2026 Best of Lex: Shopping

by

Community

Spending money at local businesses helps build a strong community. Every dollar we spend at a locally owned shop helps local business owners and their staff as they contribute to our unique culture and build their lives here in Lexington. From furniture to houseplants to vintage clothing, we’ve highlighted dozens of Lexington’s favorite local spots to burn some hard-earned cash (in good conscience, of course!)

Best Antique Shop

  1. Scout Antique & Modern
  2. Peddler’s Mall
  3. Another Man’s Treasure

Best Book Store

  1. Joseph-Beth Booksellers
  2. sQecial Media
  3. Black Swan

Honorable Mentions:

  • Glover’s Bookery
  • Wildlings Bookshop

Best Car Dealership

  1. Quantrell Auto Group
  2. (Tie) Dan Cummins
  3. (Tie) Greens Toyota
  4. Don Jacobs

Best Car Wash

  1. Jeff’s Car Wash
  2. Clean Sweep
  3. Auto Spa

Best Caterer

  1. Selma’s Catering & Events
  2. DaRae and Friends
  3. The Apiary

Best Children’s Clothing Store

  1. Lele & Lane
  2. Little Classics on Clay
  3. Doodlebugs

Best Consignment/Vintage Clothing Store

  1. Sassy Fox
  2. Stephen Lawrence
  3. Pop’s Resale
  4. Street Scene

Best Florist

  1. Michler’s
  2. Oram’s Florist
  3. Blooms By Brooke
  4. Bella Blooms Florist

Ode to Fáilte Irish Shop 

Smiley Pete Staff Salute

Homesickness can lead to great ideas. Fáilte Irish Shop was founded in 2001, five years after founder Liza Hendley Betz moved to the Commonwealth from Ireland. Realizing that something she considered an authentic and fundamental taste of home was missing from the Central Kentucky Irish community, she started selling proper Irish sausages.

From that humble beginning, Fáilte (Gaelic for “welcome”) has grown into Lexington’s unofficial gateway to the Emerald Isle. Inside the cozy South Upper Street shop, shelves overflow with Irish sausages, soda bread, black pudding, pork pies, Celtic jewelry, Hanna caps, Belleek china and other imported goods that keep regulars coming back.

The shop is more than a retail store. It’s cultural glue for the local Irish community. Fáilte helps organize Lexington’s annual Lexington St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival and keeps the local Irish community connected through events, traditions and even curated trips to Ireland.

The store’s reach now stretches well beyond Lexington thanks to a thriving online store. But the mission remains the same: bringing a little piece of Ireland to Liza’s Old Kentucky Home. Whether you’re Irish by blood or simply Irish for the day, Fáilte offers a warm welcome to all.

Best Garden Store or Nursery

  1. King’s Gardens
  2. Michler’s
  3. Pemberton’s
  4. Greenhouses

Best Home Accessories Store

  1. Peddlers Mall
  2. Frances M
  3. Scout Antique & Modern
  4. My Favorite Things

Best Home Fixture/Specialty Home Store

  1. Plumber’s Supply Store
  2. Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting
  3. Brecher’s Lighting
  4. Wiseway

Best Jewelry Store

  1. Farmer’s Jewelry
  2. Rivard’s
  3. GDA Jewelers

Honorable Mentions:

  • Diamond Gallery
  • Savane Silver

Best Kentucky Themed Shop

  1. Kentucky for Kentucky
  2. Shop Local KY
  3. Kentucky Branded

Best Local Boutique

  1. Ada & Lo
  2. Peggy’s
  3. World’s Apart
  4. The Front Porch

Honorable Mentions:

  • My Favorite Things
  • Poppy & Pomelo

Best Locally Owned Grocery Store

  1. Critchfield Meats
  2. Good Foods Co-op
  3. Wilson’s Grocery & Meat
  4. DY Market

Best Men’s Clothing

  1. Logan’s of Lexington
  2. J&H Outdoor Store
  3. John’s Run Walk Shop

Best Pet Store

  1. Pet Wants
  2. Most Valuable Pets
  3. Southern Barker

Best Piercing Shop

  1. Alchemy Body Piercing
  2. Rowan The Summit at Fritz Farm
  3. Tattoo Charlie’s

Best Sporting Goods Store

  1. John’s Run/Walk Shop
  2. J&H Outdoors
  3. The Locker Room

Best Tattoo Shop

  1. Tattoo Charlie’s
  2. Charmed Life
  3. Keyhole Tattoo

Best Used Furniture or Accessories Store

  1. Another Man’s Treasure
  2. Scout Antique & Modern
  3. The Peddlers Mall
  4. Room Service

Best Wine Shop or Liquor Store

  1. Liquor Barn
  2. Ernie’s Spirits
  3. Corner Wine
  4. Total Wine

Honorable Mentions:

  • Vine and Branch
  • Darling Wine Shop

Best Women’s Clothing Store

  1. Bella Rose
  2. Worlds Apart
  3. The Cotton Patch
  4. Black Market

Honorable Mentions:

  • Peacocks and Pearls
  • Peggy’s
  • Ada & Lo

Tags

by

.