Restaurant Equipment and Supply for Lexington, Georgetown and the Bluegrass
The Bluegrass has a menu of its own. Beer cheese started on the Kentucky River outside Winchester in the 1930s, burgoo fed horsemen at thoroughbred sales in the 1800s, and country ham is still salt-cured and aged in a tradition dating to Kentucky's pioneer days.
Lexington's farmers market has been part of downtown since 1975 and has grown to more than 80 vendors, and Lexington-area chefs such as Ouita Michel and Samantha Fore have been named James Beard Award semifinalists. Out in the small towns, Winchester throws a Beer Cheese Festival every June and Lawrenceburg holds its Burgoo Festival each fall.
Since 2015, The Restaurant Warehouse has shipped to thousands of commercial kitchens in every state. Bluegrass orders ship from our Columbus warehouse, so Lexington-area restaurants get the same low prices and freight delivery right to Lexington, Georgetown, Winchester, Versailles, and Nicholasville. The most common orders here are reach-in refrigerators, freezers, fryers, griddles, ranges and ovens, and food truck equipment.
Beer Cheese, Born Near Winchester
Visit Winchester traces beer cheese to the 1930s, when Johnnie Allman served his cousin Joe's "Snappy Cheese" at the Driftwood Inn on the Kentucky River. KET credits Allman as one of the first to market it and says the spread may have grown out of early 20th-century German-immigrant bars. A 2013 proclamation from Gov. Steve Beshear named Winchester the official birthplace of beer cheese, and the town calls itself the Beer Cheese Capital of the World. Every June, food booths line downtown Main Street for the Beer Cheese Festival, where local makers hand out samples, and participating restaurants run a Beer Cheese Week in late May.
Beer cheese is a cold-prep product: kitchens blend it in batches and hold it in reach-in refrigerators and undercounter refrigerators, then serve it beside pretzels and fries from the fryers. Bars that pour with it lean on draft beer coolers and back-bar coolers, and shops selling tubs to go use a glass merchandiser.
Burgoo and Country Ham
Burgoo is a thick stew of mixed meats and vegetables. According to VisitLEX, it became a staple at thoroughbred sales in the 1800s, feeding horsemen through long days; older pots used squirrel, venison or opossum, while today's use chicken, beef and pork. Local legend says French chef Gus Jaubert cooked it by the gallon for Civil War soldiers. Lawrenceburg, in Anderson County, calls itself the Burgoo Capital of the World and holds the Anderson County Burgoo Festival each fall. Country ham is the other Bluegrass staple: Kentucky Tourism describes hams salt-cured for several months and aged for up to two years, and some producers have been at it for more than 100 years.
Burgoo cooks low and slow by the gallon, so kitchens and caterers need heavy ranges with stockpot room, work tables for breaking down meat and vegetables, and freezers to hold batches. Country ham breakfasts and ham biscuits come off griddles, with sliced ham held in sandwich prep tables.
Lexington Farmers Market and Bluegrass Chefs
The Lexington Farmers Market has been part of downtown since 1975, and since 2014 its Saturday market has filled the pavilion at Tandy Park on Main Street, next to the Historic Old Courthouse. It has more than 80 produce and food vendors and partners, and the Lexington Herald-Leader calls it the biggest market of its kind in Kentucky. Saturdays run year-round, with Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday markets in season, so peak season means five market days a week. Chefs here cook with that produce. Ouita Michel has been a six-time James Beard Best Chef: Southeast semifinalist, and Samantha Fore was a 2023 semifinalist for her Sri Lankan and Southern cooking.
Farm-to-table menus change with the market, so kitchens need flexible cold storage: reach-in refrigerators for produce, chef bases under the charbroiler, and work tables for the morning haul. Bakeries and market vendors show off their goods in countertop display cases.
Restaurant Supply Store in Lexington
We ship straight to your Lexington restaurant. Most Bluegrass orders arrive in 1 to 3 business days from our Columbus warehouse, with free freight and free lift gate service. Will-call pickup in Columbus is available for verified restaurant businesses, but most kitchens skip the trip and let us ship it. Most Bluegrass calls are for a fast replacement, like a reach-in refrigerator that quit before a busy weekend or a fryer at the end of its life, or for a full equipment package for a new restaurant, taproom, caterer or food truck. Tell us what you are cooking and how much space you have, and we will help you size the line.
Why Lexington Restaurants Buy From The Restaurant Warehouse
Every piece of new Atosa equipment we sell is run-tested for 24 hours at the factory before it ships. It carries Intertek's ETL Sanitation and cETLus listings, which certify it to the NSF/ANSI food equipment standards and US and Canadian safety standards that inspectors from the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, the WEDCO District Health Department, and the Clark, Woodford, Anderson and Jessamine County health departments look for. Refrigeration comes with a 3-year parts and labor warranty and a 5-year compressor warranty, gas cooking equipment comes with a 1-year parts and labor warranty, and extended warranties are available.
- Free freight on qualifying orders, no lift gate fees
- Built for scrappy startups, food trucks and independent kitchens
- Founder Sean Kearney answers calls, texts and email at (206) 419-5801 or therestaurantwarehouse@gmail.com
Serving Lexington, Georgetown and the Bluegrass
Lexington is our hub for Fayette County and the Bluegrass towns around it, from Georgetown and Winchester to Versailles, Midway, Lawrenceburg and Nicholasville. Restaurants across the region get the same equipment, free lift gate freight, and warranty, and they talk to the same team.
Lexington and Nicholasville
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department oversaw about 1,700 food service establishments in 2023 and inspects them twice a year, according to WEKU. Operators searching for a restaurant supply store in Lexington or Nicholasville usually need a fast replacement, so we ship reach-in refrigerators, freezers, sandwich prep tables, and fryers to Fayette and Jessamine County kitchens.
Winchester and Georgetown
Winchester, in Clark County, is the birthplace of beer cheese, and Georgetown is the Scott County seat just north of Lexington. Kitchens in both towns order undercounter refrigerators, griddles, ice machines, and bar refrigeration.
Versailles, Midway and Lawrenceburg
Versailles and Midway are Woodford County towns, and Lawrenceburg in Anderson County is the self-styled Burgoo Capital of the World. Restaurants and caterers there order ranges and ovens, work tables, freezers, and food truck equipment.
Lexington Restaurant Equipment FAQ
Do you ship restaurant equipment to Lexington?
Yes. The Restaurant Warehouse ships commercial restaurant equipment to Lexington and the rest of the Bluegrass by freight, with lift gate delivery to your door.
Do you deliver to Georgetown, Winchester, Versailles and Nicholasville?
Yes. We deliver across the Bluegrass, including Georgetown, Winchester, Versailles, Midway, Lawrenceburg, and Nicholasville.
How fast is delivery to Lexington?
Most Bluegrass orders arrive in 1 to 3 business days from our Columbus warehouse, depending on item availability and carrier routing. Contact us if you need equipment urgently.
Do you offer free freight?
Yes. Free freight is available on select models and qualifying orders. Contact us to confirm freight options for a specific item.
Do you charge lift gate fees?
No. We do not charge lift gate fees.
What types of restaurant equipment do you sell?
We sell commercial refrigerators, freezers, prep tables, griddles, charbroilers, deep fryers, ovens, ice machines, bar refrigeration, and food truck equipment, plus many other categories for professional kitchens.
Can I get help choosing the right equipment?
Yes. If you can't find what you need, call or email us and we'll help you source the right product for your kitchen.
Can I pick up my order?
Yes. Verified restaurant businesses can arrange will-call pickup at our Columbus warehouse. But why lose a day renting a truck, strapping it down and unloading it yourself? With free freight and free lift gate service, most Bluegrass orders arrive at your door or curb in 1 to 3 business days. Call (206) 419-5801 to set up either option.
West on I-64, our Louisville page covers Kentuckiana, and up I-75 our Covington page covers Northern Kentucky.
Restaurant Equipment Across Kentucky
The Restaurant Warehouse delivers commercial restaurant equipment across Kentucky from our Columbus warehouse. Find the page for your region: