We spent the afternoon at Burl Brew at The Burl, and honestly... 10/10 vibes. The weather was perfect, so we grabbed a seat outside and soaked it all in. There's plenty of seating, a super cool laid-back atmosphere, and the kind of crowd that makes you feel like you picked the right place without even trying. Bonus: the UK basketball game was on, the place was packed with fans, and the Cats WON so the energy was immaculate. High fives, cheers, happy strangers everywhere. You love to see it. We had the German Pilsner and the American Light. Both were crisp, refreshing, and exactly what you want in hand while celebrating a UK win. No notes. It's one of those spots where you go for "just a quick drink" and immediately start planning your next visit. We'll definitely be back to try food from Lucy's and hopefully catch a show next time. Great beer, great crowd, great vibes. Go Cats. read more

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I went to The Burl for a concert with my husband. Right away, the parking situation was not the greatest (we arrived three hours early). We ended up parking on the pay lot, which had limited options other than overnight for about $20... obviously, that is not their fault though. The arcade seemed fun but we weren't able to play since we had no cash/cards. It definitely had a nostalgic vibe. Since we got there early, we were able to secure free seating, but most of the benches were about to fall apart; we moved a few times, eventually to the top of one of the bars which had great views. Drinks were okay, I didn't get to try their food unfortunately since they were slammed. The only thing I didn't like was that we paid for the event, got a wristband, but there were so many ways you could have gotten in without paying anything at all. I'd love to give them another try when there is no event. read more

Stopped in Burl Brew last night for a couple drinks before the live music started at The Burl. Bartenders were friendly and service was good. The beers I tried were very good. I started with Diablo and then had the 1850. Once I got to The Burl, I had the Amber. Great music venue and 4 great acts last night. read more

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Lovely spot for concert, arcade and hang out with friends next to railroads. I love the vintage, retro decors with two pool table & some arcade machine. Nice service from bartender who let me taste some beers. I ordered citrus wheat and my girlfriend ordered American ale and we both enjoy them. read more

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The Burl campus just keeps getting better with the addition of Burl Brew. They serve their beers in the Brew building along with a few cocktails and some spirits. You can also bring in drinks from Burl Arcade and The Burl music venue as all three buildings are the same liquor license. Food can be ordered from Lucy's thru a window by the Arcade and taken to the Brew building. Brew is a great place to watch sports. Several TVs and they show all the NFL games on Sundays. This is especially nice when the weather is pleasant as they have garage doors they open to let in fresh air. The bartenders are friendly and the beers are decent. Give them a try! read more

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So this place is really unique and we had a great time. But it takes a minute to figure out how it works. We went to the bar, ordered drinks and wanted to order food. The bar doesn't serve food. But the restaurant connected to arcade does. Issue is the online menu wasn't working and the bar had no idea when the restaurant was going to open. So that's all a bit strange. That being be said, the beer and limited drink menu were really good. The bartender was great. The restaurant opened up and you walk over there to place your order and they bring it to you. Food was pretty darn good. We sat outside on a beautiful sunny day and people brought their dogs. It was all around wonderful. Just know going in that it's a little crazy, but it will turn out great. read more

What a great place for a show!! Loved this venue. Outdoor space with an arcade and reasonably priced beers! $5 beers at a concert, who knew it was possible. Not a bad view in the house and Manchester Orchestra put on another great show. Love the area as well. read more

The Burl - Outdoor venue. - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

We were passing through KY and stopped in The Burl as it was very close to our BnB. We were met by John Miller, friendly helpful and knowledgeable about the beer and cocktail offerings. There many styles, flavors, and ABVs to choose from. We found what worked for us easily. Also ordered some food from Lucy's right next door. We split an order of wings, a burger, and a basket of waffle fries. The food was spot on and they walked our order over to the bar patio in what seemed record time to me. We spent most of our evening there and their pool tables (2) were in good shape. I would have given the fifth star but it seems the locals aren't that friendly when it comes to understanding that when your wife is at the bar getting more change for the pool table, it's their chance to take your table from you. It just seemed odd none of the other pool players were neighborly at all or wanted to welcome some out-of-towners to their bar - not even one of the owners. This is definitely a departure from the way we behave with non locals in VA. Suffice it to say, the beverages, the food, and a great bartender get all of the stars. The missing star goes to the vibe we left that night. I explained this to our bartender and told him we will definitely be back to visit Lexington, but we won't be coming back to The Burl. read more

Went to Burl Arcade for a nice cold beer and some Skee-ball! Fun place to chill for an hour or so.

I love the Burl Arcade for a little fun, and while so far I don't love their cocktails, its still a solid choice for a basic well drink and an outside the ordinary experience. There is always a diverse crowd here, making it a fun place for anyone! read more

The Burl is a good venue for live music and getting a more intimate feel with the bands. I've watched a good number of shows here at this point. The bartenders have been pretty good, just of course between bands playing the line/que is longer. Food is sometimes outside by the arcade, but I've never had it, pretty expensive. I just go see the music bands and have a drink. read more

Great little spot for live music located in the Distillery District. The Burl has built up a nice little complex of businesses with their arcade and brewery located right next door. read more

The Burl - Live music at the Burl - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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This place is hiding on Manchester street. Loved its lowkey atmosphere and they had the old school games in there. Its sort of like the Rec Bar in louisville but better. Welcoming, drinks were great, and bartenders are good. If you like video games and old school pinball. This is your place. Definitely may go back again this weekend. I gave 4 stars because some of the machines took my quarters lol Thanks read more

We made our 1st trip here last night. Cody Canada was in town and he didn't disappoint. Place is about 1/4 of the size of the place up the street. Small venue that doesn't disappoint. View was good from anywhere in building. Choices of beverages was very good. We stopped at arcade before, Really idea, There was food & fire pit going outside. read more

The Burl - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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This review is mainly for the food by Kismet. We spent most of our day in the distillery district. One of the bartenders at Ethereal mentioned this as a good place to grab a bite. I love the accessibility of the menu items, plenty of vegetarian options to choose from. I went with spicy noodles and my husband the Cubano. Respectively, we found both dishes filling and satisfying. After we ate, we stayed on the Burl campus and enjoyed the sights and sounds. The food area shares space with the arcade and across the entryway the music hall was pumping out don't y great tunes. Overall, this was a great space that we yearned for back home. We were lucky that it was also within walking distance for us. read more

Or first time. Glad we found this spot to hang out. Video games, beer, food. All in a cool, casual atmosphere. Perfect! Too bad we weren't there on a concert night - would have been great to listen to live music as well. read more

The Burl has always been a fantastic music venue and I've bene lucky to catch quite a few show there. As with all kinds of hospitality businesses, they've been forced to be a little creative during limited attendance regulations. In The Burl's case, they've been having dinner shows, in which local restaurants provide meals included in the ticket price, while keeping the price for dinner and a show reasonable. Most recently, John R. Miller performed with food provided by Kismet. He's an mazing Americana singer/songwriter/picker in the vein of John Prine. Check him out! And in a few weeks, I'll be headed to a similar set up for bluegrass band Wolfpen Branch! Can't wait! Check out these dinner shows while they're still available! read more

The Burl - John R. Miller!! - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

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Such a cool music venue! Our first visit was for an outdoor show with tables sold in sizes of 2,4 or 6. Most of the tables seemed to be 6 tops but unsure if that's the norm. For being an outdoor show sitting next to a railroad track I thought the music sounded great! Fair warning I'm not an audiophile. The drinks were way more reasonably priced that most other venues I've been to so that was unexpected. read more

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For those that know me, you know I try to avoid Lexington at all costs. There are a few things in that town worthy of your time. The Burl is definitely a gem that you should visit for a show. To begin, The Burl is in the perfect location as a brewery and restaurant district is located across the street. Spend your day drinking, touring a distillery, and eating over there before heading across the street to see your favorite musician at The Burl. There's plenty of parking around the area. On my last visit, it was for Julien Baker. The Burl was a perfect venue for her. Louisville has many small-ish music venues... Headliners, Zbar, and Mercury Ballroom to name a few. With that, Louisville wishes it had a venue like this. The closest thing to The Burl is Headliners except Headliners is much bigger. You walk into the place and you're immediately next to the restrooms, bar, and merch table. The long concert hall isn't very wide but you can go right up next to the stage if you're there early enough. On the opposite wall is a door that leads out on to a patio. I'm not sure how often it's open as I've never tried to check it out. I do like the way it's setup though. The patio is practically a deck that is connected to the building. I've seen plenty of patios at other venues that dump you in an area away from the stage. That type of thing almost defeats the purpose of going to a show. I've only been here for winter and spring shows. The temp has always been manageable. I have a feeling in the dead of summer, it might get moist and sweaty(more than usual for a concert hall) in here but I'm not sure. The crowd can also vary here. Of course, people like Julien Baker I'll travel from Louisville to see but with Lexington having UK, college kids are almost always around. We encountered one of these bro-like dweebs that brought his brother to the show with him. I ignored him because he immediately put off that too-cool-for-school vibe but my girlfriend had an exchange with him to set him straight. Be aware that crowd results may vary. During this last show, Julien had a lot of sound issues. For such a quiet musician, this was troubling. She powered through but as visibly frustrated as she seemed, I'm not sure if it was a band sound-guy issue or a venue problem. I'll actually be seeing her again in July so I'll be curious to see if the sound issues carry over. There's not much left to say about this venue. It's a perfect venue for smaller acts that are about to break or have just barely gained attention. If you're a fan of someone rolling through here, you should absolutely make it a point to go. read more

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Charging 15$ pp on a Sunday afternoon to see a band is ridiculous so we walked across the street and had drinks and watched free entertainment read more

Nice venue went here for Back 2 Mac tribute concert. I like the atmosphere, only thing was the room got super stuffy with all the people in there haha. Still a beautiful and lovely place! I like the burl a lot and the arcade. read more

We went to the family arcade day and had a lot of fun. I'm not sure who had more fun, my 10 year old or my husband who played all the arcade games growing up in the 80's. I hope this is a regular event they have planned. read more

The Burl - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

I was here for the Julien Baker show on April 21, 2018. I instantly liked the space. It isn't huge, but it is a good size for a show. Space for people but small enough to make it still feel kind of intimate. Despite it being a sold out show, I didn't feel crushed. I didn't have to smush my way through immovable throngs of people just to get to the restroom or the bar. There was still some breathing space. And unlike most other performance venues I have attended concerts at, the drinks weren't outrageously priced! I was pleasantly shocked to pay less than $5 for a can of GOOD beer! The only issue of the visit was some troublesome sound issues. It also seemed to throw off the performer. The major offenses were fixed enough to make it through the set. But it was frustrating. I would gladly return to the Burl for another show in the future! read more

My wife and I met some friends for Trivia night, and we had a lot of fun. We were originally seated inside, but they ended up setting up some Fold-in-Half Tables, and we moved outside as we felt more comfortable outside. They had a food truck with some amazing fries. I ended up ordering one for my wife and one for myself. Service at the bar was speedy. Their credit card machine did go down, and the bartender informed us that we could write down our tip or just accept the 20%. As a bar tender, I understand that it must be frustrating, but I had no issue supporting a very informative bar tender. read more

I'm a local musician and enjoyer. This place is safe, clean and has the best sound and management around. Get to a show here. read more

It's a different setup from most places that offer live music. They have a couple places to order food, usually food trucks, and drinks from a bar and smaller well. The outdoor concerts have a one price per person but the price varies from band to band. The retro quarter arcade/pinball area is a delight. They do have places to sit inside and around the open middle area facing the concert. They have a fire pit and I've seen people bring their own chairs. Parking can get full fast so come early or be prepared for a minor walk. The crowd was definitely an older relaxed setting versus a college party type so my wife and I definitely felt comfortable rather than out place. read more

Great little spot for bands, couldn't have seen a Dustin Kensrue acoustic show at a better place. Food was good and they even have an awesome arcade building with Dig Dug straight outta Stranger Things. Plus the stained glass tree of life, woo woo! read more

The Burl - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

While walking up you immediately notice the barn-like feel and the awesome graffiti art on the side of the building. The fire pit on the side is a super big plus in my book too! The sound/acoustics were pretty sweet and White Reaper sounded amazing. This is a standing room only establishment but the stage is raised which helps if you are vertically challenged like me. The drink prices were cheap in my opinion...$3-$5 for the beers that we imbibed in. They even have a couple of arcade games for your entertainment (ms pac man was my fav). There is a large back patio as well where you can still easily hear the music if you need to step out for some fresh air. I would jump to see another show here. read more

The Burl - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

The Burl might have my favorite Bloody Mary in town, and the arcade is perfect. That wall of TVs is my favorite thing ever. read more

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This venue has a ton of potential and is a great addition to the distillery district. Although not much to look at from the outside, the inside has great acoustics, a full bar with very reasonably priced drinks, and a nice staff. Unlike some of the other venues I've been to while living here, the burl seems to be doing all the little things right (dimming the lights when the bands play, turning off the televisions when the shows start, etc). Looking at the upcoming acts, it seems like they are hosting a mix of local bands with touring bands. For a cheap cover, drinks, and a cool atmosphere, the burl makes for a fun night out. I look forward to returning! read more

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Great location and nice beer selection. It is a smaller place, no indoor seating, which was fine with me. Grandma here wishes they would start shows a little earlier but you can't win em all read more

One of the best music venues in Lexington, hands down. The indoor shows and outdoor shows are both extremely fun to attend! I loved how they offered tables during quarantine and kept this going. They have had quite a few people play there that have gone on to do something big! I am always impressed with the big names they get to perform there. My 1st Biy Strings show was at The Burl and I will never get another experience like it! Buy tickets, go to the show. I can't count how many shows I've been to at The Burl because I love it so! And check out the arcade (bring your quarters!) and see what their kitchen has, too! read more

Boy was this a fun night, maybe a little too fun due to the amount of Four Rose's Bourbon I drank, but what a great venue for live music. The crowd could have a little bigger, but it's kinda to be expected the night before Thanksgiving. We had seen last nights headline band, the Cordova's play around here and in Nashville before, but this was by far my favorite venue I have seen them at. The sound comes of the barn wood walls just right. It seems the Burl has all kinds of bands play there, but tonight the guys and gals that played sounded great, both the opening couple of acts, as well as, the Cordova's. Everyone who came out to see them play and get off the stage and mingle with the crowd went away feeling like they got a heck of a bargin for the $7 cover. Simply put, I had a great time and I will definitely be back to the Burl for some more live music regardless of the band playing. read more

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The Burl is a great music venue and they get some very good bands. I also love the 80's arcade across the parking lot. It's a pretty small venue and I really love the floor and decor. read more

Last night we saw Chris Knight, the venue was sold out and it was a standing room only event. It was spacious enough and even with all the people it was easy to get to the bar. If the weather was nicer there is a patio where you could drink and smoke with the ability to still hear the great music. I will be back for other musical events here. Great night!! read more

The Burl - Chris knight puts on a good acoustic show! - Bars Near Me - Lexington, Kentucky

This place is great. It's a nice little square with an arcade and food trucks. I got #1 on ghostbusters pinball with 187 million points. Everyone that likes to have fun should check this place out at least once. read more

The Burl earns a solid 4 stars from me. The venue is a restoration renovation mix, and is overall pretty cool. There are patio areas on both the front and back, a nice little bar area that serves just about anything you want - including some craft beers in tap, and a stage area with seating for live music. With the stained glass, it reminded me of a quaint Eastern Kentucky church. When a band is playing, expect a cover charge. And if you plan to get frisky with the tap, take a Lyft or Uber. You'll be glad you did. Check this place out. I think you'll like it. read more

The Burl was awesome. They have all kinds of unique and antique arcade games that are a blast to play. Most games are only a quarter. Which is not bad at all. They keep track of scores so you can try and beat the highest score. Will definitely be going back read more

My wife and I went to the Burl Arcade on a spur of the moment thing. We were thrown back by all the vintage arcade games they have. The have a full bar with several craft beers on tap. Very friendly bar staff. They have 2 money coin machines to get you started. Also they have an ATM to start your arcade adventure or to keep that adventure going. My wife and I grabbed a few beers and then walked across the parking lot to grab some pulled pork nachos off the food truck. It was a such a good time. We spent probable 2 hours here playing games and eating. They have some of the coolest vintage games from the 80's and 90's. Took me back to some really great childhood memories. read more

I hung out here during one of their LexBrunch free concerts on a Sunday - such a fun time! The band performing was great and there was a decent-sized crowd in attendance. Food trucks were available to purchase brunch. I tried the Bloody Mary and Mimosa from the bar. Both were good. This place also has a nice patio. I'm looking forward to returning here soon! read more