6 Best Restaurants in Kentucky, USA

Chef–owner Ouita Michel uses locally grown meats and produce to create her five-course prix-fixe menus. These change every two weeks and may be Southern, French, Southwestern or any cuisine that strikes her fancy. The restaurant has multiple dining rooms in an old Southern mansion with a wraparound porch, where alfresco dining is offered in summer. Wine pairings are available for an additional charge.

If you want to learn more about Kentucky's amber elixir, this is the place to come—they have virtually every bourbon currently in production (more than 120 or them). Tasting flights are available. The menu, which ranges from burger to sea bass, includes Southern favorites like pan seared pork chop and bacon-wrapped scallops. Naturally, bourbon is an ingredient in many dishes.

Most people don’t immediately think of Mexican fare when they envision a hearty meal in the Bluegrass State, but Cave City’s branch of Kentucky’s casual -dining Tex–Mex chain is one of the city’s best spots to grab a quick bite. The huge menu includes everything from fajitas to steak, and there are plenty of options for vegetarians, children, and those who want to stay away from gluten. Come during happy hour and you can get imported beer for less than two bucks.

In an antebellum farmhouse that was the center of a horse farm, the Merrick Inn's dining rooms are filled with antiques. Southern fried chicken, pork tenderloin, and rainbow trout are traditional favorites here; there's also a selection of steaks, and lobster tail is available. Old-fashioned desserts include peach Melba.

Locals and tourists alike flock to this no-frills, family-run steak house for its big portions and reasonable prices. The interior of this place is pretty basic; don’t expect cloth napkins and candlelight. The focus, instead, is on the food, which goes beyond steak to include options like chicken and fish. All mains include a free trip to the well-stocked salad bar, which is also the restaurant’s only real option for vegetarians or those counting calories. It also has a children’s menu. It's a great place to stop after a trip to the Wildlife Museum and Mammoth Cave—it's right next door.

Though the old corn mill has ground to a halt, the mill wheel still stands at this country buffet 9 miles from Mammoth Cave. The fried chicken is popular, as is the inexpensive all-you-can-eat buffet, which is available at both lunch and dinner. The cuisine here varies from traditional Southern to average-Joe American, and it’s a good place for hearty meat-and-potatoes type dishes.

Most visitors are either shocked or appalled that the Watermill still has a smoking section.