Chandler’s on Market

In Maysville, Chandler’s on Market serves up crowd-pleasing meals in a historic downtown setting.

“I started this restaurant in 2006,” says William “Chan” Warner, owner of Chandler’s on Market. “When I was getting close to retirement, I decided I wanted to open a restaurant. I ended up buying this building from McGee’s Bakery and I named it Chandler’s after myself.”

The heart of Maysville is a historic downtown area, and Warner picked the location for its character.

“I kind of like the old historical buildings and the whole history of downtown Maysville,” he says. “That’s the main reason I decided to come down here to open the restaurant. I mix a little new in with the old. I like the exposed brick, so I exposed all the brick inside of it. We just kind of gutted the whole building.”

The menu at Chandler’s showcases some classic favorites, like steaks, seafood, and homemade soup. The Philly-style cheesesteaks are a hit with customers.

“I’ve got a special seasoning that I make up for [the cheesesteaks], which we use on all steaks,” Warner says. “We use onions and peppers. I think the traditional cheesesteak has Cheez Whiz on it, but we use provolone on ours. We melt provolone across it, which is a lot better.”

The cheesesteaks are served with a side of house-made chips. Chandler’s takes pride in all its sides, including mac and cheese and veggies like brussels sprouts and collard greens.

Warner says diners come to his restaurant from within Maysville and Mason County and from all of the surrounding counties. The small city is starting to see a renewed vibrance in its downtown, thanks to business owners like Warner who see value in the location and its history.

“We’ve got a lot of people buying buildings and starting putting them back,” Warner says. “It’s kind of nice to see the downtown come back.”

This segment is part of Kentucky Life episode #2011, which originally aired on February 21, 2015. Watch the full episode.