Nick Ryan’s Saloon

I have been here several times. It is one of my favorite spots. We went for brunch and the Bloody Mary bar. I got a traditional breakfast. I prefer over medium eggs… so happy they are perfectly cooked! The service is great, but definitely give the bloody mary bar a try!

One of my favorite places in Lexington, they never disappoint. Always fabulous service, great food, lovely atmosphere. Whether it’s a business dinner or lunch with friends, this is my favorite go-​to! From the Full bar, unique and Ky inspired food, great burgers, shrimp and grits… I always leave happy!

For food, I think Nick Ryan’s deserves 3 stars. Pretty good food and pretty decent service.
But I give them five stars for planning a big group party. Josh, the manager, was so kind and helpful in planning a dinner for 20 (then 16) people for a Bachelorette party. It was perfect for a big group and was so much easier than all the other restaurants I called. Thank you Josh!

I’ve been here on a couple occasions. Once for lunch and once for dinner. The atmosphere is great and the walls are covered with beautiful local art. You MUST try the Spicy Shrimp Lettuce Wraps. They are absolutely phenomenal. Also, ask about the dessert options (no physical menu, just ask the waiter). Overall, it is an enjoyable place to spend a day or an evening

Went here for our anniversary. My husband had the NY Strip. For $ 29 I really think they should have trimmed the fat and gristle before serving it. The steak was perfectly cooked and the Demi glaze they served it with was delicious. Also wished they served bread.

I am visiting Lexington. A friend brought me to the restaurant. It is a very big disappointment. The filet mignon was good enough and cooked properly. But the service was horrible. The waiter could not get our checks correct. He came back 3 times with different checks trying to get it right. He forgot our drink orders even after we reminded him several times. This is not a place I would recommend or come back to.

You talking about a place that has went downhill. Nick Ryan’s use to be one of my favorite places, but I doubt I’ll be back after last night. Food was terrible and service was par. Crab cakes undercooked, steak was tough and the porkchop was bland. Such a shame for a place that once served good food.

Can’t speak for the food but we popped in to check it out and have some bourbon. Rude staff… flat coke and gingerale, poor recommendations of Bourbon… the bartender was obviously annoyed that we asked while he was busy on his phone. Plus we had to deal with some «so ready to get out of here» staff college girlfriends who were getting free drinks and being obnoxious. Not our cup of tea, will never come back. There are just too many good places in Lexington than to deal with the awful service, overpriced terrible drinks while we were there.
Looks like they have a nice patio though… only reason for the two stars.

First time patron with clients tonight. No disappointed with shrimp and grits, short ribs, salmon and chicken roulard all prepared perfectly. Service was timely and attentive. Good value, fun atmosphere and funky culture. Next time I’m in town, Nick’s will be a definite visit.

Excellent food and service! We stopped by after a UK game and hoped to grab a quick seat. We were seated immediately and it was happy hour so a glass of Cougar Bait and the house Pinot Grigio it was! Server washing by on the spot and informed us of the specials of which we tried the shrimp dip appetizer and the stuffed filet minion dinner. Substitutions were allowed and my filet was cooked to perfection! Hubby ordered the braised pork in Shotgun Wedding Ale and said it was amazing — I took a bite and would agree. All and all, glad to have found this place and would highly recommend it!

I love the atmosphere, service and food. It is accessible and high-​end at the same time. This may be my favorite restaurant in all of Lexington.

I had been here a few times before and never loved it, but had always ordered some of the less expensive entrees on the menu. I had heard that the pricier dishes (short ribs, pork chops etc) were really good though. My friend recently treated me to dinner for my birthday and we had a really AMAZING meal. We decided to share two entrees, but still avoided the higher priced entrees — we got the Chickpea & Quinoa Cake (which was really good, but wouldn’t have been very filling if I had ate the entire dish as my meal). And we also got the Fried Chicken — WOW it was the most amazing fried chicken I had ever had at any restaurant. The kale and mashed potatoes that came with it were very really good too. And the meal was plenty of food for both of us. Also they offered a free dessert for my birthday — a choice of any on the menu. We got the nutella brownie with ice cream — YUM!!!

The only way to describe this place was to say something was missing. The décor of the restaurant, the atmosphere, dim lights, and just overall feel of the place made me think everything was going to be spectacular. But instead the food did not match. It was mediocre at best. My husband had the hot brown after it was recommended. It was good, but only for the first 3 or 4 bites. after that, it was just too much. I had the fish and chips. I thought it would be light and satisfying. Instead it was again, mediocre.
Everything had a redundant taste. Nothing made the food «pop». It all just blended together.
That being said, I’d probably go back just for the atmosphere. We had a wonderful time. Staff was pleasant and the drinks were good. I’d go back and order their specialty just to see how it holds up.

It had been a while since I had visited Nick Ryans. The staff was friendly and professional. The food was very tasty and well prepared.
I would definitely recommend Nick Ryans. I can see why this restaurant is a staple for the city.
Personally, I was underwhelmed again. The food/​menu reviews I hear from friends and colleagues and the experiences I have had do not match. I thought the menu was the same as every other «lexington/​southern-​inspired» restaurant in town, only more expensive. I realize I am in the significant minority with this review. I guess i am looking to be wowed or have a food adventure when i’m dropping $ 40 per person (adult beverage included). I don’t know if I will return on my own.

This place deserves a solid rating. There are some choices on their menu that are better than others, but simply put not enough restaurants have the right balance of offerings in one location nor have the concept down that it all makes sense together on a menu.
This place, from the look and feel viewpoint has it all — historical, urban-​southern look with a long veranda patio, with furniture and fixture choices that make sense throughout for a good blend of contemporary with classic. As far as the menu, it’s one part general Americana, one part Southern Traditional, and one part integration on their take on emerging popular dishes across America. There are solid gains to also be had by taking on their rotating specials. I have come here more than a handful of times and have enjoyed each plate. My favorite app has been the lettuce wraps with the entrée being their short ribs — perfectly cooked.
If you’re a visitor, it will be something familiar yet different enough that you’ll like. If you’re a Lexington resident, you’ll appreciate it as one of your city’s own. If your a world traveler who has had one of a kind experiences, this won’t match it, but it will be one of your fonder memories when you come to Lexington. For those that didn’t think so, I have to question your experiences with other places first and world experiences more so first than what your experience at the restaurant was like. Everyone gets a bad plate every now and again, but I have a hard time understanding how this place could completely miss the mark when it checks off all the boxes for most.

We had a fantastic experience At Nick Ryan’s this evening! We started off by enjoying their well rounded wine selection with a calamari special appetizer, which was OUTSTANDING! She ordered the butternut squash ravioli and loved it! She said the sauce was wonderful and the pasta was delicious. I ordered the shrimp and white bean salad. At first I assumed that the beans would be cold but were served hot with the shrimp which was much better than I had hoped. The arugula was a wonderful choice of lettuce and complimented the other ingredients in the dish perfectly.
The service was great. Our server had a couple of tables at the same time and did a great job with everything. His recommendations were accurate and insightful.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed our experience, will be back again and will readily recommend to friends.

You know when a place is good but you have no longing to go back? That is Nick Ryans. I don’t have a complaint about the service of the food. In fact, the cheese grits as a side are fantastic, and I did desire to come back for shrimp and grits. I came back and they were good, but I think I’d rather go to Doodles. My husband’s prime rib, a special, was delicious.
The customer service has been fine. Drinks refilled, checking in well. They didn’t have natural service-​oriented talent, but they did a decent job.
I’d recommend this place to people, and I’ll probably go back. I’d rather just go across the street is the problem.

I’ve been here a few times. The first time I visited, it was an early lunch on a weekend. I sat on the impressive patio. The lettuce wraps that I ordered weren’t so impressive. I intended the wraps to be my meal, let’s just say that it was a good thing that I wasn’t hungry. The Bloody Mary Bar was quite impressive, even though I didn’t order one, I couldn’t help but notice the spread.
The next time that I visited was during a wine special event that they announced on Twitter or somewhere in social media, but when I arrived there, they were out of the two top choices of wine… and it was early in the evening. I had the Southwest salad and it too wasn’t so memorable. The service was absolutely horrible, but I think that the waitress had too many tables that she was tending to.
The last time that I was there was during lunch and it was again packed. I ordered the crab cake meal and it was ok. I don’t order crab cakes often, so I don’t have much more to compare this one to. This was the first time that I’d sat inside, away from the awesome patio. The patrons were all dressed up and I almost felt uncomfortable in my jeans and collared shirt… what the heck could be going on this early in the day?! Nick Ryan’s, that’s what. It might not be my favorite, but seeing that it’s often crowded, they’re doing something right… I must find out what dish that is.

My husband and I had dinner reservations but only stayed long enough for a beer and appetizer. We ordered the oyster appetizer… it was edible at best, I felt like the portion and plating was for an entrée. Batter outweighed the oyster. Grits tasted from out of a package, sauce was bland but was fixed with the requested hot sauce.
What ruined our experience here was the waitress (drunk or high); not attentive at all, forgot our drink order, spent more time texting than working. If that didn’t do it for us it was the table on the other side of the dining room with the clearly drunk patron chugging moscow mules. She’d announced she had been drinking at Keeneland all day; continuing to chugging mules, singing «Bye Bye Miss American Pie»… when the waiter came over with another mule for her to chug and asked how the food was she responded with applause… with her silverware. Other patrons nearby turned and told us to leave while we were just an appetizer in. That they were committed having already ordered their entrees. Shame people’s date night evenings have to be ruined by others who clearly couldn’t handle their alcohol but were continued to be served.

(3.5 stars)
What to expect from your experience at Nick Ryan’s
— Great cocktails
— Good diversity of menu items, focusing mostly on dishes with a southern twist
— Great outdoor seating
— Amazing pork chop
— Gluten-​free options
— Average customer age 50+ on week nights
— Sub-​par service
— Somewhat overly priced food for the quality