Epping's on Eastside — Restaurant in Lexington

Every weekend that my mom comes down from Cincinnati to visit me, I make it a point to take her to somewhere new and nice to try. Last year for mother's day, I took her to Coles, and this time wanted to provide a similar family friendly experience. The great food and vibes found at Epping's could not have been more accurately portrayed to me by coworkers prior to our visit.

I had set reservations at opentable the day before for a 12:30 brunch, only for my mom and I to arrive over a half of an hour early to our reservation. However, the hostess was kind and friendly, and sat us promptly without fuss. I will note parking is atrocious and so you will want to get there a little early. Not their fault that they're packed, though!

On being sat, similar to Cole's, they provided us with a vase of water and presented us with daily specials. The menu was short and concise, as well as providing a good description of each item. Like any good brunch place, food arrived quickly and hot.

I personally ordered the polenta cake eggs benedict, and loved every bit of it! The lemon dressing on the arugula salad paired perfectly with its peppery bite, and the polenta was perfectly browned to provide a crisp bite that coincided well with the prosciutto and nicely poached egg. It was a well seasoned and well portioned meal with two cakes. I also got a coffee, which came in a beautiful homemade-looking (or at least artisan) cup.

My mom got the breakfast plate with sausage, eggs, potatoes and a biscuit. She loved the food, but was most impressed with the butter and preserves. Growing up in SE Kentucky she was used to fresh butter, and could easily tell that this butter was freshly made and salted. She loved the creamy, non-shelved taste that went alongside her homemade biscuit.

Overall, I would rate the restaurant in the following categories as follows: Service: 5/5 - Friendly, Attentive Staff and Manager Food: 5/5 - Fresh, well seasoned and well made with obvious care Ambience: 5/5 - Great looking establishment with beautiful lighting fixtures, accentuated with skylights and bright white paint for an open feel. Cost: ~25-30 per person - Expect 15-20 per person in food, plus a 20% gratuity and money for drinks as well.

I will definitely be returning in the future and easily recommend this place to local Lexingtonians or...

We were there on 10/6/21 and again on 3/19/22. We love Eppings. If you want to eat there on a weekend, don't wait until the last minute. We are spur of the minute people and that's hard to do at Eppings because it's so popular. Google won't allow a second review so I'm editing this one.

This is the 10/6/21 review - I love cioppino. I was surprised to find it on the menu but the price was $48 - the highest I had seen anywhere in Lexington. The other thing about cioppino is that many restaurants tend to overcook the fish. That's not too bad if it’s mussels but it’s really bad if it’s a quality piece of fish and horrible for scallops. I asked our waitress why the price was so high. She said because of the quality of the fish. I decided to order it but felt like it was a risk because one can overcook a quality piece of fish just as easy as a lousy piece. To make a long story short the quality was as represented by our waitress but the cooking was exceptional. My wife ordered the halibut. The piece of halibut I got was just as large, just as fresh and cooked perfectly. There was only one scallop but it too was cooked perfectly. The same was true for the shrimp and mussels. We’ve been to Eppings several times before but this is our most memorable.

So we went again on 3/19/22 - Cioppino is no longer on the menu. Some general observations - Order from the small plate menu - it's very imaginative and the portions are large. I ordered Okonomyaki Fritters. They were fabulous. I had the chopped salad and blue crab bisque as my main items - I wasn't thrilled; I should have ordered another small plate. I didn't have room for dessert; I wish I had as the dessert menu is the most imaginative that I have seen in Lexington. Two criticisms - there should be an imaginative dessert item that is gluten and lactose free and about the bread - I ordered some bread. I was brought what appeared to be freshly baked parker house rolls. I like that they were freshly baked but I expected Eppings to be better than parker house rolls.

Overall, we still...

Dear Epping on Eastside Team,

I wanted to reach out and share feedback regarding my experience at your restaurant on Easter morning, where I had a 10:15 AM reservation for two guests. While I was excited to spend the holiday enjoying brunch at your establishment with one of my daughters, I was disappointed by the challenges I encountered in the reservation process and what unfolded thereafter.

When I originally called to book, I was told there were absolutely no reservations available for a party of four—only two—and I was assured the restaurant would be at full capacity all day. I did everything short of begging to try to accommodate my entire family of four, but was firmly told it was not possible. With limited options left, I accepted the table for two and made separate plans later that day for the other two members of my family.

To my surprise, when we arrived, the restaurant was nearly empty. There were only a few tables occupied throughout our entire two-hour stay. Even more frustrating, we were seated at a table for four—meaning my entire family could have joined me had the reservation system or staff allowed for it. Multiple tables inside and outside remained empty the entire duration of our visit, up until we left at noon.

I did share my concerns with both the front desk staff and the manager on duty before leaving, but unfortunately the response felt dismissive. I was told there was a full reservation list, but that clearly did not reflect the reality of what I observed for two full hours.

While I want to note that our server was wonderful and the food was excellent, the experience was ultimately disappointing. It’s hard to understand how such a flawed reservation system could prevent my family from spending a special holiday meal together.

I hope this feedback is taken seriously. I’ve always appreciated what your restaurant offers to the Lexington community, but I would hesitate to return in the future for any occasion requiring a...