Blue Dog Bakery & Cafe

I am so glad my friend mentioned Blue Dog to me! This reminds me of the cafes I used to go to back in Los Angeles! I am so happy to have a place here with excellent croissants! buttery, crunchy and flakey!
I ordered just a pastry because I got to the café before their normal menu was served. They serve pastries only until 9 am. I’m going to need to pick up a baguette later today!
About the Pastry– Croissant filled with egg, cheddar, and chorizo! YUM!

I’m always happy to see Blue Dog bread at a restaurant or grocery or random places in town, because their baguettes and other offerings are just the best. I often forget about going to the actual café but remedied that with a recent visit.
This really is like a little European café and patisserie, right in the heart of where St. Matthews and Clifton intersect. It can get really crowded at lunch, and I find it amusing sometimes to see the real housewives of the East End in there on a weekday afternoon drinking wine with lunch. But while it may feel a little upper-​crust, it really is an everyman’s place to eat. Great breakfast, brunch and lunch options abound, like the egg, bacon and avocado sandwich, the egg, the poached egg and bacon pizza and the saltimbocca sandwich. I got the chicken salad sandwich on my most recent trip, and the best part was definitely the mouth-​watering croissant in which the otherwise pretty standard chicken salad was wedged.
The hours can be a bit weird here. You can get bakery items early in the morning and sit in the café, but they won’t serve anything on the menu until 9 am. Salads and pizzas aren’t served until noon, which I dislike because I like eating lunch a little early to avoid the rush. Still, the food more than makes up for it. And on your way out, you definitely need to pick up a baguette to go and get a chocolate chip cookie, since they have one of the best around.
Damn good (blue) dog!

Stop reading this review and get in the car.
Ok, I know you’re here for a reason. This place is a gem. I visited the area briefly this weekend and my uncle, who has raved about this place since he moved there last year, said right away this is where we’re going for breakfast. So Saturday morning we got there around 8am, ready to GRUB
I cant comment on table service since that doesn’t start til 9am, but we ordered a ham and cheese croissant, a spinach and cheese croissant and a bacon white cheddar quiche with two lattes and a baguette to go. The croissants were perfect, crispy, flakey and light! the spinach was nicely seasoned but not so overcooked that it turned to mush. The ham and cheese one was just salty and sweet enough. But that quiche…
Sorry. I need a moment…
Ok. That quiche! It was so perfectly cooked I was almost surprised. The white cheddar wasn’t overwhelming, and the bacon was thick cut and crazy good. The crust on it was almost like a pastry, it was flaky and dense but it didn’t weigh anything down. I broke off the sides and portioned it so every bite had some. I almost asked for another one!
The baguettes took it all home. We ordered one just to have w the meal, and it was so good I asked for three more to take home and to my aunt. They came out so fresh the girl actually said don’t wrap them up they need to breathe! Which made the car ride home very tempting!
Like I said, stop reading and go! I can’t wait to return.

Caramel macaron:
If there’s one word to describe their caramel macaron, it’s «Perfection»! It had a crisp, decadent shell with a light softness as you bite through. The generous amount of delicious gooey caramel inside was an added bonus. Their macaron sizes are notably larger than average. Great choice if you want to indulge in a sweet tooth craving without feeling too guilty!
Always a fan of illy coffee.
Staff was friendly and helpful.
Great overall experience!

The pepperchino ham and chicken sandwich was fantastic. They should really ditch the standard side (wheat berry?) salad though, maybe for some fresh greens or something. Friendly, attentive service. Crisp clean restaurant. Fresh artisan bread. Not much to complain about.

The Blue Dog Bakery & Café is one of those local gems that Louisvillians flock too and know the secrets of parking and waiting patiently to get a table or stand in line for a table or to get one of their succulent treats from their bakery.
Beware the people who try to block the line to the counter while waiting, we will try to push politely by you, especially on Friday and Saturday mornings when the much coveted Kouign-​amann are baked — remember that June 20^th is National Kouign-​amann Day, and Blue Dog Bakery usually creates 7 different flavors of the rich, tasty pastries.
From their Facebook 2015 Event page — they wrote:
«These exclusive kouign amanns will be available for purchase at Blue Dog while quantities last.
Blue Dog offers freshly baked traditional kouign amann every Friday and Saturday. For this special event, their classic recipe will be available, along with cinnamon sugar, strawberry rhubarb, pistachio mascarpone, dark chocolate ganache, vanilla apricot, and the BLT.
«The kouign amann represents the pinnacle of our recent exploration into Viennoiserie, «says Blue Dog’s head pastry chef, Andy Wolf. «This event will be a celebration of our expanding knowledge of laminated doughs.»
Why do I go on about these pastries? I have never tasted anything like them. They are the light, sweet, cruchy, flaky, creamy… I chanced on them about six months ago and curse myself whenever I forget its not a Friday or Saturday morning and I missed a chance to pick a couple up. But, of course, my diet is telling me that at least I don’t have to do 30 minutes of extra cardio to pay for the delight I feel when I eat one of these bites from Heaven.
I have lunched at Blue Dog and it was very good. My only issue was we were in the middle of the restaurant and the open floor plan tended to make it loud, but that is not their fault. The diners were happily talking and clinking dishes and I am of the age now that background noise interferes with my conversation. I did not find it a bother and just need to be aware to ask for a table on the side.
I had Zach’s Salad — Mixed Greens, Apple, Cranberry, Walnuts, White Cheddar, Sherry Walnut Vinaigrette $ 9.50. It was fresh, and crunchy and YUMMY! This is my favorite salad and I know the healthy choice totally offsets my evil twin who pines for a daily KOUIGN AMANN (and my heart and arteries yell «NOOOOO!»).
The Bakery has other awesome treats. LEEB loves the cookies. I bring them home and give him one at a time, or he would eat them all at once! The bread is fresh and crusty on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside (Google says «pillowy» is not a word… hmmm).
Their tarts, cakes and all other things you find here are good, awesome… YUMMINESS.
The last remarks I’d like to make is about their DESIGN. I’m big into graphics and design. Their storefront, signage, menus, flyers, everything printed have a certain DESIGN aspect that I find extremely attractive and enchanting. I brought home one of their flyers to scan and post to my Twitter feed as an example of DESIGN elements that catch my eye.
I can’t wait until they open Red Hogs, which I think is going to be a restaurant based on the meat from their Red Hog Farm where they raise and breed their own hogs.

Love love love the saltimbocca!!! And the place is very nice to talk and spend time with friends. I’ll will be back.

This place is amazing!!! I built this place up in my mind, and it EXCEEDED my expectations.
I got the saltimbocca sandwich. Friend got some brunch item. Maybe best sandwich I’ve ever had? So so good. Bread: it’s a bakery, so unsurprisingly the best sandwich bread I’ve had
Insides: meats and cheeses so good and flavorful
Side dish thingy: nice contrast to savory sandwich
Atmosphere: sat outside and it was beautiful!

YASSSS! —- Actual word that came out of my mouth when I was eating here.
This great little French-​style bakery has all the ambiance you could ever hope for in a breakfast spot. Romantic window tables for couples to touch knees, simple but tasty breakfast cocktails and the freaking breakfast pizza. YASSSSSS.
Get the breakfast pizza. It was large enough to split with my honey when we got another small item off the menu. Can’t wait to come back when it’s warm and eat on the sidewalk. What a charming spot.

I had the pizza with egg and bacon and it was delicious. The service was friendly. The brunch menu is small, and could use more options. This is my only reason for 4 out of 5 stars. Loved this place and I will visit again.

French greatness! Beautiful croissants (plain, almond, chocolate, and breakfast filled). Gorgeous macarons and quiches. I had the baguette with Serrano ham from Red Hog. It was really good. I will be coming by more often in the future.

I love the bake goods here… from their buttery croissants to their divine scones, and creative macarones, and delicious chocolate dipped macaroons! I’m just glad I don’t live close to this place or else I’ll blow up like a big balloon.
Their café is good too but some of the dishes didn’t really wow me. Like everyone else. I do enjoy their bacon and poached egg pizza a lot and would recommend it!

One of my favorite places in Louisville. The pastries are delicious, order one while you wait for your meal of you want to be delighted. We had an egg and spinach croissant that was divine. Then we were blown away by a bacon and poached egg pizza. The bacon, tillamook cheddar and cheese curds sandwich was also excellent. Make sure they are open before you go, they are closed on Sundays but have a delightful brunch menu on Saturday.

Blue dog quickly rose to the top of my brunch spots in Louisville. I’ve been here a couple times and have not been disappointed. However the key is getting the poached egg and bacon pizza. Nothing else on the menu compares to the deliciousness of this breakfast pizza. I’ve had the poached eggs and ham as a well as the French toast special, but the pizza surpasses them both. I suggest sharing it unless you’re really hungry.
Keep in mind brunch is pretty early, 9 – 12, but worth your possibly earlier wake up. The place gets crowded quickly and may require a wait. We luckily only waited for about 10 minutes.
In addition to the restaurant, blue dog also offers baked goods – bread, croissants, muffins, etc. and they are delicious. Almond croissant

Stopped by the Blue Dog Café this morning for brunch. It was almost a capacity which is a good thing I suppose! We waited about 15 minutes before we were seated, but we did expect that.
Our server was great. She recommended a few things and got us set up with drinks. The Bloody Mary is spicy and great!
As far as food, the menu is pretty small as far as options. I ordered the Rueben Sandwich. It was served on fresh, toasted bread and it tasted great. It came with a side of quinoa salad which I don’t care for. I didn’t know or I would have asked for something different. Sandwich made up for it.
My wife ordered a breakfast pizza. It looked pretty amazing and I know she loved it.
I gave it a 4. It was a nice breakfast but not a lot of options.
We also left with some macaroons. So good!

I love Blue Dog. Going here for breakfast or lunch takes me back to the summer I spent in Italy. It definitely has a European vibe to it (which has it’s good and bad sides).
The atmosphere is very casual. The tables are wooden and somewhat close together and their is an outdoor sitting area for warmer weather. Breakfast doesn’t start until nine nor does waiter service so if you arrive before then you can order at the counter and take your food to the table of your choice.
The food and bread products are simple yet so beautiful and complex in their simplicity. They take pride in the food the serve and try to make a few ingredients shine. Off of their menu I have tried the spicy tuna sandwich, breakfast egg and bacon sandwich, grilled cheese (so sinful), all of which have been accompanied with rosemary skillet potatoes (in the case of the breakfast sandwich) and a wheat berry salad for the other two which is so light and refreshing especially when paired with the grilled cheese. The grilled cheese is by far my favorite– 3 thick slices of bacon with a spicy aioli and an assortment of cheeses make it melt in your mouth. All of this flavor and you can still taste and admire how beautiful their bread is. I have also had the french toast for breakfast and it is the perfect combination of sweet and citrus, so not to overpoweringly sweet.
I’ve had many of the pastry items, too. Their savory croissants– ham & egg & spinach & cheese are both devine and a lighter savory alternative to a menu item. A must try is their almond croissant. I think I have tried every flavor they have (which rotates seasonally– blackberry, raspberry, blueberry & peach, peach, and more recently since it’s winter banana and nutella. My favorite is the raspberry. The brightness it brings to the buttery powdered sugar and almond coated croissant is a nice contrast (the blackberry tastes very similar).
My only quell with Blue Dog is service. I have had a few exceptional waiters but in general the culture is very relaxed, in my opinion too relaxed (hence the bad side of feeling very European). Many of times we have waited for tables for 15 minutes clearly seeing the same table available and clean– or even multiple– before being seated. But that would never deter me from coming here for my weekly Saturday morning croissant or an occasional lunch.
This is a must visit place for anyone who has a love for artisan breads-​either regular or of the sweeter nature. It is the perfect weekend brunch spot (although they sadly aren’t open on Sunday’s) or place to quickly grab a breakfast pastry before starting the day.

Holy crap! how did I not know about this place?! Be sure to go on a friday or a saturday to try out kouign amann! its like a croissant but 10x better. I am in love with this place! they also have one of the best macaron in louisville. the other day i had a strawberry lemonade one… and man! was it perfect for the summer heat. I paired it with a glass on unsweet tea and instantly fell in love.
If you ever get a chance to dine in, please do get the pizza with eggs and bacon. the crust was so crispy! i was already full after a slice! the price is very reasonable.
overall, the place is a lovely addition to the louisville!

I have been dying to go to their café for more than a year. I always see their delicious bread around town and heard great things about the café. Finally today I went for lunch. Why is this place not closer to my work? I would be here all the time. I love the look of the bakery and the café is simple and clean.
The good is excellent. This might be one of my favorite chicken salads ever. It was light, had juicy chunked chicken, grapes, nuts, lettuce, and came on the amazing croissant. The hard part was figuring out how to eat such a large croissant. The sandwich came with a side of wheat berry salad. Surprisingly good! The meal set me back $ 10 and was worth it!

Stopped in here this morning after a failed attempt to visit Bussman’s, which was inexplicably closed on a Tuesday morning. Since I was craving a baked good or two, I searched in the area and rerouted over to Blue Dog. Parking was a lot easier than I expected it to be, and I pulled up almost right in front. The shop itself was really lovely and airy with lots of windows and wood.
I got the morning glory muffin and the blackberry almond croissant. The muffin was a carrot and bran blend with coconut and a streusel topping. I think I would have liked it if they’d gone a bit heavier on the nuts, but it was still very good. The blackberry croissant was really excellent and such a creative combo idea. I was a little sad whenever I got to a bite that was all croissant and no blackberry or almond, so I think just a bit more filling would be great, but I expect that also may depend on which one you get.
Overall, I had a positive experience. The guy who helped me was very friendly and answered my questions while I was deciding, and the prices were pretty reasonable. Loved the shaded sidewalk tables. I’ll definitely be back to take advantage of those when it’s a bit cooler.

I have long been a fan of Blue Dog breads! It is so nice that local restaurants and grocers around town have it for your pleasure as well. :)
I can’t say enough about the quality and taste of their breads… all of the ones I have had the opportunity to try.
I also enjoy going in on the weekend for a breakfast pastry or sandwich. The only drawback is the wait. This place is super popular and so they fill up fast and stay full for most of the morning/​early afternoon. My advice, get there early.
if you are a sucker for artisan bread and french bakeries this is the spot for you.