Octopus, cookies, sushi, pizza: At least 30 new Lexington restaurants, bars opened this year
Lexington’s restaurant scene is always buzzing, but 2024 was on fire. At least 30 new places opened all across the city.
Major new restaurants opened in the suburbs, at the mall and downtown. Tiny new spots bloomed in neighborhoods. And old locations were reborn as brand-new bars.
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The restaurant scene also lost some big names too, with more on the way in 2025.
Here is a guide to some of the new bars, dining spots and restaurants that opened in 2024.
2 Fisted Willie’s: The country-themed bar 2 Fisted Willie’s opened at 388 Woodland Ave. in September. The bar is in the former Lynagh’s music venue and features live music and lots of TVs for watching University of Kentucky sporting events. It’s owned by former UK quarterback Bill Ransdell and his wife, Dierdre, who added a rooftop patio to the building.
3TEN: This new bar-forward restaurant from chef Jonathan Lundy and TJ Cox opened at 310 Short St. in December, serving small plates from all over the globe with playful cocktails and an eclectic wine list.
BK’s Cookies, 356 Longview Plaza 160B, serves special cookies made by a Lexington educator known as “the cookie man.” Leon Buford-Kelly, an associate principal at Leestown Middle School, started baking for students and for school fundraisers. Now, he’s sharing both passions with the world.
Blue Door Smokehouse, which closed at the end of 2023, reopened in a new location around the corner at 819 National Ave. Suite 140, in April, serving its popular smoked meats and sides daily.
Bourbon n’ Toulouse also closed one door and opened another. The popular locally owned Cajun/Creole restaurant closed the South Broadway location in December and opened at 1781 Sharkey Way. Owners Cameron and Kevin Heathcoat also continue to operate their Euclid location, serving etouffees, jambalayas, gumbos and more.
Burl Brew, 375 Thompson Road, a new bar, cafe and brewery, opened in March just off Manchester in the Distillery District. Designed to be a perfect spot for watching sports, Burl Brew serves beers from its own microbrewery as well as signature cocktails in a 6,500-square-foot taproom with a 30-seat bar made from a single oak tree. There’s also a huge outdoor patio space with even more TVs.
Carson’s at Andover, 3450 Todds Road, opened in July. The second location of Carson’s, the downtown restaurant popular for brunch, lunch and dinner, features the same menu in a bigger suburban space with lots more parking and outdoor seating. The Andover location also has a venue space that can accommodate large or small events.
CIBON, 211 Rosemont Garden, a wine and cheese shop that also sells bourbon and other gourmet goodies, opened in June. Cibon has about 100 different wines and dozens of cheeses and cured meats from around the world. You can select a plate to sample while you’re there or order charcuterie plates for parties.
Dingbats, 471 Jefferson St., opened in October serving a new kind of pizza: Roman-style and rectangular. This neighborhood place can serve it either on foccacia-like bread or on a thin crunchy crust.
Dunkin’ Donuts, 2890 Richmond Road, opened in December, where the LaRosa’s Pizzeria closed in 2023, with a drive-thru and seating inside. A second location is planned on the corner of Nicholasville and Lowry in the Regency Shopping Center, although that one might take more time to remodel a former bank building.
Lexington Tea & Brie, 219 N. Limestone, opened in June. The charming tea room serves 90-minute seatings in a pink and posh setting perfect for Instagram and lunch with friends, complete with a fresh pot and three-tier tray of savory finger sandwiches, scones and tiny sweets.
The Leaky Momma, 468 Southland Drive, a home bakery that sells cookies that help breastfeeding mothers promote lactation (and just taste super for everyone else) is opening a storefront on Southland Drive. Besides the original oatmeal cookies that have chocolate chips, raisins and a touch of cinnamon, Leaky Momma also sells several other varieties, including a vanilla and almond sugar cookie, made on-site.
Little Spoon Creamery, a new ice cream, coffee and dessert shop, opened in Richmond at 2055 Lantern Ridge in September, serving a dozen flavors of Crank & Boom ice cream.
Mazunte Bodega, 903 Manchester St., opened in April on Manchester, next to The Manchester Hotel in the Distillery District. Mazunte serves a menu of authentic regional Mexican food specialties including tortas, tlayudas, al pastor, barbacoa and birria. Besides killer guacamole, Mazunte has a surprisingly large menu of vegetarian and vegan options. There’s also a full bar, as well as adjoining event spaces.
Mileta, 3565 Nicholasville Rd. Suite 932, opened at Fayette Mall in November. Owner Dallas Rose calls it “Italian-ish” because Mileta serves pasta but is far from the traditional. Contemporary, ambitious, beautiful, Mileta brings something new to Lexington’s dining landscape.
Moody Mike’s, 802 N. Limestone, Moody Mike’s, a food truck with an all-vegan menu, decided to open a full-scale cafe in the old Broomwagon Cafe spot on North Limestone. In June they started serving coffee and breakfast items, with a limited menu in the evenings. They plan to eventually transition to a fuller menu and longer hours.
Naz’s Halal Food, 685 S Limestone, opened in December, with late-night hours, near the University of Kentucky campus in The Hub apartment complex at 685 S. Limestone. The new restaurant serves halal Mediterranean cuisine like rice platters, specifically chicken or lamb over rice. They also have a variety of gyros including chicken, lamb, fried fish, falafel and kofta kabab.
The Obstinate Sons, 829 Chevy Chase Place, from Dexter Murray, son of Josie’s owner and former Merrick Inn (and Murray’s and Banana’s Tavern) owners Jennifer and Bobby Murray, and chef Cannon Applegate opened in February with a menu that leans into seasonal Southern specialties. The bar also has a special collection of vintage bourbons as well as current releases.
Osaka Sushi actually opened two new restaurants, 1976 Justice Dr. and 3805 Dylan Place Suite 130. Known for its sushi, hibachi and tempura, both locations serve same expansive menu that covers raw and cooked sushi, as well as teriyaki and other traditional favorites.
PARLOUR Pints + Pizza, 2099 Harrodsburg Rd. opened in October in a former O’Charley’s. The restaurant serves pizza, craft beer and wings. They hope to open a second location in Hamburg in 2025.
Penny’s at Pomegranate, 700 E. Main St., opened in December at the new Pomegranate Linens store in Lexington, serving a menu from chef Ouita Michel and wines from Pomegranate founder Angela Beck’s Oregon vineyard.
Rosati’s Pizza, 148 Malabu Dr. Suite 160, brought its authentic Chicago-style pizza to The Venue shopping center at Nicholasville Road and Malabu Drive. The restaurant opened in May serving deep-dish pizza, thin-crust pizza, Italian beef sandwiches and Italian dogs. Dine-in and carry-out available.
Sassy Bleu opened in December at 496 E. High St. Longtime Lexington restaurant owner Sabrina Booker said she wanted to bring Southern comfort food back to the high-profile corner of Woodland and High that was once the home of the original Ramsey’s Diner, among other restaurants.
Sav’s Gourmet Ice Cream, 819 National Ave. Suite 130, opened between the new Blue Door Smokehouse and Void Sake’s place. Sav’s serves 18 different flavors of ice cream and two sorbets: Hibiscus and lavender lemonade. Mamadou “Sav” Savane retired from restaurants but missed it so much he re-opened Sav’s Gourmet Ice Cream last spring.
Shun Lee, 111 Woodland Ave., opened in February in the former home of an upscale French restaurant. Now it features an all-new menu of authentic Chinese cuisine such as dumplings, Peking duck for two, General Tso’s chicken, Moo Shu pork as well as mochi ice cream. The menu also includes several vegetarian options and lunch specials.
Thai House, 911 Winchester Rd., opened in November in the former location of Jasmine Rice Thai & Vietnamese Cuisine. Owner Nipaporn “Kukie” Ruadrew sold it to a former employee and a partner who launched a second location of their popular Georgetown Thai restaurant.
Thea’s Bass & Biddy Kitchen opened in Greyline Station at 101 W. Loudon Ave., Suite 162 in October serving fried fish and chicken, burgers and fries, salad and sides for lunch and dinner.
Viva Mexica opened a second location at 400 Old Vine St. Suite 106, the former home of Old Vine Bistro, in August. The restaurant serves the same Tex-Mex menu as the original location in French Quarter Square.
Tijuana Flats, at 2344 Elkhorn Rd. Suite 100, in front of the Lowe’s, opened in December off Winchester Road near I-75 and Hamburg. The Tex-Mex quick-service restaurant has a menu of tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos and flautas and other Tex-Mex favorites, all made to order. Signature dishes include the Garlic Lime Shrimp Tacos and Street Tacos.
A renovated Wilson’s Grocery, 1010 Cramer Ave., reopened over the winter and in May new owner Matt Bastin relaunched Kenwick’s favorite lunch. You can grab a bologna or three-cheese sandwich for $3.50, or get the daily special for about $6. And now you can get fresh-baked pies and other desserts from Honeyshine Pies. Wilson’s also has fresh-baked bread from Sunrise Bakery, and grab-and-go items as well as selection of pantry and fresh grocery items. And lots of beer.
This story was originally published December 23, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
