The Lexington, Kentucky area is a great place to visit if you have a passion for history, horses or excellent bourbon. However, I can add two more reasons to visit that part of the Bluegrass State: Wonderful, friendly people and outstanding food.
I was staying in Lexington on a Saturday and wanted some good food. Since I didn’t know the area and was by myself, I wanted a place that was near where I was staying and offered a sampling of local food (and bourbon).
Two tools I had at my disposal were the local guide book in my hotel room and my laptop computer. After an exhausting search of restaurants (too far, too expensive, too “cheap”, too common) I decided on a place called Saul Good. It was easy to find and just over a mile from where I stayed.
Since it was around 7:30 on a Saturday night, I was afraid there would be a long wait, but when I went inside, I was given a friendly greeting by the host. I honestly felt like I was a guest at a friend’s house. Since it was just me, I was invited to sit at the bar and eat there, since it was very crowded and would have meant a long wait for a table or a booth elsewhere. I accepted the invitation and was immediately given a menu. I was also immediately asked what I wanted to drink and was promptly served a Manhattan made with Maker’s Mark bourbon.
The menu was difficult to read (even before I started my drink) due to poor lighting and the fact that the menu seemed to be glossy or laminated. Other patrons came to the bar and had similar trouble reading the menu.
About 30 minutes passed and I was offered another Manhattan. I accepted and told the bartender that no one had yet taken my food order. Shortly after that, someone took my order and my food arrived about 15 minutes later.
I was ravenously hungry by the time my food arrived, but it was well worth the wait. I had a chicken burger with crumbled blue cheese dressing, lettuce, tomato, and purple onions served on a roll with shoestring potato fries. I was so hungry and the food was so tasty, I ate everything on my plate and ordered a Kahlua cupcake for dessert. There was a generous portion of everything. I never usually order cheeseburgers or dessert, but was very happy with both.
The chicken burger with fries was around $15.00. The Kahlua cupcake was about 6 and the Manhattans were about $9.00 each.
In spite of the delay in taking my order and waiting for the food to arrive, it was a very wonderful experience at Saul Good in Lexington. The other patrons were friendly, the staff was friendly and the bartenders, Mitch and Jordan were very entertaining as well. I found myself watching them instead of the television.
I was given a friendly greeting when I left. I’m glad I went and hope to go back again the next time I’m in the area. I would rate this restaurant 4 and a half forks out of five. I would like to try it again on a non-weekend peak time.
