Lexington restaurant memories: long gone favorite places to eat.

[HymanKaplan]

The Blue Boar (in Turfland Mall) LOL

My parents loved to go there after church on Sunday's

Wall to wall blue hairs, and geriatric women with chin beards, serving the food up. LOL

 

[PickSixKing]

Mr Steak next to McDonalds--when that McDonalds had a basement

Did Mr. Steak give you a free meal on your Birthday? Seems like I remember that.

 

[Rebelfreedomeagle]

Max & Erma's on Richmond Rd.


As a kid, that ice cream sundae "bar" was fire.

Their garbage burger is still my choice as the best burger I’ve ever had. The phones were kind of weird, always thought it was for pervs.

I’ll add the Darryl’s on Nicholasville. It was a great place to take a date as a teen.

 

[HymanKaplan]

Bluegrass Restaurant - was that the one with the gigantic cow statue in front of it?

Yes, Mr. Steak gave you a free meal on your birthday.

 

[PickSixKing]

GD Ritzys. Fries dipped in melted whatever

I worked at the Harrodsburg Rd and Nicholasville Rd location when I was in High School

 

[Hank Camacho]

GD Ritzys. Fries dipped in melted whatever

They had the slickest tables in creation. You couldn't go in the place without 2 or 3 kids sliding a tray of food off into the floor.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

Camelot West
Camelot East
Azur (closing at the end of the month)

 

[augustaky1]

…...

Which reminds me, Loudon Square Buffet. LOL People knocked it, but Max put out a good spread.

I never ate there myself. However, a couple of my buddies would NOT shut up about that place. They pronounced it Loud and Square Buffet.

They consider themselves as buffet a-fix-u-nados. lol.

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

Yes, briefly in Chevy Chase on the second floor, which is now (I think) WDKY.

I think it became Amato's right after that. Or maybe vice versa.

I knew it! Thanks CC. It's been driving me nuts

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

Their garbage burger is still my choice as the best burger I’ve ever had. The phones were kind of weird, always thought it was for pervs.

I’ll add the Darryl’s on Nicholasville. It was a great place to take a date as a teen.

Add to that:

Phones on every table
Arcade downstairs
Disco upstairs

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

The Blue Boar (in Turfland Mall) LOL

My parents loved to go there after church on Sunday's

Wall to wall blue hairs, and geriatric women with chin beards, serving the food up. LOL

And a Walgreens(?) restaurant? Sea foam green colored chairs and boothes?

Turfland also had "the pit". That's where the old people would sit. If you were a kid, you would NOT be welcomed there!! The 1970s stink eye was a weapon they used

 

[MegaBlue05]

Red, Hot and Blue in Chevy Chase area. Had some solid BBQ. My family used to go there to celebrate victories over Arkansas in the 90s.

Smitty’s Restaurant - my folks were big fans of Smitty from his days at Columbia’s. Smitty signed my first grade yearbook sometime late 80s. Lol

 

[HymanKaplan]

And a Walgreens(?) restaurant? Sea foam green colored chairs and boothes?

Turfland also had "the pit". That's where the old people would sit. If you were a kid, you would NOT be welcomed there!! The 1970s stink eye was a weapon they used

And climbing on the "elephant" statue. LOL

 

[HymanKaplan]

Whenever I had to go to the "Doctor" as a kid (Dr. Penn, who half of the kids that grew up in the SW part of Lexington went to), and I needed a prescription filled, My Mom would go to the Rosemont Rexall, on the corner of Harrodsburg and Rosemont, to get it filled, and while we were waiting, she'd let me eat lunch at that diner they had in there. A hamburger off of that enormous flat top they had was damn near heaven... That little diner/soda fountain kicked ass.

 

[UK-chulo]

Whenever I had to go to the "Doctor" as a kid (Dr. Penn, who half of the kids that grew up in the SW part of Lexington went to), and I needed a prescription filled, My Mom would go to the Rosemont Rexall, on the corner of Harrodsburg and Rosemont, to get it filled, and while we were waiting, she'd let me eat lunch at that diner they had in there. A hamburger off of that enormous flat top they had was damn near heaven... That little diner/soda fountain kicked ass.

Brings back so many memories. Ours was Dr. Yates. Had UMich wallpaper in all his rooms.

One restaurant as a kid that was fun was going to El Torino’s on Sunday. It was a Mexican restaurant with a waffle bar for dessert. Can’t remember which mall parking lot it was located in.

Also being introduced to all-you-can-eat at Duff’s Smorgasbord was a young boy’s dream…lol

 

[Smashcat]

Really a bar not a restaurant but their chili was pretty good.

Also had a baked chicken and rice dish that was delicious.

 

[Smashcat]

Billy's Bar-B-Q closed in 2015. I used to love going there when in town.

Loved it.

 

[megablue]

Little Inn
Chop House
Spring’s Motel
Saratoga
I-Ching
Cliff Hagan’s
Ireland’s
Coach House
Cape Codder
Toddle House
Ruby Tuesday’s
The Ketch
Rogers
Giovanni’s
Frisch’s

 

[HymanKaplan]

re: Turfland Mall McAlpin's had a little restaurant too, back in the corner. the only other restaurant from back then, at Turfland Mall, other than the one's mentioned, was Carousel Hot Dogs

It's bugging me now, trying to remember where El Torin(t?)o's was.

 

[BeaveUKGT]

As a kid in the late 70s, I thought the York Steakhouse in Fayette Mall was the coolest place on earth.

Another one to add to the list: Chi-Chi's.

 

[HymanKaplan]

Chi-Chi's was dope. Especially for it's time (before legit Mexican restaurants started popping up in LEX)

 

[HymanKaplan]

Ireland's Steak and Biscuits on Southland was good.

There was a fancy restaurant in downtown LEX back in the day that I want to say was named Levis' or something like that.

Most of you are probably WAY too young to remember when Dinner Theatres were popular in the 60's and 70's, but there was one in Lexington called The Barn Dinner Theatre (I'm thinking it was out Winchester Road. My parents dragged me to it one time, and I had to sit through Fiddler on the Roof. I wanted to shoot myself...

 

[Wesley91581]

Chi-Chi's was dope. Especially for it's time (before legit Mexican restaurants started popping up in LEX)

I heard the previous owners son wants to bring back chi chi’s - time well tell.

Billy’s bbq was excellent - didn’t they have those thin onion rings?

 

[PickSixKing]

re: Turfland Mall McAlpin's had a little restaurant too, back in the corner.

It's bugging me now, trying to remember where El Torin(t?)o's was.

re: Turfland Mall McAlpin's had a little restaurant too, back in the corner.

It's bugging me now, trying to remember where El Torin(t?)o's was.

I believe y'all are referring to El Torito. It was in front of Fayette Mall. The building that is now Olive Garden if I'm remembering correctly. That location was also briefly an Italian Restaurant called Florenz.

 

[HymanKaplan]

That's right. They had a bar in there called Balloons IIRC.

Anyone remember Danver's on Wilhoit Dr? Also, The Bombay Bicycle Club

There used to be a LaRosa's pizza in Lexington also. In Woodhill Shopping Center (and one on Euclid IIRC)

 

[megablue]

Ireland's Steak and Biscuits on Southland was good.

There was a fancy restaurant in downtown LEX back in the day that I want to say was named Levis' or something like that.

Most of you are probably WAY too young to remember when Dinner Theatres were popular in the 60's and 70's, but there was one in Lexington called The Barn Dinner Theatre (I'm thinking it was out Winchester Road. My parents dragged me to it one time, and I had to sit through Fiddler on the Roof. I wanted to shoot myself...

I think it was Levis’ … GREAT NY Strips !!
Yes … BDT was out Winch Road.

 

[PickSixKing]

Chi-Chi's was dope. Especially for it's time (before legit Mexican restaurants started popping up in LEX)

I worked there also. Waited tables there maybe 93-94. The crew that worked there loved to party.

 

[*CatinIL*]

Kelly's Jug Milk on Southland Dr. made the best milkshake in the world, and that's the truth.

Was sad to see The Ketch (on Regency) go. I loved that place.

The Fifth Quarter steak house...

Mr. Steak

I was just thinking about Kelly's. Awesome ice cream there.

 

[UK-chulo]

I believe y'all are referring to El Torito. It was in front of Fayette Mall. The building that is now Olive Garden if I'm remembering correctly. That location was also briefly an Italian Restaurant called Florenz.

That’s the one! You could order a waffle at the bar and they would make one for you with whipped cream and stuff. Looked forward to that as a kid.

 

[jmalone7us]

Watched the 92 UK/Duke game there. Never went back ...

Daryl's used to have a pretty good Happy Hour that I spent a lot of time participating in.

My TV remote never did work again after that game.

 

[*CatinIL*]

I remember eating at a place called Cape Cod and also Parkette Drive in.

 

[PickSixKing]

After Church on Sundays when I was a kid my parents sometime would take us to Oriental Inn on Patchen or Imperial Hunan in Woodhill.

It was like entering another world. The Red and Gold Interior with a staff consisting exclusively of Asian People was really something for a kid that grew up on the Southside which had almost zero cultural diversity in the 70's and 80's.

 

[HymanKaplan]

Danver's reminded me of that sketchy ass water slide on Wilhoit Dr.

Just rough formed and painted concrete. You lost a lot of skin going down that thing. LOL

Another place we used to go sometimes when I was a kid, was the Ponderosa on Southland Dr. right by the railroad overpass.

 

[MegaBlue05]

I would be remiss to omit my grandparents’ restaurants of choice - Blue Boar Cafeteria in Turfland Mall and later Morrison’s in Lexington Green/Lexington Mall. I have eaten many meat and three at these establishments. Graduating from child’s plate to adult meal was a badge of honor for me.

Another was a place called Shooter’s off Harrodsburg and Alexandria. Had pool tables. Great hot brown and burger. Teenage me loved to use their cigarette machines with no ID.

 

[PickSixKing]

Danver's reminded me of that sketchy ass water slide on Wilhoit Dr.

Just rough formed and painted concrete. You lost a lot of skin going down that thing. LOL

Haha yeah I almost forgot about that place. Right next to the Mr. Gatti's with the Pizza Buffet and movie projector style big screen TV. That is where the sports teams i played on as a kid would go for the post game celebration.

Another Pizza Flashback was Godfathers on Southlnd Drive. I can't imagine how many quarters I spent there on Donkey Kong or whatever video games they had there at the time

 

[HymanKaplan]

There was an arcade across the street from Godfather's too. Of course, nothing beat Tony's arcade in Crossroads Shopping Center.

Dive Bar: The Rebel Room at Southland Bowling Lanes. It was pure class in there. LOL

 

[TexKat]

The Huddle (Euclid & Rose) had a mean big plate of fries that were unworldly.

Clays restaraunt on Main St, great fries too!

 

[HymanKaplan]

I worked at the Harrodsburg Rd and Nicholasville Rd location when I was in High School

I worked at BURGER QUEEN on Lane Allen (it actually switched to Druther's while I was working there) Can't tell you how many times, working the drive-thru on a Saturday night, kids would pull up and order "5 orange Juices and 5 extra cups of ice." LOL

 

[Wesley91581]

I remember eating at a place called Cape Cod and also Parkette Drive in.

Parkette’s drive in was on that guy fieri show diners drive ins and dives.

 

[BlueThruAndThru]

Brings back so many memories. Ours was Dr. Yates. Had UMich wallpaper in all his rooms.

One restaurant as a kid that was fun was going to El Torino’s on Sunday. It was a Mexican restaurant with a waffle bar for dessert. Can’t remember which mall parking lot it was located in.

Also being introduced to all-you-can-eat at Duff’s Smorgasbord was a young boy’s dream…lol

Dr Yates was our doctor as well.
My dad went to OSU so they always had some good banter.

York's in Fayette Mall
Chi Chi's on Nicholasville
Captain D's on Southland?