Shelby Keith, owner of Shelby’s Diner, got a double dose of good news this year. First, she learned that USA Today had named her popular diner known for its burgers, omelets and friendly staff, number three in their Readers’ Choice Awards for the Top 10 Roadside Diners in America.
Most people could rest on that laurel for five years, but it only took five months for Keith to become the recipient of another honor.
“Only in Your State,” an internet blog that showcases the best of the best in all 50 states based on a certain category – in this case the nation’s best diners – dubbed Shelby’s the best diner in Kentucky.
Keith, who had opened her Frankfort location just four years ago, was surprised to learn that her diner had achieved such greatness.
“Really?” was all she could manage to say.
Keith might have been surprised as after all, the Bluegrass State loves its diners and has no shortage of them. But after one taste of her fried-to-perfection catfish and stewed tomatoes (made from her grandmother’s recipe), her loyal customers surely wouldn’t be.
They flock to the Versailles Road diner for breakfast items such as pork tenderloin with white gravy or the French Toast breakfast sandwich.
They also come for lunch where that famous burger is the hot ticket, or maybe the infamous Mac & Cheese BBQ chicken baked potato.
Others wouldn’t miss dinner here, whether it be the hearty bean soup with corn bread, an assortment of deli and hot sandwiches, or a full meal of codfish with mashed potatoes and green beans.
Frankfort is indeed lucky to have an award-winning diner such as Shelby’s, but it’s even more fortunate to have a diner for every day of the work week.
More Diner Delight
Perhaps the best known is downtown’s Main Street Diner where the slogan is “All Day Breakfast.” If you feel like having breakfast for lunch or dinner, go ahead and order the pork chop and eggs platter (a hand-cut charbroiled pork chop served with two eggs and hash browns.)
But if you prefer more traditional lunch and dinner options, choose from dishes such as fish and chips, country fried chicken, and an assortment of burgers just like in the 50’s – everything but the prices, that is. Sorry, no more 15 cent burgers.
Décor, however, is strictly from the Happy Days era. Walls are lined with album covers of teen idols such as Fabian and Bobby Darin, along with iconic posters such as the one of Mel’s Diner in Santa Monica, California with the words “Route 66 ends here.”
Likewise, the soundtrack is straight from the early rock and roll years.
If you’re not familiar with Frankfort, you might overlook Tammy’s Country Diner and that would be a shame. You would miss another spot which offers all day breakfast, while the rest of the menu features a cornucopia of classic comfort food favorites. When was the last time you had perfectly browned chicken livers or salmon patties followed by homemade banana pudding or peach cobbler?
As an extra incentive, Tammy’s prices are among the lowest in Frankfort, and by the way, the diner is tucked away on Georgetown Road near a creek. You’re welcome.
Cliffside Diner has been a Frankfort staple since 1948. The 35-seat diner is built on a cliff directly across from the Kentucky River and right below the Governor’s Mansion, whose executive director Ann Evans has been quoted as saying, “sometimes the aromas wafting up drive the staff crazy.”
Those aromas are from fan favorites like the signature Cliffside Burger (two patties, grilled onions, bacon and tartar sauce on Texas Toast) and an open-faced roast beef sandwich said to have been a particular favorite of former governor Julian Carroll.
Melissa’s Family Diner doesn’t offer all-day breakfast like some of the other diners, but it offers the next best thing – breakfast for the early birds, opening at 5:00 a.m. on Monday and 6:00 a.m. Tuesday through Friday.
Melissa’s super moist biscuits alone are worth a stop in. But then so are the omelets, pancakes and country fried steak, which are not only delicious but generous in proportion.
Melissa’s also gets high marks for the quality of its service and retro feel.
You’ve got to love a diner called Pops and Son. Doesn’t it just evoke a 1950s style home away from home like the one Richie, Fonz and the rest of the Happy Days gang found at Arnold’s Drive-in?
Pops and Son may not have roller skating carhops, but it does have great burgers and fries and breakfast platters at its location across from Buffalo Trace Distillery. One reviewer called their biscuits “the fluffiest I’ve ever had. You just know they were made with love.”
That kind of recommendation plus the low prices should be enough to have you seek out this Frankfort hidden gem.
