This place is such a hidden gem. Tucked away off the beaten path, it has that cozy, "you almost don't want to tell anyone about it" kind of charm. The space is definitely on the smaller side, which adds to the intimate feel, but I can only imagine it gets pretty tight during peak hours--especially since they don't take reservations. That said, everything else more than makes up for it. The service was genuinely excellent--attentive, friendly, and made us feel right at home from the moment we walked in. And the food? Absolutely worth it. Every dish we tried was packed with flavor and clearly made with care. If you're thinking about going, I'd definitely recommend timing your visit to avoid the rush. It's a small spot, but one that delivers a big experience. read more

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5 of us headed to Glendale from Louisville (about a 45 minute drive) for lunch and some shopping. Upon arrival at 11.30 am we were seated immediately by the sweet hostess. The menu is extensive so it took a minute for us to order. Everyone had water to drink. Our server brought us some fresh yeast rolls that were hot and tasty. We had the fried green tomatoes appetizer for the table. They were excellent served with sour cream and horseradish and ranch that we had to ask for additionally. Everyone ordered something different. Orders included: 1. Fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, and cole slaw. I only tried their cole slaw which leans more to a vinegar base and I prefer a sweeter slaw. There were 4 pieces of chicken. 2. Meatloaf with mashed potato and gravy and cornbread. Cornbread was a bit dry, meatloaf was ok. 3. Mushroom and bacon smothered chicken, onion rings and cornbread. Person said the chicken was a bit dry, the mushrooms and bacon saved the dish. Onion rings were good, crispy and hot. 4. Chicken and dumplings with cornbread. Folks that tasted them said they make better at home, nothing special. 5. Rueben sandwich with corn pudding. Sandwich was just ok. Bread was too thick for my taste, beef was tender. Corn pudding was excellent, hot, creamy. Service was good, resturant quaint, street parking. The train rolling by, blowing the whistle while we ate was a nice touch, although it rattled the building. After we ate, got to go containers and paid we shopped at the adjacent and across the street shops to the resturant. That was fun. After shopping we headed back to the restaurant for coffee and dessert. Again each of us had a different dessert item which included: coconut cream pie, butterscotch pie, derby pie, chocolate sundae cake and the house specially, butter cream pie. All were pretty good. We all liked the house speciality pie, it was super sweet, creamy with a good crust. Coconut pie was a favorite as was the chocolate sundae cake. The derby pie was way too chocolatey for most of us. It is a cute little little resturant with a homey feel that will take you back in time. One of those places where you should try but then say, did that, don't necessarily need to revisit. read more

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So I don't have to type another big post this is what I put on Facebook: Folks The Whistle Stop in Glendale, KY is !!! This is honestly the best meal we have had out or takeout as far back as we can remember!!! The portions are enormous, and everything is made from scratch!!! It should be noted that the pics don't even do the size justice. He had country fried steak (phenomenal), green beans, and cornbread. I had 2 enormous pieces of the best catfish I have ever had. I've eaten catfish in a lot of places. This was hands down leaps amounts better than any I've ever had. I got collard greens, and lima beans with it. They make everything from scratch right down to the tartar sauce. I'm not a tarter sauce fan and I used it on my cat fish. It's good home-cooked food. read more

The Whistle Stop - My husband, and I are waiting for our shockingly great food with fantastic portions. - American Near Me - Glendale, Kentucky

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The meal starts with a ginormous complimentary slab of bread. The size of this thing is no joke, and could be described as a half loaf! The bread is warm and tastes fresh baked. The innards are play-doughy, but this is a case where I won't look a gift horse in the mouth. I ordered a chicken tender basket, with a side salad as my side (and requested 'surprise me' as the dressing). The chicken tenders appeared to be hand-battered/breaded, as opposed to using pre-made, frozen chicken. It came out fresh from the fryer, hot and crisp. While I have no complaints, these were on the simpler side, then again, I ordered chicken tenders, not a dégustation in a restaurant the Michelin man cares about. The side salad was nothing to write home about. It too was on the simpler side, containing lettuce, grape tomatoes, croutons, as well as shredded cheese and carrots. Out of left field came the pecan pie! This was served warm and felt homemade. Sweet, warm, gooey, with just the right amount of chocolate, if I recall correctly. It was also served à la mode with two scoops of vanilla ice cream. I'd also like to recognize the server, who was very friendly and welcoming. However, service could have been just a tad more attentive towards the second half of the meal. In terms of the vibe, this is a place with a good amount of character and history. I hope I am not off-base to say it is rustic and charming. Final verdict: Perhaps my mistake was going for something simple like fried chicken instead of something unique. With that, I had a good experience, but not necessarily one I'd call a destination. read more

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Great food. Great service. Wonderful place to bring friends and get together for food and fun.

This is a super cute place that I had heard some great things about. We now live a lot closer than before and I finally got to try it, and my husband got to come back for the first time in 15+ years. The standout is the atmosphere. Even before you walk in, you can feel how lovely the little spot is and how homey the restaurant will be. There is a train motif all over the restaurant, given it's immediately adjacent to the train tracks. The food was alright. We started with the fried green tomatoes and the fresh baked bread. I did love the tomatoes, and the bread wasn't half bad either. The loaf was surprisingly big. For our entrees we got the Reuben and the chef salad. This was pretty standard. I was disappointed with the fact that there were three little slices of meat on the sandwich. The thousand island is served on the side, which I thought was interesting. The chef salad was also fine, pretty average. I would love to try their desserts next time. We will definitely be back, I would love to bring my parents here to spend the day in Glendale and cap it with a nice hearty meal. Check them out! read more

The Whistle Stop - Reuben with collard greens - American Near Me - Glendale, Kentucky

Cozy old fashion lil place in the country.. good food , good service .. if visiting.. it's a must do....desserts are amazing too!

Staff super friendly love the setting. Dessert and appetizers were awesome. We enjoyed our meal and the surroundings.

Great food. Friendly atmosphere. Awesome service. A real down home restaurant!!! You will love it.

Down home food that just hits the spot! The service is great and the decor takes you back to a time long ago. Nestled along the railroad track in Glendale, it makes the perfect date night or girls day out shopping trip! read more

Amazing food and amazing service good management crew and amazing mashed potatoes Good music and very quiet read more

Delicious food, awesome fresh pie, friendly and fast service, country cafe atmosphere. If you're traveling I65, "Historic Glendale" is just 2 miles west of I65, just south of Elizabethtown,KY. The Whistle Stop is a wonderful place to get off the road. We stopped here for lunch and arrived at 11:20 and got right in! This place is popular and gets busy fast. The only challenge is finding a parking spot,but just be prepared for a little walk. I had the teriyaki chicken with 2 sides. I got broccoli casserole and a side salad. My husband had the chicken strips which came with one side, and he got the onion rings. All was good. For dessert we shared a piece of coconut meringue pie. It was incredible!! They make their pies fresh daily, and our slice was still a little warm. Highly recommend this place as a comforting stop when you're in the area! read more

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Upon a family friend's recommendation we stopped here Saturday afternoon as we were heading southbound to Middle Tennessee. Wait time was minimal. Excellent service -- she was extra friendly and very knowledgeable. We all three thoroughly enjoyed our homemade entrees. Chicken & Dumplings; Pork tenderloin special and the grilled chicken special dish. We brought home some homemade pie slices as well. Situated in an historic older structure (former hardware store) that still retains much of the original walls & floors. Dark woods adorn the walls. Booth spaces are smaller but cozy and intimate. During prime time serving hours expect a wait time to be seated. No reservations are available. read more

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As soon as you walk in the door. It just smells good. I had the Whistle Stop Burger. It was delicious!!!! Cheryl was our server. She was as sweet as could be and very attentive. We also had Fried Green Tomato's. Best I have had since visiting Kentucky. You can tell their rolls are fresh baked and doughy. Great food, great ambiance. Thank you read more

The Whistle Stop - Whistle Stop Burger - American Near Me - Glendale, Kentucky

Food was AMAZING! Some of the best chicken I've had. Prices were a bit on the higher side, but I'm able to get at least 2 more meals out of it. Rolls were amazing. Great overall experience! read more

The Whistle Stop - Chicken Tender Basket and Fries - American Near Me - Glendale, Kentucky

We stumbled upon this quaint little restaurant as we needed a break from the highway so we stopped in Glendale for some antiquing and lunch. The Whistle Stop sits right on the tracks in downtown so we decided to give it a go. We will never go back! I will say the food once it was finally served was decent. Loved the greens on my veggie plate but we had to wait entirely too long for everything. When we entered the restaurant we were told there is a 25 minute wait to be seated. Okay, no problem, we looked around for a minute and waited. It appears that the things they have about for sale do not have anyone who cares paying attention. As promised approximately 25 minutes later we were seated. While exploring the place I couldn't for the life of me see why we needed to wait at all. I'm from the business and even if they were short staffed they were not busy unless there was something happening outside of the general area. Took almost ten minutes for our server to greet us, we ordered right away and then waited 35 minutes for a couple burgers and a veggie plate and to top it off the food was even hot. My husband told me after we left his bun was cold in the center. Over all we were very disappointed and we felt it was overpriced for what you receive. read more

We got reservations for the Mother's Day buffet in advance. It's held in there upstairs part of the restaurant. Once we were able to get upstairs & confirm our reservation, we were seated, there were plenty of tables but the table we sat at was ever close to the other table next to us that getting in & out was ever tight & we kept trying to bump into each other. Our lovely server took our drink order, we asked for coffee but told there wasn't any upstairs. So we settled for there iced tea & soda options . The buffet was set up in the middle & they had staff there to serve. The protein options were meatloaf, fried chicken, pot roast, sides were broccoli casserole, mashed potatoes, Mac & cheese, green beans & rolls. They also has side salad that the server got for you. It was a really nice buffet set up, that we didn't have to get up for drink refills, salad or dessert just got up for the main menu & our server kept the table clean by taking our plates. Everything was delicious & fulling that one plate was enough. We really enjoyed the relax environment. When it came time for dessert, we noticed other patrons had coffee, asked our server & she said someone did make some for upstairs. We finally got our coffees with dessert which was a nice ending to the meal. read more

The Whistle Stop - American Near Me - Glendale, Kentucky

The food was phenomenal, The service was excellent, and the atmosphere was fantastic for a restaurant in a small town. Would absolutely recommend for a stop here as I believe it is a hidden gem. I went here because a friend told me it was great, and they were right! Loved hearing the train go by. The seating is in a boxcar type setting. Absolutely loved it! read more

Home town cooking with a unique old time atmosphere. Food is always delicious and very attentive service.

Down home cooking at its finest . Unfortunately, they were out of meringue pies so didn't get to try that . It's just another reason to go back . Haley did a great job of taking care of us . Nice experience. read more

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Great food and atmosphere. Everything made from scratch . Must try the Bean soup and meringue pie!

Always great food! Have been coming here since I was a kid. The owner gave us a tour of the upstairs and told us some the history of the building. Definitely check it out if you're anywhere nearby! read more

Now this review could have went a different direction but thankfully there's a happy ending. We were the first customers of the day here and we were seated promptly the server came over and quickly got our drink order then she says before I start taking your order we can't make anything that's fried. Well that's 90% of the menu and I came for the fried chicken. So we made it work and placed our order and then she returned and said the truck arrived and we can make the chicken. So we all changed our order and everything was delicious. They got some great fried chicken here. And their mashed potatoes and green beans are tasty too, everything was hot, fresh and tasted amazing. read more

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Whistle stop is located in historic Glendale in a very old building. There seem to be several small rooms with 4 our so tables. So lots of character, though not necessarily lots of comfort. My wife is biting. She ordered tomato soup and grilled cheese, which she enjoyed. I really over did it. I started with the bean soup which comes with their fried cornbread. The soup was good cornbread very good. Cornbread was like a corn pancake. Not dense at all. I also got the 1/2 fried chicken, knowing I'd take done home. It was only $3 more so why not? The chicken had a tick coating (southern fried). It was a little greasy but very tender snd very flavorful. I ended up getting 3 meals out of it because it was just so much and so rich. The Mac and cheese was great, among the best I've had. Corn puffing was very eggy and I didn't care for it at all. My wife did get butterscotch pie. She said the flavor was different than she expected, but she ate it all (later as a carry out) Our server was friendly snd attentive. I'd definitely go again when we are in the area. It's a real experience. read more

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Loved this oldie but goodie. Really old fashioned but just what you're looking for in a spot like this. Can't wait to take some family out there to try. We all enjoyed our fried green tomato appetizer. They were huge. Our plate had some the size of a hamburger & The breading was delicious. I can only suggest if you get the Buffalo chicken platter to ask for less Buffalo sauce or just have it on the side to dip. Other than that we really can't complain! Service was good. Our waitress really had a sense of humor & that's always a plus! I loved their little store front to purchase a few things. read more

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The service was good. Ambiance was nice I ordered a Hot Brown and told the waitress how my previous Hot Brown in BardsTown was lukewarm. I was assured my meal would be hot. Food came to the table lukewarm. Waitress inquired if we were satisfied with our food. I told her about my hot brown being lukewarm. She said that the kitchen must not have microwaved it long enough. Disappointed would be an understatement. My wife's chicken tenders weren't very good either. Lacked flavor. The sauce they provided with the tenders did all the heavy lifting. Overall I was underwhelmed. read more

During a festival we expected a wait. It took 45 minutes to get a table, not a big deal. We entered at 5pm. The end of the festival. Once seated ten minutes to get drinks. Slightly annoyed, but still not a deal breaker. The food took an additional hour to receive. It is now 6:50. The food was warm and ok at best. The whistle stop burger was very dry and the fries were mediocre at best. The meatloaf was mediocre. It was a medium sized loaf of meat probably 8 ozs, covered in what can best be described as sweet baby Ray's barbeque sauce. You cannot mess up, what I believe to be powdered potatoes and gravy. The broccoli casserole was basically just steamed broccoli. There was very little cheesiness and no crackers. The bill being close to fifty dollars I would expect more from it. Sure the ambiance may be homemade/small town dinner. It reminded me of going to people's houses when I was a kid that the food wasn't something to look forward to. The wooden bench seating was incredibly uncomfortable to spend two and a half hours on. There is a large area for shopping and knickknacks. Don't forget the Christmas shop on the second floor up an old time spiral staircase that transported me back to my great grandma's house. All in all cannot recommend. I've worked in busier restaurants with a lot better food. Go in for the shopping do not try to eat there. read more

The Whistle Stop - One of their sale displays. - American Near Me - Glendale, Kentucky

We visited today and it was my first eating here. I was pleasantly surprised! What stood out the most was our fabulous waitress Gabby! We had a party of 16 plus she had a few other tables. She kept everyone's drinks filled and all of our food was all correct! Kudus to Gabby for doing such a wonderful job!! read more

A cute and quaint stop which is a nice break while driving through the state of Kentucky! They have an interesting backstory of serving the train station employees until the restaurant grew to be too popular and needed to move to the spot. They have kept with their train theme though. Portion sizes are very generous and the food is very good! Everything comes out nice and hot, and very flavorful! Definitely check it out, and the town of Glendale and the surrounding areas are a great rural area. read more

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Visited with my wife, we had the appetizer sampler: fried dill pickles, okra and the house favorite, fried green tomatoes, it all tasted very good, my wife then order the L&N burger with onion rings and I has the Hot Brown with a desert of peanut butter meringue pie. Everything tasted wonderful, the service was good, old time type decor. I recommend. read more

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Driving down I65 through Kentucky we wanted a home cooked type meal, no fast food. I heard about The Whistle Stop Cafe and it's on the exit where there is a huge manufacturing facility being built. Interesting to see such major changes. The restaurant is only a mile or so away from that. Historic looking little set of buildings. Friendly hostess and waitress. Everything looked delicious coming out of the kitchen. I was close to the door. We were seated in a cozy booth just for 2. I ordered the small version of the Hot Brown. It was covered in cheese sauce which was delicious but other restaurants use a mornay sauce (white) . My friend had catfish sandwich and fries. Both were crunchy and delicious. Give this place a try if your looking for something nicer than fast food with character and charm. read more

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We went to the Whistle Stop today for lunch. I had the meatloaf, broccoli casserole and fruit bowl. My husband had the special which was the pork chops, apples and mashed potatoes with brown gravy. The waitress was very nice and informative. She brought out Fresh bread and delicious strawberry jam. Then our food came out and it looked and smelled amazing. Our first bites were amazing along with every bite after that. I highly suggest The Whistle Stop!! read more

My family and I stopped here while driving from Indianapolis to Chattanooga, TN, for a weekend softball showcase event. We had to get gas and my daughter found The Whistle Stop out here on Yelp, and it was reasonably close to I-65! To say it was worth the stop is a huge understatement! I had the Fried Green Tomatoes & the Catfish Sandwich. My Wife & Daughter had the Fried Chicken Salads and we finished with some Blackberry & Peach Cobblers. Add in the homemade breads and incredible setting & service, and our trip was brightened exceptionally by our fortunate stop! Set in an authentic small town / downtown, I only wish we could have stayed & explored! All told, we called in our order from the highway 15 mins ahead, grabbed gas at the exit, and then picked up the food and were back on the road 20 mins later, with a total loss of driving time of 11 mins! And the food was epic! We will be back in a couple weeks as we are driving to Birmingham, AL, for another softball weekend! Will definitely plan to grab some great grub & hospitality on the way in Glendale, KY! read more

Fantastic meal. We started out with fried green tomatoes. ...crunchy and flavorful. My entree was country fried steak with mashed potatoes and lima beans. My husband ordered Icelandic cod with a side of coleslaw. Everything cooked to perfection. We finished out meal with coconut meringue and butterscotch meringue pie. Best service by our server Patty! read more

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We were dissatisfied this time around. We came for lunch and a slice of their previously delicious pie. The tomato soup and grilled cheese was rated good by my companion. My onion soup, well I've definitely had better. My sandwich was grilled in so much ? ?? It was gooey. Our poor pie was not up to par. The filling was not even close to how we remembered in yummy previous visits. One filling was gritty like the sugar never dissolved. The other was strangely lumpy. This is on us us. We should have requested different seating. It's not fun to sit in a tiny room all by yourself where you can't even catch a glimpse of others. Sorry to post this since we have enjoyed eating here in the past. read more

Somer did an outstanding job with SERVICE! We eat here whenever we are in this part of KY and have recommended the WhistleStop for years! This trip, we made a point of coming here. We had the country fried steak with mashed potatoes and slaw, and fried country ham with mash potatoes, and onion rings,The food has lost its character; I suspect the onion rings & biscuits to be frozen from a bag, both tasteless. Service the best part of the meal. Nothing makes me want to return read more

I have been visiting the Whistle Stop since I was a little girl. For good country cooking cooking you can't go wrong with anything you order. Some of our family's favorites include chicken tenders, meatloaf, chicken and dumplings, broccoli casserole, and corn pudding. There is also a cute little gift shop in the front of the restaurant with barbecue sauces, candles, candy, toys, and assorted other items. If you are ever in the area, you should definitely plan to stop by! read more

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Decided to take my mom to this restaurant because we hadn't been in a long time and used to really like it. It was sold from the original owners and we didn't know what to expect. This place opened up in 1975 as a quaint restaurant section in part of the hardware store that her husband owned. It was so popular that 4 years later, they sold off the hardware inventory to make room for more seating! They've been offering good ole southern cooking since the beginning. It's been featured in Southern Living, won best desserts in KY and the best non-franchise restaurant in KY!! My mom got the baked cod and loved it, but there was so much that she had to bring some of it home. I got their yummy meatloaf with tater tots! They bake their own little loaves of bread to start out with and brought us an ice-cream dessert because my hubby's birthday was the day before. Service was delightful and the entire experience was everything you'd hope for. There is the sweetest gift shop on the top level of the restaurant. Whoever does the buying for it does a superb job! We will be back. read more

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This was a bust for us :( Called ahead to do a quick pickup. Staff was friendly, but they were out of a few items. Got there, and thought it was in a very charming town - really had high hopes. Our first issue was that we didn't get eating utensils (and didn't realize until we were miles away). This is minor, but it felt like the start of a sequence of compounding bad events. Unfortunately, our ham was very salty (I know, ham is supposed to be salty, but this was too much for us). The meatloaf was better, but not something we'd order again. We liked the fried green tomatoes. Other sides were ok, but not ok enough to wipe away our disappointment. Then the butterscotch pie... I know, it's in the name. It's going to be sweet. The problem was there wasn't much crust. It felt like I was eating brown sugar topped with meringue. I'm not even that picky about pie crust, but this pie needed more. So, there it is. Maybe we just ordered the wrong stuff on a bad day. read more

The Whistle Stop - a window with a sign that says, visit our local store in the living room - American Near Me - Glendale, Kentucky

I'll admit, I was suspicious of The Whistle Stop. I assumed it would be too kitschy, too precious, too touristy. Their website, after all, exclaims, "Voted best non franchise restaurant in Kentucky since 2010!" Excuse me while I eat my words, along with some truly lovely Southern cooking. One of my fears was that there would be nothing substantial for vegetarians. I need not have worried. Stacy, the general manager, is incredibly knowledgeable about the food, and each ingredient that goes into every dish. She walked us through the entire menu, from appetizers to desserts, making sure we knew which options were veggie-friendly, and which contained hidden meat (ham in the collards, lard in the pie crust). I chose the tomato soup - the perfect marriage between tangy tomatoes and silky cream - accompanied by a classically delicious grilled cheese sandwich. It. Was. Amazing. The other vegetarian in the group opted for the Vegetable Plate, which is a smorgasbord of sides (he selected tater tots, cornbread (SO good), fresh fruit, and the vegetable medley), and pronounced it all delicious. The non-vegetarians ordered more traditional Southern options, such as meatloaf, pot roast, and country-fried steak, as well as blackberry cobbler for dessert. We all left full, happy, and pleasantly relieved that The Whistle Stop is well-deserving of its acclaim. Definitely worth a visit. read more