Al-Taj Bakery — Restaurant in Lexington

Absolutely delicious!! Super kind service!! The owner is friendly and one can see how much he cares about his craft in the way he describes each item, offers to taste, and the presentation of the store.

On our way from Chicago to South Carolina and Florida we stopped in Lexington and I had to try this highly-rated bakery.

I stumbled into Al-Taj while looking for artesian bread and twisted my husband’s arm to make a stop before our resting destination in town.

My husband patiently waited in the car as I talked with the owner and selected various goodies. The owner was very polite and helpful, we had a delightful conversation and generously offered me two cups of Arabic coffee, one for my husband. The coffee was delicious, bold, and strong.

The menu is extensive and they will prepare food when ordering. I was in a bit of a rush, trying to be considerate of my husband, so I selected items that were already prepared.

So far the few treats that I had this evening were delectable - baklava, Fresh Baklava with cream ( وربات بالقشطة ), and various types of Turkish Delight (pistachio and caramel).

I'm looking forward to tasting the rest tomorrow - Fresh dates cookies, Ghee cookies, Oreo Turkish Delight, and some savory items Fresh spinach pie with feta cheese and spinach pie with pomegranate molasses.

So far Excellent all-around experience. I'm so glad I leave 6.5 hours away, otherwise I'll be in big trouble Oh yea I have to go back tomorrow to try the Fresh...

Always come here when I'm looking for a simple delight. I always get the Dubai chocolate. Which is freaking amazing and to die for. I crave it. I also love their pistachio Baklava. Amazing and meltts in your mouth. I will go back again and again. Today I tried the turtle cheesecake. The baker is usually in the back when you enter because he is likely baking you pure dessert gold. The man that works there is hard working, talented, soft-spoken, and kind. I enjoy everything I have tried. You could go inside this place not knowing what to get and it wouldn't matter because it's all so good.

Edit: i went back for the strawberry dubai chocolate cup. It was sooooo good. Yummy strawberry and pistachio and crunch and chocolate. I cant explain how much I loved it. It filled a small void in my dark soul I swear. And the prices are so cheap in comparison to other places (the one in the mall was ridiculous in pricing) Amazing customer service, nice owner, great...

My friend and I went later in the evening, closer to closing time, so the selection was limited due to it being so late in the day. However everything was still so fresh and tasty it was clear it had been made fresh that day. We sampled some Turkish delight, of which there were tons of different flavors. We purchased the pistachio baklava, date cookies, and Dubai chocolate (one milk and one dark). Everything we tried was something I hadn’t had before, and each item was completely delicious. I ended up getting more baklava to take home to share! The Dubai chocolate lives up to the hype, the milk chocolate variety they had when I was there comes in these very cute flower designs, they had large chocolate bars as well. The crunchy filling was so unique and tasty. Definitely recommend, and worth the price I paid. The girl working at the counter was so friendly and kind and helpful. Loved the atmosphere, will definitely...