Libby's of Lexington
Lexington, SC
Family-owned American restaurant in the heart of downtown Main Street
Ask anyone in Lexington where to take the family for lunch and you will get the same answer fast: Libby's. It has been on Main Street since 2010, family-owned the whole run, and it sits in the middle of downtown like it has always been there. Nothing complicated about the look of it, and that is the point. A counter, booths, a menu that covers the bases, and a dining room full of people who clearly eat here often.
The food is American, with some Italian and seafood mixed in, and the list does not waste your time. The Philly cheesesteak is the one everyone gets pointed toward. The Libby burger is a close second. Pimento cheese burger, Asian steak wrap, Greek chicken wrap, fried shrimp, flounder, tacos, pizza, Reubens. Everything is made to order, and you notice it two bites in. The daily specials are worth reading before you commit to anything on the regular menu.
It is family-owned, and it shows in how the place is run. Service stays fast without feeling rushed, prices stay reasonable, and the room fills up at lunch in a way that makes the wait worth it. One thing that catches newcomers, I don't mind telling you: it is closed on Monday and Sunday, and open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 to 8. If you go on a Tuesday, you have beaten everyone, and you will see why people call it the busiest little room on Main Street.
The review sites have been kind to it for years, and for good reason. It holds a 4.5-star average across several hundred reviews, which is a harder trick to keep up than it sounds for a hometown spot. And what people across them keep saying, in one version or another, is that everyone in this town eats here. That is exactly the kind of thing I want to tell a relocating buyer when they ask where to start, because a restaurant that survives on regulars is a restaurant worth knowing.
What to Order
Start with the Philly cheesesteak, because it is the menu item people bring up first and it holds up to the hype. The Libby burger is the safer pick if you want the restaurant's name on your plate, and the pimento cheese burger is the South Carolina special worth ordering at least once.
The Asian steak wrap is the sleeper hit, the one regulars order without looking at the menu. The Greek chicken wrap is the lighter option that still tastes like a cheat day. The fried shrimp and flounder pull in the seafood crowd, and the tacos and pizza do the honest work of feeding the kids.
Whatever you settle on, face the daily specials board before you commit. The specials are usually half the reason half the room is there, and they rotate fast enough that regulars come back just to see what changed. Whatever lands on the board, the wait is worth it.
Go Early, Bring an Appetite
Whether you are new to Lexington or you have eaten here for years, Libby's is worth the trip down Main Street. Good food, fair prices, and a room full of people who know a good spot when they find one. Go on a weekday before the crowd finds you.
116 W Main St, Lexington, SC 29072
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 am to 8:00 pm. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Jill Hydrick
REALTOR with EXIT Real Estate Consultants - SC License #102864
Nine years in real estate, 34 years in accounting. She knows the Midlands and she will tell you the truth about it.