The Whistle Stop

Location: 216 E. Main St. P.O. Box 158, Glendale, KY 42740

Description: Historic, family owned restaurant featuring home cooking and meringue pies.

Website: http://www.whistlestoprestaurant.net/index.asp

Cost: $-$$

Age appropriate: All ages

Money saving tips: Share your meal, but not your pie! The Veggie plate is an inexpensive choice. Opt for water instead of a soda.

Worth noting: The Whistle Stop has been in Southern Living Magazine several times, won Best Desserts in Kentucky, and been voted the Best Non Franchise Restaurant in Kentucky for 2010 and 2011. While the food is great, you don’t want to miss out on the pie (which you can get to go). They are closed Sunday, Monday, and major holidays. They are also located in the Eastern Time Zone (if you’re traveling from BG they are one hour later).

Attractions/restaurants nearby:  Shops of Glendale

Our experience:

Last spring I had 3 people suggest shopping and eating in Glendale to me in the span of one week. 
 
The girlfriends and I all agreed there must be something special about Glendale and we promptly planned a trip.

About an hour’s drive from Bowling Green and located just a few miles off of Hwy 65, Glendale is easily accessible and a great place to stop when traveling to/from the Louisville area. It’s a quick and easy drive and one that could include a stop at one of several tourist spots along the way (Mammoth Cave, R&S Salvage Store, Kentucky Down Under, etc.).

Visit #1 - The girlfriends and I enjoyed the quaint décor of the Whistle Stop. Be sure to squeeze around those waiting for a table and check out the gift shop which stretches across the front of the restaurant and upstairs. You’ll quickly see why this is such a unique experience. Don’t let the rumble of the train surprise you. It’s bound to fly by at least once or twice during your meal. We sampled the fried green tomatoes and enjoyed sandwiches and soup for lunch. Having a difficult time deciding on which pie to order, I am thankful for bites shared between girlfriends. I chose the Coconut Cream Pie (out of this world) and got to sample the Sugar Cream Pie – very good, unlike anything I have ever had before.  The husband lucked out and I brought him home a piece of Kentucky Pie (oh, so very good!).

Visit #2 (lunch) included the husband, tween, teen, and in-laws. The tween and teen devoured their chicken fingers, onion rings, and fries. Not big on pie, they deemed the Hot Fudge Cake fantastic.  Not one to ruin a good thing, I again finished my meal with the Coconut Cream Pie. The husband opted to repeat the Kentucky Pie.

Visit #3 was in honor of my mom’s visit to KY – she thoroughly enjoys pie and I knew she’d love The Whistle Stop. Besides, she’s had to listen to me rave about it over the phone. We also discovered she’d torn out the Southern Living article long before in hopes of someday visiting. How could we not go?! This time we stopped for supper. I was a little worried they might run out of the pie we wanted (you can always ask them to set aside a piece before you order your meal). My mom opted for the vegetable plate; the husband grabbed a burger; the tween and teen stuck with their usual chicken fingers and fries; and I opted for the Smothered Cube Steak (a seasonal special).  The boys had long since decided they would order the Hot Fudge Cake, the husband got his usual Kentucky Pie, and I wavered and decided to try the Peanut Butter Pie along with my mom.  My. Oh. My. Oh. Pie.

The girlfriends and I have already talked about heading back this spring for another round of shopping, lunch, and pie.

If you are anywhere in the vicinity, I strongly suggest the short detour to Glendale for a meal and pie at The Whistle Stop.

Last visited: November 2012