Despite COVID, twice as many restaurants opened in Lexington than closed in 2021
Although many Lexington restaurants struggled during the second year of the coronavirus pandemic, plenty of entrepreneurs were jumping in.
At least 45 new local places opened in 2021 despite dining capacity limits for the first half the year, staffing problems for the second half and ongoing shortages of random items. Over the same time, at least 21 either closed or never reopened again in Central Kentucky.
Some of the places that did open this past year brought brand new foods to Lexington like Hawaiian barbecue and gourmet hot dogs, Chinese cheese tea and Peruvian lomo saltado stir fry with french fries.
Others capitalized on the town’s enduring love of all things taco. This place isn’t nicknamed “Mexington” for nothing. On the list of new dining spots that opened are at least 10 Mexican or Latin American restaurants.
Another expanding category: Sweets. At least seven new sweets places opened.
Also big hit: Coffee. At least five new spots opened to keep Central Kentucky caffeinated.
New Lexington restaurants, bars in 2021
▪ Agave & Rye, 123 N. Broadway, opened in The Square in July. It was the second Lexington location of the restaurant that serves inventive “Epic Tacos,” including kangaroo meat, and a full bar of tequila and bourbon drinks. The restaurant went in the former Saul Good location, that closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
▪ Athens Lunchroom, 6270 Athens Walnut Hill Rd., opened in September. It’s in the historic Athens Schoolhouse serving fast-casual lunch and brunch when the antique show is going on upstairs on the second weekend of the month.
▪ Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii, 685 S. Limestone Suite 140, opened in August in the Limestone Hub on the corner of Virginia Avenue with specialty drinks and roasted Hawaiian coffee. The coffee shop chain also opened a second location at 3070 Lakecrest Circle in Beaumont in October.
▪ Big Kahuna Hawaiian BBQ, 904 Liberty Rd., just off Winchester Road, opened in May. It brought a big West Coast culinary trend, Hawaiian barbecue, to Lexington, complete with plate lunch, macaroni salad and Spam musubi.
▪ BoBi Cones, 3735 Palomar Centre Dr. #230, opened in November. It’s the new soft-serve ice cream concept from Crank & Boom owners Toa and Mike Green, named for their children Bodhi and Bindi.
▪ BooneDogs, 5902 Old Richmond Rd. at Jacks Creek Pike, opened in January. The specialty hot dog restaurant features lots of options for meat lovers and even vegetarians, with artisan sausages, beer and cocktails.
▪ Butch’s Grill, 398A Southland Dr. inside Critchfield Meats Retail Store, opened in March with a menu of sandwiches and burgers, and soups in colder weather, in addition to the store’s hot bar, which has a rotating daily menu.
▪ Cattywampus Station, 161 Lexington Green Circle, opened in April with spectacular milkshakes made with owner Tia Chancellor’s housemade syrups, whipped cream and baked goods. Now she’s added Back Road Burger Bar, with a menu of burgers, fries and more.
▪ Chick-fil-A, 295 W. New Circle Rd. Work opened Dec. 2. This one will be one of the few in the country to have a new and faster druve-thru configuration, said David Hall, franchise owner. Instead of two lanes for ordering, merging into one lane for food pick up, Hall said this will have two separate drive-thru lanes all the way. That will be important for patrons on this busy corner of Russell Cave and New Circle.
▪ Clubhouse, 385 S. Limestone. This nightclub and music venue opened in late October in the old Pazzo’s Pizza Pub, which has been closed since December 2019. According to its website, it has four bars on three floors, with two stages and room for up to 1,000 people. The restaurant inside was expected to open before the end of 2021, according to owner Ryan Foster.
▪ Chocomania, 739 S. Broadway in Georgetown, opened in January with more than 55 chocolate items, wine and spirits and specialty sweets including Turkish delight.
▪ Condado Tacos, 114 Summit at Fritz Farm Suite 110, opened in September. The build-your-own taco concept, founded in Columbus, Ohio, went in the former Edley’s Bar-B-Que spot at The Summit, near Shake Shack and Origin Hotel.
▪ Creole Cafe, 833 Georgetown St., opened in August. It serves Creole-style seafood, Cajun seafood boil and po’boy sandwiches, made to order by owner and chef Seneca Hudson.
▪ Cornerstone Exchange, 401 S. Limestone. At the University of Kentucky food hall inside the Cornerstone, Miyako Poké Bowl and Selma’s Kitchen joined A Cup of Common Wealth coffee shop, Ethereal Brewing and Rolling Oven pizza.
▪ Crumbl Cookies, 2160 Sir Barton Way, opened in Hamburg in May. The popular gourmet chain sells four flavors of cookie each week such as Chilled Sugar, German Chocolate, Churro, Berry Crunch, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and many more, as well as ice cream.
▪ DV8 Kitchen, 594 E. Third St., opened at the end of August. The second location of the second-chance employment restaurant is larger and has a commercial bakery space that owners Rob and Diane Perez are using to make baked goods for other Lexington restaurants and for mail-order customers.
▪ El Azteca Mexican Grill, 1060 Chinoe Rd., opened in the summer in Chinoe Shopping Center in the former Shakespeare & Co. location that years ago had been Rossi’s and Pacific Pearl. Te restaurant has a menu of authentic Tex-Mex favorites.
▪ El Cid, 701 National Ave., opened this spring in the former Locals’ spot just off Winchester and Walton. Like the location on South Limestone, this Mexican restaurant specializes in birria and margarita specials. Now, for winter, they’ve installed plastic outdoor dining domes with colorful lights.
▪ The Fiddletree, 444 Parkway Dr. inside the Elwood Hotel, opened in September. The hotel restaurant and bar has monthly dining events with 10 percent of the proceeds going to local causes including LexArts and the Lexington Humane Society.
▪ Frank & Dino’s, 271 Short St., opened in August. The upscale Italian restaurant retooled most of the ground floor of the historic Security Trust Building, right in the heart of Lexington’s hot downtown dining district. The restaurant offers authentic Italian fare, as well as a laid-back brunch on weekends, and a more casual bar menu.
▪ Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, 2217 Nicholasville Rd., opened in June. It’s the second location of this popular gourmet chain burger spot.
▪ The Goose Lexington, 170 Jefferson St., reopened in May in the former Grey Goose spot under a new team, who formerly worked together at Portofino. When Portofino closed at the end of 2020, longtime Portofino manager Robby Carter put together a partnership with chef Andrew Durbin, bartender Rob Vap, and restaurant manager Kristen Richardson to revive the Jefferson Street pizzeria with some of their own recipes.
▪ Greyline Station, 101 W. Loudon Ave., opened late in 2020 but many of the food stalls and restaurants inside weren’t ready until 2021. Now the converted city bus garage hosts several breakfast, lunch and evening options including Porterhouse BBQ, Rise Up Pizza, Wilson’s Grocery, Laura Lou Patisserie, Old North Bar, North Lime Coffee & Donuts, The Social Vegan, Breeze Wine Bar, Nourished Folks and B’Juiced. And the Julietta Market in the middle has the Ag Credit Food Demonstration Kitchen, Chui’s Ice Cream and Soda Pop Shop, Da Dawg House, Habibi’s Sweets, Inebriated Baker, Natalia’s Pastries, Papa Pretzel, Rayann’s Popcorn, Soul 2 Go, The Salad Bar, Tratti di Busalacchi and more.
▪ The Grove, 200 W. Main St., opened in June. It’s a new collective of bars that includes Harvey’s Bar and Beer Garden, the Luna “food trailer” in the courtyard, Fable Charcuterie + Wine and an event venue called the Melodeon.
▪ Hola Havana, 115 N. Locust Hill, is opened in November in the former Athenian Grill location. The restaurant serves authentic Cuban food made from family recipes.
▪ Hot Head Burritos, 1445 Newtown Center Way, opened in May. This quick-serve concept from Ohio sells burritos, bowls and tacos with varying levels of spiciness. And it has a full bar.
▪ Kenwick Table, 201 Owsley Ave., opened in September. The neighborhood coffee shop serves pastries, including doughnuts from Spalding’s, plus specialty drinks and wine for grownups.
▪ Kung Fu Tea and TKK Fried Chicken, 685 S. Limestone in the Limestone Hub, opened in December. The bubble tea chain near Kick Ass Coffee of Hawaii also sells Taiwanese spicy fried chicken. Franchise owners Duc Tran, and his brother, Duy Tran, are both University of Kentucky alumni, and wanted to bring a little bit of their Asian culture to Kentucky, where they both grew up.
▪ Leanfeast, 220 Ruccio Way, opened in January. This fast-casual chain focuses on clean eating and meal prep, offering you a choice of veg, protein, starch and sauce, and even has breakfast options and smoothies.
▪ Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken, 3014 Richmond Rd., returned in August after all Lexington locations closed abruptly in 2019. The new owner also plans to reopen the Boardwalk location in 2022.
▪ LexLive, 301 S. Broadway, opened in March. The new Krikorian 10-screen movie theater includes the 500-seat Game Day Sports Bar as well as two more bars, an arcade and a bowling alley. The sports bar’s menu includes typical bar food, such as wings, burgers and pizza, mixed with higher-end items, such as short rib street tacos and avocado toast.
▪ Locals Food Hub & Pizza Pub, 863 Wilkinson Blvd. in Frankfort, opened in June. It features a grocery space with local produce and Kentucky-produced items such as jams and breads. The restaurant focuses on pizza, made with seasonal fresh items as well as Kentucky-sourced ingredients. Local beer is also on tap.
▪ Luna’s Coffee Wine & Butterfly Cafe, 109 Springdale Dr. in Nicholasville, opened in April. Luna’s offers specialty coffees and breakfast, lunch and brunch menu items, as well as a selection of wines and imaginative craft cocktails. What’s unique? Live butterflies and moths displayed on site.
▪ Manchester Coffee, 576 E. Third St., opened in September. This second location of the local coffee shop that opened in The MET near DV8 Kitchen with a large space for hanging out or working.
▪ Maty’s Authentic Peruvian Cuisine, 4371 Old Harrodsburg Rd. Suite 160, opened in November. Owner chef Maria Rivera, a native of Lima, is serving authentic Peruvian cuisine including lomo saltado, ceviche and more.
▪ OMG Donuts, 3449 Buckhorn Dr., opened in July. The shop went into the former Eiffel Pizza location and serves doughnuts, croissants and pastries made daily, as well as smoothies.
▪ Papi’s Mexican Restaurant, 3901 Harrodsburg Rd. Suite 180 in Palomar, opened in February as the first restaurant in the new Fountains at Palomar shopping center at Harrodsburg Road and Man o’ War Boulevard. It’s the third location for the locally owned Mexican chain.
▪ Pita Pit, 543 S. Limestone, opened in November. The chain is across from the UK campus and offers sandwiches in pits and other healthy options. They plan to offer catering and delivery options.
▪ Postmaster’s Pub, 307 W. Short St., opened in March with an updated menu that includes favorites from the old Village Idiot menu, such as the smoked ketchup, The Idiot Burger, Korean fried chicken sandwich, pulled pork mac and cheese and more.
▪ Pour Decisions, 233 E. Main St., opened in August. The speakeasy style bar serves cocktails and light food in evenings and weekends. The signature drinks are “rimmed” in dark or white chocolate or caramel.
▪ Roosters, 2640 Richmond Road, opened in May in The Chop House location in menu heavy on wings and beer, and other the sports bar favorites.
▪ Rosemont Station, 222 Rosemont Garden, opened in May with a menu of fresh burgers from Critchfield Meats, hot dogs, breakfast all day and a full bar. Owner Sean Nealey also has PieTana next door.
▪ Rosticeria Dona Coco, 1804 Alexandria Dr., opened in May. This storefront restaurant features gourmet rotisserie roasted chicken, fresh tortillas, housemade salsa and sides. The authentic menu is based on the Mexican version of American street food, priced for easy takeout.
▪ The Saucy Crab, 3029 Richmond Rd., opened in June in the former Texas Roadhouse location. The restaurant features Cajun seafood boil as well as hibachi and sushi.
▪ Sedona Taphouse, 1950 Newtown Pike, opened in September. It’s the second location of the popular Southwest chain that features hand-cut steaks, seafood and pastas.
▪ Sonny’s BBQ, 2341 Buena Vista Rd., opened in November, bringing “The Pitmaster” back to Lexington. The restaurant opened in the former Bob Evans, just off Winchester Road, near Hamburg.
▪ Sorella Gelateria, 591 W. Short St., opened in June. The gourmet gelato shop owned by two sisters moved from its location on North Limestone after almost six years. The new location has more space, including patio seating, and more parking.
▪ Timmy Two Time’s, 3330 Partner Place, opened in October. The tiny gastropub run by Tim Mars has a small menu and a full bar, located just off Keithshire Way near Clays Mill Road.
▪ Tres Hermanos Nunez, 1973 Lexington Rd., opened in August. The Mexican restaurant is an Eastern Kentucky favorite that moved into the burgeoning food corridor between Lexington and Georgetown. The location near the Kentucky Horse Park used to be the Josie’s Georgetown location.
▪ Tsaocha, 1080 S. Broadway, opened in May, serving cheese tea, a kind of tea that is extremely popular in China and Asia. The shop also serves bubble tea, ice cream and coffee.
This story was originally published December 29, 2021 at 7:38 AM.
