What's On The Kentucky Derby Menu? Chef Robert Lopez Breaks It Down

Forbes

23-04-2025

A race-day menu worthy of the Run for the Roses: Chef Robert Lopez's Kentucky Derby 151 lineup is a ... More feast of flavor.
By the time the bugle sounds at the 151st Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 3, 2025, more than 3,000 pounds of shrimp, 3,120 pounds of Brussels sprouts, 50,000 liters of bourbon, and 28,730 bunches of mint will have passed through the kitchens of Churchill Downs. Behind the numbers and beneath the pomp is Chef Robert Lopez, senior executive chef for Levy and the culinary mind behind one of the most ambitious menus in American sports.
With a resume that includes NBA arenas, MLB ballparks, and Formula 1 Grand Prix, Lopez isn't new to large-scale, high-pressure events. But the Derby, with its 150-year-old legacy and 150,000-plus guests, hits differently.
'The Derby itself is probably the largest event or single two minutes in the world,' Lopez told Forbes. 'And when you think about the prestige, the history of it, the rich history — I'm a huge history buff. So just thinking about how I'm going to be kind of carrying that torch. It definitely brought some emotion to it.'
For Lopez, it's about continuing a tradition while refusing to stay stagnant.
A fixture since 1938, the Mint Julep remains the Derby's most refreshing ritual.
'You know, we always have that baseline of tradition,' the head chef said. 'When you take a bite of something, what's going to bring those memories back for you? What did you have at your grandmother's house every time you went over there? What's going to bring back those traditional memories? And then what haven't people seen before?'
It's a constant balance between what evokes Southern nostalgia and what feels new without being gimmicky. 'What we try not to do is put a trend out there or something that is popular now that may not be popular by the time Derby comes around,' he added, noting that even avocado toast has had its moment.
Each dish must hold up not only in taste but also in timing. Every recipe is stress-tested for both flavor and endurance. Lopez and his team evaluate how well a dish performs hours into service. If a recipe can't keep its integrity after extended hold times or during high-volume execution, it's cut or reworked.
'We want to maintain quality throughout the entire day,' Lopez explained.
Succulent shrimp in a bourbon-infused butter sauce, finished with fresh herbs and orzo.
The Official Kentucky Derby 151 On-Track Food Menu delivers a mix of Southern staples and polished showstoppers—dishes that are comforting, upscale, and built to last through long race-day service.
The Grilled Beef Tips with Kentucky Peppercorn Sauce underscore Lopez and his team's dedication to process. The three-day preparation yields beef that's perfectly seared, then finished with a bourbon peppercorn sauce that balances Dijon mustard's sharpness and black pepper's warmth.
Old Forester Butter Shrimp and Orzo stands out for its depth. The shrimp are coated in garlic cream and bourbon-butter sauce, with the orzo providing an ideal base to capture these flavors. Fresh herbs add brightness to this satisfying dish.
The Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast delivers on the fundamentals: crisp golden skin protecting juicy meat beneath. Caramelized Vidalia onions bring natural sweetness, while the lemon sauce adds necessary acidity.
On the lighter side, the Bluegrass Fields Salad combines Kentucky Bibb lettuce with seasonal berries and toasted almonds, dressed in a balanced raspberry-poppyseed vinaigrette. The Grilled Corn & Tomato Salad offers textural contrast through charred corn and fresh tomatoes, brought together with red onion, peppery arugula, and distinctive pimento cheese dressing.
Fingerlings roasted in duck fat and finished with fresh herbs for a side dish that goes the ... More distance.
Among the sides, the Duck Fat Roasted Fingerling Potatoes' crisp exteriors give way to tender centers, with rosemary, thyme, and garlic woven throughout. The Lemon Honey Harvest Brussels Sprouts achieve that perfect caramelization, lifted by a citrus-honey glaze, toasted pecans, and subtle Parmesan.
The Brown Butter Farro & Roasted Root Vegetables rounds out the options with hearty carrots, parsnips, and baby potatoes mixed through nutty farro, unified by the brown butter's subtle richness.
'We want people to come back and when they think of Derby, the first thing they think of is, 'Oh my God, the food was amazing,'' Lopez said of the luxe spread.
That kind of product doesn't happen by accident. It's curated through months of iteration, trial, and collaboration, led by Lopez and his longtime colleague, Chef Robbie, who has worked 17 Derbies and knows the playbook well.
But even as they scale for thousands of guests, Churchill Downs isn't operating in a vacuum. The culinary team is careful not to steamroll the city's vibrant food scene during its most high-stakes week of the year.
'We don't want to hurt businesses by buying up all the local things,' Lopez explained. Instead, they source regionally and thoughtfully, casting a wider net across areas like Indiana to avoid putting unnecessary strain on Louisville's own restaurant community.
'Instead of just kind of hyperfocusing on the city itself, we try to branch out into a radius around Louisville.'
And finally, let's give due credit to a quiet crowd favorite: the humble chicken tender. At Churchill Downs, even the simplest dish gets treated with reverence.
'They're fresh, hand-breaded chicken tenders, never frozen,' Lopez said. 'And everyone from the Churchill offices to our guests is just in love with them. As much as it sounds simple, they are second to none.'
Because whether it's bourbon-glazed shrimp or the best chicken tender you've ever had, at the Derby, nothing makes the menu unless it's worth remembering.