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    Stella's Kentucky Deli

    4.1 (436 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Stella's Kentucky Deli Photos

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    STELLA'S KENTUCKY DELI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Bourbon coffee
    Lisa V.

    So happy we stopped in! Such a cute place. Our breakfast was EXCELLENT!!! Everything was perfect. Excellent service, too.

    Menu

    Very cute atmosphere, it had some Kentucky menu favorites. Service was great. Food was good for lunch, nothing crazy. I got the chicken salad sandwich and loved it. My friend ordered breakfast and said it was okay. Would return!

    Hot Brown
    Terence S.

    We didn't know what to expect, but Stella's absolutely delivered. My wife and I split the hot brown and it was hands down the best we've had. Rich, creamy, and full of flavor. No wonder it made USA Today's top 10 in Kentucky. The sauce was next level, and the kitchen kindly split everything onto two plates without us even asking, including two of their excellent house-made pickles. We also tried the dill cucumber Greek yogurt potato salad. Sounds unusual but it was cool, crisp, and delicious. Perfect for what turned out to be a blazing hot June day. Thankfully the AC was going strong, and our server Megan was an absolute gem. Friendly, attentive, and kept our water glasses full the entire time. The setting is just as memorable. A charming old house turned restaurant with floral vintage plates that added to the cozy vibe. They do something a little different here. There's a small service fee that gets distributed across the staff as part of a wage equity model. Any additional tips are also pooled and shared. Overall, a sweet and memorable stop with great food, great people, and thoughtful service. We'll be back.

    Burger week: Veggie hot brown burger
    Teagan H.

    I always try to come here in burger week, since where else can you get a lentil burger. It tasted great, and a nice unique version of the hot brown. My friend got the regular meat hot brown burger for burger week and said best one he's had so far this week. Good service, good came out fast. Nice in there like the times I've been before. Only downside to this place has always been the hours, in burger week though they are open a lot more hours!

    Club sandwich
    Jeff L.

    The food was outstanding. The chocolate chip cookie was really good. It was cold in the building. Parking is difficult. Service was great and everyone was friendly.

    tomato bisque, eggs, biscuits and chipotle gravy, toast, hashbrowns  pancakes, bacon, hashrowns, eggs  The Kentucky Burger, House Salad
    courtlin l.

    Another great experience for the books! Came in for brunch. The food is always delicious and the service always great!

    Pick 3, pancakes, sausage, ham
    Jason G.

    Went for a late breakfast and had a great experience. Servers were nice, and the food came out relatively quickly. Pancakes were amazing, and the sausage and ham complimented it perfectly. Place is cool on the inside, a bit cramped but maybe that adds to it. Will have to come back and try the pies.

    Chicken salad sandwich - sourdough bread.  Excellent flavor.  Simple yet divine!

    We are visiting from Los Angeles and with plans to go to Kentucky Horse park, we were in search of somewhere we could pick up good sandwiches early in the day to take along. Stella's came up in my search for deli sandwiches. We were delighted by the place - it's in an old house and is super cute and cozy, and based on the crowd, popular! The service was quick. The food was delicious and nice portions. Three of us ordered the chicken salad sandwiches on sourdough and it had excellent flavor. Just the right amount of celery, enough mayo to give the right texture and hold together but not taste like mayo as so many chicken salads do. The lemon and herb flavors were lovely! It was high quality chicken too! Each sandwich came packed with a good portion of potato chips and a pickle - and they even took care to wrap the pickle in the wax paper box liner so the chips and sandwich didn't get soggy from pickle juices. Ingenious and a pleasant surprise! The other person in our group had the BLT which she was also very pleased with. I definitely recommend Stella's and we will for sure visit again next time we are in town. Will also let family that lives here know how tasty it was so they can give it a try. SO much better than any chain sandwich shop would have been, and so fresh and wholesome!

    Rules back during Covid.  1st time we came here.  Gave them another chance & was not worth it.
    Poco P.

    Eclectic, hippie, gypsy, environmentalist, gender friendly, open-minded type of restaurant in a historic looking mustard colored building. I really like places like this, also off the beaten path type. Not sure how to describe it, but it is FAR from a 'deli,' especially the deli that my friend described from over a decade ago in this same location... except that they kept the same name? The first time we tried Stella's was after covid 2020. Ready to support local businesses & this one was one of the most difficult & rudest. However, understanding what everyone had gone thru, we overlooked it & kept a positive outlook. Parking, service & food were not great, but decided to try it now again in 2022. Parking awful & no sign upon entering the left parking area that you would be towed, until you park & walk up to the front door of the restaurant that reads... 'YOU WILL BE TOWED...' along w/ many other signs! Too many to keep up w/ to read. 'Daily Specials' alone would suffice. Thursday 7/28/22 we were happy to hear that breakfast is served all day. We parked then had to repark after reaching the sign on the door. I went to the back to wash my hands, and the entire back area smelled of sewage. My bf sat away from the smell. It was ice cold in the restaurant & super humid outside! He was starving & ordered the 3 item breakfast - 3 sausage links, 1 ham steak, 3 pancakes, coffee & an Arnold Palmers, along w/ my Lox & a Peppermint Hot Tea. The sides are chips & a pickle. We had a new server who was trying hard to keep up & also to get help. She has nothing to do w/ the one star. Training her should have helped her know what kind of tea they served, if they had gluten free bread as another person asked & multiple other questions she had to ask other employees, whom chatted it up, not paying any attention to her. My bf & I share everything & our pancakes were burnt. On the top they looked absolutely great, but underneath were burnt. The sausage & ham were tasty & cooked well. The Lox, a sliver of Salmon & extra cream cheese & fall-apart awful presentation. Even during Covid, I ordered the same thing & it was slightly better than now. I have eaten Lox for breakfast at many types of restaurants & usually deconstructed. Usually, it comes w/ tomato, lemon wedges as well. I asked for the lemon. Also, as of April this year add 20% onto your bill so that they can afford to pay their employees $15/hr. As printed on the tables. We are all for supporting local businesses & pay 22% tip everytime w/o being asked because of their service, food, & no need to be desperate. Total $33 for nothing much special. Maybe the Vegan menu is most popular.

    Apple Fritter Pancakes with hash browns& sausage.
    Jenn K.

    My friend and I went to breakfast here this morning . (We were minus one person , who definitely missed our !). We were greeted as we entered the door and told we could pick where we wanted to sit inside or outside . We picked a small table by the window . I had the apple fritter pancakes , hash browns and sausage with sparkling water and coffee. My friend had eggs over easy with hash browns and toast . Everything was really good ! I've been here numerous times and the service is always on point . They do have a 20 percent gratuity that's automatically added on to your bill. Anything you tip extra goes to the back of the house . For the two of us I paid roughly 35.00 (that included the 20 percent gratuity). Plus I did add another tip for the back of the house . Personally I have no problems with that at all. Front or back of the house they all work hard to make a living and should be recognized for that . We'll be back again soon for lunch or dinner this time .

    The Lentil Supreme Burger w/o cheese
    Amanda S.

    My mom and I headed over to Stella's over Fall Break for lunch & I'm ashamed to say it was my first visit! Stella's has been on my list to try for a while, but I hardly ever eat out for breakfast or lunch. Parking was a little bit of an issue, but we were able to find street parking on Jefferson about a block up. It was a gorgeous October day and we didn't mind the walk! We stopped inside and we're seated at a table on the patio. I loved that the menu had so many veggie options, and went with the lentil burger with seasonal veggies on top, per the waitresses recommendation. It was delicious! My mom got the reuben sandwich which was stuffed with roast beef. Both sandwiches came with chips and a pickle. I would definitely go back to Stella's to try their breakfast!

    Lunch Special: Turkey, Bacon, and Bleu Sandwich with a cup of Burgoo Soup. Sandwich comes with chips and a pickle
    Jeanette C.

    This restaurant was located the the Historic District of Lexington. I was excited to see they had their own parking lot and free street parking. I was driving a huge Ford truck (husband's vehicle) and would've kept driving, if parking was a hassle for me. The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch all day. I ordered lunch. The food was delicious and the Burgoo soup was new to me, so I had to order it. It reminded me of Brunswick stew. I also ordered the Kentucky pie to-go. I definitely suggest getting a slice of that...it's basically a pecan pie with lots of chocolate.

    Pick 3

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    21 days ago

    Dick Grossman loved this joint . He was one of the greatest people in Lexington. God rest his soul . He was fixture and love by the all

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    4 months ago

    Just know up front, they add a 20% tip to your bill, and then tax your bill with tip included. So you see paying tax on the tip as well ...

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    8 months ago

    Excellent food and atmosphere. The sandwiches were awesome and don't forget to get a slice of pie

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    8 months ago

    Amazing food and amazing service!!! Highly recommend!! I live in Louisville but will always eat at Stella's when in Lexington!

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    3 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Everything is great here. Food , service , quality , price , coffee ...... literally everything !!!

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    2 years ago

    Breakfast was great. The food was fresh and the prices are fair. Super cute location and great service. Come here!!

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    1 year ago

    Great food, friendly folks, all around good atmosphere. Great Lexington experience.Gughky recommend!

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    Page 1 of 11

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    Lockbox

    Lockbox

    4.0(219 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$$

    It's unfortunate that Lockbox is closing soon due to new ownership of the hotel and an impending…read morefull renovation. My friend and I came in on Friday for lunch and a birthday celebration. Except for one couple who were finishing their meal, we were the only ones there. Regardless we had fantastic service and tasty food with the gorgeous downtown views available from the huge windows. I ordered the fried chicken sandwich, which was HUGE, juicy and crispy. The fries were delicious, a very generous portion and very well seasoned. Since we were celebrating we ordered 2 desserts: the olive oil cake and the 10th birthday celebration cake. The celebration cake was a bit dry, but the olive oil cake was fantastic with a lovely combo of strawberries and pistachio cream. A really amazing cake I wish I could have more. Bye Lockbox! Thanks for the memories.

    I'm starting with four stars, but will probably go back and try some more dishes to try to push…read morethis spot up to a five. I think the possibility is there. The vibes and the ambiance is cool and modern, with art adorning the walls (it is inside the 21C art hotel after all). Tables are well spaced out and benches are comfortable. Open and full of light, this is a great space. Service was attentive and helpful. I started out with the sausage balls, made with creole hot honey mustard, dill, and chili. The texture was really hard and while the sauce was tasty, the sausage ball itself seemed to lack flavor. Next time I will probably try to pimento cheese, which the server said was supposed to be very good (he couldn't speak personally because he's not a pimento fan). For my entree I had the pork belly. And I think I am the problem here, not the dish. It's fatty and rich, as pork belly is supposed to be, but it felt so very greasy to me. I ate very little of this, and this is where my fifth star falls off. I should have gone with the burger or berry beef culotte. I also had a side of fries, which as others have noted, are crisp and well seasoned. They were delicious. They have a nice little cocktail list. I had the hattori hanzo, mad with haku vodka, smoked paprika, pineapple shrub, and pineapple juice. I love pineapple, so I loved this drink that was heavy on the fruity flavor. I also had the temper tantrum, made with gin, grapefruit, lime juice, and thyme. A little sweet, a little bitter, which was perfect for this gin lover. It might have been my favorite. And the Scarlet Manhattan, made with old forester rye, scarlet apertivo, angostura, and orange bitters, it was the perfect smoky end to the night. Looking forward to coming back and adding that fifth star.

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    Salt & Vinegar at Public House - Tomato Bisque & Grilled Cheese

    Salt & Vinegar at Public House

    4.4(58 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    After a couple days of being underwhelmed by the food scene in Lexington, we wandered across the…read morestreet from our hotel to this quaint pub with pretty low expectations. What a fantastic surprise! The shrimp cocktail was among the best I've had (first time having powdered bacon fat) and the grilled Caesar salad was perfection (delicious creamy dressing and pretzel croutons)! Bangers and mash ... wonderful. Somebody in that kitchen cares deeply about food! We will be back!

    Walking into this place from the modern part of downtown Lexington you'd almost think you somehow…read morewalked into a pub in England or Germany. Not fancy by any means, but perfectly fine for a neighborhood pub vibe. Business was pretty brisk for a weeknight and there was just one FoH employee who was taking orders (you order at the bar), bringing out plates and bussing tables. Kudos to him for doing a good job handling all that. The BoH kitchen staff did a good job, too, as it didn't take long for our food order to arrive. The menu here is eclectic, which was a big reason we chose this place for dinner. Unfortunately, one of the items we had hoped to try, the Swabian (German) spaetzle, was sold out by the time we got there for a fairly late dinner. We opted instead for the roesti potato. This is a strange dish that involves what is essentially a shredded hash brown-style fried potato topped with sauerkraut, pickled shallots, cheese and a decent-sized dollop of mustard caviar, all served on a bed of greens. It worked, for the most part. Strange taste combinations, but not bad. We also had the blackened tuna Waldorf salad. This was a little different than expected. The pan-seared ahi tuna was cooked nicely (leaving it a bit underdone inside). But it was chopped into small pieces that were fully mixed into a tartar sauce along with celery, shallots, green apples and red grapes. So it was basically a fancy tuna salad. Fortunately, it was a very tasty tuna salad. I wish all the tuna salads you get in restaurants was this good. It was served over mixed seasonal greens with asparagus tips. All of this went very well together and was a really excellent and innovative twist on a Waldorf salad. The menu of draft beers on tap was pretty varied and voluminous as they have their own brewery (Ethereal Brewing). This restaurant is their public house as they call it. I particularly liked their hefeweizen, but they had a porter that was also good. Overall, an interesting place with good food and beer at decent prices. Not a 5, but definitely a strong 4 at least.

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    Carson's Food & Drink - On Main - Goat cheese appetizer

    Carson's Food & Drink - On Main

    4.5(1.5k reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    Food = excellent Bloody mary= delicious…read more Windows= clean!! Music=roaring 20's Highly recommend

    I wanted to really enjoy Carson's on Main because the ambiance and overall presentation were…read moreexcellent, but unfortunately the food did not live up to the atmosphere. The steak we ordered came out significantly undercooked and had to be sent back. Beyond that, the food overall lacked the depth of flavor and quality I was expecting. The presentation of each dish was beautiful, but the taste just felt off and did not match the visual appeal. The dessert cake was also disappointing, as it tasted dry and almost frozen. There were a couple of highlights. The Whiskey Sour was excellent and probably one of the best parts of the meal. The Mac and Cheese was also absolutely perfect and something I would happily order again. I do want to give credit to the staff because they were incredibly kind, attentive, and professional throughout the experience. They even offered us a gift card, which was very generous and encouraged us to give the restaurant another try. Unfortunately, we were still let down by the food on our return visit. I think this restaurant has a lot of potential. The ambiance is fantastic, the staff is wonderful, and the presentation of the dishes is impressive. With a menu revamp and more attention to flavor and overall food quality, I think Carson's on Main could really thrive. For now, the food is what keeps me from giving it a higher rating.

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    Stella's Kentucky Deli - delis - Updated September 2026

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