Home Care In Lexington, SC

There’s a new restaurant on the way not far from Lake Murray.

La Fogata, which has several Mexican eateries in the Midlands, is planning a new location at 1605 N. Lake Drive. There is a banner at the site announcing the restaurant is “coming soon” and La Fogata has filed paperwork with the state Department of Revenue to serve beer, wine and liquor at the address.

An opening date for the restaurant has not been publicly announced. It will be located in a building that was formerly home to Tee’d Up indoor driving range. It’s located less than a mile east of Lake Murray’s Dreher Shoals Dam and less than a mile west of the popular Wingard’s Market.

La Fogata already has a handful of restaurants in the Midlands, including on Sunset Boulevard in West Columbia, on Broad River Road in Irmo and on Amicks Ferry Road in Chapin. Its menu includes a host of Mexican favorites, including tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, burritos, tamales and more.

The coming arrival of La Fogata continues a seeming mini-trend of Mexican restaurants opening at or very near Lake Murray in recent years. For example, Na’Cho Margarita opened at 745 Marina Way at Martin’s Landing in August 2023, and regional Mexican chain San Jose opened a Lake Murray spot at 3340 U.S. 378 in Leesville in December 2023.

The N. Lake Drive area where La Fogata is planning a spot is a bustling thoroughfare connecting Lexington and the lake. More than 30,000 cars per day travel down that stretch near the lake, per state Department of Transportation data.

A residential subdivision proposed on Barr Road near Lexington is sparking mixed community reactions as officials prepare to review the project.

LEXINGTON, S.C. — A proposed residential subdivision in Lexington is drawing mixed reactions from the community as town officials prepare to review the project this week.

Developer Meritage Homes has submitted plans to build 308 single-family homes on approximately 191 acres near the 300 block of Barr Road, just outside the Lexington town limits. The area sits near key landmarks such as the Barr Road Sports Complex, Lexington Presbyterian Church, and the Lexington school bus lot.

The proposal features amenities such as sidewalks, pickleball courts, a clubhouse, fire pits, and a multi-use trail that would eventually link into the town’s planned greenway system.

According to Jessica Lybrand, Director or Planning and Building for the Town of Lexington, the development aligns with the area’s suburban residential designation in the town’s comprehensive land-use plan.

“We are required by state law to have a comprehensive land use plan,” Lybrand said. “This particular development is in the suburban residential area, which aims for larger-lot, lower-density neighborhoods.”

Planning documents show the project complies with zoning and lot size requirements. It also designates over 70 acres as open space—more than twice the legal minimum.

Despite the plan’s features, some nearby residents are voicing concern over increased traffic volume and road safety. Don Parker, Facilities Manager for Lexington Presbyterian Church, said the area already struggles with congestion.

“There’s just a tremendous amount of traffic up and down this road, and it’s dangerous just to try to get out into the traffic as is,” Parker explained.

Town officials say that if the plan is approved, it will still require multiple additional reviews, including a traffic impact study and land disturbance permitting.

“Developers have to provide more information on the transportation improvements we’re going to require,” Lybrand said. “It includes an analysis of the traffic impact study and a land disturbance permit before they can begin moving dirt.”

The Lexington Planning Commission is expected to vote on the proposal during a public meeting scheduled for Wednesday at 8 a.m. at Town Hall. If the plan is approved, it will still be contingent on the property’s annexation into the Town of Lexington, a matter that will be discussed during the town council’s August work session.

LEXINGTON — When Alodia's closed in 2023, Columbia food industry veteran Steve Cook saw its downtown Lexington location as the perfect fit for a new concept.

Cook, who owns Saluda's, Il Bucato Pizza and Arroyo Tacos & Tequila, joined with Moltó Vino owner Joe Walker and previous Halls Chophouse general manager Ryan Jones to stop the building from being gutted and turned it into what is now Ember — a modern steakhouse.

The restaurant is elegant with white table cloths, a textured ceiling doubling as a sound dampening panel and design feature, and a sleek bar with exposed brick and comfortable chairs.

Cook said he wanted the restaurant to look like a Ritz Carlton lobby and be a gathering place for Lexington. And after a few weeks, it looks like Ember has met and surpassed his goal.

The restaurant is open five days a week and primarily operates on reservations, which can be difficult to come by People are regularly eyeing the steakhouse's menu posted outside its door or grabbing a seat at the first-come, first-serve bar. Some guests have traveled as far as Blythewood and Aiken to try the restaurant’s menu, Jones said.

The co-owner said his hope is that with a dedication to freshness and the customer experience, Ember can stand out in the Midlands and meet the standards to be in any major city, from Charleston to Charlotte to Miami.

“It's delivering the best quality," Jones said. "So you look around and we've really put the best touches and finishes on the restaurant, and the food needs to match that level.”

The highest quality

All of the fish served at Ember is from Florida and overnighted to the restaurant to ensure freshness, Jones said. The restaurant handmakes almost everything, from the brioche for its lobster sliders to its fries, which Ember serves instead of a basket of bread, along with homemade ketchup and horseradish truffle sauce.

“I think it shows that we're not taking ourselves too seriously," Jones said about the decision to serve fries as a complementary appetizer. "But also, once again, we're putting something in front of the guests that is made in-house, that's hand-cut right, that takes that time and labor to do (what) a lot of people don't do.”

But handmaking bread and fries is just one of the ways Jones said Ember's chef, Justin Johnson, is determined to make the restaurant the best. Johnson often works the line and is far from what Jones calls a hands-off "clipboard chef."

Johnson worked extensively in Georgia, but most recently served as the senior executive chef at Morrison Healthcare in Columbia. He said when he decides what vendors to partner with and where to get ingredients, he thinks of his grandparents and their farm.

"I look at how they saw the food," Johnson said. "It was very fresh. It was wholesome. Wasn’t a lot of stuff added to it. And I want to bring that here. You know, the food's good. Just cook it properly, salt, pepper and just leave it alone. That’s kind of our mentality.”

Some of Jones and Cook's favorite dishes are, of course, the steak options, which Cook said he spent hours ensuring were perfect.

“When I opened a pizza restaurant. I tasted a thousand pieces to get it right," Cook said. "I got sick of pizza, couldn't look at it, and I almost got that way with steak. We tasted so many different products and so many different kinds, because, I mean, there's so many different variables to put that in. And we got what we think is the best steak.”

But while Cook said the steak is obviously a highlight, Ember's 48-hour short rib is also a fan favorite. It's served with a smoked potato puree and "pot roast" vegetables.

Ember also has pasta, including a house-made pappardelle, and multiple seafood options ranging from North Atlantic Salmon to the chef's daily selection of fish.

“It's swimming yesterday, on the plate in front of the guests today," Johnson said.

And while entrées may steal the show, Ember also has a wide array of appetizers. The summer corn bisque is popular among the waitstaff and includes citrus cream for a bright twist.

Cook said every menu item is being tweaked and perfected as the staff hears feedback.

“It's not the cheapest restaurant in town, so we better deliver on that quality promise," Cook said.

Looking forward

While the restaurant is currently focused on perfecting the basics, Cook and Jones said they have big plans for the future.

"Phase two" of renovations will include a new enclosed patio, adding to the current space inside the restaurant. The current space fits 22 people. The renovations will bump capacity to 40 people in what Cook said is an option not offered in other restaurants in Lexington.

Ember also plans to host its first wine dinner on July 14 featuring wine from Chimney Rock in the Napa Valley of California and hopes to expand the program to other dates as the restaurant eventually opens seven days a week.

Cook said he has high hopes for Ember's position as a shining star — and maybe one day expand Ember's ethos to new restaurants.

“This is not like we're gonna open this restaurant and then 20 years later we'll still be sitting here," Cook said. "Our idea is to grow and take the good things that we are doing here and spread them to other restaurants, whether they're other Embers or whether they're other restaurants under a different concept, you know, kind of keep that level of quality.”

A hotly anticipated new restaurant has officially joined downtown Lexington’s culinary scene.

Ember, a high-end steakhouse from a group of well-known local restaurateurs, has opened its doors at 101 W. Main St., at the southwest corner of the intersection of Main and Church streets, adjacent to the popular Icehouse Amphitheater.

The new restaurant had a soft opening last week, co-owner Steve Cook said, and is now open on a reservation-only basis. Diners can make reservations through the online service Resy, which is also linked via emberlexington.com.

Ember is the newest offering from a handful of restaurateurs who are familiar to many in the Midlands. They include Cook, who owns Saluda’s fine dining restaurant and Arroyo Mexican restaurant in Five Points; Joe Walker III, the former Richland County Councilman who has franchised Marco’s Pizza and Scooter’s Coffee locations; and Ryan Jones, the former general manager of Hall’s Chophouse in Columbia.

As Ember launches, Cook said the early reaction from Lexington residents has been encouraging.

“We are very happy that we’ve had a great demand from the community so far,” Cook said. “It’s been great. Like any restaurant, we are working out the kinks at the very beginning. I’ve done a lot of stuff over the years, and I’ve never seen this kind of outpouring of enthusiasm for a project. It has been pretty cool to see, honestly.

“The Lexington market is exciting and we’re happy to be a part of it.”

Ember’s arrival stokes the flames of downtown Lexington, which has become a bustling hub with a host of restaurants, bars, shops and other services. Popular downtown eateries include O’Hara’s Public House, Keg Cowboy, Bodhi Thai Dining, Groucho’s Deli, Barrio, Craft Axe Throwing, Cribb’s, Bubba’s Biscuit, Libby’s, and Nicky’s Pizzeria. There are also a host of stores, such as Craig Reagin Clothiers and The Kindred Boutique, and a Voodoo Brewing location is under construction.

The menu at Ember features a host of options, including, of course, a roster of steaks, including filet mignon, a Japanese wagyu New York strip, a USDA prime ribeye and others. The eatery also features pork chops, seafood, pasta, salads, soups, an extensive wine list, a host of cocktails and more.

Cook said customers have been enjoying various parts of the menu in Ember’s early days.

“The steaks have been popular, obviously,” Cook said. “The pasta is so good. We make the pasta in house. The fresh seafood and the seafood tower have been really popular. There’s also a pickled shrimp appetizer that is so good. It’s sort of a refreshing take on the shrimp cocktail.

“And the short rib is awesome. If you go and are not in the mood for a steak, the short rib is one of those dishes that will be on the menu for 20 years.”