Lexington Smokehouse & Bar — Restaurant in Ottawa

Edited from 2 stars to 5 Andrew reached out to me very quickly to offer my boyfriend and I to come in for dinner on the house to rectify the previous experience.

We had dinner at Lexington tonight and it was fantastic. Our server was not only very attentive but very friendly and outgoing.

I got the brussel sprouts to start and they were delicious and fresh. For mains we got the beef ribs and shrimp and grits and everything came hot and perfectly cooked.

Our server was on the ball with the drink refills and clearing the table.

Overall the experience was great and most definitely made up for our previous experience last week. I think our previous experience may have just been an off night for the staff.

Thank you Andrew for reaching out to me and ensuring the situation was handled well :)

Quite disappointed with the overall experience, for multiple reasons.

When we first sat down we had dirty glasses that had to be changed out for clean ones.

We ordered the burnt brisket ends which tasted good, but were barely warm. If they had come hot they would’ve been very good.

Then we ordered the beef ribs, which our server came over 10 minutes later to say that they were out of beef ribs, and asked us to order something else.

I ordered the steak and it came so over cooked it was almost inedible. On the menu the steak is described as medium rare, so the server didn’t ask how I would like it cooked, and I was happy with a medium rare. It came out grey and extremely over cooked. I’m shocked that it was even served to me, if the staff knows it’s described as being served medium rare? When I told the server it was over cooked she was very understanding and immediately brought it back to the kitchen. She came back and told me that they had no more raw steaks so they couldn’t remake it for me? So I guess they batch smoke their steaks and then just heat them up to serve?

She offered me a “huge discount” on it if I wanted to attempt to eat, or to just take it back. Given that the other items we wanted to order were out of stock as well, I tried to eat the steak and the side Mac n cheese. The steak was so over cooked and tough I couldn’t eat it, and the Mac n cheese lacked flavour and wasn’t worth eating. Our server didn’t come back after I said I’d try to eat it and walked by the full plates sat at the end of the table to be taken.

We had to flag her down for our bill and I had to ask to have the steak taken off the bill, it wasn’t offered. The server seemed hesitant to say yes, but she did have it taken off the bill.

Overall, it just seemed like there was a huge lack of attention to detail. From placing dirty glasses on the table for guests to come into, to serving a steak you KNOW is way over cooked to a guest. It’s a beautiful space and we were recommended it by friends, but it was very disappointing. Barely warm food to extremely over cooked food, for the price you’re paying for each item you would think that the staff would make a better effort to ensure items come as...

TL;DR: fantastic food, wonderful staff, always a great time!

Lexington was our first post-lockdown restaurant date night, and has now become a regular date night spot for us. That being said, we've seen couples, groups and parties here - all of which look like they're having a blast!

The atmosphere in here is great! It's got a lovely relaxed vibe, but still feels like a special occasion. The staff are really friendly and witty, and you can tell they really enjoy what they do. Comfortable, beautifully lit, modern and cosy all at the same time! Also have to say that whoever picks the music is a superstar - completely in sync with the feel of the place.

I have to give a bit of a lengthy commentary to the drinks menu here. Starting with cocktails, they're all fantastic. We've tried a bunch and they're all just sensational. Someone has really thought about them long and hard and they're a masterpiece to the last drop! The wine list is also excellent, with occasionally featured wines and some support to local producers too! They do a magnificent gamay from Rosewood Winery that they sometimes have chilled - absolutely fantastic. At the time of writing, they also have a fresh and fruity cocktail called pump up the jam that is just outstanding.

Food wise, this is going to be tricky to really capture. In short, all of it is sensational. It's always cooked to perfection, and I don't think it's possible for them to pack any more flavor onto one plate. What's really great is that there's usually these little bits that really just make the plate sing - a biscuit with your chicken or cornbread with your platter; they're not sides, just extras, and they're awesome! Where the food thing gets tricky is on menu choices. All of it is really just exceptionally brilliant, so you won't be disappointed. My only little piece of advice is that the barbecue platter, while absolutely magnificent, is a lot of eats! I'm not a big eater, and I struggle to finish it. If you're feeling really hungry, it is 100% worth every cent, but if you're not a big eater, I'd suggest sticking to just the stand-alone type plates. Our personal favorites are the fried chicken dressed like a knife and fork, and the brisket stack. Sides wise, it's hard to beat the Mac and cheese and the fries. Absolute magic!

Lastly, the bill. Best way to describe the price is medium plus; it's not excessive for such a brilliant restaurant. In reality, you're going to be getting some truly outstanding food, in a fantastic setting, with wonderful staff, so it's worth every cent. We would really struggle to find something they can improve on. Admittedly we've asked several times if they include wheelbarrow service back to our car because you will not leave hungry, but it's still not on the menu.

Lexington is really a great experience, and it's our new regular date night spot because it's just...

For our 3 year dating anniversary Saturday, my wife and I splurged and ordered takeout and a cocktail from them for dinner.

First off, we ordered what they called the date night special. For $78 we got four meats (we choose brisket, pulled pork, fried chicken and the flank steak), a massive portion of mac and cheese and cowboy beans, two pieces of cornbread, a slice of cake, and a bottle of wine which if we had ordered separately would have been $50. So all in all, a really really good deal.

Let's go into the dishes component by component.

The brisket was melt in your mouth tender. It packed such a good rub that it didn't need any sauce, it had a great ratio of fat to meat, and it was far and away my favourite part of the meal.

The pulled pork was also excellent. Fat chunks mixed in, with a carolina style vinegar sauce that cut the richness nicely. If we hadn't gotten the brisket, this would have been my favourite.

The fried chicken was good. Crisp outside, juicy inside. The batter contains a fair bit of cayenne or something similar, it left my mouth tingly. If you like spicy fried chicken, you can't go wrong.

The flank steak was, unfortuantely, our least favourite. It was quite dry, and chewy. Even with sauce, it wasn't that good. I mean, it was tasty, but I'd rate it ok, instead of good. We both agreed, our least favourite.

The mac and cheese was standout. It was creamy, rich, and flavourful. The mac was cooked perfectly, not soggy, even for takeout. Highly recommended side.

The beans were also good. The sauce was spicy. The beans weren't overcooked, nor were they undercooked, but they still had some firmness to them that we are unused to. That being said, after two days in the fridge, then reheated over gentle heat on the stove, the beans became much softer and creamier and were delicious on our monday leftover dinner.

The cornbread was straight up divine. They included a tomato jam, but you don;t need it. It is so moist and flavourful, you don;t even need butter on it.

Finally, the cake was a decent piece of chocolate cake. I am not a big sweets person, so my wife ate most of it. She really really loved it tho.

The wine they sent us was perfectly balanced, not too sweet, and very very tasty. We enjoyed it alot.

I highly recommend getting their food. If you live within 6k, you can get it delivered. Otherwise, get takeout. Try all the...