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Owensboro Kentucky Restaurants

When a restaurant reviewer lives in a particular town, you can rest assured that they are THE best source for reviews for that town's restaurants. I live in Owensboro, Kentucky, so you'll find a great number of Owensboro Kentucky restaurant reviews. If you want your own private tips and advice on where to eat and where to avoid, e-mail me or find me on Twitter. I have all the latest details on Owensboro restaurants.

Owensboro Restaurants: Mi Ranchito is Delicious for Lunch or Dinner

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Mi Ranchito Salsa and Chips
I was enjoying lunch in a new favorite Owensboro restaurant, Mi Ranchito, a few days ago when it hit me… I haven’t written about this delicious Authentic Mexican Restaurant on Genuine Kentucky yet!

Where has my brain been?!?! Never mind. I know the answer. Baseball.  To be more precise – St. Louis Cardinals baseball. Yes, I’m obsessed and No, I’ll never change.

Something else I’m obsessed with is good, consistent, affordable restaurants. I love a restaurant that I pretty much know will be great each and every time I visit. If I order a favorite menu item for lunch, I want it to be just as delicious as it was the last time I ordered it.

With Mi Ranchito, you get the consistency, the delicious food, and (as a bonus) the prices are incredibly reasonable.  What’s more, their sweet tea is out of this world.

Mi Ranchito Owensboro Grilled Chicken Taco and Rice
Mi Ranchito has become one of our absolute favorite restaurants to eat lunch in Owensboro. I always get the Hard Shell Grilled Chicken Taco with Lettuce and Cheese and a side of rice.  I say it so often, it’s a wonder I don’t say the words in my sleep. In addition to having possibly the best salsa I’ve ever gotten at  an authentic Mexican restaurant, their tacos are fantastic and the rice is… again.. maybe the best you’ll ever eat.

I also order grilled chicken when I eat at Mi Ranchito for lunch.  What can I say, their grilled chicken is delicious. Plus, when you have to eat gluten free (for health reasons), you find the foods that don’t cause you any pain or other ugly side effects and you stick to them like your very life depends on it.

Mi Ranchito is located at 2425 W Parrish Ave. – in an old Subway location.  Whether you want lunch, dinner, dine-in, or carry-out… I know you’ll love this food as much as I do.

Phone: (270) 240-4306

Also See: 

Old Hickory’s Chopped Mutton Sandwich: Named One of the 21 Best BBQ Sandwiches in the South

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Old Hickory Chopped Mutton Sandwich - One of the Top 21 BBQ Sandwiches in the South!

One of the South’s favorite magazines, Garden and Gun, recently ran a feature on their website called Top 21 Barbecue Sandwiches. As a barbecue lover, my mouth drooled throughout the entire slideshow. As an Owensboro, Kentucky resident, I took great pride in the fact that Owensboro’s own Old Hickory was included!

Old Hickory’s Chopped Mutton Sandwich made the list and the picture looks as Heavenly as the rest. For good reason, too. Old Hickory is, quite honestly, one of the best Barbecue restaurants in all of Kentucky – or anywhere for that matter.

I’m a pork fanatic, so I usually order the pulled pork. I have to admit, though, the mutton is completely and utterly out of this world. When topped off with Old Hickory’s own barbecue sauce (best sauce I’ve ever had), it’s an experience you never forget.

I also have to give a BIG shout out to Old Hickory’s sides – they’re fantastic.  A lot of barbecue restaurants “phone it in” with the sides because they assume all anyone’s really interested in is the meat anyway.  Thankfully Old Hickory doesn’t “phone it in” with anything.

As soon as you get up to leave the restaurant, you’re already planning your next trip back. That happened with us on a recent trip. I was having lunch with some of my favorite people on earth – two of my daughters and two of my sons-in-law. When we stood up to leave, we were all buzzing about our next trip – even with stomachs completely full, all we could think about was our next meal.

Old Hickory does that to you… you have to keep an eye on them, they’ll make you a BBQ addict.  And baked beans.. and coleslaw.. and macaroni and cheese.. and green beans.. and fries…

In addition to the great food, the prices are reasonable, the service is extra friendly, and the entire atmosphere is the type of “charming” that only the South can pull off.

 

Spudz-N-Stuff: A Favorite Place for Lunch in Owensboro (Review)

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Spudz and Stuff Garden Spud

Spudz and Stuff Garden Spud

Varying members of our large family love to get together in Owensboro at least once a week for lunch and laughs. Our goofy cast of characters supply the laughs and whichever restaurant we’re in the mood for supplies the lunch. Fortunately, there are a great number of Owensboro Restaurants to choose from.

To add to the decision-making proceedings, we have several “food determiners” in our group:

  • One of my daughters is a vegetarian and has followed a very strict vegetarian diet over half of her life
  • Another daughter has a wheat/gluten allergy and is now adhering to a very strict gluten free diet. Even cross-contamination is a real danger, causing frightening reactions.
  • I, myself, have to eat gluten and wheat free. My body has decided that they’re poison and will react violently if I allow them on the premises.

Even with these stipulations, we’ve found that Owensboro still offers us a lot of variety.

One of the most delicious options is Spudz -N-Stuff off of Highway 54.

Not long ago, my husband brought a couple of Spudz -N-Stuff’s Garden Spuds to me and one of our daughters (the vegetarian).  I’d been craving another since then, so we went to Spudz -N-Stuff Friday for lunch.  With salads and potatoes, gluten-free meals isn’t a problem in the least. What’s more, they have SO many options that the meat-lovers in the family (daughter number 3, for example, probably loves chicken more than Colonel Sanders ever did and her husband eats meat with every meal… I can’t prove it but I’m fairly certain he’d put bacon on his Cheerios!).

“The Vegetarian” and I ordered the same thing – the WONDERFULLY DELICIOUS and fresh-tasting Garden Spud. The baked potato is topped with cheddar, mozzarella, lettuce, grilled mushrooms, tomato, green onion, and ranch dressing. Words can’t even describe how delicious it is.

You may be like I was BEFORE I ate at Spudz and Stuff – wondering if a baked potato can be filling. Let’s just put it this way – we all left the restaurant wondering if we’d even eat supper later. When 4:30 rolled around, I still wasn’t the least bit interested in food. So, yes, these potatoes will most definitely fill you up. Males and females, alike.

There were two males in our group Friday and they left with serious “I’m stuffed!” faces too.

Spudz-N-Stuff's Chicken N Broccoli Spud

Spudz-N-Stuff’s Chicken-N-Broccoli Spud

My “Gluten Free” daughter ordered the Chicken-N-Broccoli Spud (pictured above). According to her it was fantastic. The potato is topped with a yummy combination of cheddar cheese sauce. chicken, broccoli, and real bacon. The combination’s a thing of beauty.

As for the “Chicken Fan” and “Mr. Bacon on His Cheerios,” they each went with the Chicken Bacon Ranch Spud (pictured below). Even though I’m not as in love with chicken as she is, I have to admit – I was tempted by this one! This potato is topped with cheddar, ranch, chicken, and real bacon.

Spudz a-N-Stuff Chicken Bacon Ranch Spud

 

Spudz a-N-Stuff Chicken Bacon Ranch Spud

A word about the REAL bacon… good on Spudz-N-Stuff for using real bacon as opposed to those insane little rubbery “bits” some places use on their potatoes and salads. They taste like a chopped up Barbie doll head and have about the same consistency.  The bacon Spudz-N-Stuff uses tastes like it could have just come right out of your morning skillet. Holy cats, does that make a difference?!

“The Vegetarian’s” boyfriend ordered a real masterpiece. It was topped with pulled pork, steak, and I believe bacon. I can’t even find his creation on the menu. I also wasn’t able to snap a picture because when my potato arrived, I dove right in, forgetting everything and everyone else.

I’m kicking myself now because this was one work of art. He loved every bite, too!

I wish at least one of us had branched out and gotten a salad, nachos, or pitas so that the review and pictures would be more varied, but.. what can I say.. we all had Spudz on the mind.

Gosh darn it, I guess we’ll have to go back again soon. Oh, what a shame. A serious case of sarcasm there, in case you couldn’t tell… I cannot wait to go back!

In addition to amazing combinations of potatoes, like the ones above, below are just a few more of the delicious menu items from Spudz-N-Stuff:

  • Taco Nachos (cheese sauce, seasoned beef, salsa, jalapenos, lettuce, sour cream, green onions)
  • Buffalo Nachos (cheese sauce, grilled chicken, hot sauce, ranch, lettuce, sour cream, green onion)
  • Gyro Pita (seasoned lamb, beef,Tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomato, grilled onion)
  • Steak Fajita Pita (steak, cheddar, white American cheese, grilled onions, bell peppers, lettuce, tomato)
  • Classic Philly Sub (Philly steak, white American cheese, grilled mushrooms, grilled onions, green bell peppers)
  • Sides: Mac-N-Cheese, Broccoli-CHZ-Bacon Bowl, Side Salad, Chips
  • Chef Salad, Garden Salad, Grilled Chicken Salad, Taco Salad, Chicken Caesar Salad
  • Check out the rest of Spudz-N-Stuff’s Menu online!

Oh! I just found my buddy’s masterpiece of a potato on the menu. It’s under the category “Hungry Man Spudz.” Well played, sir… well played.

There’s a Kid’s Menu in addition to the many, many other options and even brownies for those of us who are card-carrying chocoholics.

Cracker Barrel: If Comfort Food Were a Restaurant, It’d Be Cracker Barrel

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Cracker Barrel - Owensboro, Ky

Michael and I braved the winter cold Sunday morning for breakfast at one of our favorite restaurants – Owensboro’s Cracker Barrel.  While we have plenty of great places to eat breakfast in Owensboro (Denny’s, Bob Evans, Dunkin’ Doughnuts..), Cracker Barrel offers something none of the rest do…. Fried Catfish!  You know me, that little distinction is all it takes.

The breakfast I almost always order comes with your choice of any meat on the menu and, no, it never takes me long to decide. Although, I will say this – Cracker Barrel’s ham and bacon are uncommonly delicious too.

Breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Owensboro

The eggs are always exactly how you want them, the hashbrown casserole is the stuff culinary dreams are made of, and the biscuits?? Oh, man, words can’t even come close.

Something that always amazes me about Cracker Barrel is the WIDE variety of food they have – and yet they’re able to fix EACH like it’s their specialty. Fried Catfish, Chicken, Steak, Fried Okra, Green Beans, Gravy, Grits, Biscuits, Cornbread Muffins, Hashbrown Casserole, Eggs, Ham, Meatloaf, Greens, Mashed Potatoes, Carrots, etc (lots of etc.). Everything on their menu is excellent.

Breakfast at Cracker Barrel (Owensboro, Ky)

As soon as we sat down (even before our sweetheart of a server came over and long before I had my cherished fried catfish), something else hit me: Being in Cracker Barrel just fits. It’s home-y, it’s comfortable, it’s cozy, it smells delicious, it’s friendly… it’s comforting.

When you go to a restaurant regularly, you develop a camaraderie with its “faces.” These “faces” (hostess, server, manager, cashiers…) are the restaurants personality and the personality of Owensboro’s Cracker Barrel is as good as it gets. Servers who aren’t even taking care of you often smile, speak, and even ask if you need anything.

That’s not common in most restaurants, but it is common in Cracker Barrel.

When you walk through the doors, everyone seems intent on giving you a wonderful experience – and when you leave, almost everyone wants to know how it was!  I love that.  When we were leaving on this particular morning, our hostess asked how everything was. I told her, “Delicious as always,” and she said, “That’s what we like to hear!”  I also told her, “Every restaurant in the world needs a server just like Raymond (one of the faces of this Owensboro restaurant that provides enough personality for himself and twelve others).” The hostess and a server standing nearby both smiled and said, “That’s for sure!”

Cracker Barrel is a special restaurant chain here in the South and the one in Owensboro is (in my opinion) extra special.

Cracker Barrel Fireplace

Cracker Barrel proves that although great food and great value are important (they excel in each of those categories), how you make people FEEL is just almost as important. I’ve always felt like a restaurant (or any business) should make each person who walks through their door feel like a welcomed guest. Cracker Barrel has a reputation for doing just that.  I would say it’s just good old fashioned Southern hospitality – but we’ve all seen enough exceptions to know that this isn’t always the case.

There’s something within the foundation of Cracker Barrel, itself, that fundamentally seeks out the friendliest people as its “faces”. That’s more than just smart… it’s as comforting as the rocking chairs that sit out front.

Cracker Barrel Rockers

Owensboro’s Cracker Barrel is at 5311 Frederica St.

Picture of the Day: Margaritaville Pizza from Fetta (Owensboro)

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Fetta Pizza in Owensboro, KY: Margaritaville Pizza

 

Yes, I did recently post a Review of Fetta Pizza in Owensboro.

Yes, I did tell you that it was some of the BEST pizza in all of Kentucky.

Yes, I drooled, ooohed, and ahhhed over the Margaritaville pizza with a particular passion.

And, yes, I am indeed posting yet another picture of yet another piece of Margaritaville pizza on yet another trip to Fetta Pizza in downtown Owensboro.

And, no, I’m not apologizing.

I’m bragging. 🙂

When I have favorite places (such as the Kentucky State Parks) and favorite Kentucky restaurants (like Pangea, Fetta, Old Hickory, Wasabi Express, and Olive Garden in Owensboro, Willow Pond in Cadiz, Shady Cliff on Lake Malone…), I go on and on incessantly about them in an effort to convince people to go, themselves. I figure if I really, really drive the point home, they’ll throw up their hands and say, “Okay, crazy restaurant reviewing woman, I’ll go! I’ll go!”

Not only do I want to support the best Kentucky attractions and restaurants (and there are tons of them), I want all of you to have an opportunity to enjoy the best of Kentucky.  And if you want to enjoy some of the most exciting and delicious pizza you’ve ever bitten into, you’ll want to visit Fetta Pizza (downtown Owensboro). All of the pizza is ridiculously delicious – but I hope you’ll be sure to try the Margaritaville at some point.  It’s mind-boggling how fresh, flavorful, and amazing this pizza is. So are the White Bean and Sausage pizza and the Smother’s Park pizza.

Click the link at the top (under the drool-worthy pizza) for more information about this little pizza restaurant with huge flavor. HUGE.

You’ll notice, in the review,that I made an edit – one I was pretty tickled about. On our first couple of trips, they didn’t have French dressing – but on our most recent trip, they did. Yay!!!! Can you tell it’s my favorite?

I know, I know, French dressing in an Italian Pizza restaurant – what can I say, we Kentuckians know how to live on the edge.

A few people in our group (on the last visit) were totally convinced that the slices of individual pizza have gotten a little bit bigger, too – without the prices going up.  I must confess that I bit into mine so quickly and with such wild abandonment that I couldn’t say for certain.

Such is life on the edge….

EDIT:  3/20/2015 – You may notice there aren’t any new posts, pictures, or reviews about Owensboro’s Fetta. It’s still in downtown Owensboro and I’m sure it’s just as delicious as ever… but I had to stop eating gluten/wheat for health reasons, so I’ve been unable to go back.  Like a lot of other old favorite restaurants, they’re just memories now – but when it comes to Fetta, the memories are excellent!

"When reading about a Kentucky event, please be sure you check the date. Old events are not always deleted from the website. If you have an event you'd like to see on Genuine Kentucky or a 'Made in Kentucky' food or product you'd like reviewed, please contact us! " ~ Joi ("Joy")

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