These three new Lexington restaurants are open now. Three more are coming soon

If you’ve been waiting for your next “have you tried…?” text to send to the group chat, this is the week.

Lexington’s restaurant pipeline is unusually loaded right now, with three openings this past week and three more buzzy concepts on deck — from a wood-fired pizza expansion by one of the city’s most prolific restaurateurs to a Mexican brunch chain making its first jump out of Louisville.

This batch of new local restaurants is genuinely all over the map. Fast-casual pizza and wings sit alongside polished-casual steak, all-day Southern breakfast, sports-bar Cajun and chilaquiles with churro waffles. There’s something for the lunch-break slice run, the date-night filet, the Saturday brunch crawl and the Kentucky football watch party.

New Lexington restaurants open now

Smashing Tomato Masterson Station location

The big one for the wood-fired Neapolitan obsessives. Smashing Tomato opened its third Lexington location on June 16 at 112 Lucille Drive, Suite 150, in the Masterson Station area off Leestown Road near Ramsey’s Diner and Osaka. It’s in the former Biscuit Belly space, which closed in October 2025 after two years, and the new spot has an outdoor patio.

For Lexington diners who track the people behind the food, this one matters: Smashing Tomato is part of restaurateur Kuni Toyoda’s portfolio, which also includes Crust, Bella Notte and Bella Cafe. The quick-service concept is built around wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas made with fresh ingredients, plus soups, salads, pastas, wine and beer.

If you need a celebrity-review data point: Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy stopped by the Hamburg location earlier this year for one of his one-bite reviews and gave the pizza a 7.1 out of 10 — solid pizza-internet currency.

Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill new place in Hamburg

Also opened on June 16 — and aiming squarely at the steak crowd — is Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, the North Carolina-based chain’s 70th location, at 2400 Polo Club Blvd. in front of Cabela’s.

The hook is the wood-fired grill itself, fueled by locally sourced hickory, oak or pecan. “It really brings an extra, bold punch to all the food in a way that you wouldn’t really expect,” said Firebirds marketing coordinator Aggie Hughes. “And I think it sets us apart from competitors and other restaurants in the area.”

Positioning-wise, Hughes called it “polished casual” — a step above Texas Roadhouse, not as upscale as a Tony’s. The menu leads with 10 steaks, each aged 21 days and butchered in house, with toppers like braised mushrooms and onions, Cajun butter or a lobster tail. Hughes is betting on the blue cheese filet (7 oz., $42.45; 9 oz., $44.45), a bacon-wrapped filet topped with bleu cheese sauce and port mushrooms. Sides include southwestern au gratin potatoes, grilled street corn, Parmesan mashed potatoes and charred carrots.

Best-sellers to keep on the radar: the wood-grilled salmon ($29.95) and bone-in roasted chicken ($27.95). For budget-conscious diners, there’s a three-course option for $39.95. Brunch runs Saturday and Sunday.

Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Thur.; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri.; 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Sat.; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun. Reservations: 859-800-1112.

Kings Wings — Mt. Sterling

Worth the short drive is Kings Wings, a top-rated Los Angeles food truck that just made the leap to a permanent location at 822 Indian Mound Drive in Mt. Sterling.

The backstory is the fun part. Owner David King perfected his double-fried jumbo chicken wing recipes and proprietary sauces in L.A., racking up Yelp praise, before he and his wife Britney moved to Mt. Sterling in May 2025. Along with his mother, Linda Read, they decided to plant a flag.

The wing nerd details: 17 sauces and dry rubs, most of them homemade, including Kentucky Bourbon and Spicy Peach. “The flavor of our wings fried with beef tallow and the frying technique we use set our wings apart from other wing restaurants,” Read said. Boneless or bone-in; chicken fingers too. The rest of the menu runs hand-cut fries, smashburgers, buffalo chicken quesadilla, hand-squeezed lemonade and Dole Soft Serve.

Vibes: Four vintage arcade games, including Ms. Pac-Man, TVs and a king’s throne chair for selfies.

Hours: 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Mon.-Thur.; 10:30 a.m.-midnight Fri.-Sat.; 10:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Sun.

Restaurants coming soon to Lexington

Charming Magnolia Eatery: Breakfast all day coming to Greyline Station

Mark July 1. Charming Magnolia Eatery is opening at 101 W. Loudon Ave., #162, in the former Chocolate Holler space, next door to Darling Wine Bar and North Lime Coffee and Donuts. Another notch in the steadily evolving Northside/Greyline Station dining scene.

Co-owners Becky and Bryan Lunsford recently moved to Lexington, own The Coffee Spot on Main in Williamsburg and launched Charming Magnolia as a catering cart earlier this year. The new Lexington restaurant will seat 32 and run breakfast and lunch, with — and this is the headline for brunch people — all-day breakfast as a staple.

“We’re going to have homemade biscuits and gravy, Belgian waffles, lots of different sandwiches cooked to order and different bowls,” Becky said, calling out the Magnolia Benny as a signature: “Homemade biscuit with poached eggs, sausage gravy, sprinkled bacon, little parsley.” The Southern comfort menu will also include paninis, homemade meatloaf, daily specials and barbecue from an outside smoker. Breakfast sandwiches will be around $8; top-end around $16.

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux to partner with KSR

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux — which ESPN called the No. 1 sports bar in America — is moving into the former Tilted Kilt at 1030 S. Broadway, ahead of football season. The adjacent former KSBar & Grille will become a Kentucky game-day venue with a Kentucky Sports Radio presence, courtesy of a partnership between business partner Jamie Daniel and KSR founder Matt Jones.

“As a Kentucky native and die-hard Kentucky fan, opening a Walk-On’s here was a long time coming,” Daniel said. Jones added that the deal “allows us to preserve that spirit while giving fans access to a bigger experience, a larger menu and the resources of one of the most successful sports bar brands in the country.”

Inside: 50 TVs and a scratch-made menu of wings, burgers, Cajun food, seafood, tacos, sandwiches, cocktails, margaritas, beer and desserts. KSR will broadcast live from the event venue on game days.

Louisville’s Con Huevos coming to Hamburg

Saving a big one for the brunch trendsetters. Con Huevos, the Mexican-inspired breakfast, brunch and lunch chain owned by Jesus Martinez and Ismene Peredo Martinez, is opening its first location outside Louisville this fall on Pleasant Ridge Road in the Hamburg area. A specific address hasn’t been released.

“We chose Lexington because it felt like the most natural and meaningful next step for Con Huevos,” Jesus Martinez said in a statement, calling out Lexington’s “beautiful mix of families, professionals, students, visitors, and people who really enjoy breakfast and brunch.”

The menu to know: Tres leches pancakes, churro waffles, French toast, brioche breakfast sandwiches, brunch burritos, frittata Mexicana, chilaquiles, enchiladas con huevo and breakfast tacos, plus street tacos at lunch. Drinks lean into the Guadalajara morning mimosa, Cuban coffee, Mexican chocolate and Oaxacan lattes. Gluten-free and vegetarian options available.

Con Huevos in Louisville typically runs 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. weekends. More timing and location details are expected later this year.

The summary points above are based on the reporting of Herald-Leader journalists. The roundup was produced with the assistance of AI. Herald-Leader reporters and an editor reviewed this story for accuracy. You can read more about our AI policy here.