The service was amazing. Cheyeanna alone is a reason to always visit. She's so friendly and great with the kids. We were able to sample ice cream flavors before deciding on orange sherbet, blue moon, and cotton candy twist. You can also make any ice cream flavor into a shake. My husband got an orange sherbet shake and a Golden Bear Burger. I loved my bacon and egg Croissandwich i ordered. The bacon was cooked with the eggs. We didn't care for the burger but we'd come back to try some other things on the menu. Pay cash to save on a convenience fee. read more

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A great blast from the past ice cream shop. On our way home from Cincinnati, we took a break and had two of the 'Fancy Sundaes'. The Hot Caramel Pecan was terrific as was the Hot Fudge Banana. Good as ever since my last visit 13 years ago. read more

Cow Palace has been a mainstay in Shelbyville for many years and is known for its consistently delicious and varied menu. Many people enjoy the rich ice cream, I love the BLT cheeseburger and it is my favorite item on the menu. 8 ladies had a lunch meeting and waitress was excellent, food was yummy, and prices reasonable. Go to Cow Palace! read more

Service was Terrible! We've been cow Palace fans for a very long time. We hadn't been in a good while and decided to go Saturday evening, July 18. We arrived at 6:50. With my nephew and wife and toe as we had bragged the cow Palace up and their famous turtle Sunday for eons . It took forever to get seated. They weren't busy once we got seated we sat for a very long time before anybody even came to our table. We were informed that the kitchen would be closing very soon it was obvious this week was was more interested in cleaning up and getting ready to leave and taking care of business . We informed her we were just going to order ice cream that changed everything she said we needed a different waitress came to take our order. We were never offered Water ice cream was served in paper cups instead of the glass dishes that I remember. Overall, the ice cream was good. The toppings were lacking and it's unlikely that we will return or recommend total disappointment. Another casualty of Covid in a generation it's more interested in collecting a paycheck than doing their job. read more

Stopped in for a Friday night bite - cod fish sandwich platter is the special, so that's my order. In just a few minutes, my meal was served. The fish and fries were cooked to perfection! I have to send kudos for the service - our waitress (Cory) was exceptional! Overall, it was a good meal with great service. We'll definitely come back to this quaint little diner. read more

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The shakes and ice cream are worth a visit. The food is just mediocre. Burgers are plain, no seasoning, no condiments, not very big either. I will say they had one server and she was handing the whole place. She was doing a great job. read more

Cow Palace - Daily specials menu page - American Near Me - Shelbyville, Indiana

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We were visiting Shelbyville and needed some ice cream. Our only requests: It had to be a local joint, and it had to be open on Sunday. (Which is a surprisingly hard ask, because have you been to a small town in Indiana on a Sunday? Nothing is open.) But Cow Palace came through! Blessedly, it is open on Sunday. This place is half restaurant, half ice cream parlor. When you enter, you will immediately step into the ice cream parlor. So if you're just here for ice cream, like we were, you don't have to walk far. There are a few tables in the ice cream parlor area, but not much, and most people looked like they got their ice cream to go. We got our ice cream to go. Our order consisted of a turtle sundae, a scoop of Superfriends ice cream (Superman ice cream, but more inclusive, which I love), a cherry shake and a peanut butter shake. I'm the one who ordered the turtle sundae. I don't especially like ice cream, but I had to order it because I just love caramel sauce and pecans together. The pecans that they use on the turtle sundae are whole, which isn't my preference, because then you have a big bite of nut every so often, instead of a small sprinkling of nuts with each bite. The turtle sundae also comes with chocolate sauce, whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. The people behind the counter are super quick with the orders, which I appreciate. They were scooping and swirling toppings and blending shakes and malts like pros. If you walk past the ice cream parlor, you'll see a sit-down restaurant several steps ahead. We didn't visit the restaurant this time, but it's there. read more

Chef Joesph here. Eat lunch here today, had reuben sandwich with onion rings. It was very good, good service, and ambiance. The only problem I found is no handycap parking. Please come check the place out, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. read more

The Chocolate Malt was really good. Their malts and shakes are all hand dipped not from a machine. The triple chocolate ice cream was also very good. One young lady taking and making all orders. Would go smoother if they had at least two employees behind the counter. But she was going a good job. read more

Cow Palace - American Near Me - Shelbyville, Indiana

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Have been coming to this place for over 20 years & have almost always ordered the tenderloins. So today this is what I got. Took one bite and it was hard as a rock & tasted like year old grease. Hardly any fries and the lettuce looked rotten. Not sure what has happened but will not be going back...very sad. read more

Cow Palace - Tenderloin sandwich - American Near Me - Shelbyville, Indiana

We were in town on business and a local suggested we eat here! Great tip! We all had the Tenderloin Sandwich! I hate that my picture was blurry. But, the pic of the menu did turn out. The menu picture does not do this sandwich justice! Eat here! Great food and very kind staff!!!! Most Sincerely! read more

Cow Palace - Since my picture of my Tenderloin Sandwich did not turn out, I am posting this picture for reference! ENJOY! - American Near Me - Shelbyville, Indiana

The food was great. I had the palace burger & it was very tasty! The waffle fries were cooked good. My daughter had the potato soup & it was delicious as well! The server was nice & on point! Also the overall atmosphere was nice. Everyone was very friendly. Highly recommend if you're in the area! read more

Cow Palace in Shelbyville, IN is a quaint restaurant that offers a variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner food, as well as an area in the front of the building that has several options of ice cream flavors. I ordered the Tenderloin Sandwich (deep-fried to a golden brown with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise) and fries. My wife ordered a Chicken Salad Croissant and fries. We also ordered a side of Mozzarella Sticks to accompany our meals. Overall, we were very satisfied with our food - it was fresh, served at the right temperature and the portions were filing. Our server did an excellent job - she checked on us often, kept our drinks full and had a smile on her face. read more

Cow Palace - Tenderloin Sandwich, Chicken Salad Croissant, Fries and Mozzarella Sticks. - American Near Me - Shelbyville, Indiana

The ice cream is fantastic and the price was decent. The staff was also very friendly, will be back soon even though it's a 30 min drive.

We decided to go to the Cow Palace as we had not been there for years. Hubby was really looking for a tenderloin sandwich and it was on their menu. They were practicing social distancing and wearing face masks during this covid-19 pandemic. We were greeted as we walked in and we were seated. The restaurant was clean and inviting. Our waitress came over and we placed our orders. I ordered a Coke & the grilled Frisco Club. The hubby ordered a breaded tenderloin and an iced tea. We received our meals and the club was tasty and grilled on the outside very toasty which is the way I like it. However the hubby did not like the tenderloin and I could see why. It was really a pork fritter and it was overcooked and just no meat really inside (all breading). I say stick with The Mug in Greenfield if you are going to have a tenderloin! The waitress was friendly and she checked on us to make sure we had everything we needed. I ordered a turtle sundae for dessert. It looked good but it wasn't the greatest. I like my caramel not to harden up on the ice cream. All in all it will likely be a number of years before we try it again. read more

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Cow Palace is very nostalgic for me and coming here is like taking a step back in time with a warm hug. Love the coney dog supreme and friend mushrooms not to mention the unique ice cream flavors. Love! read more

Passing thru and stopped in for dinner. Clean,decent food and good service. Priced well

Didn't know this place was a seat-yourself as I had never been. The workers stared at me rudely and never said a word when I was lost standing at the host stand! I was about to leave when I saw a younger lady waving me over to the table. The wife and I tried the Blueberry Pecan Pancakes. Very delicious, but I probably won't return based on this unwelcoming experience. read more

Staff was amazing offering to make a pup cup for our dog! Pineapple shake is delicious and chocolate malt is best I have had in years!! Thanks to the staff as we were waiting for a tire to be fixed! read more

First time at this place, on a Sunday morning. Walked in stood by the register where the sign said to wait to be seated. A working behind the wall in front of the kitchen looked at us and didn't say a word to us, like welcome to Cow Palace, or Good morning, not a word, nothing. Another waitress on the floor looked at us while taking care of already seated customers and again went ignored. We waited between 5 and 10 mins, not even a we'll be right with you. So we left and went somewhere else outside of Shelbyville there really isn't a good place to eat in Shelbyville. read more

The menu felt dirty, was packed but still ok. The taco salad didn't come with enough of everything, the chili was boring and if it's name is cow palace you'd expect it to be cow themed. read more

Cow Palace - Boring chili - American Near Me - Shelbyville, Indiana

Changed the brand of ice cream. Not a fan. 7 dollar banana split and forgot my banana maybe she misunderstood me but it is called banana split read more

The Cow Palace is a Shelbyville tradition with a delicious menu that everyone should try!

Waiters were very nice but it took an hour to receive food and the Burgers were overcooked but the ice cream was perfect. read more

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I ordered peach cobbler ala mode. The crust was raw. I told the child waitress so she could let the kitchen staff know it hadn't been baked. She said "they just take it out of the refrigerator and put it in the microwave." I replied it needs to be baked. She just looked at me and walked away. I decided not to make an issue of it, but someone could get sick if they actually ate it, which I could not, yuck. read more

horrible customer service! I was trying to get ice cream and the sever started yelling at me telling me to get out simply because she scooped the wrong ice cream and would refuse to get me a new one. then threatened me to "get her boyfriend to beat my ass" read more

The food was ok. The greatest disappointment was a small wire that was in the cheeseburger. That was not a pleasant bite. We assumed it was a wire bristle from the grill after cleaning it with a brush. We told the waitress they might want to check the grill and showed her. There was a lack of interest on her part, with a response of "oh" and asking if we were done eating the hamburger and wanted her to take the plate as she put the bill on our table. She did take the wire back and showed the kitchen. No response or reconciliation. We paid our bill, left a nominal 15% tip. As for the food: the tenderloin was really a fritter. We had hoped for real neat, hammered, breaded and fried. The cheeseburger was good until the wire issue. I don't leave many reviews and don't feel negative comments are useful. However, due to the indifference of the establishment, I can't return or recommend. read more

Had a really good pork tenderloin sandwich. Will be back when spending the night in town for business. Thanks

This place changed hands 6-8 months ago. The reviews from 2 years ago are not valid. It's much improved and an enjoyable place to eat. The food is prepared well-- mostly a comfort food restaurant. It is a really consistent place to eat a decent meal without spending a lot of money. read more

Another hidden gem this one is. Down in shelbyville. A coworker told me about it and we went the same day. Great service and quick on getting food out. Coworkers ordered a Ruben and a taco salad I got a double cheese burger. All were very good. Prices were decent. read more

Great mom and pop type restaurant that serves up the usual burgers, tenderloins, etc, but they are also a homemade ice cream shop too. So save room for dessert. Prices are average and serving sizes are large. Nice place to eat. read more

Unlike many of the other reviewers, I stopped in for the SuperBowl. Actually, I came to town to see one of the Indy cars, but I was a day too early. Before I headed back to Indy, I decided to stop for breakfast, and let's face it, what sounds better than a place called the Cow Palace? You know the scene in Animal House where all the kids walk into the club and it falls dead silent? That is what I felt like from the staff. I was greeted with huffy glares that are reserved for the "non-locals." On the server's recommendation, I ordered the supposedly awesome blueberry pancakes. Bad recommendation. The pancakes were just ok. Nothing spectacular or special. The pancakes had a bisquick taste to them. If you are now or have ever been a server, you eyeroll so much at the customers that you give yourself a headache. But you usually do that out of sight of the guest. Not my server. She would give me a smile and turn around all irritated and muttering. This place had no hoosier hospitality and I would not visit again. read more

Pretty good pancakes, but the omelette was runny and small. Lots of milk and slop, but very little egg. Friendly staff and inviting atmosphere, but don't be in a hurry. Our food took a loooong time. read more

Cow Palace - American Near Me - Shelbyville, Indiana

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Not very good, frozen tenderloin round tenderloin patty, and small portion of onion rings too.

Working in Shelbyville for a few days. Just happened to be driving around looking for lunch spot and we stumbled upon The Cow Palace. My boss said, "were going here, its called the cow palace!" I was pleasantly surprised by the food. It was really good. Even though today was chilly and quite overcast my boss said he was going to get a shake anyways. I thought I woud join and got the cherry shake. It was really good. They give you the shake in a standard glass, believe its about 20oz and they bring you the mixing cup with the extra. Must have been a solid 30oz of shake all together. This was extremely surprising especially since a shake is only $3. I got the Tuesday special, a tenderloin sandwich. I made the comment that I have yet to have a good tenderloin since moving to Indiana. It was delicious. Nice and crispy! Just the way it should be. It also came with fries which were fried to a perfect crisp with little grease. It also came with a generous portion of cole slaw. All this for only $7 on Tuesday. I think this might have been one of the more expensive options on the menu too... hard to believe. If your on a budget and in Shelbyville, don't go get fastfood, go to The Cow Palace. The food came out after only about 10 minutes of waiting even though the place was busy, so it is fairly fast food, with a homestyle flair! read more

It's OK. Not great. Not cool or odd or swanky. Food is just so so. Not recommended. read more

Like the other reviewer, I've been coming to Compton's Cow Palace since I was a small girl, passing through Indiana on our way to visit family in Illinois. It was the first "stop off" for lunch and a rest. Things at the Cow Palace haven't changed much since then, except they take credit cards now, and that's good for a weary I-74 traveler--it's also good that not much has changed! The menu is what you would expect--what you want--in a small town country diner. Awesome burgers, tenderloins, fries, and phenomenal milk shakes and ice cream. The food is warm and comforting, and so is the staff. I've never met nicer girls, nor have I met nicer patrons. This time, like the last time in October when I visited Indy and made my stop at the Cow Palace, patrons went out of their way to talk to me and my little one, and to compliment her manners. I love small town folks, and I love Shelbyville. My recent visit (Saturday 1/22) was to treat a friend who'd graciously offered to drive me to pick up an oversized (well, for my Honda Civic) Craigs List purchase in south Indy. We stopped on our way back from shopping in Broad Ripple, avoiding high-end eateries for the Cow Palace. We were not disappointed...I ordered the Cow Palace's version of the Patty Melt (The Brown Swiss), the platter which includes fries and cole slaw, and of course, a Brown Cow to drink. My friend ordered the Double Cheese Cheesburger (the Saturday "special) which came with fries and a thick milkshake. He was served, what appeared to be, a bottomless shake. They gave him the stainless mixer cup with it! Get off the highway and go a little further into town--drive past the McDonalds and the Burger King. You won't be sorry! read more

Although the breakfast food was very good. The was a period of 50 minutes between ordering and getting the food. Our waitress was very surly! Later I discovered that she is the owner. Definitely needs a course in costumer satisfaction and appreciation! I will be seeking other places to eat. read more

I loved getting the peanut butter sundae at the Cow Palace. The ice cream here is fantastic and inexpensive. The cobbler is tasty, too. The food is fine, it's just homestyle cooking. The sandwiches for lunch are a steal! Portions aren't huge, but that's fine with me - more room for dessert! read more

I have been coming to The Cow Palace for years (my family lives in Shelbyville), and I have to admit my favorite ice cream ever is made here... Blue Moon. Yum. Also, the food here is solid (excellent breaded tenderloin) and the service is always awesome (probably because everyone knows eachother, I love small towns). If you find yourself in or passing though Shelbyville, get off the highway for a bit and try a lovely local restaurant. read more

Cow Palace - American Near Me - Shelbyville, Indiana