This Western Kentucky Restaurant is a Tasty Blast From the Past

Over Fall Break, we went on a day trip to Cave City, Kentucky. We explored and antiqued, and enjoyed a drive through Mammoth Cave National Park. Visited the Mammoth Cave Wildlife Museum, which was a hoot. It was almost dinner time when we decided to head back home, and my husband, per usual, had a great idea.

"Why don't we stop at Atomic Kitchen in Bowling Green to eat?" SAY LESS! We have been a few times and have always enjoyed not just the atmosphere, but the service and food are amazing. 10/10 experience, especially if you remember or at least appreciate the 1980s era. Michael and I fall into the first category, while our child is in the second, of course.

Kids these days are loving everything "retro," which is crazy to think includes 80s and 90s movies, music, and video games, along with toys and other memorabilia. You will find all of the above at Atomic Kitchen. Shelves along the ceiling display vintage toys; there are movie posters and prop replicas on the walls, and they even have an old TV set that plays VHS tapes of iconic flicks like Back to the Future or Star Wars.

Pop culture also inspires the menu, as everything is named after actors, characters, musicians, cartoons- you name it. Here is a look at what they are currently offering.

We ordered the "Strange Brew" pretzel bites, which came out hot and fresh. They were soft yet crispy and buttery on the outside, with a great beer cheese made from local White Squirrel Brewery's Brown Ale to dip them in. These were so good, I barely caught a photo before they disappeared. As you can see by the blurry fingers in the frame!

For entrees, I ordered The Dolly fried chicken sandwich with pimento cheese, and it was delicious. I LOVE their fries too! The seasoning is great, and you get a very generous serving.

Michael got the Predator Patty Melt. Not only is that one of his favorite movies, but he loves a good burger with pepper jack cheese. It had some heat with the pickled jalapeños and sriracha aioli. The caramelized onions added a little sweetness to offset the spice. I thought it was great, and he cleaned his plate, so that spoke for itself.

My child, who is growing like a weed with an appetite to match, ordered The Big Red Burger. In honor of Western Kentucky University, it has a big ole patty with cheese, bacon, onion rings, BBQ sauce, and all the fixings.

Somehow, after all of that, we still wanted to make room for dessert. We just needed a little something sweet, ya know? Here are our milkshakes. From left to right, we have the Vanilla Vice, The Bart (Simpson, because it has Butterfinger in it), and the Randy Watson.

Once again, they were perfection. Hit the SPOT! It also happened to be trivia night, so we stuck around and aced some rounds before heading home. The next time you are in Bowling Green, I highly recommend you check this place out. Honestly, it's worth the drive if you want a fun and tasty place to eat.