My husband and I feel like kids on Christmas morning when we walk into a restaurant and know, right off the bat, that we’re in for something special. Whether we’re in Owensboro, Paducah, Madisonville, Louisville, or Grand Rivers we get positively excited about Kentucky restaurants doing things the right way.
The kick we get out of these restaurants is even higher when it’s an unexpected “off the beaten path” restaurant. This restaurant review is about a 50’s diner in Greenville, Kentucky that could be the poster child for this type of restaurant.
Michael had business in the beautiful little town of Greenville, Kentucky recently and asked if I’d like to join him. He mentioned that we’d stop at a “50’s Diner for lunch” and I believe I was dressed with my handbag on my arm before the words were even out of his mouth. That’s how I roll.
The 50’s diner in question is My Friend’s Place at 129 South Main Street in charming downtown Greenville. While charming may seem like an old fashioned word, it’s the perfect word for downtown Greenville because it, itself, feels a little like a trip back in time. Back to a time when everything was as neat as a pin and everyone waved and smiled, whether they knew you or not.
My kind of place.
We didn’t know the address for the diner, so we actually walked right past it. When burgers are on the brain, there’s little room for anything else. Michael asked for directions from a very friendly woman who pointed us in the right direction. The picture above is the cool sign you’ll see above My Friend’s Place.
The inside of the restaurant is ab-so-lute-ly beautiful. When I hyphenate a word, I’m saying it with distinct pauses to heighten the effect. This place is ab-so-lute-ly special. The booths, the tables, and the chairs are the coolest I think I’ve ever seen and the decor is spot on. Even the servers wear clothes you’d have seen back in the 50’s!
One had on a top and skirt that looked just like clothes my mom and aunt would have worn. Of course the music playing was from the 50’s – a perfect touch.
I fell completely in love with the ambiance of My Friend’s Place immediately. A definite case of love at first sight. But, as we all know, when it comes to restaurant reviews, you can’t judge a book by its cover or the food by the booths.
After we studied the menu for a few minutes, we finally made our decisions. It was tough, though, because not only are there LOTS of choices, absolutely everything sounded delicious. The prices were also amazingly reasonable. Knowing my obsession with Onion Rings, Michael ordered the Hula Hoop Rings (pictured at the top and below) for an appetizer. When reviewing onion rings, I put them through a little test: I try a bite without anything on them. If the rings “stand up” to the test – meaning they’re awesome even without ketchup or sauce, they receive a perfect 10.
The onion rings at My Friend’s Place sailed right past the number 10. Last time I checked, they were still going. These are best onion rings in all of Kentucky. There I said it.
While these rings are perfection – even without the sauce – the sauce, itself, is so good that you wouldn’t dare neglect it. The combination of these delicious rings and the creamy sauce was just Heavenly.
I gotta admit, I’m also crazy about the presentation. Seriously, how cute is this?
In what was an amazingly short amount of time, our adorable server brought our meals to the table. My husband’s Club Sandwich looked so great that I almost regretted my own decision. That is until I caught site of the gorgeous steak burger and fries. One bite into the juicy, flavorful steak burger confirmed my suspicions… the girl made the right choice. De-li-cious!
Michael took a bite of the steak burger and said, “Now that’s how a burger’s supposed to taste.” Dang right it is.
How can words even hope to describe such deliciousness? Everything we had was simply outstanding. The best onion rings in the state? Check. The best burger I’ve had in, like, 700 forever’s? Check. Onion ring sauce so delectable you could scoop it out and eat it with your fingers? Check. Fries that you throw in so fast that you almost forget to breathe? Check…. gasp… check.
ALL in a diner that’s so cute you never want to leave.
I’m afraid that Michael and I both filled up on Onion Rings (did I mention they were the best in Kentucky???), fries, burgers, and club sandwiches. We didn’t have any room for dessert, even though their hand dipped ice dream looked like something out of my sweetest dreams. Rumor is it’s the best ice cream in the world and I am not about to question it.
We’ll save room for it next time. Mark it down.
My Friend’s Place is located at 129 South Main Street in downtown Greenville, Kentucky. The best onion rings, steak burgers, and the King of Rock and Roll are all waiting for you.
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