Swan Dive

I'd wanted to check this place out for a long time, back when it was something else. It looked like someone made their basement a public hang out spot, which kinda is what happened. It used to be a speakeasy during prohibition. Now it's a vegetarian eatery with a great beer selection and shuffleboard(?)! Yes, shuffleboard. It isn't meant to be anything fancy, not that you'd expect "Swan Dive" to conjure up such thoughts, but it's got a great atmosphere- relaxed, almost sophisticated with no pretensions. Stop in for a late lunch and you will end up wanting to go back. I hear they have bands sometimes too. The food is pretty good, even to a carnivore, and reasonably priced. Good vegetarian food seems to usually cost a little more than meaty equivalents, but they serve good portions at a fair price. Not a very extensive beer menu, but varied enough for most of your friends.

Had I not ran across this place in a local magazine in my hotel room I would have never known about it. It's a small vegetarian restaurant located within the neighborhood of Germantown. There are lots of barely noticeable little restaurants and bars in this area, interesting and cool. We checked this place out around dusk on a Saturday night. It has a glass front with some neon in it. Patrons were sitting in the outside seating in front. An eclectic tattooed crowd of mostly locals. A small set of steps lead down into the entrance. The main room is quite small and the bar off to the right takes up a good portion of the main room. Booths and tables take up the rest of the main seating area. A small stage in back is placed for local bands to play from. One band was setting up as we left. Can't imagine that the acoustics are all that good in this building but I'm not a sound tech. A small alcove -like area behind the bar holds around 6 taps. While I was there Bell's Oberon and two local beers were on tap. I think perhaps PBR was on another tap. A long line of beer bottles (around 40) lined a niche area behind the bar. I noticed beers from Bells, a couple of Belgian and Belgian-style (Unibroue) breweries, the Kentucky Brewing Company, and Schlafly to name a few. There is a wild card beer in a purple can labeled "Beer". The food is to be commended as well. Lots a waffle options and my Girlfriend said her waffle dish was good. I had the spicy "Chicken" sandwich which was quite good. If/when I return to Louisville I will return here. A one/two stop between the Swan Dive and the Nachbar is a good Germantown beer/food run in L'ville!