cold as the cake was, the salt wasn't there. It would have been amazing if the pineapple was nice and warm with fresh caramel drizzle and a pinch of sea salt thrown on top....... Overall I'll be back, I did really enjoy milkwood.

    (4)

  • Jessie Z.

    Great dinner with friends who shared multiple appitizers and entrees. My favorite dinner was the fried chicken. A must get! Very juicy and flavorful. The vegetarian ramen noodle entree was good also, but not my favorite. The bone marrow appitizer was good, but expected more quantity compared to other restaurants that provided more on the plate. Hands down, order the desserts. Both were exceptionally delicious and my favorite part of the dinner! We enjoyed the ice cream sandwich and their seasonal cheesecake. Exceptional choices for both! The atmosphere, service, and alcoholic beverages were great and a low key classy. No snobville here.

    (4)

  • Greg M.

    2nd time in last two weeks and no let down. Been through a lot of the menu with family and friends. It's all top notch.

    (5)

  • Kristi M.

    Our visit to Milkwood started out strangely from the moment the hostess seated us at our table. The restaurant was not that busy, and despite the fact that there were more empty tables than full tables, she sat us at a table that was right next to a pole, and SO CLOSE to another table of diners, that we felt like we were having dinner with them. It was uncomfortably close, as those diners even noticed. Thankfully, our server noticed this odd seating and immediately asked us if we wanted to move, so we gladly took him up on it. (Those other diners seemed relieved that we moved too!) Our server did not disappoint: he expertly guided us through the drink menu, food menu, as well as specials. We settled on ordering the "seasonal side" as an appetizer, because who can resist fried green tomatoes? It didn't disappoint. In fact, it might be the best fried green tomato I've ever had. It's a little hard to get over the fact that it was $4 for one slice of tomato, but maybe I'm just cheap. We ordered the chicken plate and the organic beef burger to share as our entrees. Sadly, they weren't up to par. The burger was cooked well done, so it lacked the juiciness of a good burger. I should point out, that we weren't asked how we wanted the burger prepared, a fact I didn't realize until we got the burger. Also, the pretzel bun was too big for the burger. I was really surprised at how sub par this was. I expected more. The chicken plate didn't fare any better. The crust lacked seasoning and left a greasy taste that was difficult to get past. I opted to skip dessert since we were one for three at this point. After we paid, the server brought us dessert to go - on the house. I never complained about the food, so I'm not sure what his motivation was -- the good tip we left, he saw me using my yelp app, they are closed the next day and has plenty of cheesecake left? Whatever the reason, it solidified my resolve that service was the best thing about my trip to Milkwood.

    (3)

  • Julie M.

    Go for the Pork Shoulder and Beef Short Rib plates. Stay for the awesome drinks (omg Sweet Ruby FTW!). I will come back and try everything on this menu. Not a lie.

    (4)

  • Rich P.

    Oh wow, wish we got here for the full menu. Loved the pork burger, so damn good. Greens and kimchi were delicious and staff were super nice and helpful.

    (5)

  • Angela C.

    All I can say is, delicious! Asian-inspired Southern food turns out to be quite good. The husband and I went to Milkwood for date night before a show at the Louisville Palace and were not disappointed. The restaurant sits under the Actor's Theater, so the staff is very conscious about getting you out in time for your show, which is great! I ordered the mapa tofu with butternut squash, which was wonderful, warm, savory, and flavorful. Very filling. Husband ordered the scallops and smoked turkey- SO good. I couldn't resist ordering the green tea beignets, that were not super green tea tasting, but scrumptious nonetheless. Overall, great date place with a very modern ambience. Service was excellent. Pricier but not too pricey, and the food is creative and tasty!

    (4)

  • Cara U.

    It was just ok. Ambiance was bleak. It's in a basement with bad overhead lighting. Our waiter was nice and very helpful. Ordered smoked chicken wings for an appetizer, which were probably the best wings I've ever had. So tender and very full of flavor. We asked what the best items were on the menu, and we were told fried chicken and pork shoulder. I ordered the fried chicken. It was a leg and a small thigh sitting on a biscuit, that was in a pool of ranch dressing (that they call it Dill sauce). It was luke warm, obviously was not fried to order. We love fried chicken, does not even compete with Gus' or Willie Mae's. Not at all a dinner worth $17. I left hungry. My husbands pork shoulder was good. Was hoping for a better experience based on reviews.

    (3)

  • Dana A.

    It was a good meal. Chef was very accommodating. Brian was a great waiter. The menu was very eclectic it was more Asian fusion than comfort food.

    (3)

  • Jane J.

    Really friendly place with the best fried chicken served with a silky biscuit and slivers of peppers. Kimchi & collard greens side was a also a big hit. I think my date's pork shoulder with edamame was good but he'd scraped the plate clean before I could sneak a sample. With pimento cheese & chili dog apps & a pecan chocolate financier to finish it was a great mix of southern U.S. And again cuisines. Highly recommended.

    (5)

  • David W.

    The meal was interesting and delicious. Service was perfect - knowledgeable, attentive and not hovering. My only hesitation for a 5th star is the seating. The bench seats that circumnavigate the restaurant are a bit too high. Anyone shorter than 66" will find their feet dangling rather than resting comfortably on the floor.

    (4)

  • Christopher S.

    Really interesting Asian-Southern fusion restaurant. For an appetizer I had the rock shrimp sausage. That really made no sense to me, so I wasn't sure what I was getting. Turned out to look like sausage, had the consistency of sausage, but it tasted like shrimp. Very tasty! My entree was the brisket which oddly was covered with cream gravy, pieces of a biscuit, and an Asian sauce. Surprisingly this odd mixture really works! Dessert was the cheesecake. Overall the cheesecake was good, but it was interestingly spicy. Took a moment for the spice to kick in. A friend had the peanut butter pot-de-creme, which was awesome. I had the Southern Expansion for my drink and didn't care for it, but a friend had the Sweet Ruby, which was great. I'm definitely coming back to try their other dishes!

    (5)

  • Leslie H.

    Wow!!! Every choice on the menu looked amazing, so it was hard to even choose what to get. The cocktails were truly amazing, as was all the food we had. Highlights of the menu for us would be the chicken and waffles appetizer, the octopus bacon, and the sorghum-grit cake ice cream dessert. The environment is comfortable, and the servers are all really nice and knowledgeable. A solid dining experience from top to bottom. Highly recommended.

    (5)

  • Samantha F.

    I was surprised the place was not packed. Service was great, the server explained all my cocktail questions. We tried the charcuterie (duck was amazing) and the octopus bacon, because how could you not try that! We also ordered cocktails and the menu explained the flavors pallets perfectly. Would definitely return for apps and drinks!

    (4)

  • Brooke W.

    Husband and I yelped this place for a date night last night. (5-16-15) we started across the street at Down One Bourbon Bar for drinks and appetizers before our reservations at Milkwood. The reviews were great. I planned to order the chicken and waffles. Was disappointed to find out they were taken off the menu. I got the fried chicken platter instead. Served with a biscuit in the middle. It was good. Ok-good. Husband got the frog legs and he did not like it at ALL. I got the Sweet Ruby drink and it was way too stout and I only had a couple of sips. Husband got a Makers and coke and felt the same way. The decor was unique and it was a classy place to eat. Unfortunately we won't be back.

    (2)

  • Caryn S.

    So glad we followed our instincts! After finishing a fun bourbon tour downtown, we were looking for a unique dining experience with great food and continued lively atmosphere. Milkwood had impressive reviews and their menu was intriguing with a variety of options, so it was at the top of our list. Lucky for us, our wish was granted. The service was great, with a fun bar tender who really knew her bourbons and whose recommendations were spot on. In addition, the servers were attentive without being overbearing and also knew the menu very well to tailor to our tastes. GET THE RAMEN. We had the MW ramen specifically, and I would have been satisfied with only this...but then we would have missed out on the bone marrow and octopus bacon which were also incredible. Definitely check this place out, and look into the theater option to go along with your meal. We didn't know about it so didn't partake, but would look into it next time!

    (4)

  • Yong C.

    My favorite dish in all of Louisville has to be here. NW Ramen and collards with kimchi Amazing Make sure to get ramen mild. Very spicy.

    (5)

  • Sultan M.

    Edward really knows how to build a fantastic gem of a place to go - great food, excellent ambience, good prices and great staff. I couldn't have been happier with the meal. Even better was getting to chat with him for a few minutes - it was very generous and just shows the kind of guy he is. I'm also excited to try the 4 different kimchi recipes in his cookbook I got.

    (5)

  • Jessica H.

    I was visiting Louisville in June, and as a fan of Top Chef I couldn't wait to come here! Eating here was such a treat, and would recommend any food lover to visit. The restaurant itself is beautiful, dimly light, and intimate. Perfect for couples, or a small group of friends. The cocktails were wonderful, and not the standard kind you get a bar. I tried the Navy Tattoo - which was a grapefruit, rum, and rosemary drink. Pretty simple, but so delicious! I also tried the smoke and pickle. It is pretty different, but in a good way. Smokey, briney deliciousness. It may not be for everyone, but I would totally recommend it to more adventurous drinkers. As for the food, I tried the pickled and roasted beets, octopus bacon, the scallop and pork belly, and the cheesecake. I have no complaints about the food, and I still crave it. I wish I could go there tonight!

    (5)

  • Dolores K.

    We really really had high hopes for this place. I mean, with the Chef and Owner's credentials. how could one not? We were in town in Louisville and looked to the Yelp for place to eat and saw this place listed. We went last week on a Thursday night, which apparently was when they were filming an episode of Brew Dogs. Not sure is that's perhaps why the food wasn't up to par? We started with the chicken and waffles app. It's basically fried and sauced chicken thighs with some waffle shavings on it. The sauce tasted amazing. The chicken thighs were tough. My boyfriend ordered the brisket with the grilled mortadella. The brisket was dry and tough. You should not need to cut your brisket with your knife. Great brisket falls apart and melts into your mouth. This did neither. I ordered the smoked pork shoulder. Flavor here was great. Loved the edamame and coconut rice. However, the pork shoulder was also somewhat tough and dry. It was taking some good heaving with my knife to cut into it. I eventually gave up. We split an order of Parmesan fries, which were very tasty. The cocktails were okay, but being this is bourbon town, I'm shocked they knew nothing of Maker's 46 or even had it in stock. The chef did give us two desserts on the house for some reason. No sure why because we didn't complain to anyone about our food. I got some sort of a cheesecake thing, and he got this peanut butter and chocolate dessert. He really enjoyed his while I wan't entire happy with the seasoning on top of the cheesecake. Service was good. Our waiter was very nice and personable. Overall, we most likely won't go back next time we're in town.

    (2)

  • Melissa B.

    This was an interesting restaurant. The atmosphere was neat in the basement of Actors Theatre. The bar was large and looked extensive. The server was helpful with menu choices and keeping our drinks filled. We started with the chicken and waffles. They were not anything like what we were expecting but it was good. They were small boneless wings coated in a spicy red sauce with small crispy "waffle" pieces. They also had some ranch on the plate to dip in. For the entrees we tried the ribs for two, miso chicken, Brussels and shrooms, cottage fries, and pork shoulder. The ribs were plenty for two people with several ribs leftover. You may want to order a side though because the ribs are spicy...and it does not come with a side. The sides we had were good. The Brussels and shrooms were not really anything to love..just Brussels sprouts with a vinegarette. The fries were a cross between a chip and a french fry. The miso chicken with pomegranate seeds was a different combination but it worked. The pork shoulder was good as well and the coconut rice was a little weird but oddly delicious. For dessert we had the sorghum grit ice cream....it was good but did not know there were grits anywhere. We also tried the peanut butter dessert was great once you took off the cherries on top....they were awful! (We took the cherries off and ate everything else!)We did put this restaurant on the repeat list.

    (4)

  • Olga I.

    Service was great, very friendly and attentive. Food was great tasting but the portion size is what changed it for me. It was a tiny sliver of fish and 4 fingerling potato halves. For an entrée that price that's ridiculous. I actually left hungry and I can't ever remember feeling this way at the end of any meal out.

    (3)

  • Mark K.

    Went later and only had the late night menu to choose from but the pork burger was unbelievable. Highly recommend it.

    (5)

  • kevin g.

    Chef Ed Lee has done it again, This place is cozy and in a really cool setting in the lobby of the Actors Theater. The flavors center around the full range of tastes that the human tongue can experience. My wife and I went to this place for our anniversary and I was excited to try out what I hoped to be a great selections. For apps we had the Rock Shrimp Sausage (a must try) which is exactly as it sounds it was not heavy or greasy and packed with flavor but did not cover up the shrimp, very impressive. We also had the roasted and pickled beets, a nice selection of coupled with goat cheese and some other friends that was a good blend of tart and sweet as well as a myriad of textures. For main course we had Miso Smothered Chicken for my wife,which was very juice and had all of the flavours of the miso and chicken working together but not singing out of tune. I had the Teras Major steak, which is a good cut of meat, and if done right can be very tender and moist, this one was just that. Cooked dead on to my liking and the rest of the stuff in the pan was a great compliment. For sides we opted for the Lardo-Cheese Cornbread, how could this not be spectacular... The collards and Kim Chi, nice combo of leafy stuff with a little heat, and finally cottage fries. To wrap up the meal we did Sorghum and Grits ice Cream, hard to describe savory and sweet and all kinds of texture going on. That was about all we could hold, the meals are surprisingly filling even if their scale does not look that big. I certainly will be heading back to this place, I really want to try their brunch as I can only imagine it will be fabulous.

    (4)

  • Mark F.

    Yum!! Our group sampled potstickers. Ribs, pork burger, ramen w/ poached egg, and the octopus bacon. Everything was fantastic. The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is that it's pretty solidly into the $$$ category, and we went there because of great reviews expecting $$ pricing. $30 prix fixe pre-show menus were more than we expected, so we just picked around the fringes of the main menu. Still.... Highly recommended!

    (4)

  • A W.

    Thank you Edward and Stanley! Exceptional flavor and service!! We couldn't get enough of those addictive chili lime wings.

    (5)

  • Tanya G.

    What can I say that's already not been said? I tasted every dish on the menu with each and every one being an eyebrow raising experience. Fresh and piping hot, not one dish failed to impress. My favourite was the chicken and fish sausage - just divine!

    (5)

  • Dennis M.

    As an avid Mind of a Chef watcher I wanted to go and experience Chef Lee's cuisine and he did not disappoint. The Fried Chicken was stellar, Short Rib was barky, smokey, and tender. And the mixology was pleasurable as well. Nice walking distance from 21c hotel in a beautiful city. Highly recommend for other foodies!!!

    (4)

  • Jason M.

    We had an amazing meal for Valentine's Day. The lamb sausage, along with chicken and waffle was an awesome appetizer combo. The mazeman ramen was incredible. The pancetta was very crisp and added a good saltyness to the dish. My wife immensely enjoyed the scallops. The grits ice cream never disappoints and is a must have for any first timer.

    (5)

  • Thomas R.

    Short version: If you haven't eaten here yet, do yourself a favor and go. Get the chicken and waffles and octopus bacon - though I doubt you can go wrong with whatever you choose. Long version: I've been meaning to try MilkWood for a while now - particularly since I work about 2 blocks from it. I can safely say I was not disappointed. The cocktails were quite tasty and - in what is a common theme for MilkWood - not quite what I expected when I ordered them. I had the Southern Expansion (despite the listed ingredients, it's quite sour - good though) and the Smoke and Pickle (you need to like smokey and Scotch to like it, but it's also very nice). We took more of a tapas/sampler approach and tried a few of the appetizers, namely: the chicken and waffles, the octopus bacon, the lamb sausage w/fried green tomatoes and the charcuterie plate. The charcuterie plate is in a class in and of itself, considering that it had three varieties of meat, salad, a carrot "jam" (quite tasty), and interesting whole-grain mustard and bread. It was definitely a good choice for the table. The other three were also quite fantastic, however the chicken and waffles and octopus bacon are customer favorites for a clear reason. That's not to say the lamb sausage wasn't good - just that the other two were that spectacular. As is probably expected, the "chicken and waffles" isn't your typical garden variety; it's really more along the lines of a very, very good General Tso's chicken mixed with a few well prepared veggies (drawing a blank on the specifics at the moment), and chunks of what I assume to be pieces of waffle. My description really doesn't do it justice - it's different, but spectacular. The same goes for the octopus bacon - not quite what you expect when you order it (assuming you have a mental picture for what "octopus bacon" is of course... What? You mean you don't?), but extremely tasty. I had a hard time deciding between this and the chicken and waffles. Highly recommended.

    (5)

  • Rick H.

    I'm an adventurous eater and this place was right up my alley. I ordered the Octopus Bacon for my app, scallops/pork belly, and Brussels spouts for my main dish and sorghum/grits ice cream for dessert. E wry single one of these was complex, flavorful, and so well put together. I'm truly impressed with this place.

    (5)

  • Lindsay B.

    Food was absolutely amazing. We didn't have a bad bite the entire night. So many flavors that you would not think would work but if you're adventurous enough to try them they work. Innovative food and amazing presentation. Will probably come back to Louisville just to see what else they can come up with on the menu!! :-)

    (5)

  • E K.

    Great service, Great food. Definitely a local gem! I live in Louisville and took out of town friends to Milkwood. Everyone had a great experience and the pork shoulder was the hit of the night

    (5)

  • Glenn R.

    Didn't eat a ton of food, but two of the starters were beyond awesome. Octopus bacon was absolutely delicious. Now, the Ban Mi was out of this world. The pate and porkbelly, were rich and balanced with vegetables. Btw....order an Old Fashioned before ur meal.

    (5)

  • Miranda R.

    Everything about MilkWood lived up to our expectations. The food, the staff, the ambiance, the location...our experience was excellent! We will definitely have an encore meal on the next visit to Louisville!

    (5)

  • Meg H.

    I came in with a party of 20, which can always get tricky. However, the food and service were incredible. Everyone loved their food from appetizers to entrees to desserts. In addition to the great dishes, the service was amazing. The restaurant was packed, but our waiter constantly checked in with us. Then he went above and beyond when separating the checks, literally splitting appetizers and desserts into fourths to avoid any confusion (or drama). I highly recommend MilkWood!

    (5)

  • Jay L.

    While on a business trip my colleagues wanted to try this restaurant out, and it was a great choice! Milkwood is located on the bottom level of what looks to be a playhouse? I could be wrong. The food is absolutely amazing, and a lot of thought was definitely put into the menu. It's a diverse menu with Asian influences. Definitely a must try if you're in the downtown Louisville area!

    (5)

  • Max B.

    Confounded by the strangest cocktail list I had ever seen, the waiter recommended a rye-worcestershire-beer concoction. It sounded like a spill at a steakhouse, but went with my brisket so well I've been making it at home every time I throw a red meat on the grill since. The strange offerings and smattering of reviews (all superb) sum this place up pretty well - a little known but highly recommended taste-fest. One of the best restaurants I have ever been to, and I've been to a lot. Icing on the togarashi cheesecake? Under 40 bucks with the cocktail.

    (5)

  • Brent S.

    If you're in Louisville and you like food, you really need to get to this restaurant. For drinks, the cocktails are absurdly good and well off the beaten path from what you are going to get anywhere else in the city. It may sound weird at first glance, but if you like scotch you need to try the Smoke 'n Pickle. Moving on to the starters, everything is good. I mean it. The chicken and waffles are the signature starter and they do live up to being a signature dish. The octopus bacon is amazing. The Vietnamese lamb sausage is great. Try everything else too while you're at it. For the main course, the duck for two is a fantastic option and is plated with a wide array of toppings to go with the mu shu style pancakes the dish is served with. For my money, the decision is on the brisket. Again though, hard to go wrong. For dessert, the best thing on the menu is the cheesecake. It's spicy and flavorful.

    (5)

  • Victor R.

    It was so good, I asked for an encore. Well, by encore, I really mean dessert. But let me backtrack. I am always intrigued by local beers on tap, so I tried a few of them. None disappointed. The table shared the chicken and waffles and the smashed potatoes (mostly to get the octopus bacon). In hindsight, I would have doubled down on the octopus bacon and skipped the "deconstructed" chicken and waffles. Upon our server's recommendation, the missus and I went with the pork burger (awesome) and miso chicken (pretty good; seemed to be a crowd favorite). There's only one dessert that even sounded appealing...you'll probably know what it is when you see it. Service was great, and caught a few glimpses of the well-know chef and proprietor. My only advice is to schedule your meal during a play or on an off-night...the post-play crowd got rather rowdy.

    (5)

  • Alex B.

    Wowza. Our experience at Milkwood was pretty much our only time in Louisville. I think we made the right choice eating here, though, as the food is unlike any I've ever tasted. It's not often that you taste flavors completely foreign to your palate, but this was one of those occasions. Besides, we were impressed by the decor, ambiance, and wonderfully designed menu. Drinks: The Milkwood, Big in Bangkok, and Smoke and Pickle. The Milkwood was the winner here: cucumber, dill, citrus and sake merged to create this sweet concoction. It was like a cucumber lemonade, and pretty too (see photos). Big in Bangkok was like drinking a Pad Thai: you definitely tasted the peanut! I felt that the presentation fell flat here, though. It looked like some light brown liquid in the glass and could definitely have benefited from a garnish (lime? cilantro?) or something pretty on the bottom. As for the Smoke and Pickle, I'm not a pickle fan, so I can't truly say anything other than this is a very strong drink. Small plates: we weren't sure of the portions, so we ended up getting 3 appetizers, a side, 2 large plates, and a dessert each between the three of us and left very full. Our small plates were as follows: Cornbread: yes, that giant yellow glob is butter. There were some interesting flavors in there that I still can't place. Something sweet or tangy, I'm not totally sure. It was okay, but not really a big hit at the table. Octopus bacon: this one has some spice! I am not sure if I was detecting real bacon, or just a smoky flavor. Definitely octopus though. Frog legs: they were huge! Bone marrow: fun to scoop and put on a shrimp chip. Big plates were the fried chicken platter, which was good but difficult to split between three; and the pork belly and scallops, which was a small portion for a large plate. In fact, everything was kind of a small portion. They were very tasty, however. For dessert we had bourbon ice cream sandwiches, which were really too much...but if you can eat dessert after all that, you should share it!

    (5)

  • Scott B.

    During my Midwest tour, I stopped off in Louisville to visit my younger brother and his GF. The bro recommended Milkwood, and after looking at yelp, I don't know how we could go wrong. We started with two apps: Bone marrow, and Octopus Bacon. Both were excellent. For drinks, I was boring, and got red wine. Bro went with Big in Bangkok- a pad thai drink. Yep, I swear he's not gay, hence the "GF" reference. Actually, the Big in Bangkok, was a very tasty craft cocktail...no lie. For entrees, bro & I went with the Pork Burger. Huge, and very flavorful. One damn good burger. Bro's GF went with scallops...I think. All of us were very pleased with our choices. When back in Louisville, I'd definitely return. Supposedly, the menu changes daily, and they're always adding new craft cocktail concoctions. About as good as it gets.

    (5)

  • Ashley I.

    The items on this menu are like no other. I ordered the MW ramen and it was one of the most flavorful ramen dishes I've ever had. Everyone else in my party seemed to enjoy their food as well, except the the ribs which were said to be dry and not seasoned well. I think I may have enjoyed the food too much and went home extremely full.

    (4)

  • James H. L.

    Chef Lee is a subscriber to the current trends of what is termed 7-flavor cuisine (defined as composing dishes that attempt incorporate optimally 5 of the 7 primary flavors each dish - salty, sweet, sour, bitter, hot/spicy, smoky, and umami, preferably in gentle balance with each other.) Basically, the menu does achieve this, with some success, but with certain reservations on execution. For example, a well executed grilled asparagus with sous vide egg bearnaise is fine, but adding a pickled chili is sort of an amuse bouche unnecessary addition. Octopus bacon is a take on using smoked baby octopus in a hash based context, with a discordant jalapeno salsa, which is again, entertaining, but distracting rather than reinforcing. Garnishes like the feathered chili are definitely present but undetectable amidst the array of conflicting elements. And it goes with the current fried chicken plate, which has a decent trio of a black sesame SoFry flour battered drumsticks, paired with a light buttermilk dressing, blush radish slices, and a weakly gingered ponzu, and a cheddary sour cream biscuit, flanked by a scattering of dry fried Kentucky green beans. Individually interesting but lacking binding. Pork belly on coconut rice with lightly streamed okra has a good start, and adds vinegar pickled jicama and shelled edamame. Entertaining, but a bit cacaphonous on the palate. Togarashi cheesecake with blackened pineapple and white miso caramel sauce is fun, but was marred by being staged in the chiller too long so the appearance suffered the dull look of something left several hours on plate in a refrigerator. (This was observed by several others that inexplicably certain dishes emerge from the kitchen almost too fast, indicating things are being pre prepped too far in advance of ordering - presumably to adjust for problems in the production side of the sous kitchen) This being a Wednesday night, it was training night for several new servers, but while I don't mind the back of house explaining each dish coming out to the new staff, having it sit under heat lamps unserved while the few floor staff are running ragged with tail trainees is not good for the customers waiting and is causing awkward surges in the service pacing. A work in progress with inventive recipes emerging but needing more refinement (and less marketing, ala "Isn't this amazing flavor-wise?" Listen to the customers first, then reinforce if confirmed by their responses.) The pretzel bun based burgers look excellent, as do the platter of ribs for two and the cottage fries demonstrating the real strengths here may be the simpler items. Presentation and plating are great, as well. Best is yet to come on this one.

    (3)

  • Kevin S.

    This place is good. I wanted to try their regular menu but I guess it changed and they were releasing a new menu. I had the lamb, it was VERY spicy. The Pita was dry though. I didn't enjoy it very much. My gf had the pork and it was somewhat cold. The food is good overall and the sauces were rich. The octopus bacon was great and had a jalapeno puree that made it stand out. We had the Togarashi cheesecake for dessert and it was very good! Best cheesecake I have had in a while.

    (3)

  • Laurie V.

    Had dinner here on the day of the Derby. We went right when they opened for dinner and there were very few people there. Sat at the bar. Highlights: octopus bacon, short ribs, house-made hot sauce, and the wings. They had a prix-fixe menu, but they allowed us to meander from that and order appetizers a la carte. I had an early morning on Sunday, so I didn't want to overdo it with the drinks. I had a beer. My travel companion had a cocktail, but it was non-memorable. Not bad, I just forget what it was. Stools at the bar were slightly uncomfortable, but other than that I enjoyed the ambiance, the service, and the food.

    (4)

  • Johanna P.

    5 stars! Best restaurant in Louisville, hands down. We had the Pimento Cheese and Caviar as a starter and it was fantastic, and the lardo-cheese cornbread and cottage fries sides were amazing. The Organic Pork Burger, served on a pretzel bun, was fantastic. The food was great and the bar service was even better! We can't wait to come back.

    (5)

  • Sarah H.

    Came here at 7:00 for a Thursday night date, and it was just the right amount of busy but not too crowded. Located on the basement floor of the Actors Theater, MilkWood offers an interesting menu of Asian / Southern comfort food fusion. Drink and dessert menus were very tempting as well. As a lover of Japanese ramen, I ordered the MW Ramen. Our waiter's recommendation did not disappoint: the ramen broth was spicy and full-flavored and really hit the spot. It was a heavier flavor than Japanese ramen tends to be (heavier than Hiko-A-Mon's pork broth ramen, which in my opinion is a very solid and savory soup), and I greatly appreciated the thoughtful supply of toppings: shiitake mushrooms, spring onions, a demure slice of pork belly, and a perfectly poached and runny egg. Excellent presentation and portion overall (note: the smallish slice of pork belly suited me just fine, but might leave swine shrine worshippers waning more). My date had the organic beef burger--about which he made noises indicating it pleased his inner man greatly--and an Indian ale that came recommended by our very knowledgable waiter. In short, great service, ambience, location, and a fun, creative menu that demands a second visit.

    (5)

  • Mark F.

    Awesome food, but i've just seen the late night menu. Very nice location, nice ambiance. Kind of pricey though ... :) PS the togarashi cheesecake is worth a try!!

    (5)

  • Valerie B.

    Fabulous meal and great service. We had a couple plates from their "southern dim sum". The bison and scallop plate was sweet and mild. We also had the octopus bacon whose salty and smoky flavors was a hit! I was not a fan of their signature ramen but my friend loved it. I found the sweet and thick broth off putting. BUT taking a piece of their smoky nori sausage and having it with the ramen and broth was AMAZING! To drink I tried their Milkwood cocktail which had chartreuse. I did not like it but the waitresses were really good about changing my drink to a much tastier cocktail with Buffalo Trace bourbon. I definitely recommend this place and would go back!

    (4)

  • Rachael W.

    We really didn't know what to expect from Milkwood but we were so pleasantly surprised! The atmosphere was relaxed, the food was different and delicious, and the experience was one to remember! We had a little bit of everything - the beef burger for starters then some ramen and fried chicken for dinner. We had the fried green tomato and cornbread for sides. S'mores and cheesecake for dessert. Loved it! Bursting with flavor and so unique. Coming back to Louisville just for this place!

    (5)

  • Doug M.

    I gotta say that the ponzu sauce with the Chicken Plate was amazing. It was so good that it would taste incredible even on Fruity Pebbles, on a 2x4, or on the rocks. Anyhoo, the burger was also insanely good. I would recommend this place to foodies, vagabonds, and passerby's due to the high quality, excellent service, and saucy stuff.

    (4)

  • Laura C.

    I'm in love with you, MilkWood. I came with five friends, after hiring a dog/baby-sitter for the evening, so we could live it up. We even drove a minivan to downtown to eat. Aw, we're so cute! Anyway, I was with real foodies, all of whom eat meat. I'm the only non-meat-eater. Three chose to drink beer (there is a small curated selection of microbrews) and three of us had cocktails: Toy Tiger, Southern Expansion, Dead Mule, and Big in Bangkok. The last cocktail was probably my favorite. We also ordered so many starters (including the rack of ribs for two) that the chef very nicely sent out an additional dish. We had to get that party started! We had the: fried chicken and waffle, the rack of ribs, the octopus bacon, the rock shrimp sausage, and the lardo-cheese cornbread. Good lord, it was delicious. My favorites were the things I ate: octopus bacon and rock shrimp sausage. Everyone else loved the rack of ribs in particular. Then for the entrees, we ordered and passed around the mazeman ramen, some pork shoulder, a couple pork burgers, and the miso chicken. The ramen was great - very spicy, good noodles. The pork went over well, and the miso chicken surprised people with how good it was. For all that, each couples (three couples) paid about $60 plus generous tips. So affordable! We will be back the next time people are visiting, and we can hire a dog/baby-sitter!

    (5)

  • KJ L.

    Just checked back and see my truthful and not particularly positive review of this place was not populated and conveniently removed. How very unsavory of this restaurant...

    (1)

  • Kristen G.

    Amazing service! The pinot noir was perfect with the roast fish of the day! The ambience was perfect! Loved the miso caramel cheesecake!!!!!!! Highly recommend:)

    (5)

  • Eva H.

    Excellent food and service! Absolutely loved the octopus bacon and the pork burger. Also had the cheesecake. Cottage fries very nice. Didn't have but the scallops and bison was getting high praise at the table next to us.

    (5)

  • Brian L.

    Very inventive cuisine in the heart of downtown, well thought out wine list, tons of great options, particularly if you love slow-food, great selection of cocktails & booze as well

    (4)

  • Marian C.

    DAAAAAMMMMNNNNN!!!! This dining experience was off the chain! Met Chef in Mexico a couple weeks ago and he told me what to get. A group of 10 of us came for valentine's dinner at 9pm. We ate like kings and queens. We got to try almost EVERYTHING!! For apps: the table ordered. octopus and bacon, chicken and waffles, and the charcuterie plate. WOW on all fronts. The chicken and waffles had korean style fried chicken and the sauce was so tasty and spicy. Octopus was tender and delicious. The charcuterie plate was unlike anything I had ever seen. So packed with delicious, tender meats, pickled mushrooms, and greens. THEN, the server brought out the best oysters i've ever tasted as well as chicken wings. delicious. For drinks: i had the big in bangkok. the four roses is infused with peanut butter and the flavor was so great. different and inventive, this drink was. dinner: i got the pork shoulder. man got the oxtail. the coconut rice was delicious and the pork was so tasty. the oxtail was the best dish on the table. cooked like a pot roast, the meat just fell apart. the oxtail was wrapped in a cabbage on a bed of delicious sauce and veggies. kimchi collards and brussel sprouts and shrooms were perfect sides!! The server brought out a full rack of ribs that fell off the bone!! desserts: i ordered the sorghum and grits ice cream. BEST dessert on the menu, but i did not try the beignets. The cheesecake was great as well as the peanut butter pot de creme. the macaroons that were given for dinner reminded me of apple jacks! so good. This was probably one of the best dining experiences i've had in a very long time. I cannot wait to go back and try dim sum and ramen!! Best service. Best food. I already want to go back :)

    (5)

  • Tara M.

    I went to milkwood a while back with my boyfriend and his family for dinner. We got there as soon as it opened so there was no wait and service was really prompt. We started with the bone marrow and a banh mi.. The bone marrow was awesome but it's bone marrow so cmon its gotta be good. It was beautifully presented and soon turned into a greasy bone graveyard. The banh mi was good but was the one dish we ordered that didn't impress me.. I've had some really good banh mi though so, eh. I got the mazeman ramen which was hands down one of the top ten foods to enter my mouth EVER. Egg yolk, pancetta, and Parmesan hardly make a typical bowl of ramen but my god, it was an amazing take on a bowl of noodle soup. I also ordered a milkwood, the signature drink, and it blew my mind. Refreshing, slightly creamy yet crisp it was probably the best cocktail I've ever had. We finished our meal with the togarashi cheesecake which started out as an excuse to have the necessary birthday dessert, but surprised me with its depth of flavor- perfectly charred pineapple, and just enough salt to curb the sweetness. I'm not a desert person but I still think back fondly on that cheesecake.. Ahh.. Anyways, it's a great place for a special occasion, especially if you consider yourself a bit of an adventurous eater and wanna try some different takes on classics.. Yada yada just eat there, it great!

    (5)

  • Sarah C.

    This was my second time checking out Milkwood, but only my first time having any food while there. We decided to pop in on Valentine's Day evening before the show at Actors (without reservations) and were lucky enough to walk right in to 2 seats at the bar. We each ordered a drink first: I went with a glass of red wine and he chose a beer that was on draft. Their wine list is on the smaller side, but reasonably priced at $7-$10 dollars a glass. The draft menu was small but had quality options on tap. My date ordered the burger and was not disappointed, even going as far as saying it was one of the best burgers he had ever had. It was a double patty burger with a thick slice of white cheddar and some bacon, topped with a slightly spicy slaw and unami ketchup. Oh, and it was all served on a pretzel bun that was just right. :) I decided to get a side of brussel sprouts and mushrooms (I was not super hungry from snacking all day) and an order of their cottage fries to share with my beau. The brussel sprouts and mushrooms were cooked perfectly and had a nice, fresh, earthy flavor. Not overly spiced or seasoned, which for some would be disappointing but for me was just right. I could really taste the flavors of both. The cottage fries were medallion sliced potatoes, fried and lightly salted. They were tasty and hit the spot for a fry fix. :) After dinner, we opted to grab a cocktail in lieu of dessert. They have some really interesting sounding cocktails on their list which made it hard to choose. I went with Big In Bangkok which was Four Roses with some peanut butter flavors and a couple others that I have forgotten already. It was a salty, almost sour drink. I can't say that I have ever tried one quite like it. I was glad i chose it since it was different than most cocktails that I have had before. My date decided on more simple bourbon cocktail with bitters and some orange. He was pleasantly surprised and found it to be a sweeter option than just ordering a bourbon on the rocks. I should add that they will gladly make your drinks in a plastic cup so that you can take it with you to the show. Extra bonus! All in all, we were happy with our pre-show dinner. Ed Lee is an excellent chef and I am glad we have two places in town to relish in his premium skills.

    (4)

  • Paige H.

    Food at Milkwood is always exceptional, I had the burger and other entrees were the ramen - pork shoulder & chicken. No complains here. The only criticism is that the restaurant was really loud. It's hard to have a conversation without shouting.

    (4)

  • Chris R.

    The only thing better than the food was the service. Melanie made my wife's birthday dinner very special. We will be back.

    (5)

  • Corey W.

    I really like the concepts of the menu but I think some of the execution falls short of the ideal. I ended up coming here because the Chef's other restaurant in the city didn't have any open reservations. Pros: -Lots of unique plays on classic dishes that make you want to try everything on the menu -You don't have to break the bank to eat here, quality to price ratio is really high. Cons: -Execution of the intended concept fell somewhat short in the seasoning. Generally everything was delicious but some one in the Kitchen was being heavy handed with the salt. Became noticeable in every dish after 3 or 4 bights. -Crowded feel to the layout -Service was not particularly impressive. I will try again if I am in town simply because of all the unique menu options. I just hope they learn to ease up on the salt shaker. I love salty food as much as the average American but here it became too much.

    (3)

  • Heather T.

    Was in town last weekend for a wine certification test. This place was recommended by a friend, and as I was at a place with fellow food and wine lovers, I had to drag someone along with! Ended up going with a random person I met that day and we both loved it! The food is Korean influenced and more for adventurous foodies but definitely not intimidating. They do small plates, or "dim sum" at $23 a person for 4 plates. There are only 10 plates total so me and my friend got 8 an shared everything. By far my favorite was the pork belly lettuce wrap with fish sauce aioli. YUM! Mostly everything was good. I didn't particularly enjoy the sesame noodles with pickled shrimp, but that's just me. Another mentionable was the fried pickles and tofu with kalbi butter. Interestingly they're not just cucumber pickles, but various other kinds as well. The rice cake was wonderful, served with their house made kimchi! The atmosphere was a bit odd. Not necessarily in a bad way, it just had a southern vibe. As I was eating korean food, it was just different. The cocktails had something to be desired. The food was the star, need I say. I had the navy tattoo (rum, grapefruit and rosemary) and the burmese days (gin, sorghum, lime, sparkling). Both were good, but just that. Didn't rock my socks off like the food. My friend had the milkwood (nigori, chartreuse and lemon) and mentioned it tasted like androgynous soap.. Blech. The service was awesome! We stayed for quite a while, studying for our wine test the next day. The server wasn't impatient or trying to push us out. He even mentioned they had atleast 30 mins after close to clean up so we were fine. As I'm a server myself, I normally hate staying that late but he was well compensated! Last but not least, they have a little gem on the menu, TOGARASHI CHEESECAKE. Need I say more? It's a bit spicy, a goat cheese based dessert but not super goaty and pungent. There was some blackened pineapple and caramel. You need to try it. Yay Milkwood! A must visit if ever in Louisville.

    (4)

  • Just M.

    Hmmmm American Food.... Not sure unless nowadays as long as it's beef or pork it's American, definitely not American traditional It's a mishmash of flavors. Very boring menu with minimal ingredients listed. Ribs come out in 3 minutes. That's a sign they have them pre prepared in the back and not that its a bad thing but they weren't hot but luke warm. No sides served except 4 stale and dried out buns with no butter. Rib so spicy that your lips burned!! That would of been AWESOME to know ahead of time.... Plus the most uncomfortable bar stools ever, it's like they want you to leave. Staff was friendly and atmosphere was nice. Just hoping for more.

    (2)

  • Jeffrey B.

    Chef Edward Lee masterfully handles flavors that mesh up his Asian heritage with the taste of traditional Southern cuisine. A very affordable trip through a starter menu proved to be an expert foil for a tasting menu. Several small starter dishes where chosen which compared to appetizer size dishes at many other fine dinning establishments. We will be traveling the three hour drive back to Louisville again soon to partake of chef Lee's brilliance. This meal makes me long even mire to try 610 Magnolia- Lee's flagship restaurant in Louisville.

    (5)

  • Julie S.

    Inconsistent. Capacccio and tuna are good. Fried chicken way too spicy. Service is spotty. Took a while for one drink while others got theirs. Mistakes in orders. A little loud from echo of the room.

    (3)

  • Mark A.

    Overall this place was a solid choice and I would recommend you consider it as a dining option while in Louisville, although I have been to other restaurants that I'd prioritize over MilkWood (namely Rye and El Mundo). Environment is very cozy and the bar area is quite nice -- I found that especially pleasing being that my visit was for business, so bar eating is preferred over "table for 1, please." Octopus Bacon: Sure, slap the word "bacon" on something and my eyes gravitate to its spot on the menu and stay laser focused. I'm not really sure it was bacon per se, but the preparation of octopus with the jalepeno jelly and potatoes was very flavorful. I had a few "too oceany" bites of octopus, but for the most part it was good. I also used MilkWood's house-made hot sauce and it went well with this dish. Pork Burger: A lot of flavors are going on with this burger, and that's what makes it so good. I didn't need any enhancements like ketchup or hot sauce; the burger was fine by itself. I probably would have gotten some frites in hindsight since a little extra salt would have been a nice accompaniment. Drink selection was good; as one would expect in Kentucky, there is quite an impressive bourbon list. Sadly, I'm not a bourbon drinker. Maybe someday. On my next visit to Louisville, I'm not sure I'd go back right away since there are so many spots to explore. But I'd never tell anybody it's a bad choice; that would make me a liar!

    (4)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :Closed
  • Mon : Closed
    Tue

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : No
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Garage, Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : No
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : Free
    Has TV : No
    Dogs Allowed : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

MilkWood

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