Highest-rated seafood restaurants in Lexington by diners

Whether you’ve waited in line for soft-shell crabs in the Chesapeake Bay or savored sushi in New York City, you know there’s something special about finding the right spot to enjoy seafood. From ceviche to grilled salmon and towers of shellfish, the top-rated seafood restaurants in the United States serve up mouthwatering dishes across diverse cuisines like Japanese, Latin American, and Mediterranean to suit every palate.

Of course, certain areas of the country are known for particular delicacies. California’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean, for example, makes it one of the best states for seafood. The Los Angeles area serves up everything from caviar to Santa Barbara spot prawns while San Francisco is a mecca for fish tacos, ceviche, and sushi. Further north, Seattle is legendary for its shellfish, showcased at the famed fish counter at Pike Place Market.

While Chicago may be best known as a pizza capital, many flock to the city for its king crab dishes; a bit further south and east, you have Miami and its sought-after stone crab season. Southern locales like New Orleans boast fresh crawfish from the Gulf of Mexico and the two noncontiguous states have their own signature offerings, too: Alaska is known for its pollock and salmon, while Hawai’i is known for its poke.

Dining at a seafood restaurant can be one of the most memorable parts of your trip to a new city or offer comfort food in your own hometown. To celebrate the best options near you, Stacker used insights from Yelp to compile a list of the highest-rated seafood restaurants in Lexington.

Businesses were selected using Yelp’s ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only restaurants with at least 10 reviews were considered. In an effort to highlight independent restaurants and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included. Data is as of June 14, 2024.

Keep reading to discover your highest-rated local seafood restaurants for your next special meal out!

Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific restaurants listed or the dishes they serve.

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#25. El Malecon Mexican Seafood

– Rating: 3.1/5 (12 reviews)
– Address: 481 West New Circle Road Ste 130 Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: mexican, steakhouses, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#24. Golden Buffet Chinese Restaurant

– Rating: 3.1/5 (75 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 2907 Richmond Road Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: buffets, chinese, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#23. The Cheesecake Factory

– Rating: 3.1/5 (306 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 3545 Nicholasville Road Fayette Mall Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: american, desserts, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#22. Lost Palm

– Rating: 3.2/5 (24 reviews)
– Address: 941 Manchester St. Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: bars, seafood, cuban
– Read more on Yelp

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#21. Paisano’s Italian

– Rating: 3.4/5 (56 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 2417 Nicholasville Road Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: italian, bars, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#20. New Peking Bistro

– Rating: 3.5/5 (41 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 3181 Beaumont Centre Cir Ste 104 Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: chinese, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#19. Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant

– Rating: 3.5/5 (96 reviews)
– Price level: $
– Address: 3280 Eagle View Lane Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: mexican, seafood, sports bars
– Read more on Yelp

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#18. BD’s Mongolian Grill

– Rating: 3.5/5 (146 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 2309 Sir Barton Way Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: mongolian, seafood, soup
– Read more on Yelp

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#17. Lexington Seafood Company

– Rating: 3.6/5 (16 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 867 East High St. Ste 150 Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: seafood markets, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#16. Tekka Japanese Grill & Sushi

– Rating: 3.8/5 (117 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 2300 Sir Barton Way Suite110 Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: japanese, sushi bars, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#15. El Toro Mexican Restaurant

– Rating: 3.8/5 (121 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 1917 Nicholasville Road Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: mexican, desserts, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#14. Shaking Seafood and Wings of Lexington

– Rating: 3.8/5 (135 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 3110 Mapleleaf Drive Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: chicken wings, cajun/creole, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#13. Palmers Fresh Grill

– Rating: 3.9/5 (315 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 161 Lexington Green Cir Ste C-8 Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: steakhouses, seafood, salad
– Read more on Yelp

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#12. Smithtown Seafood

– Rating: 4.1/5 (262 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 501 West 6th St. Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#11. Arirang Korean BBQ

– Rating: 4.1/5 (116 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 109 Mt Tabor Road Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: korean, barbeque, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#10. Merrick Inn

– Rating: 4.2/5 (238 reviews)
– Price level: $$$
– Address: 1074 Merrick Drive Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: new american, seafood, breakfast & brunch
– Read more on Yelp

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#9. Charlie’s Seafood & Carry-Out Restaurant

– Rating: 4.2/5 (70 reviews)
– Price level: $
– Address: 926 Winchester Road Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: seafood markets, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#8. King of Food

– Rating: 4.2/5 (10 reviews)
– Price level: $
– Address: 208 Legends Lane Ste 105 Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: chinese, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#7. Pearl’s

– Rating: 4.3/5 (100 reviews)
– Address: 133 North Limestone Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: pizza, seafood, salad
– Read more on Yelp

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#6. Tony’s of Lexington

– Rating: 4.3/5 (525 reviews)
– Price level: $$$$
– Address: 401 West Main St. Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: steakhouses, seafood, wine bars
– Read more on Yelp

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#5. Tandoor Fine Indian Cuisine

– Rating: 4.4/5 (248 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 3146 Mapleleaf Drive Ste 110 Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: indian, buffets, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#4. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse – Lexington

– Rating: 4.4/5 (279 reviews)
– Price level: $$$$
– Address: 101 West Vine St. Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: steakhouses, sushi bars, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#3. Zen Sushi & Sake

– Rating: 4.5/5 (184 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 3070 Lakecrest Cir Ste 500 Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: sushi bars, japanese, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#2. Hola Havana Cuban Restaurant

– Rating: 4.6/5 (106 reviews)
– Price level: $$
– Address: 115 North Locust Hill Drive Ste 109B Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: cuban, wine bars, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

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#1. El Patio

– Rating: 4.8/5 (109 reviews)
– Address: 2628 Richmond Road Lexington, Kentucky
– Categories: mexican, seafood
– Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Zeynep Guler Tuck, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 282 metros.

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