New gourmet grilled cheese restaurant coming to 2 Lexington locations
A restaurant that made a name serving gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches from a food truck around the University of Kentucky campus area is opening a brick-and-mortar location in Lexington.
Bert’s SpeakCheezy, which has had a storefront in Old Town Berea, will be opening a new location near Hamburg at 2985 Liberty Rd., near Olive Garden, Ramsey’s Diner and Five Guys.
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Co-owner Logan Bertrand said he and his brother, Brynnan, hope to have their Roaring Twenties-themed grilled cheese restaurant open in late February/early March.
If you can’t wait that long, you can get a taste of the Bert’s SpeakCheezy flavor now at The Twisted Cork Bar & Grill, 145 Burt Rd., which recently reopened under new management.
Bertrand said they will begin serving lunch and dinner from the kitchen at Twisted Cork Thursday through Monday starting Dec. 13.
“We’re happy to be partnering with them and getting our feet wet in Lexington,” he said.
This isn’t the only change: Bert’s SpeakCheezy is also moving onto the Berea College campus, he said.
What is gourmet grilled cheese?
So, what makes Bert’s grilled cheese gourmet?
“It’s the process and the ingredients that go in,” Bertrand said. “The easiest answer is: Try it, and you’ll see.”
For a place that mainly serves grilled cheese sandwiches, there is a surprising amount of variation.
There’s the Hotsy Totsy, which is Buffalo chicken dip smothered in sharp cheddar cheese and served with a side of Ranch dressing.
Or the Dizzy Dame, made with fresh basil, tomatoes and melted mozzarella on Parmesan-crusted sourdough topped with balsamic glaze.
Go meaty with the Blind Pig, which has pork barbecue between layers of melted Monterey Jack cheese on Texas toast served with barbecue Ranch dipping sauce. Or the Sinker, a glazed doughnut filled with gooey cheddar cheese and bacon.
Besides the other grilled cheese sandwiches on the menu, Bert’s SpeakCheezy also offers tomato soup (of course!), basil lemon pasta salad and kettle chips.
“We are going to be adding some new sandwiches: A Reuben grilled cheese, a pizza grilled cheese that people on the UK campus love, more soups, salads, and chilis maybe,” Bertrand said.
The kitchen space on Liberty Road is bigger than their current Berea location (and the food truck), and will let them do a little more, he said.
The Liberty Road restaurant will have seating for 40-50 people. Pickup also will be available.
Bert’s SpeakCheezy
Where: 2985 Liberty Rd.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Online: bertsspeakcheezy.com
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