I've been in some divey dive bars and Rosebud isn't quite a "dive," but Lexington considers it as such. Not much of a menu here--while there are a few bar "cocktails," you're going to have more luck with basics, like an old fashioned, gin and tonic. I asked the bartender to make me something she made well and she chose a margarita (it was fine). Great vibe though. I loved the ceiling and the neon signs. I loved the fun little decorations. Bathrooms small but clean. Staff super nice. I went on a weekday afternoon and it was empty, but they were prepping for NYE, which they predicted would be busy. I'm sure it gets busy on the weekends, especially with a college campus nearby. As I said on another recent Lexington bar review, there are several cute little bars close together that aren't "destinations" themselves, but would be a fun stop on a bar crawl. read more

See all

A chill place to grab a quick drink. The bartender was friendly and quick to get our drinks. He also made sure that we were taken care of. read more

See all

Fun dive bar with ambiance. I had the best old fashioned ever! Great bartender! We sat outside and drank.

What a wonderful little spot. I used to frequent this bar for years when I lived in Lexington. Now it's different than most bars. They don't serve food but it is connected to the bar next door which a little more upscale. So I'm guessing the owner owns both bars. It's a nice dive bar to hang out at and listen to music. They did update it and add a tunes box which you can pick and choose your music to play. Now they do ask for two forms of so be prepared for that. Yes the bar is a little worn down but the scenery of what it has looked like for years has not changed much. They did use to to have pictures of people that have been at the bar on the walk as soon as you walked in. They have since taken them down. It does get full fast. You will be shoulder to shoulder with people while you are there. You make friends with strangers like I did. Now if you have bubble issues this is not the place for you. Outside of that. Have fun and enjoy this dive bar. You should stop in. read more

See all

Great atmosphere, O'shea was the BEST bartender. Chatted him up and had other good recommendations for us. read more

See all

Just a regular dive bar. Swing by to have the staples. Weekday evening was pretty empty.

I'm gonna give it a cool 2 1/2 stars. This place is great but maybe it's the fact I'm in my 40's and this place is frequented by really young immature people. Downtown is not the best place for dive bars anymore. Venture out of downtown for a good dive bar. I was waiting on an uber on the street past Rosebud and some rando told me I had to leave( he had been at Rosebud or works there ‍) The hell I dont...I'm waiting on an Uber. Johnny was great...Nick was awesome. Not sure if they're still working there but not liking it at all anymore. IT SUCKS CHOCOLATE SALTY BALLS read more

I love this place!! They let you reserve the silks lounge for free if you have a certain amount of people to attend the event and it really made my best friend's birthday party amazing!!! It's so cute in there! read more

Great little place to have a drink. Bartender was super helpful and friendly. Nice atmosphere to.

I managed to live in Lexington nearly 4 years without going to Rosebuds. I can now safely say, I wasn't missing anything. Wasn't a bad experience by any means, but I can't say that I'm anxious to return. Service was definitely lacking and the place is pretty dirty. The seat cushions looked like they'd been soiled. Decor is interesting- cathedral inspired paintings adorn the ceilings and there's a giant stuffed swan in the corner. Can't say it was super inviting. read more

I will get married / have my first kid at this bar , bartenders are bussin and also absolute saints. 1000/10 experience. Would live in the walls if I could. read more

Review is for the Rosebud only.... The Rosebud is old and different. The decor is unique, but the lighting is disorienting. Mix of white light on the ceiling and neon is ugly. Turn off the neon and it works. Bar top is a well worn wooden surface with a round rail. Beaten up box foot rest. Wooden floors. Padded circular stools with no back support. The bar back is where the problem begins....in the center is a drawing of an older blonde woman in a formal dress holding a rose in her teeth, all surrounded by blue neon light. Though the picture likely is loved and has historical significance, it's hideous. Combined with the yellowed (likely from when smoking in bar was legal) ceiling painted with clouds and geese with a huge angel in the center, it creates a depressing environment. Service is prompt and friendly. Other, mostly drunk, patrons are diverse. Please note it was homecoming game at UK. read more

See all

I went in her early on New Years Eve (on a whim) and the bartender was great - the small crowd was friendly. I thought that this was a pretty chill spot. Prices were reasonable and I left the bartender a pretty hefty tip. I figured that I would come back later in the night. When I returned just after midnight there was a line (oh well - such is life). There was a black guy arguing with a bouncer who turned away and left with his friends. I had no idea what it was about. The two white couples in front of me entered without incident, and then the "bouncer" (I use italics because he was like 5'4" and could not do anything to save his life), stated that I (not anyone else) needed 2 forms of photo ID to enter. Then it hit me. That was what the black guy was arguing about. I know this because suddenly I was arguing to. Clearly, they wanted whites only inside and where doing what ever it took to keep blacks and latinos out. I mean really, at 1am who suddenly needs 2 forms of photo ID when at 6pm absolutely NONE were required. I am very disappointed because it started off looking like a nice place. I am sorry that the owner is too scared to let minorities in and/or is making a ton of money that he needs no other customers. Myself and a couple of friends are also filing a complaint with the Kentucky Attorney General. Take your business elsewhere. read more

I agree with both of the negative and positive reviews of Rosebuds, however it really depends on time of year. When UK is in session the bar is very crowded (Thurs, Fri, Sat) and you might want don your yuppie camouflage (i,e coach bag, areopostale shirt, etc.) if you want to blend in. Summertime is a completely different story, the frat party is over, the crowd is a little bit older and more manageable. I really like the bar's atmosphere and the drinks are decent. The bathroom situation can be a bit ridiculous if there is a large crowd. read more

this is my favorite bar in lexington. the bartender Carlo and Zak are the most accommodating and best bartenders i've ever had. definitely recommend coming here for drinks and a good time! read more

So I didn't think/know this place was a restaurant, but it's a great place to sit outside on a warm summer evening watching people across the street at Cheapside where you have to pay cover for the overcrowded version of the same. The staff were always friendly, we'd usually get there early and got to know most of them after a while. It was our standard summer night thing to do and always proved a fun evening. read more

Very chill spot. Always a diverse and interesting crowd. Bartenders are good folk and they know how to shake a cocktail!...don't forget to say hi to Scotty, he's a good chap!! Plus, they do a fantastic job of keeping out the rowdy cats.... read more

Best happy hour in town. Drinks are amazing. Bartenders are better than the drinks especially SCOTTY Carlo Brandon and Double Nick!!!! Local Cheers for after work. read more

Pretty cool bar. Good location. It gets packed at the end of the night with the same people that have been going in there for years. It is def worth the $5 to go on the silks side much nicer bar. read more

Ladies do not go here. You'll feel uncomfortable and you can't have fun. The bartender, Paul, is awkward and made me feel uncomfortable and judged. I went for a girls night with my best friend and we left and didn't finish our drinks because we felt so insecure and not comfortable at the patio here. 12/10 do not recommend-- especially for women. read more

I recommend you walk up to any of the fine bartenders and order the Adrian Peterson shot. If you're male, you probably won't like this fruity concoction but your girl will. Staff is cool, most people who frequent this place are regulars. read more

Thr. 9, sparcely populated, bartender was attentive and efficient. They had stopped serving food and He even suggested a pizza place across the street and bring it back and eat it in the bar. The problem started when, apparently other bartenders showed up and I noticed another bartender give one of his comrades two shots totally free. From watching Bar Rescue, when the staff is stealing... The place sinks fast. So I left to never show up again until new management. Loud, dusty furnishings, smells of urine, cigarette smoke filling the place -- I guess part of the ambiance of a craphole. Ok, if you are already drunk. Definitely will not return. Too much competition in Lexington to put up with this place. read more

Pretty cool spot. Fratty but decent prices and some good options. Cool vibe. Bartenders need a little work but no biggie.

Dropped into the bar side on a Tuesday night. Old school feel, no question. No drink specials was a little disappointing. Bartender was a cool guy. Wasn't crowded so the helped. Comfortable spot for a late night drink. read more

Been to the Rosebud Bar on two separate trips to Lexington now and LOVE this place. It is a grimy, divey bar and I mean that as a compliment. Wonderful place to go have some beers with old friends, be really loud and play old songs on the jukebox. read more

For the most part rosebuds is terrible. I have been going there for years mostly because I know a lot of people who hang out there. But the bar is really bad, the lounge next door is a little better it's easier to get drinks and you have more space to move around but they charge a five dollar cover. The bouncers can be real dicks around closing and about having your drinks outside. There also tends to be a lot of fights around closing time and near the door of rosebuds. I muck prefer silks lounge next door it's part of the same bar it's just a little bit better. read more

Every time I come in here the bartenders make me feel like family. Carlo, Beth, and Steph are amazing. Great personalities and always offer great service. I've been in the service industry for awhile and I would love to work with these people. They treat customers like their own and always offer service with a smile. I will continue to come here for the foreseeable future. I highly recommend the bartending staff at Silks Lounge. read more

a college bar for sure, its cheap, loud and fun. The bar staff is nice, but when it gets busy be ready to wait for a drink. The pass through into silks is nice esp. on busy nights. Not a every week stop, but always a nice late night stop. read more

While this bar provides a more unique scene than other bars in Lexington, their bouncers are highly lacking in manners. After the bar closed and we were filing out for a cab, rather than asking my friend to throw his beer away, one of the bouncers yanked the beer out of his hand and demanded that we get off their property. We were on the sidewalk at this point. This is not the first time I have felt that their bouncers could be a bit more polite. I understand they are bouncers, but there is a level of basic human respect that even people in their positions should have. read more

I've been to rosebuds a few times and generally recognized the frat boy style bar that rosebud is. When I ordered my first beer, I watched another customer pass out from drunkenness and fall from the bar stool to the floor and hit his head. After this happened, the bartender/bouncer and his buddy helped the man "Andy" up and he continued to hang out at the bar. Andy then came up to me and my girlfriend, slurring his words and rubbing on my back. The bartender continued to serve this overly intoxicated man who continued to touch me until I eventually got fed up and left. The bartender and bouncer did not listen to me at all when I told them I was uncomfortable. The main reason I will NEVER go to this bar again is because the staff flat out refuses to kick out belligerent drunks! read more

the bartenders are a little frisky.... otherwise it's my go-to dive bar:) great atmosphere after work& crowded with the college-goers on the weekends. read more

we wanted to eat at the goodfellows pizza across the street, and they didn't have beer, so we popped into the rose bud ....lots of wood, torn stool fabric, and curling on tv for the olympics....i had a heineken, and my partner had a pbr...the atmosphere was superb...the signs, neon, and painted mural ceiling added to the ambiance....the bartender just began working there, and was real nice....he was quick and friendly to the other customers....fantastic place, thx! read more

1st time checking out silks. Great atmosphere and bartenders. Thank you for an unforgettable night!

The bartenders are great. The crowd is always jumping. Drinks are cheap and stout. Totally recommend it to anyone. The security guys are cool as hell especially the dude at rosebuds. My soon to be brother in law really enjoyed the atmosphere. We will be back! read more