The Root Cellar — Restaurant in Lexington

Well, folks, gather 'round, 'cause I've got a little tale to spin about this joint that used to be the bee's knees, but now? Well, let's just say it's more like the appendix of the restaurant world – unnecessary and causing a whole lot of discomfort.

So, our family waltzes into this place this evening, once hailed as a culinary haven in Lexington, and I'm hit with a wave of nostalgia for the good ol' days when I could order anything off the menu and not worry about re-mortgaging my house. But alas, times have changed. The prices are so high that I felt like I was funding a NASA mission just to feed a family of four plates of lukewarm disappointment.

Let's talk about the food. I'd describe it as "unforgettable" but only because I wish I could forget it. My wife’s $16 Cobb Salad had a (one) chicken tender that was so small it looked more like it came from a pigeon than any chicken I’ve ever seen. My Hot Honey Fried Chicken Sandwich” had the spice of milk toast, and after trying the my kids cheeseburgers and green beans I'm convinced the chef's specialties now include overcooking and under-seasoning everything within a five-mile radius. It's like they're trying to set a world record for blandness.

And the service, don't even get me started. It's as if the waitstaff took a masterclass in how to disappear into thin air. I've seen better service from a sloth on Ambien. I tried waving my arms like I was signaling an alien spacecraft for help, but they remained oblivious.

In conclusion, if you're looking for a place to drain your wallet, lower your expectations, and spend an evening wondering why you didn't just go to that fast-food joint down the street, then this is your spot. But for the rest of us, let's give this place a miss and spare ourselves the heartache. Good luck, brave souls who dare enter – may your wallets be fat and your taste buds...

Food use to be great. Not now....Steak had no flavor or seasoning, baked potato was about room temp. It wouldn't melt the cheese and butter, collards tasted like can and boiled in water only, cornbread was stale and hard - they had run it through the microwave. . Ate about 4 bites of steak choked down the cornbread after having to ask for butter, and the collards. Never got offered a refill on tea yet the other tables around sure got refills- waitress walked passed at least 4 times and glass was empty. Didn't check to see if things were ok at all...just came back and wanted to know if I wanted a box for the steak on the plate and if I was ready for the check. Asked for the manager who was sitting by the door... Told her my experience and the food was no where near what it use to be. Plus they have removed the Root Vegetables from the menu other than baked potato and sweet potato casserole...wth? Heard some people come in and hostess asked how many...I think they said 4 and a couple of kids....they were told a 25 minute wait. The restaurant was no where near full .. 12 tables empty. .the entire far end tables empty...2 waitresses rolling silverware...the man said they would just go somewhere else. There may have been 7 tables that had people at them and none of them had just been seated..meaning they had been there since I arrived. Use to be great food... Now tasteless and blah. Manager asked if I wanted them to cook another steak to go..... Why would I want another tasteless steak? It was only about 7:30...I think they just wanted to get people out of there and didn't want to seat the other people that left so they could leave early. So very disappointed, guess I should have gone to...

Wow..... our first visit didn't start out well. We were seated immediately, but then we had no server come to take our drink order. We waited while others that came in after us were receiving quick service. So, we decided to leave and we were stopped by the manager Tyler who saw us leaving and asked why and we told him. He asked for us to come sit back down and apologized for the delay and told us about their menu and suggested an egg roll appetizer that is stuffed with BBQ. And he recommended what we ourselves had already earlier choose to order..... buttermilk chicken breast over yellow grits with cornbread and gravy with your choice of salad and a side, it two sides. This is a lot of food and the price is reasonable. We had excellent service throughout all by Tyler after he talked us to sit back down. And we were so happy he did. The salad was healthy and tasty and the strawberry bacon vinegarette was the best dressing I've had. They make it on the premises. The chicken was succulent, the grits were delicious and the corn bread is the best ever. The side of rooted vegetables that they slow cook was fabulous. We were too satisfied to be able to try any desserts. Maybe next time. Given it was a slow start, but Tyler appeared and made that situation go away and just blew us away with excellent service and delicious food. And Tyler comped the appetizer for the delay. Great job by Tyler and the kitchen staff. I look forward to dining there again soon. We...