Great food great service the Shrimp and Grits are amazing. A little bit pricey but worth it ever once in a while.

An old freight house in downtown Paducah that has been converted into a seductive culinary delight. The outside of the building is intriguing as it maintains its historical patina. Very ample parking is on site. The first clue to what was coming was a small sticker in the window of the door that gives praise to their Bourbon selections. I was skeptical, unjustly so, as it turns out. In my defense, I have been spoiled by living in Lexington. They DO NOT have a Bourbon list. They have a Bourbon Showcase!!!!! The listings are perfectly arranged by Distillery. They also have Ryes', Scotch, Whiskeys, etc. A beer selection that I did not get to experience but included some well known microbrews. The cocktail selection was exciting to read and palate pleasing BTW. The cocktail menu also has a rotating section which hints to a professional Mixologist and not a bartender. The interior of the building continues with the historical look about the floor and walls. In particular to me, the beautiful floor upon entering and the wall above the area where the dishes were, I think, finished/plated and picked up. The menu is seasonal, simple and has an appropriate number of dishes. The menu reads like a gustatory bawdy novel. I must say that it was quite stimulating. Sweet Turnip Soup, Duck Wings, Kentucky Blue Snapper, etc. The descriptions of each dish were short, informative and gave you a portend of what was to come. As I walked around, I found a selection of the Chef's inspirations for all to see. I imagine that Van Gogh or Donatello's library would would look the same if they had been Chefs. Of course we all exchanged taste of our various dishes and I found them all to be quite extraordinary. Excellent and unique flavor combinations balanced as if on a highwire. Thank God Paducah has something that is not a chain with food that is fresh and not off the Gordon's Truck. I must stop here but could go on for a while. I will be coming here again when we are in town. I would love to get to speak to the Chef for longer one day. Until next time....... #palatestrong #paducahfood read more

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Excellent food. We are from Portland, OR. We all had Southern choices. I have never had Shrimp and Grits. Two of us had that. Our third diner chose another Southern classic, the Hot Brown. The Shrimp and Grits was amazing. I've had grits a couple of time during our trip and they always lack seasoning. These were perfect, and the proper texture. The portions were huge. Great bar selection. Nice place. Good service. read more

Great atmosphere and great choices. I chose chicken and dumplings and while it was initially good, it was way too salty. I could not finish the dish and couldn't taste the mushrooms or chicken without only tasting just SALT. Also tried the banana pudding, which was awesome. The menu needs more options, especially a few without mushrooms (my friend who went with me doesn't like mushrooms). read more

Great food, great service. All items are from local farmers/ small businesses so they are very fresh. I had the sweet tea brine chicken which was amazing. The shrimp and grits were very cheesy and tasted great. The crayfish pie was so decadent. They also custom made items for the kids menu for picky kids. We had to get desserts and I highly recommend the banana pudding or ice cream cookie sandwich. A little pricy but worth it! read more

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A lovely evening in Paducah, something I never thought I would say. We pass through here every holiday season and now we have a good reason to stop for excellent food and hosting. Our waiter, Josh, was lovely. He was so knowledgeable about the menu; even to the extent that he knew the depth and food source of the fish that I ordered. The family got the chicken and dumplings, the griddle burger, and the KY blue snapper. All of which were delectable. We showed up late and still got a table and kept the kitchen open longer. Sarah, the owner, came by the table and her story of just how thoughtfully put together every dish is, was unbelievable. Even the sunflower seeds on the dishes were grown on her farm. Not only the food, the alcohol was delicious. Josh's recommendations for bourbon were spot on and Sarah even prepared a drink for my mother. Some basil majesty. Even the salts were extremely well thought out! Salt! Can't say enough good things, thank you freight house! read more

Not a bad bite, not a mis-step, not a thing out of synch tonight at The Freight House. Two of us ordered shrimp and grits, preceded by beet and hummus appetizer and summer salad to die for. Very nuanced salad - flavors kept revealing themselves bit by bit. The other ordered the pork dish and was also very pleased. Service was excellent - our waitress acted as though she was happy to be there. The cocktails were really good as well. The beet appetizer was exceptional, and the shrimp and grits were probably the best I've ever had. Made it a point to meet the chef/proprietor to tell her how much we enjoyed it. read more

We ate there last night with another couple for the first time. Took a little bit to figure out the menu and absorb it all in. Finally decided on The Pickled Vegetables for A Starter. It was really good. It was a small jar of pickled cauliflower, little sweet and yellow in color so I took for granted it had turmeric in it. Then I ordered a Green Salad. Had Walnuts, varied greens, cucumbers, pickled onions, and radishes it had a creamy vinaigrette dressing. It was very good The other couple had Mussels, they were served in large bowl and toasted bread. I didn't try them but they said they were a little muddy tasting and had eaten better We had the steak, shrimp Grits and the cheeseburger. The steak appears to be steak tenderloin because sliced in medallions. It was very good the only thing that myself an one other that had the steak agreed on was that it is served on about a 1/2" think Turnip Steak that we as southerners didn't appreciate the fact that it was not completely cooked. It was still crunchy. It was also served with Some grapes, walnuts, some finger Potatoes, one was a purple potato and the other 2 were white potato, had a few smaller slices of turnips on top The Person that ate the cheeseburger said it was really good. It has apple butter on it and he says was very good. He did order raw onion as well for his burger it was not offered with it. It also was served with hand cut fries. The 4 th person got the Shrimp Grits. She said it was great Bread did not come with the meal. Their choices were Cornbread or biscuits. I ordered both. There were 2 biscuits and 2 slices of cornbread. They charged $3.00 per order. Not impressed at all. Cornbread was thick, dry and sweet. The biscuits were heavy and very dry. They need to rethink their bread choices no no no. And to charge for bread was I felt a little Chinse They put small water glasses on your table immediately and serve water from a Stoppered Glass Milk bottle. Very good and they keep it filled for you I love good Ice Tea. I really felt at first the tea was instant. It had that taste. I ask our waiter. He said it was brewed. So tea just fair. Need to maybe look at their choice of brand We topped off the meal by sharing a piece of Apple Pie. It was really good. Had seasoned apples with a puffed Pastry top then topped off with real vanilla ice cream. The waiter was very good. The Presentation of the food was very good. The room is very loud so hard to Carry on a conversation with your guest. The building has open ceilings and brick walls which adds to the noise, so needs some noise buffers. Beautiful old building and surroundings. Very nicely renovated The setting is very open including the bar area and the main part of the kitchen is in view of the customers Price was medium to expensive read more

Great food again. The real great surprise was the well crafted cocktails and great bourbon selection!

This was our first time here and we loved it. The menu was different than what we're used to but everything looked so good. We started with pork rinds and they were perfect. I had the mushroom soup and it was amazing. I had the chicken and dumplins and my husband had the steak and he said it was one of the best he's had. We will definitely be going back! read more

The most original food in Paducah! And the mixologist at the bar will WOW you with her imagination. Imbide! The chef/owner is genuine and truly loves you loving her meals. And her momma makes your dessert. read more

Very nice, but very expensive. I had a bowl of the turnip soup. It was great, but $9 for a bowl of purée soup (just an appetizer) is hard to justify. I appreciate their goal and business model but it only seems appropriate for very special occasions. read more

My new favorite restaurant. The pork shoulder was like eating at Mamaw's with all the dressings...blackeyed peas, creamy but not mushy...turnip greens, sweet with just the right amount of heat...cornbread to soak up the juices. Vegetable plate for entree was de-li-cious. Roasted cauliflower, with this crumbly bacon dust, and sweet potato puree that tasted divine. Extensive list of bourbon based cocktails. Homemade desserts. Chef comes to your table, and you can taste the love in every dish. High end presentation, with very reasonable prices for such a gourmet meal. Will definitely be back! Make reservations. This place was super busy on a Thursday night. read more

The Freight House is where where you're mothers cooking gets kicked a step up. BAM. It's a unique twist on southern foods you will find nowhere else. Our waiter was great and talked me with the whiskey menu which is vast and impressive. If you want the perfect meal I'd recommend getting the Poppy seed Biscuit (best thing there) & the chicken & waffles. read more

Went here last week to celebrate a birthday. The food was good but the presentation was a little sloppy. The space is beautiful. So glad to have this restaurant in Paducah. read more

My daughter and I were looking for something different to try and the Freight House fit the bill. Our service was great and the server was very helpful in suggesting items off the menu. It has a bourbon drink menu plus other cocktails but the selection of bourbon is their specialty. They also have wine by the glass or bottle. We selected the parsnip stroganoff and the riverfront steak both were delicious! I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for something different. Wonderful place! We will definitely be back. read more

Really great and inventive food with very good and highly educated service. Great to have this as an option while in town for business!

What a disappointment! We went here based on the reviews and we were very disappointed. We arrived early, only one other table had customers when we arrived & we were seated promptly and it went down hill from there. Our waiter, who appeared to be high or on something, came over & we ordered a couple of appetizers & a Coke & iced tea. He brought the coke & asked if we needed anything else, I reminded him about the tea & he looked at me like he had no idea what I was talking about & then went & got the tea., when he brought it to the table he had trouble setting it down, like he couldn't tell where the table edge was or something. I then asked for a straw, he again had that confused look then went & got the straw which he brought with his bare hands & no wrapper on the straw, he handed it to me & said, "sorry we don't use straws" like it was a strange request for me to ask. We then told him what we wanted as our entrees & he walked away & we never saw him again. After a few minutes someone else brought our appetizers out. The food was good, the only reason for 2 stars. After about 20 min of not seeing our waiter & no one coming to check on us another waitress finally came by & refilled our drinks. She then explained that our waiter had an "emergency" and had to leave. After another 10+ minutes she came by, not to check on us, she just happened to walk near our table as she was headed to get drinks from the bar for another table. I asked if she would check on our order, she went by the counter where the tickets are & looked at each one then went to the drink area & stood around talking to another person for several minutes. After a while she finally returned & said that she didn't see that our order had been entered and that she would explain to the kitchen what had happened & get them to rush our order. We told her that we didn't want to wait any longer, by this time we had been there almost an hour. She then brought us our check and we left. Maybe the waiter had an emergency maybe he was just in something & they sent him home, I don't know, but when he left someone should have come & told us & made sure that our order had been turned in, not waited forever to come check on us & then wait until we asked about our entrees. I also would not have charged us for what little food & service we did receive based on what happened. We ended up going to Dairy Queen to eat & the food & service, not to mention the prices were a lot better. read more

Amazing food. Great service . This is not Applebee's. This is creative food, farm to table. Try the snapper, or the pork shoulder. Taste all the cocktails. This is the epicenter of Paducah food. read more

Out of the 9 of us at the bar table with stools where we were seated even with reservations, It was incredibly noisy - So noisy in fact conversation was impossible until it started to clear out around 8:30 p.m. We were there 2 hours and those high metal stools became very uncomfortable by the time we left. I give an A-plus to the green tomato gazpacho, but the French toast was burnt top and bottom and the chicken livers so ove-rfried, they were only crispy blobs. Upon request, they remade them and fried them less, but oversalted them so much they were again unedible. Shrimp and grits were just average and the frog legs very bland. No one in our whole group raved about any dish but the gazpacho. Beer and whiskey were good I guess. Return? Not anytime soon. Jan R. read more

Oh this place is great! They have such a cool atmosphere, and the drinks and food are fantastic!! The bartender was so helpful with offering drink recommendations and helped me pick a dinner option. The food was mouth watering! I had the pork shoulder and it was cooked perfectly! I highly recommend stopping by this place for a great meal and tasty drink! Keep up the good work guys!!! read more

Have been here 3 times and have yet to find a dish that I would order again. Atmosphere is nice but the food doesn't live up to the prices.

Wonderful dining experience. At the recommendations of friends, I tried the pork rinds appetizer which were unlike anything I had before and were tasty (especially enjoyed the mustard that came with the appetizer). Had the shrimp and grits which were terrific. Our waitperson "Shelby" took great care of us from start to finish. Her beer recommendations were "spot" on. read more

This is the best restaurant in Western KY, hands down. Gourmet (think NYC, Chicago, New Orleans level gourmet) farm-to-table food, great ambiance, professional wait staff, and an incredible bar with the longest bourbon list I've ever seen. The chef is incredibly creative and every dish has layers of subtle flavors that could only come from the mind of a master. Highly recommended! read more

Great fresh food. Really good portion, and delicious food all made from local ingredients!

I don't often post reviews, but I just had to for this place. My wife and I love to travel and we've eaten in several Michelin starred restaurants in New York, Chicago and San Francisco. We went to Freighthouse this past weekend when we were in town with our niece and our son and daughter-in-law. I initially chose the restaurant because of their philosophy toward food and because of their impressive list of bourbon (to be totally honest). We ordered a nice bottle of brunello, and guess who shows up to tell us about it and pour it? Chef Bradley! The menu is small, but that's a good thing in my book. When I see a small menu, my first thought is that the chef is focusing on show casing ingredients and perfect execution. The only problem is that we wanted everything on it. We ordered three items to share: the beer cheese, the deviled eggs and the pork rinds and my wife got a bowl of the chilled melon soup. The shared items were magnificent, but that soup was other worldly! Chef Bradley gave us the recipe, but I'm guessing I wont be able to imitate it. Next, I had the braised pork shoulder with blackeyed peas, sweet greens, and cornbread. Yeah, I know, that's country food. Well yes and no. It was amazing. Like being back in my grandmother's kitchen as a small child, only grandma was suddenly an accomplished chef that has taken country cooking in to the stratosphere. My niece got the shrimp and pimento cheese grits and from the first bite was proclaiming it to be the best food she'd ever eaten. My son got the steak. We'd advised against it because...well...it's a steak and we can do that at home. It was perfectly executed, but it came with a cornbread salad as a side that had everyone at the table wishing we'd ordered a side of that stuff too. Amazing! And then my wife and daughter in law got the house made Italian sausage. Again, a total home run. In our family, when we go to a restaurant we share and try to figure out who "won" (who ordered the best dish). At Freighthouse, we all argued for our own dish. A sign you've made your customers happy. Now, I'm not finished. As full as we were, we ordered desert. A berry crisp and a chocolate chess pie. Again, flawless and so delicious we couldn't stop eating it. Oh, and my wife and I ordered a couple of bourbons we've only heard about, but never actually seen in person. Again, Chef Bradley came by with the bottles and told us a bit about each one and left the bottles on the table so we could take a look (and a picture in order to remember it...honestly, I knew what both cost on the secondary market and I was afraid one of us would knock one over). My son and daughter in law are newly married and went on their honeymoon to the UK. While there, they went to Gordon Ramsay's restaurant at the Savoy hotel. My wife and I have been, as I said, to several Michelin starred restaurants including the legendary Charlie Trotter's in Chicago. My daughter in law declared the food was better than the Savoy Grill. My wife and I have never had a better meal nor a more enjoyable experience. The staff was warm and friendly, the service was pitch perfect, the food was outstanding. If you are looking for molecular gastronomy or some fussy presentation, this is not your place. If you are looking for a restaurant that truly honors the work of local producers, that produces food that makes your eyes roll back in your head with pleasure, and that makes you feel right at home while giving you world class food, this is definitely a must. I've never been to Paducah, KY before this weekend. I never dreamed a place like Freighthouse could be found in a small town like this (and incidently, Paducah is a cool town too). I'd gladly drive the 3 1/2 hours and stay overnight in a hotel just to go back to this restaurant again. Thanks Chef Bradley and your staff for a wonderful night! read more

Came into town with my wife to visit my mother for her birthday and came across this restaurant on yelp. Food was 7/10 which is really good for me. I was really surprised how well everything was prepared and how good everything tasted being that is Paducah and I've had mostly disappointing meals here for the price point. I do not know anything about the chef owner but I would not be surprised if she has worked in some nicer restaurant groups. She seemed to care about her plates coming out with proper cook and seasoning. Presentation was 6/10. The reason for my 3 stars is based solely on the service. It's pretty sad that we were sitting at the "chefs table" and one of the prep cooks gave us more attention than our own waitress. We waited quite awhile for water, even longer for my drink which was a manhattan (3/10 and I've had many at lots of fine dining establishments and craft cocktail bars. My drink was characterless and not mixed properly). Our desserts were compensated by the waitress and the chef which was not necessary and really not wanted as I wasn't asking for it. Again dessert 6/10. I will be back because I think this restaurant may actually be one the best restaurants in Paducah and this was probably an off night. Best thing I ate was my burger which was cooked an absolutely perfect mid rare as well as the fries were crispy and seasoned excellently! read more

An amazingly talented chef, hiding in plain sight in Paducah. Don't miss the Kentucky Blue Snapper if it's on the menu. Great service, with lots of hand-holding through what is a fabulous menu and wine list. read more

The Freight House holds great promise! The setting (in an old railroad building) provides great ambience, and the service was outstanding. We recently were attracted for our first visit by the concept of 'farm to table' - with the restaurant offering a varied menu - depending upon what local products currently are available. The presentation of the food was great, with very good 'eye appeal' - but the dining experience did not match! Our appetizers were 'so-so' with one being very tasty but the other not so much. Meals were served with cornbread that must have been two days old - very hard, dry, and at room temperature (the butter on top of the cornbread just sat there - no melt at all!). The meals were just 'ok' whereas we had expected much better flavor, texture, etc. We finished with two desserts, both of which were pretty bad! The French toast bread pudding appeared not to be pudding at all - but just a small piece of thick French toast with small pieces of bacon, and the most obvious taste was that of grease! Pretty much inedible! The yellow cake with bourbon butter cream icing also was a disappointment. Although the icing was delicious, the actual cake was dry and overcooked, with a fairly crispy crust on the outside of each layer. Finally, except for the desserts, the items were seriously overpriced. We actually agreed that we would have been much better off eating the free evening snacks at our hotel! We plan to return to Paducah, but will not return to the Freight House! read more

The decor, food and service were awesome BUT......! My husband and I decided to eat here after reading reviews and we showed up shortly after 5:00 which is their opening time. I did not make a reservation because it was a Tuesday night and they were not open earlier for me to call. We were seated in an area of two top tables by the bar which were very close to each other. By the time we ate there were four couples lined up at these close tables while much of the rest of the restaurant was empty. I understand catering to reservations, BUT this was way to close for comfort and we all commented to each other about it and realized none of us had made reservations. We felt like children punished and sitting at the kids table. OTHERWISE, the food was very good. My husband's steak with brussel sprouts was so-so, but our appetizer of deviled eggs was great. My BLT salad was wonderful with amazing tomatoes. I had the Hot Damn Hot Brown which was great. It was a thick slice of bread with a marinated chicken breast, creamy sauce, tomato and pork belly (thick bacon) on top. Our cocktails were superb and we enjoyed our night, but I could not give 5 stars due to the seating terribly close in a very vacant restaurant. I think management needs to rethink the seating for non-reservations or make it clear that reservations are strongly suggested. read more

This was our first the to the Freight House, but it won't be our last! My wife read about it in a magazine and we've had some friends recommend it also. It's a great Farm-to-Table restaurant. Fantastic menu of local area fare. We had chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in bacon for an appetizer. They were awesome! We split the Delmonico steak for dinner and still couldn't finish it. It's 16oz. Great taste though. It came with some kind of foo-foo Mac & cheese. It tasted great also, but I'm happy with a 37 cent box, so what do I know? We had beet salads which were very good. Dessert was a shared brownie batter pie with caramel and ice cream. Mmmmmm mmmmmmmm. But the real reason we came was for the bourbon! They have a truly great bourbon list that competes with anyplace in Louisville or Lexington. Did I mention it was my birthday? So I had the Old Forrester Birthday Bourbon which is great neat. Also tried the Blood Oath Pact #4. It needed an ice cube for me to truly enjoy it. I have Pact #3 at home and this had a little more kick. All in all, a great evening. We drove over from Cape Girardeau, MO and we'll come back with friends! read more

First visit. Had excellent service and great food. My wife had Shrimp and Grits. She said they may be best she has had. I had the Crawfish pot pie. It was great. It is a little spicy for tender tummies. The Blueberry dessert was a nice finish. read more

We ordered half of the menu. Everything was cooked and seasoned to perfection! There was not a single item that we did not like! Favorites are the pork belly, shrimp and grits, steak, and cant go wrong with any of the desserts! Service was excellent, and tried out several specialty drinks as well! Thanks for the great experience! read more

Nice place. We are not from the area and enjoyed a farm-to-table vibe at a very reasonable price. They had a wide-ranging food and drink menu. Portion sizes were big - we were stuffed after splitting an appetizer, entree, and dessert. It's nicely decorated inside. read more

We had a party of five and received outstanding service and had excellent meals. Sarah is an excellent chef and her staff seemed focused on great, tasty and beautifully presented entrees. Her mother makes wonderful desserts daily as well. This restaurant is a must if visiting Paducah. read more

Loved the food, it was fantastic! The server was very knowledgeable about the wine and craft beers available. The decor is gorgeous and we had a great time! Menu may be limited later at night. read more

It really is as good as they say! We enjoyed the snapper and chicken dishes and will make the 2.5 hour drive again just to have some more! Friendly wait staff and casual chic atmosphere make this place a winner! read more

My first review ever! Loved the Freight House! I had the snapper. Was a little nervous, but it was fabulous. My husband had the pork shoulder and it was delicious. We shared the pork belly appetizer and wished it was a much larger portion...so good! Will definitely return the next time we pass through Paducah. Also had a charming waitress named Danielle. It was a lovely evening. Thumbs up to the Freight House! read more

This place has a great atmosphere to it. You can either sit inside in the comfortable dining room or go outside and enjoy the breeze. The food is great and I had their burger which is one of the best I have ever had and I know my burgers. The food is reasonably priced as well as the drinks. The service is quick and the servers are very respectful and polite. I would recommend this spot to anyone looking for a good time and good food. Ask for JP to be your server! Did a fantastic job! read more

Ate there for the first time last night. All the dishes were unique and all had incredible flavor. I love the story, building and atmosphere. What an experience... can't wait to return. read more