Home Grown, Locally Known

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Willie’s Locally Known opens new Southland Drive location with more space and fresh offerings

Ater a six-month hiatus, Lexington restaurant and music venue Willie’s Locally Known, previously on North Broadway, is now officially smokin’ at a new location, with more space, a new chef, an expanded menu and 65 parking spots.

Owner Wilson Sebastian founded the original Willie’s in 2012, citing motivation to open a music venue that followed the closing of popular downtown music spot The Dame in 2009.

“I was pretty upset by that,” Sebastian said. “I just said ‘If there’s anything I can do to affect change in the Lexington music scene after that happened, then I’m going to do it.’”

In fact, the Dame’s red logo is what inspired the accent color behind the sign perched above Willie’s new bar – the glowing red light surrounding the venue’s logo is an homage to The Dame, which was the epicenter of Lexington’s music scene for several years.

On the tail of what could be described as a turbulent period for Lexington’s music scene, with the venues Natasha’s and Buster’s both closing last year, Sebastian hopes that Willie’s will be able to step back up and fill in some gaps. He also hopes that the increased stage size of the new location will help to attract bigger musical talent. Texas-based songwriters Alejandro Escovedo and Billy Joe Shaver and comedic country singer Unknown Hinson are among the acts to be featured in May.

Though the original North Broadway location, which seated 67 guests, provided a valuable learning experience for Sebastian, the size of the kitchen, stage and venue itself were limiting.

“We just faced too many challenges to do what we’re trying to do,” he said. “It was a good place for us to cut our teeth and learn our lessons and to move on to something bigger and better.”

The Southland location can seat 170 people, not including the patio and bar areas. The expanded kitchen size will allow the staff to bring in more menu items, including wraps, salads and steaks.

“Those are just things we didn’t have the space to pull off at the old spot,” Sebastian said.

Beyond its signature wings and barbecue dishes, the new Willie’s menu now features oysters, which will be shucked right at the bar. Above the bar, old oyster crates – now equipped for sound diffusion – hang from the ceiling, adding an aesthetic that also serves the overall sound quality of the room.

Establishing a proper acoustic environment was a priority for Sebastian when beginning construction on the new space. With high ceilings and an abundance of glass windows, tile and dry wall, the room initially was not music-friendly. He fixed this by lining the walls with barn wood and installing acoustic curtains, a state-of-the-art sound system and three 81-square-foot light fixtures that double as studio panels used to soak up sound.

Sebastian said the venue needs to uphold a certain standard – not just for the customers, but for the musicians as well.

“Willie’s needs to be synonymous with fantastic sound,” said Sebastian. “We want Willie’s to be a place that [musicians] circle on their calendar. That’s a big deal.”

While Willie’s hopes to feature live music seven days a week, including an open mic on Mondays, the venue plans to offer a comfortable dining options for patrons who are just there for the food. A separate 50-seat area, which is equipped with four televisions and has been dubbed the “garage mahal,” can be reserved for diners, and patio seating will also be available during warmer months for patrons who don’t wish to pay the cover for the music. Shows that are free will begin at 8 p.m., with shows charging admission beginning at 9, to allow most of the dinner crowd a chance to eat.

New chef Tanner Stiff was recommended by Jonathan Lundy, under whom Stiff worked at Lundy’s former Gratz Park restaurant. Though Willie’s is known for its barbecue, Sebastian likes to think of its menu as a fusion between soul and barbecue – a cuisine he dubs “Southern eclectic soul food.” In addition to serving old Willie’s staples like wings, pulled pork, ribs and fried green tomatoes, Stiff has added several other items: black-eyed pea salad, smoked deviled eggs, burgoo, Nashville hot chicken and several new sauces, including Carolina mustard sauce and Alabama white sauce.

“Tanner is phenomenal,” said Sebastian. “He makes brisket better than we ever hoped to.”

The bar features 24 beers on tap, including about 14 local brews. Other tap items include Ale-8 and Cheerwine, as well as Boylan and craft sodas, which are made with cane sugar as opposed to corn syrup – no Coke or Pepsi products will be available. More than 100 bourbons are on display above the bar, with all other liquors stored below.

Lunch will be served seven days a week, and those looking for a quick lunch on Monday through Friday can forego the full menu and move to a “fast-casual ordering station,” where a streamlined list of easy-to-prepare menu items will be on display. Lunch patrons will order and pay at the counter, sit down at a table with a number and the food will be delivered when ready.

So far, Sebastian has been humbled by the positive energy and feedback he’s been getting from loyal Willie’s patrons and folks from the neighborhoods surrounding the Southland Drive area. The area has long been home to several music-related businesses, including Blackrider Vintage Guitars, Willcutt Guitars, the Doo Wop Shop, Drum Center and Chuck’s Music, and he believes a music venue with a focus on quality casual food will fit right in.

“I believe a whole lot in this concept,” said Sebastian. “I’m very grateful that it’s been so warmly received by folks here in Lexington, and I think it’s got a lot of potential.

“I look forward to building on this thing,” he added. ss

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