Article updated March 2022 by Julie Engelhardt
Crescent Hill, one of the many noteworthy areas around Louisville, is known for its fantastic restaurants, charming boutiques, and neighborhood streets lined with beautiful homes. These elements combine to make it a unique enclave in the city, and the intimate vibe will have you feeling like you’ve stepped back in time. Both quaint and bustling, there’s something to discover around every corner, and there is no shortage of places to explore. Check out Crescent Hill’s neighborhood highlights!
Where to Eat, Shop & Play in Crescent Hill
GRAB A BITE
Con Huevos
2339 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206 • (502) 384-3027
Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Con Huevos, a James Beard-nominated restaurant, serves up Mexican-style breakfast, brunch, and lunch. With multiple locations around Louisville, its home on Frankfort Avenue is the most recent location on the roster, and it brings a fabulous new flavor to the area.
Con Huevos, meaning “with eggs,” was originally born from the idea that Louisville was lacking an authentic Mexican food experience. Their fresh, scratch-made dishes include crowd favorites like huevos rancheros, The Gravy Cup-winning chipotle-poached eggs, tres leches pancakes, and Cuban coffee. If you’re extra hungry, try the chilaquiles made with corn tortilla chips, tomatillo green salsa, crema queso fresco, sunny eggs, and pickled onions topped with chorizo or chicken.
“We offer a variety of Mexican breakfast and lunch dishes, and most of them can be made ‘con huevos.’ Fresh-squeezed OJ and premium Mexican-style coffees are also available,” says Izmene Peredo Martinez, co-owner and general manager. “It’s all about the experience. If you visit Con Huevos, you’ll be welcomed by the best smiles and the smell of delicious homemade salsas and biscuits.”
The award-winning Mexican breakfast and lunch dishes at Con Huevos are to-die-for! Image: Ale Sierra Photography
Eggs Over Frankfort
2712 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206 • (502) 709-4452
Hours: Daily, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A charming little breakfast and lunch café, Eggs Over Frankfort serves up traditional breakfast offerings with a twist. Yummy entrées and hot cups of coffee are served on fabulous vintage dishware. This breakfast joint is perfect for those who enjoy a gourmet edge to their morning meal, but not enough to scare away those who want a classic farmer-style start to the day.
We recommend filling up on Eggs Florentine, served with two poached eggs, Parmesan-creamed spinach, and freshly prepared hollandaise on a toasted English muffin, with a side of white cheddar Weisenberger grits or hash brown casserole. Or, customize your own omelet with a choice of meats, cheeses, and veggies with your side order of choice. Located in the heart of Crescent Hill, it’s an excellent place for people watching while enjoying breakfast!
Eggs Over Frankfort is a great way to start any day! Image: Eggs Over Frankfort
Blue Dog Bakery and Café
2868 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206 • (502) 899-9800
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday
Blue Dog Bakery and Café is a great place for brunch, lunch, and late afternoon snacks. Try the poached egg pizza with bacon and arugula — it’s a shareable size with plenty of bacon and other savory flavors. Beyond the pizzas, there are gorgeous salads, mouth-watering sandwiches, and their famous selection of European-style pastries, desserts, and fresh artisanal bread.
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Gelato Gilberto
2240 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206 • (502) 422-0908
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.; closed Monday
Owners Justin and Kristin Gilbert opened their first Gelato Gilberto in Norton Commons 15 years ago, serving up creamy, authentic gelato to the East Side neighborhoods. They now have their second shop in Crescent Hill!
Their oh-so-delicious gelato is made from scratch, using the best ingredients including fresh fruit, milk sourced from local dairy farms, local honey, herbs, and imported Italian ingredients. They do not use processed mixes or powders in any of their treats. The shop sells over 200 different flavors, so pop in to choose a favorite! Thanks to the Gilberts, you can find virtually any flavor, including blueberry cheesecake, tiramisu, hazelnut, key lime pie, peanut butter chocolate chip, banana ricotta, and Guinness walnut rosemary.
Osaka
2039 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206 • (502) 894-9501
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 9:30 p.m.
Craving sushi? Grab lunch or dinner at Osaka, where the menu is a sushi lover’s dream. They make everything fresh to order, including sauces, and they even have a roll named after Frankfort Avenue. The Frankfort Roll is a delicious, deep-fried masterpiece made with minced yellowtail, flying fish roe, cream cheese, jalapeño, and spicy chef sauce. Other favorites include the Derby Roll, Paradox Roll, Cherry Blossom Roll, Orange Salmon Roll, Zacking Roll, Triple Tuna Roll, and Pink Lady Roll. If you’re a sushi fan, this is undoubtedly the spot for you.
Porcini
2730 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206 • (502) 894-8686
Hours: Monday, 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Tuesday through Thursday, 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.; closed Sunday
For as long as many can remember, Porcini has been the place in the area for family gatherings and special date nights. This independent, award-winning restaurant is an all-around classic, and it has been in historic Crescent Hill for decades. You’ll find all sorts of traditional Northern Italian dishes like linguine gamberi palermo, vitello alla griglia, and pollo al marsala as well as authentic pizzas, pasta salads, and antipasto. This is definitely the right spot for a ‘fantastico’ Italian dining experience with friends and family.
Red Hog Artisan Meat
2622 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206 • (502) 890-6976
Butcher shop hours: Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday
Restaurant hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday
Red Hog is Louisville’s first whole-animal butcher shop (and eatery, too!), owned and operated by Kit Garrett of Blue Dog Bakery and Café. The cases at the front of the store are chock-full of the best meat cuts around, and they hail from local farms committed to sustainable, humane, and ethical farming practices. Head over to pick up a few pork chops or steaks to throw on the grill — if you’re unsure what selection to choose, head butcher Aaron Sortman will “steer” you in the right direction. (We couldn’t resist.)
You can also find all sorts of housemade items including meats, sausages, and charcuterie with liver, country pate, or Braunschweiger. Plus, the menu offers Blue Dog Bakery’s bread! Head Chef Katie Smith oversees the extensive menu, which changes frequently and focuses on dishes utilizing their wood-burning oven and hearth grill. You can bring your food to the café area and dine at butcher block-style tables or on the patio, or take your finds back home to make your own culinary creation.
Grab a locally sourced pork chop or steak from the Red Hog butcher. Image: Red Hog
SHOP AROUND
Crescent Hill is an excellent shopping destination. There are loads of boutiques and craft shops to explore, all owned and operated by locals. Walkable Frankfort Avenue allows shoppers to meander in and out of the boutiques or window shop for an afternoon, with no need to get back in the car.
A glimpse down Frankfort Avenue, the main drag that runs through Crescent Hill.
Just Creations
2722 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206 • (502) 897-7319
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Sunday
Just Creations is a non-profit organization offering plenty of crafts, jewelry, home decor items, and more, handcrafted in over 45 countries throughout Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. You can pick up interesting items such as a colorful gecko metal wall art piece crafted by artisans in Haiti or a fun bocce ball set from Guatemala. They also sell organic coffee and Louisville-inspired gifts. The profits from their fair-trade items provide a fair wage for the artisans and enable them to pay for food, education, health care, and housing. If you’re looking for unique gifts that support a worthy cause, this is the place!
Carmichael’s Bookstore
2720 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206 • (502) 896-6950
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Dating back to 1978, Carmichael’s Bookstore is not only Louisville’s oldest independent bookstore but also a beloved local treasure. Carmichael’s began when husband and wife, Carol Besse and Michael Boggs, moved to Louisville in the 1970s after working at a bookstore in Chicago for several years. They noticed a need for an independent bookstore, so Carmichael’s opened its doors on the corner of Bonnycastle Avenue and Bardstown Road. Now, they are celebrating over 40 years of serving the Louisville community!
Miranda Blankenship, daughter of Carol and Michael and the manager of the Frankfort Avenue location, says, “Carmichael’s loves being a neighborhood gathering place other than your home or work. We love Crescent Hill because of the mix of businesses and neighborhoods. That means our customers are also our neighbors, and we strive to support each other. We bump into them at the Wine Rack or Oscar’s because we shop there, too.”
The Peacock Boutique
2828 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206 • (502) 897-1158
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Closed Sunday and Monday
Here’s to all the women who love to make a statement when entering a room! Named for one of nature’s most resplendent creatures, The Peacock Boutique is a women’s clothing store with unique and trendy selections from a collection of popular brands. Located along Frankfort Avenue, the boutique offers jewelry, clothing, shoes, handbags, and other accessories by designers such as Rag and Bone, Raquel Allegra, RTA, Helmut Lang, Barton Perriera, Zoe Chicco, and Melissa Joy Manning. “Being in the heart of Crescent Hill and on Frankfort Avenue, we are surrounded by lots of other local stores and restaurants,” says Jennifer Lee, owner of The Peacock Boutique. “So, we have tons of customers who walk and visit all the local shops in the area.” The Peacock is a must-visit if you’re in the area.
Posh Home
2836 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206 • (502) 742-5380
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday (Note: hours subject to change during spring.)
This lovely shop, a recent transplant from Brownsboro Road, specializes in gifts as well as home and lifestyle items for your living space. “Posh Home also offers a lot of self-care items,” says owner Brittany Bennett, adding, “We love all of the foot traffic we’re getting in Crescent Hill, and we love meeting all of our new customers.” She’s also pleased that longtime customers who patronized her original store are now visiting her new shop. One look inside, and there’s no question as to why!
Find everything from home decor to lifestyle items at Posh Home. Image: Posh Home
The Wine Rack
2632 Frankfort Ave., Lousiville, KY 40206 • (502) 721-9148
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Located amid bustling Frankfort Avenue, The Wine Rack has a quaint, old-world feel. In part, this is due to the broad selection of wine you’ll find from all over the globe, including beautiful selections from Spain, France, and Australia. Beyond beverages, the Wine Rack carries a wide array of local snacks and accoutrements for your beverage selections. Nosh on cheese and pasta from Lotsa Pasta, freshly baked bread from Blue Dog Bakery, decadent chocolates from Art Eatables, and all kinds of sweets from Lolli and Pops. Cheers!
Stop in to browse bottles of wine from all over the globe at The Wine Rack. Image: The Wine Rack
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DISCOVER & PLAY
Crescent Hill Reservoir
Located at the intersection of Reservoir Avenue and 3018 Frankfort Avenue
Louisville Water Company constructed the Crescent Hill Reservoir in 1879, when crews removed tons of dirt and rock to build a basin for 110 million gallons of Ohio River water. This allowed sediment to settle, a way of filtering drinking water before more modern methods were developed. Additionally, Charles Hermany designed the Gothic-style architecture to resemble a castle he saw along the Rhine River in Germany.
Today, Crescent Hill Reservoir is a popular historic site and a great spot for walkers and runners (it’s about a mile around the reservoir). Due to safety issues and concerns, there are no dogs or animals allowed on the reserve, so leave Fido at home and enjoy the walk with your human companions instead!
Along the walking path, you’ll find informational flags that tell the story of Louisville’s drinking water. The Gatehouse is open periodically, offering a great Instagram photo-op, and the interior is simply gorgeous. You can find more information about the reservoir and any special events on the reservoir social media sites and website, Lousvillewater.com. The reservoir is open year-round, from dawn to dusk.
A historic landmark for Crescent Hill, the Reservoir and Gatehouse were originally built in the 1800s.
WheelHouse Art
2650 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206 • (502) 896-6687
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday
Located in the former B. Deemer Gallery, the WheelHouse Art Gallery was purchased by owner Daniel Pfalzgraf on January 1, 2021. The new gallery showcases many of the same artists as its predecessor, highlighting contemporary and traditional pieces. According to Daniel, at least half of the artists are regionally based, but the gallery also carries pieces designed by artists from other parts of the country. The gallery also provides art services such as custom picture framing, art installation, crating, and shipping.
Whether you are visiting from out of town, or you’re a local looking for a change of scenery, Crescent Hill has a little something for everyone.
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Want to explore more of Louisville? Check out our other neighborhood guides!
