Louisville Style Pizza is generally defined as having a substantial crust, relatively spicy marinara sauce, with generous double layers of toppings and mozzarella cheese. But Louisville Style is not the only game in town. Louisvillians also enjoy family buffets, Chicago-style deep dish, wood-fired Neapolitan, and New York styles, all right here at home.
The Post Owners Laura and Nash Neely wanted to go into business for themselves and seized that opportunity with the purchase of the historic old Louisville VFW Post #3593. The building was completely renovated and modernized while retaining the character of the Germantown neighborhood and all the gatherings and fellowship that had inhabited the space for generations. Because Nash had worked at pizza joints while attending college and graduate school in Lexington, that familiarity combined with the absence of New York-style pizza-by-the-slice in Louisville crystalized their restaurant concept decision.
Order pizza-by-the-slice in person at the restaurant for the hottest, freshest version of the giant cheese slice, pepperoni slice, or slice of the day. Everything else can be ordered online for carryout only. A dozen specialty New York-style pizza pies, including “build your own”, are available in three sizes. Laura recommends “the chicken dinner” with a buffalo or bbq sauce base, chicken, bacon, cheddar, onion, and bleu cheese or ranch drizzle. Grilled Subs are served on a 10” baguette with a side of chips. The “Italian” is stacked with salami, pepperoni, ham, giardiniera, provolone, tomato, and mayo. On the lighter side, salads are customizable and best dressed with chunky bleu cheese, ranch, or red wine vinaigrette house-made dressings.
The Post had their busiest year ever last year. But due to simple economics and the layout of their shotgun-style building making social distancing difficult to impossible, the Neelys don’t plan to reopen The Post for dine-in service until coronavirus restaurant reopening guidelines are lifted to allow 100% capacity. The Neelys have been “overwhelmed with the outpouring of support by our employees who worked really hard to get this new (carryout) version of our business up and running. We truly appreciate our regulars, all the new customer support, and good reviews.”
(502) 635-2020 • thepostlouisville.com
1045 Goss Ave, Louisville, KY 40217
Jake and Elwood’s brings authentic Chicago-style deep dish pizza to Louisville in a thick, buttery crust reminiscent of Lou Malnati’s, topped with a tomato sauce inspired by Giordano’s. Cheese and toppings are stuffed between to turn pizza as we’ve known it almost completely upside-down. The March 16, 2020 opening was rocked that very evening by the mandated closure of Kentucky restaurants due to COVID-19. But Jake and Elwood’s has hardly missed a beat, building a carryout business as robust as their deep-dish pies.
Owner and Chicago native John Thurlow worked for a Chicago ad agency that sent him to Louisville on business for 10 days out every six weeks. He “met a girl” and fell in love with this city, but it would take another twenty years before he made the big move and rented the former Clifton Pizza location. Jake and Elwood’s “unique homemade sauce and crust” and various Vienna Beef products all served in a family-style restaurant will be a real draw as dine-in service returns this summer.
There are two sauce and size options for the four specialty Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizzas, as well as Build Your Own. The Classic Chicago Style Hot Dog is the very specific composition of Vienna Beef hot dog, steamed poppy seed bun, yellow mustard, relish, chopped onions, tomato wedges, sport peppers, celery salt, and a pickle spear. Ketchup is blasphemy! Other Chicago favorites on the menu are the Maxwell Street Polish Sausage and Chicago Style Italian Beef Sammich. Kentucky ‘Tine puts a Bluegrass State spin on Canadian poutine, substituting beer cheese for gravy. Thin crust pizza slices and wings are also available. NFL Football and MLB Baseball games will be shown on the big screens as those seasons resume. For service changes and daily lunch and dinner specials, visit jakeandelwoods.com.
(502) 690-2167 • jakeandelwoods.com
2230 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206
The making of an authentic Neapolitan pizza is an art and craft so world-renowned that it landed on the UNESCO “intangible cultural heritage” list. Originating in Naples, Italy, this style of pizza-making is rigorously governed by Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana rules. Pizza LUPO’s versions feature sauces made with San Marzano tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella, and a classic Neapolitan crust wood-fired at the traditional 900℉ by Executive Chef Max Balliet. Max opened Pizza LUPO, co-owned by his sister Sarah and her husband Adam Turla, in 2017. Max had previously worked at Primo and The Blind Pig in Louisville before starting his Holy Molé taco truck in 2011. He is well-respected in the Louisville restaurant scene for that dedication to the city’s burgeoning food truck movement and his formidable talents in Italian cuisine.
Pizza LUPO further follows and preserves Italian tradition with handmade pasta dishes and a full bar with a selection of 50-60 sweet Amari selections, Bitters, and Fernets. Max recommends the barrel-aged Negroni or a Boulevardier cocktail for the bourbon aficionados. Amari flights and spritzes are perfect for those experiencing Amari for the first time.
Until dine-in is once again allowed at a minimum of 50% capacity, Pizza LUPO will offer handmade Pasta Kits and special new 16” pizza hybrids similar to the Old New York “neo-Neapolitan” style. These iterations will still be wood-fired over oak and ash hardwoods and have a raw San Marzano tomato sauce but be topped with an aged mozzarella. The modifications will make the pizzas less delicate so as to maintain quality for transport through carryout or DoorDashⓇ delivery. A new POS system for online orders should keep the process running seamlessly until Pizza LUPO once again welcomes its valued customers into their Butchertown neighborhood dining room. For menu and service updates, visit pizzalupo.com.
(502) 409-8440 • pizzalupo.com
1540 Frankfort Ave, Louisville, KY 40206
Following a stint in the Army and work in the hospitality industry, Jimmy Ferrell considered starting a business of his own. One Saturday afternoon he asked his wife, “What about ‘Fat Jimmy’s’?” And the restaurant concept was born, even though Jimmy had never made a homemade pizza in his life. “But that’s what I love about him,” says wife and Co-Owner Sarah Ferrell, “It takes grit and determination to start something from nothing.” Fat Jimmy’s had its grand opening in Lyndon Monday after Derby in 1999. With as many as 6 locations at one time and numerous franchise requests, the Ferrells have developed a singular focus on the Middletown location, which opened in 2009.
Fat Jimmy’s is famous for its family-friendly atmosphere and pizza buffet. (They hope to continue buffet service with safe, new serving procedures this summer.) Customers are like family; the restaurant feels like home. General Manager Todd Schuckman has been around since Day One. Dine-in, outdoor picnic tables, carryout, Postmates delivery, and catering options are available, along with a seamless online ordering/pay online/drive-through service.
The pizza crust is traditional; and their specialty pizzas are in high demand. The Fat Jimmy is the one to order if you want the works. Ranch Grilled Chicken has a ranch sauce topped with grilled chicken, onion, mushroom, and bacon. The Tito has ranch sauce, grilled chicken, onion, banana pepper, bacon, and hot sauce. But don’t dive into your pie until you’ve started things off with Hot Buttery Balls: baked pieces of pizza dough covered with garlic sauce, parmesan, oregano, and served with pizza sauce. Save room if you can for Sweet Balls by the Dozen: baked pizza dough pieces swimming in butter and drizzled with a powdered sugar glaze. Visit fatjimmyspizza.com for the latest specials.
(502) 244-2500 • fatjimmyspizza.com
12216 Shelbyville Rd, Louisville, KY 40243
