Hidden gems in Lex

syrus12

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Jun 15, 2006
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What are some fantastic places ( restaurant / bar wise ) few people know about in this town?

I'll obviously start out :

*SRO (standing room only) - great little traditional Japanese bar over near Al's. Tapas and great sake selection
*Big Kahuna BBQ - Hawaiian barbeque joint over on Liberty / Winchester Road
*Bella Cafe (not sure this counts since it's in Chevy Chase...but great quasi casual Italian spot
*The Garage - cool little 'divish' bar on Leestown Road
*The Twisted cork - wine shop/bar with open mic nights over off Wellington Way.
 
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cricket3

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May 29, 2001
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The Katsu at Big Kahuna is my favorite meal right now.

The guy at SRO sucks though, the food truck Teppan sets up regularly on Angliana. You can get similar food without the pissy attitude because you just like their food.
 
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WildcatFan1982

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Dec 4, 2011
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I always thought the snacks & beer selection at the Shell Station at I75 & Newton Pike for the after game drive home were great.

Not sure about the snacks because I never paid attention. But when i worked at the Embassy Suites right by there I'd stop off after work for beer and they always had a stellar selection for a gas station
 

funKYcat75

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By all reports, this is the best authentic Mexican place north of the Rio Grande. Alejandria Drive.


 

stuway

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By all reports, this is the best authentic Mexican place north of the Rio Grande. Alejandria Drive.


Can vouch for this joint. Authentic food, cheap cheap, make tortillas for all of Lexington. The Mexican bakery across the street is a bonus. Fabulous looking creations that taste as good as they look. Warm churros that come in different flavors. Aguascaliente's across the street has great Torta's and about any other Mexican food you can imagine. Nice area for some great food finds.
 

Rebelfreedomeagle

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Feb 24, 2017
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I always thought the snacks & beer selection at the Shell Station at I75 & Newton Pike for the after game drive home were great.

Not sure about the snacks because I never paid attention. But when i worked at the Embassy Suites right by there I'd stop off after work for beer and they always had a stellar selection for a gas station
If you’re talking about the one nearest to new circle, it was recently fixed up.A lot of beer still, and has a Jimmy Johns. One drunken stop shopping.
 

CB3UK

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Apr 15, 2012
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Mancino's grinders are top fuxking notch Leestown Rd

Don't know if Dad's off Lane Allen qualifies as a hidden gem but it is of course delicious
 
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BigVic2833

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WildcatFan1982

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Their burritos finished in the final 64 of this huge national contest a while back and a popular national food magazine voted them top 50. That’s how I found out about that spot. Now I get it all the time. Best burrito I’ve had inside the U.S.


I lived on Cambridge drive for a few years and was right by that place and I never went in. I also had people knocking on my door weekly trying to sell me tamales. This was before food trucks were a thing. Wish I could go back in time and eat some of those tamales. Or ya know use what little money I had back then to invest in a food truck with my random Mexican neighbors.
 

funKYcat75

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I lived on Cambridge drive for a few years and was right by that place and I never went in. I also had people knocking on my door weekly trying to sell me tamales. This was before food trucks were a thing. Wish I could go back in time and eat some of those tamales. Or ya know use what little money I had back then to invest in a food truck with my random Mexican neighbors.
What years were you there? Not a pleasant stretch of road at the moment. It is convenient to get into Little Caesar's though.
 

WildcatFan1982

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2006 - 2010. It was crap then too. I remember watching the news one night and they highlighted all of the gang activity in Lexington. They went "Here is where most of it is located" and highlighted the exact block I lived on. There was a drive by in my parking lot in the middle of the afternoon. I was watching Ratatouille when it happened. Then when I called 911 the operator asked me to go outside and see if I could see where the shooter was.

While I lived there that building went from Dairy Queen, to some place called Inferno, to Little Caesars.