Looking for great bar food? 5 Lexington places have the best late night bites.

Matt Wickstrom
·6 min read

While out bar-hopping or enjoying a night on the town, have you ever craved a taco with your Tito’s, a burger with your Blanton’s or a rice bowl with your rum and Coke?

In recent years Lexington’s numerous bars, music clubs and breweries have been getting more creative not only behind the counter, but in the kitchen as well.

The result of those efforts has led to several culinary upstarts and entrepreneurs flourishing with eclectic eats fusing worldwide flavors at accessible price points that, simply put, are far more tasty and satisfying than most anything you’ll snag on a late night run to Taco Bell or McDonald’s.

From Sullivan University graduates with a wealth of experience to food truck owners who’ve only recently expanded their businesses, here is a guide and list of the five best bars in Lexington to quench both your thirst and your appetite at once.

Luna at Al’s Bar and The Grove

First opened in June 2021 as a food truck by Stephania Sharkey inside The Grove, Luna has since expanded into the kitchen at Al’s Bar, where it acts as the watering hole’s official food partner from October-March before returning to The Grove from April-September.

At both locations you’ll find a rotating mix of diner fare and worldly bites like the K-Town Rice Bowl (crispy tofu or flank steak with soy ginger sauce, pickled cucumber, kimchee, radish, chogochujang sauce, lettuce, sesame, cilantro and scallion), burgers, salads, deviled eggs, pimento cheese sliders and more.

Luna’s K-Town Rice Bowl is available at The Grove in the summer and at Al’s Bar in the winter.
Luna’s K-Town Rice Bowl is available at The Grove in the summer and at Al’s Bar in the winter.

Also available to order are popsicles and other sweet treats as well as a Sunday brunch menu featuring a loaded tostada, steak and eggs using smoked brisket from County Club — where Sharkey worked as chef de cuisine for many years — and a crispy potato bowl with Mornay sauce, arugula, hot sauce, pickle and an egg.

Where: 601 N Limestone and 200 W Main St.

Hours: 5-9 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday-Tuesday

Online: Facebook.com/LunaInLexington.

Price: $4-17

Favor at Arcadium

After making pop-up appearances at bars throughout Lexington, Favor — the restaurant concept spearheaded by Aaron Withers and Wyatt Sarbacker — moved into a shared space behind Arcadium in early 2020.

Favor, behind Arcadium, features a lion’ mane mushroom dish.
Favor, behind Arcadium, features a lion’ mane mushroom dish.

Tapping into the duo’s experience spanning from New York to Tokyo and Copenhagen, the eatery’s menu always contains fries, lion’s mane mushroom, a burger made with dry-aged Kentucky beef on a bun made in-house and empanadas. Much like Favor’s menu, the latter come with rotating filling and sauce variations such as pork chorizo, carrot and potato filling with chimichurri on the side.

Empanadas with a variety of fillings are available at Favor behind Arcadium on North Limestone.
Empanadas with a variety of fillings are available at Favor behind Arcadium on North Limestone.

According to Sarbucker other items like churros, char-grilled lamb, ricotta gnocchi and stoofvlees (beer-braised beef sirloin) rotate in and out every few weeks with a focus on what is available from local farmers.

The burger made by chefs Wyatt Sarbacker and Aaron Withers with dry-aged Kentucky beef is available at Favor behind Arcadium.
The burger made by chefs Wyatt Sarbacker and Aaron Withers with dry-aged Kentucky beef is available at Favor behind Arcadium.

Where: 574 N Limestone

Hours: 5-10 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, closed Sunday-Tuesday

Online: EatFavor.com.

Price: $6.50-32

Kismet at The Burl

Two lovebirds who met while attending Sullivan University’s culinary program, Tonya Mays and Philip Cronin instantly found success upon launching Kismet at The Burl in the heat of the pandemic. According to Mays the concept began with a menu that was heavily influenced by Asian flavors before shifting into a blend of what she and Cronin love to eat in their free time, but with a special Kismet touch.

Kismet at The Burl on Manchester has curried udon noodles on the menu.
Kismet at The Burl on Manchester has curried udon noodles on the menu.

This includes everything from curried udon noodles to hot donuts, pierogies and Buffalo chicken sandwiches, but the most popular menu item by a landslide is the Basic B. Available since Kismet’s inception, the burger features a double-smashed patty from Black Hawk Farm in nearby Princeton along with shredded lettuce, butter pickles, American cheese and a special sauce similar to what you’d find on a Big Mac. Aside from the burger, fries and noodle bowl, most items on the menu are rotated seasonally to keep things fresh and to take advantage of what’s most available at the time.

Kismet’s Basic B and fries are available at The Burl on Manchester.
Kismet’s Basic B and fries are available at The Burl on Manchester.

Where: 375 Thompson Rd.

Hours: 6 p.m.-12 a.m. Wednesday-Sunday, closed Monday-Tuesday

Online: Facebook.com/KismetKY.

Price: $5-16

Little Fork at Wise Bird Cider

Initially Wise Bird Cider offered curated eats from Martine’s Pastries and Wine + Market when they opened in the Distillery District in June 2019 but co-owner Tim Wright always envisioned having a permanent food partner.

The romesco burger at Little Fork is available at Wise Bird Cider in the Distillery District on Manchester Street.
The romesco burger at Little Fork is available at Wise Bird Cider in the Distillery District on Manchester Street.

Enter Little Fork, which opened in early 2022 after the cidery bought a food truck and hired Nick Zaluski and Micah Arvin to run it in their unique “trailer gourmet” style. It’s name draws inspiration from the now defunct middle fork kitchen and bar that closed in the first month of the pandemic and adopts its idea of scratch-made fare by drawing upon the duo’s combined experience from kitchens at Holly Hill Inn, Honeywood, Zim’s Cafe, Windy Corner and Jean Farris.

The resulting creations range from small bites like a hummus plate and spicy chorizo queso to full-fledged meals like a patty melt, romesco burger and a chicken sandwich (grilled or fried with apple slaw, melty brie, local greens and hot honey on a toasted brioche bun.) According to Zaluski, the menu rotates seasonally and will soon also include the return of the chilled seafood salad roll and new additions like bright beet hummus, bringing even more variety to an already eclectic menu.

Little Fork at Wise Bird Cider has sandwiches including the Chicken Sammy.
Little Fork at Wise Bird Cider has sandwiches including the Chicken Sammy.

Where: 1170 Manchester St #140

Hours: 4-9 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 12-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 12-8 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday-Tuesday

Online: WiseBirdCider.com/LittleFork.

Price: $5-12

The spicy chorizo queso available at Wise Bird Cider’s Little Fork.
The spicy chorizo queso available at Wise Bird Cider’s Little Fork.

Tacos Trujillo at The Fishtank

The newest of the group, Tacos Trujillo moved into the kitchen at The Fishtank vacated by O’Brother Smokehouse late last year. The space has a knack for kickstarting new restaurants: girlsgirlsgirls Burritos and the aforementioned Favor both began as pop-ups or temporary tenants in its kitchen.

Owned by the Trujillo family — Lucy Mario Sr., Morelia and Mario Jr. —Tacos Trujillo began in 2021 as a pop-up, often appearing at Lexington Green and The Green Lantern with a menu of burritos, quesadillas, tortas, tacos de papa (deep-fried potato tacos) and more. Last fall they began searching for a brick-and-mortar space to call home during the winter months when they connected with Fishtank owner John Tresaloni.

Tacos Trujillo officially opened inside the edge-of-campus dive bar on Dec. 9. According to Mario Jr. business was slow the first month due to the holidays and UK students being away but has picked up more recently, with customers not able to get enough of their burritos stuffed with barbacoa (shredded beef). Other meat options include asada (steak), pollo (chicken) and al pastor (pork) along with traditional sides in Mexican cuisine like chips and queso, chips and salsa, rice, beans and the fruity soft drink Jarritos.

Where: 500 Euclid Ave.

Hours: 4 p.m.-2:30 a.m. daily

Online: Facebook.com/TacosTrujilloLex.

Price: $1.50-10

Other Bars With Food

Creaux. 310 W Short St. CreauxLex.com.

The Elkhorn Tavern. 1200 Manchester St. BarrelHouseDistillery.com/Elkhorn-Tavern.

Minglewood. 159 N Limestone. MinglewoodLex.com.

Salt & Vinegar at Blue Stallion Brewing Company and Ethereal Public House. 610 W Third St. and 102 W Vine St. SaltNVinegarLex.com.

Sidebar Grill. 147 N Limestone. Facebook.com/Sidebar.Grill.

Matt Wickstrom is a freelancer covering food, music and more. You can follow him on Instagram at @WickstromWrites .