Big Kahuna is a hawaiian budget eat in Lexington.
Editorially verified August 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Tip: Closed Mondays at both shops; the Liberty Road original keeps the shorter queue at weekday lunch.
Address: 904 Liberty Rd, Lexington, KY 40505
Bourbon n' Toulouse ladles etouffee, jambalaya and gumbo over rice on Euclid Avenue, Lexington's counter-service Cajun habit and a family business since 2004.
Signature: Crawfish etouffee, Gumbo
Try: Etouffee and gumbo over rice
Tip: Order at the counter and grab a porch table; vegan and gluten-free pots are always on the board.
Han Woo Ri simmers soon doo boo and grills bulgogi on South Limestone by the UK campus, the Korean kitchen that keeps Lexington students and expats fed.
Signature: Soon doo boo, Bulgogi
Try: Korean lunch specials
Tip: The kitchen breaks between lunch and dinner; arrive before 14:00 or after 17:00 and start with kimchi dumplings.
Umami Ramen & Grill ladles tonkotsu-style bowls, katsu curry and teriyaki plates on Euclid Avenue, Lexington's budget-friendly ramen stop near the UK campus.
Try: Ramen bowls and rice plates
Tip: Ramen, fried rice and bubble tea cover most tables; Sunday opens at noon, every other day at 11:00.
Le Gourmet cooks Haitian family recipes on South Broadway, bringing poulet pane, grilled fish and slow beef stews to Lexington seven days a week until late.
Signature: Poulet pane, Grilled fish
Try: Haitian plates
Tip: Open until 23:00 nightly, Sunday from 14:00; portions are generous, so order the soup only if sharing.
Bert's SpeakCheezy builds Prohibition-named gourmet grilled cheeses like the Hotsy Totsy on Liberty Road, the food truck that earned a Lexington storefront.
Signature: The Hotsy Totsy
Try: Gourmet grilled cheese
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday only; the Blind Pig and Dizzy Dame rotate with seasonal melts, so order at the counter and ask what is new.
Wheeler Pharmacy keeps a 1958-style lunch counter inside its Romany Road drugstore, flipping Buddy Burgers and malts for Lexington's Chevy Chase regulars.
Try: Buddy Burger and a shake
Order: Buddy Burger with a malted milkshake
Why locals love it: A working pharmacy on Romany Road still runs a griddle lunch counter, and only Chevy Chase regulars think to eat at it.
Tip: Sit at the counter, order the double-stacked Buddy Burger and a malted milkshake, and let the grill cook set the pace.
