An open-faced turkey sandwich buried in Mornay sauce, broiled until bubbling and crossed with bacon and tomato. Born at Louisville's Brown Hotel, it became lunch-counter canon across Kentucky, Lexington included.
Chef Fred K. Schmidt built the first Hot Brown at Louisville's Brown Hotel in 1926 to feed late-night dancers, and the broiled turkey-and-Mornay construction spread across the Commonwealth within a generation. In Lexington it settled into the diner repertoire: Ramsey's serves a benchmark version over toast with cream gravy and bacon, and Columbia Steak House keeps one on its 1948-vintage menu.
2 editor picks for Kentucky Hot Brown in Lexington, ranked by editorial score. All Lexington signature dishes · Kentucky Hot Brown across every city.
Ramsey's Diner ★ 4.4
151 W Zandale Dr, Lexington, KY 40503
Ramsey's Diner has plated Lexington's meat-and-three since 1989, with an excellent Kentucky Hot Brown and pies from its Missy's Pies sister bakery.
Columbia Steak House ★ 4.2
2750 Richmond Rd, Lexington, KY 40509
Columbia Steak House has fed Lexington since 1948, still broiling the garlic-butter Nighthawk Special with a Diego salad and frying its famous lamb fries.