To be honest, news that Mid City Mall is up for sale and possible redevelopment hasn’t caused many complaints. The old Highlands spot is widely seen as, well, grungy. It’s no coincidence that local wits often call it Skid City Mall.

But within those 63-year-old walls reside a few highly regarded shops. Would the demise of the mall spell an end to popular institutions like the Highlands-Shelby Park Library, Valu Market, and Baxter Avenue Theatres? That realization can trigger the sounds of wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Much is still up in the air. Has the mall been sold yet? Has a redeveloper been chosen or a plan revealed? Not yet. We don’t know the fate of the shops, although the library’s lease extends through June 2026, and there’s been talk of a redevelopment including a large grocery space. There’s been no public word on the theaters, though Louisville Redditors are up in arms. The Nearly New Shop, a much-loved vintage and resale clothing shop run by the National Council of Jewish Women’s local branch since 1956, shut its doors after a closing sale in September.

The mall’s restaurants certainly aren’t exempt. Hamra Halal Mediterranean Buffet, located on the Bardstown Road side of Mid City’s facade, shut its doors early in 2023, an apparent victim of the pandemic and, perhaps, variable quality.

But here’s the good news: Ramen House, which had earned popularity for quality ramen and other Japanese and Korean dishes in the mall since 2019 (following a brief prior Highlands incarnation), got out ahead of the redevelopment rumors. After closing its mall location on August 30, longtime Ramen House owner Jonathan Ham promptly moved to well-renovated quarters at 204 S. Spring St. in Irish Hill.

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Ramen House
204 S. Spring St.
facebook.com/RamenHouseLouisville
instagram.com/ramenhouselouisville

Noise Level: The crowd grew during our weekday lunch visit, but conversation was never difficult, with average sound levels around 71dB and only occasional peaks past a noisy 80dB.

Accessibility: The restaurant appears accessible to wheelchair users, but not that it’s some distance from parking at the rear to the restaurant’s entrance on the side of the building.

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