Archive for the ‘Owensboro’ Category

If you’ve heard of only one dining establishment in Owensboro, Kentucky then you’ve probably heard of Moonlite Barbecue.  Not only has Moonlite been around for a long time, they’ve done an excellent job of creating a BBQ menu that allows guests to sample not only BBQ pork, beef and chicken, but also BBQ mutton.    And, if that’s not enough, they’ve got some great sides which include cheesy mac ‘n cheese, baked beans, potato salad, corn and too many other great sides to list here.

But, as a visitor to the Owensboro area, you may not realize that Owensboro has some of the best places to dine in Western Kentucky.  We’ve spent the last several weeks visiting every single one of them (and sometimes more than once) to give you this list of the best places to eat in Owensboro, Kentucky.

Note that we’ve intentionally left out the chain restaurants as you’ve probably “been there, done that” or can easily look them up in the yellow pages if you are craving riblets from Applebees or a Concrete Mixer from Culvers.

 

Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn – Busy every day of the week — because it’s the best in Western Kentucky.
2840 West Parrish Avenue
Owensboro, KY 42301
1-800-322-8989

Bee Bops – Great 50′s Diner (Downtown)
122A West 2nd Street
Owensboro, KY 42303
(270) 663-0623

Big Dipper – Bring cash as they don’t accept American Express, or anything besides cash for that matter!
2820 W Parrish Ave
Owensboro, KY 42301
(270) 684-4806

El Toribio Authentic Mexican Restaurant– As close to the river as you will get in Owensboro.   Authentic and reasonably priced Mexican cuisine.
101 Frederica St
Owensboro, KY 42301
(270) 685-2040

Famous Bistro– This restaurant is the absolute best in Owensboro.
102 W 2nd St
Owensboro, KY 42303
(270) 686-8202

Fuji of Japan — we highly recommend this hibachi style dining establishment.
4028 Frederica St
Owensboro, KY 42301
(270) 685-0046

Ninki’s Japanese Restaurant– Another “don’t miss” restaurant in Owensboro.
3500 Villa Pt
Owensboro, KY 42303
(270) 685-9913

Old Hickory BBQ – very good BBQ.  Be sure to try the turkey which is one of our favorites.
338 Washington Avenue
Owensboro, KY 42301-5450
(270) 926-9000

Ole South Barbeque – A nice change of pace, but not our first choice for BBQ
3523 Hwy 54 E (across from Kohl’s)
Owensboro, KY 42303
(270) 926-6464

Pangea Cafe and Catering — check out the full review.
1320 CARTER RD.
Owensboro, KY 42301
(270) 689-9824

Roca Bar Pizza — great lunch buffet and excellent pizza and wings.
3030 Highland Point Dr
Owensboro, KY 42303
(270) 684-8080

 

Tokyo– if you like Japaneese cuisine then you’ll really like this place.
3415 Frederica Street
Owensboro, KY 42301
(270) 926-1020

Shogun of Japan Steakhouse — very good, but we prefer Fuji of Japan
5010 Wildcat Way
Owensboro, KY 42303
(270) 685-9980

Bar-B-Q is king in Ownesboro, but what do you do if you are in the mood for something other than Bar-B-Q and you want to avoid the chain restaurants?

Pangea Cafe
1320 Carter Rd
Owensboro, KY 42301-2648
(270) 689-9824

On my first visit to Owensboro, this restaurant was recommended to me as the BEST restaurant in Owensboro.  But the reality is that it doesn’t live up to the hype!    Having visited this restaurant more times than I probably should have, I have found their dishes to be inconsistent.   Some of  items are excellent, while other dishes are either very small portions or not as fresh as you can find elsewhere.     As an example, their butternut squash soup at the “Taste of Owensboro” was the best of the show — but it’s no longer on the menu.   However, we’ve found their steaks (Ribeye) to not be the freshest cuts.

Service?  Yes, you’ll get great service at the Pangea Cafe and you will find some great items on the menu, but you’ll have to experiment and try a lot of different items and most likely you will be disappointed by quite a few before you find those dishes that might, just might keep you coming back.

Roger’s Tip:  At the Pangea, ask for the chef’s recommendation for your entree making sure that you specify that you want the freshest tenderest items on their menu.