Lexington restaurants reopening for dine-in or outdoor seating on Friday
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced on May 7 that the state is allowing restaurants to reopen on Friday, with limited capacity indoors and additional seating outdoors.
But will they?
Well, one downtown spot on Lexington’s Main Street isn’t waiting long. Bourbon on Rye will be reopening their doors at 12:01 a.m. Friday because as they said in a Facebook post, “we just can’t wait another minute. We’re so excited to see you!”
Here are the restaurants that have said they will reopen Friday with some variation on dining in, whether it’s seating in the restaurant and / or allowing customers to eat takeout orders at outdoor tables with no table service.
Many Lexington restaurants have been operating with takeout and to-go alcohol sales since mid-March but some closed down altogether after they were ordered to halt dine-in service to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Dining out in Lexington: What you need to know
▪ With dining in, comes new restrictions: Employees have to wear masks, customers have to be spaced at least 6 feet apart and possibly be separated by partitions.
▪ Some restaurants have decided that they cannot reopen with at most 33 percent of their indoor seating; they will stick with carry-out orders only. All restaurants that have been doing to-go orders will continue.
▪ Many restaurants are adding outdoor seating areas and the city is willing to partially close streets to give dining spots a lifeline; some, particularly smaller restaurants like Sidebar on North Limestone, will reopen for outdoor seating but not indoor seating, often without table service.
▪ Others are ramping up online reservations, booking seatings and preparing to serve with disposable utensils. And some, like Bella Notte, plan to open at less than capacity than the limit allows. On May 23, the Italian restaurant will open with 25 percent dining, at first only for at-risk customers, then add more seating on May 29 for other customers.
▪ Call ahead or go online to make sure you can get a table. New COVID-19 restrictions may mean that you have to wait in your car until seating become available to avoid congregating.
▪ At the end of the restaurant reopening list is the LexGoEat takeout guide, dining spots that have decided to delay their reopening for now.
KEY
C: Curbside pickup or ordering
DT: Drive-through
D: Delivery available
O: Online delivery service (GrubHub, UberEats, DoorDash, etc.)
P: Patio or other outdoor seating
Lexington restaurants re-opening with dine-in or patio dining:
A Cup of Common Wealth: C, P
A.P. Suggins: C
Agave & Rye: C, P
Asuka Restaurant & Sushi Bar: C
Azur Restaurant & Patio: O, P
Backroads Bakery: C, P
Bad Wolf Burgers: C, DT, O, P
Banners: C, P
Bella Notte: D; May 23, at risk only; May 29 other diners
BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse: C, OD
Blaze Pizza: C, D, O, P
Blue Heron Steakhouse: C, P
BLVD Grill: C
Boone Tavern: P
Bradford BBQ: C, P
Brick Oven Pizzeria: C, D
Bridge Eatery & Bar: C, P
Broomwagon Coffee + Bikes: C, P
Bronte Bistro: C, P
Bru Burger: C, P
Buddha Lounge: C, O
BurgerFi: C, O
Campestre Mexican Grill: C, D, O, P
Carrabba’s Italian Grill: C, OD, P
Carson´s Food & Drink: C, P
Cellar Bar & Grille: C, D, P
The Chop House: C, D, P
Charlie Brown’s: C, O, D, P
Coldstone Creamery: C, P
Columbia Steakhouse: C, P
Common Grounds: DT, P
Crumzz Bar and Grill: C, D, P
Doodles: C, P
Double Dogs: D, P (May 23)
Double H BBQ: D, P
Dudley’s on Short: C, P
East End Tap & Table: C, O, P
El Charro: C, D, P
Elkhorn Tavern: C, P
Fazoli’s: O, D, DT
First Watch: C
Girls Girls Girls Burritos: C, D, P
Good Foods Co-op Café: C, P
Goodfellas Pizzeria (Distillery): C, P
Graeter’s: C, D, P
Graze: C, P
Great American Cookie Company Fayette Mall: C
Great Bagel: C, O, P
Grey Goose: C, P
Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken: P, C, O
Holly Hill Inn: C, P
J. Alexander’s: C, P
J. Gumbo’s: C, D, P
J. Render’s Southern Table & Bar: C, D, P
J2C Asian: C
Jalapeno’s: C, P
Joella’s: C, D
KSBar and Grille: C, P
La Petite Delicat: C, P
LaRosa’s: C, D, DT
Le Deauville French Bistro: C, D
Local Feed: C, D, P
Local Taco: C, P
Malone’s/Harry’s/Drake’s - ALL BHG: C, O
Marikka’s Restaurant & Bier Stube: P, C
Marriott City Center and Residence Inn Lexington Center restaurants
Minglewood: C, P
Minton’s at 760: C, D, P
Mi Pequena Hacienda: C, O
Miyako Steak & Sushi House: C, O
MOD Pizza: D, T
Moe’s Southwest Grill: C, D, P
The Mousetrap Deli: C, P
Mr. Brews Taphouse: C, O, P
Noodles & Co.: C, O, D, P
Nothing Bundt Cakes: C, D
O’Charley’s: C, D
Olive Garden: C, D
Oscar Diggs: D, O, P
Papi’s Mexican: C, P
PieTana: C, O, P
Planet Thai: C, O
Portofino: P
Proud Mary BBQ: C, P
Rafferty’s: C, D, P (opens 5/23)
Ramsey’s Diner: C, O, P (Zandale location only; other locations will stagger)
Red State BBQ: C, P
Rolling Oven Taproom: C, D, P
Sage Rabbit: C, P
Salsarita’s Fresh Mexican Grill: C, D, P
Saul Good: C, P
Schlotzsky’s: D, DT, C, P
School Sushi: C
Sedona Taphouse: C, D, P
Shamrock Bar & Grille Hartland: C, O
Shamrock Patchen: C, D, P
Sidebar Grill: C, D, P
The Southern Deli and Tavern: C, D, P
Spotz Gelato: C, O , P (Georgetown, Versailles locations only; Lexington location still closed)
Stave: C, D, P
Stella´s Kentucky Deli: C, P
Subway: D
Sutton’s: C, D, P
Sushi Blue: C, D, P
Tack House Pub: C, P
Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe: C, P
Third Street Stuff & Coffee: C, P
Tilted Kilt: C, O
Tulip Bistro and Bar: C, P
Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen: C, D
Wallace Station: C, D, P
The Woodford Club: C, D, P
Zim´s Cafe: C, D, P
Lexington restaurants sticking with takeout for now
Apollo Pizza: C, D (Seating begins May 25)
Archa Nine Thai Kitchen: C, O
Arirang Garden Korean: C, O
Athenian Grill: C, O, D
Bear and the Butcher: C, O
Big City Pizza: C, D
Bourbon n´ Toulouse: C, O
Blue Door Smokehouse: C, O
Callies Homestyle Restaurant: C, D
Caramanda’s Bake Shoppe: C, D
Charlie’s Seafood: C, O
Chef Doug’s Gourmet Foods: C, D
Chuy’s: C, O (Seating reopens May 26)
Coles 735 Main: C (To go starts May 26)
County Club: C (To go starts June 3; seating in July)
Crank & Boom: C, D
DV8 Kitchen: P, C (Dining reopens May 26)
DaRae and Friends Catering: C, D
Distilled: D
Donut Days: C, DT
Dupree Catering: C, D
El Gran Tako: C, D
El Lounge Ice Cream & Snacks: C
Epping’s on Eastside: C (To go starts May 26)
Giuseppe’s Ristorante Italiano: C, D, DT (Seating June 13)
Gluten Free Miracles: C (Special orders only)
Gumbo Ya Ya: C
Halls On The River: C, D
Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse: C (Seating begins June 3)
The Ketch: C, D
Lexington Diner: C (Seating begins May 27)
Martine’s Pastries: C, D
Masala Indian Cuisine: C, O
Merrick Inn: C
Oasis Mediterranean: C, D
Old Chicago Pizza: C (Seating begins May 25)
Parkette Drive-In: C, O
Pasta Garage: D, O
Pearl’s: C (To go begins June 3; seating in July)
P.F. Chang’s China Bistro: P, C, D, O
The Press Juice & Health Bar: C
Puccini’s Smiling Teeth: C, D, O
Raising Cane’s: DT
Sahara Mediterranean Cuisine: C
Sav’s Grill & West African Cuisine: D, O
Selma’s Catering and Events: C, D
Smithtown Seafood: C, D
Sonny’s BBQ: C, DT, O
Sorella Gelateria: C, D
Southland Bagel: C, D, O
Tachibana: C
Texas Roadhouse: C, O (Seating begins May 25)
Tortilleria y Taqueria RAMIREZ: C
Wine + Market: C, D
Zaxby’s: DT, O
Zim´s Cafe: C, D
This story was originally published May 20, 2020 at 3:00 PM.
