The menu for the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby on May 2.
Churchill Downs
Ahead of the May 2 running of the 152nd Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs knows it must prepare more than just the track as the site welcomes over 150,000 fans on Kentucky Derby day. Part of that preparation includes feeding the masses.
New for 2026, head chef Robert Lopez aimed to create a Louisville-inspired celebration of spring, mixing classic and contemporary dishes across the menu. The senior executive chef for Levy and the head chef at Churchill Downs plans menus that work for the entire week of racing, culminating with the Kentucky Derby on the final Saturday, all aimed to highlight seasonal ingredients from nearby farms with locally inspired combinations.
“Churchill Downs is always committed to honoring its iconic traditions, and this year I’m coming to the table with familiar elements along with some exciting culinary twists,” Lopez says. “The menu for the 152nd ‘Run for the Roses’ features flavors that will be recognizable to returning guests, including delectable honey bourbon sauces and brown sugar caramelization, while incorporating surprise components to ensure on-track diners are immersed in the full experience.”
The char-grilled short ribs are part of the Kentucky Derby menu.
Churchill Downs
Making the task more complicated is the logistical puzzle. Churchill Downs is one of the most premium-heavy sporting events on the annual calendar. Across the 150,000 fans, 90,000 will land in a premium area or reserved seat, while 60,000 enter as general admission. With dozens of different premium spaces broken into three tiers—premium club and private spaces, high-end premium and the top level, dubbed ultra-luxury—each of the tiers has different spaces within them. With most Kentucky Derby tickets now fully inclusive of food, the menus must reflect the spaces and meet the demands of the customers.
Throughout the Kentucky Derby, the menu will get served across more than two dozen dining rooms requiring the use of 17 full kitchens and 100 Levy chefs from across the country. Levy expects to serve 5,000 pounds of short ribs, 4,000 pounds of shrimp, 6,000 pounds of carrots and over 50,000 blackberries.
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For the 2026 menu, Lopez has a green goddess pasta salad and a kale salad with cider sorghum vinaigrette ready to start. On the side, expect to find an assortment of vegetables and dips, such as a traditional hummus, a lemon sweat pea hummus and a buttermilk herb dip.
A pretzel board with pimento cheese is one of the items available at the Kentucky Derby.
Churchill Downs
For the main entrees, a char-grilled short rib with pomegranate and fennel leads the way. A honey bourbon grilled chicken with roasted peach chutney and a Kentucky BBQ shrimp and fava bean relish offers a mix of additional options. Sides to go with the mains include an ancient grains pilaf with farro, quinoa, bulgur, barley and wild rice, and a dish of brown sugar glazed roasted carrots with dill sorghum butter.
Lopez will also serve a caprese sandwich on focaccia bread and will offer up a pretzel board served with whole grain mustard dip, pimento cheese and vanilla glaze.
A Caprese sandwich on focaccia for the Kentucky Derby.
Churchill Downs
The beverage menu again includes the Mint Julep featuring Old Forester, simple syrup, fresh mint and crushed ice; the Oaks Lily with vodka, sweet and sour, triple sec, cranberry juice, blackberries, lemon wedge and crushed ice; the Woodford Spire comprising of Woodford Reserve, lemonade, cranberry juice, lemon twist and ice; and the Herradura Horseshoe Margarita with Herradura Reposado, margarita mix and lime.
In addition to the official menu, Churchill Downs will welcome celebrity chefs including Akhtar Nawab, Damaris Phillips, Fabio Viviani, Leah Cohen, Lorena Garcia, Rodney Scott and Tristen Epps for exclusive experiences within select hospitality spaces.
Part of what makes the Derby that much more exacting is the planning involved, as much a logistic exercise as a culinary one. Once the grounds open, there won’t be time to push food carts through the packed public areas. The synchronization of having staff, chefs and food all in the right places must be dialed in. Lopez believes he has the menu to make it happen.
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