Sweet 16 dining guide: Tacos, pizza and more at 16 new Lexington restaurants
Every spring Lexington welcomes high schools from across the state for the Sweet Sixteen basketball tournaments in Rupp Arena. And those teams don’t come alone.
Parents, fans and other students come along, and eventually they all get hungry.
Many have been here before and old favorites among the restaurants, places the love to go every time they come.
But Lexington’s dining scene is always adding new places.
Here are 16 new ones (plus a extra) that have opened in the last year to put on your restaurant radar:
▪LaRosa’s Pizzeria, 2890 Richmond Rd. This is the pizza everyone remembers from Kings Island trips. Plus Lexington actually now has a second take-out only location on Southland Drive just off Nicholasville if you need to get, say, a dozen pizzas to go. The one on Richmond Road is with a First Watch Restaurant (open for breakfast and lunch only) and a Skyline Chili, so your crowd can have options.
▪ Chuy’s, 1856 Alysheba Way. Lexington’s second Chuy’s opened in the Hamburg area last spring. Like the one off Nicholasville Road, it has authentic Tex-Mex with loads of flair. There are hand-rolled tortilla and 10 made-from-scratch sauces from milk tomatillo to spicy Hatch green chile. And grownups can get margaritas made with fresh-squeezed lime juice.
▪ Feeling crabby? Here are two options to crack into. Shaking Seafood & Wings, 3110 Mapleleaf Dr., and Storming Crab, 4009 Nicholasville Rd. Both of these new restaurants specialize in “crab boil” style seafood and wings. You pick what you want in it and how you want it seasoned. Messy but yummy.
▪Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse, 101 West Vine St. This posh steakhouse and sushi bar is over the top, by a long shot. It’s also got a whole room dedicated to University of Kentucky athletic greatness. Very pricey. Is this a place to take the whole team? Not unless you’re ready to drop big bucks. But might be the place to treat someone special.
▪ Athenian Grill, 110 East Main St. This Greek restaurant opened a downtown location next to the main library, in the heart of the city. You can get daily specials as well as favorites such as gyros and Greek salads fast.
▪ Apollo Pizza, 1451 Leestown Rd. Richmond’s popular pizza joint opened a Lexington location out Leestown Road in Meadowthorpe. You can get great pizzas, pasta and local craft beers.
▪ Southland Bagel, 428 Southland Dr. Sometimes you need carbs. Really good carbs. And coffee. Southland Bagel has both, along with sandwiches. Open for breakfast and lunch, and you can get a bag to go as well.
▪ East End Tap and Table, 333 East Main St. Away from Rupp at the other end of Main Street, East End Tap and Table has yummy bugers and sandwiches, as well as more adventurous fare. Backed by UK women’s basketball coach Matthew Mitchell, the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and has a full bar.
▪ Outback Steakhouse, 3395 Nicholasville Rd. The classic. Now in a newer bigger location right at Fayette Mall. The menu still has the steaks and Bloomin’ Onions you know and love.
▪ Sav’s Restaurant, 630 East Main St. Sav’s used to be on South Limestone by Samaritan Hospital and the UK campus. Now on Main Street, it has an expanded menu of African cuisine and several vegetarian options. This new location also serves Sav’s Chill ice cream.
▪ Frank’s Donuts, 549 E. Third St. Frank’s is popular in Winchester, Georgetown and now Lexington for its super cheap and delicious donuts. A dozen regular donuts is $7, and there’s a drive-through. Open 4:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. usually.
▪ Drake’s, 1880 Pleasant Ridge Dr. Drake’s is popular for its smashed burgers and sushi, and now there is a location on the east side of town, near the Hamburg shopping center. It has a kids menu too. From starters to steaks, lots of options to feed a crowd.
▪ Richie’s, 771 East New Circle Rd. If you love fried chicken on the spicy side, check out this Cincinnati favorite. The location on New Circle Road also has all the homestyle soul food sides you could want, from beans and greens to mashed potatoes and mac’n cheese. Cheap and fast, you can feed a crowd here.
▪ Horse & Jockey Pub, 131 Cheapside. This restaurant on Short Street is an Irish gastropub, with fish & chips, corned beef and cabbage, full Irish breakfast all day and much more.
▪ Roulay Restaurant & Bar, 107 West Short St. A new Cajun/Creole/French fusion restaurant, Roulay is also on Short Street, which is fast becoming Lexington’s hot Restaurant Row. The restaurant has gator and gumbo but also has vegetarian options. Spicy and fun.
▪ Taco Tico, 3110 Pimlico Parkway. A cult favorite for many people, Taco Tico also has opened a new location on the Southeast side of town at Man o’War and Pimlico Parkway. If you are looking fast, cheap and delicious Mexican food, this is the place. And there’s a drive-through if you’re getting take-out for the team.
