where to eat in Owensboro | Genuine Kentucky

Kentucky Legend Café: Delicious Place to Enjoy Lunch in Owensboro, Kentucky

April 5, 2022 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Some of the more popular posts we’ve done on Genuine Kentucky have been the ones under the category “Where to eat in Owensboro, Kentucky.” Seems like we’re very fortunate here in Owensboro that we receive a lot of visitors from all around the area and each very much wants to know where the best places to eat are!

When it comes to eating lunch in Owensboro, there are lots of options but I want to highlight one, today, that’s kind of off the beaten path.

The beautiful Owensboro Convention Center isn’t just a great spot for activities and events here in Owensboro, it’s restaurant (The Kentucky Legend Café) is apparently an extraordinary place to eat!

Allow me to say, right up front, that I have never (personally) eaten at The Kentucky Legend Café. For health reasons, I can only eat gluten-free/wheat free and, to my knowledge, the wonderful café doesn’t have a gluten-free menu.

Sigh.

I have had several members of my family (including my husband) eat there and have given it glowing reviews.

The Kentucky Legend Café is open for lunch from 10am to 2pm Monday through Friday for dine-in and carry-out. All Daily Lunch Specials are $10 and come with your choice of side item. Upgrade to a combo with a drink for $12.

Salad bar and soup of the day are also available.

While you can (and should) enjoy lunch at the beautiful Café anytime, they have something extra fun going on next week! See Lunch Specials at the Kentucky Legend Cafe for more information about this creative week.

More information:

The Owensboro Convention Center is located at 501 West 2nd Street.

You can find The Owensboro Convention Center on Twitter.

Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina: A Favorite Place to Eat Lunch in Owensboro

July 13, 2016 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Shocked. I’m BEYOND shocked that I haven’t written about one of my favorite places to eat lunch in my hometown – Salsarita’s. I loved it before I had to start eating gluten free and I think I love it even more now that I DO have to eat gluten free. I love the fact that they offer so many delicious options.

I also love the fact that it’s one place my big crazy family can gather for lunch or dinner and know that we’ll all find something that’ll blow us away. Within our family, there are two of us who have to eat gluten free, a vegetarian, a couple of steak lovers, three chicken fanatics, and a few who seem to choose something different each time we go.

If you’ve ever been to a Chipotle or Mo’s Southwest Grill, Salsarita’s will remind you of them. It is, however, larger than a lot of Chipotle restaurants, with much more comfortable seating.

The main way Salsarita’s sets itself apart from the rest is in the choices it offers. Not only can you have Bowls, Tacos, Burritos, Quesadillas, Salads, or Nachos – the choice of meats is better than other similiar restaurants: Chicken, Pork, Ground Beef, Steak, or Shrimp.

{Review Continued Below…}

You have a large selections of toppings and fillings as well. Pico de Gallo (“Salsa”), onions, cheese, cilantro, black olives, rice, beans, etc… etc… etc… You’ll definitley want an order of chips and queso – I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful they are.

All of the food is out of this world delicious each and every single time. Every single bite is always so fresh and scrumptious – it’s little wonder it’s one of our favorite places to eat.

{Continued Below the Queso and Chips!}

Unless you live in Owensboro, you might not understand the following compliment, so I’ll explain. Some of the best places to eat in town have parking that ranges from less than desirable to flat-out horrible: Wasabi Express (Frederica Location), Mi Ranchito (West Parrish), Jimmy John’s (Frederica), Feta Pizza (Downtown)… Salsarita’s gets another point from us simply because they have a big parking lot!

Can you tell I hate tricky parking???

Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina is located at 3500 Villa Point (Out Highway 54, on the right, just past Kohl’s).

See Salsarita’s Website for their menu and gluten free and vegetarian options. The food and friendly people will blow you away.

Wasabi Express in Owensboro, Kentucky

January 20, 2016 by Joi Sigers 2 Comments

Sushi at Wasabi Express, Owensboro

Before Wasabi Express, I had never even considered ordering sushi. I’m not sure why but I never thought I’d like it. Fast forward to today… I could, honestly, eat sushi every single day of my life – IF it came from Wasabi Express.

There are actually two Wasabi Express restaurants in Owensboro now. The one I always go to is on Southtown (636 Southtown Blvd, right off of Frederica, near Wal-Mart). The new one is on Highway 54. I haven’t been to the new one, yet, but I hear that it’s just as excellent as the original.

This restaurant review was written BEFORE I had to start eating gluten-free. Unfortunately, I am no longer able to eat at Wasabi Express because I have no idea what (if anything) on the menu would be gluten-free. If you have to eat gluten-free, I would not recommend this restaurant. Many dishes include soy sauce which is not gluten-free – Tamari is a gluten-free soy sauce, but few restaurants use it.

I’m not sure how we got lucky enough to have two wonderful sushi restaurants in Owensboro, but I’m not going to question it, I’m just going to enjoy it. Often.

Wasabi Express also has great rice, and both their chicken soup and house salad are absolute legends. The menu also includes hibachi, appetizers, edamame, LOTS of sushi, and more.

It’s just a perfect, serene, and delicious place for lunch or dinner.

More Wasabi Express on Genuine Kentucky:

Firehouse Subs Owensboro, Kentucky…. Now Open!

June 11, 2015 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

Firehouse Subs Hero Sub

We have a new restaurant in Owensboro that everyone’s really excited about – Firehouse Subs. I, personally, have never eaten at a Firehouse Subs but everyone who has tells me they’re extra, extra special.

Unfortunately, if you’re like me and my oldest daughter and cannot eat wheat/gluten, you’ll miss out on all the wonderful sandwiches as they don’t have gluten free bread or an “Unwich” option like Jimmy John’s.

HOWEVER, there are quite a few wonderful salads to choose from. I’ll write about one of these beauties as soon as I have a chance to enjoy one. The chili is also apparently gluten free and, again, I’ll let you know how awesome it is as soon as I check it out.

{Continued below….}

The Decor is Beautiful!

We already had supper planned last night, but after eating, my husband and I drove over to take a look at Firehouse Subs and grab a sweet tea. When we pulled into the parking lot, we ran into one of our daughters, Stephany, and her husband, Rusty.

Great minds think alike! They had eaten supper at Firehouse Subs and raved about their sandwiches. The food shown here are their pictures and they’re’ enough to make your mouth water. She had the Italian Sub and Rusty had the Firehouse Hero Sub – they both said their subs were out of this world delicious.

{Continued Below…}

Firehouse Subs Italian Sub

Steph also told me that their sweet tea was fantastic. A few minutes later, I discovered that she was as right as Kentucky rain.

Michael grabbed a meatball sub to bring home and eat while we watched baseball on tv. The aroma was indescribable – It smelled amazing.

I’m crazy about the decor – the homage to Firemen is extraordinary. Talk about a career that requires bravery! I love the colors, the references to firemen, firehouses, and firetrucks and… possibly most of all, I LOVE the Dalmatian print tabletops.

Brilliant!

{Continued Below…}

[shareable]Firehouse Subs is now open in Owensboro – 5220 Frederica St![/shareable]

I’m Crazy About These Tables and Chairs

At the end of the counter, there are a lot – make that A LOT – of hot sauces for you to choose from. Be as brave as you dare – the sauces are ranked in order from the least hot to the most ridiculously hot. As for me, I’ll stick around the 1’s thank you very much!

Every Hot Sauce You Could Think Of is Here

Although I’m a chicken when it comes to hot sauces, there were a few brands I’d never seen before and am half-convinced I’ll check them out on my next visit.

Maybe.

I have my eye on the Bee Sting sauce. Sounds amazing!

As for drinks, in addition to some of the best sweet tea I’ve ever had, they also have unsweet tea and just about every conceivable combination of Coke products you can think of. The machine is one of those amazing drink set ups that looks like it was straight off an episode of The Jetsons. Coke, Cherry Coke, Vanilla Coke, Vanilla…. there are over 120+ possible combinations including Firehouse Subs’ own Cherry Lime-Aid and Cherry Lime-Aid Lite.

I’ll have one of those on my next visit… it’ll help put out the fire from the Bee Sting Sauce!

You can check out the extensive Firehouse Subs menu on their website by clicking the link. Learn more about Firehouse Subs by reading the Press Release below… but, most importantly, head over to Frederica Street and try them out as soon as possible.

Press Release:

Firehouse Subs announces the grand opening of its first location in Owensboro on June 9, 2015. The award-winning fast casual restaurant chain is famous for serving premium meats and cheeses steamed piping hot and piled high on a toasted sub roll, which is served “Fully Involved®” with fresh produce and condiments. Founded by former firefighting brothers, the restaurant’s firehouse décor is based on the founding family’s decades of fire and police service, and the new location is decorated with firefighter memorabilia.

The restaurant is located at 5220 Frederica St. and is open Sunday – Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. This is the fourth restaurant for local owners Mickey, Jan, Curry and Katie McKeel, who own restaurants nearby are excited to bring the fire to Owensboro.

Firehouse Subs restaurants boast custom, hand-painted murals that pay tribute to the local community. The Owensboro mural depicts a local firetruck along with local firemen coming to the rescue at Riverside Park. Chief Mural Artist Joe Puskas and his team paint every mural from his studio at Firehouse Subs Headquarters. Since the opening of the first Firehouse Subs in 1994, Puskas has painted more than 890 murals.

Firehouse Subs extinguishes guests’ hunger with medium and large hot specialty subs, including the number one selling Hook & Ladder® sub, served with smoked turkey breast and Virginia honey ham smothered with Monterey Jack cheese. Other top sellers include the Smokehouse Beef & Cheddar Brisket,™ loaded with USDA choice beef brisket smoked for at least 16 hours in an authentic Texas smokehouse and topped with melted cheddar cheese and a special combination of sauces, including Sweet Baby Ray’s® Barbecue Sauce. In 2014, Firehouse Subs debuted its Under 500 Calories menu of six subs and four chopped salads. The low-calorie menu is the most significant menu addition in Firehouse Subs’ 20-year history and is available at all Firehouse Subs restaurants nationwide.

Unique to Firehouse Subs is Captain Sorensen’s® Datil Pepper Hot Sauce, named in honor of the founding brothers’ father, Rob Sorensen, a 43-year retired fire captain. The sauce has a spicy-sweet flavor from the datil pepper, a hot pepper similar to habaneros but with a sweeter taste. Firehouse Subs, the largest user of datil peppers in the world, will produce more than 60,000 gallons of its signature hot sauce this year. Additionally, each restaurant offers an assortment of 50+ complimentary hot sauces.

The touch-screen operated Coca-Cola Freestyle® fountain is available in every restaurant and offers 120+ sparkling and still beverage brands with 70+ regular and low-calorie options. Choices include the top selling non-carbonated fountain drink, Cherry Lime-Aid™ and Cherry Lime-Aid™ Light, exclusive original recipes by Firehouse Subs, served with fresh squeezed lime.

In 2005, Firehouse Subs created the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation® with the mission of providing funding, life-saving equipment and educational opportunities to first responders and public safety organizations. Many first responders make do with older equipment and have limited or no access to needed resources, but Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has given $13 million to hometown heroes in 43 states and Puerto Rico, including more than $154,000 in Kentucky. Local fundraising initiatives include recycling empty five-gallon pickle buckets and selling them to guests for $2 each, a Round Up Program allowing guests to “round up” their bill to the nearest dollar and spare change donation canisters.

About Firehouse Subs:
Firehouse Subs® is a fast casual restaurant chain with a passion for Hearty and Flavorful Food, Heartfelt Service and Public Safety. Founded by brothers and former firefighters Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen, Firehouse Subs is a brand built on decades of fire and police service, steaming hot subs piled higher with the highest quality meats and cheeses, and its commitment to saving lives through the creation of Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation ® . The founders are the real deal, the food is their creation, and the company is built upon a family of franchise operators who share their same passion for serving others. In 2014, Firehouse Subs debuted nationwide a new low-calorie menu, Under 500 Calories. Firehouse Subs consistently ranks No. 1 among fast casual brands in the categories of food quality, friendly service, and taste and flavor. In 2015, Firehouse Subs was ranked No. 1 consumer choice for welcoming and comfortable atmosphere by Technomic’s 2015 Chain Restaurant Consumers’ Choice Awards, and the brand produced the second-fastest growth in U.S. franchise units as ranked by Nation’s Restaurant News.

Connect with Firehouse Subs:

Website: Firehouse Subs
Twitter: @firehousesubs
Facebook: Firehouse Subs
YouTube: Firehouse Subs YouTube

Owensboro’s Firehouse Subs is located at 5220 Frederica St. and is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Why Your Next Meal Should be at Bob Evans in Owensboro, Kentucky

April 24, 2012 by Joi Sigers Leave a Comment

If all grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, and chicken gravy tasted like they do at Bob Evans, I’d never eat anything else.

We have quite a few great restaurants here in Owensboro, Kentucky – something that makes doing my Kentucky restaurant reviews a joy! You always have to pull for the home team, right? For a long time I’ve thought that one of the most underrated restaurants in our town is also one of its best. Bob Evans, on 54, is consistently delicious, consistently friendly, and consistently clean.. charming, even. It’s mind boggling to me that it isn’t packed at all times of the day.

I’ll let you in on a little secret – and possibly the reason more people don’t flock to Owensboro’s Bob Evans madly. When the restaurant first opened several years ago, it was… how shall we put this… horrific. Was that blunt enough? Seriously, it took forever to get your food, then when you did get it, you couldn’t give it back fast enough.

I had a fries incident that I still can’t talk about. However, it would appear that someone higher up the food chain (literally) got wind of the crimes against human decency that were going on and whipped everyone into shape.

By the way the restaurant is now, I’m thinking we should put these people in charge of the country. They GET THINGS DONE!!! I only bring up Bob Evans in Owensboro’s unsavory past in case anyone had bad taste in their mouth, so to speak, from an early experience. Times have changed and you won’t believe the difference.

Fast forward to the present. The servers and host/hostess are always very, very friendly and helpful, the food is exceptional (delicious, with a homemade taste), and you don’t have to wait long at all for your food.

I remember the first time I tried Bob Evans after my first negative trip (I gave them a year to figure things out). My food was brought to me so fast, I looked around to make sure I hadn’t gotten someone else’s. Then, after one bite, I realized that even if I had (which I hadn’t) – they weren’t getting it back! On that particular trip, I got bacon, which is frankly the best in town. Breakfast at Bob Evans is always a delicious and wonderful way to start the day.

A few nights ago, my husband Michael and I had dinner at Bob Evans. Great move. I had grilled chicken, mashed potatoes with chicken gravy, salad, and a hot fudge sundae for dessert. Well played, me, well played.

The grilled chicken was extraordinary. Grilled chicken is a personal favorite of mine, so I get it often. I’ve never, ever had grilled chicken in a restaurant any better than this. In fact, I’m not certain I’ve ever had any as good. The grilled chicken comes with special sauces, but you’d be crazy to put anything on this chicken except for your teeth. I chose one of the sauces – but I wasn’t sure if it’d be good or not (I’d never heard of it), so my server put it in a little dish to the side. THANK GOD! The sauce wasn’t good, so I never let it anywhere near my heavenly grilled chicken. When you order grilled chicken at Bob Evans – and you should do it as soon as possible – do not get a sauce. No, no, no, a thousand times no. This chicken is so tender, juicy, and grilled tasting that it doesn’t need anything.
The mashed potatoes were the bomb, but the chicken gravy was an absolute masterpiece. I can’t even begin to describe how delicious their chicken gravy is. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
We were served a big beautiful salad in a bowl a la Olive Garden. It was perfect and the French Dressing was very, very good.
The warm dinner rolls served at Bob Evans are some of the best rolls you can get out. They’re scrumptious.
The hot fudge sundae was as good as the picture makes it look. Michael got the strawberry sundae and it was also spectacular. Of course I snuck a bite.
They serve Heinz Ketchup. Yay!!! You know what that means to me. When I see off brand or cheap-o ketchup in a restaurant, I die a little inside. But when I see a bottle of Heinz on my table, I smile. Then promptly take a picture of it. People probably think I’m nuts, but that’s okay. Let’s not even pretend it’d be the first time.
Michael’s beef gravy and steak were also outstanding. Yes, another bite stolen. Maybe two. Bob Evans really, really, really knows how to make exceptional gravy. Man oh man is it delicious. You’ll see how wonderful it looks when you click through the slideshow below.
The macaroni and cheese was creamy and outstandingly good.