Lynn’s Paradise Cafe is a funky joint located in Lousiville that could best be described as Cracker Barrel on acid.  All the food served there is a unique take on down home, comfort food staples, with a slight “funkification” added to each item to make it a little special.

We started with the Rueben quesadillas, which are just a neat take on the typically heavy sandwich.  While I’m never one to pass on a good Reuben, sometimes the mixture of rye bread, corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing is just a bit much.  Grilling the sandwich ingredients between two tortillas, and then providing a Thousand Island dipping sauce that had been spiked with Jim Beam is a great way to enjoy the delicious tastes and textures of a Reuben and still have room for something else.

Sarah had two chicken breasts topped with bacon and smothered in a cream sauce.  Lynn’s has a myriad of side dishes from which to choose.  The mac and cheese was truly casserole style, with a crunchy top and cheesy creamy filling surrounding the  noodles.  The rosemary cabbage was done well and the rosemary added just enough flavor without being overwhelming.

Each entry comes with your choice of 2 sides.  You gotta love a place where banana pudding is considered a side!

Fried green tomatoes were sliced thin and featured a light, but very crispy breading.  While sometimes thin sliced tomatoes don’t hold up, these maintained their integrity and were able to hold up the spicy remoulade dressing that had been spiked with more than a little bit of cajun seasoning.

I tried a special that night, which happened to be a spicy fried catfish dish, and ordered the cheese grits (can you tell I like grits?) with roasted garlic mashed potatoes (as well as a few sneaks from Sarah’s plate).  The catfish were breaded with a cornmeal mixture that I haven’t quite tasted anywhere else, but remained crispy with a hint of spice (but weren’t spicy like some other catfish we’ve tried).  The cheese grits were creamy and cheesy, but maybe could have used a little bit of bacon or little more roasted garlic to push them over the top.  The mashed potatoes were a little bit chunky, which I consider a good thing, and featured a heavy dose of roasted garlic to round things out.

In all, Lynn’s is truly a sight to behold, both for what’s on the walls, and definitely a place to get a good meal.