Parkette Drive-In
Review guidelines:
1 Fork = I would rather eat dog food.2 Forks = I would eat there if I was starving.
3 Forks = Not bad; someplace I would occasionally consider eating.
4 Forks = A good place to eat; I will put it into my rotation of places I dine frequently.
5 Forks = One of my all time favorites!
Monday, February 25, 2013 - Lunch
Parkette Drive-In
1230 E. New Circle Rd.Lexington, KY 40505
(859) 254-8723
Closed Sundays
For those of you who are non-native Lexingtonians, Parkette is a time honored classic. Founded in 1951 by Joe Smiley, Parkette was “the” place for a great burger, fries, and shake when I was growing up. At the time of its opening, New Circle Rd. was not a beltway encircling the city, but a strip of (gravel in some places) aka the “Beltline”. Lexington was ripe for a drive-in and Joe Smiley had the vision. Their signature sandwich, the Poor Boy is a double decker burger with cheese, tomato, onion, lettuce, pickle, mustard, and “special sauce.”Sound familiar? The Poor Boy predates the Big Mac by some 16 years!! Other signature menu items include the Chicken Box and the Chili Cheese Dog. My husband and I were doing errands at lunch and decided to stop at Parkette. Another incentive….we had coupons! Although there were many appealing menu choices, we decided to stick with the Poor Boy and we both opted for onion rings instead of fries. After frequenting Parkette on many Friday and Saturday nights during high school, I had not eaten there in years. Not wanting to eat in our car and risk making a mess of our work clothes, we chose to dine inside. Under its new ownership, the interior has undergone a major facelift. It is now furnished appropriately in “diner” red and black. There are many black and white photos showing the history of Parkette and a display case of nostalgic items of the era. There is even a Guy Fieri bobblehead in honor of Parkette’s segment on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives in September 2010. Back to the food….my Poor Boy was delicious! It was moist and juicy, even with some slight modifications (no onion, pickle, mustard, mayo, but a side of thousand island) - a far cry from the fast food cardboard burgers at most establishments. The onion rings were crispy and plentiful. I am not sure, but I think they were hand cut, hand breaded rings. I can’t wait to come back and try their other specialties. The service was great and the clientele was a melting pot of young and old, regulars and newbies. My cousin who lives in Frankfort reports “Never know what you will see tho. Once saw a man pull up on Harley, open his jacket and pull out a little monkey with a diaper on who sat on his back and ate what he handed him. Of course all the ladies got out to go see. Wonder why he was riding around with a cute little monkey...” Lunch for two was $16 without drinks, but before the buy one, get one free coupon.
Gluten Free Options – none advertised.
Vegetarian Options – none advertised.
Parkette hosts a variety of local classic car and motorcycle clubs in the spirit of cruisin. For their full menu and more on the history of this local landmark, check out their website:http://theparkette.com/
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