Y’all know I am a chicken salad fanatic. I could eat it for just about every meal, including breakfast. My recipe is actually my most popular recipe on my blog. A reader reached out to ask where my favorite local chicken salad was, so I figured it was time to do a round up! I tried just about every option I could find in Lexington. Everyone has their own chicken salad preferences, so I tried to include ingredients, if it was more sweet or savory, and the level of shredded-ness. I ranked shredded level from less shredded > moderately shredded > well shredded > finely shredded. Read on and let me know if I missed your favorite in the comments!
Athenian Grill
313 S Ashland Ave, Lexington, KY 40502 or 120 E Main St, Lexington, KY 40507
A reader tipped me off on Athenian’s chicken salad, and I’m so glad because it ended up being one of my favorites! It had a lot of herbs and I think the chicken was the same chicken they use on gyros, so it had a lot of flavor. The salad had celery and grapes, but was not too sweet, and I loved that it’s served on pita bread. Also I should note I prefer a more finely shredded consistency and this one was more chunks, but I didn’t mind at all because the chicken was so tender. Also it’s not listed on their menu, but if you ask they have it!
Shredded Level: less shredded.
Best for: an herby flavor.
Chicken Salad Chick
254 E Brannon Rd, Nicholasville, KY 40356
Obviously a place with chicken salad in the name has to be legit, right? I have loved Chicken Salad Chick (a franchise) since college – there was a location in Tuscaloosa where I went to school. Lexington (technically Nicholasville) got a franchise a few years ago and it holds up to my fond memories of college! They have ten+ flavors of chicken salad you can order as a sandwich or scoop with crackers. I usually get a trio with two scoops of chicken salad and one scoop of spicy pimento cheese. So good and enough for two meals. My favorite flavors are the Cranberry Kelli, Buffalo Barclay, Barbie-Q and Sassy Scotty. If you can’t make up your mind they will let you sample flavors before ordering! You can also take it home by the pound.
Shredded Level: finely shredded.
Best for: variety of flavors.
Doodles
262 N Limestone, Lexington, KY 40507
I love Doodles breakfast, so I had never thought to try their chicken salad. A reader suggested it and their chicken salad did not disappoint. It’s very classic with celery and mayo. The sandwich is served with lettuce and tomato.
Shredded Level: finely shredded.
Best for: if you can’t decide between breakfast and chicken salad.
DV8 Kitchen
867 S Broadway, Lexington, KY 40504
DV8’s chicken salad is made with celery, pecans, grapes and mayo and served on a bed of lettuce. They also sell it by the pound – add a loaf of their homemade sourdough bread and you are set!
Shredded Level: well shredded.
Best for: if you like grapes.
The Fresh Market
3387 Tates Creek Rd, Lexington, KY 40502
This is my mom’s favorite! The Fresh Market’s version is made with rotisserie chicken, mayo and celery. The rotisserie chicken gives it a lot of flavor, definitely more savory. It’s available by the pound in their deli. They also make snack boxes with chicken salad, crackers, cheese and fruit that I will grab for lunch on the go.
Shredded Level: less shredded.
Best for: savory chicken salad.
High on Art and Coffee
523 E High St, Lexington, KY 40502
High on Art and Coffee is a little cafe by Woodland Park. They have sandwiches, coffee and breakfast. You can get chicken salad on a sandwich, salad or plate with crackers. Their version is pretty traditional made with onion, basil and herbs. Something I love about High on Art’s sandwiches is that they offer banana peppers as a “vegetable” to add to your sandwich with lettuce and tomato. Their menu is also incredibly affordable, lots of options around $5 or less.
Shredded Level: well shredded.
Best for: if you’re on a budget.
Kroger
multiple locations
Kroger’s Derby City Chicken Salad was actually the inspiration behind my recipe. It is pretty chunky with grapes, celery and pecans. Over the past few years I haven’t loved it as much because I feel like it’s less shredded than it used to be and the chicken chunks are too big.
Shredded Level: less shredded.
Best for: if you like big chunks of chicken.
Liberty Rd Cafe/Selma’s Catering
720 Henry Clay Blvd, Lexington, KY 40505
Selma’s has been an esteemed caterer in Lexington for 20 years. She opened a cafe several years ago where you can enjoy lunch or pick up grab and go items. Their chicken salad is made with celery, grapes and pecans. You can order it on a sandwich or plate or by the pound to take home.
Shredded Level: well shredded.
Best for: grab and go.
Martine’s
400 E Third St., Lexington, KY
Martine’s makes some of the best cakes in Lexington, but does a great job on chicken salad too! It has larger chunks of roasted chicken studded with celery and dried cranberries and some type of herb, I think tarragon. I typically don’t like larger chunks, but this was very moist and delicious!
Shredded level: less shredded.
Best for: herby chicken salad, and a great dessert after! Get the smores bar.
Mousetrap
3323 Tates Creek Rd, Lexington, KY 40502
The Mousetrap was actually my first job in high school! It’s a deli and specialty food store in the Lansdowne Shoppes. I made plenty of chicken salad sandwiches back in my day… You can select between several bread (including ciabatta – my fav – and croissant), cheese and topping options to make a custom sandwich. Their chicken salad is not my favorite because I do not like relish in chicken salad and it’s too sweet, but I know many people love that so wanted to include. It has mayo, celery and relish. They also sell it by the pound to take home.
Shredded level: finely shredded.
Best for: if you like relish.
Southland Bagel
428 Southland Dr, Lexington, KY 40503
Southland’s chicken salad is served on a bagel with spring mix, Swiss, apple and tomato. The salad itself is made with chicken, onion, celery and mayo and I will say doesn’t have a whole lot of flavor, but the toppings on the bagel, especially the apple, kicked things up a notch.
Shredded level: less shredded.
Best for: bagel fans!
Tack House Pub
4401 Old Harrodsburg Rd, Lexington, KY 40513
I had previously only been to Tack House for breakfast, but several of you mentioned they had great chicken salad so I had to check it out! Their version is made with grapes and walnuts. It was pretty classic tasting, not too sweet or herby. This was probably my favorite finely shredded consistency. You can also take it home by the pound.
Shredded Level: finely shredded.
Best for: classic chicken salad sandwich.
Vinaigrette
Downtown, Hamburg, Leestown & Palomar locations
Vinaigrette’s chicken salad is made with apples, dried cranberries, pecans, mayo and tarragon. It’s served on a bed of greens with strawberries, or you can order it in a wrap. It is more on the sweet side. I love Vinaigrette for their multiple convenient locations and that I can get “fast” food that’s good for you. I will say, their chicken salad isn’t the healthiest choice on the menu and when I eat at Vinaigrette I’m usually trying to eat healthier. You can check out their nutrition facts here.
Shredded Level: well shredded.
Best for: sweet chicken salad.
Wilson’s Grocery
1010 Cramer Ave, Lexington, KY 40502
I can’t believe I had never been to Wilson’s Grocery before! It’s a little grocery and deli in the Kenwick neighborhood. Their chicken salad was very unique, with mayo, orange marmalade and celery. It was sweet, but tangy. You can order it on a sandwich or take home by the pound.
Shredded Level: well shredded.
Best for: unique flavor.
Windy Corner Market/Ouita Michel Restaurants
215 West Main St, Lexington, Ky 40507/various
The Shady Lane Chicken Salad from Ouita Michel’s restaurants is maybe my all-time fav. It’s currently available from Zim’s Cafe, Windy Corner Market, Wallace Station and Honeywood. It’s made with dried cranberries and toasted almonds. You can order it on a sandwich or salad, but my favorite is Honeywood’s rendition on a weisenberger mill hoecake.
Shredded Level: moderately shredded.
Best for: if you like dried cranberries.
