New downtown Lexington bar isn’t on the roof as planned but still rises to new heights
A longtime downtown deli has come back to life in a new way.
Lexington bar and restaurant entrepreneurs Aimee and Javier Lanza have opened Georgie’s Social House at 161 N. Limestone, in the former location of George’s Deli.
The deli, across from Lexington’s downtown county and federal courthouses and near Sayre School, was known for decades as a great place for lawyers to grab quick sandwiches and for school kids to pick up ice cream treats.
But the new place, Georgie’s Social House, is a sister concept to Centro, their bar on Cheapside, and The Service Station, across from Masterson Station Park on Leestown Road.
The Lanzas bought the historic property in 2019 and originally planned to build a glass-walled rooftop bar atop the three-story building
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But when COVID hit, restaurants and bars shut down, as did downtown offices. George Farhat, who had planned to retire at the end of 2020, decided to close his deli permanently several months early.
The Lanzas scrapped the rooftop bar and came up with a new plan: Georgie’s Social House, an homage to that downtown fixture, said bar owner Aimee Lanza.
Georgie’s Social House menu
Lanza said that patrons have shared a lot of memories of coming into the deli and she is hoping they will build new positive associations with the new venture.
The bar, which opened on April 12, has an impressive bourbon collection as well as wines and a cocktail menu of drinks that honor a wide variety of Georges, from George Washington (a riff on the Old Fashioned) to George Clooney (with house-made passion fruit puree and Clooney’s Casamigos Tequila), including George Costanza (a “mocktail” tiki drink named for the “Seinfeld” character) and George Lucas (The Force, an espresso martini.)
“We’ve gotten a lot of great feedback on our drinks so far,” Lanza said.
Besides a custom cocktail menu, Georgie’s also has charcuterie boards and a few other “noshes,” Lanza said.
The atmosphere is casual, with mini garage door windows that they can raise in warm weather, with tables on the sidewalk as well.
“Here it’s all about connecting and sharing stories and experiencing something we just call ‘refined adulting,’” Lanza said.
Georgie’s Social House
Where: 161 N. Limestone
Hours: Wednesday-Friday 4 p.m. to late-night, Saturday-Sunday noon to late-night
Online: Georgieslexington.com
This story was originally published May 2, 2023 at 6:00 AM with the headline "New downtown Lexington bar isn’t on the roof as planned but still rises to new heights."
