5 Great Restaurants in Bowling Green, KY

Great Restaurants

My favorite part of a vacation is trying out new restaurants. I love good food, excellent service and a pleasant atmosphere. There are lots of restaurants who have one of those things, but few restaurants have all three.

Fortunately, I don’t have to go far from home to find some really awesome restaurants. I attended college at Western Kentucky University in the late 70’s and the best restaurant in Bowling Green back then was The Iron Skillet. It had the best steaks in town and a salad bar that couldn’t be beat. At that time it was one of two or three buildings on Scottsville Road. Things have changed since then and now just navigating Scottsville Road during rush hour can be tricky. Bowling Green has grown so much that it’s the third largest city in Kentucky.

There are lots of good restaurants in Bowling Green and to be fair, everyone is different. We all have our own likes and dislikes when it comes to dining out. My goal for this post was to recommend 5 restaurants that I believed were somewhat unique (not a chain) and that had all three of my requirements (great food, excellent service and pleasant atmosphere). To help determine exactly which restaurants deserved this honor I asked my Facebook friends to tell me about their favorite restaurants and some of their comments are included.

The 5 restaurants mentioned here are the ones that were mentioned most often in my informal survey and that I believe met my criteria for “great restaurants.”

Novo Dolce – Bowling Green is home to a large Bosnian population and fortunately for the city Sasha Mandrapa decided to make Bowling Green his home. First he opened The Bistro, 1129 College St., inside the 1893 Fletcher House downtown (which was also chosen by several people as their favorite restaurant). Then came Novo Dolce, and a year later the next-door expansion – appropriately called the Next Door Lounge – which opened at 651 U.S. 31-W By-Pass, Suite 101. Novo Dolce is a Gastro pub that offers a unique variety of food (key word is variety) and craft beers, along with some seriously good espresso and homemade gelato. You can visit their website here or view their daily specials on Facebook.

Pub by Novo – Sasha Mandrapa’s 3rd restaurant is the second great restaurant. Advertised as “Not your average sports bar” the pub is located at 2425 Scottsville Road. You can watch your favorite sports team while eating food that is so good I hesitate to call it pub fare. They have a website or you can visit their Facebook page to see what’s on the menu but be warned….you might drool on your computer or I-phone.

Amy Wilson Neighbors had this to say, “All the restaurants owned by Sasha Mandrapa are excellent. His original restaurant “The Bistro” has a fantastic sous vide steak. His second restaurant Novo Dolce has my favorite salad in Bowling Green; the Magnolia salad. Connected to that restaurant is a smaller area he calls Novo Next Door. The pimento cheese appetizer is DELICIOUS as well as the burrata appetizer. His most recent restaurant, Pub by Novo has an excellent bison burger and the tuna tartare appetizer is on point. I don’t think I’ve ever had a dish at any of the three restaurants that weren’t excellent.” How’s that for a great recommendation?

Hickory and Oak – Chef Josh Poling of Home Cafe & Marketplace (which was also chosen by several folks) second Bowling Green restaurant venture is Hickory & Oak. They have a Facebook page and a website. Located at 705 State Street Unit 54 Bowling Green, Kentucky it is billed as a steakhouse but they also have entrees like Cajun Catfish and Sea Bass Risotto. Come prepared to savor and enjoy this unique dining experience!

Steamer Seafood – The first time I ate here was at a friend’s birthday party. It was a great evening and everyone enjoyed their meal. We had a large number of people in our party but they handled us with ease. I love crab cakes and theirs were delicious. Sally Morgan Bradford, a friend of mine and a frequent customer, recommends their shrimp and grits. Located 801 State Street, Steamer Seafood is easy to find. They have friendly service and a fun atmosphere. Check out their menu and prices on their Facebook page.

White Squirrel Brewery – Website and Facebook. Seth Jessie says, “White Squirrel has the best home brewed beer in town, amazing and innovative food, hip atmosphere.” Kelcey Rock recommends their hot chicken and waffles. The restaurant boasts a delightful brunch with their Honey Chicken Biscuits and Huevos Rancheros. They purchase the beef for their burgers locally and they have new dinner specials every week. Located at 871 Broadway Ave. If you are wondering about the name, Bowling Green is home to a lot of white squirrels!

Some other favorites that were mentioned by folks but did not make the top 5 include the following,

Wild Eggs
Olive Garden
Steamers
Griffs
Longhorn
Roosters
Mister Bs
India Oven
Lost River Pizza
Raffertys
Smokey Pig
Thai Express
Cheddars
Mariah’s
Mellow Mushroom
Outback
Bike Rack Bistro
Montana Grill
Yuki
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Thai Thai 
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