You can eat on a piece of Rupp Arena’s floor at this Lexington restaurant
Just in time for March Madness, one Lexington fine dining restaurant is taking the term courtside seats to a new level.
Tony’s of Lexington has a new addition to its lineup of USDA Prime steaks, seafood, pasta and popular appetizers — dining on a piece of the University of Kentucky’s historic Rupp Arena floor.
The new table was made using a section of the home court UK played on from 2001-2024. On it are signatures of two of the coaches who led the Cats then — Tubby Smith and John Calipari.
The table gets a lot of attention and is used nightly, said David Johnson, director of operations for Tony’s.
“That’s a 12 top that we made a kind of a centerpiece right there underneath the stairs in the restaurant,” said Johnson. “It’s been received very well for sure.”
There’s no extra charge to request a reservation for the table, which, for good reason, is the only one in the dining room without a white tablecloth.
The table was made by Cincinnati-based Artsman, wich also sells pieces of the historic basketball court.
On the table at Tony’s, which opened in 2015 and quickly became one of Lexington’s top steakhouses, are two basketball-shaped emblems bearing the signatures of Smith and Calipari, who have been regulars.
“It’s to show our support of the team that we’ve been a part of since we’ve since we arrived,” said Johnson.
Tony’s of Lexington
Where: Victorian Square Shoppes, 401 W Main Street.
Hours: 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Sun.-Thur.; 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat.
Online reservations: tonysoflexington.com
This story was originally published March 6, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
