North Lime Coffee & Donuts
1 Fork = I would rather eat dog food.
2 Forks = I would eat there if I was starving.
3 Forks = Not bad; someplace I would occasionally consider eating.
4 Forks = A good place to eat; I will put it into my rotation of places I dine frequently.
5 Forks = One of my all time favorites!
One caveat to note – I am allergic to fish and seafood, so if you are looking for those recommendations, you will have to consult someone else.
Because I have a daughter-in-law with Celiac and a really good friend who is Vegetarian, I will try to point out whether those options are present when I review a restaurant.
November 7, 2015 - Breakfast
North Lime Coffee & Donuts
575 N. Limestone St.
Lexington, KY 40508
859-554-6026
North Lime Coffee & Donuts has been around a few years. It was recently featured on the Local Traveler TV show. A friend asked me to review it. I had heard that this place draws a huge crowd (true) and that the drinks and donuts were awesome (also true). This establishment is in the heart of the Limestone corridor just a few blocks from downtown, in an area which is seeing a resurgence of trendy little shops and eateries. The building sits on the corner of N. Lime and 6th St. There is a decent size parking lot beside and in the rear of the building. There is also a fair amount of un-metered street parking. All was nearly full when I arrived at 9am Saturday (probably their busiest time of the week). There were several patio tables out front, but it was too cold the day I was there. The inside included a counter where you order and a small amount of tables and a couple or armchairs. The turnover here is fairly quick – since patrons are only sipping beverages and eating donuts. I also observed that they do a huge takeout business. Bikers and walkers come from the surrounding neighborhoods which helps the overall parking situation to be adequate.
There were many choices of coffee and tea. I am not a coffee drinker so I chose a flavored tea (Mt. Hood Vanilla) with a splash of whole milk. The tea is all looseleaf brewed. It was great although next time, I will probably order a plain black tea and ask for a shot of vanilla instead. I ordered two donuts – not that I needed two donuts – but mainly to get some impressions of more than one offering. I ordered the plain glazed. It was delicious! It reminded me a bit of a more pillowy, square, less greasy version of a Spalding donut. I also ordered a Cinnamonkey donut. This is basically a monkey bread presentation with cinnamon sugar. It was fine, but I think I would choose the regular cinnamon cake donut next time instead OR one of their other flavors. Some of them looked pretty darn good.
Service was fast and efficient given the long line of patrons. They had one cashier and one food delivery person at the counter and at least one or two prep people in the back. I believe their customer count must be several hundred people per hour during peak times which is very respectable for a local eatery which only serves a small menu. I would have given them 4 forks instead of 3.5 if the food menu was a a little broader – say a croissant of the day and a scone of the day.
My check with tax was $4.00 – a real bargain given the quality of the tea and the donuts!
Gluten Free Options – none advertised. Skip this one.
Vegetarian Options – none advertised, but it is entirely possible.
Check out their menu offerings and hours of operation at: http://www.northlimelex.com/index.php
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