Lockbox has grown on me. Last night was by far our best meal. We sat at the bar (by choice) and enjoyed the banter of the bartenders and servers (one had won big on the Derby!) while we started with the cheese plate with homemade pretzel crackers. The cheese was flavorful but the glazed pecans on the plate were the star to me. Crunchy, sweet and salty. The homemade crackers were pretty special, too. I then had the beet salad, which is always good, and the short ribs. Ooohhh...the short ribs. So rich and melt in your mouth tender. The richness was cut by a horseradish cream and friend potato cake. It was a perfect blend of flavors. Dessert was pot de creme with chewy popcorn on top. All in all a great meal. If you haven't been to Lockbox in a while head down there soon - their food just gets better and better! read more

This place was horrible came down from Chicago a few weeks ago man flies inside the restaurant my steak was horrible I can honestly say if it wasn't for the beautiful 21c hotel we would've packed great bar loved our room the lockbox should stay locked read more

A beautiful space, but the selling point was my amazing bartender Eric. He made my friends and I feel so welcome and comfortable. This is absolutely a must stop if your in lex. Come by see Eric and make your day. This company is really lucky to have him on staff. LOCKBOX BE THANKFUL! I enjoyed the best gimlet with celery butters( a special drink he made for me). Made my evening perfect. read more

My wife and I took my father in law here with his wife for his 79th birthday. It was a little modern for their taste but exactly the kind of place we look for when we travel. The owner was entertaining a large group of people at a table next to ours and stopped by our table to ask how everything was. He later stopped by with a celebratory glass of champagne and a birthday wish. It was a nice touch of that southern hospitality that we saw a lot of in Lexington. We started with warm olives and the crispy Brussels (complete with over easy eggs on top) and both were a great start. My wife ordered some mac and cheese for the table and we shared three NY Strips among the four of us. Perfect crispy crust on the steak and great flavor. We finished with a complimentary butterscotch mousse and my wife ordered the key lime pie. Both were very good. Service was superb also. Fun modern atmosphere and great food. Thanks to the owner for the extras that made a special night even more fun. read more

Lockbox - Southern Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Everything is impeccable about this place. Broccoli Salad was my fave but has since been removed from the changing menu. Hope it comes back, it's incredible! Service is always the best and very clean and cool atmosphere, especially with the penguin! read more

Lockbox - Penguin dinner guest - Southern Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I typically stay at the 21c Museum Hotel when traveling to Lexington, which is great but I would make special effort to stop in Lockbox at every Lexington visit. The focus on quality from food, drink and experience is top notch. If you are lucky to have Norma behind the bar you will get a great bourbon education as well as masterful crafted cocktails (and perhaps a few try before you buy samples from the impressive bourbon stock). Brian and Norma made my trip all the more special with going out of their way to track down an outstanding bottle of one their barrel selections from Willett for me to purchase and take home. You're doing it right, Lockbox! Cheers read more

Even though it's a hotel restaurant, the food is amazing here. Not only is it a farm to table menu, but the dishes have a depth and sophistication that I don't normally find in Lexington. The crispy octopus is fantastic ... crispy exterior but soft tender center of the octopus balanced with a citrus freshness and celery greens. The fried egg on top of the mushroom risotto was so good that I asked for two eggs instead of one. The clams with house made fennel sausage was also so good that I was sopping up the sauce with the bread. The staff is also excellent by giving refined service without being stuffy. Even the manager was friendly by genuinely showing that she cared about our overall experience. Definitely the best restaurant in town. read more

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I had the steak here which is really on point with some quite delectable vegetables. I also had the mixed lettuces for salad with a raspberry vinagrette dressing. For dessert, I had a strawberry banana fried pie which was very sweet and creamy to fulfill my sweet tooth. All in all, a great environment in a good location downtown with good food. read more

Lockbox - Southern Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Probably the worst meal I've had in a while. Pork shoulder. Tough, tasteless. Other guests in my party were told after 30 min after our order there wasn't any salmon to serve them so they should pick something else. Cut our bill in half. It should have been free. To top it off, the wait staff was as bad as the food. There are many other places to eat in downtown Lexington. Avoid this place. read more

This place is delicious! Before going, I actually thought it would be over priced and the food portions would be too small but I was wrong. The prices weren't too bad for the portion sizes. I had the mac n cheese and it was so delicious! I also had a cheese burger that was so good and juicy. It had so much flavor. The place was beautiful. I recommend this place for a nice event or even to go on a date or out with friends! Can't wait to come back! read more

Lockbox - Southern Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Went with a large group for dinner. The service was great, but the only vegetarian option on the menu was a mushroom dish that tasted horrible. It was smoked and tasted like a cigarette butt. It was served with unseasoned bulgur. I really can't remember having such a bad tasting vegetarian meal served fo me in a restaurant before. I wrote to the restaurant, and they responded by telling me I should come back and ask for a custom meal. Naw, I'll just find another restaurant that knows how to prepare vegetarian food. read more

Came here for my sister's graduation dinner. The ambiance is very nice as one would expect for a hotel restaurant. The ceilings are high and the space is very modern, clean and white with flowing drapes. There are interesting photographs in the dining room as well as the bathroom. Service is friendly and thorough. The waiter explained the menu to us as well as any highlights. He also gave us cocktail suggestions. To start, were given a bread basket with a lot of different types of breads. The bread is warm and the butter is light and fluffy. We got "In Jars" for our app. Cute presentation of small bites of cheese, veggies, liver mouse, and jam on a board. Our entree was taking a while to come out so the waiter brought out the spring carrot soup as compliments of the chef. It was really good and filling. So filling we all almost couldn't finish our dinner. I got a fish that i forgot the name of while my sister got a chicken dish and her fiance got the filet mignon special. We all enjoyed our dishes and thought it was cooked very well. Probably will not be coming back to Kentucky, but if I were, I would recommend this restaurant! read more

This was our last stop after 3 days on the Bourbon Trail. Hotel 21C and the Lockbox occupy a renovated bank. You actually can eat in the vault. The restaurant is very open with white decor. We had a great meal for 4. My grilled carp (yes carp) was prepared like sea bass and was excellent. It was served on a bed of kale and butter beans. We also shared a nicely prepared hog chop that was excellent. Sorbet and a unique banana cream dessert followed. read more

Lockbox - Celebrating anniversaries. - Southern Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

Dropping my daughter UK. Long drive ,and was happy to pick 21c hotel but more happier with lockbox restaurant from the music to cocktail and the FOOD wow sad to leave my daughter behind UK but can't wait to visit her again and dine at lockbox. A proud and happy father go BBN. read more

Our group of 15 arrived at Lockbox for a business dinner that had been reserved and confirmed by email with the Manager, Terri King. When arriving were told that we did not confirm the reservation and they could not seat the group. We had emails to prove that we confirmed but the manager kept blaming us instead of apologizing for his error. We had to find another restaurant close by that could seat 15 people with no reservation. We were very lucky that Distilled on Jefferson could accommodate our group. We will NEVER go to or recommend Lockbox to anyone. read more

Dinner was excellent. Slap in the face was after the $200+ dinner we still had to pay $8 for parking. Cheap and petty. Left with a bad taste because of that read more

What a disappointment - I was SO excited to have the 21c open in Lexington and couldn't wait to try Lockbox. Unfortunately, my hopes of a new fun, hip, upscale restaurant in town were just dashed. First of all, someone seriously dropped the ball on restaurant decor. The bar is cool, but the restaurant portion is just a plain, white open room. It is actually pretty boring. The food was okay. The braised beets were delicious and the octopus starter was good. My market fish "on the half shell" only came with a garnish. I suspect the "half shell" was supposed to refer to the skin which was burned to a crisp. The fish was good, but the skin was inedible. My husband's pork chop was okay and oddly enough came with sides not listed on the menu. The olive cake for dessert was good, but not great. The worst part of the evening was the service which was so bad it was insulting. Our server clearly couldn't care less about customers and the people sitting next to us suffered through the same neglect. Took forever to greet us, took forever to place our drink order, took forever to place our food order, no bread and butter, never checked on us during dinner, took forever to get dessert, and even after asking if we wanted the check, it took him about 30 minutes to bring it (and then it was wrong). No apology for any of it. We will never come back here. If you still want to check it out, do yourself a favor and just go to the bar for cocktails. You can also take your drink and walk around the museum. But if want a really nice dinner, this is not the place. read more

Lockbox has potential. The space is gorgeous and in a prime downtown location. Fine dining? No. Lockbox is hipster. It's a Table 310 with white table cloths. Food: very good. I think the chef and kitchen staff are talented. I had a bird's eye view into the open kitchen and saw passionate people preparing and expediting food. Menu: See above (table 310ish) Service: Slow. But not for the lack of staff. 2-3 suit wearing dudes walking around literally straightening silverware at an empty table while my water glass sits empty. Bottom line; The customer facing staff was no different than any 'chain' place at the mall. Ex. Fine dining servers do no not squat down to take orders. Mine did as she asked "would you folks like the share an app?" Lockbox is okay. Back of the house: B. Front of the house: C-. read more

Visited Lexington recently and had to see what Lockbox had to offer. After a long search for parking in a torrential downpour we arrived and were seated at the bar. It took a long time for the bartender to acknowledge us and get us a drink menu. We looked at the menu while we waited. The host came to seat us for our dinner before the bartender returned to take a cocktail order. We were more than puzzled because we arrived early and were 2 of only 3 people at the bar. The restaurant is beautiful. Ornately decorated and very interesting to the eye. You can tell each piece was selected with meticulous care. Since we didn't have a cocktail we decided to order a bottle of wine. Their menu for liquor/wine is very extensive. We tasted a few choices suggested by our waiter and decided on a lovely white. We settled on lighter dishes so we could sample more of the menu. We ordered a delicious and beautiful braised beet salad, the crispy octopus with grapefruit and avocado, the masa gnocchi and the asparagus on the plancha. We also had a nice dessert. Our waiter was friendly and very attentive. The food was delivered at a good pace giving us time to enjoy before the next plate arrived. Each dish was expertly prepared and beautiful to behold. We enjoyed our dinner and felt it was worth what we paid. read more

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Mediocre service. Mediocre food. Do not get the Carp. The waiter told me how delicious it was, so I wanted to be adventurous & try it. If Carp was good, more restaurants would serve it. If you want something different, go ahead and try LockBox. If you are celebrating a special occasion (as I was), this restaurant may leave you wanting. I may return once more to try a different dish. read more

I never in a million years would think that a restaurant would become memorable because of its oatmeal, but Lockbox has proved me wrong. Stayed one night at the hotel and went to Lockbox for breakfast. Had the steel-cut oatmeal and smoothie and thought I'd died and gone to heaven. I could make oatmeal and a smoothie at home every day without blinking, but this place takes it up a thousand notches. After touring the south for the last 9 days I have eaten at over 25 establishments and without question, this place is at the top of the list...based on their oatmeal!! I can't even imagine what the rest of the menu brings to the table. Bravo Lockbox! This Chicago foodie was enamored with your food, which is tough to do because in this town we have the best of the best of everything. Well done! read more

Wow! We had brunch here and it was incredible. I had the best brunch drink of all time. It was the "venom" with cold brew coffee, grapefruit oil, and vermouth. Yum! I then had the shrimp and grits. It was a huge portion and very good with lots of shrimp. Great service as well! read more

We went to grab dinner with a couple of friends. The restaurant is in the hotel. It's so pretty! I have to say that it is more so a place for business meetings rather than a place for special occasions. I enjoyed the food and the server was very nice. read more

We have eaten at Lockbox on several occasions and every time we have enjoyed a warm, relaxed atmosphere, great service and an exceptional menu. The entrees here are delicious, but it is also fun to order a few shareables and sample some of each. Highly recommend the 'In Jars' - Homemade spreads served with house made biscuits, crackers and pickles to start. The Crispy Potatoes are just WOW, loved the Roasted Heirloom Carrots (and I don't even like carrots!) and the Beet Salad is perfectly done with strawberries and creamy goat cheese. We also had the grouper special and it was just delicious, served with black-eyed peas a wonderful mixture of lemony goodness on the top. Top it all off with the Chocolate Pot de Crème or the Strawberry Shortcake Pie - trust me, you will not be disappointed! read more

Lockbox - Brewlee Old Fashioned - Southern Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Good meal in a great setting. This dining room is gorgeous with really cool lighting, decor, and art. It fits the theme of an art hotel. Cocktails and the bourbon fights were outstanding. Our server was very attentive, knowledgeable, and helpful in answering questions. Everyone in our party had a really good time. The kids burger was outstanding and got a rave review from our 11 year old. Our entrees ranged from good to great. The lobster tail was underwhelming for the price, but everything else was good. I'd certainly recommend lock box. read more

I knew we were in trouble after being promptly seated at 5:30 on Monday evening. The server came by 15 minutes later to take our drink order. Another 15 minutes for her to bring the bottle of wine. Another ten minutes to talk about starters. Needless to say, the whole Dinner took 3 hours. Never saw our waiter or Manager. The gentleman filling our water glass was the most help. Also, it seems the wait staff should have some kind of dress code.... Obviously, front end management is MIA. I give the Lockbox three stars because the food is quite good. read more

Not impressed. Service was wonderful and the presentation of the food was beautiful and interesting. Everything tasted off though. We ordered the brussel sprouts and Sweet Potato casserole and it just didn't taste good. Short ribs, meh... nothing special. Maybe we hit it on an off day or something given all the great reviews on here. read more

Outstanding food and friendly service. The server did seem to get overwhelmed once they had 4 tables but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they might have been new. read more

We had early reservations so not crowded but service still somewhat slow. Steaks were overpriced but very good. The salmon was well prepared and tasty; however the side dishes were strangely presented with nuts and peppers and were not to our liking. We were not offered other than water to drink. Overall a very nice downtown setting but overpriced for value as a premium restaurant. read more

I stumbled upon this restaurant the other day and I am glad I did. The food is excellent. The best fries I have had in Lexington. They come with Tabasco aioli which was a nice touch. My fiancé had one of the chef's special plate which was a great deal for $12. It included 2 sandwiches of chicken confide in bacon fat with Swiss and tomato jam. It included salad and a desert. I got the not your Nashville hot chicken that had a Korean sauce. The sauce could have had more heat but the chicken was perfectly fried, plump and juicy. I will go back for sure. read more

Don't waste your time. We started at the bar ordering two expensive vodka sodas, only to get two small wine glasses 1/2 full of our cocktail most of which was ice. Then we ordered two medium steaks at $29 a pop, both come to the table well done. When we told the server she offered us a free dessert for the mistake. Oh and the bathroom is a completely different level so you'll be climbing stairs. There are much better options for food, service and atmosphere at several other downtown Lexington restaurants! read more

This visit was on a Monday night and I arrived at the bar an hour before closing. Overall it was a pretty good experience. Having many times visited my home 21c in Cincinnati and the Louisville 21c where Proof is one of my all time favorite restaurants, I had high hopes and high expectations for Lockbox. There were warm welcomes all around, the bar only had 3 seated and the bartender, though involved in barwork, greeted me almost immediately. I was starving so I quickly ordered food and a glass of Pinot noir. Off to a great start. The kale salad was just what I needed. Crisp, lemony/garlicky and so satisfying. The cornbread crumbs were a nice touch away from normal croutons. The trout was also just what I needed. Perfectly cooked and delicious with great veg and potato sides. Portion size is not small. I passed on dessert but came close since you almost never see butterscotch pudding on a menu. I hope they have it the next time I'm not so diet conscious. All that being said, there are some minor recommendations that would make this place a favorite. The lights in the bar are way to bright. Either provide 2 forks in the napkin roll up or give us a new one for the main course. Don't take the used fork from my empty salad plate and place it on the bar for my next course. I could have done that. I will definitely return. This place is one of the best options downtown and being open until 10pm on a Monday is a plus. read more

While staying at the adjoining hotel we made a reservation to try their restaurant (it was also a new and recommended restaurant on Eater). Over the weekend it was packed and seemed like the place to go. We had reservations on the earlier side during the week and the place was deserted. It has a more ritzy air to it while trying to play it down (staff not dressed up and TVs on the walls) - so is this hipster? It is in a historic building but redone very modern and the art from the rest of the place carries through. They allowed us to wheel in the stroller. The two servers who helped us were very nice and helped us decide how much food to order. Our food was fine and came out promptly. Nothing outstanding. The menu changes so I will not bore you with details of items that are no longer offered. I am not convinced this place is worth the cost. read more

My husband and I had the best dinner tonight! From the moment we walked in the staff was friendly, the food was FANTASTIC, and our server was excellent! Brian (our waiter) helped my husband and I make our dinner selections (I had the chicken entree my husband had the catfish) both were very good but the best of all was the tomato pie!!! I can't even begin to describe how delicious it was- we knew immediately 21c had an excellent chef in the kitchen. The manager (Brian) spent some time with us discussing the seasonal menu and use of local meats/vegetables on their menu. Our experience was so positive -we will return very soon and recommend Lockbox to our friends. Thanks 21C for hiring and training your staff to excellence! What a wonderful evening! read more

I love the freshness & wonderful menu! The waitress was well versed with menu as well as wine. We were a large party & had a great time!! Will return for sure! read more

The burger and the strawberry shortcake made me want to slap my mother. The fried chicken made my dead ex-fiancé turn in her grave because it was so fantastic. Sit in the bar. Get a cocktail. read more

Wonderful meal. Our server, Zephir couldn't have been more welcoming or professional. Thanks for recommending the donuts- they were a perfect ending to our experience in this lovely restaurant. Jill and Dan from Asheville read more

Service was excellent.. The mix of old architecture and contemporary decor was perfect. Restaurant was clean. Atmosphere was quiet - which was great since we were celebrating our Anniversary. However - my Half Roasted Chicken was undercooked (not to the point of being dangerous, it was just chewy instead of moist/tender) and I was not a fan of the seasoning used at all (very odd flavor), so I could not eat it. (I tried - I was hungry) BUT - the server/manager were very kind, offered comped dessert (I politely declined), and did not charge for the meal. My husband had the Braised Short Rib, which he ate with no problem. Also little disappointed in the limited menu choices, and all on the pricey side (which would've been fine except for the above) but apparently there are items off menu you can order, as a couple near us had a meal we would have preferred. Lastly, Lockbox Lexington is located inside a boutique/contemporary art museum hotel. The video art within the restaurant is a bit odd, but it kept us entertained. Probably wouldn't go back. read more

there are many great things about hotel bars, and while its not necessary to provide further explication of all of their potential, i would like to offer some general guidance regarding this specific destination. lockbox, and 21c itself, appears in the city as a monument to modernity and an icon of a fully sophisticated western culture. its wonderful and worth cherishing but also somewhat out of place in such a small arbitrary town. you can bring outside food in. you can get granola and yogurt at the bar at 2PM if you ask nicely and tip well. (they promote "a culture of YES!"). there is no pool but you can show up at the bar in a bathing suit and slides and no one will ask questions. if you are someone who needs to ask questions, ask for alex or lauren- they will take care of you. have i ever been a guest of the hotel? no. do i live downtown? yes. do i like living in lexington? no. does this place make me feel like i am "just visiting"? yes. as a complete aside, a 24 hour art museum pairs extremely well with an aperol spritz. trust me. read more

If you like eating in historic spaces that have been decked out in hip and interesting art then this is a good spot for you to visit. The 21C Hotel is always a fun place to look around in and the restaurants that are inside of them are always pretty enjoyable. I should also add that you should be ready to spend a more than your average price for dinner. Lockbox has a decent sized menu that gives options for most. The theme is southern and the kitchen team seems to appreciate sourcing lots of items locally/regionally when available. I enjoyed the cheese plate served with flat bread/crispy lavash, a fruity jam of sorts, nuts, and honey. The board it was served on was so big though, it seemed to take all our table space. Maybe downsizing the wooden plank would be helpful. The entree I decided on was a delicious bed of grits covered in mushroom bolognese sauce (which was quite tasty) and some cauliflower and nuts to add some different texture to the dish. I enjoyed it and was full well before my plate was clean. Very hearty for being vegetarian! I was able to try some brussel sprouts as well, which I always do when available at restaurants. I found them to be flavored well, with a good mix of sweet and salty. The service was friendly and efficient but did not overdo the conversation or rush us through our meal. Perfect combo for a longer dinner with family. A couple of housekeeping suggestions: valet park your car and don't forget to check out the art inside the hotel (and the old vault nestled inside the restaurant) either before or after dinner. read more