JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. — On Your Plate is a series of Louisville-area restaurant reviews conducted by WHAS11 staff. WHAS11 pays for critics' meals.
When trying to figure out where I wanted to go for my first review, I wanted to go some place that wasn’t a regular location, but some place where my partner and I had stumbled upon once before.
Hence, the Red Yeti in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
When you think of yetis, you might think of the cold and the Himalayas since that’s where they’re supposed to be. But this restaurant was anything but cold.
Outside, you’ll see the namesake welcoming you at the main door. He looks a little confused as to why you haven’t walked through the door yet, but we’ll let that slide.
When you walk in, you’re immediately warmed up by the atmosphere. Warm, low light highlights the wooden tables and brick walls of this historic building.
Myself, my partner and our friends made it to the restaurant towards the end of the dinner rush so there were plenty of people inside, but they looked like they were finishing their meals soon.
The bar side of the restaurant had the same brick walls and low, warm light as the other side of the building. As a whole, the building is best described as cozy.
When we sat down it took a little while to get our drinks, but again, we came in near the end of the dinner rush and there were still people inside, so the timing made sense. But as soon as we got our waters, we never saw the bottom of the glass because our server kept us topped off throughout our whole meal.
The first thing my partner and I tried was the soup of the day, which was a brisket stew. It was a hearty, delicious soup that is everything I want and more from a soup on a freezing day.
My only complaint is the bowl wasn’t big enough because I wanted more. Bits of brisket, carrots and potatoes floated in this broth that had me scraping the bottom of the bowl for every last drop.
When our server returned, he gave us the lowdown on everything they had on the menu, and he sold us on every item he talked about, making our decision on what to eat 10 times harder. We ended up getting the beer cheese and baguette to give myself and my partner something to snack on while we made our decisions.
The cheese came in a small cast iron skillet which helped keep the cheese nice and gooey. But they added sea salt to the top of the baguette, so imagine my surprise when I got a mouthful of the salted bread and beer cheese. Absolutely delightful.
Then came the main course. We all ended up getting something different.
I ordered the shrimp and grits. I normally don’t order shrimp and grits, but I would order this again. The grits were in a cheesy sauce that toed the line between creamy and oily, but the taste made it worth it. While the shrimp was perfectly seasoned, what really shown for me was the andouille sausage.
The portion size was huge, but that works out for me; I have a small stomach so if I can get a full meal for the price of one in this economy, I’m one happy camper.
My partner got the buttermilk friend chicken. I think he liked it because his plate was almost devoid of the chicken when I looked over at his plate 10 minutes after getting our food.
The fry was darker than I would have expected for fried chicken, but I think it was the bourbon glaze they put over top. He let me have one of the last bites, and no joke, the chicken melted in my mouth it was so moist.
Lastly, we let ourselves get one of their desserts. They only have three: their cheesecake, brownie and ice cream and the chef’s whim.
My partner and I split the brownie and ice cream, aptly called the Good Versus Evil. Brownies were on either side of this scoop of vanilla ice cream, and each side had whipped cream, an espresso mousse, and edible pearls.
For anyone wanting to split a dessert, this is the one. We each took a side, and it was enough to satisfy our want for something sweet.
All in all, this is a little hole in the wall with fun artwork outside that makes you want to explore what the inside is like.
Their menu is small but they just focus on a few dishes so they can truly make them shine.
I will go back in a heartbeat, even if I don’t eat or drink anything, just for the vibes.
RATING: 4.5 stars
ADDRESS: 256 Spring Street, Jeffersonville, Indiana 47130
HOURS: Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
AVERAGE PRICE: $$-$$$
MENU: Here
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