First time and it was great after going to Mammoth Cave. I love places like this with huge focus on food rather than ambiance. Servers were friendly showing you photos of their grandchildren. My wife loved the catfish, mashed potatoes, and peach cobbler. She said everything she had was great. I loved the green beans, pot roast and mashed potatoes. Our kids all enjoyed theirs too. It was a crowd pleaser. read more

This is a smaller family business with great service, fantastic prices and a real you are cared about environment. The diner is older and not at all fancy but it is a place where you can easily tell you are valued and cared about. 100% will return read more

This is a good buffet place in the Cave City area conveniently located right off the I65 exit. It is next door to a business that sells all sorts of merchandise. Antiques, metal items, sculpture, wood and all sorts of other things. After eating at Watermill, it's worth a visit there just to browse. Anyway, let me get back to the restaurant review. The restaurant is not impressive-looking in the outside, but that just hides the good food on the inside. The inside decor offers nothing to brag aboutI think this location feeds a good collection of locals and tourists. While you can order off the menu, it's best to just get the reasonably priced buffet. On the Saturday that we dined, there was a decent salad bar, four entrees, numerous sides, two desserts and ice cream. This was comfort food. You know the kind that makes you fall asleep after you finish eating. While I rarely eat THAT much comfort food for any occasion, this food tested my resolve and discipline. Even though, it was borderline too salty (-1 star), I had to force myself to stop eating. Another positive thing about the restaurant was the staff. Everyone was so nice, friendly and welcoming. While the building, decor, furniture and atmosphere is old and dated (-1star), it's kept clean. If you are ever in this area, this restaurant is worth the visit. read more

Very tasty spot! Love the breakfast. Super sweet lady works here and is a hustler! They need more help. It's older and has a country feel. I'm looking forward to trying their lunch and supper buffets. Cheap prices. read more

Watermill Restaurant - American Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

Stew tasted bad. No mac & cheese for the kids. Servers were rude and obnoxious. Never offered drink refills. Dated and grubby appearance. Witnessed improper food handling on the salad bar. Contradicting sign about card fee/cash discount. Avoid. read more

Very nice happy staff very welcoming even to us being outsiders for the time being had a breakfast buffet, amazing biscuits and gravy. You just can't beat the biscuits and gravy. It was amazing. The sausage patties were a little overcooked. I think it's just because they were sitting under the heat lamp. I liked the bacon my husband thought it was a little overly done, a little too crunchy for his liking the French toast sticks while they were good you can tell they've been sitting there for a little bit they got a little hard on the ends, but for the price you really just can't beat this breakfast. We would definitely come back when we come back through this area. Highly recommend anybody to stop again very nice Staff little downfall was the bathroom. Bathrooms were very dirty. The trash needed to be taken out needed a good scrubbing, and the toilet toilets were so soiled unfortunately read more

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Almost didn't try this restaurant due to some of the reviews. Then decided to try and form my own opinion. I'm very glad I did. The buffet was delicious. Everything fresh and tasted homemade. I loved the atmosphere of the place. If you are looking for good ole southern comfort food you definitely need to try this place. The service was exceptional, our waitress was very friendly and took the time to talk to us about the area. Never made us feel rushed. read more

Visited for Friday lunch - $12.25/person buffet that includes dessert and drink. Pork shoulder and fried catfish were featured. Pork shoulder was a little salty but great catfish made up for it. Salad bar had a number of pickled options including mushrooms and okra. Wasn't as big a fan of the corn. Choice of bottled hot sauces available including a bowl of their house mix (spicier). (House made?) tartar sauce also available. Dessert included banana pudding and peach cobbler (choc ice cream and sherbet cups available in the case). Folks enjoy table and booth seating near the windows (my dining companions preferred shade). Staff are still good with checking on you along with clearing your table of plates. If the parking lot is empty when you drive up...you might consider whether you are catching it start of the day (turnover will come as rush comes in) or end of the day (less buffet turnover). Google reviews put this solidly at 4 stars right now. Yelpers seem particularly picky. read more

I read the reviews that said it in an old building but that the buffet was amzing and cheap. It was NOT amazing and it was not cheap. It had a regular salad; nothing fancy. The buffet had fried fish and pot roast, a few vegetables, mashed potatoes and rolls. The fish was dry and horrible and the pot roast tasted like it was from a can. The vegetables were definitely from a can and were bland. I would not recommend this place to anyone! read more

This was my favorite breakfast place of our stay. We didn't eat from the buffet, but it seemed to be very popular. I had bacon and eggs. Husband had pancakes. There's nothing fancy about the Watermill, but the staff is hardworking and eager to keep drinks filled. Jen waited on us both times we were there and she's wonderful. read more

There odd only one reason I am not giving a 5 star and that's because the limited offering on the buffet bar. First off as soon as you walk in it's a little, errr ok a lot dated but that gives to the ambiance of this place. It's a quaint little place with nothing fancy on the walls but enough of that small time charm to be cute. The menu was limited as the server informed us that Labor Day whipped them out but she was amazing and on top of everything. The service was prompt and quick. Food was hot and great flavor, they also had about 3 people greeting everyone. It had that small town atmosphere that I loved. Will definitely be back. Missed out on the banana pudding so next time it's on!!! read more

Watermill Restaurant - Salad bar - American Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

$10 buffet unlimited salad bar and fried cat fish. Or menu with one trip to the salad bar - though there isn't a lot to choose from but if you're a fan of burgers and onion rings this place is sure to please. Friendly service, large parking area, great for large parties or if you're on the road, quick stop warm food place that serves breakfast all day. Clean, with windows all along one side of the restaurant with a nice view of the roadways. Wish they had beef liver :9 read more

Watermill Restaurant - Fried pickles!! - American Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

Came here for linner Pros: - Fried catfish was delicious - very crispy and tender on the inside, also very well seasoned - Mashed potatoes and gravy were creamy and well seasoned - Sweet corn was also delicious - Very reasonable buffet price Cons: - Rest of the buffet is okay - Place looks a bit run down but the staff is very friendly and keeps the place clean read more

My wife and I visited at the tail end of breakfast hours and ordered lunch type items. The food was very good and the service kept pace with the food. We will definitely be back. read more

We went here during our stay at Jellystone park - it is less than one mile away - The food was great !! With HUGE portions ! I had a veggie omelette and hashbrowns, and i had biscuits and gravy and hashbrowns, which came with two huge biscuits and a double sized bowl of gravy. He didn't even eat 1/4 of it it was wonderful the whole experience.o read more

Watermill Restaurant - They gave us more than enough food and the jelly was so delicious. - American Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

You have to know what you're in for. Even in 2025, it's a buffet. You're in a small town, it's country cooking. The staff were very nice, and the food was above average I'd say. Veggies cooked a long, long time and on the sweet side. Had a first here. A few years ago, I had bariatric weight loss surgery, so I don't eat much at all. Normally hubby and I would share an entree, or I order off a kids menu. When I asked the waitress about a menu (they do have one) and specifically a kids menu, I explained why. She responded no problem at all, they get that often (odd I thought), and I got the buffet at a kid's rate. That was a nice surprise. We were there for Friday fish night late. Pretty good fish. read more

A good stop when traveling. The restaurant serves a buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and also has a menu with sandwiches and other items. I have only ever had the buffet. Went for the lunch buffet. I love the salad bar. Vegetables are fresh and tasty. Hot foods today included fresh corn, green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, fried apples, rolls, fried boneless pork chops, and fried catfish. Desserts included banana pudding and peach cobbler. I tried a little bit of everything and ate until I was full. The food here is a good value for lunch, and the staff are really friendly. read more

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Amazing little home cooked style buffet:) also right next to highway 65 so if you're looking for some good home style southern cooking while passing through this is definitely the spot. read more

Food is amazing and home cooked daily fresh vegetables great people. I go there at least twice a week

Wasn't sure what to expect from this place. It looked huge and not very busy for mid week. But the area looked like it probably gets busy on the weekends. Sharon was our waitress and she was kind and sweet and couldn't ask for a better mid-day server. The food was good the catfish fried to perfection and the veggies tasted fresh. Glad we stopped read more

Watermill Restaurant - American Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

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Talk about "down-home." If you want the full, country kitchen experience, eat here! We went on a Friday and they had catfish and pork shoulder as their protein choices. My husband LOVED the catfish. The pork shoulder was decent. The sides, green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn and soup beans were all great. The only three things I can say that need improvement are the restrooms... not great. The salad bar needed some cleaning up, food was everywhere and lastly, the flies. So many flies. Our waitress was very sweet and courteous. We would eat there again, maybe not in the summer, when the flies are gone! read more

First timers. We didn't want the usual fast food options so we decided to give this place a go. They have a home style buffet and a delicious salad bar. Everything was amazing. Our server Stacie was great and didn't leave our glasses empty. I didn't catch the girls name who took our payment when we left but she was so sweet and told us to have a beautiful day! Definitely recommend if you're in the area. If we are ever back around we will for sure make a stop! read more

Watermill Restaurant - Chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, Mac and cheese, buttered roll. Side salad. Sprite. Soooo good!! - American Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

Pork chop update. As I had so much delicious food from my trip to the "salad bar" (more like a buffet) I had a few rolls left over and chopped up the pork chops and more sliders at my motel room and they were great. Glad I had put some gravy on them before I left the restaurant. A great evening snack as we had eaten supper at around 3:30 in the afternoon. read more

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This place was good and sets up from the road. I ordered the western omelette, add jalapeño, and it was delicious! The staff was super friendly. read more

I love the home cooking method and friendly place to eat. Prices are great too. We even have annual reunions in the restaurant.

This is basically a big ass buffet. You can order some stuff off the menu, but honestly why would you. Worth the trip if you're looking to EAT read more

I loved this place! One of the best breakfasts I've had in years. The service was exceptional and the food was terrific. The prices were amazingly reasonable. I highly recommend stopping by if you have the opportunity. read more

Everything tasted horrible I got food poisoning Service was amazing also the atmosphere was absolutely terrible there was black mold everywhere read more

I love this place Down to earth, good 'ole home cooking and fresh fried catfish Nothing fancy just good people and good food read more

Stopped by on a road trip and chose this restaurant because it had some great reviews in other sites and happy customers pre-COVID. We were not disappointed. Once you park, you are greeted with a plain white door and a sign that tells you it is the entrance. At first, you can't tell if you are entering a restaurant or a warehouse based on the entrance door. We had an early dinner around 4:30pm on Friday and business picked up right after we sat down. Seemed like locals stopped here for early dinner and it's one of the few sit down restaurants in the area near Mammouth Cave National Park. We opted for the $11.xx buffet which included a drink. There's a salad bar, hot sides and two entrees. The catfish breading and hush puppies were delicious and fried to perfection. The pork was tasty, soft and juicy. The mashed potatoes were homemade and the gravy was superb. The desserts offered were peach cobbler a la mode and banana pudding. Both excellent and worth the meal. Corn bread tasted like it was from a hot skillet. Note to address comments on the dirtiness of the place. Someone was actively cleaning and checking out the buffet lines. I saw about 2-3 workers and the waitress who helped us was very nice. They came by to check on us every 5-10 minutes for refills and overall happiness. We came during the summer in August so there were several large flies around - the type you see at a picnic. One died in the Cole slaw and when I brought it up, they took the food away. Remember, this is a buffet and it can happen anywhere. Might have been helpful to keep some fly machines around. The inside of the restaurant is a bit like an 80s diner. Don't expect top notch cleanliness, but it was on par with expectations. I would definitely go back. Great price, good tasting food, and convenient location. There's also a menu, but it was easier to have the buffet. read more

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I do not know what the quality was like, so I feel bad having a negative response in this review. It may be great, I don't know. But what I must comment on is to point out to management the shabby appearance of the restaurant. We walked into a side entrance with two white large doors. Those doors and the hallway were possibly some of the most disgusting doors I've ever seen in a food establishment. Please, for your own sake, get a can of paint and some cleaning tools and clean up your joint. We passed on the restaurant because of the appearance. read more

I'm a 120lb, 5'3" guy. Buffets are usually not my thing simply because I don't actually eat much, so it's not as beneficial to me as it is for some folks. This place though? Price of entry was a reasonable $10.75 and oh-so worth it. The fried catfish was so damn good it had me wishing I was a fat guy so I could enjoy more, which is not a feeling I have often, LOL. The hush puppies were also very tasty; so many places try to fancy hush puppies up with random ingredients like jalapeños and it always misses the mark for me. These were simple. A lightly sweet dough dropped in the fryer. Yum! The mashed potatoes and gravy were also good. And for dessert I nabbed one of the 4 ounce cups of chocolate ice cream in styrofoam, which was the perfect amount of sugar to get my stomach digesting all the greasy protein I'd put into it! This place is arguably in need of a refresh/refurbish, but at the same time, they're keeping their prices low and I can respect that. It seemed like they had plenty of regulars there, and we just beat the church rush being Sunday and all. If you see the parking lot looks packed, don't worry, this place has an impressive capacity and you'll still be able to find a seat no problem. Some folks chose to park next door at the abandoned gas station when there weren't anymore spaces at the restaurant lot itself. Restrooms aren't great but aren't bad. read more

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When we went, it was buffet only. Fine, it was extremely affordable and multiple selections were on the line. Traditional Southern style. But overall it was just ok. I would try to go on a menu offering night. read more

We ate here last Saturday for lunch with a few family members. This was probably the worst buffet I have eaten at in a long time. So apparently every day they have fried fish which I don't eat seafood so that left me with what they called fried pork chops which tasted nothing like pork. I have a feeling most everything here falls off the Sysco truck frozen. The salad bar was even more sad. They had two types of dessert but flies were all over that so we didn't try it. About the best thing there was they had a freezer with individual ice cream in it. Their menu they provide you with is old and outdated. I inquired about the fried chicken on the menu and the lady said we haven't served that in years. Definitely not a place I recommend. read more

Don't be fooled by this restaurant's humble appearance. The service is friendly, welcoming and efficient. The buffet is inexpensive and delicious with a fresh and tasty salad bar, and cornmeal-breaded catfish that is probably the best fish I have eaten in my entire life. For dessert I recommend the warm peach cobbler. As a Northerner I am maybe not the best judge but the food tasted like what I imagine Southern home cooking at its best should be. read more

It was a super busy Father's Day breakfast, but Jen did a great job! Also, my husband said he had the best Western Omelette of his life! I had the breakfast buffet and it was very good as well. Will definitely go back. read more

The food here was a little below average, we expected a lot more variety than what we got and the food wasn't the freshest. Mammoth Cave national park doesn't have a lot of food options around it but this is something I'd say to skip. read more

We found this restaurant off the highway, which we seek out while traveling. We had the most delightful server (Brittany). We both ordered from the menu, and this establishment offered a full service buffet as well. We chose the breakfast option, which was very good. I had the pancake and egg breakfast my husband chose the French toast option. We were very pleased with our selections and the prices were super reasonable. Would definitely recommend! read more

Simple delicious food, very affordable. Friendly service. Clean but worn atmosphere-not fancy at all. Trust all the trucks in the parking lot and ignore the faded glory that might be giving you pause. If you are hungry or have a carload of hungry kids, this is the place for you. They prefer cash but take cards for a slight up charge. We're from Minnesota and we pretty much don't make hot food quite like this. Similar but just not the same. They have a menu and the regulars order off of it often-the burgers looked amazing. We went for the buffet both days. They always have fried catfish. It was amazing. The second entree varies. I have never had pinto beans or corn like that before and it was so fun to try them. I loved them. The desserts are included in the buffet and are pan-style cobbler or puddings. I have never had banana pudding like that, with thick custard and merange. Loved it, but not as much as the hot spiced apples on the buffet itself. The salad bar is straightforward simple but fresh and plentiful. Iceberg lettuce, some raw vegetables, pickles, canned sliced beets, canned fruit, cottage cheese. You will leave full-and your wallet won't be empty either. Even With a generous tip two people are out the door for $30 or under. read more

Watermill Restaurant - The buffet: salad bar and hot food. - American Near Me - Cave City, Kentucky

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No, no, no; do not go! The place is dirty. Very unclear! So much so, some may say obscene. Stopped in for a nice breakfast and Jenn our server you see seemed to be put off by someone like me. As rancid and/or racist a fruit may be the produce is always unsettling to me. read more

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