The Upstart Crow

Upstart is back with the quintessential antique bar-​back atmosphere in the urban setting in font of the court house. Great food made better with great preparation, you can always depend on the menu to deliver.
You have to try the duck-​fat fries and a burger or beef dip. Good flavor and great crunch! It is a great place for lunch and even better with friends! Try it on!

Only stopped in for drinks on a Saturday night but really enjoyed the place. Bartender was great, and we could tell the owners really cared about every customer’s experience.

The Upstart Crow is far more inviting than I expected. Waking in as a twenty-​something college student I wasn’t sure how I would be received. My friend and I were greeted at the door and seated immediately. We were received warmly and the service was very quick. The prices are incredibly reasonable, and the food was top quality. The cocktails and the wine are both a must. I will absolutely be coming back. I recommend the house burger to anyone who is on a budget, it’s filling and well worth the money. The duck fat fries are the best I have ever had! ¹⁰⁄₁₀ dining experience.

I have not eaten here yet but I’m looking forward to going back. My cocktail was excellent, the owner was super nice, and the bartender was knowledgeable. I was a little disappointed; I was expecting some of the the drama the previous reviews had promised. All in all, a nice quit cocktail.

The Upstart Crow is the latest restaurant to take on the corner opposite A la Lucies, following Jax, Mia’s and similar. They’ve done a nice job tidying up the place, but it looks basically the same. We were seated immediately (there were very few others around) and were well taken care of by a guy who turned out to be the manager. The owners were sitting up at the bar, discussing business, but they didn’t say more to us than hello. The service and suggestions were great. We tried the fried oysters, which my dining partner was craving, and they were tasty enough to satisfy him. The bourbon selection was large (aren’t they all, these days?) and we enjoyed one of the specials. For dinner we tried a sexy-​sounding burger (it was tasty but not exceptional), a special entrée, and of course the duck fat fries. I was disappointed in the fries. Duck fat fries shouldn’t taste like they were initially cooked in oil and subsequently sprinkled with duck fat, but that was the distinct impression I got (I’m not saying they were, just that was what it tasted like, especially compared to other duck fat fries I have had). I wouldn’t bother getting them again. My partner’s entrée looks similarly serviceable but not amazing. The prices were a little more than I thought they should be for dinner given the quality of the prep, but not unfair. The menu is rather limited. I was excited to see that their lunch offerings were a MUCH better deal, though again, a limited selection and the dinner entrees are not available at night. I’d go again for lunch myself. I’d also go back for dinner with friends if they wanted to try it, but there are a lot of nice new spots to check out and I’m uninspired to return for dinner.

Our dining experience at Upstart Crow was lovely. As soon as we entered we were warmly greeted by the owner, he then escorted us to our seat and offered us beer suggestions. My husband and I ordered the fried oysters, beef tip sandwich, and house burger. All of our selections were delicious. The staff was attentive and friendly. We will certainly be back!

My husband and I went in for a fantastic late lunch a few days ago. We shared a couple apps; the fried oysters were amazing — loved the perfectly spiced and crunchy cornbread batter and the short rib dumplings were delicious, too. I got the grilled chicken salad — the chicken was flavorful, juicy and tender. We can’t wait to go back and have more items off the menu!

I’m being a little generous, since I have only been here once and we didn’t have any food. The staff were very nice (one of the owners chatted with us a bit) and our drinks were just fine. In fact, my husband ordered a hot toddy which the bartender had never made before. But he told her how to make it and what she put together was great!
But the place is pretty small. And the atmosphere could be much better if they just dimmed the lights. As it is, you walk in and feel like they had just turned on all the lights to get people to leave. It definitely isn’t the type of bar experience we were looking for on a festive evening, so we had one drink and left.
As it is, we won’t be back — the place just isn’t cool or fun. They don’t have any sort of specialty or «hook» to draw people in. It is a shame, because it seems like they could easily focus on something. But right now the place seems just really plain and boring.

The Upstart Crow features an absolutely beautiful, open interior and very friendly staff. I was a little disappointed in the depth and breadth of the menu, especially what you’re able to order before 5 p.m. The sandwich offering is slim, and charges for salad add-​ons are not listed anywhere. That being said, the salads are huge even without adding a protein to them, even if the bowls are a tad small to accommodate the contents. One of my companions ordered the frog legs, and got two… for $ 20. The sides (Yukon gold mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli) were appropriately portioned for dinner, but for that price most anyone would expect more meat. Another companion and I ordered the charcuterie platter appetizer at $ 18 and definitely got our money’s worth! It was piled with enough salami, sausage, prosciutto, and assorted cheeses to tide over 4 people, and that’s without the heaping bowling of toasted bread that it comes with. I left full but only feeling only lukewarm about my experience, and would love to see a more robust menu in the near future. Some chef specials or signature items would be nice, too. This is a fabulous location, but having opened in the winter, without a real clear identity or market presence, I do fear for its future.

Great new bar and restaurant. Good friendly service, we had whiskey sours, cheese board, music not too loud, only one TV, thank GOD. Highly recommend!!!

A friend invited me to lunch at this «new» place in town– I had wanted to go when it was Rosetta (elegant setting) and also when it was Jax (fun bingo/​bar) but had never gotten around to it and both of those places were short lived. Sadly, I predict that the Upstart Crow will also be short lived. The knife on my place setting was facing outward when I sat down, which is just me being picky about details, mainly, but I appreciate it when restaurants really have it all together. The menu was handed to me and I realized that all the entrees were served only after 5pm. That left me with 3 beef sandwiches, a selection of salads, and a few appetizers to select from for lunch… and… I typically only eat seafood! I end up going with a smoked salmon appetizer and ask for a side of duck fat fries. One of the older gentlemen comments that my meal looks «hearty» after it is brought to my table, which left me thinking maybe he expected me to only get a salad??? In the midst of me trying to figure out if he was meaning to be rude or what, he let me know that the salmon is smoked in house.
Smoked salmon is typically served cold, maybe with cream cheese and some sort of bread. This appetizer was served with salsa and sour cream and also the bread slices that came with it had been deep fried, I think, because they were totally drenched in oil. I steered clear of them and dug right into the salmon. It tasted sweet and a little off, very mildly smokey. The duck fat fries were nothing to write home about. In fact, they almost tasted like fries fried in oil that was needing to be changed. I quickly asked for a box and left… don’t plan to go back.

Came here at lunch in the middle of the week with my coworkers. We were the only people in the place (admittedly it was 11:10 a.m.). We were greeted quickly and all ordered salads. My ahi tuna salad was basically a piece of rare ahi on greens with some sad chopped tomato and a barely there dressing. The tuna was good and prepared rare as requested. However, the ‘salad’ was pathetic. Half of the mixed greens were wilted or almost rotten, the tomato was tasteless and useless and the ‘dressing’ was basically orange juice, mustard and some chopped cilantro. To put it bluntly, Lexington has so many great restaurant options within just blocks of this place and, unless they up their food game they will fail. There is no excuse for serving wilted greens or bland tomatoes. Our service was good though but, I just can’t stand when glaring errors are made in food preparation.

This is the strangest review that I’ve ever had to report. After seeing a few five star reviews come from this place, it was an immediate bookmark for me. It’s located in the old Jax location, across the street from the court houses, next to Limestone Blue.
When we walked up, there was a dog barking, just a few feet from the door. My husband immediately guided me around the dog, into the street, and then into the front door. Immediately we walked into a bar room brawl. A lady was screaming and cussing at who I later found out was one of the owners. My husband was less afraid of the lady than he was of the Doberman, because he immediately went to the bathroom. Well, he left me to witness one of the weirdest things in all of my experiences at a restaurant… the owner ran out the door after her (keep in mind, she’d already left, out the door) I looked toward the bathroom and then back out the door and witnessed them both swinging… fighting like it was an MMA fight. Ok, so those of you who believe in the «never lay a hand on a woman for any reason» you might find your head spin off as you read this, as did I. The truth is, I didn’t see who swung the first punch, the truth is that the lady had already left the restaurant and was walking back outside to her van and barking dog.
After the storm, he approached us and explained that she wanted to eat outside with the dog and once the dog started barking, he asked her and her friend to leave. He said that she stated that it was simply barking after a dog walked by, and regardless of the reason, it was barking and they were told to leave. I get that. In my opinion, she should have common decency to know that in a city, on a main street, downtown, isn’t a place to take a Doberman. With that said, regardless of the situation, that wasn’t reason for him to lay hands on her.
By that time, we decided not to eat there, but didn’t want to be too tacky, so I ordered Blanton’s on the rocks. The waitress disappeared for a bit and then stated that she had to go upstairs to get the ice. During the wait and the awkward vibe, we attempted to make small talk with the same man, who was sitting at the opposite end of the bar. That was when we found out that he was the owner. We asked it they would be offering anymore selections of bourbon. He said that they didn’t want to be a bourbon bar and then he showed us a specialty vodka. Um dude, I know that you’ve been out of the restaurant game for many years, but nowadays, bourbon is the name of the game.
Before I could finish my drink fast enough, the police came. Considering that I was the only non employee witness to the situation, I was surprised that the police didn’t say or ask us anything, as we walked out. I wasn’t surprised that the employees or the owner didn’t bring up the fact that we walked into the middle of the mess. I was surprised that the waitress and owners ever apologized or attempted to smooth the situation over with us at all. Instead, the waitress acted as if it never happened. The owner acted as if this sort of thing was common… especially after he said something to the tune of «we come to expect something like that in this location». Um, no dude. This crow will never be back, regardless of how grand you say the food is. That 10ish $$ is about all they’ll ever get from me.

Great new spot! The pork belly taco and smoked salmon deviled eggs were amazing! The house burger brought it home with more flavor than most burgers. Great draft and bourbon selection as well. Not to mention quality service and hospitable vibe. Stop in for a drink or dinner or both!

I stopped in a week or so ago and had the fried oysters, the taco with fried egg and the beef brisket filled potstickers. All were spot on perfect. The drinks were also just like I like them. I highly recommend that you check them out.

A familiar establishment from yesteryear has been resurrected in Lexington. The Upstart Crow, a popular watering hole on South Broadway at Angliana Avenue in the 1970s, is back – and better than ever. Located on West Short Street at North Limestone across from the Robert F. Stephens Courthouse, the Upstart Crow offers an invitingly upscale yet simple décor, and serves up some soon to be new favorites for Lexington diners. What is perhaps most pleasing is that the ‘Crow’ is clearly not trying to be pretentious nor pompous, but is thankfully content to simply serve great food in a welcoming setting with friendly service that ensures you will want to return again soon. On my first visit there – and definitely not my last visit – I opted for the cornmeal-​coated fried oysters with a Sriracha ketchup as an appetizer and the house burger with peppercorn bacon and duck fat fries as my entrée. Both items were delicious and definitely filling and I am looking forward to returning to try other menu items. All in all, the Upstart Crow is a much-​needed addition to Lexington’s downtown dining scene and I am only sorry I waited a few weeks to check it out. Don’t forget to check out the historic bar – at more than 100 years old and absolutely beautiful, if only the bar could talk! Imagine the stories it would tell.

First time to this establishment and I have to say I’m impressed. They have a unique menu that has something for everyone and the prices are reasonable. We had the Short Rib Dumplings to start and they were delicious. For the main course we split the Scallops and they were cooked to perfection. Can’t wait to come back!