Lexington spot known for burgers that were anything but ‘basic’ closing after three years

Janet Patton
·2 min read

A unique burger spot that opened in Lexington’s Distillery District during the COVID pandemic is closing.

Kismet at The Burl, which opened in June 2020, will be closing down Jan. 21 after a run of just over three years, according to the owners.

Sign up for our LexGo Eat & Drink newsletters


The latest on food, dining and bourbon delivered right to your inbox for free. See what's happening in the world of bourbon, including buying, tasting tips and more on Tuesday. Stick around for the biggest restaurant news in Central Kentucky on Thursday. Sign up here.

Owners Tonya Mays-Cronin, one of Lexington’s best-known Black chefs, and her husband Philip Cronin said they have decided “it is time for us to move on from that little red window.”

The restaurant’s small but eclectic menu included “the Basic B” double patty burger, kismet fries, charred broccoli grilled cheese, fried bologna, drunken udon noodles, hot donuts and more.

They said they will be “making room for the next talent to make the Burl Food stage their home.”

Cannon Armstrong, on of The Burl’s co-owners, said in a text that a new food vendor will be coming in with a new brewery later this year.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kismet (@kismet_ky)

Basic B and fries are on the Kismet menu at The Burl on Manchester.
Basic B and fries are on the Kismet menu at The Burl on Manchester.
Chef and owner Tonya Mays-Cronin speaks with her daughter at the pick-up window at the new Kismet at The Burl restaurant in the Distillery District, which opened the evening of June 10, 2020.
Chef and owner Tonya Mays-Cronin speaks with her daughter at the pick-up window at the new Kismet at The Burl restaurant in the Distillery District, which opened the evening of June 10, 2020.

Mays-Cronin said their original plan for the business was to be there for three years, something they are proud to have accomplished.

“We’re happy about the time we had at Kismet,” she said.

“We’re leaving on a high note, positive all around,” Philip Cronin said. “It’s just time to move on.”

9 Central Kentucky chefs you should know who aren’t famous (yet)

They plan on spending time with their family and have no plans to open another restaurant at this time, he said.

They thanked the Burl, an arcade and music venue, and their fans.

“We appreciate the love and support over the last few years, starting from when Kismet was just a fun pop up we did @bestfriendbar to the best damn burger in town,” they wrote in a social media post.

“Oh no,” one Facebook commenter said, “Best burger in Lexington! So sorry to hear this. Hoping the best for future opportunities!”

“Soooo many unique and quality dishes. You folks kept me fed weekly. Please keep us tuned into where you land. One love,” posted a fan on Instagram.

Kismet opened at The Burl in Lexington, Ky. in the Distillery District in 2020 with outside seating.
Kismet opened at The Burl in Lexington, Ky. in the Distillery District in 2020 with outside seating.
Kismet at The Burl on Manchester served curried udon noodles.
Kismet at The Burl on Manchester served curried udon noodles.

The married chefs met while learning culinary skills at Sullivan University and developed a following during their more than two years of pop-ups, serving a menu which they described as “eclectic street food, things we’ve eaten through our travels together and wanted to recreate and bring to Lexington.”

Phillip Cronin, who owns Kismet with his wife, Tonya Mays-Cronin, draws with chalk outside of the restaurant’s ordering window to specify where customers should stand in line, at distances of six feet apart, to order their food. The restaurant Kismet opens at the Burl in Lexington, Ky. on June 10, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic halted typical functioning of restaurants and delayed the opening of new restaurants as a result of stay-at-home orders and non-essential business closures. With Kentucky entering phase 2 of reopening, Kismet was able to open its doors to patrons, offering outside dining and limited seating to maintain social distancing protocol. Mays-Cronin says she is “most excited to see the community out to enjoy their food.”
Kismet opened at The Burl in Lexington in 2020. It will close Jan. 21 after three years.
Kismet opened at The Burl in Lexington in 2020. It will close Jan. 21 after three years.

They were approached by the owners of The Burl in the popular Distillery District on Manchester about opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant in spring of 2020, but had to wait until restaurants were allowed to reopen in the pandemic. Much of their seating was outdoors, with a patio covered in fake grass and picnic tables.