How to Eat Lunch Like a Lexington Local

I get a whole lot of emails and texts and Facebook messages asking where to eat lunch in Lexington. The truth is, I have a bad habit of sticking to two or three favorite lunch spots that remind me of all the fun I had as a student or a young professional in the LEX. So, I reached out to several Lexington locals to see where they're eating lunch these days. If you're planning a trip to the LEX soon, click here to download a printable version and try a few of these restaurants out for yourself!

North Lexington

Windy Corner Market
The Po Boys are legendary!
4595 Bryan Station Rd
Mon-Fri 7 am – 8:30 pm; Sat-Sun 9 am – 8:30 pm

Downtown

Stella’s Kentucky Deli
Get the Griff Burger!
143 Jefferson St
Mon-Fri 10:30 am- 4pm; Sat-Sun 9 am – 9 pm

Limestone Blue
Don’t miss the Achy Breaky Heart!
133 N Limestone
Mon-Fri 10:30 am – 10 pm; Sat 9:30 am – 10 pm; Sun 10 am – 3 pm

Lexington Diner
Alton Brown recommends the Kentucky Nachos!
124 N. Upper
Mon-Sat 8 am – 3 pm; Sun 10 am – 3 pm.

Buddha Lounge
Best sushi in town!
109 N Mill
Mon – Fri 11am – 10 pm; Sat 6 pm - 2 am

Doodle’s
The Pigs and Puffs are a must!
262 N Limestone
Tues-Sun 8 am – 2 pm; Closed Mondays

Sawyer’s Downtown Bar & Grill
Lexington’s favorite hamburger!
325 W Main Street
Mon-Wed 11 am- 3 pm; Thur-Sat 11 am- 7:30 pm

Nat's
The best Thai food in town!
111 S Upper St
Mon- Fri 12 pm – 3 pm; 5 pm – 10 pm; Sat 5 pm – 10 pm; Closed Sunday

Lockbox
Order the Griddled PBT!
167 W Main St
Mon– Thurs 7am-10am, 11 am – 2pm, 5:30 pm – 10 pm; Fri 7am-10am, 11 am – 2pm, 5:30 pm – 11 pm; Sat 7 am – 2 pm; 5:30 pm – 11 pm; Sun 7 am – 2 pm; 5:30 pm – 9 pm.

Wine + Market
Duck confit and bleu cheese on ciabatta, please!
486 W Second St
Mon-Sat 10AM - 8PM; Sun 1PM - 6PM

Campus/ Chevy Chase

Blue Door Smokehouse
Don’t miss the brisket!
226 Walton Ave
Mon-Thur 11 am – 3pm; Fri-Sat 11 am – 8 pm; Closed Sunday (Or until Meat sells out!)

Joe Bologna’s
Seriously, you need to order a breadstick!
120 W Maxwell St
Mon-Tues 11 am – 9 pm; Wed-Thurs 11 am – 10 pm; Fri-Sat 11 am – 11 pm; Sun 11 am – 10 pm.

Sav’s Grill
Where else can you find authentic West African food in Lexington?
304 S. Limestone
Mon-Sun 11 am – 9 pm

National Provisions
They had me at hamburgers and macarons.
710 National Ave
Mon and Sat 7 am – 10 pm; Tue – Fri, Sun 8 am – 10 pm

Campus/ Chevy Chase

Josie’s
Everybody’s favorite Chevy Chase lunch spot!
821 Chevy Chase Place
Mon - Sat 8 AM -  9 PM, Sun 8 am - 2 pm

Tomo
The Sushi Lunch Plate is the best deal in town!
848 East High Street
Mon-Thur 11 am – 10 pm; Fri 11 am – 10: 30 pm; Saturday 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm; Closed Sunday

Tates Creek

The Mousetrap
Best pimiento cheese in Kentucky!
3323 Tates Creek Rd

Local Chains

Athenian Grill
Lexington’s favorite Greek restaurant!
313 S Ashland Ave; 115 N Locust Hill Dr

Ramsey’s
Southern-style favorites!
4391 Old Harrodsburg Rd; 3090 Helmsdale Pl; 4053 Tates Creek Centre Dr; 151 W Zandale Dr
Mon-Fri 11 am – 11 pm; Sat-Sun 9 am – 11 pm

Vinaigrette
The best salads in town!
1781 Sharkey Way Suite 115; 113 N Broadway
11am-9pm M-Sa, 12pm - 8pm Sun

What are your favorite Lexington lunch spots?

Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

It's National Dessert Month and HerKentucky has teamed up with Wholly Wholesome to talk about desserts! This morning, I stopped by WTVQ in Lexington to talk about National Dessert Month and share this delicious gluten-free pumpkin cheesecake pie recipe!

Click here to watch Heather on WTVQ!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

•    1 9" Wholly Gluten Free Pie Shell
•    8 oz. cream cheese softened
•    2 cups pumpkin puree
•    14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
•    3 eggs
•    1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Directions:
1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.    Mix cream cheese and condensed milk together until smooth.
3.    Stir in the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and eggs. Mix until well combined.
4.    Pour batter into pie shell.
5.    Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean. Serve warm.

Check out Wholly Wholesome's selection of health-conscious, gluten-free desserts, pie crusts, and pie shells at your local Whole Foods and Fresh Market. In Louisville, they're also available at Rainbow Blossom and in Lexington at Good Foods Co-Op.

Butter Pecan Toffee

It's National Dessert Month and HerKentucky has teamed up with Wholly Wholesome to talk about desserts! This morning, I stopped by WTVQ in Lexington to talk about National Dessert Month and share this delicious butter pecan toffee recipe!

Click here to watch Heather on WTVQ!

Butter Pecan Toffee

Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 20 tea biscuits
• Chopped toasted pecans

Directions:
1.    Combine 1 stick butter, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat.
2.    Cook, stirring occasionally, until brown (305 degrees F on a candy thermometer).
3.    Arrange 20 tea biscuits side by side on a large buttered, foil-lined baking sheet. 
4.    Pour sugar mixture on top and sprinkle with chopped toasted pecans. Chill until firm; break apart.

The folks at Wholly Wholesome sent me this recipe to try, and it is fantastic-- a great mix of salty and sweet and crunchy. Of course, it wouldn't be a recipe from the HerKentucky kitchen if we didn't work in a little Kentucky bourbon, so I made one batch with a little Old Forrester. No surprise, it was pretty tasty!

Check out Wholly Wholesome's selection of health-conscious, gluten-free desserts, pie crusts, and pie shells at your local Whole Foods and Fresh Market. In Louisville, they're also available at Rainbow Blossom and in Lexington at Good Foods Co-Op.