OBC Kitchen

I’ll admit it. I was fairly confident the restaurant would be acceptable. After all, the company that is offering this new endeavor has already offered up Malone’s, Drakes, Sal’s, and Meats.
However, «BHG has done well» in creating a small space dining experience. Niche foods targeting a palate that loves a range of sweet and savory dishes. Albeit, they are a bit heavy on the savory side (you are forewarned). A nice drink selection of unique cocktails and a very wide range of bourbon compliments (and almost makes) the experience.
The only downside is that they are creating large entrees for each person. I highly recommend taking a few friends (4 – 6) and treating everything on the menu as ‘shareables’. This is THE way to enjoy the menu.
Must haves: both ‘taco’ appetizer’s (I would call them Tapas I believe), Bacon in a glass, Shrimp & Grits, the bread
Leave it: Chicken & Waffles (the crisp was not enough IMO)

Not very good, could be better. They totally screwed up fondue (it was really chip and dip!)

The stack salad is absolutely delicious. I also had one of the best ‘hanger steaks’ I’ve ever tasted. It was cooked perfectly, tender & very flavorful. My husband said he would go back for the stack salad because it was that good! They have a unique menu. I give my experience a 5 but my husband said his fish was overcooked and a bit dry — halibut.

If you haven’t been to OBC, go… Seriously go now! My son chose this as the place for us to take him for his birthday last night. We’ve been wanting to try it and we’ll definitely be back. Shawn, our waiter, was amazing-​he knew soooo much about bourbon. Speaking of bourbon, the selection at OBC is staggering! Whatever you want, chances are they have it! I now have 2 I need to add to my personal collection based on his suggestions. There’s bourbon & other cocktails as well, plus a great wine selection & craft beers.
Then, there’s the food! To start, my son & sil got their specialty «bacon in a glass» and raved about it. The hand cut fries are excellent & come with several different sauces. For the main course, my daughter & I split the catfish with creole mustard sauce, pickled shrimp (more of a tangy than overly pickled), Swiss chard & an olive oil & garlic glaze-​Awesome! And the seared halibut with a potato crab hash cake, a sweet corn bisque & balsamic glaze-​again awesome! My son also raved about the smoked mac-​n-​cheese. The prices are what you’d expect from a fine restaurant.
The atmosphere is pretty laid back & the bar is totally cool. I would definitely recommend making reservations when you go. Who knows… you might even see me there sipping another new bourbon!

If you are looking for great good and AMAZING drinks you will be happy to know this is the place to be… I went to Kentucky for business and I probably visited this place at least 3 times.

I admit it, I love bacon. A lot. If a menu includes bacon, bring it on! So when I found out that OBC Kitchen, located in the Lansdowne Shoppes on Tates Creek Road in Lexington offers «Bacon in a Glass,» I knew I had to check it out. And I was not disappointed.
According to their website, OBC Kitchen was named after the counties that eventually became Kentucky; «Old Bourbon County» was stamped on bourbon barrels that floated down the Mississippi from Kentucky and became synonymous with the best bourbon in the U.S.
I will say that my waiter was extremely well-​versed on OBC’s alcoholic beverage offerings. But on this visit, I was there for the bacon.
The bacon in a glass was delicious. Thick-​cut strips, coated in a honey bourbon sugar glaze, served with a peanut butter accompaniment. I was slightly skeptical of dipping my bacon in peanut butter, but it was just the right touch. If you love bacon, you won’t be disappointed.
After the bacon in a glass, I chose the Bacon ‘n Egg Salad. (What else? I was there for the bacon!) It was delicious. The delightful blend of frisée lettuce, thick-​cut bacon, poached eggs, country croutons, and sherry vinaigrette worked very well together. Frisée lettuce is a member of the chicory family and has a frizzy texture, as well as a deliciously bitter edge. I am a big fan of traditional wedge salads, but this salad rates right up there now on my favorites list.
I wanted to try other items on OBC’s menu but was simply too full after these two items and decided to stop there and make plans to return very soon.
OBC’s décor is tasteful and upscale but overall the restaurant is somewhat small. So due to OBC’s popularity, I recommend you make a reservation. Walk-​ins may have to wait a while for a table.
I look forward to my next visit.

This was a highlight of our KBT experience. The bartenders were amazingly knowledgeable and gave some fantastic bourbon recommendations as well as some behind the scenes stories of how they select their whiskeys. The mixed drinks were great too. Had the Boy Scout which was similar to a Manhattan.
The whiskey/​whisky list was extremely extensive.
Food was delicious! We had the butcher plate — amazing bacon jam, fried oysters, short rib tacos and the donuts. Could not have have asked for a better experience!

Oh, OBC Kitchen, how I wish you were closer to Cincinnati. I could stop right there, but no.
The atmosphere at OBC is perfect for a casual meal. The bar is breathtaking with it’s bottle after bottle of bourbon. The dim
lighting and softly playing music contribute to the peaceful ambiance.
I ordered the American Artisanal Ham Plate and the Kale and Quinoa Salad. The Serrano ham was right up my alley, and the pickled vegetables were a perfect match with the ham. The kale salad was the BEST salad I have ever tasted. I’m not ordinarily a fan of kale, but this salad blew my mind. Please try it!
What kept this from being a five star review was Paul’s food. He had the short ribs with cheesy grits and wilted greens. The short ribs were incredibly bland. It seemed that someone forgot to put sauce on them. The grits were also bland, but I find that any cheesy grits without heat (like from a jalapeño) taste kind of whatever to me. His greens were over salted. Basically, I was in heaven with my meal, and he was farther south.
Thank heavens we ordered the Warm Donuts for dessert. I practically had a foodgasm when I tasted them. Our server was kind enough to comp us for them since Paul’s meal was less than stellar. We did not expect her to do that, but her thoughtfulness was appreciated.
As Arnold said, «I’ll be back.»

Why 5 stars? Because this is possibly the best meal I’ve had in Lexington.
— — —
I nearly went elsewhere for dinner, but I’m so glad I let Heather P convince me to end my search here. This meal was flawless top to bottom.
First off, I ordered some bread from Bluegrass Baking Company, and even though it was not typically bread that I’d enjoy (there was a lot going on, on it, and I usually like more plain) it was everything I’d hoped it would be. I’ve always wanted to make it to BBC, but I’ve never had the opportunity. Those people are freaking geniuses, and I cannot wait to visit the shop next time I’m in Lexington.
Aside from that, I ordered the short rib tacos and mac-​n-​cheese. The tacos were unbelievable. I ordered them because of the high praise in other Unilocal reviews, and my fellow Unilocalers did not let me down. I cannot speak enough to their awesomeness.
The mac-​n-​cheese was also superb. I’d rave more about that, but the tacos simply just stole the show.
I love the modern/​wood interior and dim lighting. Dim lighting usually feels stuffy, but in this case, I didn’t get that vibe here. Everything was just perfect.

OBC is a great place to relax with a drink either by yourself or with friends. Everything about its interior design, from the comfortable booths to its dim lighting, gives off a third space kind of vibe. As for drinks, they have got it all. Seriously, this place has a stunning selection from bourbon and whiskey to cocktails to beers. And if you are in the mood to try something new and exciting, the friendly staff’s got you covered. Throughout our time in the restaurant, our waiter checked on our table frequently to take extra orders and refill our glasses.
The food here are also superb. I especially enjoyed the short rib tacos. Its horseradish cream really cuts the richness of the beef and made the dish more delicious. The hickory smoked chicken wings is another good dish. Although I think the meat itself can use a bit more flavor and a lesser sweetened sauce, the subtle smoky flavor is outstanding. Finally, there is the warm donuts with three different kinds of glazes, served on the side for your pleasure: chocolate, raspberry melba, and salted caramel. The donuts were crispy on the outside, not too doughy on the inside, and overall a fantastic way to wrap up our night.
I really enjoyed OBC Kitchen, and would definitely visit here again.

(My inaugural Unilocal review!!)
So I went to this place last night as a sort of last minute plan b with my friends. But, from now on, OBC Kitchen will never ever be a plan b again. Instantly upon entering, we knew that we were in for a treat, and it did NOT disappoint.
First, the atmosphere. OBC Kitchen is part of the Bluegrass Hospitality Group, and believe me, you definitely feel both bluegrass and hospitality when you go. There is an overwhelming — and fairly intimidating — selection of various bourbons and whiskeys that a 22-​year old novice drinker such as myself can barely comprehend, but still greatly appreciate (I imagine the connoisseurs would have a field day with the hard liquors here). The bourbon selection especially amplified the authentic bluegrass feel. And the servers? Excellent, personable, warm, friendly and incredibly helpful in the food and drink selection process — their suggests were ON. POINT.
Next, something I’m a bit more qualified to discuss — the food. So we decided to order a few small dishes and share, family-​style. First round: OBC Frites and short rib tacos. The OBC Frites are essentially french fries served with tomato jam, roasted poblano tartar, garlic parmesean mayo and… something else (can’t remember what). The fries were cooked well and excellently seasoned, and the garlic-​parm mayo was incredible! The short rib tacos, however… WERE AMAZING. If you plan on visiting this establishment, you HAVE to order the short rib tacos. Juicy, well-​seasoned, excellent sauce — you can do no wrong with this dish! We ended up ordering a second set of tacos.
For the second round, we ordered the hickory smoked chicken wings and «drunken mutt» bread. The chicken wings had a nice sweet glaze and a subtle smoky flavor, but seemed a bit bland after the first few bites. Nothing a bit of dipping sauce can’t fix, though. The bread was served with a nice, smooth sea salt butter. Excellent combination — wish we would’ve ordered that first (although the tacos weren’t a bad choice either :)).
We finished off the night with the warm donuts. They were warm. Very warm. Very very warm — so warm that, had they been served with a tall glass of warm milk, I would’ve fallen asleep right in my booth. The donuts were covered in a light cinnamon dusting and served a choice of a raspberry, chocolate or caramel drizzle. I naturally used a combination of chocolate and caramel that was just divine. Along with the short rib tacos, this is also a must get.
Overall, I can safely say that my friends and I will gladly be coming back here soon.

We stopped in on a Wednesday night for a few drinks. Brett took great care of us. He talked bourbon with us and made sure we were happy with what we had. He was great at suggesting a tequila for my husband as well. Great cozy atmosphere in the bar. We were quickly seated and all the staff were very friendly. We really enjoyed just hanging out for a few hours and chatting in this great little bar. My friend wanted to order a mixed drink but didn’t want to get «judged» for her choice of mixing whiskey and soda. Brett told her-it’s your drink, have whatever you want! It made her night. We will definitely be back again next time we are in town. I would highly recommend this place. We didn’t need reservations but it was a Wednesday night after 9 when we got there.

I am not normally one to give less than a 4 star for a place I like but there is something about this place that isn’t living up to its idea.
Pros: staff was nice and prompt. Dessert was incredible.
Downfalls: Too dark for 5pm, you can barely read the menu. Music too loud, it’s an intimate atmosphere for good discussion over dinner, I don’t want to speak loudly or hear everyone else doing so. Prices too high, cocktails are even worse (in price). Normally I’ll have at least one cocktail even with a rather casual dinner, but the prices were so high I couldn’t rationalize it.
Here’s the deal with the food. We ordered the salmon BLT and crispy catfish. Salmon itself was a nice piece of fish. However the sauce, while tasty was overwhelming on such a nice piece. This strong sauce is something I would expect from a cheaper restaurant and cheaper piece of fish. The catfish was nice but the breading had no flavor but the sauce, again, was way too tangy. The mutt bread was good but even the butter was very salty.
Overall they were good, but for the price point and atmosphere it didn’t live up to the hype. I don’t mind paying 20 dollars a plate, but for that price I expect really great food. It’s like the chef smokes or is sick and he can’t taste the flavors in the sauce or he tasted them separately but not together with with fish.
By far the highlight, and reason I will return and try something else, is dessert… ice cream sandwiches! My mom and I aren’t even big ice cream eaters but these, based in chocolate chip cookies were absolutely delicious. Definitely order!

Let me start by stating that this is a must visit place if you are in and around the Lexington area. We visited in the evening on Labor Day weekend (September 6).
They have an interactive menu, you can view pictures of every dish you are ordering on the iPad and that is indeed helpful because as they say «a picture is worth a thousand words». This applies to everything on the menu including food and drinks.
They have a extremely well stocked bar with every single Bourbon «you can and cannot think of», with decent options of single malt scotch, Irish and Japanese whisky and ofcourse all kinds of white spirits.
For drinks I had the moonrise kingdom which had the right proportion of brandy and angostura bitters and was well made and my friends had the colonel beams iced coffee (a tad on the sweeter side for me) and the Alberta campfire was a visual and sensory delight. And post cocktails we gravitated to trying few of the barrel selection bourbons and it was a delight to be able to try them.
Moving onto the food
Bacon in a glass (this is a must order for every bacon lover) the bacon has the right amount of crispness and glazed sugar coating and divine is the word to describe every bite.
American artisanal ham with bacon jam, crisps, pickles veggies was refreshing and light. The turf n surf was a revelation because I have not tasted beef carpaccio which was so well presented, fresh and every bite wanted you to keep going back to the plate.
And finally if you are a corn on the cob lover or not you have to try the Mexican street corn on cob, you have to get your hands dirty to eat this one but one bite into the corn and you will forget about your hands getting dirty and proof of that was my friend who was unwilling to put the corn down till he was done with all of it. The chipotle mayo, smoked paprika, sea salt, cracked pepper, cotija cheese brings this corn to life which has the right amount of char on it.
For desserts the donut balls with the 3 dipping sauces is a perfect ending to a great meal and is definitely a shareable dessert.
So folks stop reading and head to OBC kitchen right away!!!
The Chef, amazing bartenders and overall team at OBC, keep up the great work!!!

In my opinion, BHG can really do no wrong, and OBC is no exception. I recently came here with some girlfriends and we had a wonderful evening. The ambiance is chic and very Kentucky (tons of actual bourbon barrels, to be expected), but you should DEFINITELY call ahead for a reservation because this place is small and gets packed even on a weeknight.
Ok so this is the part where I admit my friends and I are cheapskate students and instead of ordering actual entrees, we each ordered two small plates («Accessories») (not sure if that makes us cheap or frugal…) I had the Kale and Quinoa Salad and the Stone Ground Grits and my friends had the Stack Salad and Smoked Mac n’ Cheese. Look, if you don’t mind looking cheap in front of your server this is the way to do it because we each had a TON of food — like, too much to eat, and it was SOOO good. That kale salad is legit one of the best I’ve ever had, and the grits were divine (a bit TOO cheesy perhaps, but I’m not complaining). I’m sure the actual entrees are incredible, but if you’re looking to save some cash and still get a taste of Kentucky heaven, the small plates are the way to go.
Our server was THE nicest woman ever and took her time to carefully explain the entire menu. She talked me into getting the Mononoke drink (currently all of the cocktails are inspired by Miyazaki animated films), and I’m so glad she did! It’s a blueberry bourbon foamy drink and sort of tastes like blueberry toothpaste, but in a really good way! I mean c’mon, I couldn’t go to OBC without getting some bourbon! OBC is officially my new favorite BHG establishment and I can’t wait to return!

This past weekend was my first experience at OBC Kitchen. I’ve been dying to try it since it opened! I’ve heard so many good things, and I’m a big fan of the BHG chain, so I was super excited to get there and try it out! However, I was disappointed.
First, this wasn’t my first attempt to dine at OBC Kitchen. A while back, soon after it opened, I was in Lexington visiting my cousin and we called to try to get a reservation for that same night, or see how long the wait would be if we came in. The girl that answered the phone actually laughed at me. She said something along the lines of, «You can’t just eat here, we only have 12 tables! You have to have a reservation in advance!» I mean, I get if your restaurant is a bit more exclusive, but OBC Kitchen has never been advertised as that, and none of the other BHG restaurants are exclusive dining places, so I just hadn’t expected that. And, I felt she should have handled that differently. Anyway, long story short, we took our business elsewhere that night. — Now, I’m not one to judge a place based on one person being rude to me, so I still wanted to try this spot out.
My opportunity finally came this past weekend when I was in Lexington again. This trip was planned a few weeks in advance, so I called and made our reservation four weeks out. We dined on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. When we arrived we were seated promptly, and the place didn’t seem too packed. None of the tables stayed empty for too long, but there was no wait and it didn’t seem like a hectic/​packed restaurant setting, especially for somewhere with so few tables. And the bar was all but empty the entire time we were there.
The service was great. Our server was very friendly and attentive. She offered to explain anything to us that we needed and checked on us throughout our meal often. I also really enjoyed the fact that they have an iPad menu, so you can see photos of every dish before making a choice. I thought that was the best thing about the restaurant! I love seeing food before I dine somewhere (hello, Unilocal!) so I thought that was a great touch.
I ordered a cocktail called Kiki’s Delivery Service. At $ 10 I wish the glass had been a bit larger, but it seems small craft cocktails are all the rage now, and don’t get me wrong they’re delicious, but it makes it difficult to have more than one with your meal. And I didn’t. It was one and done for me.
I was dining with three other people and we shared the Local Bluegrass Fondue. This appetizer wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t great either. The fondue wasn’t really creamy like you’d expect a cheese dip sauce (which is basically what cheese fondue is) to be, but more of a solid consistency than I would have expected. (Think Greek yogurt consistency.) Also, I didn’t get much cheese flavor from it. It was more of a béchamel flavor, which isn’t much of anything. And the chips looked really great, but they were so greasy that they actually left a trail of oil from your plate to your mouth, so we ended up with oil all over the table, and unfortunately I ended up with it on my shirt. This dish was $ 9, which isn’t bad for an appetizer that’s big enough to share between four people, but it left a lot to be desired.
I ordered the Chicken & Waffles. At $ 18 I can say that I ordered the cheapest entrée at the table and got more food than anyone else at the table. However, and this is completely a personal preference, I didn’t really enjoy the flavor of the dish. I love chicken & waffles, but I’m more a fan of the traditional dish. I guess I just don’t need it fancied up to enjoy it. Two other people I was dining with tried the dish as well and didn’t like it. — Now, I’m not saying it’s not a good dish, just that we didn’t prefer it. — It came with three waffle pieces and three pieces of chicken and I only ate one.
My cousin ordered the Pan Seared Crab Cake. I’m the person that tries everyone’s food, so I had a bit of this as well. It was alright, but didn’t seem set up enough to me. It was a bit runny towards the center, which made it kind of hard to eat. Also, at $ 22 it seemed a bit pricey for only one crab cake.
B ordered the Wagyu Steak Burgers. His dish was also $ 18, the same as mine, but came with much less food. The burgers are very fancy, not your typical burgers, so they weren’t served on a bun, which we didn’t really enjoy. They’re the size of sliders, and come with two burgers and no sides. I get that they’re trying to church it up, but if someone wants a burger they want a burger. He also ordered the Hand-​Cut Fries with grilled tomato ketchup for $ 6. The ketchup was good, but the fries weren’t anything special.
They have two steaks on the menu at $ 22 and $ 29 and both are sliced, so we all decided to forgo those. It seems a bit over-​priced for sliced meat.
Overall, I think it’s overpriced for what you get. And the food didn’t blow me away. I wanted to love it, I promise, but next time I’ll go to Malone’s or Drake’s.

We had the most fantastic dinner at OBC while visiting Lexington, KY. Cool vibe and wow to their bourbon selection! Funny, too, that you can see pictures and descriptions of all their cocktails/​beer/​wine and food on iPads located near each table. We had some good laughs scrolling through. Our server was pleasant and did not rush us at all.
The food was unbelievable. We started with the delicious bread, which for $ 2 for a huge, warm, hearty loaf of wheat bread covered in poppy and sesame seeds. Don’t miss the bacon in a glass appetizer — thick slabs of crunchy bacon covered in sugar and served with a dipping peanut sauce! Portions of both appetizers and entrees were huge.
Entrees we tried were all fabulous and we would recommend them all — the cola braised short ribs, the smokey shrimp and grits, the short rib tacos, and the crab cake. We were stuffed but it was hard to have self control when everything tasted so delicious. We loved the whole evening and will definitely be back.

This is a restaurant/​bar that feels very much like a bar. There are a lot of high top tables and a long bar which takes up most of this small restaurant/​bar. My friend and I found a cozy table in the corner. I was happy about this because I am short and I hate high top tables (anyone else hate having their feet dangle?).
The styling of this restaurant is on point-​lots of dark wood and Bourbon barrel ends. They offer both paper menus and an iPad with pictures of the drinks and dishes.
My friend and I shared the local bluegrass fondue as an appetizer. It was delicious. You can tell that the waffle chips were made fresh in house. For my meal I chose a small plate instead of an entrée-​the short rib tacos. The flavor was great with a generous helping of short rib on each taco and lot of crunch from the slaw on it. I couldn’t even finish my third short rib. There was chunks of fat on my second taco that I had to remove.
My friend had the lemon sole sauté. I know that she enjoyed it because she finished every bite! It was her birthday and she received the warm donuts as a free dessert! They brought them out with a candle, which was a very nice touch. They come with three different sauces. I tried one with the chocolate and liked it. It is a cakey donut.
The only drawbacks to our visit was the fact that the service was a little slow. We were there on a Wednesday night, but the place was packed. Also, the food is good, but I would rather eat a great meal (especially for this price) in a restaurant rather than a place with such a bar feel.

I am making a creative judgement here. When I was told about this restaurant I was super excited! A restaurant that is all about the bourbon… or so it should be. Sad to let you know it is not. They had a few cocktail made with bourbon on the menu. Not one single menu item is bourbon inspired and nope not even a desert.
Guys you have a goldmine in those bottles and it is going to sit in the shelf waiting for me to be creative enough to order something made with it.
Sadly this reminds me of a restaurant of yor… Regattas. they flew in fresh fish to just broil, fry or grill. Nothing fancy, just big prices for a lot of nothing.
This restaurant would be great if they had a steak with a bourbon marinade, meats smoked over bourbon oak chips and for God sakes some bourbon in your drinks. I should have a menu with bourbon bacon, glazes and all kinds of bourbon goodness! The cocktail menu should be dominated with seasonal bourbon drinks!!! I can name several bars that do the drinks already, but you have a kitchen to captivate me.
Cola short ribs had unrendered fat too much salt and the grits were cold yet tasty, the crab cake was straight from Regatta… there is a reason they closed… this was one. Hanger steak, ok a bit over on the char, yet would have forgiven if it had a bourbon glaze or smoke. Shrimp and grits… Gonna just say meh… big shrimp for the price guys, not wimpy frozen Sam’s Club quality. Mac and cheese, stack salad, and oysters were all awesome.
So to recap order some apps and sides, skip the mains and come prepared with ideas if you want a nice bourbon cocktail. Btw, where is the large round beautiful piece of ice I keep seeing along with the drinks the guy on the tv is making? Such a disappointment till they can become what they should be. Otherwise, I’ll go downtown to drink eclectic bourbon… far more reasonable and they have the cocktail menu to back each bottle they serve.
Update, changed my star rating, as it seems many people here really want to like this place… trust, I do as well and do not want it to go the way of Regattas. Service was excellent btw!!!

I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty the menu is at OBC. I had dinner with two of my friends and we shared a few appetizers. The service was good, our waitress came to check on us and fill up our drinks often and she boxed our leftovers for us.
We had cheese «fondue», which I actually wasnt impressed by because it was more like a cheese dip and totally not what I was expecting. I liked the taste of the cheese because it had blue cheese in it. My friend who doesnt like blue cheese was unable to eat it, and no where on the menu did it say it contained blue cheese. Fine with me, but not for those who don’t like certain cheeses.
We also had smoked wings, and short rib tacos. I am still thinking about those short rib tacos. They were the melt-​in-​your-​mouth kind of taco. A little pricey at $ 12 for 3 tacos with nothing else, but I’d still order them again because they were unbelievably good.
The smoked wings were great too. They were a better deal at $ 12 for about 8 wings.
I ordered the bacon and egg frisee salad. It was a nice addition to the appetizers, and for $ 6 it was a good size. The bacon was also melt in your mouth. So good.
I will definitely be back. I would love to try the oysters, but I think $ 12 for 4 oysters is too steep.