25 years ago, a restaurant review almost shut down what is now a Lexington landmark

Rob Bolson
·8 min read

The effects of a damaging restaurant review can have a substantial impact on the success of a local dining spot. In fact, it can sink a new restaurant.

That was almost the case in 1998 when the then Lexington Herald-Leader food critic penned a negative review of a new upscale steakhouse that had recently opened at Lexington’s Lansdowne Shoppes, called Malone’s.

Here is an excerpt: “…when prices are high, levels of cooking, service and ambiance should go up as well. That wasn’t the case at Malone’s.”

This was well before the days of Yelp, Zomato, OpenTable, and Facebook, where anyone can post a restaurant review. Today, everyone is seemingly a public culinary critic but in March the popular neighborhood steakhouse chain marked its twenty-fifth anniversary — and business is booming and expanding.

But due to that single review long ago, business at the upstart Malone’s dropped-off dramatically. Revenues plunged.

“It was brutal. It nearly killed us,” said Bruce Drake, co-founder of Malone’s. “It cost us a quarter of a million dollars. We were on life support.”

They considered closing their doors and shutting down. But ultimately, they didn’t.

A restaurant review of Malone’s in the Lansdowne Shoppes published in the Friday, April 17, 1998 edition of the Lexington Herald-Leader.
A restaurant review of Malone’s in the Lansdowne Shoppes published in the Friday, April 17, 1998 edition of the Lexington Herald-Leader.
A filet steak and loaded baked potato, bottom center, Malone’s Lexingtonian salad, top right, macaroni and cheese, top center, and bread, top left, offered at Malone’s steakhouse. Bluegrass Hospitality Group is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first Malone’s restaurant location at Lansdowne shopping center in Lexington with a a special menu and contests.

Instead they decided to begin opening for lunch — and to advertise in the same newspaper where the unflattering review had recently appeared.

The strategy worked. The old adage was true: The best defense is a good offense.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” said Drake.

“Bruce and I are not scared to fail. We’re not scared to pull the plug on things that are not working,” adds Brian McCarty, Drake’s partner, and co-founder of Malone’s. “We pivot and recover well.”

“We eat risk for breakfast.”

This year, Malone’s steakhouse co-founders Brian McCarty, left, and Bruce Drake, right, are celebrating the anniversary of their first restaurant location at the Lansdowne shopping center, but 25 years ago they almost shut the doors after a bad newspaper review.
This year, Malone’s steakhouse co-founders Brian McCarty, left, and Bruce Drake, right, are celebrating the anniversary of their first restaurant location at the Lansdowne shopping center, but 25 years ago they almost shut the doors after a bad newspaper review.
Every steak at Malone’s comes with their bottomless Lexingtonian salad. But when the restaurant first opened, they offered two A bowl of Lexingtonian salad offered another bottomless salads, the “Green Goddess.”
Every steak at Malone’s comes with their bottomless Lexingtonian salad. But when the restaurant first opened, they offered two A bowl of Lexingtonian salad offered another bottomless salads, the “Green Goddess.”

How Malone’s, BHG started

McCarty is a self-described “serial entrepreneur.”

He formed a close friendship with Drake in the early-1990s when Bruce was the manager at Lexington’s former L&N Seafood located at Lexington Green where Brian was a frequent customer.

In late 1995, McCarty had the opportunity to purchase A.P. Suggins Bar & Grill on Romany Road in Lexington. He invited Drake, who had by then become general manager and part owner of Regatta’s Seafood Grill, to partner with him in an ownership venture of Suggins. Drake declined.

The dining room at Malone’s Lansdowne restaurant location in Lexington. The owners say the idea for putting up signed menus on the walls came as a way for cheap decoration.
The dining room at Malone’s Lansdowne restaurant location in Lexington. The owners say the idea for putting up signed menus on the walls came as a way for cheap decoration.
A 14 oz. prime center cut New York strip steak ($63.99) with a side of creamed spinach au gratin at Malone’s Lansdowne location.
A 14 oz. prime center cut New York strip steak ($63.99) with a side of creamed spinach au gratin at Malone’s Lansdowne location.

Two years later, a second restaurant opportunity appeared on the horizon for McCarty. The owners of the Lansdowne Shoppes approached him about an upcoming vacancy which was going to occur there due to Columbia Steakhouse moving out of the shopping center to their current Richmond Road location.

McCarty again approached Drake about partnering in the restaurant business — and this time, he was not taking “no” for an answer.

“But we spent three or four months trying to figure out what Lexington needed … and that was a prime beef steakhouse. With a Lexington twist on it,” McCarty recalls.

In early 1998, McCarty and Drake opened the doors of the original Malone’s in Lansdowne.

Malone’s expansion, other BHG restaurants

The rest, as they say, is Lexington (restaurant) history. In addition to the three Lexington Malone’s locations (Lansdowne, Palomar, Hamburg), there is also now a Louisville location — and coming soon, the first Malone’s venture outside of Kentucky is in the works, and is planned to open in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2024.

In March the popular neighborhood steakhouse chain marked its twenty-fifth anniversary — and business is booming on all fronts.

Malone’s has built its reputation on offering wet-aged hand-cut USDA Prime Beef steaks, fresh fish and seafood, sandwiches, and seasonal chef features — and that legendary bottomless Lexingtonian salad. In the beginning, there were actually two bottomless salads on the menu. The “Green Goddess” is no longer offered.

Malone’s fried chicken tenders ($22.99) with a side of macaroni and cheese.
Malone’s fried chicken tenders ($22.99) with a side of macaroni and cheese.

A quarter of a century later, with several successful restaurant concepts operating under the Bluegrass Hospitality Group (BHG) parent umbrella, including Malone’s, Drake’s, Harry’s, Aqua Sushi, and OBC Kitchen, spanning six states in all — with more locations opening soon and even more planned at every turn — closing their doors in the earliest days seems somewhat unthinkable now.

McCarty says that the Louisville Malone’s location is a “roaring success” and the Lexington Hamburg Malone’s location is “arguably the busiest restaurant in the entire state of Kentucky.”

The Louisville Malone’s was named one of the 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America earlier this year by OpenTable.

Where did the name “Malone’s” come from? It was made up, according to McCarty.

“Out of the air. I would’ve loved to have put ‘McCarty’s’ on it, but at age 29, I didn’t have a lot of experience.”

Not everything the McCarty-Drake partnership have attempted has succeeded. Remember Damon’s? Oscar’s? Meats BBQ Mkt.?

How has Malone’s succeeded?

But by and large, Bluegrass Hospitality Group, headquartered in Lexington, which employs more than 3,000, is a unique and notable success story in the restaurant business.

Drake attributes part of BHG’s (and Malone’s) success to consistency — in the food, the service, and the customer’s experience. BHG has easily weathered supply chain challenges that others have struggled with due to the quality of their employees, their strong leadership, and their solid relationships with their liquor and beer suppliers, and their food supplier, Gordon Food Service (GFS).

“We knew it was important for us to know what your customer wanted. So we offer value and variety. We have something for everybody and customers that dine with us three or four times a month — and others who dine with us three or four times a week,” says Drake.

A 4.5 oz. filet with a crab rangoon roll ($36.99) and a side of Yukon gold whipped potatoes at Malone’s first restaurant location in the Lansdowne Shoppes on Tates Creek Road.
A 4.5 oz. filet with a crab rangoon roll ($36.99) and a side of Yukon gold whipped potatoes at Malone’s first restaurant location in the Lansdowne Shoppes on Tates Creek Road.
The house-made chocolate chip cookie (9.99) comes with a sprinkle of sea salt and topped with vanilla ice cream, caramel and chocolate sauce.
The house-made chocolate chip cookie (9.99) comes with a sprinkle of sea salt and topped with vanilla ice cream, caramel and chocolate sauce.

McCarty and Drake pride themselves on their extraordinary employees who are trained in a classroom setting they call “BHGU.”

According to Amber Cook, Marketing Director for Bluegrass Hospitality Group, “BHGU is an in-house university established and operated by BHG. The program serves to train new team members in hospitality and service excellence in preparation to work at BHG’s various brands. BHGU is dedicated to advancing the education of all existing team members on specific topics related to the restaurant industry, business, marketing and working as a team through the Continuing Education program. As students complete courses, they receive Associates, Bachelors and Masters Degrees, and each degree is accompanied with an increase in pay.”

There is also one extra special quality BHG looks for in a prospective employee according to Bruce Drake.

“The number one thing we look for is kindness. We want the person to have the gene to serve.”

Perhaps kindness, impeccable service, and consistently delicious food are part of the reason Malone’s restaurants are famous for its walls adorned with menus autographed by celebrities and sports figures such as LeBron James, Jay Leno, Arnold Palmer, Sally Field, Bobby Flay, Kaley Cuoco, William Shatner, and numerous others who have “signed and dined.”

Where did the idea originate?

“We were on a budget,” Drake notes with a laugh. “It was an easy way to decorate the restaurant.”

Signed menus cover the walls from notable patrons of Malone’s Lansdowne location in Lexington on June 4, 2023.
Signed menus cover the walls from notable patrons of Malone’s Lansdowne location in Lexington on June 4, 2023.
A sampling of some of the notable autographed celebrity menus on the wall at the Lansdowne Malone’s steakhouse.
A sampling of some of the notable autographed celebrity menus on the wall at the Lansdowne Malone’s steakhouse.

In addition to the new Malone’s opening next year in Tennessee, several new Drake’s are also planned, underway, or being considered in Kentucky including locations in Ashland, Bowling Green, Danville, Elizabethtown, Pikeville, and Richmond.

As they continue to raise the bar for their collective brands, more and more doors continue opening for McCarty and Drake, instead of closing.

Not bad for a couple of guys who disappointed a newspaper food critic 25 years ago with their first attempted partnership in the Lexington restaurant business.

Lending credence to the maxim: “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

Rob Bolson is a freelance writer residing in Lexington, Kentucky, who writes about food and culture. Follow him on Instagram at @robbiebolson .

Malone’s Lansdowne

Where: Landdowne Shoppes, 3341 Tates Creek Rd.

Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mon-Sun.

Phone: 859-977-2488

Online: bluegrasshospitality.com

Bluegrass Hospitality Group restaurants: Malone’s, Malone’s Prime Events & Receptions, Harry’s, Drake’s, Aqua Sushi and OBC Kitchen.

Bluegrass Hospitality Group is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first Malone’s restaurant at Lansdowne shopping center in Lexington with a a special menu and contests.
Bluegrass Hospitality Group is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first Malone’s restaurant at Lansdowne shopping center in Lexington with a a special menu and contests.

Timeline, notable events in Malone’s, BHG history

  • 1998 BHG opens first Malone’s location in Lansdowne.

  • 2000 BHG opens Damon’s Grill in Hamburg.

  • 2000 Oscar’s opens in Lansdowne Shoppes next to Malone’s.

  • 2003 Sal’s Chophouse opens in Lansdowne Shoppes.

  • 2003 Harry’s opens in Lansdowne Shoppes.

  • 2005 Malone’s and Aqua Sushi replaces Damon’s in Hamburg.

  • 2008 Malone’s and Harry’s open at Palomar Center.

  • 2009 Drake’s replaces Oscar’s in Lansdowne Shoppes.

  • 2011 Drake’s opens in Louisville (St. Matthews)

  • 2011 Drake’s opens in Franklin, TN

  • 2011 Drake’s opens second Louisville location (Paddock Shops)

  • 2012 Drake’s opens in Huntsville, AL

  • 2012 Drake’s opens in Indianapolis, IN

  • 2013 Drake’s opens in Florence

  • 2014 OBC Kitchen opens in Lansdowne replacing Harry’s

  • 2015 Meats BBQ Mkt. opens in Lansdowne replacing Harry’s/Sal’s patio

  • 2015 Aqua opens at the 90 on the University of Kentucky campus

  • 2016 Drake’s opens in Knoxville, TN

  • 2018 Drake’s opens in Bristol, TN

  • 2018 Drake’s open in Nicholasville

  • 2019 Drakes opens in Chattanooga, TN

  • 2019 Drake’s opens in Burlington, NC

  • 2019 Drake’s opens in Owensboro

  • 2019 Drake’s opens in Hamburg in Lexington

  • 2020 Drake’s opens in O’Fallon, IL

  • 2020 Drake’s opens in Evansville, IN

  • 2021 Drake’s in Clarksville, TN

  • 2021 Malone’s & Harry’s opens in Louisville

  • 2021 Drake’s Hurstbourne opens in Louisville

  • 2022 Drake’s Leestown opens in Lexington

  • 2023 Drake’s opens in Jeffersonville, IN

Source: BHG website