• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Genuine Kentucky

Kentucky Pictures, Events, Restaurants

  • Home
    • About
    • Contact
      • Advertise
    • Facts About Kentucky
      • Kentucky Geography 101: Where is Kentucky?!
      • Kentucky’s Lakes (Listed Alphabetically)
    • Famous Kentuckians
    • Kentucky Birds
      • Joys of Bird Watching
      • Bird Watching: Keeping a Journal
      • Backyard Birds Love Water!
      • Create a Backyard Bird Watching Haven
      • How to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Yard
    • Kentucky Food
    • Kentucky History
    • Sitemap
  • Pictures
  • Restaurants
    • Best Catfish Restaurants
    • Best Pizza in Ky
    • Best BBQ in Ky
    • Bowling Green Restaurants
    • Gluten Free in Kentucky
    • Kentucky Lake Restaurants
    • Off the Beaten Path
    • Owensboro, Gluten Free
    • Owensboro Restaurants
    • Where to Eat Lunch in Owensboro
  • KY State Parks
    • Carter Caves State Resort Park
    • Cumberland Falls State Resort Park
    • Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park
    • Kenlake State Resort Park
    • Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park
    • Lake Barkley State Resort Park
    • Rough River Dam State Resort Park
    • Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park
    • Pine Mountain State Resort Park
    • John James Audubon State Park
    • Lake Cumberland State Resort Park
    • More Kentucky State Parks
  • Things to Do
    • Grand Rivers Variety
    • Kentucky State Parks
    • Kentucky Lake
      • Kentucky Lake Pictures
    • Land Between the Lakes
      • Elk & Bison Prairie
      • Golden Pond Planetarium
      • The Homeplace
      • The Nature Station
      • LBL Pictures
        • Elk and Bison Prairie Pictures
    • Windy Hollow Campground and Speedway
    • Western Kentucky Botanical Garden
    • Smothers Park and Owensboro’s Riverfront
    • The Hitching Post
  • Events
You are here: Home / Restaurant Reviews / Off the Beaten Path / Off the Beaten Path: The North South Cafe in Robards, Kentucky

Off the Beaten Path: The North South Cafe in Robards, Kentucky

May 7, 2013 by Joi Sigers 2 Comments

North South (Robards, Ky) Fried Catfish

As I’ve said a gazillion and seven times (maybe more), we have a wild obsession with locally owned and operated restaurants.  These small diners, cafes, and… dare I even say it… dives!..  aren’t just a great way to support your neighbors, they’re also a lot of fun. Some of the servers and fellow diners are downright entertaining.  Best of all, often the food is outstanding.

Good, old-fashioned, down-home country cooking that takes you back to simpler days.

If you’re lucky enough to live within reach of one of these restaurants, be sure to pay them a visit as often as possible. These restaurants are a dying breed and that’s nothing if not heartbreaking.

When you DO go to one of these small diners, be sure to check your fancy shmancy expectations at the door. They aren’t backed by a huge conglomeration and the owner more likely than not doesn’t have pockets any deeper than the rest of us. As a matter of fact, very often the owner is in the kitchen doing the cooking!

You also have to keep in mind that, just like your favorite aunt, your mom, or your grandmother, these restaurants make certain foods better than others. Their cornbread may be the stuff dreams are made of while their roll obviously was pulled out of a grocery-bought bag as the server made their way to your table! Again, like Aunt Sue (or whatever your aunt’s name is!), some foods are better than others.

And you can’t tell me Aunt Sue bakes all her own bread. She just doesn’t have time for that!

It’s all part of the charm of these small restaurants. You often have to go several times to discover which are their very best menu items.

The North South Cafe in Robards, Kentucky (also known locally as the Truck Stop) is a wonderful example of this type of restaurant.  There’s a laid back, everyone here is family type of atmosphere that is “genuine Kentucky.”  We went about a week ago and I look forward to making a second trip very soon.

North South Fried Cornbread and Coleslaw

Our server was great. He was uncommonly friendly and knew the menu so well I thought maybe he wrote it. I’m pretty sure I’ve never had a more likeable, friendly server ever.

The restaurant, which was established in 1956, reminds me of restaurants I visited with my parents as a child. The outside of the restaurant, the dining room, and even the food took me back to another time. Nostalgic trips are always cool, aren’t they?

My husband (Michael) and I both ordered fried catfish, fried potatoes, and coleslaw.  He chose fried cornbread and I chose a roll.  The fried cornbread was excellent.

He went on and on about his fried potatoes and I had to agree, they were really good. The catfish was good, too.  I liked it much better than some yellow, floppy catfish I had recently. When I saw it, I thought, “Yes! Brown like it should be.”

North South White Beans

After we’d almost finished our meal, Michael remembered seeing white beans on the menu and asked our server for a bowl.

Great call!

The white beans were fantastic. If only he’d ordered them before eating all the fried cornbread – they’d have been an unbeatable combination. These beans were full of flavor and cooked for just the right amount of time.  I normally throw some salt and pepper on restaurant beans, after taking a taste to see how they are without them. I didn’t even bother with these beans – they didn’t need anything in them except for a spoon. Dang good beans.

Speaking of unbeatable, we ordered a slice of Coconut Meringue Pie for dessert and it was amazing. Absolutely amazing! It was big, beautiful, and couldn’t be more delicious.

I hope you’ll go to the North South Cafe (“Truck Stop”) when you get a chance. It’s a fun, enjoyable experience, the food is ridiculously inexpensive, and downright tasty! I will say this (with all due respect and love for North South),  the coleslaw wasn’t my favorite. If it comes with something you order, fine, but if you have a choice of another side, go with another side.

Say you’re allergic to coleslaw, it’s against your religion, or that coleslaw brings back ugly memories of an ex – whatever.

Unless we caught it on a bad night, it’s just not that fantastic. It’s beautiful… I mean just look at the pictures!  Did you ever see prettier coleslaw?

I actually kind of like it when a restaurant has an item that’s a weak link. It gives the place character. One of our favorite catfish restaurants (years ago, before it went to the dogs) had coleslaw that was horrific.  We’d go about once a week and, even though coleslaw came with our catfish dinner, we’d tell them to just not bring any.  One time we were there and a server we’d never had before brought coleslaw out anyway.  When she put it in front of me, I asked her, “What’d I ever do to you??!”  She laughed and said, “It’s bad, isn’t it?”

One of our two favorite present-day catfish restaurants happens to have (in my opinion) ridiculously bad hush puppies.  I just substitute with a roll. Bottom line – every restaurant has an item that’s not on par with the rest.  In the case of the North South Cafe, the coleslaw is pretty, but she’s doesn’t have the personality the other sides have.

The beans, cornbread, and potatoes are “lookers” AND have killer personalities. Date them instead.

[Review continued beneath the Heavenly picture of Coconut Cream Pie.]

North South Coconut Cream Pie

Doesn’t the picture of Coconut Cream Pie above make your mouth water?!All that delicious, tender coconut in the filling and toasted coconut on top of the meringue.  Even the crust was flaky and fantastic.

This pie is out of this world good. I couldn’t decide which part was my favorite – the creamy middle or the flaky crust. In the end, I just called it a tie and wished that the entire pie was in front of me.

As you’ll notice in the pictures below, the North South also got it RIGHT with ketchup. If you read many of my Kentucky Restaurant Reviews, you know I”m a stickler for Heinz Ketchup (or Hunt’s).  It’s a personal mission to wipe out all of the cheap, nasty, foul-tasting off-brand ketchup that haunts far too many restaurant tables.  It matters, people, it matters!  That’s why, in my restaurant reviews, you’ll notice that if a certain restaurant has Heinz or Hunt’s Ketchup, I’ll take a picture of and let it show off.

As a matter of fact, yes, sometimes I get a few stares when I position and photograph a ketchup bottle. Their faces are like, “What the….” I want to tell them, “Back off people, I’m having a photo shoot with a beautiful red head!”

The North South is located at 14260 US HWY 41 S. in Robards, Kentucky. Well within reach of Madisonville, Owensboro, or Henderson. See the North South Website for more information, the menu, etc. I just noticed that they serve breakfast! The North South would be a really cool place to enjoy breakfast.  The atmosphere, friendliness… oh, yeah, I can’t wait to have breakfast there!

Heinz Ketchup at North South North South Coleslaw and Roll North South Restaurant in Robards, Kentucky North South Restaurant in Robards, Kentucky Coconut Cream Pie at North South Restaurant in Robards, Kentucky

Filed Under: Off the Beaten Path, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Kentucky Restaurant reviews, off the beaten path restaurants, restaurant reviews


Comments

  1. Christina buckman says

    August 25, 2016 at 6:54 pm

    Grew up eating their food…it’s as good now as it was when I was 8…I’m now 37…yes you need to try their breakfast it’s even better than lunch or supper…into will take you back to when you would wake up at grandma house to the smell of her slaving over the stove making a homemade breakfast
    North south trucks top will make you want to come back for every special they have…

  2. Joi Sigers says

    August 31, 2016 at 2:38 pm

    Sounds delicious! I’ll have to try their breakfast really soon – I’m definitely a “breakfast person.” Thanks so much for leaving your comment. – Joi

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome to Genuine Kentucky!

Genuine Kentucky is a Kentucky Blog and online magazine celebrating the beautiful Bluegrass State. We shine the spotlight on Kentucky with pictures, restaurant reviews, news, tourism, Things to Do in Kentucky, and more.

We’re proud Kentuckians and the non-profit effort you see before you is a labor of love.

E-mail me anytime! ~ Joi (“Joy”)

Kentucky Blog Updates

The Pond Grilled Shrimp and Baked Potato.

Delicious Grilled Shrimp at The Pond in Aurora, Kentucky If you're anything like me, you LOVE to get out in all the hustle … [Read More...] about Enjoying all Kentucky Has to Offer in Cold and Flu Season…

Beautiful Cardinal in Ice Covered Tree

Cardinal Riding Out the 2014 Ice Storm Can you believe it's been 8 years since the famous 2014 ice storm (well, it was … [Read More...] about Throwback to 2014 and the Kentucky Ice Storm… Even Then, There was Beauty

The Pond Catfish and Baked Potato

Baked Potato and Grilled Catfish at The Pond One of my favorite Kentucky restaurants is The Pond in Aurora, Kentucky. I love … [Read More...] about The Pond at Kentucky Lake: Always a Relaxing and Wonderful Place to Dine

Kentucky Lake - Winter at Lighthouse Landing

Lighthouse Landing at Kentucky Lake If you were a regular reader of Genuine Kentucky, you know all too well that we've been … [Read More...] about Genuine Kentucky… Recovering from a Whirlwind of Changes!

The Kentucky Legend Cafe

Photo Credit: The Owensboro Convention Center My youngest daughter, Stephany, often talk about squeezing as much joy out of … [Read More...] about Hot Dog Days of Summer at the Kentucky Legend Cafe in Owensboro (Located in the Convention Center)

Golden Pond Visitor's Center and Planetarium

The Golden Pond Visitor Center Planetarium and Observatory International Astronomy Day is Saturday, May 7, 2022 and The … [Read More...] about Golden Pond Planetarium and Observatory: Activities for Astronomy Day (May 7, 2022)

Smothers Park Owensboro

Some of the more popular posts we've done on Genuine Kentucky have been the ones under the category "Where to eat in … [Read More...] about Kentucky Legend Café: Delicious Place to Enjoy Lunch in Owensboro, Kentucky

Gorgeous owl at the Nature Station

Owl at Woodlands Nature Station As I said in my last post, everything is coming back to life around Kentucky... everything … [Read More...] about A Sensational Spring Break at Woodlands Nature Station in the Land Between the Lakes April 2-10, 2022

Follow Genuine Kentucky on Twitter!

Tweets by @GenuineKentucky


"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")

Flowering Tree in Bowling Green
Fraley Music Festival
Maddox

Kentucky News and Events

  • Enjoying all Kentucky Has to Offer in Cold and Flu Season…
  • Throwback to 2014 and the Kentucky Ice Storm… Even Then, There was Beauty
  • The Pond at Kentucky Lake: Always a Relaxing and Wonderful Place to Dine
  • Genuine Kentucky… Recovering from a Whirlwind of Changes!
  • Hot Dog Days of Summer at the Kentucky Legend Cafe in Owensboro (Located in the Convention Center)
  • Golden Pond Planetarium and Observatory: Activities for Astronomy Day (May 7, 2022)
  • Kentucky Legend Café: Delicious Place to Enjoy Lunch in Owensboro, Kentucky
  • A Sensational Spring Break at Woodlands Nature Station in the Land Between the Lakes April 2-10, 2022

Kentucky State Parks

We have a special passion for Kentucky State Parks, so you'll find many articles and reviews centered around the beautiful state parks in Kentucky.

A personal goal is to visit, photograph, and enjoy each and every one of our state parks and eat at each of the state resort parks. Make no mistake about it, we're well on our way!

Bird Watching in Kentucky!

One of our greatest passions is birds and bird watching is an absolute favorite pastime. If you love our feathered friends and want to learn more about bird watching and attracting birds to your own backyard, be sure to check out our section dedicated entirely to Kentucky birds.

Kentucky Restaurants and Reviews

Kentucky Restaurant Reviews

Where are the best Kentucky restaurants?! Find out in our Kentucky Restaurant Reviews.

Also See: Best Fried Catfish in Kentucky
  • Email
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Kentucky Events

The pandemic has crushed many activities, events, and normalcy – not just in Kentucky, but all around the world. As we creep back toward normal, I want desperately to highlight any and all events going on around Kentucky. Please E-mail me any information you’d like shared about your Kentucky event! ~ Joi (“Joy”)

Kentucky Pictures

Kentucky Pictures
Check out the beautiful Pictures of Kentucky in our photo albums!

Advertising & Reviews

If you are interested in advertising on Genuine Kentucky, please contact us: e-mail Joi Sigers.

Also, if you have a resort, condo, golf course, restaurant, or even a cup of coffee (LOVE coffee!) you'd like for us to review, please contact us at joi@genuinekentucky.com.

Genuine Kentucky Disclaimer

We do not work for any Kentucky service or organization. We are simply proud to have been born and raised in the greatest state in the country and are thrilled to call it home. This site serves as our tribute to Kentucky and its warm and wonderful people. Our mission is to bring more travelers to Kentucky and keep more Kentuckians home! See our Privacy Policy.
Copyright Genuine Kentucky 2022