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You are here: Home / Archives for Kentucky Cities / Bowling Green

Bowling Green, Kentucky

On the following pages, you'll find restaurants in Bowling Green, Kentucky, restaurant reviews, things to do in Bowling Green, events, and attractions. First thing you should know about Bowling Green is this: You must eat at Double Dogs! Look for the reviews and you'll see why.

LongHorn Steakhouse: One of Bowling Green’s Best Restaurants

February 3, 2015 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

LongHorn Steakhouse Bowling Green, Ky
Bowling Green, Ky has so many wonderful restaurants, it’s tough to say which one is actually “best.”  As someone who has to eat gluten free, it’s always a relief to find that dining gluten free in Bowling Green is both easy and delicious.

While choosing just one restaurant would be impossible, I do have to say that Bowling Green’s LongHorn Steakhouse is definitely in the top 3.

The service is always excellent and I’m in love with the decor and overall ambiance of the restaurant.

Longhorn Steakhouse Salad with French Dressing No Croutons

Naturally, neither of these statements would mean jack if the food wasn’t delicious. Thankfully, the food is even better than the service or ambiance – and that’s saying A LOT.

I love that they have a special “gluten free” menu. My only disappointment is that, like a lot of restaurants, not every meat that’s on the main menu can be found on the gluten free menu. For example, chicken wasn’t on the menu – meaning that chicken is prepared with ingredients containing gluten. I’d love to see restaurants have gluten free options for all meats, including chicken.

Fortunately there were plenty of steak options, so I went with one of those. LongHorn knows their steaks, so I knew I was in good hands.

LongHorn Steakhouse Steak and Baked Sweet Potato

As a sweet potato fan (oh, let’s just call it what it is, I’m obsessed with sweet potatoes), I have to say that this was one of the biggest and best sweet potatoes I’ve ever gotten at a restaurant. The butter and brown sugar were just right and I could taste the delicious cinnamon in every single bite… even the last one.

Just look at the size of the sweet potato in the picture above. Now, that’s a sweet potato!

The steak was fantastic, the salad perfect, and the sweet tea was delicious. If you have to eat gluten free (or simply choose to), be sure to order your salad without croutons.

LongHorn Steakhouse has tons of options on their main menu, of course. Basically, whether you’re a steak lover or not, you’ll find something delicious to eat.

The beautiful LongHorn Steakhouse in Bowling Green is at 2635 Scottsville Road. You can check out their menu online – just be prepared for the pictures to make you swoon.

Click the thumbnails below to see these pictures larger. So much deliciousness!

LongHorn Steakhouse Salad with Bue Cheese and Croutons
LongHorn Steakhouse Steak and Baked Sweet Potato
LongHorn Steakhouse Sweet Tea
LongHorn Steak and Baked Potato

Also See:

  • Find more restaurant options for Eating Gluten Free in Kentucky.
  • More of our favorite Bowling Green Restaurants

Filed Under: Bowling Green, Bowling Green Restaurants, Dining Out Gluten Free, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Bowling Green restaurants, eating gluten free in Bowling Green, gluten free dining in Kentucky, restaurant reviews

Rafferty’s in Bowling Green, Kentucky: Everything They Do is a Perfect 10

April 4, 2014 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Rafferty's Grilled Chicken and Sweet Potato

As I said in a previous Rafferty’s in Bowling Green, Ky Review, it’s one of our favorite restaurants – not just in Bowling Green.. but one of our favorite Kentucky restaurants, period. It’s always outstanding and the service couldn’t be better if you were assigned three personal servers.

On a recent trip, I ordered something that turned out to be so delicious I could have wept tears of joy: BBQ Chicken (Hickory-grilled Chicken Breast basted with a ridiculously tasty BBQ sauce, then topped with Monterrey Jack cheese and hickory smoked bacon). I got a great salad and a huge, delicious baked sweet potato as my sides.

This sweet potato deserves its own paragraph, so here we go.  My oldest daughter (Emily) and I are obsessed with sweet potatoes. Wherever we go, we order a sweet potato and eagerly wait to dive in, teeth first. When we’re together, we compare notes – and when we aren’t together, we take pictures of our conquest to taunt one another.

I got her good with this one.  I think I racked up conquest points for days.

Rafferty’s baked sweet potatoes are HUGE and cooked perfectly. The inside is soft, beautiful, and delicious, and the outside is slightly crisp.  They use real butter (it SO makes a difference) and what tasted like a combination of brown sugar and cinnamon. It was just too fantastic for words.

Even Rafferty’s salads deserve their own paragraph! They’re always wonderful and come with their highly original and delicious bread.

Raffert'ys  Grilled Pork Chop and Asparagus

Michael ordered a grilled pork chop, asparagus, and side salad (pictured above).  While his plate isn’t as photogenic as mine, it was out of this world. I’m really not all that big on pork, but if all pork tasted like this one, I would be. Tender, juicy, flavorful.. just what we’ve come to expect from Bowling Green’s Rafferty’s.

The next time you’re looking for an extra special place for lunch or dinner (without “extra special” prices), check out Rafferty’s. They won’t let you down.

They couldn’t spell disappointment with a dictionary.

Rafferty's Salad

Also See:

  • Rafferty’s, Bowling Green: One of Our Favorite Kentucky Restaurants
  • Bowling Green Restaurants

Filed Under: Bowling Green, Bowling Green Restaurants, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Bowling Green restaurant reviews, Bowling Green restaurants, Kentucky Restaurant reviews, restaurant reviews

Picture of the Day: Big Red!

January 9, 2014 by Joi Sigers 1 Comment

Western Ky Hilltopper Golf Club Cover

In honor of all the news and commotion surrounding Coach Bobby Petrino leaving Western Kentucky and heading back to Louisville, I thought a picture of the day starring the adorable WKU mascot was in order. Seriously, Big Red is one of the cutest mascots in all of sports.

I’ve been trying to figure out which Kentucky State Park golf course I took this picture on.  Michael plays so many of them (as I ride shotgun and take a gazillion and one pictures).  I’ll have to ask him which one this was and come back and add an edit below.

He’ll be able to tell me, not only the course, but the hole, its par, and what he shot that day.

What is it with golfers?

No matter which Kentucky College team is your favorite, you have to admit, Kentucky’s college teams keep things interesting, don’t they?! Whether it’s basketball or football, not only do we have some of the most exciting teams in the country, we have some of the best coaches too. 

I’m just as excited about the women’s basketball programs as I am the men’s.  UK and U of L are both in the top 10, which is awesome.  They’ve become two of the stronger teams in the country and I’d love to see them generate as much excitement as the men do.

Of course, it’d help if they were actually on television more…

Personally, I love to see all of our college teams do well, but I have a little confession to make: I hope the Hilltoppers Football team goes undefeated next year.  Personally, I think they were fine pre-Petrino and I think they’ll be fine post-Petrino.  What better way to prove the point that with an undefeated season?

Am I right… Am I right…

EDIT:  Just as I thought… Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park. Third Hole. He Parred it. Golfers. Gotta love ’em. 🙂

Filed Under: Bowling Green, Golfing, Kentucky Picture of the Day Tagged With: Big Red, Western Kentucky University, WKU

Sam’s Gyros in Bowling Green, Kentucky (A Lip-Smacking, Raving Review)

January 1, 2014 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Sam's Gyros in the Bowling Green Mall

Sam’s Gyros (Bowling Green Mall): Some of the best Mediterranean food in Ky.

Every now and then, I’ll come across a Kentucky restaurant that makes it almost impossible to write a review.  Some food just defies description and you know it’s a losing battle because you’ll never be able to do it any justice. Sam’s Gyros in the Bowling Green Mall is just such a place.

I want our readers to be able to experience the food for themselves, though, so I’m going to give it my best.

First of all, I love the Bowling Green mall. So, the fact that Sam’s Gyros are in this great mall is like icing on the cake. I get to enjoy outrageously sweet shopping AND some of the best food you’ll find anywhere.

Where are you going to beat that?!

Here’s the thing, though. When you enter the mall’s food court, you will be tempted by a lot (and I mean A LOT) of different restaurants. The first few times we went, I fell prey to the temptations of the Asian restaurants. Asian food is normally excellent, no matter what mall’s court you’re in – so they’re always tempting.

However, the Asian restaurants in this food court cannot hold a candle to Sam’s Gyros.  If you go to the Bowling Green mall and eat anywhere besides Sam’s Gyros, you’ve blown it sky high.

Sam's Gyros in the Bowling Green Mall

Don’t even look at the other restaurants in the food court! Head for Sam’s Gyros – no questions asked.

As you can see from the picture above, Sam’s Gyros is a Mediterranean Restaurant. They have some of the absolute freshest, most delicious food I’ve ever tasted. How they take something as simple as hummus and make it something so remarkable is beyond me. I’m a HUGE hummus lover and this is the best I’ve had. It’s phenomenal and the bread served with it is so amazing, it’s delicious even by itself – but there’s no way I’m leaving that delectable hummus sitting there with nothing to do… so the bread and I scoop up the hummus and have ourselves a yummy little party.

There are a lot of different options on the menu – including options for vegetarians, chicken lovers, and – of course – gyro fanatics. Absolutely everything is Heavenly. In addition to working magic with hummus, they also take rice and turn it into something I can’t get enough of. I’m normally indifferent (at best) when it comes to rice, but I could eat a bucket of Sam’s Gyros’ rice and ask for a refill.

Make that two refills. Seriously, their yellow rice is addictive – but then again, so is everything on the menu.

Sam's Gyros Hummus

The vegetables are always so fresh and everything is so flavorful that I wonder why there are even other restaurants in the food court.

If you love great, exceptional food, you simply have to try Sam’s Gyros.  Please, please, please, DO NOT get distracted by any of the other restaurants in the food court. Make a beeline for the friendly guys at the Sam’s Gyros counter and they’ll hook you up with food so amazing you’ll be lost for words. Be sure you get the hummus and rice, whatever you do.

Sam's Gyros Chicken Plate
Sam's Gyros Bowling Green Mall 3
Sam's Gyros Bowling Green Mall 3
Sam's Gyros Bowling Green Mall
Sam's Gyros Bowling Green Mall
Sam's Gyros Hummus
Sam's Gyros: Delicious Hummus!
Sam's Gyros in the Bowling Green Mall

Filed Under: Bowling Green, Bowling Green Restaurants, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Best Gyros in Kentucky, Bowling Green restaurants, restaurant reviews, Where to eat lunch in Bowling Green

One of Our Favorite Bowling Green Restaurants: Rafferty’s

March 9, 2013 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Rafferty's Salad with Bleu Cheese Dressing

Bowling Green restaurants almost always amaze me.  You’ll find lots of Bowling Green restaurant reviews on Genuine Kentucky to back that up.  As far as cities go, Bowling Green is in the upper echelon when it comes to restaurant management.

Do they have a training facility where they train restaurant managers and staff the way Samurai warriors were trained?  If so, well played Bowling Green, well played.

I’m a small town girl (born and raised in Madisonville who now calls Owensboro home), so I have to say I couldn’t handle Bowling Green’s traffic on a daily basis – I don’t have a lot of patience and I have even less driving skills – but I am obsessed with their restaurants.

The most recent restaurant my husband and I fell in love with is Bowling Green’s Rafferty’s.

With all the respect a Kentucky girl could muster (and that’s a lot), I must tell you that you only THINK you’ve had the best baked beans in the world.  Unless you’ve had Rafferty’s Spike’s Mean Beans, you have only had the second or third best baked beans. Let me assure you, baked beans are one of my culinary obsessions.  I know my beans like Popeye knows spinach, like Bugs Bunny knows carrots, and like Yogi knows Pic-i-nic baskets.

Spike’s Mean Beans are the most flavorful and delicious baked beans in the world. They don’t just have a “kick,” they have a ninja kick.  Evil Spike Beans trained in the art of assassination and espionage of all other restaurant baked beans!

But let’s start at the beginning.

First of all, Rafferty’s is a showplace.  This is one gorgeous restaurant – inside and out. Everywhere you look, all you see is beauty. The ambiance is beautiful, the tables are gorgeous, the architecture is stunning, and the ceilings are too cool for their own good.

Yes the ceilings.  Yes I looked.  I am the very definition of a visual person and am utterly fascinated with architecture and decor.  When a building, home, or restaurant goes out of its way to impress me, you’d better believe I’m going to make a big deal about it (which is why I”m always crowing about Lake Barkley State Park‘s gorgeous lodge).  I SO wanted to take a picture of the inside of the restaurant – yes, even the ceiling – but there were simply too many people.  I didn’t want to look like a tourist or a nut for crying out loud.

Suffice to say, the restaurant is stunning.

Rafferty's Salad with Catalina Dressing

Our lovely server (“Murray” – I remember her name because I fell in love with it) was extremely friendly and totally on top of her game.  She, like every worker I saw, smiled the entire time as they worked in their beautiful environment.  I noticed the workers helped one another out a lot and just seemed genuinely happy. I saw something I really, really liked – a manager (in his nice shirt, slacks, and tie) helped a young girl bus several tables.  You don’t see that every day, but it stood out as pretty special.

I can’t put my finger on it, but every single employee I saw seemed to be giving 100 percent.  You know what it reminds me of, now that I think about it? When we have family over for a holiday, birthday dinner, or Sunday meal, each one of us goes out of our way to make sure everyone is comfortable.  Heaven knows I obsess over making sure the food’s just right. Our only concern is that our much-beloved guests have a “perfect” day.  Of course we’re all smile on these occasions because we’re happy.

The staff at Rafferty’s struck me as a family that was entertaining other family members or friend. Try telling me that’s something you’ve experienced at a lot of restaurants.

We ordered a salad (around $3 extra) to go with our meal and, let me tell you, that was a great call.  This was one spectacular salad. Rafferty’s salads are generous, fresh, and fantastic. Riding in on the salad plate was a little bit of Heaven in the form of a croissant.  SO delicious! There was a buttery honey flavor that nearly made me melt out of my seat. Come on, nothing has a right to be that delicious – it just isn’t fair.  When you go to Rafferty’s, no matter what you order, add a salad. For just $3 or so, it’s money very well spent and it’s more than worth it.

Michael got Blue Cheese dressing and I chose Catalina. Both were excellent.  They have a lot of amazing sounding dressings to choose from including Mustard-Honey, Garlic Ranch, Hot Bacon, Vinaigrette, and 1,000 Island.

Rafferty's Fried Catfish and Spike's Mean Beans

I, of course, ordered fried catfish as my entree with (one of the best choices of my life) Spike’s Mean Beans as my side. The catfish at Rafferty’s is like fried catfish I’ve had a few other places (usually high brow restaurants) – the catfish is breaded in a flour-dominated mixture as opposed to a cornmeal-dominated mixture.  Personally, I have to say that I much prefer the cornbread coating. Most people like it both ways, but I’m very particular with my catfish. You could even say picky, I don’t mind.  My husband loved this fried catfish and, in spite the fact that it had a flour-based rather than cornmeal-based coating, it was very, very, VERY good. They give you a generous amount and the catfish is plump. juicy, and full of intoxicating flavor.

The picky butt behind these words simply likes for her fried catfish to wear different attire than her fried chicken.

The tartar sauce that accompanied the catfish was herb-y and fantastic.

I have to say, however, that Spike’s Mean Beans stole the show.  They were so darn good, it’s not even funny.

My husband ordered a pork entree and, after one bite, declared that it was the best pork he’s ever had at any restaurant. I pulled away from my beans long enough to take a bite and, by George, the boy was right.  This pork is unlike any I’ve ever had. You just cannot find pork this tender and flavorful anywhere else.  Words are failing me here (and I work with them all day, every day – how dare they fail me at a time like this?!); I guess the words BEST PORK EVER will have to suffice.

You can choose special toppings for your meat entrees and my husband chose “Blue Cheese Butter.” Outstanding!

He also, of course, ordered grilled asparagus. The boy is obsessed with asparagus like I am obsessed with catfish,  baked beans, and onion rings. It’s a complete and utter obsession. When Murray mentioned that they had grilled asparagus, even though it wasn’t listed on the menu, his eyes lit up. I knew what his side would be.

Rafferty's Pork Chop and Grilled Asparagus

Sometimes ordering asparagus in restaurants can be tricky.  A pet peeve is when they haven’t trimmed (or snapped) the asparagus at the right place – leaving you with a tough end. Hate that! Rafferty’s grilled asparagus was absolute perfection. It was amazing. The grilled flavor, combined with the fact that they cooked it for just the right amount of time, combined with the fact that they snapped it off at JUST the right place make Rafferty’s grilled asparagus an absolute delicacy.

So let’s review:

  • Gorgeous restaurant.
  • Friendly, warm, and happy staff.
  • Best pork in the world. Period.
  • Best baked beans in the world. Period.
  • If not THE best bread in any restaurant, it’s in the top 3. None beat it and only O’Charley’s and Logan’s can hang with it.
  • One of the best salads I’ve ever had in a restaurant.
  • Amazing grilled asparagus.
  • Did I mention the best baked beans in the world?

What are you waiting for? Throw on your shoes and drive to the Rafferty’s nearest you right now.  If Bowling Green is at all within reach, I completely and totally suggest you have your next meal at their Rafferty’s (address below).

Before going, you can check out Rafferty’s Menu online. You can scroll to the bottom and click on the Rafferty’s location you’ll be visiting. Be sure to also check out the interactive menu in the middle of the page. Click Next and Previous above the image to navigate through the pages. More restaurants should have a beautiful interactive menu like this one. It’s pretty slick.

As you’ll find, Rafferty’s is perfect for lunch or dinner.

Find a Rafferty’s Restaurant Near You!

In addition to Bowling Green, there are Rafferty’s restaurants in Paducah, Elizabethtown, Florence, and there are two Rafferty’s in Lexington, and two in Louisville.  (Owensboro, we are not on the list… let’s fix this, okay?)

Bowling Green’s Rafferty’s is at 1939 Scottsville Road.  For the address of the Rafferty’s Restaurants in the other Kentucky cities (or neighboring states), visit the Rafferty’s locations page.

Trust me on this one, I would never steer you wrong. Rafferty’s will blow you away…. just promise me you’ll order Spike’s Mean Beans.

See Also:

  • Bowling Green Restaurants

Filed Under: Bowling Green, Bowling Green Restaurants, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Bowling Green restaurant reviews, Bowling Green restaurants, Kentucky Restaurant reviews, Rafferty's, restaurant reviews

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