Dad's Favorites Deli — Restaurant in Lexington

This is one of those experiences you do not expect or plan for. I was in town visiting from Nashville for a couple of days and had just gotten gas. I did a quick Yelp search to find a place to eat before rolling back to Nashville and Dad's Favorites popped up with a 5 star rating with nearly 300 reviews on Yelp validating this.

I called Dad's to see if they could help me find where the place was since Google was not doing such a hot job on getting me to the establishment. Dad's Favorites is located inside of a strip mall on the backside of the main parking lot. It took a lot of help from the man who answered the phone, but he was patient and we got to know each other over those ten minutes we were talking. Turns out, it was Dad, himself! James was super sweet and accommodating to help me find where to go.

Upon arrival, he was waiting outside to bring me into the strip mall interior. Due to Covid-19, patrons are not allowed to step foot inside of the actual walk-up, but they have a team running everything outside and they execute orders on the inside. They have menus available to look at in this area as well.

"Dad" gave what he described as the "Pony Show" of an introduction. He gave me the start to finish of how he came to this business, gave me a description of the menu in great detail along with her personal favorites and recommendations. I was salivating over several of the things he suggested.

I opted for their take on the bánh mì. Dang, it was good. The "small portion" is enough for 2 people. I asked them to cut it up in quarters so I could enjoy it on my way back to Nashville with getting it all over me. This also allowed me to eat smaller portions and enjoy it longer. I did both. It served as 3 meals.

While my order was finishing up, "Dad" was telling me about his cheese spreads that he distributes to Kroger throughout Kentucky and into some regions into Tennessee. His son, who served in the military, also runs the operations at Dad's Favorites. He also joined in the conversation about the cheese spreads as well and told me about his story. I had the chance to sample a spread and I will admit it was totally amazing!

I feel that James and his crew are running a great shop here. I think his hospitality shows through his product and his personality. This hole-in-the-wall gem should not be overlooked. They're serving during Covid-19! Go get a great sandwich and try his products. 100% worth...

Original Review 7.25.2025: When I entered the restaurant, I was asked if it was my first visit. When I said, “Yes, it is”. The gentleman pointed in the direction of the register (very small place so no need for guidance) and said that xxx would tell me about the restaurant. The cashier, who seemed genuinely friendly, told me about their cheese spreads (list is on the website), most popular sandwiches (#3, #4, #5), and daily specials (also on the website). I was craving something specific that day so I had googled “Chicken Salad” and this restaurant had come up as their Monday specials are two Chicken Salad options. I ordered the sandwich to go. For those eating there, they have no seating inside the ordering restaurant but have seating throughout the hallway of the shopping center as well as another storefront for seating a couple of doors down (see comment below). After ordering, they asked me to wait in the hall and they would bring me the order using the name I had given. I got home and pulled my sandwich out and thought the order was wrong at first. I had two half sandwiches. However, upon unwrapping I saw that they had cut the sandwich and wrapped each half separate. They were both perfectly toasted. I am not sure why they wrapped separate, but it was appreciated as I was only able to eat half in the first sitting anyway. As a food network watcher, I assume that cutting and wrapping separate may also be because less air means less steam which leads to crispy rather than soggy bread. I wish they had longer hours but as a mom and pop I understand.

Note: The entrance is very unassuming and because it is in a strip mall the signage is not prominent. I entered into the front side of the mall (see picture). If you enter here, you will need to walk all the way to the back to the last storefront on the right. I had originally walked by another storefront that just had seating and wondered if it was for them. I confirmed when I watched their video on their website that night. To get a more direct entry into the restaurant, go around to the back (where you think you shouldn’t be) and enter where their sign is. The restaurant is the first storefront on the left from this entrance. 100% recommend and 100%...

We tried Dad's Favorites for lunch. I've never been here before, and I was in the area. I'm so I'm glad that I stopped by! The Monday special is The Farmhouse sandwich. I knew it must be good because I heard (what I assume was one of the owners or the manager) talking to another gentleman who said, "I will go out of my way every Monday for a Farmhouse. The manager then greeted and asked if we had ever been there before and gave us a great synopsis of the menu and the daily specials. Let me say, they were crazy busy, lots of things were going on (including training new employees), and he took the time to help us decide. That itself speaks volumes to me. The patient and personal touch is what it's all about! So, as you can deduct, I had the Farmhouse ($9.50), which had Dad’s Chicken Salad and Dad’s Pimento Cheese, served on white or wheat toast with bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Oh my gosh! This was absolutely amazing! Every bite slowly uncovered layers of delicious flavor. Let me be honest, when I heard pimento cheese on top of chicken salad, I really wasn't sure, but one bite and I was convinced! I had the pasta salad as my side. It's made in-house and just as delicious as the Farmhouse! My wife had the Chicken Tortellini soup, which she said was very good. Big chunks of chicken breast and full of flavor. We did arrive a little before 12 noon, and it turns out it was a good decision because they do get a crowd for lunch. However, there is plenty of seating and service is fast and very friendly. Next time we are anywhere near Dave's, we will definitely be stopping here for lunch. Flavorful food, fast service, and friendly employees is the perfect recipe to make Dave's your...