Joe Bologna's Restaurant

We went for lunch on a Saturday and had 20 people in our party. The hostess was very friendly and accommodating. They seated us at 2 large tables in the loft. Our waitress Heather was amazing!! She kept our drinks full and got every detail of the food order correct! The food was delicious! The prices are very reasonable and you get a lot of bang for your buck! I recommend the Sicilian style pizza and the breadsticks are a must!! I did not try the Italian sub but it was huge and my family loved it!

A Lexington classic, with the best breadsticks you’ll ever eat. When Joe retired we were concerned about its future but everything appears to be just as good as always.

I have been meaning to come here for a while. The restaurant is very unique and the atmosphere is great. Our server was alright, but to be fair they were busting busy. We enjoyed our Hawaiian pizza, a bit runny but still delicious. Our daughter thought her Margherita pizza was very good. The Cannoli’s are delicious! We will definitely come back.

I’ve always wanted to go to this restaurant and finally made it. It’s housing an old church so the atmosphere is fun. The windows are gorgeous. Who does fantastic. There’s parking right behind the restaurant making it easy to park downtown. This is not always the case with every restaurant. Our server was attentive. The food was fantastic. The breadsticks are to die for. We had the baked penne pasta as well as the chicken Parmesan. Portions were large. Ended up taking food home to have his leftovers. Highly recommend

We ordered the chicken penne pasta. Very pricey for what you get. Very little chicken . Noodles were way overcooked . Sauce was good with some nice chunks of artichoke and not exactly hot. Now we were there close to closing time and the atmosphere is more like that of a bad sports bar but the service was exceptional . Very nice gal . Made an effort to take care of our table.

I have been wanting to go to this place for years. My sister came down to visit from West Virginia, and I took her there. They young server we had was amazing. They food was so good. The prices are extremely reasonable.

Old church turned into a pizza place. A staple in Lexington. Casual and fun atmosphere! The breadsticks are awesome! Super cool gumball machine!

Expect a bit of a wait, even on a weekday. The inside is absolutely gorgeous. Obviously, we HAD to order the breadstick, right? Whatever you imagine it to be... it's even more delicious. The bread is even softer and more warm, the butter is perfection, and when you drop a little of the parm in there? Amazing. We did get a pizza and a pasta, but I indulged so hard in the bread that I didn't even eat the pasta until we got home. The side salad was yummy, and the ranch dressing was all the good parts of a house ranch. The pasta traveled well. So well, we were able to put it in a lunchbox with ice and take it home to California with us. The staff were all so polite and apologetic for the wait. Other staff stopped by our table and conversed with us (we were close to the beverage refill area) and were super kind. We will definitely be returning on our next trip.

If you've ever wanted to crush a large pizza in a church without the guilt, Joe Bologna's is your holy grail. This Lexington institution has been serving up pies and salvation for over 50 years--and let me tell you, I now believe in miracles. First of all, the ambiance. You're literally eating pizza in a converted church. Stained glass, cathedral ceilings, and enough echo to hear your stomach growl three pews away. It's like a food pilgrimage. I half expected to be offered communion in the form of garlic bread. Now, the pizza: I got a large thin-crust with pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, and banana peppers--a combo so divine I briefly considered naming it "The Holy Quad." The crust was crispy perfection, and every topping tasted like it was hand-picked by a Tuscan grandmother who doesn't put up with low-quality anything. And THEN. The domestic draft beer. A whole pitcher of Miller Lite for $11?? That's not a price--it's a public service. I drank enough to feel baptized in barley. Big shout-out to our server, Da, who was an absolute legend. She handled our table like a pro, laughed at our dumb jokes (or at least pretended to), and kept our drinks filled like she had ESP for empty glasses. TL;DR: Come for the pizza, stay for the ambiance, and prepare to leave full, happy, and slightly buzzed in the most reverent way possible. Joe B's is a Lexington treasure, and I'll be back anytime I need a religious experience with sausage and banana peppers. Amen and pass the parmesan.

A Lexington (maybe even more a UK) institution for many, many years. Right by campus so an easy walk for students...or visiting parents! Their signature breadsticks are a must (soaked in garlic butter is good, but add the marinara dip!). Pizzas are, well, just a quality pie. Good crust, nice topping selection and portions...hits the spot beautifully with a nice country boy beer while watching a game. Super casual vibe. Service can be a little slow (space is bigger than it looks, to be fair), but is always friendly. A must-visit at least once.

Let's start with the breadsticks... which is how they start you when your order goes in. And as breadsticks go, these are up there as maybe the best in Lexington. They are huge, and soft, and come swimming in a little bathtub of butter. Yes I know, I said the "b" word but believe me... it is worth the indulgence. Next, you try not yo eat all your breadstick at one time so that you'll have room for the Hawaiian Pizza or maybe the lasagne or the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken-- which, coincidentally is exactly ehat our party of three ordered yhis evening. And this place gets a special nod of appreciation from me because, YES, they do serve Pepsi products, which happen to be my go to. So many places only serve Coke products. The shame. The disappointment. Lol. But Joe B's came through for me. As for price point- well perhaps a bit pricy for casual dining - my 12 inch pizza rang up ay a cool $20 and the two cannolis I plan to order later to share with my hubby at home-- they will set you back another $8. But if you are fortunate as we are tonight, to have one of your adult children taking care of the tab... well, two cannolis it is then! Get on out to Joe Bolognas. So much good food to choose from. The only reason I didn't award then a full five stars is because of the stairs which could be a bit difficult to navigate for folks like me. But as for the casual dining atmosphere and the quality of the food-- five star all the way.

Place has a great historic pizza restaurant vibe. The Sicilian pizza was perfect. Dough was pillowly, without being dense; crispy edges all around, covered in a light sauce and cheese. Service was quick and friendly.

We stopped by before a gymnastics meet on a Friday night. All businesses around were rather busy which is understandable. We waited for about 20 minutes, finally got to order our food but it took over an hour to get. We actually wanted to go to the gymnastics meet as well and we missed half of it. The food isn't good. They are known for their special breadsticks but it's just a flavorless log slathered in better. The marinara sauce is bitter and doesn't taste good. The pizza is bland and tastes like every cottage style pizza in the Midwest. The experience was pretty awful, I gave one additional star because the server was nice. The place was really busy and an obvious local favorite which I don't understand but people like different things.

NEVER GO HERE!!! Terrible and rude. We had a reservation of 22 people for a special dinner that we booked with the owner 2 months in advance. We called 2 weeks before to confirm and called the day off. We got there, the manager was EXTREMELY rude and told us she did not have any room for us and we needed to go somewhere else. I've never been treated so bad.

One of my favorite restaurants in all of Kentucky. It has huge stain glass windows from when it was converted from a church or other religious building - really cool. My wife loves the potato soup. The breadsticks with a pool of butter are epic! The people are wonderful and the Owner is nice great guy. Every time we are in or passing through, we have to stop by. Pizza and manicotti are wonderful as well. This is a family restaurant too, so kid friendly.

This was my first time here; we came for the breadstick and was not disappointed! It had the right amount of crispy with soft on the inside and the garlic butter was finger licking good. We also got two pies, one regular and one thin crust; both were very tasty.

Joe B's may have been a Lexington classic, but what it has become now is just a terribly over priced and run down experience. Girls night a few weeks ago brought me here. I ordered lasagna. $20 just for some pasta, I was thinking I would at least get lunch the next day out of it. The lasagna is served as a square in a very small dish and my piece was the burnt ends. I could not have been less pleased to pay $20, leave hungry, and no leftovers.

By far some of the best pizza ever! The crust is perfectly crispy but still fluffy at the same time! The sauce is perfect balance of sweet and tangy! The best by far is the garlic butter bread! So simple yet so good! Definitely cannot wait to visit again soon!

I think it is so funny that my last review in 2015 started with "I'm guessing my loved ones will find me face down in a bowl of garlic butter here." In 2023 I feel that could still be 100 percent true! Piazza is personal experience, we do an 8x10 pan with everything but anchovies with extra sauce, extra cheese and garlic butter on the side. This trip was excellent, with had a server who has been there forever and she was spot on for all points of drinks and food. We were able to park easily in their private lot. I love eating in an old church I tell my friends it is a religious experience!

The Fat Man and his wife decided to get some pasta and pizza one night. Lexington has no better place than Joe Bologna's Restaurant & Pizzeria. Joe Bs has been a Lexington staple for 50 years now. They serve pizza, salads, pasta, large breadsticks, and desserts. They offer Pepsi soft drinks and an assortment of draft and bottled beer. I ordered the lasagna, and it was great. A simple hamburger and sausage and their sweet marinara sauce. The noodles were cooked perfectly, and the flavor was excellent. I also had a salad to go with my meal. It was a small side salad served on a chilled plate. The breadstick they served to us was perfect. It had a great chew, and the garlic butter they put on it added to the flavor. I also enjoyed a Miller Lite while we were there. My wife had a salad as well. We both had French dressing, which they make their own. She also tried the combination of manicotti and cannelloni. Both pastas were cooked to a perfect al-dente. The cheeses in the manicotti were salty and creamy, while the spinach in the cannelloni added some texture and flavor to the pork and beef mixture. We also ordered a pepperoni pizza. The crust was crunchy and chewy. The pizza sauce was a little sweet and zesty, the cheese was melted and gooey, and the pepperoni had good spice and salt levels--just a great pie. This summer, Joe B. is going to retire. It is much earned and well deserved. Unfortunately, he will no longer be cooking his fantastic food. So run, do not walk to see Joe, and eat his food. I hear there have been a few offers, so we will see if the restaurant stays open. However, even if nothing changes and the new owners cook the same way, it will never be the same as it is now. Joe's is an institution and a treasured foodie joint in Lexington. I have never had a bad meal there, and the service has always been top-notch. Thank you for such a great food over the years, Joe; you and your restaurant will be greatly missed. The Fat Man says that Joe Bologna's Restaurant & Pizzeria is Fat Man Approved with 3 chins.

We thought we would give Joe Bolognas pizza a try after reading all the rave reviews. We ordered a 12" with three toppings. It was awful. The crust was bland, doughy, and undercooked. The sauce left a bitter aftertaste. Honestly, I have had some frozen grocery store pizzas that tasted better and cost half the price. So disappointed.

Stopped here for early dinner while passing through town. We all had pasta of various types and salads. All the food was delicious. Of course, the star of the meal was the breadstick! Service was fast and attentive and the ambiance was lively. Would return to try the great looking pizza.

Came out to Joe Bologna's with a friend for the first time and it was pretty average, but I can see it being fun with family or larger groups of friends. We both got 8-inch pizzas but it was not anything out of the ordinary. The service was friendly and the ambiance is classic American-Italian. Overall, it was okay!

Joe's has been sore that my family has gone since I was a kid. The best part about this establishment is that it sticks to what it knows and still creates a level of authenticity and ambiance that is not only relevant to today's Lexington culture but when it first opened. Having not had Joe in over five years, I was nervous that it wouldn't be like what it was but of course they came through! The breadsticks were even better than I remember the homemade marinara sauce and olive oil. I had a personal lunch size pizza, which was cooked to perfection and hot. I can't wait to go back! And of course the service was wonderful! I did ask about sitting upstairs but they said that wasn't an option - a bit bummed but not mad!

Great food great staff! If you're in town don't leave without a bread stick and pizza! The staff is excellent. You will leave satisfied!

Love a Lexington classic! Perfect for a big group after move in. Got multiple deep dish pizzas and the whole group left stuffed. Want to go back and try the pasta but the crust on the pizza was amazing!

My first visit here was a few weeks ago. I understand why it has been a favorite spot Lexington . Great food and very knowledgeable service staff. We met Joe while leaving. He reported that he'll be staying on until the new owners are trained and up and running. Can't wait to see how this place develops in the future

Completely don't get the hype and I'm born and bred in Lexington and it was solid when they competedin the mid 80's with the bottom feeders like Dominoes, Little Caesar's, Pizza Hut......and dare I say the pie is on par with papa John's at best. It is very doughy and the sauce is definitely meh and not a Grande' type cheese or any other top cheese on the market. Maybe the breadsticks keeps this place in business? Nothing else should. Ethereal, Goodfellas (they have fallen off big Time as well) and Grimaldi's in Summit are MUCH better. Nobody in Lexington has opened a pizza joint with high quality, consistent NYC or New Haven Apizza. Just hasn't happened.

The pizza is always delicious to have when you are craving pizza. The large breadstick is unbeatable. Everything is authentic Italian. There may be a wait, but the staff are very efficient and you will be seated quickly. The lunch pizzas are great during lunchtime, so glad to see that it will remain open even with Joe retiring.

I have been a huge fan for years, maybe even decades, and we loved it! Traditional round, pepperoni and ground beef. Can't be beat!

Best pizza- and breadsticks Unmatched tradition and a great venue. Awesome pizza options and other excellent Italian entrees! Have loved the atmosphere for decades and wait staff is very helpful and responsive.

Hearty, homestyle Italian-American food. I'm from the Northeast where this style of food is what I grew up on. I can say its just as good. Plates are huge, prices are cheap. Atmosphere is in an old church, and it suits the place suspiciously well. Takeout is a bit tricky at their window, but its not awful. The food can take a second, but the service is super friendly. Their pizza isnt the best, but its still very good. Their baked pastas are insanely good, especially with their sausage. We come back when its cold out and want something to warm you up.

Fried banana peppers were delicious, also had the zucchini parmesan and loved it. Hot and fresh!!

Wow, this place was so good. The restaurant is in an old church and is in a seemingly busy area of town with lots of college kids, bars, restaurants and activity going on. Went on a Saturday night and had no wait, which was nice and suprising. Service was very fast, very friendly, with the waitress being very sweet and having a southern manner to her, which was fun. It kind of made you feel like family instead of a patron. Drinks were big enough that no refills were needed, but she was at our table quite often for our order, to bring food and check on us. The meal started with the largest single breadstick I have ever seen in my life. It was browned and crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, in a large tray of melted butter with garlic seasoning. It looks like they used to use fresh garlic, but the flavor was still good and I understand with the costs of things so high they probably just switched to something less expensive. It was still garlicky and buttery and I'm a fan. The salads were decent size with fresh greens and cabbage topped with their house italian dressing. I sometimes worry about italian dressings being overly oily, but this one had such flavor and a nice strong vinegar flavor that it was just excellent. The entrees we ordered were chicken parmigiana with spaghetti and a combination of cannelloni/manicotti. The chicken parm/spaghetti had lots of flavor with a moist piece of chicken breaded thoroughly, a good amount of flavorful sauce. Hubby could only eat half. My cannelloni/manicotti both had ample flavorful fillings, with the cannelloni having a filling that was like a paste filling of beef/pork/spinach and the spinach was not abundant enough that you could even really taste it. There was so much other ingredients going on that it all mended together perfectly like a perfect harmony of flavors. Plenty of cheese, sauce, noodle and toppings. It was covered in a melted cheddar and other cheeses. We took home cannoli for dessert and the filling was delectable being chocolate with chocolate chips on the end. We would definitely go back and love to try their pizza.

always always always a great meal. I could eat just the salad with house Italian and breadsticks in butter for my whole meal.

So I know this has been around forever and I actually have eaten it before, way back in the day however I hadn't written a review so I feel like this is rightly warranted haha Let's start with the obvious, the building itself is incredible. The old school almost vibe of a diner plopped right into the beautiful old bones of a church. It's just an aesthetically beautiful building. The service we received was absolutely incredible, little no wait initially to be seated and our waitress came right up to get our drink orders. But let me back track a bit because the great service started well before we even stepped foot into the restaurant, we were greeted by an amazing parking lot attendant who was extremely helpful, pleasant and super accommodating. Was willing to answer any questions at all that we had ad welcomed us with great gratitude. As for the food..as someone who prides themselves in having a really good taste and considers myself a pizza junky...this pizza we got was unreal. We ordered just a basic cheese pizza and couldnt have been more satisfied. It fed 3 of us and we didn't even finish it. The cheese was perfectly cook, had all the stretch you'd want. The crush was crispy but still soft and the pizza sauce was incredible. It tastes like what Larosa's was trying to make (I'm a Cincinnati native) Overall this dining experience was incredible and I can't wait to make a weekend trip back, Joes should always be on your list if you're in Lexington. I wish I had pictures however the food was so good it didn't stand a chance to get pictured haha

Went here once before and didn't remember it being memorable. Came back and was blown away!! I ordered meatballs in their marinara sauce and their spinach salad. Let me clarify that this is not something I would typically choose- typically hunks of meat nor a salad appeal to me. But this. It was a beautiful mix of whole foods! Every day since I've been craving these meatballs AND the sauce - it was prefect. I was tempted to try and recreate the salad myself, but was missing most of the ingredients. All around filling and the taste was out of this world. The server was very, very friendly and the restaurant was clean. The art all around is incredible and really enjoyable to see during your meal. I wouldn't call this a quick visit. And they don't take reservations and will get busy in the evening. There's a free lot and plenty of street parking nearby.

Fantastic Pizza with lots of other options also. Mr. Joe was actually in there serving pizza

Loved it! Historical building was neat location. Pizza is fantastic. Good value for families and college students. Service is great!

Love this restaurant. It used to be a church that was converted into a restaurant in Lexington. Love the garlic breadstick soaked in garlic butter. The staff are nice and friendly. Inside the restaurant has two levels with beautiful stained glass windows from the old church.

Great food great service. Atmosphere my brother-in-law Gary would love this place highly recommended no bologna

Love this place. It has been roughly 25 years since I have eaten here. It is a restaurant in a converted historic church building. The service was great and really friendly, but really slow and didn't like that she didn't wear a mask. I ordered the Spaghetti with Meatballs & Meat Sauce ($14.50). It was better than I remembered. The sauce is homemade and the they are famous for their giant breadsticks. The breadsticks comes on a small dish in a bath of melted butter and garlic. All dinners served with one garlic breadstick and a tossed salad. I did an extra breadstick ($1.95) and went with ranch for the salad. I would say a definite place to eat when in Lexington. Good food and great prices.

Okay, but didn't think it was anything super special. I was told it was a place to visit. Atmosphere is cool ( old church ) but leads to it being cramped. Food was good.

We have frequented Joe Bologna's for more than 40 years--beginning with my husband's college years at University of Kentucky--and the old Joe's location was where he actually took me on our first date. Needless to say, Joe Bologna's has always meant a lot to us. Unfortunately, our latest visit while on an antique shopping weekend in Lexington was very disappointing to say the least. When we arrived we were told the wait would be 15 to 20 minutes. There were only three parties to be seated in front of us--and all were small parties consisting of two to three people. After waiting more than an hour in this short line, the hostess gave us a pager and said it would be another 10 to 15 minutes. It ended up being another 35 minutes--so the initial quoted 15 minute wait turned into more than an hour and a half wait. All this time we could see several tables open, only needing to be bussed. Two hostesses were on duty--basically seating one party every 30 minutes, but neither hostess seemed concerned enough to buss the tables so the guests could be seated. Several parties behind us ended up leaving because they got tired of waiting. About 90 minutes in were still in line and someone who appeared to be Joe arrived, (haven't seen him in years so not sure), and the two hostesses finally started to help buss the dirty tables. Once we were seated it was another 10 minutes before the server stopped by and took our drink order. We gave the server our food order at the same time. Since we planned to have dinner later on that evening--and this lunch was turning into the dinner hour, we only ordered a small pizza and the antipasto salad for two. Thirty minutes later the pizza arrives, "cold," and instead of the antipasto salad--a chef salad. I will admit the restaurant was busy--but Joe's has always been busy, but in the past the restaurant could keep up. Sadly, we don't see ourselves frequenting Joe's again, even if for sentimental purposes.

The food was great and affordable. The warm breadstick with garlic butter is included with every meal. Delicious!! Had the manicotti and it was also nice and cheesy. Very casual .

I felt like it was probably 3.5 stars for food, but a bonus for atmosphere. The old church that has been reformed into a multilevel dining room has a nice brick and wood aesthetic, and it's a good location downtown close to the university, which is how I ended up there. They have a lunch menu with small, low price items, which I stupidly missed and ordered a full size pizza. Don't get be wrong, I was hungry, but it was a bit more carbs and less variety than I would have gotten if I used the lunch menu smartly. The crust wasn't that great, it was very white bready and a bit thick for my taste. The sauce was a bit heavy on onion, but certainly rich in flavor. My banana peppers were pickled and came on top of a load of rich cheese. It was a satisfying meal, even if it didn't rewrite the book on pizza. I'm also interested in trying the square crust.

Since moving to KY 2 years ago we were constantly told we had to go to Joe Bolognas . We finally decided to try it when we were in Lexington for a concert Went in for an early dinner (3:30) before the concert and it was pretty busy but we're seated quickly and order taken within 10 min. I had an 8" pizza and my partner had an Italian sub. We shared an order of cheese sticks and breadsticks The food wasn't bad, but nothing special enough for me to make a special trip for. The service after the order was taken was less than stellar. We waited 15 min with empty glasses that were close to being empty when food was delivered. Add to the bad service, both of us were sick to our stomachs with intense cramps requiring multiple trips to the restroom by the time we got back to our hotel 3 blocks away.

Really excellent pizza and the cost wasn't bad. We got a round and a Sicilian pizza: stuck to the basics of pepperoni on one and sausage on the other. Both were excellent: lots of sauce, cheese, meat and the crust is pillowy soft but firm. We were just passing through but I would come back again, and we will next time we stay in this location.

If prob give it a 4 1/2 star if we didn't have to wait so long to order that being said the food was great! I got the meatball sub with fries it was delicious and my date got bread stick and chef salad and very good

A friend recommended this restaurant and I'm so glad she did! The setting is an old church/synagogue complete with stained glass windows. The finish work and the artwork give it an eclectic feel. Our server, Michael, was awesome. He made great suggestions and took good care of us. We started with a breadstick - big enough to share. It was warm and fresh out of the oven. We got the marinara dipping sauce; mmmmmmm. My husband ordered a Sicilian style pizza with house sausage and bacon. He said it was perfect! I got the vegetable lasagne and ate the entire piece - it was so very good! What a wonderful experience. I highly recommend Joe Bologna's!

Very slow but worth the wait. Huge portions and breadsticks are amazing! My husband loved the lasagna. My nephew and I shared a medium pizza and took home over half!

They do not take reservations. Makes it very difficult for out of town guest, to make plans to visit. Highly suggest OpenTable.

Atmosphere and service was excellent as always. There food is always wonderful. Gluten free pizza was by far the best I've ever had.

Not sure what has happened to this place We are from Cincinnati and we always make a stop to Joe Bolognas - it's a must do when we are in Lexington. We were here this past Sunday 4/7/24 The hostess seemed extremely bothered to have to get up off her phone to seat us . The waitress was good / service was quick . However the food This place has always been a staple and we are so sad that it has slipped so much in this past year . Had 1 slice of pizza and my daughter took 1 bite of manicotti. Terrible !! What happens to the sauce ?? It was brown ??? Best of luck to realing it back in We definitely miss the old place/ food

...never been to Kentucky , so I am not sure why people are raving about this place? I tried the bread stick...sure It's great, but it's not like the best. I ordered the meat ball with angel hair, which comes with 2 small meat balls tasted like rubber balls and not fresh . The angel hairs were hanging outside the plate as the waitress brought them over. Mom's vegetable lasagna has 2 slices of zucchini and one broccoli, unediable since it's overly salted. Small and dinky old salad comes with the meal. The only thing I liked was the white bean soup... but everything else is just so disappointing. It also made my stomach growled the whole night.

Update: I have tried to continue to eat at Joe B's but...I just won't anymore. Like most restaurants post-COVID, they raised prices of food...salads, pizza, even the toppings. Okay...I get that but...unlike most restaurants, the quality and quantity of the higher-priced food went down. I will not pay almost $7 for a small salad with iceberg lettuce (mostly the white, hard inner part and one actual green leaf of lettuce), 2 black olives, 2 cherry tomatoes, and 1 slice of cucumber. I usually get the smallest Sicilian pan pizza with olives, mushrooms and onions. This pizza used to be covered with these toppings...so much you couldn't see the cheese On the pizza. No more...higher prices but not even half of the toppings. Sorry Joe B's...you're a Lexington classic but not for me anymore.

As always Joe never fails and today was no exception. I had spaghetti with meat sauce, salad and the breadsticks of all breadsticks. Absolutely delicious food and by far the best in Lexington. Eating there as much as I can. I've eaten Joes food for right at 50 years and have never had a bad meal.