This ice cream spot is located inside Lantern Cafe. We got a double scoop (vanilla and red velvet) and the scoops were huge at $8.95. Then got a waffle cone for $1.50. Topped off our order with a soft chocolate chip cookie for $2.99. So much sweet stuff to reward ourselves after two separate 2 hour mammoth cave tours! read more

Spelunkers Cafe & Ice Cream Parlor - Vanilla and red velvet double scoop with waffle cone - Cafes Near Me - Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

Went in here after a cave tour. Remodeling is still going on outside, and while the inside appears done it could use some final touches. Personal pizza was great. But I know these come in frozen . Pulled pork sandwich was dry and flavorless. And definitely not worth $7. Service is fine. Despite the large windows brightening up the place, the vibes gave school cafeteria. read more

Spelunkers Cafe & Ice Cream Parlor - Eating area - Cafes Near Me - Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

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We ordered lunch then ice cream here. The praline ice cream was creamy & delicious. There were outside @ indoor tables. We grabbed a quick lunch, burgers & fries. We ordered & were given a beeper, our lunch was ready in no time. Condiments, lettuce, tomatoes & onions were around the corner. The burgers were very very salty. Our 3 lunch items totaled $17 read more

Spelunkers Cafe & Ice Cream Parlor - Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

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Like the overpriced theme park food you'd expect at any colossal theme park. This is pretty much the bottom of the barrel. We stood in line for 30 minutes and had the worst hamburger I've had in ages. Probably one of the only places to eat here but I would have gone for a PB&J that had sat in the car for the last few hours than go back and eat this again. Cool diner feel to this place but boy o'boy the food was horrid. I mean, if the staff had tried a little it would probably go a long way to make this place better but the food supplier has got to change. read more

A very good way to finish off a hiking tour of Mammoth Cave is to finish off a scoop of locally-made ice cream. The bourbon ball ice cream is very tasty and a single scoop is just the right size if you're having an upside down lunch (dessert before food). The price is a bit high - nearly $8 for two cones - but not that out of line with other tourism-focused businesses anywhere else around the world. read more

Great place to stop & get a snack. Take the walking bridge from the Mammoth Cave Lodge & it's right across from the grill & two huge gift shops. Their chocolate dipped waffle cones are great! They use ice cream from Chaney's, a local dairy farm you can tour. read more

Before our tour at Mammoth Caves, we were in dire need of coffee after our drive. We were directed across a small bridge to Spelunkers. The two employees were friendly, and passionate about their products. They tried to sell us on ice cream, but it was a bit too early for us! I still sampled the Cow Tracks ice cream, which had a really thick and creamy consistency with delicious flavor from the candy inside. The coffee wasn't great, though. Tasted like gas station coffee. Spelunkers is convenient, and the ice cream is tasty. read more

This place is pretty rough. I'm giving it two stars because it was very convenient for a quick lunch between our two tours at Mammoth; the Cafe is about 100 yards from the visitor center. But the food is comical... as is the cost. A couple of my friends are gluten-free and ordered a pulled pork sandwich but without the bun. They were served a small portion of pork in a coffee cup for $7. I got a hot dog (all beef, not awful) but it was lukewarm and the bun was dry. Portions on all other meals were small and the taste was mediocre. Good news: I did get some ice cream and it was really tasty. However, at $4 for one scoop, it was overpriced and unnecessary. read more

Crystal Lake Coffee Shop was a wonderful surprise after a disappointing cave tour. This cafe is inside the Mammoth Cave Hotel and a short walk to where you purchase tickets for the cave tours. The food was homemade and delicious. The salads were plentiful and soup was filled with chunky vegetables in a tasty broth. The sandwiches were huge and generous and the fries were absolutely perfect. They also served us delicious fried corn patties. Unfortunately, I forgot what they called them. But, they were tasty! Oh, and the desserts...are a must have. The special that day was apple cobbler...warm and delicious! The prices were very reasonable. I have to say that this cafe was the best part of my visit to Kentucky. read more

Went here before caving because me and my friends had been in a car for 6 hours. The food was okay, and the service was okay. The waitress was very friendly, but a bit of a gossip with her fellow workers. I spent about $15 for a turkey and cheese sandwich, and a piece of pie. The sandwich came on regular sandwich bread, and tasted like the meat had come from a plastic container. So, not really even like deli meat... A bit disappointing, to say the least. The pie was at least good, warm and rich. Perhaps the reason I'd rate this place 3 stars instead of 2, on the basis of their desserts. I'd say that they are definitely over priced for the quality, but good for a quick pre-trail meal. read more

I enjoyed my breakfast at the Crystal Cafe. I had "The Caveman" which comes with the following in order of enjoyment: butter cream scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, potatoes, and ham. The ham could have used some work, but everything else was great. The scrambled eggs were like velvet and tasted quite buttery and good to a non-egg person. The biscuits and cup of gravy met my high expectations. Most importantly the cafe could not be any more convenient, located steps from the visitor's center. I would highly recommend coming here before a strenuous day of caving. read more

Got "The Caveman" here before hitting the caves for the day and it was just the authentic southern breakfast I was hoping for. For $7,.95, you get biscuits and gravy, ham, eggs cooked the way you like, and potatoes. They also serve the biscuits with the local cherry preserves. The ham was salty and definitely cured like bacon or something, but everything else was awesome. The server was very friendly and genuinely concerned about whether we liked our food. There are also other great deals here for breakfast- just biscuits and gravy is $3.25, for example. Would definitely go back to check out their selection for other meals! Conveniently located in the Mammoth Cave Hotel and just a few steps from the visitor's center. Alert! The Mammoth Cave grounds are on Central Time- don't wake up an hour early if you don't have to! read more

How to get a 2 star review from a group of people that has just emerged from a cave tour and eat...well...pretty much anything. 1. Tell them you don't have any wraps on the menu when the person right next to them is eating a wrap. 2. Wait until you're bringing out the food YOU opted to substitute to tell the customer you were out of what they ordered. Better yet, don't tell them. Wait for them to point out that it's not what they ordered. 3. Never refill their drinks. I guess everyone has bad days, but wow. read more

Old-school Americana restaurant that totally fits its location, right next to the Mammoth Cave Visitor Center (and strategically at the end of the tour) Ambience: An old school restaurant with a ton of black and white pictures of the restaurant and area back in its day. It feels like a countryside small restaurant. No frills really. Food (I'm vegetarian, my fiance is not): I'm always pleasantly surprised when tourist sites -- particularly non-mainstream ones -- have vegetarian options. There were at least 2, a black bean burger and a grilled portobello burger. I had the portobello burger. I want to say the portobello itself might have been frozen, but the way these things go, it still was pretty well done - good bun, perfect amount of condiment and seasoning. My fiance liked her meaty burger. The fries were perfect, not under or over fried. The prices weren't outrageous either. I think they know that it's meant to be a refueling station that serves fairly standard American food. They execute it well and luckily don't charge an arm and a leg for it, since it's an important resource for a day of enjoying what the park has to offer. Food: 4 stars (when considered against other tourist restaurants) Overall: Surprisingly good food joint right in a frequented tourist spot. 3.5 stars overall. read more

Ate here for breakfast with a family of six total. There were 3 choices on the menu - eggs/bacon/hash browns and toast for option 1, pancakes/bacon for option 2 and a cinnamon roll on its own for option 3. The prices were low, but the lack of options was annoying. Like it or not, that's what you got. The cinnamon roll was large and looked good, but it was swimming in a bowl of icing. Figured out that it was microwaved when I tried to bite in - hard on the edges and basically inedible. The eggs were good, the hash browns were seasoned with the same stuff they use on curly fries everywhere and kids liked those. The bacon, though, was a Kentucky cured type and my Illinois family didn't like it. Pancakes were good, but my sons said the maple syrup had some kind of fruit taste and they didn't like that. I know it sounds petty, but we just didn't enjoy the limited options. We ate the one day, then went over to the camp store and bought milk, cereal and donuts to eat in our room for the rest of the week. Nice staff, but slow and again, the limited options were not a good thing. read more

My husband and son and I got a quick lunch here. The cheeseburger was like a fast food burger at best, and was already made. The hotdog was surprisingly more worth the money according to my hubby. read more

Got the grilled cheese (Texas toast) and slaw. nothing beats food after caving. everything was good here, but i wasn't jumping up and down to come back. it is in a prime location for hungry tourists after a few hours of walking underground read more

Not bad for eating in between/before/after the cave tours. The grilled chicken with fries was good. Service was friendly. read more

Spelunkers Cafe & Ice Cream Parlor - grilled chicken with fries - Cafes Near Me - Mammoth Cave, Kentucky

We stopped in after taking a cave tour to cool off and have an ice cream the ice cream was locally made and very good and the of black cherry was made especially for mammoth cave's read more

The coffee is good for hotel coffee, so I heard. The pancakes were good. The bacon was great! And the service was excellent!

A pleasant little diner near the Caves ticket center. We had the Stenson french toast. Not bad. The service was a bit slow on order, refill & bills. read more

Excellent ice cream from a dairy in Bowling Green. Nice family snack place. We did not eat other food in the cafe but the food in the restaurant that shares a kitchen is really bad. Don't expect much from the food or takeaway sandwiches. read more

Trashes are overflowing. Tables are either full of food from previous people or soaking wet from a poor attempt to clean it with a nasty rag. Food selection is limited and reminds me of what you would get at a gas station. Over all. Pack your own food and bring it. Not worth you time, money or possibility of good poisoning. read more