Crank & Boom Craft Ice Cream is a street food restaurant in Lexington.
Editorially verified August 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Why locals love it: It hides between Distillery District warehouses off Manchester Street; follow the painted ice cream cones down the alley.
Tip: The bourbon and honey flavour is the local order; the Clays Mill shop covers the south side when queues run long.
Address: 1210 Manchester St, Lexington, KY 40504
Sorella Gelateria churns small-batch gelato and sorbetto on West Short Street, the sister-owned scoop shop downtown Lexington queues at after dinner.
Signature drink: Small-batch gelato and affogato
Why locals love it: A two-sister gelato lab on the quiet end of West Short Street that churns in tiny batches and closes when the case runs out.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday; flavours rotate constantly, so ask what was churned that morning.
Wheeler Pharmacy keeps a 1958-style lunch counter inside its Romany Road drugstore, flipping Buddy Burgers and malts for Lexington's Chevy Chase regulars.
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.
Smithtown Seafood fries fish sandwiches and bowls inside the Bread Box building on West Sixth, sharing a wall with West Sixth Brewing's Lexington taproom.
Order: Fried fish sandwich with a West Sixth IPA
Why locals love it: A fish-sandwich counter tucked inside the West Sixth brewery building, easy to miss behind the taproom crowds.
Tip: Order at the counter and carry the fish sandwich into the taproom; a West Sixth IPA is the house pairing.
Tortilleria y Taqueria Ramirez presses corn tortillas behind a grocery counter on Alexandria Drive, and Lexington queues across town for the burritos.
Try: Burritos on fresh-pressed corn tortillas
Why locals love it: It looks like a west-side grocery from the car park; the tortilla press and taqueria counter inside draw the longest food queue in Lexington.
Tip: Buy a warm stack of tortillas to take home; the counter moves fast even when the queue reaches the aisles.
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
Why locals love it: Haitian home cooking runs out of an unassuming South Broadway strip suite, and most of the city is late to the discovery.
Tip: Open until 23:00 nightly, Sunday from 14:00; portions are generous, so order the soup only if sharing.
DV8 Kitchen bakes brioche, sourdough and cinnamon rolls on South Broadway while staffing every Lexington shift as second-chance employment in recovery.
Why locals love it: A breakfast bakery on a commuter stretch of South Broadway, where every shift is a second-chance job in recovery.
Tip: Breakfast and lunch only; the cinnamon rolls sell out first and every purchase funds the second-chance mission.
Worth the queue: Croissant-style cinnamon rolls
