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Joe Bologna's-Restaurant
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
13 reviews for Joe Bologna's-Restaurant
I went for a family lunch a few weeks ago, and it was seriously the first time I'd been to the restaurant in ten years or so. My mom and I split the eggplant sandwich, and it was definitely big enough for two people. What a great sandwich! Even though I didn't try it, my cousins ordered an everything pizza, and it looked really cheesy, meaty, and scrumptious.
On a side note, it's kind of cool that it's in an old church/synagogue (yes, it was both). I'm always happy when old buildings are renovated, rather than demolished.
Great place...really great pizza. Atmosphere is vibrant and alive.
I've always been a fan of Joey B's. Whether I am in need of a nice family-esk place to take visitors in Lexington, or a place to watch the game and drink a beer, Joey B's always delivers.
The menu is substantial and well priced. Creating you own pizza combination is always fun, especially when combined with their crazy long bread sticks that arrive in a plate of melted butter (YES!). Skip their salads and go for a sandwich or even their soup (several years ago I asked if they had vegetarian soup and the waitress FOUND some for me and then didn't charge me for it since it wasn't on the menu! Incredible!)
Joey B's also gets stars for a good sized parking lot and an AWESOME interior: an old Church! I recommend sitting on the 2nd floor (old Balcony) for a 360 degree view of the place, and it's TV's!
Thanks, Joey B's, for being part of UNIQUE Lexington and for always being a strong presence in our community!
I like their breadsticks, their homemade salad dressing, the lasagna, and the reasonable prices. I remembered eating here as a kid (OK I remember the big pool of butter and breadstick) and was surprised to learn I still enjoyed it as an adult. That says something - they're still here and still doing things the same way. And they are still packing in a lot of customers! it is busy so go early if you want a parking spot.
Joe Bologna's remains a tradition in Lexington. For over 30 years it has been serving thousands of UK students, visitors, and locals its famous breadsticks and Italian food. On any given weekend, you can sometimes find there is an hour wait.
I rate the food as average to a bit above average. Over the years I have tried a good number of their dishes. Skip the clumpy Alfredo for sure.
In my opinion, the following are the best dishes at Joe's: Their famous breadsticks are unusual and tasty. They are basically a long yeast roll in the shape of a baguette. You can order them in a tray of garlic butter (the usual), dry, or with marinara sauce (the best version in my opinion). The spaghetti with meat sauce is also quite good with a slight sweetness to it. The capicola ham and cheese sandwich is yummy but greasy. The club sandwich rates among the best in town. The grilled chicken primavera or version with olives and feta is strongly-flavored (LOTS of garlic) but tasty. While many people never try their desserts, Joe's homemade ...it is actually made by Joe Bologna himself...carrot cake is the best or at least among the best in central Kentucky. Their ricotta cheese pie is unique and delicious...ask for it heated a bit with chocolate shavings on top.
The restaurant occupies a former synagogue and thus is quite architecturally unique. Joe's laidback servers are consistently good and friendly. The restaurant does a thriving business with regulars and people who return to relive college memories.
While I think there are better pizza (Mellow Mushroom and Broadway Pizza) and Italian restaurants (high end places like Portofinos and Bellinis) in Lexington, many are chains. If you want a unique, local place with some color and friendly service, check out Joe Bologna's and their bread sticks, spaghetti with meat sauce, and carrot cake.
This is the place you want to come to if you like breadsticks. I dream about them sometimes.
OK, well, it's not manna from heaven, but it's some great pizza in my experience, and the wait staff is hit or miss, which a reasonable person should expect from a place like this.
I didn't expect to encounter this hate, so I have to rebut some comments here. First, the breadsticks are large, plump, soft, and kinda fluffy with a crisp outer shell, but I usually opt for a house salad to accompany my 'za. Second, I'm pretty sure it's a converted synagogue, not an "old church." Either way the interior is pretty cool. Just don't eat on the top level because that's where all the little league teams will be.
I've never ordered a sandwich or anything like that here, but I've had the pizza a million times since I was young. The sizes are fair, and the sauce isn't too sweet like you'd find in some pizza joints (Puccini's). Get some toppings when you go because that's when JB's shines: the sausage is ample and succulent, the veggies always fresh and cooked perfectly. Great place to take friends & family of all ages.
I've never been that impressed with Joe B's.
Everyone freaks out over the breadsticks, but it's just an overgrown pizza crust sitting in a pool of melted butter. they might as well just serve a syringe with it so you can inject the butter right into your vein. mmmm, butter vein...
as far as everything else goes...i couldn't tell ya a damn thing about it, because i dont even remember it. i guess that says it all: its not memorable.
if you want good pizza, i'd suggest Pazzos.
Situated in an old converted Presbyterian church/Jewish synagogue (as per their menu and website) the place is architecturally unique for a restaurant. It was related to me that the breadsticks are to die for when we visited, and while they were good, I have had better ones elsewhere (Impellizzeri's in Louisville comes to mind for one). The pizza is great there tho and the service was top-notch, but the noise was ear-splitting the evening we were there (UK football game Saturday). If you can get there while it is quiet, definitely "Eat at Joe's!" Longer review on my blog at http://ourserendip.com...
It seems to be some sort of UK tradition or something, but I don't get it. I always seemed to end up there with big groups celebrating something or other. I never once went here by choice. It's probably the last place pizza in my book and I don't understand what's so great about the big dry bread stick dipped in melted garlic butter either. Chain pizza beats this place any day.
I've enjoyed this restaurant the several times I've been here. As many Lexingtonians will say, their breadsticks are really great. The rest of their food is at best good, at worst so-so. It is a cool building to dine in, but it tends to get loud. The reason they get 4 stars is that I have so many memories of having meals here with friends. It's def. worth the trip if you don't live nearby, but newcomers may have trouble getting there, as it's in the middle of several one way roads. They have sufficient parking, and it's free to park, so check it out!
Overall I still like this restaurant, it's better than many others in Lexington.
I agree with Adam A. I must rebut these other negative reviews which are unwarranted. And I will confirm that it IS a converted synagogue.
As a Lexington transplant, I heard a lot about Joe Bologna's when I was in high school and college - that it was a great place to eat and the breadsticks were unbelievable. About sophomore year I finally ate here, and I think it has much to be desired. Sorry to all you that swear by Joe Bologna's, but my pizza has always been bland and un-original. The pizza sauce is boring and ruins what could be a great pizza. The sandwiches are too crusty and have too little meat. And I just ventured back after a year-long hiatus to try the spaghetti; it was all-you-can-eat but I didn't care for any more. To be fair, the spaghetti was ok; just not very original or especially tasty. But it was cheap at only $6.99. That included an alright salad and breadstick. The breadsticks are the best thing I've had here. It's just a long round of bread served in a tray of garlic butter. Simple enough, but it's good, although I think that could be a little more flavorful as well. The cool thing about Joe B's is that it's in an old converted synagogue. You can dine upstairs, too, and look down on the lower half of the restaurant. Be careful if you go here on a crowded night because all the college kids come out and the restaurant is kinda small; you'll have a long wait.
