2025 Best of Lex: Food & Drink

It’s true — Lexingtonians love to eat. We love to eat well, and we support a thriving local restaurant scene that rivals that of much larger cities. 

Fortunately for those of us who like to enjoy a fine beverage with our meals, we are also the epicenter of bourbon, and our cocktail culture does not disappoint. 

In this section of Smiley Pete's 2nd annual Best of Lex issue, we spotlight those who are doing their part to contribute to the quality food, great service, unique ambiance, and amazing value to our dining and hospitality community. Read on to see who our readers have voted as their favorites in dozens of culinary categories!

Best Cajun 

1. Bourbon n’ Toulouse 
2. Gumbo Ya Ya 
3. Proud Mary BBQ 

Best Fried Banana Peppers 

1. Hall’s On the River 
2. Ramsey’s Diner
3. Joe Bologna’s 

Best Beer Cheese 

1. Dad’s Favorites 
2. Hall’s On the River 
3. Mousetrap 

Best Restaurant to Take Visitors

1. Carson’s Food & Drink
2. Ramsey’s Diner
3. Kentucky Native Cafè 
4. Malone’s 

Best Outdoor/ Patio Dining

1. Kentucky Native Cafè 
2. Merrick Inn 
3. Proud Mary BBQ

Honorable Mentions: 

• Goodfellas Pizzeria 
• Dudley’s on Short

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Ode to Kentucky Native Café

Smiley Pete Staff Salute

Tucked behind Michler’s Florist, Kentucky Native Café is an enchanting urban escape where food, drink and community come together around a lush, plant-filled backdrop. The European beer-garden-inspired café offers craft beer, wine and seasonal bites perfect for lingering afternoons and cozy evenings.

The café’s earthy patio and greenhouse setting creates a botanical vibe accented by a rotating lineup of events, which includes live music on select afternoons and evenings. Fall and winter Fridays are Raclette Night, when melted cheese is scraped fresh in the greenhouse. For literary lovers, the Last Monday Reading Series offers a monthly dose of poetry and prose from regional authors.

Seasonal highlights like the Christmas Market at Michler’s transforms the space into a festive gathering of artists, food lovers and neighbors, adding to the café’s reputation as a welcoming space for the community to gather. Whether you’re craving a cheese sandwich, a burrata plate, or a watermelon salad, the menu reflects the season and Lexington’s local spirit. Pair it all with craft beer, Prosecco or espresso, and you’ve got one of Lexington’s most charming spots to sip and relax with friends. 

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Best Ice Cream/Gelato

1. Crank & Boom Craft Ice Cream 
2. Graeter’s 
3. Sorella Gelateria

Honorable Mentions: 

• Rupp Arena Soft Serve 
• Sav’s Chill 

Best Pimento Cheese 

1. The Mousetrap 
2. Dad’s Favorite Deli
3. Wallace Station Deli & Bakery
4. Salt & Vinegar 

Best Restaurant for a First Date

1. Bella Notte 
2. Kentucky Native Café
3. Mileta 

Best Rooftop 

1. Lost Palm 
2. Dudley’s on Short 
3. Infinity Sky Bar

Best Japanese 

1. Asuka Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi
2. Osaka 
3. Omakase Sushi & Sake Bar 
4. Miyako 

Best Donuts

1. Spalding’s Bakery 
2. North Lime Coffee & Donuts 
3. Frank’s Donuts 

Best Cakes/Cupcakes

1. Martine’s Pastries 
2. European Delights
3. Caramanda’s Bake Shoppe
4. GiGi’s Cupcakes

Best Cheap Eats

1. Ramsey’s 
2. Bourbon n’ Toulouse 
3. Dad’s Favorite Deli 
4. Big Kahuna Hawaiian BBQ 

Best Breakfast 

1. Josie’s 
2. Winchell’s 
3. First Watch Daytime Cafè 

Best Overall Restaurant

1. Malone’s 
2. Coles 735 Main 
3. Bella Notte

Honorable Mentions: 

• Carson’s Food & Drink
• Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 

Best Service 

1. Malone’s 
2. Mileta 
3. OBC 

Best Cocktail Spot 

1. Bar Ona 
2. OBC Kitchen 
3. Epping’s on Eastside 
4. Mileta 

Best Destination Restaurant (within 30 miles) 

1. Windy Corner 
2. Wallace Station 
3. Holly Hill Inn 

Best Hot Brown

1. Ramsey’s Diner
2. Winchell’s 
3. Merrick Inn 

Best Pizza 

1. Goodfellas Pizzeria 
2. Joe Bologna’s 
3. Pietana

Honorable Mentions: 

• Pearl’s Pizza 
• Rolling Oven 

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Ode to Joe Bologna’s

By Emily Marks

Tucked into a former synagogue near the University of Kentucky campus is a treasured Lexington culinary institution: Joe Bologna’s. 

Whether you love the breadsticks as big as your forearm, the “Everything Pizza” that still comes with anchovies, or the homemade soups made by Joe himself (sometimes during a dinner rush), there’s nothing else like it in town. But, just under the smell of garlic and marinara is another key ingredient: the company culture created by Joe, who recently retired.

In part because of the unique way Joe arranged shifts; in part because the employees are often college students in the beginning stages of determining who they will become; and maybe in part because of a bit of magic, working at Joe’s is a formative experience for many.

Twenty years out from my tenure, I still have deep friendships with my former coworkers. We are in book club together, we go camping together, and we’ve relished the opportunity to share each other’s lives as they unfolded. But friendship isn’t all I found at Joe Bologna’s — I also found the person who would become my husband and the father to my children. I was a snarky server, he was a goofy line cook, and Joe himself attended our wedding. Sixteen years and two daughters later, I am forever grateful for what Joe created, and that I still get to go back every once in a while and order a garden veggie pizza – hold the green pepper, add pineapple. You’ll thank me later. 

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Best Burger

1. Shamrock’s Bar & Grill 
2. Drake’s 
3. Sidebar

Honorable Mentions:  

• Bella Cafè and Grille 
•  Sawyer’s 

Best Bakery

1. European Delights 
2. Martine’s Pastries 
3. DV8 Kitchen
4. Bluegrass Baking Company 

Best Vegan Food

1. Moody Mike’s 
2. Good Foods Co-op Cafè 
3. Everest Nepalese & Indian Cuisine

Honorable Mentions:  

• Woke Vegan Junk Food 
• Yalla Y’all

Best Vegetarian Food 

1. Good Foods Co-op Cafè
2. Everest Nepalese & Indian Cuisine  
3. Bourbon n’ Toulouse 
4. Nourished Folks

Best Taco 

1. Tortilleria Y Taqueria Ramirez 
2. El Rancho Tapatio 
3. Papi’s 

Honorable Mentions: 

• Mi Pequeña Hacienda 
• La Taquiza Taqueria

Best Mexican/South American Food

1. El Rancho Tapatio 
2. Mi Pequena Hacienda 
3. Corto Lima 

Honorable Mentions: 

• Papi’s Mexican Restaurant & Bar 
• Taqueria Ramirez

Best Mediterranean/Greek Food

1. Athenian Grill 
2. Sahara Mediterranean Cuisine
3. Mr. Kabab

Honorable Mentions: 

• Nefertiti 
• Oasis Mediterranean Restaurant

Best Korean Food

1. KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot
2. Han Woo Ri 
3. Arirang Garden 
4. DY Market 

Best Vietnamese Food

1. Pho B.C. 
2. Pho Saigon 
3. The Wok 

Best Thai Food

1. Archa Nine Thai Kitchen 
2. Planet Thai 
3. Taste of Thai 
4. Bangkok House 

Best Italian Food

1. Giuseppe’s 
2. Bella Notte 
3. Joe Bologna’s 
4. Pasta Garage 

Best Chinese Food

1. Cheng’s 
2. Asian Wind 
3. Panda Cuisine 
4. Shanghai Bistro  

Best Indian Food 

1. Everest Nepalese & Indian Cuisine 
2. Masala Indian Cuisine 
3. Taste of India 

Best Hidden Gem

1. Kentucky Native Cafè 
2. Dads Favorite Deli 
3. Keeneland Track Kitchen 
4. Mancino’s Pizza & Grinders 

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Ode to Keeneland Track Kitchen

Smiley Pete Staff Salute

Keeneland racetrack is a well-known Lexington institution, beloved for highlighting the Bluegrass region’s natural beauty and timeless hospitality in a way that feels both special and effortless. With limestone structures, well-manicured lawns, fancy-wallpapered restrooms, stunning Thoroughbreds and beautiful people dressed to the nines, the destination simultaneously gives elements of “exclusive country estate” while also being welcoming, accessible and accommodating to the general public.

Nestled within Keeneland’s grounds is another institution special for reasons that are both similar and completely different: the Keeneland Track Kitchen. 

With friendly, down-to-earth employees, an unassuming cafeteria-style atmosphere, and delicious and affordable breakfast and lunch options, the eatery is designed to serve a diverse array of diners — primarily the horse trainers, jockeys, groomers, barn managers and others who work on-site, but it’s also open to the public seven days a week, starting at 6 a.m. The variety of a la carte options allows any number of different approaches to ordering, almost any of which will come to less than $10. This hidden gem is a culinary and cultural treasure in the heart of the Bluegrass. 

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Best Food Truck

1. Rolling Oven 
2. Drake’s 
3. Daughter’s Southern 
4. Boston’s Way 

Best Wings 

1. Wing KYng 
2. Indi’s Chicken
3. Banners

Honorable Mentions:   

• Shamrocks  Bar & Grill
• Winchell’s Restaurant & Bar

Best Pub Food 

1. Shamrocks Bar & Grill
2. Winchell’s Restaurant & Bar
3. Drake’s

Best Sushi 

1. Omakase Sushi & Sake Bar 
2. Michikusa Japanese Restaurant
3. SRO (Standing Room Only)

Best Steak House 

1. Malone’s 
2. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 
3. Tony’s 
4. Blue Heron 

Best Seafood 

1. Smithtown Seafood 
2. Palmers Fresh Grill 
3. Charlie’s Seafood 
4. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 

Best Southern Food 

1. Ramsey’s Diner
2. Winchell’s Restaurant & Bar 
3. Merrick Inn 
4. Windy Corner 

Best Soul Food 

1. Mimi’s Southern Cooking 
2. Indi’s Chicken
3. Grimes Fast Food

Honorable Mentions: 

• Josanne’s Homestyle Kitchen
• Daughters’ Southern 

Best Salads 

1. Malone’s 
2. Rafferty’s Restaurant & Bar
3. Ramsey’s Diner
4. Bella Cafè and Grille 

Best Wine List 

1. Darling Wine Bar 
2. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 
3. Mileta 

Honorable Mentions: 

• Coles 735 Main 
• Dudley’s on Short 

Best Elevated Dining 

1. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 
2. Mileta 
3. Coles 735 Main

 Best Coffee Shop 

1. Third Street Stuff & Coffee
2. Coffee Times 
3. Kenwick Table 
4. Leestown Coffee House 

Best Fried Chicken 

1. Critchfield Meats Family Market
2. Merrick Inn 
3. Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken

Honorable Mentions: 

• Indi’s Chicken
• Grime’s Fast food

Best Brunch 

1. Carson’s Food & Drink
2. OBC Kitchen 
3. Bella Cafè and Grille 
4. Eppings on Eastside 

Best Chef 

1. Chef Cole Arimes – Coles 735 Main, Epping’s 
2. Chef Alex Green – Mileta 
3. Chef Phillip Cronin – Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 

Honorable Mentions: 

• Chef Sam Fore – Tuk Tuk Snack Shop 
• Chef Greg Spaulding  – Salt & Vinegar, Ethereal Slice House 

Best Local “Chain”

1. Drake’s 
2. Bella Cafè and Grille 
3. Crank + Boom Craft Ice Cream
4. Athenian Grill

Best Bourbon Selection (Restaurant) 

1. OBC Kitchen 
2. The Obstinate Sons 
3. Goodfellas Pizzeria

Honorable Mentions: 

• Malone’s 
• Jake’s Cigar Bar 

Best Bar-B-Que 

1. Blue Door Smokehouse
2. Red State BBQ 
3. Big Kahuna Hawaiian BBQ

Best Bagels 

1. Southland Bagel 
2. Great Bagel and Bakery 
3. Pearl’s Pizza 

Best NewRestaurant (Opened in 2024) 

1. The Obstinate Sons 
2. Parlour Pizza 
3. Mileta 

Honorable Mentions: 

• 3Ten 
• Yearling Pizza 
• Cibon

Best Local Winery 

1. Talon Winery 
2. Equus Run Vineyards
3. Wildside Winery

Best Late Night Eats 

1. Goodfellas Pizzeria 
2. Tolly-Ho 
3. Drake’s 
4. Sidebar Grill 

Best Hangover Restaurant 

1. Tolly-Ho 
2. Ramsey’s Diner
3. Bourbon & Toulouse 
4. El Rancho Tapatio

Best Happy Hour 

1. Eppings on Eastside 
2. The Bear & Butcher 
3. East End Tap and Table 
4. Le Deauville 

Best Local Brewery 

1. Country Boy Brewing
2. Mirror Twin Brewery 
3. West Sixth Brewing
4. Ethereal Brewing

Click here for the next category (Bars & Nightlife)!