What a perfect dining experience we had in December. We were traveling through and stayed the night in Lexington on our way to Indiana. We met friends for dinner here and started with the Korean Fried Cauliflower which was full of flavor, not too much heat - delicious. I had the Steak Frites, I'm not usually big on on steak. I would typically get a salad or salmon but when in Rome...it was cooked exactly as I asked and the frites (fries :) had a great crisp to them. I was definitely full when I left. The restaurant was decorated beautifully for the season, I just loved looking at all there was to see on the walls. The staff were more than exceptional. It was a wonderful experience and if we go back to Lexington we will surely visit Dudley's on Short again. I would especially love to try their brunch! read more

Always a fan of stopping in here when I'm in Lexington. Classy but not overly pretentious--go there for a fancy date night, a time to catch up with friends, or just hang out at the bar and grab an exquisite burger and a drink (or two). Plenty of strong selections on the menu, and the specials are always outstanding (had a rigatoni in a creamy sauce with sliced ribeye last time I was over there that was just insanely good). Solid cocktail selection as well. Service is always attentive without being intrusive, and the staff seems to be very much on top of covering for each other as needed, which is truly great (last time there, our server was tied up longer than usual to run through questions from another table, so a colleague helpfully ran our drinks over from the bar so we weren't stuck waiting). Give it a go, you won't regret the trip. read more

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Dudley's on Short is a gem in downtown Lexington that absolutely delivers on every front. I stopped in for a light lunch and was blown away by the flavors, service, and ambiance. The smoked salmon deviled eggs were a standout--elegantly plated and bursting with rich, smoky flavor. Paired with a crisp Caesar salad, the meal was simple yet elevated, showcasing the kitchen's attention to detail and quality ingredients. Service was impeccable: attentive without being intrusive, and genuinely warm. The staff made me feel welcome from the moment I walked in. And the atmosphere? Outstanding. Dudley's strikes the perfect balance between upscale and inviting. It's the kind of place that makes you want to linger a little longer. Highly recommended for anyone seeking refined flavors and a memorable dining experience in Lexington. read more

Dudley's on Short - Drinks! - American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Celebrated two great friends 50th at Dudley's. This place is classy to the 10th degree. Absolutely loved the atmosphere and the service was impeccable. The menu has something for everyone. I ordered the Baby Wedge which was so delicious. There's nothing infantile about it. It's enough for an entree. Everyone's food was beautiful and delicious. They surprised the birthday girls with two ice cream sundaes for us all to enjoy. It was a beautiful night. read more

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My wife and I went for a nice evening, just the two of us. Our waitress was Bailey, and she could not have been more helpful, providing what turned out to be perfect recommendations! We got two of the specials. A sea bass that was kind of a Mediterranean style that was perfect in so many ways and a penne with sausage and spinach that was also excellent! The wine pours were generous and the lemon/blueberry dessert scrumptious! Best dinner I've had in a while! Thank you to everyone at Dudley's that contributed! Don't miss this one when in Lexington. read more

The food was good--my favorite part was definitely the fries. The chicken was beautifully crisped, but a bit greasy, possibly due to the red sauce used, and it lacked some flavor on its own. They did bring out some bread to the table, which was a thoughtful touch. We sat on the patio and really enjoyed the cool summer morning--it made for a lovely dining experience. There was a bit of miscommunication among the staff at first, but once that was sorted, a sweet young lady took our order and everything was served promptly. read more

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Fantastic experience! We had take out appetizers one night and decided to eat there the next! It's in downtown but they do offer valet parking. It was a super busy Saturday night after Keeneland but we were seated at our reservation time and waited on quickly. We had wine and apps (deviled eggs and cauliflower). I ordered the tournedos Maxwell and it was delicious! As was the bread service. It was a great experience and on our list next time we're in town! read more

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This place is sooo bougie and the food tastes good. We attended in a party of sixteen and there was enough space. Service was exceptional and the servers showed up on time, very often. The place looks so gorgeous and there are pics of the derby horses nearby. read more

Dudley's on Short - American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Food: excellent. Service: excellent. Manager's treatment of staff and the ridiculous vase in the middle of the dining room: we'll get to that. An upscale American venue. We started with the creamy, luxurious baked goat cheese, served with hot honey, dukkah, crushed almond, and lavash. I was considering this versus the mushroom tartine (mushroom gremolata, basil ricotta, pine nuts, sourdough). I'm happy with our decision. Other starters include house fries, marinated olives, oysters, salmon tartare, calamari, crane cake, shrimp cocktail, and more. I am not a bread person, but we did all enjoy the luscious, slightly salty, delicate yet rustic, bread. Free of charge, courtesy of their on site pastry chef. We each had a salad. My companions enjoyed the Caesar salad, the beet carpaccio, the TG Salad, and I enjoyed the wilted Brussels sprout salad. Each salad had fresh fruits, greens, and vegetables, various herbs, cheeses, nuts, accented by balsamic and vinaigrette dressings. My Brussels sprout salad was large and filling. The others were lighter. Entrees include king salmon, pasta, steak frites, braised lamb, a burger, the Kentucky hot brown, garlic chicken, and scallops. I had the Tournedos Maxwell, petite filets, crab, potato puree, and béarnaise. The medallions were tender, the crab was sweet and an amazing contrast to the steak meat . . . though I must say I ordered the steak medium and got closer to medium rare . . . which for me was okay. One of my companions ordered medium and one of her filets was blue, prompting her to pack it up for the ride home, to have for lunch the next day, after her own "re-fire." Another companion had the grouper and enjoyed it. Another the scallions and found them okay, but not over the top. Desserts included creme brûlée and a cheesecake that wasn't quite a cheesecake. Great dessert selection, which seems to rotate, as, again--on site pastry chef. Our service was AMAZING! Maddy (or Maddie) was wonderful. Attentive and right on top of every special and menu ingredient. We also had an amazing service member who kept filling our water who was personable and fun to interact with. We kept trading fun facts and jokes. It added some much needed levity to a more serious white table cloth type venue. THAT BEING SAID. There is this clunky table and large vase RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DINING ROOM. It's not functional, it doesn't add to the decor or ambiance, it blocks the path of servers and patrons. It makes the diners feel crowded. A couple of servers/employees came too close to this literal obstacle and in front of our whole group, the owner accosted them, essentially telling them that if they bumped into the vase, they would be unemployed the next day. What would happen if a patron bumped into the vase? Would we be held responsible? It was a stain on our evening to see the owner threaten the staff in front of us, much less over A BAD IDEA AND BAD DECORATING DECISION. Clear out that obstruction and treat your staff better. They are wonderful and you're lucky to have them. read more

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We have visited Lexington twice in the last year and dined at Dudley's twice. One time in the fall and the dining experience was more relaxed and quiet. This last time was on a weekday when Keeneland was running. Very load and bustling this last time. Unfortunately we were trap with an individual who is hearing impaired so it was challenging. The smash burgers and drinks were great! The pasta Dudley had good flavor but very little protein. Will try again on a less active date. read more

We had reservations on a Monday night and the place was pretty packed, so definitely get a reservation if you can. We were sat at a booth two top and it was pretty loud in the restaurant. It was hard to hear the person two feet across the table from you, so maybe not the spot for a super intimate dinner. The service was friendly and efficient, so no complaints there. I tried a bourbon drink, I can't remember the name but rose is in the name. I really like it. My boyfriend got an old fashion and it had some spice to it. I tried the Kentucky hot brown and he got steak. I've never had a hot brown so I don't know what to compare it to but it was good; steak was good too. He also tried the Dudley eggs and we split some house fries. The fries were meh, they came with some tasty sauces. We were too full for dessert but they had several things on the menu that looked good. I'd go back to maybe sit at the bar and get dessert and some drinks. read more

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I highly recommend their weekend brunch! The food is delicious and the prices are very reasonable for what you get. I'm not a fan of their bloody Mary mix, but they do allow you to add all kinds of condiments and vegetables and meat to drink. The club sandwich with country ham is incredible and I can't wait to go back to eat it again. read more

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We were only in Lexington for one night and we were recommended this place several times! We're so thankful that we listened to the recommendations because the food was delicious! The curry and braised chicken were outstanding and the French onion dip was so salty and classic! We were also lucky enough to have an amazing bartender, Laine, who was so friendly and really made whole experience! I can't wait to go back! read more

I was excited and looking forward to eating here, but it was a great disappointment unfortunately. I was in town for a work trip and was looking for a nice place to have dinner one night on the trip and Dudley's kept coming up so I decided to make a reservation for myself and a few of my coworkers. There were 6 of us total and they were able to accommodate us nicely. We walked since our hotel wasn't far so I don't know much information about the parking situation. The restaurant is quaint and is very inviting. When we arrived we were seated quickly. We sat upstairs in a lovely room at a round table that fit us all nicely. The staff were all extremely helpful and kind. I truly enjoyed that part of the experience. First, we ordered drinks and appetizers. For appetizers we ordered the Calamari and Dudley Eggs. Now the appetizers were definitely the best part of the meal for me! The calamari was good and the Dudley Eggs were delicious. For my entree I shared the Tournedos Maxwell with one of my coworkers. I am the type to study a menu prior to going and I was sooooooo excited for it, but I was disappointed. It was extremely underwhelming. It was not appetizing. I hope that this was just a bad day and that it's better since most of the other reviews are great. I am willing to give it another try if I'm in the area, but maybe just for appetizers. read more

The beautiful Ms. Debbie Long the owner of the restaurant was at the front to greet us & seat us. We had brunch - the crab cake Benedict & Quiche were out of this world. The scones, mini biscuits & coffee was delicious. Compliments to the chefs. The service from Ty was spot on. The ambiance - sophisticated & comfortable. Looking forward to having dinner the next time in Lexington. read more

A large group of us came here on a weeknight for a business dinner. The staff was very helpful and accommodating. The restaurant is very nicely decorated and the architecture has been beautiful restored. Their menu was filled with amazing southern-inspired dishes, it was hard to decide what to get. They have a nice cocktail and wine list too. The dishes I ended up with were both from their nightly specials, one being split pea soup. I love a good split pea soup, it's just hard to find and their was spot-on what I desire! Especially on a cold, windy evening! The entrée I chose was a barramundi done Cajun style and it was also prepared quite nicely and flavorful, though I did have to spike it up with a little Tabasco sauce. Save room for dessert - they offer some amazing options, such as their daily cake, in this case it was chocolate cake with orangesicle icing and it was moist and delicious! Overall, highly recommend stopping in, especially for groups and/or business dinners! read more

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Food: Sunday Supper was phenomenal ! ‍ We had a wonderful time and the service was superb! We will be back very soon. read more

We were very disappointed in this restaurant, it was attractive & had a classy feel about it, but the food wasn't anywhere near as good as it should have been, The fried calamari we ordered for an appetizer wasn't fresh or flavorful. It was rubbery & overcooked, The ribeye steak we shared was also tough & lacking in flavor. The only thing we ordered that was good & worth the price was the bourbon. It was very strong & very good. read more

Dudley's on Short - Calamari - American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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We moved to Lexington in 1997, and used to enjoy Dudley's at its original location many times, but kind of forgot about it for a decade or so and fell in love with it all over again! The food and service were delightful and it would be hard to pick a better Outdoor area than the rooftop dining experience and we will definitely be coming back like we used to back in the day! read more

Dudley's on Short - Celebrating our 34th anniversary in the catbird's seats! - American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

My sister has made a reservation for my bachelorette party here. We walked in and they had a table ready which was awesome. This is a nicer place for sure, white tablecloths and dressed up wait staff. Service was great all night and food and drinks were pretty quick. I loved the brightness of the place, maybe it was the large windows but I hate eating in the dark! This was perfect. Now, the food. Wow. We ended up splitting a couple appetizers - curry cauliflower, baked goat cheese, broccolini, brussel sprout salad. They are very generous with their servings and everything was SO GOOD. We got the s'mores dessert which I'm still dreaming about, it was the star of the show, and ended with their house made lemon cello. There wasn't one thing I tried that I didn't love. Props to the chef, it was phenomenal. Great experience and highly recommend as a nice dinner if you're visiting. read more

Dudley's on Short - American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Reserve a table at Dudley's for a special occasion. There were a few small graduation parties the night we were there. The decor is warm and elegant with nice lighting and comfortable seating. Our entrees were good but I wasn't crazy about the warm goat cheese appetizer or wilted brussel sprout salad - possibly just not good choices on my part. Keene, our server, was professional and attentive but not intrusive, suggesting a nice wine selection. The steak was flavorful and tender and the chocolate dessert was awesome! read more

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What a perfect restaurant for a family celebration. Quintessential Lexington grace and charm. The rooftop is an experience you will never forget. The service was impeccable and the food beyond delicious. Thank you, Dudley's. Our family favorite. ​ read more

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We went for our Anniversary lunch, our server was kind and knowledgeable, went over the specials of the day didn't rush us through ordering appetizers or our mains. Everything tasted great, my favorite was the lox, I could have eaten 2 plates of these alone. The hot brown was tasty but missing something in the sauce, pretty bland. The dining rooms are amazing, I definitely hope to come back and be seated in one of the cozier rooms, we were seated in the bar area. On my way to the ladies room I was awestruck by two antique pieces of 'furniture'; one was a massive grand buffet, and the other was an amazing chest of some sort, I'm kicking myself for not getting photos of these pieces. I've even looked through Yelp review photos hoping someone had posted these. Restrooms were clean and well stocked, very clean restaurant overall. read more

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Service was excellent. Food was good but not great for the price. We were insulted that after spending well more than $100 for a bottle of wine we were charged $2 for grated cheese on our pasta dish. TACKY !! read more

Everything tasted great. The soup was over the top. It was a pleasant lunch in a somewhat crowded restaurant but it was very pleasant. read more

Ambiance, service, food, portions and prices don't disappoint. Whenever I'm in town I always make it point to visit at least once. I highly recommend and this dish is one of my favorite...double cut pork chop goes well with the fresh baked warm bread. read more

Dudley's on Short - Double cut pork chop - American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

We dined in the red ladened Lounge for dinner and our mustachioed server, Luke, was attentive, friendly and knowledgeable of the listed fare. Tried the local KY Hot Brown iteration while the fam' had steak frites and Da' Burger (two patties smashed style). The food was delicious as was the ol' fashioned bourbon. This is a good stop for fine dining. read more

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Such a neat experience. Service was amazing, everyone was very friendly and welcoming. The appetizers were subpar: we got the bacon beignets and the trout dip. Beignets were not traditional but still delicious. The lettuce on the trout dip was old and soggy but the dip itself was pretty good. Main entrees and cocktails were all really good. read more

Dudley's on Short - American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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We went there to celebrate our anniversary and it was as excellent as I had anticipated it would be. The ambiance was amazing and we had one of the best waiters I can remember. If you get Ty you will be blessed. The food was well prepared and delicious. I would definitely recommend this place. read more

Nice atmosphere, very comfortable seating. The service was good, with the exception of the waiter did not know the menu. I asked him what piece of chicken came with a brunch item, and he did not know. He was also unfamiliar with gluten items. Over all Dudleys is not a good spot for GF items. They didn't even have GF bread. Potatoes had a funny taste, but edible. Overall the food was below what we expected. I don't think Brunch is their Forte. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Lexington, and best brunch in town. I need to get around to eating dinner here soon as it's been many years since I've done so. I've never been disappointed by a meal I've had here, but the eggs benedict is phenomenal and their quiches are always delicious. Service is consistently good although it can get pretty busy, love the decor of the restaurant and all the racing memorabilia on the walls. Prices are reasonable in my opinion, especially for the quality of the food, and the rotating selection of biscuits/muffins they offer before your meal are always appreciated. read more

Dudley's on Short - Brunch - Quiche - American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Traveled to Lexington for a family wedding. A group of us met for lunch & it was great! They even accommodated those who were dropped off with luggage in tow! And aside from enjoying the food & atmosphere we all discovered how pretty Lexington is! This is definitely Kentucky & everything is themed as such. Pretty much everyone ordered something different. We were given great biscuits & scones while waiting for our appetizers & ordered drinks. One if the appetizers we got were the Bacon Beignets - we weren't expecting the eggy interior but they could've made a great breakfast by themselves. Also ordered were the Dudley Eggs - you can never go wrong with those. Two of us ordered the Kentucky Classic Sandwich w/house made potato chips which was really good! The special of the day was a hash with beef & I was told it was really good. My niece really enjoyed her Dudley Pasta (very lemony was what she liked best about it) & my nephew ordered Da'Burger which was a hit. Tho I didn't try the Ceasar Salad or the KY Hot Brown, they looked fantastic. Definitely worth putting this on your list of places to try! read more

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Walking into Dudley's feels like walking into a John Grisham novel--I thought I was about to meet opposing counsel for a business lunch! This is an upscale southern restaurant in downtown Lexington. The restaurant is in an old bank building, so the architecture and decor are elegantly old school. The deviled eggs with trout were very tasty, as was the Brussels sprout salad (served warm). The Kentucky Hot Brown was really good--affordable and delicious. It is a warm sandwich with a cheese sauce that is eaten with a knife and fork. Unfortunately, the Dudley's pasta was not very good. It needed a sauce, as the noodles under the top layer of grated cheese and vegetables were just oily/dry. I recommend ordering something else from the menu, however there are not vegetarian options. read more

Came here before a show. The service was good but if you are paying the cost per plate you would think the waitstaff knew the fundamentals of dropping plates and pick up. Waiter had to read the specials since he didn't know by heart. Food was only ok to me. The deviled eggs were there best but everything else didn't have a lot of flavors. Scallops just tasted like butter. Great location and pretty ambiance. read more

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Delicious Sunday morning brunch on our last day in Lexington, Ky. Highly recommend making a reservation for the weekend as it can get pretty busy and packed. The service was great. The staff was friendly and attentive. What we ordered: Appetizer: Bacon Beignets (best we ever had!) Entree: Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Biscuit with Sausage Gravy, Fried Egg, and Crisp Potatoes (mouth watering good, especially after a night of drinking . Potatoes were a bit too salty for our liking) Dessert: Lemon Olive Oil Cake (unique and surprisingly delightful taste) read more

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This was a mixed-bag experience. The seating and lighting were comfortable, but the noise was quite unnerving. Thumping music from across the street flowed in, and added to the customer conversations it was almost impossible to hear our waitperson, Cayla. She was very friendly, but very hard to hear. Not her fault, the room was just too big and competing with outside noises. We ordered the Goat Cheese to start, while we looked over the menu. As we waited on the goat cheese, we ordered two more appetizers... the Tuna Tartar and the Korean Fried Cauliflower. The tartar and cauliflower arrived and both were exceptional. The tartar presentation on the unique expanded rice cracker was beautiful. As we finished them, we had to remind Cayla that we had ordered the goat cheese. The goat cheese finally arrived, but this one got only mediocre adoration from the three of us at the table. It was good, not special, and quite a small portion compared to the other two appetizers. Cayla told us about several specials that were being offered. Honestly, we could barely hear them. I caught "mussels and pasta" as one of them, and asked her to describe that particular special again. Once again, no one at the table could hear anything other than "mussels" and "pasta". But I thought... what the heck, so I ordered that special since I love mussels. The two other patrons at my table both ordered the Steak Frites (New York Strips). Sadly, our waitperson returned about 5 minutes later to inform me that the mussels and pasta special was no longer available!! Seriously? A restaurant of this caliber should have a better handle on communication with staff when items are close to being 86'd. Disappointed, I simply ordered the menu's only other pasta dish, Pasta Dudley. When the entrees arrived, I was given no silverware to eat my meal with! So I waited until I could flag down a waitperson to get me some. On the plus side, my friends who ordered the Steak Frites both loved their dishes. In fact, one of them commented that it was the best New York Strip he had had in a very long time. I tasted a piece and had to agree. Delicious. My pasta on the other hand was a big disappointment. The chicken was dry and I don't believe the advertised fennel was included in the dish, but then the sun-dried tomatoes overpowered everything else so it was hard to tell. It was about as rewarding as a pasta dish from Denny's... completely underwhelming. One of the patrons at my table ordered a bourbon drink and did not like it. He asked if it would be possible to exchange it for another drink, stressing to Cayla that if an exchange wasn't possible, he'd understand and keep the drink he had. We were told that exchanging it was not an issue. Then, when the check arrived, we were charged for both drinks. We simply paid for both, but it was another disappointment. While the good outweighed the bad, as a whole, the dinner was not the experience that its price point implied it would be. I was left wondering how many people might be convinced this was sophisticated dining. Dudley' suffers by not being mediocre or excellent. It sells itself as something it isn't. Hopefully, it finds its voice, or that our experience wasn't the norm. read more

Really nice interior with an upscale environment in an old bank building. Many interesting pictures on the walls and a few of horses, go figure. Service was very good and our waiter was very nice and well trained. The cocktails and large wine list are really top notch. The menu is very interesting with some daily specials, thou they were out of one special item by the time we were there. Some interesting starters, we had the firecracker shrimp which were cooked perfectly and had a sweet and spice glaze. Our group had a variety of entrees and the scallops, roasted chicken breast. Tournedos Maxell and the steak frites were all enjoyed. We had few deserts and one with a bourbon chocolate ball cake was the big hit of the night. If you are looking for a fun more upscale restaurant in downtown, try Dudley's. read more

Came here because of DDD. The atmosphere was good, nice music selection. Staff was friendly, though my waitress was more interested in talking to her friends at the next table than checking on her section. However, the food was wonderful, and I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a nice date night place. read more

Dudley's on Short - Old Fashioned - American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Great date night spot! We started off with complimentary yeast rolls and they were incredible. The smoked trout deviled eggs were a unique appetizer, would recommend! My steak frites was just okay but I will absolutely come back and try something different. Overall enjoyable experience. read more

Dudley's on Short - Smoked Smoked Ky Trout Dudley Eggs - American Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Came for lunch for the hot brown. It looked like a lot of food. Some of us had it. They seemed to enjoy it. I had the eggs Benedict. I loved it. The perfectly poached egg atop of a nice juicy tomato on a tasty ham on a crunchy english muffin. the Hollandaise did not drain all over. It enabled me to really taste the wonderful tomato. And I'm not a big tomato fan. read more