In the spirit of full disclosure let me open this review by stating that I am a native of the Rogue Valley and a regular at Louie's. In mid-June of last year, Herself and I were invited to Trivia Tuesday by our friends Brian and Cathy. Â We had so much fun that by the time the evening was over, we were hooked.
Even though it's a 15 mile drive from our house in Medford, we consider Louie's our "local." Everyone on the staff is friendly and genuinely happy to see us when we walk in the door. Â Lyric, our regular server, knows us so well she almost always anticipates our orders. Â My personal favorite is the Recession Burger: a classic quarter pound cheeseburger with lettuce complete with generous slices of red onion and tomato. Add Louie's Kettle chips and a pint of Double Mountain IPA or Pin-Up Porter and you have the perfect meal. Â If I'm in the mood for something a little different, I'll go with the Organzolia burger with bacon and tangy gorgonzola or the Jack Daniel with bacon and Louie's own BBQ sauce. Â Herself often orders the Chicken Club wrap or the Chicken Caesar wrap. Â While we haven't tried everything on the menu, we have yet to be disappointed. Â And the prices are great, with nothing over $10 you can't go wrong. Â Herself and I are also looking forward to trying Louie's new late night menu. Â
The atmosphere on Tuesday night can be a bit loud and raucous, but everyone is having fun. The trivia competition is light hearted and exciting. It's less about winning and losing and more about having a good time.
From my point of view, Louie's has everything you're looking for in a pub: good beer, good food, Â good friends, and good fun.
It is interesting to read the variety of reviews and rating of this business.
As background, Ashland is a tourist town thanks to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Louie's is located in the "hot spot" for visitors. Rent there is high and Ashland imposes a hotel and restaurant tax to let the visitors share in the costs of public services thus prices are on the high side. Each year thousands of students are bused in for the plays and seminars and others are on a tight budget, which brings us back to Louie's. The owners make available some low priced items and lower prices on Tuesdays. During the day time this is a good place for youngsters, though the high chairs and tables inside may not be suitable for little ones so in good weather sit outside along Ashland creek.
The food is good; I like the chili bean bowl (it is mild), the specialty burgers and fries. The soups and salads entrees are above average.
I am not a bar patron but indications are that at night the place is very popular with its big screen TVs for sports and its trivia  and bingo night competitions.