Alfalfa

Name: Alfalfa
Address: 1450 N Broadway, Lexington, KY, 40507, US
Telephone: +18596849138
Price range: $$
Rating: 4.3

Our History: In 1973 a group of young students pooled $2,000 to start a restaurant in an old luncheonette called Pax, not far from the University of Kentucky.
(312)

Among them were Lucia Gattone, Sue Hosey, Anita Courtney, Leslie Bowers, Barry Bleach, Artie Howard and BJ Finnell. They were a creative, hard working group. Their delicious, healthy food and warm, comfortable atmosphere quickly made Alfalfa a community hub. Professors ate lunch there every afternoon. Others ate dinner there every night. People proposed marriage, famous people came for dinner, loc

al musicians played their first shows and poets read for the first time at Alfalfa. In 1974, Marina Ubaldi bought Alfalfa, along with chimney sweep, Jeff Gitlin. Marina was a gifted cook-- way ahead of her time. Alfalfa was the first restaurant in Lexington to serve brunch and it featured Cajun and Creole style food way before most of us ever heard of blackened redfish. Stories about the early years abound. On opening day, still short of chairs, Alfalfa promised a free meal to anyone who brought a chair. Bringing in a set of salt and pepper shakers earned a dessert. For a short time, one of the Top 10 Most Wanted, according to an FBI wanted list, worked as a cook, unbeknownst to everyone. In 1987 Marina moved to Florida and sold the restaurant to dishwasher Jake Gibbs, baker Tom Martin, waitress Cathy Martin and carpenter Peter Fleming. Gibbs also roped college friend, Jim Happ, into investing. “People were coming up to us on the street and offering us money to keep the place going. They didn’t want to see it change,” said Gibbs. Even with new owners, the Alfalfa vibe prevailed. Food was procured from local farmers, a new international menu was featured every Wednesday, a movie was filmed in the dining room and employees published a magazine called "Alfalf-Art" that included poems, short stories, photographs, cartoons, recipes and a piano sonata. When Alfalfa held their 20th, 25th and 30th anniversary parties, people streamed in from across town, across the state and across the country to reconnect, reminisce and see what the next generation had done with the place. In 2004, Jim Happ became the sole owner of Alfalfa. In 2005, he moved Alfalfa from its home for 31 years across from the University to Main Street. The new venue has a bigger kitchen, spacious waiting area, lovely natural light, and brick walls perfect for art shows, making the new venue a perfect spot to transplant Alfalfa. Who would have guessed this humble little restaurant would prove so durable? For 42 years Alfalfa has prevailed and expanded far beyond its granola roots to become a loved and respected urban eatery.

10/12/2024

Brunch ALL DAY!!

LUNCH BEGINS AT 1PM!!

417 Georgetown Street.

10/11/2024

Check us out this WEEKEND!!!

BRUNCH AND LUNCH!!!

Alfalfa Lexington

07/30/2024

Kentucky Black Farmers Association members has tomatoes of all sizes and green ones for sell‼️

Just picked up over 100 lbs of TODAYS PICK straight from Madison and Clark Co!!!

$3/lb!! 🍅 🍅 🍅 🍅

We will also have FRIED green tomatoes $5

STARTING TOMORROW EVENING.
TUES WED AND THURS 4-7PM!!!

INBOX FOR ORDERS!!

06/13/2024

Alfalfa will be out serving food all over Kentucky for Juneteenth Celebrations!!

See where we are this weekend!

VEGAN/VEGETARIAN OPTIONS AVAILABLE 💙

04/18/2024

The Alfalfa food truck is READY to go!!

Catch Alfalfa Lexington at the Lyric this Saturday 4/20!!

Can't wait to see you there!!

02/23/2024

Celebrating Black Agricultural Achievements- Day 21

Curtis Hayes Muhammad (1943-2022) was born in Mississippi and grew up in a close-knit Black community that used the principles brought forth by Booker T. Washington and the Tuskegee Institute to build their community after reconstruction failed. He joined SNCC, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee at 18, and remained active in the Civil Rights Movement for the rest of his life. Visit our BHM Resource Guide to hear the history in his own words.

As veteran activist Baba Curtis Hayes Muhammad discusses in Leah Penniman’s seminal work "Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm's Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land" Black farmers played a central role in the Civil Rights Movement. They coordinated campaigns for desegregation and voting rights and provided food, housing, bail money, and safe havens for organizers.

“Without Black farmers, there would have been no Freedom Summer- in fact, no Civil Rights Movement.”

Learn more by visiting our Black History Month Resource Guide linked in our bio/about page.

Address

1450 N Broadway
Lexington, KY
40507

Telephone

+18596849138

Website

http://www.alfalfa-catering.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Alfalfa posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Alfalfa:

Shortcuts

The Alfalfa Story

Our History: In 1973 a group of young students pooled $2,000 to start a restaurant in an old luncheonette called Pax, not far from the University of Kentucky. Among them were Lucia Gattone, Sue Hosey, Anita Courtney, Leslie Bowers, Barry Bleach, Artie Howard and BJ Finnell. They were a creative, hard working group. Their delicious, healthy food and warm, comfortable atmosphere quickly made Alfalfa a community hub. Professors ate lunch there every afternoon. Others ate dinner there every night. People proposed marriage, famous people came for dinner, local musicians played their first shows and poets read for the first time at Alfalfa. In 1974, Marina Ubaldi bought Alfalfa, along with chimney sweep, Jeff Gitlin. Marina was a gifted cook-- way ahead of her time. Alfalfa was the first restaurant in Lexington to serve brunch and it featured Cajun and Creole style food way before most of us ever heard of blackened redfish. Stories about the early years abound. On opening day, still short of chairs, Alfalfa promised a free meal to anyone who brought a chair. Bringing in a set of salt and pepper shakers earned a dessert. For a short time, one of the Top 10 Most Wanted, according to an FBI wanted list, worked as a cook, unbeknownst to everyone. In 1987 Marina moved to Florida and sold the restaurant to dishwasher Jake Gibbs, baker Tom Martin, waitress Cathy Martin and carpenter Peter Fleming. Gibbs also roped college friend, Jim Happ, into investing. “People were coming up to us on the street and offering us money to keep the place going. They didn’t want to see it change,” said Gibbs. Even with new owners, the Alfalfa vibe prevailed. Food was procured from local farmers, a new international menu was featured every Wednesday, a movie was filmed in the dining room and employees published a magazine called "Alfalf-Art" that included poems, short stories, photographs, cartoons, recipes and a piano sonata. When Alfalfa held their 20th, 25th and 30th anniversary parties, people streamed in from across town, across the state and across the country to reconnect, reminisce and see what the next generation had done with the place. In 2004, Jim Happ became the sole owner of Alfalfa. In 2005, he moved Alfalfa from its home for 31 years across from the University to Main Street. The new venue has a bigger kitchen, spacious waiting area, lovely natural light, and brick walls perfect for art shows, making the new venue a perfect spot to transplant Alfalfa.

In June of 2016 Cameron and Kevin Heathcoat became the next stewards of this great institution. They have stayed true to what makes Alfalfa great while injecting new life and ideas into the mix. In January of 2018 they installed an espresso bar allowing Alfalfa to open early to serve coffee, grab & go breakfast items and pastries to downtown Lexington. Cameron spent over 15 years as a successful sales rep in Corporate America and in 2014 she switched gears and became a health and wellness coach with a focus on plant based nutrition. Kevin brings 20+ years of restaurant experience to the table. In 2004 he opened Bourbon n’ Toulouse with Will Pieratt and in 2015 he purchased Chevy Chase Inn, Lexington’s oldest bar, with Will and Bill Farmer. Cameron and Kevin’s collective esperiences make them the perfect combo to carry on the traditions of Alfalfa. Who would have guessed this humble little restaurant would prove so durable? For 44 years Alfalfa has prevailed and expanded far beyond its granola roots to become one of Lexington’s most loved and respected urban eateries.