Tony's of Lexington — Restaurant in Lexington

I'm amazed by how many positive reviews are here. I wonder how many of those who reviewed have eaten at other fine dining restaurants for comparison.

Service and ambiance was on point, the service is quick/timely, the servers (we had our main server but several support staff) were near perfect, however the food was so BLAND. Salads were good, entrees bland, desert bland, mixed drinks were good. Nothing edible was excellent or amazing. Salad was too sweet, it needed some contrast, my mothers shrimp and grits, although we were told it could be a little on the spicy side, also had no flavor. The brownie a la mode was not a brownie but a giant dried up piece of cake. I mean it couldn't have been more dry if it sat on the counter for a week.

I took home leftovers but ended up throwing them away. I've never eaten at a fine dining restaurant that actually had salt and pepper at the table. I thought that was odd when I was seated, but then I found out why. I feel that I should be wowed when I drop $165 on a meal, and drove 1hr and 45min, not disappointed.

I've experienced many other fine dining restaurants where every bite, from salad, entrée and desert, was literal heaven in my mouth, and worth every dollar spent. Just thinking about some of the experiences puts a smile on my face.

We had just gotten back from the Omni Resort in Asheville NC (The Red Stagg, The Edison and The Sunset Terrace) and I was so excited to take my mother out for her first fine dining experience as a gift for watching our kids for a few days while we were gone, but I ended up having to apologize to her instead and promise that I would take her out again and we'd try somewhere different. She had never eaten at a fine dining restaurant before and even she was disappointed, and she had nothing to compare it to.

This was my second attempt, thinking perhaps what I ordered last time (chicken and polenta) was just a bland type of dish. My daughter had ordered a pesto pasta dish that was overwhelmingly smothered in pesto. The grilled romaine was good, nothing special.

I had actually forgotten to leave a review until a manager called to get my feedback. He seemed offended that I wasn't raving about the food like apparently everyone else has. His comments were back handed, basically telling me I guess we can't please everyone. True, and understandable, but why waste my time asking for my feedback? Sure you're popular, and "everyone else seems happy with us", and if a person wants to pay $35 for a gummy pasta dish that has less flavor than what I've gotten at Olive Garden, that's on them. As for me, I will continue to explore the flavors and fine dining experiences that Lexington has to offer. If anyone has any recommendations, I'd love to hear them.

Future recommendation, since I expect you have no plans of replacing your chef, is that you shouldn't have a manager with such poor interpersonal communication skills calling people for feedback. A simple "I'm sorry we didn't wow you, give us another chance, here's your gift card" instead of "well I was going to send you a gift card but sounds like you don't plan on coming back". No, I don't, but I'd definitely be less disappointed, less likely to share my negative experience (hence this current review that I had forgotten to post), and I'd pass that gift card on to a friend who may love your bland food and I would not feel like the money I spent was a...

3-Star Experience at Tony’s – Potential, But Not Quite There Yet

As they say, first impressions matter, and my first experience at Tony’s left much to be desired. While there were some positives, the overall experience fell short of the upscale dining standard Tony’s seems to aim for.

Atmosphere: We had a 7:30 pm reservation for a business dinner with a party of eight. Despite the reservation, no tables were available upon arrival, and we ended up waiting awkwardly by the door for 30 minutes. The restaurant was crowded, and there was no designated waiting area, forcing us to repeatedly step aside for waitstaff and other customers. It’s puzzling why the second floor isn’t utilized, even if just as a waiting area, to alleviate this issue. Eventually, a high-top table was assembled for us near the bar, which felt like a makeshift solution rather than a thoughtful accommodation.

Food and Drinks: The evening got off to a rocky start with the drinks. After the waiter listed the available draft beers, I ordered a brown ale, only to be told minutes later that they were out. I then asked for a Guinness, but they were out of that as well. This lack of communication between the bar and waitstaff created unnecessary frustration and made the service appear disorganized. At that point, I switched to bourbon—which, frankly, I needed after all that.

The appetizers were solid, though not exceptional. The mussels, calamari, tuna tartare, and beef tartare were all good, with the tuna tartare being the standout. The sausage, however, was a bit dry.

For the main course, I had the dry-aged pork chop. The meat itself was cooked perfectly and tasted delicious, but the side of whipped sweet potatoes with marshmallows was a questionable choice. The combination was overwhelmingly sweet, more like a dessert than a side dish. While I understand the idea of pairing pork with something sweet, this was far from subtle—it felt like two unrelated dishes forced onto one plate.

The fried mushrooms were unexpectedly spicy, which wasn’t mentioned on the menu. This came as an unpleasant surprise. The other sides were decent, but nothing memorable.

Dessert was a crème brûlée, which was fine but lacked the signature glass-like crack when tapped with a spoon. It felt like a missed opportunity to end the meal on a high note.

Overall Impression: Tony’s has potential, but there are several areas that need improvement to match the upscale dining experience it strives to offer. The atmosphere felt cramped and lacked the comfort and luxury of a high-end steakhouse. The underutilization of space and disorganized service further detracted from the experience.

While the food had its highlights, the inconsistencies and questionable pairings left me underwhelmed. If you’re looking for a true steakhouse experience in Lexington, Jeff Ruby’s remains the top choice. I hope Tony’s can refine its offerings and operations to live up to its ambitions. Wishing them the...

Came here for my birthday last night. Sorry no pictures but I’ll be thorough.

When you come to a restaurant of this caliber, you expect the food to amaze. And, shock and awe proceeded. From the bread, we received to start, down to the dessert- were all fantastic.

For starters, we ordered the Caesar and wedge salads. And both were as fresh as could be as if you walked through the garden and picked the veggies fresh from its glorious shrubbery.

We the ordered various sides which included bourbon sweet potatoes, asparagus, Mac and cheese, and roasted mushrooms.

The Mac and cheese was excellent. So creamy and cheesy, with a cheese blend to please even the most complex of palates. The mushrooms were seasoned to perfection and oh so tender. Asparagus was ok- kinda basic, but not enough to blemish this review. And lastly the sweet potatoes were delicious. Only downside to them is that the bourbon kinda took away from the flavor and made them taste more like pumpkin. But again, not even a problem worth changing this score.

Then it was time for the mains. We ordered filets, pork chops, and shrimp and grits and when I say delicious. I mean wow. Everything was cooked exactly as we ordered. With flavors so good that we didn’t mind eating it all. The type of food that makes you want to finish it even though you are stuffed . I digress.

So you might say what about dessert? Even though we were all stuffed to the brim, dessert was definitely next. We got a diverse selection that included crème brûlée, cheesecake, and chocolate cake. And we are glad we did because everything was amazing and tasty. Did I mention that they also bag your leftovers? Oh yeah, great.

It’s not often that you go to a restaurant where even the bread is made with the love of your closest friends and family. The staff too are also top notch, from beginning to end of our feast. They are also very knowledgeable about menu items and wine pairings to complement your experience. What more can I say? Wow, simply amazing.

If you are in town and want to treat yourself to something special where you can laugh, celebrate, and eat some amazing delicacies, please stop by and let Tony’s take care of you. You won’t be...