See inside, changes as legendary Lexington restaurant reopens in new location
A University of Kentucky campus favorite is back and the Herald-Leader’s LexGo Eat has a First Look at the restaurant.
Tolly-Ho, which has served cheap eats to college students, faculty, partiers, police and everything in between since 1971, has reopened in a new location.
Manager Jennifer Milling said that the legendary Lexington restaurant reopened to carryout and delivery orders in late August, then over the Labor Day weekend began serving in the new dining room at 350 Foreman Ave., less than half a mile from the previous location on South Broadway.
It’s in the former Bad Wolf Burgers location, across from Speedway.
The restaurant closed down on July 29 ahead of the move, which had been in the works for months after UK bought the previous building at 606 S. Broadway for $2.3 million after a February vote by the board of trustees.
Bill Widener, who was eating breakfast about 2 p.m. at Tolly-Ho on Sept. 3, said he usually comes in at least once a week and was glad to see them back open. “It felt like it was gone for two months but it was only a couple of weeks,” said Widener, who was on his way to work.
Tolly-Ho built its reputation on inexpensive but tasty food, including breakfast any time.
“This is the fourth location,” Milling said, daughter of owner Roy Milling. But as with each previous move, Tolly-Ho has incorporated the things that drew crowds in the first place.
“The same fresh, quality food. Same great atmosphere. The people. ... We have great employees,” she said. “The menu’s the same. The burger’s on there!”
The UK memorabilia, including paddles from the fraternities and sororities, is back on the walls, and the pinball machines and video games and even the awning over the front door made the move as well.
Beer will be offered, beginning with the weekend.
But there are some changes:
▪ The new location will have a drive-thru when they get up to speed. “It’s going to be a lot of breakfast sandwiches and the Ho Burgers and stuff,” Milling said.
▪ The hours will be slightly different as well. Before, Tolly-Ho was listed as basically 24 hours a day, but in the new location the restaurant will be open Sunday through Wednesday 7 a.m. to midnight, and Thursday, Friday and Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 a.m., Milling said.
▪ New dining spaces outdoors (coming next spring) and a semi-private space upstairs that can be reserved for parties, starting later this winter.
The restaurant moved after the University of Kentucky bought the previous building but Milling said the new location has lots of advantages. It’s surrounded by a thicket of college apartments, has a traffic light to make left turns into the parking lot easier and slightly more parking.
Tolly-Ho
Where: 350 Foreman Ave.
Hours: Sunday through Wednesday 7 a.m. to midnight, and Thursday, Friday and Saturday 7 a.m. to 3 a.m.
Online: Facebook.com/TollyHoRestaurant
