Restaurant Review: Pies and Pints, Lexington, Kentucky

Hours of Operation

• Sundays
  11:00am - 9:00pm
• Monday - Thursday
  11:00am - 10:00pm
• Friday and Saturday
  11:00am - 12:00am

On March 14, 2015, I attended Lexington Comic Con at the Lexington Convention Center. The lines in the food court were almost out the door. So my friends and I decided to walk across the street to Pies and Pints based on the recommendation of a friend of ours, Santiago Cirilo (known for his role as Julio on the Walking Dead). Since he said that they had some amazing food and that the pies were actually pizzas, we thought why not give it a go.

Pies and Pints is located in downtown Lexington at The Square at 401 W Main St #106, which is across from Triangle Park and the Rupp Arena. It is also within a walking distance from the Hyatt, the Hilton, and a few blocks from Cheapside Park.

For the most part, the staff was very courteous. The host was amazingly helpful and empathetic to our plight of hunger. He was honest about the longer wait time, explaining that it was due to the University of Kentucky game. In fact, it was going to be at least a 30-40 minute wait time for a table. Our bellies were throwing a small temper tantrum at the thought of waiting that long, so we decided to get our food to go.

The host hands us menus and instructs us to place the order with the bartender when we are ready. We made our way to the waiting area to decide what we were going to order. Once ready we gave our order to the bartender.

Thirty minutes came and went, still no order. When we asked one of the bartenders how much longer on our to-go order he told us to see the host. The host looked confused as we were. Why? Because he didn't handle orders.

Then the bartender that took our order came over and said it would be another 30-minutes. I watched as he then went over to the terminal. Our guess was that he hadn't put in the order yet. I will admit that that was our assumption, after all, the place isn't that big and I have worked in restaurants much larger that stayed packed all the time and rarely does it ever take an hour for a meal to be ready, much less two sandwiches and a pizza.

But I will say that overall the staff was friendly. I could tell that a couple of the staff members were a bit overwhelmed but never once did I observe them reflecting that in their tone with a customer. When communicating with customers they were polite and at least tried to seem like they had everything under control.

The atmosphere in Pies and Pints was welcoming. Again, it is a small restaurant and bar and to top it off there was a basketball game on. Here in Lexington, people take their University of Kentucky basketball games seriously.

Inside has a rustic brick and wood décor with a modern flair. TV screens were strategically placed for watching the game. Although packed, with more people coming through the door, it was alive with conversations without being deafening that you can't hear a conversation with your own group.

The price of the food is actually reasonable for downtown Lexington across from the Rupp Arena and Lexington Convention Center. Most prices in this area would make your wallet think you were dining a 5-star restaurant. However, Pies and Pints seem to have reasonable prices for the area and yet are serving some amazing foods that will make your pallet and stomach rejoice with joy.

Sandwiches

I ordered a Garden Grinder that came with kettle chips for $9.00. A Garden Grinder is spinach, roasted mushrooms, artichoke hearts, Mama Lil’s Sweet Hot Peppers, fresh mozzarella and aioli served baked on ciabatta bread.

One of my friends order a Steak n' Cheese sandwich for $10.00. Now here is an awesome thing about ordering food at Pies and Pints, you can turn any sandwich into a gluten free sandwich for $2.00, which is a wonderful thing considering she has a gluten allergy.

Pies (Pizza)

Sandwiches aren't the only thing on the menu that can be converted to gluten free. Their pizzas, or as they refer to them as pies, can also come gluten free for an extra $2.00. 10" pies range from $8.00 to $14.00. 14" pies range from $14.00 - $24.00. My other friend with us orders one of these pies and said is was some of the best pizza she has ever had.

Salads

They even have salad that range from $5.00 to $12.00 depending on whether you order a small or a large. It is said that their small salads serve 1-2 people and their large salads generally serves up to 3 people.

Appetizers

If you are looking for appetizers, Pies and Pints has a variety to choose from. These include Chips and Salsa, Pork and Pepper Nachos, Hot Wings, Pizza Skins, and two types of garlic bread. Prices range from $4.00 to $11.00.

Dessert

Looking for dessert? They have two dessert options. The first option is the Strawberry Cheesecake and the other option is a Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Terrine. Both of these dessert options are only $5.00.

Whether you are a beer connoisseur or just enjoy a night out with friends, Pies and Pints has some interesting brews on the menu that you won't see at just any ole bar or pub. You will definitely have to stop by during their happy hour Monday through Friday from 3pm-6pm and have a sampling of their unique brews.

If you would like to see what is interesting being brewed this week at Pies and Pints, visit their website for a menu of what beer, wine, and other brews that are being offered at the Lexington location. You will also find the prices at the website as well so there won't be any surprises when budgeting your night.

Would I recommend Pie and Pints in Lexington, Kentucky? Absolutely. In fact, if I had more time to spend going out, I would probably turn Pie and Pints into one of my regular haunts. Whether you are just visiting Lexington or a local, Pie and Pints is worth definitely a visit.