Second time visiting and this time I had the opportunity to actually sit down and eat dinner. We shared the pork cheek sliders, quail over risotto and the spicy frites. The sliders were fantastic, the quail was cooked well but it was my first time and I discovered I don't like the taste. The spicy frites were good but a tad salty.
Overall a good meal and of course the beers were very good.
The only minor negative was the service, the bartender seemed a bit standoffish and appeared to be preoccupied, but the busboy made up for it with his friendly attitude. this did not detract too much from the experience for me but I live in a college town so am used to poorly trained servers.
What can be said that hasn't already been said better in the New York Times? Everything here is well thought out, well executed, imaginative, and just plain delicious. Spicy frites (a sort of kim chee fry), brussel sprouts and / or baby mustard greens salads, freshly made bratwurst served with sauerkraut they make in house--everything I've tried here is just great. The only downfall is letting you know about it, frankly, as there is a distinct possibility its downfall will be its own popularity. As such, arrive earlier than you normally would in the hope of getting a seat (I'd say "of being seated" but service here is bar style and it's every man/woman for themselves...unless you brought your posse).
Review Source:I have been back here a couple of times since I wrote my review and I have found the secret to avoiding the grenade beer. You can tell just about any employee there your likes and dislikes and they will bring you a non-vinegar beer that is sweet AND bitter (yes, I live a life of contradictions). This is annoying for people that have never been there, but there are enough good beers on the menu that you should take the risk. I still vote for free samples or the ability to return beers.
The food is freaking awesome, but a lot of it is spicy. And when I say spicy, I mean REALLY spicy. You're eating the mussels and the red curry sauce is TO DIE FOR,but then it's so hot mouth is on fire. So you start drinking your beer to cool off and the next thing you know, you've eaten the entire plate of mussels and finished your beer in about 15 minutes. And then you realize your beer is 12% abv and then you realize-sh you're slurring your words-sh.
I've been here quite a few times. It's a very cool atmosphere and the food and beer are both pretty good (it should be for the prices), but the service is borderline horrendous. If you're charging 7 bucks a beer, at least be a little friendly.
Rude staff ruins this place, go somewhere else where they will appreciate your business.
Our first impression was that it looked like a cool, hip place with good ambience, but that quickly changed. We sat at the bar for almost 10 mins where neither of the 2 bartenders on staff looked up to say hello, offer us a menu, or to even tell us that they would be right with us. We even tried to get their attention several times. We are from out if town and a local recommended this place. We give this one star because we never got to try the place due to horrible service.
Review Source:This place looks cool and very eclectic but that's all I can say. My girlfriend and I were in town for the night and holy grale was recommended. We were totally ignored for at least fifteen minutes without being offered a menu or even an acknowledgement that they saw us sitting at the bar. I overheard a bartender talking to a customer about how pissed she was because it was supposed to be slow that night. Do they not work off tips at this place? Â I'm sure this is a cool place but I can't recommend it and never will give it another chance. We found another place with just as good beer menu and great bartenders called O'sheas. It's right down the road. I had the bison burger and several craft beers that were wonderful.
Review Source:The descriptions on the beer menu are such a great addition for any bar with under the radar brews like Holy Grale. I can see why they're ranked as one of the nations best bars. Also, whats not to love about a Unitarian Church turned into a bar? Not that the decor needs to be fleshed out much (which is one of the most charming things about the atmosphere) but apparently the men's room is all about some last supper pics in case you forgot A place called Holy Grale used to be a church.
I don't love coming here on the weekends because its super crowded and its not a great time to be able to chat with the bartenders about beer recommendations since they're so busy, but that's where the menu comes in handy. Advice: go early if you want some interaction around your beer selection and nab a table for you and your friends while you can. No problems on weekdays though.
The spicy fries are so not up my alley but are still freaking delicious nonetheless. Seasame seeds and brussel sprouts are two of my least favorite things, but their spicy fries (featuring both of these food nemesi of mine) somehow make me like these things I'm ordinarily diametrically opposed to. Is it because I'm American and must like anything involving fries? Maybe...but I like to think Holy Grale's kitchen has a little something to do with it too.
Warning: be prepared for some major grease along with the pork sliders.
I love trying new beer and this is definitely a place to do it. Â Though I don't frequent this place often, I wish I did. Â The only reasons I don't are because I'm usually with a group and the seating inside is limited and there are usually a few folks that don't drink beer (I know, I don't get it either). Â However, the times I have been here have always been pleasant. Â On my last visit they had Hopslam and that just turns my frown upside down!
Review Source:Martin Luther would have frequented this place on the regular. This is an old church building turned into a craft beer bar. Bardstown/Baxter is one of the happening places in Louisville, and Holy Grale is a great addition. This bar is always busy, which means that they are constantly tapping a keg of something new. This year they have expanded their seating to include an outside patio and the upstairs, a.k.a. "The Choir Loft." The decor plays on the church theme, and makes this a fun place to grab a few. The seating is limited, and always busy, so come here with a couple of friends and solve the world's problems over a few great beers and some beer cheese/pretzel bread (or a bacon wrapped hot dog!).
Review Source:I have been to Holy Grale 3 times before and had unpleasant experiences. My friend was in from out of town last night and her father suggested we grab some food there. They both seemed pretty excited to try it and I didn't want to be picky so I agreed to go.
It was the same old crap from every other time. Extremely rude staff- at this point I think being a miserable asshole is a prerequisite for any position there.
Even though they have a vast selection of beer, they never have anything that sounds any good to me. All I want most of the time is a dark, malty stout. The one beer that sounded the slightest bit appealing was unavailable. I ended up drinking this awful sour beer upon the suggestion of the angry waiter- he said it was the next closest beer to being "stout like."
I think that was the most disgusting beer I have ever had and have no clue why anyone would suggest that to someone looking for a stout.
Of course they ran out of the components to make the one food menu item I ordered as well, but I have to say the food ended being delicious anyhow.
I wish this food could be served in a different establishment.
Unfortunately the only time I will ever get to eat food from the Holy Grale is if someone brings it home because I am never stepping foot in that place again.
The name says it all. It is the Holy Grale. Super knowledgeable bartenders, Super unique "bar food"..I had the Cassolet dog. My friend claims to have ordered the greatest burger he ever had. The beer is totally off the wall, great stuff.
I could go on and on about this place. But it would be redundant.
I went here on a Sunday night and it was slow, so the service was great and parking very easy. I would drive off the interstate for this place.
Went in tonight to grab a beer and bite to eat prior to a movie.
And while the beer list remains one of the most eclectic in town with amazing offerings from around the world and from local craft artisanal brewers, the food left a lot to be desired.
I started with tonight's special chicken sliders. The pretzel bread buns and spicy (what I assume was remoulade) sauce were great. But trying to find the extremely small pieces of chicken on the bun was an exercise in frustration.
This trend continued as my second course, the cubano sandwich, arrived. The bread, from local Blue Dog Bakery was light, crispy and flavorful. But the roast pork, ham and even the pickles were nonexistent. Â Seriously there was very little if any meat on the bread and I think between the four presented pieces of sandwich I got one with a pickle on it.
One of the easiest ways for a restaurant to increase its margins is through cutting the serving size of its meat, which is generally one of the more expensive ingredients. But Holy Grale has taken this to the point of ridiculousness. Especially given how much of a profit margin they should be making on their beers, they shouldnt need to make up that much ground on their sandwich offerings.
Based on tonight's performance I dont think we will be returning anytime in the near future. There are simply to many other bar/restaurants offering better bang for the buck in Louisville, ie Garage Bar, Hammerheads, Silver Dollar, Cumberland Brewery, etc etc.
This place was a top choice in Louisville when we stopped here. Â Not only did we hear they had great beer, we heard they had delicious food. Â Located in what looks like an old church, you'd easily walk by it if you did not know what you were looking for. Â We sat out back on the patio and enjoyed the ambiance and hop vines growing.
We started off with the pickle plate, which had no pickles that you'd think of and instead several different pickled items. Â They were all delicious and interesting. Â It came with an accompaniment of bread to go with it. Â Overall, the dish was fresh and pleasant.
Then we decided to try the scotch quail eggs. Â Neither my husband or I have ever really enjoyed a scotch egg, but these were great. Â The inside was done perfectly and whatever was on the outside was great. Â The sauce that came with it was just the perfect amount and not smothering to the egg.
We ended the meal with a chicken apple brat. Â It was on a pretzel bun, which is the real reason I decided to order it. Â The bun was great and the brat was too. Â There were fresh toppings on it and overall it was wonderful.
Our experience at Holy Grale was pretty good and we enjoyed ourselves. Â The servers were attentive, but not overly friendly. Â The service itself was perfectly fine though. Â The beer selection was amazing and will make any beer fan quite delighted. Â Definitely a place to try out!
I have been wanting to try this place for a minute, and finally made it. Super cool concept (and I'm not even a beer fan), great food, reasonably priced.
We got there early on a weekday evening and about 830-9 the placed was packed with a good mix of people. Thankfully, we were able to just belly up at the bar with no waiting.
The music was at a good level for most of our time there. We sat at the bar, watched them prepare the different beers and could actually hear each other talk (most places are too damn loud). As the hours ticked by, the music unfortunately got louder. The whole...more people more talking so let's jack the music up...so, about that time is when we paid our bill and left.
All in all, the beer cheese and pretzel bread was spot on and the burger. Man. Delicious. Curry ketchup with fries, great too. I am used to paying an upwards of $10 for bourbon cocktails, so the beer list didn't seem crazy expensive. But, I am not usually a beer drinker and wouldn't be a good judge of pricing on this.
Highly recommend.
This place has a truly superior beer selection. You're going to pay more for it, but if you want a treat, it's the place to go. Don't get too attached to any one beer as the offerings are switched out for new ones pretty frequently. You won't ever be bored with your options, though.
The place is pretty small. I don't know if that has changed since I moved away (I had heard unsubstantiated rumors of an expansion), but when I was still in Louisville, there were a couple of times when I wanted to come here but couldn't due to lack of seating. Also, the food is pricey for what you get. If you just want a snack, it's not a big deal. If you are truly hungry, I recommend eating elsewhere and drinking here.
Overall, this place is a nice addition to the Bardstown Road scene. Also, if you get low on cash, you can always run across the street to Cahoots for a PBR and a study in contrasts!
Some new friends of ours suggested this place as they are craft beer aficionados. Â
Parking can be an issue as they only have 6(ish) parking spots on site & then it is street parking. Â The restaurant is in a hipster part of town, so safe to walk around if you park a block or so away. Â It's a very atmospheric building that you can see being a favorite neighborhood haunt, if you lived within walking distance of it. Â The clientele was a mix of clean cut urban professionals & wispy hipster guys with unkempt beards.
As others have noted, the bar area dining is very tight & the tables pretty small. Â The four of us just managed to fit at our table, which is probably one of the reasons why they do small plates! Â There is seating for about 20 or so by the bar area, about the same upstairs in the loft(which opens up at 6pm) & easily 40 outside in the beer garden(with fresh herbs growing). Â The next time we go, we will definitely sit outside if the temps are in the 70-80's. Â It would be very pleasant out there under the dangling bulbs stretched across the yard. Â Too hot & humid last night(90+).
The bar & semi-wait staff could be a bit more friendly/outgoing. Â This is a place that you could have a lot of fun working in because of the theme & client base, but they were fairly stand-offish. Â You have to order drinks & food at the bar & then they bring your food to you. Â The service was perfunctory to be honest.
This place is fairly pricey. Â Our part of the bill came to $60 & the servings are small plates. Â The food however is extremely good. Â We had their fries with smoked heirloom ketchup, the scotch quail eggs, the grilled cheese of the day(holy cow) & the burger on a pretzel bun(amazing). Â Every single item was absolutely delicious! Â Our friends got the corn dogs, smoked pork tacos & fries with samurai sauce. Â Their dishes were excellent as well, especially the corn dogs. Â These are not fairground dogs trust me!
This is not a place to drink heavily in. Â You will get a shock when you see your bill at the end of the night. Â They sell craft beer in small glasses which means wine by-the-glass prices. Â We enjoyed the different beers that we ordered but I think they need to drop the cost by $1 at least per glass.
Overall, it was a very pleasant place to hang out in. Â Try to sit outside if you want to spread out a bit, or the loft upstairs would be fun if you went with a group & took it over. Â
I am not kidding when I say that the food there was the best that I have eaten in Kentucky. Â Everything was so flavorful & made with care. Â As someone who cooks well myself, I can tell when the chef enjoys his work & cares about the end result.
We will definitely be going back, & won't mind at all driving from Fort Knox to eat there.
I was so impressed with this place. I had heard good things but since I am not a big beer person, I was wary that my personal preferences would make me not like this place. But I was so wrong!
The first highlight was the presence of a cherry beer that was lighter and sweeter and perfect for me. I can't remember the name of it....it was Dutch. But it was so, so good.
The next highlight was the courtyard/biergarten area. Although it was hot as Hades when we were there, it was lovely. And it was interesting to see the cook come out once or twice to grab a couple handfuls of herbs from the garden.
The final highlight was the AH-mazing food. I did not expect my foodie side to be indulged by bar food. But this isn't your typical bar food. It was DElicious! The burger tasted fantastic, the pork belly tacos (the special) was good (the beans or mole...whatever was between the 2 tortillas...was mushier than I would have liked), and the pork sliders were the tastiest. Messy to eat, but so good. (A bunch of us got different things and shared and passed food around).
Highly recommended!
Oh my holy and ever-loving Chr*st.
I wonder whether this place will take boarders? Â I mean, I could very easily just curl up on a bench at night and keep an eye on things.
All for a serving of their poutine and a few drafts...
Except, I suppose I'd still owe them for the fabulously fun atmosphere, the awesome and knowledgable servers, and, well, access to the best beers around.
Their beer is unbelievably good. Â Their food is truly special, for the most part (there are very few easy-serve "filler" items and the kitchen is more skilled than many places that do twice as many plates every night). Â That my simple pub food went toe to toe with a friend's rillettes, another's mussels, and every other nommmy dish that made it to our table is of note: even the simple stuff is well done.
Their setup, no doubt, is a bit nontraditional, but hey, they're the best in the country at what they do. Â So, enjoy.
Very disappointed in the staff. Every time we tried to order a beer from the bartender she said that they were out of it, and did not offer any suggestions. After we would pick another beer and try to order, the bartender kept walking away from us. Every other time we have been to Holy Grale the staff has been very helpful and informative. This behavior might be excused if it was busy, but they were not at all. Hopefully they will get this girl washing dishes because she has no place serving people.
Review Source:VERY cool place, wow.
Coming to Louisville for a few days, I hit Yelp looking for the best spots and Holy Grale bubbled to the top of the list. Â Yes, it's a bar in an old church. Â Yes, still feels a bit like a church. Â Good beer list, solid selection albeit a bit limited.
It is a small place with limited seating, but definitely worth a stop or 3 if you're in town.
I love the beer and food here but the service can be uneven and often rude. Â The burger is the best I've had and their rotating taps of fantastic beer make it a great place, the irony of a beer bar in a former church is a great touch. Â The downside is that sometimes the service is bad. Â One of the female bar tenders is very good but on a recent trip we had a bad experience with a (newer?) female tender. Â To add to that a friend recently told me he had a run-in with one of the owners, Tyler. Â That's not surprising, he's a bit full of himself. Â This leaves me conflicted...great eats and drinks but I don't have much interest in rewarding poor customer service.
Review Source:Update from 8/16:
I get it. I guess I'm "that" customer when I ask for a gluten free beer. They exist, and they're delicious, and most places I go carry some form of sorghum beer. I know Holy Grale carried Daura for a time, so when my friend suggested this place for a drink I agreed. Â When I ask for something like this and get a rude no, no apology, no "we might get that beer back in soon" it bums me out. Not having it is okay, but making your customer feel like an idiot isn't great for business. I'll go elsewhere.
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Make sure you're ready to indulge before entering.
With fantastic beers and equally interesting selection of food, Holy Grale is the perfect spot for just a beer or a full on gut buster of a meal. I always ask the beertender about something before I order, just to make sure it's something that sounds to my liking. I think this is key here. You're ordering a pricey beer, make sure it's something you'll enjoy.
The food here is good, but I would skip some things on the menu. Definitely stick with things like the duck or mushroom sliders, the kimchi dog, or the burger. YUM. If you're eating, again, ask that beertender what pairs well with your choice.
Excellent beer bar. Â Not a huge selection of beers, but what they do have is excellent - good mix of different styles from lots of different brewers from around the world. Â (This was the first place I'd ever had a good Italian beer.) Â I guess my one knock on their beers is that they tend to go for the bigger flavors: hoppy, malty, or fruity flavors, and they tend to be fairly sweet beers, too.
Food is the best I've ever had in a brewpub. Â I like the "no entrees", appetizer approach. Â If you want a meal, get two per person. Â If you just want finger food or a light meal, one is filling. Â For a group, the appetizers are easy to share. Â The beef sandwiches are really awesome. Â Only gripe is that the "roasted beet salad" is a greens salad with roasted beats on the side. Â We were hoping for more yummy roasted beets.
Service was spotty. Â Our guy (upstairs) was very good but busy. Â He really seemed to have a passion for beer, which is a rare attribute in beer bar servers. Â One waitress was entirely worthless, though: we were there for about two hours, and she spent the bulk of it talking to a guy. Â I'm pretty sure that she didn't do a lick of actual work while we were there. Â Not firing her is a big ding on the managers/owners of this place.
Decor leaves a bit to be desired at this price point. Â The concept - crowded, low light, lots of wood - is perfect for a beer bar, but it looks like they cut some corners on materials and workmanship in finishing it up. Â (Example: wall sconces upstairs that are at head level so that you have to work around them if you're sitting against the wall - a few were askew from being bumped - and so that the glaring light from the spendy, trendy, artisan incandescents is blasting into your eyes. Â ...And yet it's still just a bit too dark up there.)
The useless waitress and decor almost make me want to go 3 stars, but 4's good. Â Fix the service, upgrade the interior, and keep doing the same thing with beer and food, and this place is easily 5 stars.
Enjoyed! Â Definitely a small place, and it was already at capacity when we showed up. Â We were fortunate to snag a small table, though. Â After sitting at the table, we decided the bar was where it was at, so when there was an opening, we scooted over. Â When this place was a church, it was a really small church! Â Nice ambiance and decor, quite comfy inside.
The beer list is phenomenal - only second to Sergio's, imo. Â They have a slight edge over Sergio's because most of the breweries and beers on the list, you've probably never heard of, which is really fun. Â Descriptions are thorough, which helps you narrow your choices. Â They have an entire menu for lambics and sours, if that is your thing! Â Typically I am one to try a few different beers throughout the course of an evening, but the first one I chose (Noel de Silenrieux, a Belgian Strong Dark Ale) was so good I stuck with it all night. Â
I was pretty disappointed in the food menu. Â They were "sold out" of some things, so there was only about 5 choices available. Â Nothing I read about on Yelp was offered (Scotch egg, chorizo tacos, etc...). Â That being said, I got the burger, and it was one of the best I've ever had. Â Pretzel bun was perfection, tender beef, gooey cheese, whole-grain mustard, arugula. Â It hit all the right flavors. Â So, they somewhat redeemed themselves, I guess. Â :) Â The brat special was not so good - sauerkraut needed some serious work, and we left nearly all of it.
I definitely see myself coming back here mid-week on a regular basis - early to beat the crowds. Â I can imagine on the weekends, it'd get pretty crowded.
A touch pretentious but cool enough for me to totally overlook that and return for all the great things this Holy Grale of bars has to offer. Awesome beers. The taps rotate but it stays very diverse, with a range of ABV's, some of which are surprisingly tasty and stout. I love the different glasses that come along with them too. I'm a sucker for that. They are a touch pricey but not insane. It would be hard to hang here all night - well hard on the wallet, your mouth would be plenty happy. This is a great starting place for a couple brews or winding down place - just not as late as the Irish pubs.
And you can't not talk about the atmosphere in reviewing this bar. It is an old church, with a lot of its talkability coming from that fact that it is so discreetly right on Bardstown Road across from the Cahoots area. Pretty little church, no sign out, you only see the actual Holy Grale picture on the door as you approach. But if you know cool people, then someone has heard of it and told someone else and here we find ourselves. The lighting is something reminiscent of an old Roman Catholic church - with a bar. Love it. Not a huge fan of say 10 p.m. on a Friday or Sat, as this to me is a bar I go to specifically to have great beers and hang out with great people, and often it is a totally different feeling/atmosphere when the place is totally packed and you can't just hang at the table and enjoy. Can't blame them for being popular - just not my dealio. Definitely a great place to show to people - as long as they like beer - and conveniently located by all sorts of good stuff.
My husband and I just moved to Louisville and we have been busy making a list of the must visit pubs & restaurants. The Holy Grale had been recommended to us by a local and after reading the reviews on Yelp we couldn't wait to check it out! The beer selection was really interesting with many Belgian brews that I had never heard of and could barely even pronounce but were oh so fantastic. We weren't too hungry but shared the Spare Rib sliders and SHAZZAM! they were beyond delectable. The ambiance is just as you would imagine an old church turned tap house would feel and the staff was helpful, knowledgeable and just the right amount of friendly. We will definitely go back.
Review Source:I went on Zwanze day and loved this place. I wish we had this in Lexington. Fantastic beers on tap. Bottle list is extremely reasonable and hardly marked up (maybe because they own Louisville Beer Store). Fries - the only food I had - were great. An old church that still maintains ambiance downstairs and in the loft. Worth a stop. Worth many stops.
Review Source:If NO stars were an option, this place would have not received the one star that I had to select in order to proceed.
I would never recommend this place to anyone & will not be back. They had a planned & advertised event with Bells Brewery, featuring 20 different brews on tap. The event was scheduled to start at 4pm. I left work early to partake in this event, only to show up at 4:05 & find lines extended from both doors. The place did not open until about 4:30.
From the get-go, they were unprepared, understaffed & their equipment was malfunctioning.To make things worse, their bartenders (what few there were), were completely shitty to their customers. They were serving $6-7 draft beers with more than 2" beer foam heads on them. When I questioned the 2" of head, the girl snatched the beer away, scraped off whatever part of the foam that was above the rim of the glass & slammed the glass back down on the counter.
This is not acceptable. Out of the 4 people in my party, 3 of us had never been there. I can tell you now that we will never be back. From what I can gather, one of the shitty girls working there, used to work at Cumberland Brews, where she was also Ms. Not-so-pleasant to deal with. She really should take the 9 cents that I left for a tip (along with the nice little note indicating that she was not worth an F'n dime) & improve her attitude. Otherwise, she could stand to get out of the service industry & maybe collect garbage where she belongs.
Not a good night & I will NEVER go back.
I love the Holy Grale. great pub food (asain beef sliders and fries with pub cheese), knowledgeable bartenders, and lots of interesting beer choices. The only thing disappointing is when one of my favorite beers goes off the list, but that's what keeps me coming back to try new things.
Review Source:This is an extremely holy place for amazing tap selections and small plate pub grub! Â Wow. Â Located in an old church off Bardstown road.
Bar keep was awesome, he had the knowledge that one expects when pulling up to a proper pub, and recommended some great ales for us to try.
The menu has it all for pub grub, from tacos to duck confit sandwich....cheese plate, pretzel bread with beer cheese dip, chorizo sausage sammy served in a pretzel roll. Â The winner on the menu???
Knackwurst Corn Dogs....amazing. Locally sourced sausage battered in goodness, and fried to perfection.
This is a must go place in Louisville.......
Want to seal your fate in Hell? Go here.
It was a church and now it's a bar. Sacrilege! Keep on dancing till the world ends sinners!
The decor is pretty much a middle finger to Jesus - beer caps in the shape of crosses; candles with Virgin Mary labels littered around.
Good selection of beer - BOURBON BEERS!
But in all seriousness, if you go here you're probably going to get struck down by lightening on your way out.
This place is phenomenal. To correct someone else's review, pricing does not start at $7.90 per beer. Depending on the beer, you can find draft prices starting around $5. Beer selection is outstanding and detailed descriptions can be found on the menus.
Food is way too tasty. I mean, it's hard to stop ordering food; you just want to try it all! The hot dog with brie and pommes is a favorite of mine, but I'm also in love with the scotch eggs and chorizo tacos.
Seating can be tricky given the limited space Holy Grale is working with. Expect to stand if you are going on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night.
Love it love it love it. What else is there to say?!
Food = 5 (nicely crafted selection)
Price = 3 (the pricing starts at 7.90 per beer. Â I understand microbrew beer making is not cheap, but it's a little exaggerated here.
Experience = 4 (cool spot, but the service setup is terrible.  If you're at a table, you  have to stand in line at one spot on the bar to order your drinks?  I'm not sure why they think this is a good setup?
Was in town for two days and stopped in because of the mention in ny times.
It was great. Â Really fantastic job on the beer list guys, coming from a real snob too. Â The bartenders new their stuff and were cool and fast, whoever wrote the descriptions on the menu did a nice job.
They had pretty good grub too, clearly more inventive than typical pub fare, but wouldn't call it gastropub yet. Â Stuff isnt ebing made from scratch, but damn the empanadas are good
Only down side.... You can't help but be disappointed that they split the church right down the middle with a false drywall to facilitate the kitchen, cause it's so close to being a phenomenal space.
Although I popped in for their soft opening weekend, I want to tell everyone to stay away from The Grale. I like this place waaay too much to let  the word get out and perhaps ruin my chance at a seat at the bar.
Oh, the bar has a rotating selections of 20 draft beers from around the world and US craft beers with the abv listed along side.Terrific atmosphere with wood and exposed brick. Louisville Beer Store,and now The Grale, owners Lori and Tyler know how to do it when it comes to beer.
They also seem to have a good idea of what to do with food.The menu is fun, creative, and well done. They offer things like Thai popcorn,roasted spiced nuts,fritjes with choice of dipping sauce,quail scotch eggs,poutine,and cheese or chocolate plates. All with beer pairing recommendations.I ordered the quail scotch eggs and they came quickly and hot in a wire sundae shaped container with chipolte dipping sauce.No utensils needed just pick up dip and enjoy.
The staff is knowledgeable and friendly.The clientele is friendly as well. I struck up relaxed conversations with a couple of beer nerds to my right, a couple of chicks to my left. One of the ladies was surprised to hear I was a Sonic Youth fan.Could it be the grey hair?She recommended that I give My Bloody Valentine a listen.Next came a conversation with a couple closer to my demographic who took the seats on my right.
Now that The Grale is open and the word is out, I hope I can find a seat the next time I stop in for a pour.
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