Gone but not forgotten: Lexington’s favorite restaurants of the past

The conversations over on KSBoard sometimes turn nostalgic as the summer talking season winds down and the countdown to kickoff heats up. Just the other day, a thread naming closed restaurants in Lexington racked up a couple of thousand views, with memories of places gone but not forgotten on the Lexington restaurant scene.

You may remember several of them as popular spots on game days or places for special occasions for locals and visitors too. Let’s rattle off several that came up on KSBoard, although the actual list of greatest hits is longer than what you’ll find here. Still, these will take you back in time. I hope you’re not hungry.

Tony Roma’s

We start with one near and dear to my heart: Tony Roma’s. A staple in Lexington Green, Tony Roma’s served the best ribs in town until it closed in the fall of 2012 (three years after my last shift as a server). We called ourselves Roma Rangers.

Today, many of us still miss those delicious baby back ribs and the world-famous onion loaf, or my personal favorite, a chicken spinach stack with a side of corn fritter casserole. What I wouldn’t give for one more corn fritter casserole, or one more shift with the Rangers. One more ride on the Joseph Beth escalator after a skillet cookie sundae.

Regatta

On the other end of the Joseph Beth escalator, Regatta Seafood Grille closed the same year as Tony Roma’s, marking the end of Lexington’s best lakefront seafood. The Boathouse, formerly Captain Jack’s Pier, was a popular hangout on the water. The view, the nautical decor, and upscale vibe made Regatta feel like a mini getaway without leaving town. Hell, you were barely off Nicholasville Road.

Pazzo’s

My kitchen cabinets were filled with Pazzo’s pint glasses for more than a decade, with some still hanging around on the top shelf today. Pazzo’s pint night was the best night of the week in college, plus some of the best pizza you could find near campus and a never-ending selection of beer. Cheers to Pazzo’s.

Mellow Mushroom

After Pazzo’s pint night, it was an easy walk over to Mellow Mushroom for trivia. Trust me. I did it every Wednesday for a couple of years. Mellow Mushroom and Pazzo’s shared the sit-down pizza space in close quarters, with Mellow offering the funkier vibes around the corner on Upper. Cheers to Mellow Mush.

Atomic Cafe

Moving further downtown, Atomic Cafe is a Lexington legend for its long run. 265 North Limestone offered popular Caribbean-themed food like jerk chicken, conch fritters, and sweet potato chips, but it was Atomic’s back patio that Lexington misses most. The live music played long into the night.

DeSha’s

Overlooking Triangle Park, DeSha’s was a downtown fixture before and after Kentucky basketball games for many years. DeSha’s opened near Rupp Arena in the 1980s and kept Big Blue Nation fed for 28 years, also serving the post-race crowd during Keeneland meets and countless other special occasions.

Don Pablo’s

When Chi-Chi’s, which we also miss, closed its doors, Don Pablo’s stepped up as the Mexican chain with the best sizzling fajitas and jumbo margaritas. Lexington had two Don Pablo’s locations (Nicholasville Road and Hamburg Pavilion) at the franchise’s peak in popularity in the late 1990s; however, all 120 locations in the U.S. were gone by 2019.

Rincon

Rincon Mexicano was another popular place for margaritas, especially on two-for-one Tuesdays at Rincon’s second-floor location above Charlie Brown’s on Euclid. Rincon’s second location on Harrodsburg Road was also a hit until both Rincons closed in 2016, ending a run of 24 years in Lexington.

Max & Erma’s

You can still find Max & Erma’s north of the Ohio River, but Lexington’s two locations are long gone. The location in Hamburg barely outlived the one in Beaumont, but the comfort food and legendary sundae bar in a bathtub have been gone for many years.

Hugh Jass Burgers

Hugh Jass Burgers, once on the corner of South Limestone and Avenue of Champions, was the live fast and die young of Lexington restaurants. Its run was short-lived near campus, but what a run it had, including watch parties for Kentucky’s 2012 national championship and one of the cheapest drink menus in town. Not just a party, the burgers were good too, as were the sweet potato fries and the marshmallow served with them.

Pita Pit

Before DoorDash made it easy to find late-night food, Pita Pit was a popular late-night option for UK students. Its original location on South Limestone offered a healthy option while studying, but really attracted the post-bar crowd in the early 2000s.

Pita Pita attempted a comeback at another address, but recently closed again.

Fazoli’s (the blue one)

Next door to Kennedy’s Book Store on Winslow, a Fazoli’s with a blue awning fed college students with its campus meal deal. Pasta and unlimited breadsticks kept many students alive until the Lexington-based chain shut the doors on the blue Fazoli’s in 2017. Luckily, there are still five other locations. Winslow was special, though.

Tolly-Ho (the one on Limestone)

Beginning on Euclid Avenue, Tolly-Ho has been serving its Ho burgers and all-day breakfast to Lexington since 1971, and it remains in business at its new location on Foreman Avenue and South Broadway. However, Tolly-Ho hasn’t been quite the same since moving from its South Limestone location in 2011, ending a run of 24 years at the corner of Limestone and Winslow.

On weekends, you could expect the line to be out the door, growing longer as the night grew later. That’s back when I’d regularly eat cheddar tots with a milkshake after midnight, listening to “We got a Ho Virgin!” every time someone new ordered at the counter. It was an easy place to spot a Kentucky basketball player, too. They were regulars.

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