Eating in Lexington, Kentucky
Created | Updated Jul 16, 2012
Eating in Lexington, KY. This is not as simple as it sounds, seeing as how Lexington has more restaurants per person than any other place in the US. Most places are chain dine-in restaurants like Max and Ermas or O'Charlies, but since Lexington is a sort of trade hub for the region, a veritable traveler's paradise has arisen, full of food to suit all tastes and prices.
The first place to look is downtown, some of the oldest and simply the most interesting places are around here.
Tolly-Ho: Tolly-Ho is located on the corner of Euclid and South Limestone, across from Kennedy's Bookstore and just on the edge of the University of Kentucky Campus. US$1.96 buys you a burger and fries, there is nothing on the menu over 5 dollars, and every single item is as good and as greasy as you could possibly desire. Be warned, the non smoking section is the area by the windows, everything past the divider is all smoking. Lunch time is always crowded given the proximity to campus, but Tolly-Ho is open 24 hours a day, with a small convenience store for the students and general hangers-on. Whatever you do, don't tell them it's your first time.
Common Grounds: Located on High Street just before it hits Rose street, Common Grounds is perhaps the best place to get a cup of coffee in the city. Prices are a little high, but it is more than made up by the atmosphere and the coffee itself, which is unrivaled in the city. The shop is located inside an old dry goods store, and still has the original hardwood floor and paneling, as well as some ancient advertisements that have since faded away on the brick. Walk behind the place and keep going till you hit East Main, and you'll find a place called iHigh.com. I work there. Ask for Randol and if I'm there, mention the guide and I'll get you a coke, on me.
Atlanta Bread Company: A chain restaurant, located on Harrodsburg Road just before you hit Rupp Arena, offers soup and sandwich at rather inflated prices. Mondays they serve a chicken and dumpling soup that is quite good as soup goes. Seven bucks will get you a loaf of bread hollowed out and filled with soup, a coke and some chips if I recall correctly.
Magic Mushroom Pizza: Cheapest pizza in town, serves the campus area, 4.99 for a large 1-topping, delivery anywhere downtown. Call (in Lexington, obviously) 252-FAST.
The Melodean: The Melodean is located across from the old courthouse on Main street. A historic restaurant, it's open till midnight and is a basic short order bar and grill located in a pre-civil war theater. If you down a sample of every single one of the bourbons they have in stock, you get a free T-shirt. No word on how much the stomach pump will cost.
Yesterday's Bar and Grill: Basic bar, 6 bucks an hour for a pool table, and on weekends they have a lunch special for any sandwich, fries and a coke for five bucks, not a bad deal as restaurants downtown go.
Joe Bologna's: Off of Maxwell St between Upper St. and Rose St, this is one of Lexington's trademark restaurants. Specializing in Italian cuisine and well known for both their pizza and breadsticks (and a marinara that can't be beat in town), Joe Bologna's is located inside an old Synagogue, replete with hardwood floor, elaborate paneling, carvings, decoration, the altar (now teh bar area) and, perhaps most distinctive of all, a magnificent stained glass window that takes up the better part of one wall and is now the restaurant's de facto logo. If you're in town, this is one place that you cannot miss.
Red Hot and Blue: Good Memphis BBQ, located in Chevy Chase Plaza off of Tates Creek Road. Try their onion loaf.
Billy's BBQ: Decorated with a perpetual "We now have mutton!" banner, this is the best place in town for Kentucky BBQ, a sweet, mustard based concoction similar to other Eastern states, especially the Carolinas.
That's pretty much it for downtown eats, now for the rest of Lexington, which is pretty much anything past the Cooper drive.
Outback Steakhouse: Local favorite for obvious reason. Order an outback special medium well with a loaded baked potato on the side, there is no better steak in town. Australian themed, obviously, and stocked with imported beers.
Marikka's: The only German restaurant in town, serves some of the best German fare I've tasted outside of Germany itself. Also keeps some 200+ beers on the premises, I even found beer from my favorite towns of Giessen and Wetzlar, and that's an accomplishment. Located on Eastland drove across from the Shriner's temple.
Rincon Mexicano: Run by actual Mexicans, this place is a contender for the best Mexican restaurant in a town that has nearly a dozen of the places. Prices are high, but you defenitely get your money's worth here. Located in Landsdowne Shopping center across from the Post Office and Dairy Queen.
Don Pablo's: Chain restaurant, but good nonetheless. Serves up the standard Tex-Mex fare, prices are kind of steep but are made up by the quality of the food which is definitely above average. There are two locations in town, one next to Outback off of Nicholasville Road and another in Hamburg Pavilion in front of Barnes and Noble.
Bella Note: Chain restaurant and a stone's throw away from Outback and one of the two Don Pablo's. Excellent Italian food, I'm not sure on authenticity, but it's a nice departure from steak houses and mexican places.
Fayette Mall Food Court: Avoid unless you like to see roaches play volleyball in the plastic plants.
Max and Erma's: "American" cuisine, whatever that means. Good hamburgers and cheese fries, worth a stop and near some hotelsls off of New Circle road at Harrodsburg Road in Hamburg Pavilion.
Liquor Barn: Off of Richmond and also in Beaumont Centre, this place, besides selling every conceivable whiskey, whine, liquor, liquer, brandy, beer, vodka and anything else made of fermented plant juice, has a very nice deli with an unparalleled selection of cheeses.
If covering 5% of the restaurants in Lexington is scratching the surface, then my shovel is still in the back of my car somewhere. This is in no way a complete guide given the sheer number of places to eat in Lexington, but it is a good general guide for anyone who is in town for any signifigant period of time. Lexington is a circular city, and I have tried to give a restaurant or two for every "slice" of Lexington.
The first place to look is downtown, some of the oldest and simply the most interesting places are around here.
Tolly-Ho: Tolly-Ho is located on the corner of Euclid and South Limestone, across from Kennedy's Bookstore and just on the edge of the University of Kentucky Campus. US$1.96 buys you a burger and fries, there is nothing on the menu over 5 dollars, and every single item is as good and as greasy as you could possibly desire. Be warned, the non smoking section is the area by the windows, everything past the divider is all smoking. Lunch time is always crowded given the proximity to campus, but Tolly-Ho is open 24 hours a day, with a small convenience store for the students and general hangers-on. Whatever you do, don't tell them it's your first time.
Common Grounds: Located on High Street just before it hits Rose street, Common Grounds is perhaps the best place to get a cup of coffee in the city. Prices are a little high, but it is more than made up by the atmosphere and the coffee itself, which is unrivaled in the city. The shop is located inside an old dry goods store, and still has the original hardwood floor and paneling, as well as some ancient advertisements that have since faded away on the brick. Walk behind the place and keep going till you hit East Main, and you'll find a place called iHigh.com. I work there. Ask for Randol and if I'm there, mention the guide and I'll get you a coke, on me.
Atlanta Bread Company: A chain restaurant, located on Harrodsburg Road just before you hit Rupp Arena, offers soup and sandwich at rather inflated prices. Mondays they serve a chicken and dumpling soup that is quite good as soup goes. Seven bucks will get you a loaf of bread hollowed out and filled with soup, a coke and some chips if I recall correctly.
Magic Mushroom Pizza: Cheapest pizza in town, serves the campus area, 4.99 for a large 1-topping, delivery anywhere downtown. Call (in Lexington, obviously) 252-FAST.
The Melodean: The Melodean is located across from the old courthouse on Main street. A historic restaurant, it's open till midnight and is a basic short order bar and grill located in a pre-civil war theater. If you down a sample of every single one of the bourbons they have in stock, you get a free T-shirt. No word on how much the stomach pump will cost.
Yesterday's Bar and Grill: Basic bar, 6 bucks an hour for a pool table, and on weekends they have a lunch special for any sandwich, fries and a coke for five bucks, not a bad deal as restaurants downtown go.
Joe Bologna's: Off of Maxwell St between Upper St. and Rose St, this is one of Lexington's trademark restaurants. Specializing in Italian cuisine and well known for both their pizza and breadsticks (and a marinara that can't be beat in town), Joe Bologna's is located inside an old Synagogue, replete with hardwood floor, elaborate paneling, carvings, decoration, the altar (now teh bar area) and, perhaps most distinctive of all, a magnificent stained glass window that takes up the better part of one wall and is now the restaurant's de facto logo. If you're in town, this is one place that you cannot miss.
Red Hot and Blue: Good Memphis BBQ, located in Chevy Chase Plaza off of Tates Creek Road. Try their onion loaf.
Billy's BBQ: Decorated with a perpetual "We now have mutton!" banner, this is the best place in town for Kentucky BBQ, a sweet, mustard based concoction similar to other Eastern states, especially the Carolinas.
That's pretty much it for downtown eats, now for the rest of Lexington, which is pretty much anything past the Cooper drive.
Outback Steakhouse: Local favorite for obvious reason. Order an outback special medium well with a loaded baked potato on the side, there is no better steak in town. Australian themed, obviously, and stocked with imported beers.
Marikka's: The only German restaurant in town, serves some of the best German fare I've tasted outside of Germany itself. Also keeps some 200+ beers on the premises, I even found beer from my favorite towns of Giessen and Wetzlar, and that's an accomplishment. Located on Eastland drove across from the Shriner's temple.
Rincon Mexicano: Run by actual Mexicans, this place is a contender for the best Mexican restaurant in a town that has nearly a dozen of the places. Prices are high, but you defenitely get your money's worth here. Located in Landsdowne Shopping center across from the Post Office and Dairy Queen.
Don Pablo's: Chain restaurant, but good nonetheless. Serves up the standard Tex-Mex fare, prices are kind of steep but are made up by the quality of the food which is definitely above average. There are two locations in town, one next to Outback off of Nicholasville Road and another in Hamburg Pavilion in front of Barnes and Noble.
Bella Note: Chain restaurant and a stone's throw away from Outback and one of the two Don Pablo's. Excellent Italian food, I'm not sure on authenticity, but it's a nice departure from steak houses and mexican places.
Fayette Mall Food Court: Avoid unless you like to see roaches play volleyball in the plastic plants.
Max and Erma's: "American" cuisine, whatever that means. Good hamburgers and cheese fries, worth a stop and near some hotelsls off of New Circle road at Harrodsburg Road in Hamburg Pavilion.
Liquor Barn: Off of Richmond and also in Beaumont Centre, this place, besides selling every conceivable whiskey, whine, liquor, liquer, brandy, beer, vodka and anything else made of fermented plant juice, has a very nice deli with an unparalleled selection of cheeses.
If covering 5% of the restaurants in Lexington is scratching the surface, then my shovel is still in the back of my car somewhere. This is in no way a complete guide given the sheer number of places to eat in Lexington, but it is a good general guide for anyone who is in town for any signifigant period of time. Lexington is a circular city, and I have tried to give a restaurant or two for every "slice" of Lexington.
