Shorty’s Urban Market

Its probably an OK deli if you are there to get a sandwich, I was looking for a mini market, they really did not have much of anything.

I’m more a fan of the amazing tap room but this place is great for a good quick lunch if you live or work nearby. Check it out for yourself.

Cool grocery store that serves deli sliced sandwiches, pastas and salads. Guy behind the deli had just closed down when I walked in, but was willing to get me anything I wanted. Much appreciated, cuz all the sandwich places I went to before this had already closed (before 5p).

Always friendly good selection of lunch items. Though i wouldn’t necessarily say this is a store you’d aee ib nyc. Free wifi is definitely a bonus!

I have been around since the opening of the first Shorty’s. I really like this establishment. It is extremly handy to have this downtown! Of course the prices are a little higher than your local Walmart, but that is to be expected at a grocer downtown! Well, duh! I think that I both of them have their strengths and weaknesses. First of all I love the lunch options! Everyday they have a soup of the day and a chili, which you can get a ½ grilled cheese with them on any day! Yay! who doesn’t love a grilled cheese? They also have a blue plate special daily, which you can get a hearty home cooked meal made fresh everyday. The half a grilled chicken is amazing and more than any one person can eat! And my ultimate favorite is the flank steak… I love it! They always have ready made sandwiches available that you can just grab and go! And for someone like me who always forgets my creamer for my coffee, they keep those things in stock, like milk, cream, cheese, you know, things you can get at a convenient store! And I love when things are convenient!
Now everything can’t always be peaches and cream right? They used to have a a nice selection of fruits and vegetables. Those are extremely slim pickings, maybe because it is the winter months and things are as ripe as the summer, so maybe I will update later. Also there are a few things that I kinda miss from the old days, but understand it isn’t just about me, but about what can be used off the shelf without them losing money.
So with that I give four stars, it is a good establishment and has dual roles. I love both aspects! Because I always love a nice warm meal, and they give it to you everyday! They also post religiously to facebook updating us of their specials… I like it when they do it earlier, but alot of times, they don’t post until after 11:30 which I have already gone to lunch because downtown lunch rush is brutal!

I really enjoy Shorty’s. I love the little market they have when you walk in. Even if you don’t want to buy any of it, look around! Some of the local stuff is really neat.
I’ve tried a few of their sandwiches and haven’t been disappointed. I love the buffalo chicken sandwich. It’s a perfectly cooked piece of chicken soaked in buffalo sauce (but it’s not overly saucy!) with a big piece of mozzarella melted over it and fresh spinach leaves on top of that. Love it. Also, their pimento cheese sandwich is worth noting too. It’s delicious. Supposedly they make their own pimento cheese, which doesn’t surprise me.
I’ve never been here for a drink, but their little tap room is super cute and cozy. Their deli selection is great as well. Last time I was there, I got chicken salad and roast beef to take home and wasn’t disappointed when I made my sandwiches for work that week.
Overall, I think it’s a great place and if you’re in the Short Street area… stop in and check it out!

I had my first date here and we are still going strong if that says anything!
It’s a very cool place. I was both impressed and surprised by the deli/​bar/​grocery combo. I love the interior and the showing off of local art! The staff there are pretty cool, too.

Shorty’s intrigues me.
Half of the establishment is a local market and the other half is a bar.
The gorgeous building — wood floors and brick walls, be still, my heart! — is lined with [beautiful] shelves of produce, breads, cheese, meats, sauces, and other pantry staples. Shorty’s has typical snacks you’d find at a regular grocery, along with unique, local items. Crates of produce are stacked in the middle, and an open cooled shelf near the front is stocked with food-​to-​go (very convenient). It’s not a full grocery, though; the selection and size is similiar to that of a farmer’s market. Perfect for the few things you need for the next couple days, and then some… like beer! The bar/​tap room off to the side has a few tables and barstools along a brick wall decorated with local artwork. On the wall was a nice list of different beers available. The bar wasn’t open when I was exploring, but it looked like a trendy, casual place to hang out or eat a light dinner.
Your best bet is to walk or ride a bike here; however, there is some parking around the side of the building. I felt kind of awkard when I drove here — this establishment seems like a good fit for the savvy, urban dweller, not so much for the country girl in a pick-​up truck.
Very charming place. I’ll have to swing by again soon.

They’re back! After being closed for several months, they reopened in January, under new ownership. This is one of a kind local grocery, located in the heart of downtown Lexington. They have a lot of local/​Kentucky proud options, like Mingua beef jerky, Ale 8 1 soda and fresh produce. This is a «come see for yourself» type of gem. They also just opened a tap room where the old wine shop was, serving over 20 beers on tap and liquor.

I really like the feel of this grocery store/​deli. I usually get the Cubano with chips and drink. They have a nice little selection of beer. This is a nice spot in Downtown Lex. Good parking close to the store. You should go check it out.

Shorty’s is an important step in the right direction for furthering the recent explosion of downtown life. As the population grows in the city center once again, the need for a reliable multi-​purpose shop was great. Without anything within a two mile radius from the city center, people like me who prefer to walk or bike everywhere really had no choice but to venture into suburbia for the everyday grocery needs. It’s not a comprehensive grocery experience, but it does serve your basic needs and then some. The décor and presentation of produce is very well thought out, and immediately upon walking in, you feel relaxed as well as undaunted by the large amount of merchandise packed into a small space. The deli is also very well appointed, and offers a very reasonable daily lunch special and a much larger sandwich and cold item menu.
In addition to your food needs, theres also paper towels, batteries, band aids and pretty much anything you’ll need in a pinch. While you won’t do a major shopping-​cart-​filling type of shopping here, it will suffice for need-​to-​haves and also will give you a chance for a nice lunch or even for picking up a six pack of West Sixth brew. You can also step next door to Cellar 157 for your wine cravings… but that’s for another review.
Lastly, you can start a charge account with them — just add your card to their system and you can stop in on a walk or a bike ride without having to have your wallet with you. It’s a very neighborly thing to do. It’s a great all around place.

Shorty’s — the grocery beacon of downtown Lexington. Executed with absolute perfection.

Some companies go a great distance to maintain excellent customer satisfaction and those companies know how to form a loyal customer base. However, others fall short of that. This past week I used Shorty’s The Urban Market to cater part of my Christmas party. I had very poor communication throughout my experience with Jonathan, the General Manager and Director of Catering. I had to call twice after my initial conversation with him just to get the pricing and menu. When I picked up the food it was not ready and the staff did not even know about my order, this was 30 minutes prior to the start of the party. One of the staff members ensured me that things would be taken care of and he would make sure I got a gift card. When the food was finally delivered, shortly after the start of the party, I asked about the gift card and the delivery person had no clue what I was talking about. Being in the hotel industry for nearly 12 years I know that this situation could have easily been fixed. I have been a fan of Shorty’s since they first opened.
Any manager with the slightest experience in service recovery would have proactively given me a call the first thing the next day to ask how the food was and to at minimum apologize for the situation. That never occurred, in fact, Jonathan never even acknowledged the problem until I sent him an email yesterday afternoon.
This was his response:
Jason
Thank you for using Shorty’s and your email is being taken very seriously. As a small company we have seen allot of change in the way we do business, and we learn everyday another way to try and make it better. We am sorry that you experienced untimely service, in which I am working on getting all the information so we can fix this problem before it happens again. Here at Shorty’s there has been a bit of turnover with our staff and communication as you stated needs to be of the utmost priority. However I do appreciate your lecture and the negative comments that you so precisely indicated on your email to us. The gentleman’s name is Brian, he misunderstood the directions that were given to him and didn’t have the food ready on time. I must say for this isolated occasion with your order that I am glad that it was not ready at 5:15. If it was ready then the food would have been way over cooked and sitting in a hot box for way to long, which I am sure your familiar with this being in the hotel business. We made a mistake and tried to make it right the best way possible, you received your order a little late, we are sorry for that. Our company has been victim to a security issue with our website and emails, which has prevented us from knowing whether or not our emails have been sent or received. It was my decision to not give you the gift card or a discount and there will be no compensation due to you, I feel we made a mistake and tried to fix it the best way possible. Being in the business I am sure that you understand that not everything goes off as planned and all you can do is learn from it and be better in the future. From light of your lecture on how Shorty’s failed you I hope you have a very Merry Christmas.
It’s clear that Jonathan could use some advice in customer service from his neighboring competition downtown. As a result that will be my last visit to Shorty’s.

You must, must, must. I am insisting you have to have a chicken salad sandwich… On rye… with salt, pepper, red onion, tomato, romaine lettuce, and pepper jack cheese. Then have them toast it… A-​mazing.

I was so very impressed by this place!
I was in Lexington for a conference with a few of my friends. We asked if there was any convenience or grocery store nearby that we could buy some fruit at — they pointed us this way.
The store is very clean and cute!!! I expected it to be the size of a small room but was surprised it extended towards the book, and included a vault in the back with frozen foods! It was really cool! They had everything you might need from a small market, including a few OTC medicines as well as some office supplies. There was a deli at front, which we didn’t get to try. They also had dog and cat food in a corner. In short, WAY more than your average small grocery store!
The thing, though, that REALLY impressed was the customer service! The first time, we went for fruit. We decided on grapes, but we wanted to eat them then and there. When we asked the people working there, they were more than happy to wash the grapes for us. Not only that, they also gave us an extra zip lock bag, because the bag the grapes came with was dripping wet. Too sweet!
The second time we went, we decided to pick up goodies and snacks for late night consumption. We found some beer cheese that we were intrigued by, but we had dinner plans and wouldn’t be able to put the beer cheese in the fridge too soon. While we were debating what to do, one of the works came out with two zip lock bags of ice! He put one layer of ice on the bottom of a paper bag, then the beer cheese, then another layer of ice on top! Again, super sweet for going out of their way to help us!
They have some tables and chairs outside for customers (this is where we happily chowed down our grapes).

This is exactly what downtown needed for years! This store has it all and the prices are right for the convenient location. The deli is excellent for a fast and healthy lunch. The meat selection is great for last minute meals. They carry many local favorites that you won’t find anywhere else like spitzels, caramel seasalt cupcakes, coffee by Marcos, and gourmet condiments and sauces. They also have a decent organic selection of goodies. Don’t miss the wine store that connects to Shorty’s. They have an excellent selection of wines for every occasion that’s also priced just right. Well done Shorty’s Urban Market!

I always go there to get a delicious sandwich. They use fresh ingredients to make their deli sandwiches and I am ever thankful for that. I loved the tuna and when it ran out I tried the turkey and they were such great quality ingredients. It is however a little pricey but with their vast selection of organic foods, deli, and large beverage cooler they provide just what people need in the area.

Good food — a bit pricey but very tasty for lunch. Setup is sandwiches and sides ordered at the counter in the market, and the sandwiches are made to order. Overall I was very happy with my meal.

AWESOME! We finally have a downtown market with a great selection. The deli case is full and the lunch selections are broad and assorted. I loved the fact that I could pick up odd little items for exquisite recipes at affordable prices. A «not to be missed» stopped when you are downtown! The people are so friendly too!

Shorty’s is downtown Lexington’s first grocery store. Or at least first grocery store for as long as anyone can remember. I don’t live in Lexington anymore, but try to follow developments of my hometown and was excited to hear earlier this spring that downtown would be getting a market of some kind. So when I was home this past weekend, I had to check it out.
Shorty’s is better than anything I ever could have imagined. Knowing the space that they were to occupy, I had envisioned a small corner store with a smattering of fresh and packaged foods, some basic household items and maybe some ready-​to-​eat options catering toward the weekday lunch crowd. Shorty’s delivers all this but also so much more!
In this charming former bank, they have shoe horned practically everything you could ever need, from fresh produce to deli meats and cheese, craft beer to canned escargot. I wish I still lived in Lexington so I could support this great local business!