Restaurant Review: The Ketch
Thursday, February 24th, 2005The Ketch
(859) 277-5919
2012 Regency Road
Lexington, KY 40503
The Ketch is a moderately-priced, no frills seafood restaurants that has somehow managed to stay afloat despite its proximity to establishments such as Red Lobster and Joe’s Crab Shack. Located on Regency Road near the intersection with Southland Drive, you should go to The Ketch if you’re in the mood for the seafood basics—crab legs, lobster, fresh shrimp—not a fancy meal. You’re not going to get fine table linens, a great atmosphere, outstanding service (our waitress had a tongue ring-induced lisp that made our interactions with her both challenging and entertaining), or anything else the least bit upscale. That being said, the food was pretty good.
For an appetizer we had a hefty portion freshly-cooked, then chilled, peel & eat shrimp—simple but excellent. Jablet’s bucket of crab legs was massive, but apparently delicious, as it disappeared with remarkable speed. I, on the other hand, ordered a combination dinner that included a crab cake and a small sirloin steak. Yes, I violated the “keep it simple” doctrine and learned the hard way. The steak wasn’t horrible, but it was definitely overcooked, though not charred past the point of no return. The crab cake, though clearly above average, couldn’t touch what you can pick up on-the-fly at a New York City corner café. A notable highlight was the delicious assortment of fresh grilled vegetables—we both agreed they were excellent. Overall, we give this place a B for food (A- if you keep it to seafood basics), a B for service, and an A+ for people watching. Far more interesting than the big corporate competitors.
The Damage:
2 beers
1 mixed drink
Shrimp Appetizer
1 lb bucket of crab legs
Crab cake/sirloin combo
$48 before tip