Woodford Co. dining guide: Authentic Mexican, craft beer, world class Kentucky cuisine

When it comes to “where to eat in Woodford County,” locals and visitors alike are spoiled for choice for the best places to dine.

With food there are always stories. This proved true at Taqueria Becerra, a popular, truly authentic Mexican place just off Main Street in Versailles. Going back more than a decade the Becerra family was in the business of growing tobacco not serving food.

But the rural area where they farmed was too far from town for their crews to buy food or meals, explained Servando Becerra who now uses his two languages to run the front of the family business.

His mother Elisa had always loved to cook so she started making meals for the workers and the rest, as they say, is history.

“We didn’t know a thing about running a restaurant (when they started),” Servando explained, but it was clear the tobacco business was on the way out and people loved his mother’s food.

Now, 12 years later, they’ve survived a recession and a pandemic and still have a dedicated customer base because people still love his mother’s food. Having sampled her tamales, tacos and guacamole, I agree.

Often overshadowed by the longstanding fine dining in nearby Midway, Versailles offers an interesting and eclectic mix of local eateries that merit a visit.

On a recent trip I also tried the relatively new Versailles Brewing Company, kind of hidden in the recesses of the former Kroger shopping center. More than two dozen on tap offerings include Mermaid Tea and Tropmistic in addition to some more staid offerings and a good farm-to-table bar menu. I tried the VBC Fish sandwich (well, the fish wasn’t farmed, it was wild-caught and came from Alaska not the Elkhorn but still) and thought it was tasty and fried nicely but March was still too early for that big tomato slice.

Fish sandwich in hand I took a detour to the Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary, a nice drive through a beautiful part of Woodford County (are there any ugly ones?) and not too far from Woodford Reserve where the restaurant offers a range of dining from seated fine cuisine to also fine burgers, wraps and pizzas.

The sanctuary has several well-marked and maintained trails that provide visitors a chance to see both the flora and fauna that flourish there. Closer to town is Falling Springs, part of the Versailles and Woodford County Parks system, that has trails, a disc golf course and a dog park in case you bring your best friend.

If you get an early start you could stop by the Marathon Station at 200 Lexington Street where the Singh family serves what is lauded as the best breakfast in Versailles at their J and B Food Mart. I had a ham biscuit with an egg on top that kept me going for several hours and it was clear from the brisk business the Marathon is popular place for people on the go to grab a filling breakfast.

Other places that came highly recommended but I didn’t get to try include:

▪ Mi Pueblito’s, another popular local Mexican restaurant.

▪ Wagon Bones BBQ, just down the block from the courthouse where the pulled pork sandwich gets rave reviews.

▪ Wilson’s Pool Room, also right downtown, where locals love to go for a great burger.

▪ Ricardo’s Grill and Pub which has pretty standard bar fare along with some higher end options like grilled salmon and crab cakes.

▪ A different experience can be found at Amsden Bourbon Bar on Court Street downtown where you can sample bourbons or try traditional drinks like Old Fashioneds and Moscow Mule or some of the seasonal cocktails offered in the historic setting like Fully Justified, Silver Bulleit and Kentucky Oaked. Private tastings are available as well.

▪ A bit farther afield for dining and drinking are, of course, the Glitz, which is open seasonally and offers such toothsome entrees as Tuscan pork polenta and wild berry sorbet.

▪ And The Stave Restaurant and Bourbon Bar, an intriguing stop on the Bourbon Trail where you can get a reservation for a fire pit or just sit on the covered patio and enjoy views of Glenn’s Creek.

Midway restaurant guide

It’s impossible to write about where to dine in Woodford County without at least giving a nod to nearby Midway, which, no doubt, sets some kind of record for good dining options per capita.

The matriarch of the Ouita Michel family of restaurants, the Holly Hill Inn where for 20 years the beautiful setting and fine, local food have gained devoted regulars over the years and high praise from the New York Times, Southern Living and many others.

But that’s by no means the only option.

Heirloom opened in downtown Midway in 2006 and continues to serve excellent, French-inspired and locally sourced meals.

I reviewed Mezzo, a casual, Italian-inspired restaurant downtown a few years back and thought its careful cooking and fresh ingredients were excellent.

A downtown mainstay for years is Darlin’s Jeans Apple Cobbler Cafe with a variety of classic sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and, of course, cobbler.

Also downtown is the Goose and Gander restaurant and bar operated by Wayne Masterman, long known to Lexington diners through Portofino which closed last year. The fare is more low-key here, with burgers and meatloaf as well as pasta.

Brown Barrel and Blind Harry’s has deep roots in the area and a lively story to tell as well as “offering fine dining, fast casual options, grab-n-go food, and a retail business, all in one location,” according to its website.

Don Jockey describes itself as “the first authentic Mexican” restaurant in Midway and is an extension of a business that has two outlets in Frankfort.

Two other Ouita Michel outlets in Midway deserve attention:

▪ The Midway Bakery and Cafe, where you can get soups, salads and quiche along with a wonderful array of cookies, scones and other baked delights, and

▪ A few miles outside downtown on Old Frankfort Pike, Wallace Station, where since 2003 locals and travelers have been able to get delightful, abundant sandwiches for lunch daily and nightly dinner specials like fried chicken, shrimp and grits and pot roast.