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#30. Taco Time
- Rating: 4.5/5 (30 reviews)
- Address: 2128 Nicholasville Road Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp
Highest-rated restaurants with outdoor seating in Lexington by diners
The average person spends over 74 minutes eating and drinking on any given weekday. On weekends and holidays, that goes up to over 81 minutes. Where is a better place to spend that time than a restaurant?
Consumers agree. The National Restaurant Association states that 9 in 10 adults enjoy eating out at restaurants, which give people access to a world of great-tasting food that's often difficult to reproduce at home.
People choose restaurants to scope out the latest food trends, including deeper dives into Southeast Asian cuisines from Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines, without trying to master these complex dishes at home. Chefs also have the resources to experiment with ingredients and bring new favorites like hot honey, spicy maple, matcha, and pickled foods to the table.
Dining out also offers unique, hyperlocal experiences featuring local farmers, food producers, brewers, winemakers, and distillers in a way that connects diners to the area.
When the weather's nice, diners flock to al fresco seating. At least 2 in 5 diners like eating outdoors and look for great ambience like skyline views, rooftop settings, and waterfront seating to enhance their dining experience.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in the Lexington area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 4, 2025. Only businesses marked as having outdoor seating on the Yelp website were included. Yelp's ranking system calculates an adjusted rating value that considers the number of ratings and the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews within a 10-kilometer radius of Lexington were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on our Yelp data, were not included. Read on to see if your favorite spot made the list.
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#29. Zen Sushi & Sake
- Rating: 4.5/5 (196 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3070 Lakecrest Cir Ste 500 Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
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#28. Carson's Food & Drink - On Main
- Rating: 4.5/5 (1377 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 362 East Main St. Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: American, Breakfast & Brunch, Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp
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#27. Hola Havana Cuban Restaurant
- Rating: 4.5/5 (126 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 115 North Locust Hill Drive Ste 109B Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Cuban, Wine Bars, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
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#26. Bourbon n' Toulouse - Chevy Chase
- Rating: 4.5/5 (718 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 829 East Euclid Ave. Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Cajun/Creole, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp
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#25. Bella Cafe and Grille
- Rating: 4.5/5 (130 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 890 East High St. Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Beer, Wine & Spirits, Breakfast & Brunch, American
- Read more on Yelp
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#24. East End Tap and Table
- Rating: 4.5/5 (212 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 333 East Main St. Ste 180 Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Gastropubs, New American, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
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#23. La Taquiza
- Rating: 4.6/5 (161 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 130 West Tiverton Way Ste 190 Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
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#22. Nefertiti
- Rating: 4.6/5 (220 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1301 Winchester Road Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp
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#21. Sahara Mediterranean Cuisine
- Rating: 4.6/5 (468 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3061 Fieldstone Way Ste 1200 Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp
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#20. Archa Nine Thai Kitchen - South Elkhorn Village
- Rating: 4.6/5 (31 reviews)
- Address: 4371 Old Harrodsburg Road Ste 160 Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Thai, Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp
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#19. Minton's 760
- Rating: 4.6/5 (188 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 701 National Ave. Kentucky, Kentucky
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp
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#18. Beau's cafe
- Rating: 4.6/5 (87 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3191 Beaumont Centre Cir Ste 150 Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea, Gluten-Free
- Read more on Yelp
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#17. Mazunte Bodega - Lexington
- Rating: 4.6/5 (44 reviews)
- Address: 903 Manchester St. Ste 150 Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Mexican, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
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#16. Viva Mexico Mexican Cuisine
- Rating: 4.6/5 (55 reviews)
- Address: 2573 Richmond Road Ste 170 Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
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#15. Wing KYng
- Rating: 4.6/5 (51 reviews)
- Address: 101 West Loudon Ave. Unit 110 Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp
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#14. Tortillería Y Taquería Ramírez
- Rating: 4.7/5 (227 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1429 Alexandria Drive Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
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#13. Java Jukebox Cafe & Eatery
- Rating: 4.7/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 640 West Maxwell St. Ste 130 Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp
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#12. Bourbon n' Toulouse
- Rating: 4.7/5 (110 reviews)
- Address: 1781 Sharkey Way Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Cajun/Creole
- Read more on Yelp
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#11. Ranoush
- Rating: 4.7/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 2308 Sir Barton Way Ste 130 Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Waffles, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
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#10. Maria's Mexican Cuisine
- Rating: 4.7/5 (225 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1079 East New Circle Road Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
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#9. DV8 Kitchen
- Rating: 4.7/5 (829 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 867 South Broadway Ste 140 Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Bakeries, Sandwiches, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
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#8. DV8 Kitchen
- Rating: 4.7/5 (87 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 594 East Third St. Ste 100 Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Bakeries, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
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#7. favor
- Rating: 4.7/5 (51 reviews)
- Address: 574 North Limestone Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: New American, Diners
- Read more on Yelp
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#6. México Mi Amor
- Rating: 4.7/5 (30 reviews)
- Address: 780 North Limestone Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Mexican, Salad
- Read more on Yelp
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#5. El Patio
- Rating: 4.7/5 (121 reviews)
- Address: 2628 Richmond Road Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
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#4. Big Kahuna
- Rating: 4.7/5 (357 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 904 Liberty Road Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches, Hawaiian
- Read more on Yelp
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#3. Tuk Tuk Snack Shop
- Rating: 4.8/5 (47 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 124 Malabu Drive Ste 110 Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky
- Categories: Sri Lankan, Comfort Food, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
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#2. Luna's Coffee Wine and Butterfly Cafe
- Rating: 4.8/5 (50 reviews)
- Address: 109 Springdale Drive Ste 4 Nicholasville, Kentucky
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Wine Bars, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
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#1. Dad's Favorites
- Rating: 4.8/5 (464 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 820 Lane Allen Road Ste 148 Lexington, Kentucky
- Categories: Delis, Soup
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 327 metros.
