14 Best Southern Restaurants near Lexington

“We had the pleasure of stopping at The Root Cellar in Batesburg for lunch today, and wow—what an incredible experience! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, setting the stage for what turned out to be an outstanding meal. My wife ordered the grilled pork chops with three vegetables, while I went with a classic hamburger and fries. Every bite was packed with flavor, and the food arrived hot and fresh with barely any wait time. The attention to detail in both the preparation and presentation was evident. Our server, Janice, was an absolute delight—greeted us with a smile and was full of great recommendations to help us choose the perfect meal. Her friendly, attentive service made the experience even better. If you’re anywhere near Batesburg, The Root Cellar is a must-visit. Outstanding food, top-notch service, and a welcoming atmosphere—highly recommended!“

“I have eaten here a few times. The chicken salad is great! The croissant each time is a bit dry. I switched to their wheat bread, which was better. The quality of their chicken salad is amazing. So flavorful! The lettuce and tomato are fresh. The cute little cookie you get just ordering a sandwich was a nice treat! I’ve tried the broccoli cheddar soup, that is very cheesy and tasty. The pasta salad was kind of bland and a super small portion but that’s ok. They have lots of options to figure out what you like. The price is not bad if you just do the sandwich, less than $10. My favorite is the Kickin’ Kay Lynne. The sriracha is a nice touch! The cranberry Kelly is good too! That one reminds me of cape cod chicken salad like back home. This place is always packed but the staff is always nice and get you in and out pretty quickly. My new favorite lunch spot!“

“Such great food and customer service. Will definitely be back soon!“

“Pimento Cheeseburger tasted delicious as always. French fries cooked to perfection.“

“This review is specifically for the newer Redbank location. We had a late night concert Monday night at the White Knoll High School PAC center and decided afterwards to go to this location. We weren't aware that they closed at 9pm until after we were leaving. Most of our party arrived at 8:15pm but we had some stragglers that arrived at 8:40pm. The entire staff was soooooooo incredible and accommodating, everyone helping each other get drinks, refills, bread and food out soooooooo quickly. Not one time did we ever feel "rushed" or "hovered" over to "hurry up." Instead they just let us enjoy our dining experience! The food was fantastic, even at the end of the shift, it was still all so fresh and delicious! I think we wrapped up our bills at 9:30pm. We all thanked the servers and all the management staff for allowing us to stay and enjoy our meal and we humbly apologized to them honestly not knowing the time they closed. The manager reassured us it was no problem at all and asked us if we enjoyed everything, food, service and all. We enthusiastically replied YES! I just wanted to specifically shout out to the store and staff how wonderful our dining experience was. I'm sorry for posting a few days afterwards, but please know your team was phenomenal and it didn't go unnoticed. Ty so very much again!“

“Best BBQ buffet around! Cost effective and home made ... and ohhhh the crispy hush puppies!!! Highly recommend! 10/10!!“

“hell i dont know when to go there as they cannot be depended on to be open, as i guess they could 10 times the size if you would know when they will be open“

“Miss Linda was on top of her gane. All the staff was super friendly and the meal was fresh and delicious. Enjoyed it.“

“as a pregnant gal who’s main craving is hot dogs - I’m so glad you exist!! ate here for the first time and this is now gonna be my #1 lunch/craving spot. the chili is top tier, and customer service is probably the friendliest I’ve ever received“

“this is seriously some good eat's..I love coming here for lunch and great portions..first time I tried it I was treated by a friend and now I make a point stopping in at least once a week. great service and friendly. and I support our local home cooking. I recommend anything you order it's All yummy. just try not to eat your tongue it's that good.“

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Stopped by Colombo’s on a quiet Sunday evening, and it hit the spot. Tamara at the bar was fantastic—friendly, attentive, and full of great suggestions. I went with the crab dip and wings, and both were packed with flavor. My drink was perfectly mixed, and the atmosphere was laid-back but classy. It wasn’t crowded, just peaceful and inviting. The kind of place where you can unwind, eat good, and feel taken care of. I’ll absolutely be back.“

“Popular for 1 meat-3 veggies. Country fried & Chicken fried steak were enjoy by our little group. The veggies- some better than others. The Collard greens were very good after adding salt and pepper sauce (vinegar), Cabbage also. There was no seasoning (salt/pepper) in the food. The cornbread was a disappointment as others was too dry. However, everyone has their own thoughts on food prep. These are just my thoughts. It is a popular food chain in South Carolina.“

“Love the employees. Very helpful and nice. Food not too bad either🥰“

“Our waiter Russell was so amazing!! He was so polite and took care of every little detail. He checked in on us multiple times and our drinks never got below halfway. Asked for grape jelly with our biscuits and he had four in the basket. We were just traveling through Columbia SC but if you are in the area go to the Cracker Barrel on Bush River Rd and ask for Russell…you will not be disappointed!!“