Two of my daughters (the third one was in Florida basking in the sun) and one of their boyfriends (the other bf was in bed basking in sleep) and I ate at Bob Evans Restaurant in Owensboro, Kentucky last week.  My husband couldn’t join us because he was working (poor guy!).  My girls and I hadn’t eaten there since the first week they opened – and back then it was.. well… like I said, we hadn’t eaten since the first week they opened.

Boy were we in for a surprise!

First of all, it was just as beautiful as I remembered.  The inside of this restaurant just feels like home, right down to all of the beautiful details.

My oldest daughter (Emily) and I knew what we wanted right off the bat – Blueberry Crepes (two delicious and delicate crepes filled with a scrumptious vanilla cream cheese, then topped off with a wonderful blueberry topping).  We also ordered a side of bacon. The four people who sat around that table were each bacon connaisseurs with years of experience and enjoyment.  Simply put, we know our bacon.  We each agreed that this was the best bacon in town.  We’ve had bacon, literally, every single place bacon is served in Owensboro – and this is the best, period.  It’s thick, tasty, and cooked to perfection… not overly cooked and not under cooked either. Perfect.

My youngest daughter (Stephany) ordered the Farmer’s Choice Breakfast.   Her eggs and home fries were beautiful and, apparently, quite good, the biscuits were fluffy and delicious, the bacon has been categorized already (as in perfect), and the gravy reminded me of my dad’s sausage gravy.  So, so good.

Rusty (Steph’s boyfriend) got the Pot Roast Beef Stew Deep-Dish Dinner and it was a work of art.  He gave us each a bite of the pot roast and it was the most tender and delicious meat you can imagine.  Heavenly is a word that came to mind.

Heavenly is also a word I’d use to describe the amazing appetizer we got:   The Blue Ribbon Apple Pie Fries.  Oh.  My.  Gracious.  Goodness.  These have to be tried to be believed:  Lightly battered and fried miniature Apple Pie Fries are dusted with powdered sugar and served with an amazing caramel dipping sauce.

When a worker came by to ask how everything was (I believe I pulled myself away from my food long enough to catch that he was a food quality control expert) – we praised the Apple Pie Fries.  He laughed and said that they were why his top was beginning to get a little tight.  His friendliness just made the experience all the better.

Our server was also very much on the ball.  Her name tag said “Just Denise” and she was just fantastic.

If you haven’t been to Bob Evans Restaurant in Owensboro Kentucky lately – do yourself a favor and go soon.  Whether you love breakfast food (which is available all day) or lunch and dinner food, Bob Evans will have exactly what you’re looking for and they’ll cook it better than you could ever hope for.

Visit Bob Evans online Menu for a run down of their entire menu items.

One final thing:  When I got home that day, I went online and left positive feedback on their website.  This is something I always do when I have a great dining experience.  I want each worker associated with that experience to get credit.  Something unusual happened this time, however – I got a very sweet, personal reply!   If you complain on a website (something that I’ve only done once in my entire life – and I addressed it on this blog about a month or so ago), I guess you could expect to hear back (even though I didn’t) but when you leave positive feedback, you generally don’t hear from them.  I was pleasantly surprised that a Bob Evans worker replied, thanking me for my kind words.  It was a personal message, too, which made it even more cool.  A very smart organization surrounds themselves with people who will reflect positively on their brand, their logo, and their reputation.

Bob Evans Restaurant is all over that.  And, man, you have to try the bacon.

The Bob Evans Restaurant in Owensboro Kentucky is located at 3123 Kentucky Highway 54.  Visit Bob Evans.com for other Kentucky locations.

Make no mistake about it, I love myself some Owensboro, Kentucky. We’ve lived, like, 72 gazillion places in the past 23 years. Wichita (Kansas), Pensacola Beach (Florida), Washington (Indiana), Metro-Louisville, Webster City (Iowa) – yep, been everywhere. Even Earlington, Kentucky… Yeah, get you some of that.

Where we currently live (and have for quite a few years) is my favoritest of my favorites: Owensboro, Kentucky – affectionately called the ‘Boro by usin’s. Cool town, good people, very low crime rate, 3 Starbucks, birthplace of The Depp, great parks, a killer walking trail, a beautiful downtown with a gorgeous view of the river, plenty of shopping, BBQ – and lots of it, etc.

I also love that Owensboro is within striking distance of so many other great places: Evansville, Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Greeen, Land Between the Lakes, St. Louis, and so on.

One of my favorite places in Owensboro is the Great Harvest Bread Co. store on Frederica Street. Their bread is phenomenal and they have more varieties than you ever knew existed. As for their sugar cookies (which are about as big as a child’s head), they make you happy to be alive, that’s all. Very, very happy to be alive and to have been born with a mouth.

Something else I’ve noticed about GHB Co. is the fact that they have the friendliest workers you’ll ever meet. It must be a requirement, if you don’t have a good personality and an upbeat disposition – you’re not goint to work at Great Harvest Bread Co. I swear, I’ve been a frequent flyer in and out of their doors for years and have NEVER (not once) encountered an unfriendly worker. They’re always smiling ear to ear and seem genuinely thrilled to see your face every time it walks through the doors.

How many places can you say that about?

The next time you find yourself in Owensboro, Kentucky, you HAVE to stop by  Great Harvest Bread Co. While their bread is beyond spectacular, they also have spreads, coffee, cookies, and more. They also have the greatest gift baskets you’d ever hope to send (or receive!).

Click HERE for some Focaccia recipes courtesy of the site. Word to your lid – it’s about to be flipped.