Inside River City Drafthouse on Bardstown Road
Family owned · The Highlands

River CityDrafthouse

Craft beer, real sushi, and great bar food in the Highlands.

The centerpiece

The Tap Wall

26 plus local and national craft beers pouring right now, with many more in bottles and cans. We lean hard on Kentucky breweries, with 11 Louisville and Lexington names in this snapshot alone.

On tap now · rotates often
Today's Pours5 / 10 / 16 oz pours
  1. 01Gravely LabambaKY · LouisvilleMexican lager.4.2%
  2. 02Ethereal Fad-tasticKY · LexingtonHazy New England IPA.7.1%
  3. 03Blue Stallion HefeweizenKY · Lexington55% wheat with a German yeast strain, banana and clove notes.5%
  4. 04Awry Sour AleKY · Louisville6.1%
  5. 05MirrorTwin CitranomicalKY · LexingtonSimcoe double IPA.7.5%
  6. 06Madtree Axis MundiImperial stout with coffee and vanilla.9.5%
  7. 07Ten20 SchnitzelburgerKY · LouisvilleVienna lager.5%
  8. 08Wise Bird Pome PomeKY · LexingtonBaked apple and vanilla.6%

Our taps rotate constantly. This is a current sample, not a fixed menu. What is pouring tonight may be something new.

See the full beer list

The surprise

Sushi you would not expect from a draft house.

This is a real program, not a token menu. Twenty two specialty rolls, plus classics, nigiri, sashimi, and bowls, with a stack named for home: Louisville, Kentucky, Derby, Bardstown, Highland, River City.
A platter of assorted sushi rolls (placeholder photo via Wikimedia Commons)
S-10$13.95

Louisville

Tuna, salmon, and asparagus, topped with yellowtail and avocado.

S-12$13.95

Kentucky*

Tuna, cream cheese, and avocado, topped with torched tuna, green onion, and eel sauce.

S-4$13.50

Derby Roll

Tempura shrimp, avocado, cucumber, and asparagus, topped with torched spicy crab, masago, and special sauce.

S-5$11.95

Bardstown

Deep fried spicy tuna, avocado, and spicy crab with special sauces, wrapped in seaweed.

S-21$13.95

Highland Roll

Tempura shrimp and cream cheese, topped with freshwater eel, with spicy sauce and eel sauce.

S-14$13.95

River City*

Tempura shrimp, spicy crab, and avocado, topped with spicy tuna, tempura crunch, masago, tempura flakes, and special sauces.

* Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness. An asterisk (*) marks rolls served with raw fish.

See the full sushi menu

From the kitchen

Wings with real heat, burgers with Kentucky on top.

Honest American bar food with a little swagger. Beer cheese on everything that will hold it, sauces that range from breezy to genuinely dangerous, and a few Asian plates the regulars swear by.

KY Burger

Our burger, crowned with the Kentucky cheesesteak: steak, beer cheese, and bacon. A serious meal.

$12

Kentucky Cheesesteak

Steak or chicken, sauteed onions, beer cheese, and bacon.

$10.50

Burmese Fried Noodles

A local favorite. Veg, chicken, beef, or shrimp.

$11+
A plate of saucy buffalo wings (placeholder photo via Wikimedia Commons)
The wing wallHeat 0 – 5
  • Bourbon Bacon

    A rich, smokey, sweet bourbon glaze topped with bacon pieces.

  • Gorilla Warfare

    A blend of banana, Caribbean spices, and ghost pepper. A Caribbean jerk like no other.

  • Korean BBQ

    Sweet, spicy, tangy, and savory from a Korean spice and butter combination.

  • River City Sauce

    A fiery blend of chilies, lime, and garlic. Not for the timid.

Ten plus sauces total, traditional or boneless, plus a new Sauce of the Month. River City Sauce and Gorilla Warfare are not for the timid.

Every single day

Happy Hour

Daily 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Dine in only

  • $1 off all draft beers until 6:30 PM
  • Discounted signature rolls
  • Sunday all day: $1 off select drafts and select appetizers
  • House specials change daily, ask your server

Happy hour rolls

  • California Roll$6

    Cucumber, avocado, crab, topped with masago.

  • Phili Roll$7.5

    Salmon, cream cheese, avocado.

  • Spicy California Roll$7

    Spicy crab, avocado, cucumber, spicy sauce.

  • Spicy Tuna$7.5

    Spicy tuna and cucumber with spicy sauce.

  • Yum Yum Roll$7.5

    Spicy crab salad.

  • Salmon Avocado$7.5

    Salmon and avocado.

The room

Low key, friendly, and yours for the night.

Board games on the table, a clean room, fast service, and a busy bar when Friday rolls around. The kind of neighborhood spot you end up staying at longer than you planned.
The bar on a busy night (placeholder photo via Wikimedia Commons)
The bar, lit low and warm
Shelves of board games (placeholder photo via Wikimedia Commons)
Board games, always on hand
A fresh draft pour (placeholder photo via Wikimedia Commons)
Twenty plus on tap
A specialty rainbow roll (placeholder photo via Wikimedia Commons)
Sushi you would not expect
Beer bottles on the bar (placeholder photo via Wikimedia Commons)
Plenty more in bottles and cans
A lively dive bar interior (placeholder photo via Wikimedia Commons)
A proper Highlands Friday

Visit

Find us on Bardstown Road.

1574 Bardstown Rd

Louisville, KY 40205

Hours
  • Sunday1:00 PM – 9:00 PM
  • MondayClosed
  • Tuesday4:00 PM – 10:00 PM
  • Wednesday4:00 PM – 10:00 PM
  • Thursday4:00 PM – 10:00 PM
  • Friday4:00 PM – 10:00 PM
  • Saturday1:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Parking

Metered street parking along Bardstown Rd. The Go502 app makes feeding the meter painless.

Happy hour

Daily 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM, dine in. $1 off all drafts. Sunday runs all day.